God's Inconvenient Truth, (Part #2)

One of the basic questions that fuel the confusion of Christianity is, "who is God"?  How can God be a relevant force in a modernistic society when Christianity cannot come to a consensus on whom or what God is?   After 2000 years, more than 30, 000 denominations the confusion of Christianity is still another inconvenient truth.  The generation of today has rejected Christian values because our leaders are failing to present a cohesive front.   New and toxic ideologies are creeping into the realm of Christendom and those on the outside looking in are not impressed.  

When did the Supreme Court of the United States render God Irrelevant in the application of the law?  In what year did the courts enact laws that were contrary to the teaching of the Holy Scripture?  When did it become acceptable for our youth to question the existence of God?  By whose authority the talk show host, the football player and the soothsayer proclaim that Jesus was just one of many ways to obtain salvation. 

In the early fifties with the acceptance of radio and television, the field of entertainment began to grow.  The granting of star power to those who could sing, dance, or even talk was the beginning of the great proliferation of religion values.   What happened during that era that allowed the emerging of such notables as Jim Jones and the Father divine types?  What was it that drew the religious core to the radio on Saturday nights?  Were they looking for a fresh word from God or was it the sound of Rev. C.L. Franklin as he toned up and roared. 

The true knowledge of God is diminishing; thus, the arrogance of humanity and the ignorance of God are on the increase.  Ignorance of God is accompanied by vice and crime, filling the community with violence and bloodshed, and making it ripe for the vengeance of heaven. The arrogance of man caused by the rejection of the knowledge of God is growing.   "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hosea 4:6)

A major step in the pacification of Christian values is to change the nature of God.   How can a mere mortal change the nature of metaphysical God?  Those of us who came of age in the early fifties and sixties can attest to the changes in the nature of God.  Not only reflected in the nature of God, but everything pertaining to God seems to have changed.  As a child coming of age in the sixties, I was afraid of God, I was afraid to use the Lord's name in vain. Our reasons for attending church have changed from that of the early Christians.  Toxic values have crept into the church service Pacification allows toxic values to co-exist, but it is the Holy Spirit and the fear of God that directs our choice.  Remove the fear of God from the equation and we have an impotent god sitting on the sideline smiling and waiting to bless his rebellious children. 

The children of emerging generations are looking for the blessing.  If there is a natural disaster, we can easily become complacent, looking to others for assistance.  For many a simple chore of grocery shopping is becoming dependent upon the government.  Dependent upon the government for survival while protesting the actions of the government is becoming synonymous with handouts, freedom, and rights.  It is only fitting that we emerge as a people looking to God or someone else to provide for us.  The nature of the Government is changed and so is the nature of God.   Why do we go to church?  We now go to church looking for that blessing.   How do we get that blessing from God?  Give God some money and he will bless you.  How profane, yet for every person that does not believe this a great majority does and the rest are shamed into silence.    

The Devil mimics God, often in the process creating mass confusion.  Often he speaks in the name of God his ability to twist and interpret God's word is phenomenal.  Along with some of the angels of the heavenly host, Eve also was a victim of the Devil's charming rhetoric.  Whereas in the Old Testament God would fight against the wicked; the Devil would fight against the righteous.  His tool of choice was misinformation.  Always confident that he could achieve the same success that he achieved in the Garden he continued to exert a negative influence on humanity.  The mass dereliction of duty by Israel, God's chosen people resulted in punitive action taken and the silence of God for four hundred years.  God's wrath began to build to Revelation proportion, and then the Father sent his son.

Confident that he had won the war and brought destruction upon God chosen people, the Jew, after four hundred years the devil found himself once again facing a new and more powerful threat, the Son of God.   A metaphysical being whose words evoked a state of fear and trembling, a personage destined to rule over his Father's kingdom as the King of Kings.

Many of Jesus followers were looking to him to raise an army and establish his Kingdom.  Exhibiting a pacifist nature, Jesus assured them his kingdom was not of this world.  (John 18:36) Jesus made it clear that the next battle would be a supernatural battle, and he was recruiting soldiers for his Army.  The Devil knowing that he would not survive a supernatural encounter with the King of Kings he sought for ways to engage Jesus on a natural level. 

The words of Christ possess the power to rendered Satan impotent, a simple phrase of "Get behind me Satan", sent him quaking in fear.  Demons enter a state of convulsion and cast themselves of a cliff at the sound of Christ's voice.  Failure to stand against Christ in a direct confrontation, he contrived a three-prong plan that we can say was beautiful, without giving him too much credit.   The first step of his plan required Christ acknowledge his Kingship.  On the surface, nothing seems sinister about this act of comradely.  The people would demand that he be their King.  The demand for a King had played out once before when the Children of Israel entered the land of promise.  It was not God's will but God relented and gave them a King.    If the people had accepted God as their King the prophet would have never stated, "The leaders have caused my people to err." (Isaiah 9:16) Now the people would be clamoring for Jesus to be their King to deliver them from the oppression of the Roman Empire.

"When Jesus, therefore, perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6:15)

Why did Jesus refuse the Kingship?  If Jesus had assumed the position of King of the Jews, then his Kingly duties would have been to lead a revolt against the Roman Empire, thereby establishing his Kingdom. 

Will you at this time restore the Kingdom of Israel; was the question at the top of the disciple agenda?  Therefore, if Jesus had accepted the Kingship from the people rather than waiting until the Father bestowed upon him the kingdom, he would have operated outside of the will of the Father. 

  

The next part of the Devil's master plan posed the question as to whether Jesus would fight to save his life.  Peter was ready to fight; he even drew his sword and attacked one of the arresting officials.  Judas expected Jesus to use his powers and save himself.  If he would fight then this would be an insurrection against the Romans.  Many of Jesus followers expected him to use his supernatural powers to free them from Roman oppression.  

Regardless of what part of the plan worked, the Devil was confident of the overall success.  If Christ refused to take any action, then crucifixion would become a reality.  Crucifixion would bring shame upon the Christ and the people would turn from him, they would say, "He can save others but he cannot save himself."   

After the death of Christ, but before the resurrection, the Devil realized the folly of his ways.  The wrath of God peaked and the earth trembled, the temple shook, those that were standing around gawking at their handiworks, cried out, "surely this man is the son of God."

God's Inconvenient Truth, (Part #1)

"The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." (Exodus 15:3)

In Solomon dissertation on life, he wrote, "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8)

The following verses present an inconvenient truth, a truth that many are not prepared to accept.  We do not often hear about this in our Sunday morning church services because we are uncomfortable with this truth.  This does not make it wrong, or that it requires a special interpretation, it just makes it an inconvenient truth that we need to learn to accept.    From day one of our indoctrinated study of God, we learned of God love, now; expressing the love of God has become a way of life.  

Unable to reconcile John 3:16 with Exodus 15:3 we began studying to change the nature of God.  Changing the nature of God is easy when we see only our own reflection or, the reflection of our own predetermined beliefs.  Member of the clergy and scholars of the Bible hold almost countless opinions as to the meaning of certain scriptures.   Sadly, to their own detriment they overlook the most important part of the equation, the scriptures mean exactly what the original authors intended them to be.   What are the implications of this fact?   We must understand how to apply what the author said thru the Knowledge of God.  We must properly apply the Knowledge of God in accord with the original intent and objectives.  We must maintain the proper context and perspective of the authors when they composed the sacred writings.   If we do not, then our assumptions about the meaning of the scriptures will amount to just one more of the infinite often-meaningless opinions as to just what the scriptures mean. 

The Old Testament gives us a detailed account of one bloody war after another bloody war. Bible scholars are often troubled that God is at the center of many of these horrific battles. The most disturbing and hard to reconcile is the practice of herem, a Hebrew word difficult to translate (awkwardly translated as "things under the ban").  Herem's meaning for the Hebrew inhabitants of the land was clear: they were to "utterly destroy" the enemy of God.

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (1^st Samuel 15:3" 

The first war command given to man was, "subdue the earth". (Geneses 1:28) God blessed man or empowered him with the necessary assets to conduct or persecute a war against the Devil on a natural order, a war that had begun in Heaven.  Jesus alluded to this event in Luke 10:18. 

On close examination, there are two important passages in the Word of God concerning the origin of sin and fall of Satan. Ezekiel 28:12-19 describes the creation and judgment of a vile and vicious non-human creature whose name was Lucifer. The Prophet Isaiah presents the origin and fall of Satan in Isaiah 14:12-14.

There is no clear revelation as to exactly when Lucifer fell, but there are limits to the possible time, which we may deduce from biblical evidence.  The following picture of Lucifer, (Satan) emerges based upon information gleaned from a comparison of Ezekiel 28:12-19 with Isaiah 14, Jude 6, and II Peter 2:4, and other passages.   

In order to defeat an enemy, we must ascertain the enemy's strength and his weakness.  The scripture provides an in-depth analyst of our adversary, but much of what we know and what we learn about God and Satan are inconvenient truths.  We prefer to recognize Satan as a defeated foe, and God as a God of love, yet Peter described the Devil as a roaring and stalking Lion. (1^st Peter 5:8)   

Lucifer was one of the hosts of angelic beings, an anointed cherub; he was the captain of the cherubic hosts. Somewhere between Geneses 1:1 and Geneses 1:2, Satan became vain about his beauty and position, and his heart became rebellious against God.  In essence, he began to seek out glory for himself.

He was able to secure a considerable following among the angels, resulting in their expulsion from Heaven (Luke 10:18; II Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:4). Thus, Geneses 1:2 begins with, "and the earth was without form, and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep."  Since that day, Satan has devoted himself to opposing the works of God in every way possible and to attempting to destroy all of the good that God has created in the natural order. He (Satan) is allowed to continue this way for a period but will ultimately be confined to Hell for eternity” (Revelation 20:10).

There are numerous ways to prosecute a war.  When brute force is no longer a logical option, the implementation of a different strategy becomes necessary.  Annihilation and pacification are the two methods used to implement the plan of God.  Annihilation is the severest method of prosecuting a war and pacification being the most humane. 

 Annihilation is to "utterly" destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out, to defeat completely.  In the Old Testament, annihilation was the choice of God.  God pronounced annihilation or destruction as early as Genesis chapter 6.  As God prepare for a war of annihilation, he is manifesting certain traits that infringe upon the comfort zone of modern day Christians.   It is hard for many to reconcile a God of war with our conceit of a God of love.  "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (Genesis 6:6)  Thus, the tone of the war throughout the Old Testament was the total destruction of the wicked.

Pacification is to bring peace or a change by the use of threats or implied threats rather than force, to quell the anger, agitation or excitement through the exchange of values. In the hands of the righteous, it can be a noble asset, but the unscrupulous will use it to undermine the fabrics of a righteous society.  In the New Testament, pacification was the choice of Jesus.  "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:30)   The implied threat once was the basis of Christian sermonizing.

Christianity often refrains from embracing the warrior attributes of God (Father) in favor of the pacifist nature of the Son.  The introduction of God (Father) as a war God was necessary to set the stage for his son to appear as a meek and humble lamb.  Yet, we are inclined to overlook the message of, "follow Christ or face the wrath of God (Father)."  The demeanor of God, the Father did not and will never change, and his son who came as a lamb will one day return as a Lion and he will fight in the name of his Father.  This will take place when the God of war unleash his wrath upon the earth. 

To be Continued

The Pacification of Christian Values (Chapter 1)

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
(Part #1)

                                

Today, there are many ancient clichés reemerging and once again inserting themselves into Christian worship as sacred truths.   Why did these clichés or axioms lie dormant for so many years only to reappear with such vigor that the values of Christianity are changed?  The axiom, "Love the sinner, hate the sin", is an abomination to some, but to others, it is a broad road to reconciliation and salvation.  The argument for or against is hard to persecute because both sides use the same source to validate their claim.   Often, what God said is a matter of interpretation. 

The different interpretations emulating from messengers of God is and has always been the basis of my dissent.   Proclaiming a new age Gospel while professing that God or his Word never changes creates a platform of deliberate confusion.  

Through the early years of Christianity, its mission has been to create a separation between the saint and the sinner.  

Although "Love the sinner, hate the sin", is a noble concept and is attributed to the teaching of Jesus, the truth according to numerous Bible scholars is Jesus never made the statement.  It might seem to parallel the teaching of Jesus, but it is from St. Augustine. His Letter 211 (c. 424) contains the phrase cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum, which translates roughly to "With love for mankind and hatred of sins." The phrase has become more famous as "love the sinner but hate the sin" or "hate the sin and not the sinner" (the latter form appearing in Mohandas Gandhi’s 1929 autobiography).  

What was it about these two leaders that caused them to defend their actions with such clever crafted Clichés? St. Augustine struggled with his sexuality and that of humanity, he deemed that sex in its post-Eden form was sinful.    He dramatizes the fear of sexual pleasure, by equating pleasure with perdition. Sadly to say he did it in such a way that anyone who tries to follow his logic would have the sense of being trapped in a never-ending nightmare".  Thus, the "attitude of the Catholic Church's celibate hierarchy is that the locus par excellence of sin is sex, a view based on Augustine's pleasure-hating fantasies".

Therefore, the phrase or cliché emerged with a sexual connotation, "With love for mankind and hatred of sins."   Mohandas Gandhi’s use of the phrase, "Love the sinner, hate the sin", was to justify his abnormal sexuality.  History supports the thesis that the use of the phrase even today carries a sexual connotation.  The re-emergence of the phrase in today's society is to justify the sinful nature of humanity.  

Clichés have a way of sneaking into our sub consciousness and thru a process of self-coding, they emerge as something profound and worthy of reflecting upon.  Call them Clichés, Truisms, rhymes or even crude remarks they are capable of improving or even perverting our thought process.     Many of the clichés we heard as a child lay dormant waiting for that moment to spring forth and replicate themselves in the mind of those we meet.  Often they are nothing more than cute phrases that tickle the ear and soothe the mind of the discontented.   In the early onset of emerging, nations and communities the use clichés or truisms as learning or indoctrination tools were commonplace.  

Often, speeches that the presenter considers worthy of the populace remembering are clichés filled.  Although bordering on embellishment, remember John F. Kennedy's famous speech. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." 

My grandmother used numerous clichés to teach me objectivity lessons.   Among her favorite were, "It is the early bird that gets the worm", and "You can't have your cake and eat it too."  Both of these statements drove her point home, but one afternoon while plowing my mother's garden I began to question the early bird concept, there were variables that created inconsistencies.  Even today, I still find myself wondering; why a cake is not a cake once you eat it.

The use of clichés or truisms in a religious setting often promotes a sublime intent to deflect or detract from or even shape the word of God.  When a Bible truth is reduced to a Cliché the values of Christianity suffers.  Clichés maintain the innate ability to cross the line between teaching and indoctrination in a veiled manner.  A cute phrase can create a point of reflection such as, "One monkey doesn't stop the show", or a point of action such as, "Love the sinner, and hate the sin". 

Where did the phrase, "Love the sinner, hate the sin", come from?   To most, the answer is simple; it is the teaching of Jesus.   On any given Sunday, thousands of preachers will stand before their congregation and proclaim that these are the word of Jesus.  Many of those hearing those words will believe because if we do not show love they will hate us.   If we do not show love they will not come to our churches, thus our bottom line will suffer.  The organized church has decided that in order to remain relevant in a pessimist society it must dumb down its rhetoric in the face of it an adversary.   Imagine the howls of the wolves if one would proclaim from the pulpit or national television, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33)   The political correctness police would descend upon the interloper, shaming the pastor and the church into compliance.

Shaming has evolved into an art form.  It has morphed into something sinister from the days when one kid would say to the other, "Your mother wear cowboy boots".  Usually, a fight would erupt and afterward they would usually leave the playground as friends unless an adult intervened.   In today's society new and potent words are created and the rush to provide the proper definition and narrative is courted by the media.  The list includes words like racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it.  These words are used to bring shame upon the person that they are being applied to.  Call a person one of these words and the result is similar to saying to the person you have body odor.  Whether it is true or not the person is affected.

I was in a Sunday school when I first heard the words, "love the sinner, hate the sin".  To put things in the proper perspective, it was the Sunday after the Supreme Court validated the President's alternate lifestyle agenda.  My world, based on the Holy Spirit led common sense and the Bible entered into a state of turmoil.  The Sunday school teacher took an ample amount of time explaining what I considered a new concept of Christian values.   The morning sermon was also based upon love and the pastor made a feeble attempt to explain how and why we were supposed to love the sinner, and hate the sin.  The government's re-indoctrination of Christian values was in full play.  I left the church that day one very confused soul.  

The reason Christians have begun to spout these phrases and clichés as if they were God inspired scripture is a part of the process of justifying sin.  Now that sin has been justified by the government, the populace is facing cultural crises, church crises, and family crises.   These crises have torn our communities and cities apart and now they are on the verge of destroying the very nation that spawned them.  As marriage equality gained support, the traditional church and Christianity found itself in a dilemma.  How do the churches attract people in a society that have turned its back on God?  Traditional churches are becoming empty and many churchgoers are wonders where it will end.     

Two statements in the above paragraph are not scriptural.  The founding of the church was not to attract people to Christ, and Christians who study the Word of God know how this is going to end.  

Most learned Bible scholars would have us to believe that Jesus actually said, "Love the sinner, and hate the sin."  Lest of all, we are indoctrinated into a belief that he would be on board with this 'simple truth'.  Why would he not be?  The adage supports universal love.  We take the catchphrase from Mahatma Gandhi who morphed it from Augustine's, "With love for mankind and hatred of sins",  not because we agree with everything Mahatma Gandhi said, but because he conveniently said, “Hate the sin and not the sinner.”

The problem with Mahatma Gandhi statement, “Hate the sin, not the sinner” is, there is nothing in the Word of God to validate the statement.  The question that it does present is how does humanity separate sin from a sinner?  Now, the use of the word sinner can be misconstruction as hate speech and to make such an assessment is of a person's nature is judging.  We are told that we are not to judge yet, every day we make judgment calls, whether it is the refusal to hire a person because of his history or calling a person names because they do not agree with modernist views.  Modern day Christians have allowed themselves to be backed into a rabbit hole and are asked to perform the impossible.  The Bible makes a clear distinction between the righteous and the sinner.  (1^st Peter 4:18) Paul's message to the Corinthians was as such, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. (2^nd Corinthians 6:17).  There has never been a greater miss-characterization of the heart of Jesus or a more egregious bastardization of the Bible than proclaiming those words to be the Word of God. 

The damage that has done to Christian values and to the public perception of Christianity may never be fully repaired before Christ return.   Based upon the testimony of Jesus in the book of Revelation, It is an embarrassment; a sin and a total abomination what the organized church have morphed into.  In my book, "The Evolution of a Failed Church", I take great care in explaining the difference between the organized church and the spiritual church.   The hijacking and backpedaling of Christian values did not take place overnight; it began when Christians grew weary of persecution under the rule of the Roman Empire.

Continues in (Part 2)

The Pacification of Christian Values

Prologue

Never in my lifetime has the attack on Christian values been so intense.  Many failed to see the shift in the battle and direction as a man of color took the helm of a nation that proclaimed to be a Christian nation.  A change was what he proposed and he soon issued a proclamation that America was not a Christian nation.  The empowerment of dredge elements was used solidified a campaign of shaming and hatred that was directed at anyone who did not agree with the emerging agenda.  The enactment of laws to curb hate speech even caused Christian church sermons to be dissected and certain phrases were label as hate speech.  In order to protect itself, the church scrambled to change the ancient focus and direction of Christianity.  Two impossible non-biblical shaped scenarios evolved, hate the sin, love the person, and do not judge.  It is akin to saying, "I love Ice Cream but I hate milk."  These two affirmations rendered the application of Christian values impotent. 

There are numerous forums on the internet and in our churches where   Christian members assembly and discuss the Word of God.  From these discussions there usually, emerge new ideas and/or interpretations that are game changers when it comes to Understanding the Word of God.  What is most disturbing to many is that during many of these sessions the question of sin is entertained, redefined and justified.  What often emerges is a watered down versions of what once were fire and brimstone messages.  The new message only depicts a God of love.  We are more comfortable with a God who loves his creation and sits high and are working things out day by day for his children.  Acceptance of a particular ideology becomes a matter of interpretation.  The ability to justify sin through the misapplying or misquoting the scripture is a strong selling point when looking to attract followers. 

In Isaiah 9:8-16 the Lord sent a word unto Jacob and Israel; the prophet speaks on the subject of the punishment that would befall them.  This God of love that we speak so highly off, joined together Israel enemies and used them to punish her.  The blame was placed at the door of the leaders and the so-called leaders who had failed to lead the people accordance to the ordinance of God.  They cast aside the religious values set forth by God in favor of a more accommodating lifestyle.  

A God who punishes is no longer an acceptable God in our modernistic society, thus we are free to become like spoiled and begging brats.   In the dispensation of Grace, God's wrath is withheld until an appointed time.  Therefore, it becomes easy to overlook all of the threat and acts of violence of the Old Testament and find that one verse that says, "God is love".  There are leaders who perpetrate a false sense of godliness, a false sense of contentment by focusing on just the loving aspects of God.  It is impossible to separate love and hate in a natural world, they are opposites and opposites support each other like day and night.  For God to love, he must be able to express his hate.   (Romans 9:13)  Christian values have suffered within the emerging generation because there is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:18)  

Often it is the lack of the knowledge of God that has permeated down through the ages that cause the Christian values to deteriorate and the believability of God to suffer. Neither of these adjectives is deniable because validation is achieved through the opening of our eyes and viewing the landscape. Preachers are preaching, prophets are prophesying and churches are being built but the conditions of the world and its people are not improving.  It began in the home, then the school, which spilled over into the community.  Once our communities began to suffer our cities, states, and nation followed.   Many of our youth no longer respect the values of old, yet they do not have anything to offer in their place.   History teaches us that when a system or idea is destroyed it must be replaced with something of equal or greater value, if not a vacuum is created, and chaos follows.

The government has created a system of values that is being sanctioned by the masses, and the church is reinterpreting itself in order to remain inclusive. Too many church leaders have stepped away from the confrontational nature of the gospel and embraced a motivational and prosperity message that massages the sinful nature of man. 

In the early days of Christianity, a different lifestyle was a part of being a Christian.  Christians were a name given to those who were said to be followers Christ and those that adopted this lifestyle were previously warned by Jesus that they would be  persecuted because of their lifestyle.  Blending was not a trait that Christians embraced and they were encouraged by their teachers to separate themselves and rejoice in tribulation.   

After the killing of Jesus Christ by crucifixion, persecution of the Christians intensified under the rule of the Roman Empire.   There was a concerted effort by the Jewish elite and the Romans to stamp out this new religion called Christianity.  Upholding the values of this new religion was instrumental in the early death of all of the Apostles and many of the newly converted followers of the Gospel.  Paul was one of the chief instigators of church persecution, yet when he was converted, he endured the same hardship like a good soldier.

The church was formed in the midst of persecution, as a place of refuge, a place where members assembled to support to each other.  In the midst of persecution the church flourished.  This was not the intent of the Devil.  The Christians were expected to compromise their values in exchange for a life filled with worldly pleasure.  The Devil drunk with a false sense of success in his campaign to destroy the Jews and after the crucifixion of Christ turned his full attention to  the destruction of the Church.  

Realizing that torture did not work against the early church, the Devil devise a scheme to infiltrate the church and destroy it from within.  The Roman Emperor Constantine became the instrument used by the Devil.  In 312 AD, the great persecution was still going on in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire. Constantine became a Roman Emperor and he is said to have had a vision, which made him convert from Paganism to Christianity.  Christianity replaced Paganism as the religion of the Empire.  The Christians were given high-level positions within the government and the church moved into richly endowed buildings.   The pagan influence began to infiltrate the church; the values of Christianity began to change as the church walked hand in hand with the government.  The result of this marriage caused Jesus to issue a stinging indictment against his church in Revelation 2: and 3: 

Christianity was no longer a persecuted religion within the ruling empire and the emerging church begun to look upon Constantine as the great deliverer.  Deliverance from persecution was something the Emperor not Jesus had not done, thus Emperor Worship and the worship of men found it place in the church.  Jesus expressed his disdain for those who came into the church for the purpose of ruling the church.  "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."   "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." (Revelation 2:15) 

Whether it was or was not Constantine's intent to pollute the Christianity is arguably, yet the Devil used these concessions to merge Christian and pagan values.  Pagan worshippers not wanting to left on the outside of this newly emerging power base came into the church without the benefit of conversion. They profess a belief in Christianity, yet they clung to the traditions and values of paganism.  In many instances, they continued to worship their same gods and celebrated their pagan Holidays.

The organized church became a polluted church, steeped in pagan tradition, with men installing themselves as the head of Christ church.  Thus began a journey of false teaching and reinterpreting the scripture to fit a particle narrative.   The weapon of choice was scriptures out of context.  The Devil, now confident that he had achieved a victory, accepted his position within the organize church and guided it towards it first major split.

When We Are Tested

 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:6-8)

When the story of Job is presented in sermons or Bible Studies the emphasis is usually placed on Job's faith.  Leading up to the climax, there is a reference to how his wife and friends failed to  comfort him in his time of trouble.  The emotional climax is often centered around Job's proclamation, "If a man dies, shall he live again?  All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. (Job 14:14)   It seems to many that this confirmation of faith is what the story of Job is about, but is this what it is really about?  

The question that many find un-entertainable and un-answerable is, "why did God point out Job to the Devil?"  It is not acceptable to conclude that God tested Job's faith yet this is exactly what happen.  In the Garden of Eden, Adam was tested and he failed.  Abraham also had his faith tested and so did many other Biblical figures.  Somewhere in the dark crevice of our mind, the questions should emerge, "Why was it necessary for God to test Job's  faith?"  "Do God use or allow the Devil to test our faith?  There is only one biblical answer.  We can accept it or we can explain it away.

The first chapter of Job paints revealing pictures of how God and the Devil work, once you examine them thoroughly.  This is not the picture painted in Sunday services and Bible Study.  For this reason, it is getting harder and harder to reconcile the God of the Bible especially the God of the Old Testament with the God of today.  God placed the children of Israel in bondage so they could grow as a nation.  God punished Jonah because of his disobedience.  God harden Pharoah's heart causing him to follow the children of Israel, leading him and his Army to their ultimate death. What is most revealing in the Old Testament and the story of Job is not about what God can or cannot do, the story seems to amplify a time of testing and how God work. 

The first picture painted is that of a person walking up and down unobstructed on a small plot of land, visual that small plot as a garden plot. The understanding here is that this person has such complete control because the thing under his control is very small and insignificant compared to his overall power and ability. We think of Earth as being very large, but to a supernatural God and Satan, Earth is nothing more, nor less, than a small, insignificant garden plot, over which the Devil exercises complete control. Christian are not comfortable acknowledging that the Devil has control of the earth, therefore for cosmetic purposes, I will add the disclaimer, 'unless a greater power intervenes'.  

The opening statement in the first verse of Job establishes the type of access and relationship the Devil and God maintains.  When the sons of God came to present themselves before God,  the Devil was in the group.  The verse does not depict a scrounging or rebuking session, rather God and the Devil engaged in an amicable conversation.  The Devil states his purpose for walking to and fro, and God suggests that he try his antics on Job.  There are numerous thoughts and suppositions that are added to make the picture fit our frame, but the reality is, God suggested that the Devil test Job.   We can justify this act by saying; God knew in advance that Job would pass the test.  If we follow that line of reasoning the whole conversation, become irrelevant, the same as saying God is controlling the mess that man has made out of his creation. I would rather believe Job could have failed the test. 

In addition, immediately in Job, we see that God exercises his power of control by telling Satan he may test Job, but with certain restrictions, specifically not taking Job's life. Yet, God allowed Satan to take the life of Job's family members! We should thoroughly understand the power of Satan.  Everything that happens here on earth is not the will of God,  Satan has circumvented the will of God.  He has the power to kill humans,  and when that drunk crashes into that mother's car and kill her child we should not place the blame on God.   When speaking of the lost sheep or souls, Jesus stated that "...it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)  

There are times when we should ask God to forgive us for the things that we blame him for falsely.  The evil that is in the world was not brought about thru an act of God but it is used by God to test the resolve of souls that will enter into his Kingdom.  Those who succumb to the temptation of the Devil will not enter and those who enter will not come before the throne acting like the Devil.  God has a timetable of testing leading to the destruction of the devil and those whom he has corrupted.  God allows much of what goes on in the world today because of the sinful nature of man. 

Let's take a closer look at the Devil, that insidious figure that we much rather pretend it didn't exist.  The Apostle Paul calls Satan the "Prince of the Power of the Air".(Ephesians 2:6-7) The reference to "air" refers to the air surrounding this Earth. It is just another way of saying "Earth". Paul's picture here is that of Satan being the Absolute Dictator (Prince) of this Earth. The Apostle John also speaks of Satan with this title, in John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)

In The Book of Revelation Jesus states that Satan had his throne, in the city of Pergamum.  That city was steeped in idolatrous worship. " ...where Satan dwells. Satan had his throne set in the city where he felt most comfortable, the people, even church people, were practicing his witchcraft and all forms of idolatry.  Pergamum is certainly not Satan's throne today; I wonder in what city Satan's throne exist today? In what nation or city is Satanism in all its forms most practiced? I do not know, but I do know that such a throne exists in some city in this world.

The fact is clear -- Satan is the Prince of the Earth and he rules this Earth as completely as you or I would rule our little garden plot. And, he sits on a throne somewhere on Earth!!  There are those who proclaim the works of Satan to be the works of God.  Thus the old adage emerges, the greatest trick the Devil ever performed was to convince the world he didn't exist.  

War Has Been Declared Part #3 of 3

Proverbs 11:29  He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

Mark 3:24-25  And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

Nations that once referred themselves to as God-fearing nations is standing on the brink of a biblical disaster. Natural and spiritual disasters are emerging in the form of floods, earthquake, famines, and pestilences.  The Earth is groaning and convulsing as a woman enduring labor pains.  The children of these nations blinded by their vast knowledge have cast aside the fear of God in the name the gods of political correctness.  Born into a pessimistic society the youth of today are losing their respect for the ancient values.  A new and godless nation "One World Order" is rising up out of a sea of confused souls.   Revelation 13:1) They have killed all of their sacred cows and the spirit of antichrist is prevailing.

Division is the ultimate warrior and martial law is looming on the horizon.   The freedom that we so carelessly tread upon might soon disappear as a puff of smoke.  Jesus referenced Daniel when speaking of coming events.  "But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:" (Mark 13:14).   The understanding of this verse is not hard if we do not try to read too much into it.  The message to the wise and to those who once existed in their safe place, the time to flee to the mountains is drawing nigh.

      
The world and even the church have succumbed to the tactics of that old Devil. First, he used Governments and religion to divide the people, as he did in the Old Testament age.  During the Old Testament age God prodded humanity to engage, to fight and eliminate this blight from the face of the earth, but humanity, even Saul was tempted.   To prosecute the war against the Devil God used fire, water and even supernatural interventions, but the Devil had found an ally in God greatest creation.  If man had been, true to his spiritual nature the flood in Noah's day would have solved the problem,

The war began when Luther, God's prized Angel, attempted to overthrow the throne of God. The question posed now is why did God allowed the Devil to continue to exist. When the war began, God could have spoken the word or blinked his eye and poof, the old Devil would have been gone.  Viewing the problem from a natural perspective, we often fail to see the spiritual implications.  Once sin entered the realm of God, destroying the Devil would not have solved the problem; it merely would have created a martyr.  The Devil must be defeated in Heaven and on earth.

We that pose the question often fail to see the plan of God unfolding.  First, Satan corrupted a third of God's children, therefore, they are to be replaced before the Kingdom is expanded and re-established.  Second, there is a timeline established from the beginning, and within that timeline, there is a period of testing.  The Devil initiated and highlighted the sin problem; therefore, God had relegated to the Devils the job of testing every soul that enters into the Kingdom.  A study of the Book of Job will enlighten us as to how God and the Devil work, but this is an ideology that we are not prepared to accept.

To fully understand the war that we have been drafted to fight we must understand our purpose for being here.  Is our purpose all a part of a motivational trip?  Did God create man so that he would have somebody to give stuff?   Is it our mission to sing and praise God for all of his goodness, or is our purpose to bring souls to Christ?   It seems that the New Testament stress the need to go into the highways and hedges and compel.   

The Old Testament is a history lesson that gives us a detail account of humanity fall from grace and his attempt to fight against the Devil.  The Kingdom of Heaven, first through the application of the Law, then Grace, is searching for souls that are capable of resisting the Devil. 

The church flourished in persecution, but once it joined hand with the Government, it lost its soul.   Many churches of today are no longer able or capable of giving battlefield assessment; they are promoting a Kool-Aid flavor gospel that causes it members to bask in the sunshine of favor.   The words of Jesus should quell the clamor for special blessings. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45) 

In my Book, "The Evolution of The Failed Church", I chronologies the battle the battle brought against the church by the Devil.  What was more interesting was that the battle did not begin with the formation of the church; it began before the creation of man. Mankind was created and empower to assist in the fight against the Devil, but mankind has a history of succumbing to the temptation of the Devil.  The authority given to man was ceded to the Devil through an unholy alliance in the garden.   Aside from temptation, envy and pride created a type of hatred that caused humanity to wallow in his sinful nature.

Revelation 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

War Has Been Declared Part #2 of 3

I recently shared a video on the social media that said, "Let's put prayer back in Schools." In a comment, words were used that were suppose expose my 'so-called phobias' and as an added insult I was told I was being selfish.  Now, no one wants to be called selfish.  All of which the intended purpose was to shame me because of my Christian viewpoints.  The perfected art of shaming is a tool used to force the masses into accepting alien viewpoints.   Shaming forces an adversary to accept a position of weakness.   This is the 'wiles of the devil'. 

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  (Ephesians 6:11-12)

It seems as if the admonition of Jesus and Paul's called to war has been misinterpreted, overlooked or no longer believed.  For many, the battle has become personal as we rejoice in songs that tell of beating the Devil running or even crushing his head.  False hope is a sellable product of a false religion.  False hope has caused many to turn away from God and the church.  If our religion is false, we can easily be shamed into accepting false doctrines.

There are a natural war and a spiritual war raging around us.  The war that the saints should be concerned about is the spiritual war between good and evil, not the war between countries and states. No amount of misdirected praying or misquoted scriptures is going to eliminate the battleground.  The war has been declared and as Christians, we should enlist and prepare ourselves to fight the spiritual battle against the forces of darkness.

Considering the fact that Jesus rarely if ever addressed the natural state of humanity, Paul described this war as a spiritual or supernatural war.  This war is older than the war between nations; it is the war between good and evil.   This war began in Heaven long before God said let us make a man.  Forgotten in the backdrops of bible history man was created to fight in this war or "subdue the earth". 

It began as a Heavenly encounter; the Devil lifted up in pride challenged the throne of God.   God declared war and the Devil were cast out of heaven, where he brought destruction upon the earth.  Jeremiah prophesying of the Pre-Adamic Age declared, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." (Jeremiah 4:23).  Thus began Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."  Not a condition of creation but a created condition caused by the catastrophic event of Satan being kicked out upon the earth. 

   

With Satan was expelled from heaven, this did not end the war, the war merely intensified.  In the Old Testament, Moses described God as a man of war an attribute that we rather not attribute to God.  "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." (Exodus 15:3)  To continue the fight God created man, capable of living in the natural and guided by the spiritual.  In his first encounter with the Devil, the man was tempted, resulting in the loss of the first battle.  The battle against Satan on earth began as a natural battle, God empowered men as Kings and often led the charge, even the elements were at God's disposal in his battle against evil.  

With the coming of Christ, the battlefield shifted to a spiritual plane. Christ approach was to let the wheat and the tares grow together. (Matthew 13:30)  It is often taught that the Devil is a defeated foe, yet Paul stated," Wherefore takes unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:11)  Peter's admonition to the saints was; "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1^st Peter 5:8)   Peter and Paul was writing to the church, not those who were standing on the outside looking in. 

Paul is addressing the supernatural aspects of the Devil's long-standing war against God.  As a side note which we shall discuss in a future article, Satan has organized his domain into seven major divisions, called principalities.  He has placed a powerful demon at the head of each principality that is responsible for spreading a particular brand of temptation and bondage over the world.  Those who that study or follow the occult is aware of the seven major principalities of Hell that are a part of the teaching of witchcraft.  Satan and his demons exist, and they are exceedingly powerful.

The total defeat of Satan and all that were deceived by him will come at a time of God's own choosing, until that time Satan is allowed to operate on earth and in the astrosphere.  The Devil  and his demons are supernatural, above, over earthly, "natural" forces, they can do whatever they want to do, unless God specifically steps in to prevent it.  For some reason, the above statement cannot be made without adding the disclaimer.  If we say the Devil can do anything he wants to somehow it seem as if we are taking away from the power of God.  Still, much of what Satan wants to do in this world today, he can do. This is why much of witchcraft, and Eastern Meditation, and Alternate Medicines, etc., work, because Satanic power is making it work, and God is not stepping in to prevent it.  When God steps in it will be a time of judgment.

As a former member of the military, I am aware of the necessity of battlefield assessments.  Information from the battlefront allows the command center to tailor the battle to meet the enemy where he is the strongest.   This military conceit allows the marshaling of superior forces against impending threats.   Battlefield assessments can present a true picture of the enemy, exposing his weakness and allowing for successful prosecution of the conflict.

The failure of the church to engage the Devil effectively was the theme of Jesus indictment against the church in Revelation 2-3.   The battle is not about collecting favors, the battle is about winning souls.  There are those who grew up in the church that has walked away from the church and they are replaced by a type that has a strange ideology of God.   Preachers, teachers, and even gospel music singers are amassing a following and a fortune perverting the Word of God in the process.  These people are not fighting against the Devil, they have become allies of the Devil.

War Has Been Declared Part #1 of 3

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet". (Matthew 24:6)

It seems somewhat redundant that Jesus would speak of war and rumors of wars as a sign of the end of time.  Wars and rumors of wars were common occurrences since the beginning of time. The Old Testament presents a bloody picture of nations in conflict.   In the modern age, World War 1 and World War 2 were the wars to end all wars, yet the drums of war continue to sound.

The New Testament speaks of wars and rumors of wars before the end of days.  When I attempted to use this as a forum during a Bible study, a student challenged me by informed me that this is nothing new.  When reading the New Testament prophecies concerning the wars and rumors of wars many can find a type of faith numbing contentment in stating the above fact.   To reconcile what seems to be a redundant statement it is easy to proclaim that every since Adam sinned we have been living in the end of time.  But leaving such important statement or verse hanging in such a precarious manner has caused the faith of many to grow cold.

When God created man, he gave him a battlefield commission to subdue the earth.  "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Genesis 1:28).  Subdue is the military command to engage the enemy and win the battle.   What was the nature of the battle set before man before nations were born?

Imagine you being in the middle of a horrific battle and not aware of what is going on around you?  While we are singing and dancing the enemy is creeping upon us.  This might seem like an unrealistic scenario but it has been known to happen to even battle harden worriers.  Reflecting upon and studying the scripture requires that we maintain the proper perspective and context. Failure to do so will result in a distorted and perplexing view of God plan.  This can lead to self-doubt, an attribute that is essential to losing the battle.  

In the Old Testament, God worked in the natural through those he called to his service.  Often God led his follower into battle and spilled the blood of his adversaries upon the ground.  Many of the battles fought in the Old Testament were for advancing God plan.  The Old Testament depicts a war between good and evil.   Wars consist of many fronts and many battles, there are the "boots on the ground" type of war and there is the "propaganda war".   One is natural and the other deals with the spirit.

When the call to battle sounded, the men did not hesitate to leave their mother and fathers, their wives and kin to fight for their God and country.    Judges 7:2-8 tells the story of too many people showing up to fight.  God gave Gideon a plan to reduce his force down to a lean fighting machine before going into battle.  In the early years of a nation, the people rallied around their country's flag.   The flag was the representative of an idea, a concept or culture.   When that nation, that concept, that culture through a type of propaganda is divided, according to Jesus destruction is at the door.

Often I have attempted to quote scriptures and before I finished I was forced to rethink the meaning of the scripture.  As a religious society, we have become comfortable in misquoting the scripture. Too often, we take what God said to one group of people and apply it to another group because it sounds good.  There are three groups of people addressed within the scripture and a message to the Jews is not a message to the church.  "Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" (1^st Corinthians 10:32) We need to stop quoting 2^nd Chronicle 7:14 as if it is a verse on political intercession.   To the Jews it was a natural entitlement; to the church, it is spiritual.  As I have said before many of our quotes have made the God of our salvation seems as if he is impotent.

As I prepared for a surgical procedure, my mentor a messenger of God insisted on me saying "Amen" to the question of whether I believe God can part the Red Sea.  For me it is not a question of what God can or cannot do, it is how God works.   Today I can get in my car and drive to Texas, but will I do it?  No.  If I did it once, will I do it again?   Not necessarily so.  Clichés and hyperbole do not prepare us for the battle ahead. 

The church was to serve as the command center for those who were engaged in warfare.    Paul's admonition to the team was, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:10-12)  After the death of Christ, and the institution of a new dispensation, God began to works through his spirit, and the battle became a spiritual entity. Paul defined the conflict that is raging around us as spiritual. 

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased". (Daniel 12:4)

In Daniel's, end time prophecies he alluded to a time when knowledge would increase and many would run back and forth.  During early 1800, the knowledge of man increased as many nations were caught up in the industrial and mechanical revolution.  The greatest achievement during that era was the invention of the steam engine.  Through more than one hundred and sixty years in the development stage, the steam engine would bring about a revolution in the way humanity travel.   For nearly 6000 years, the use of animals and walking was the primary form of transportation.  During the next 200 years, humanity would travel into outer space and explore the planets.  In the process, we challenged the existence of God. 

I became aware of the war to challenge God in the early 60's and since that date, the battles have intensified.  Many others had existed before that time but for me, Madalyn Mays also known, as Madalyn Murray O'Hair was one of the earlier Generals in the war against God. O'Hair known for the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling ending official Bible-reading in American public schools in 1963. This came just one year after the Supreme Court prohibited officially sponsored prayer in schools in Engel v. Vitale. Afterward, she founded the American Atheists and won Murray v. Curlett, she achieved attention to the extent that in 1964 Life magazine referred to her as "the most hated woman in America".  That was then; today she is referenced as a great thinker.  These acts set the stage for the government knowingly and unknowingly to enjoin the battle to declare God as an irrelevant entity. 

The events that I have referenced in this article took place within a nation that once declared it a God-fearing nation.  Its founding fathers had the audacity to proclaim that God had shed his grace on it.  This nation supported Israel because it was the biblical thing to do.  The increase in knowledge that Daniel prophesied has perverted this nation core values. (Daniel 12:4)  It has turned its back on Israel and now proclaim itself a nation of many gods while it engages in debates on what bathrooms we should use. According to Paul, there is the spiritual weakness in high places.(Ephesians 6:10-18)

Now let us revisit the question, when Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars, was he speaking of the conflicts between nations and peoples.  Maybe we should discard our cavalier approach to understanding the word of God and search the scripture for the answer.  Often when we search the scripture, we are seeking to prove a preexisting idea or concept.   Thus to prove our point the shaping of the scripture becomes a necessity.  Is it possible that Jesus was speaking of the intensification of spiritual warfare, a flagrant attack on God?

                                  To be continued

Hearing The Voice Of God

1^st Samuel 3:7-10 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.  And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore, Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

One of the scariest moment as a wee lad growing up in the church was when the preacher prefaced its message with, "God spoke to me", Visions of a longhaired, bearded, red-lipped, frowning old man partially hidden by clouds filled our tender and childish minds with fear.  The intent of the proclamation was to validate and ensure attention to the message.  This was a part of an indoctrination process. Our earlier indoctrination taught us that no God-fearing person would dare take the name of God in vain. God, himself declared in Deuteronomy 5:11, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain".   Therefore, when a supposedly God-fearing person said, "God spoke to me", we could be reasonably sure that God was speaking.  When God speaks, everybody was supposed to listen. 

As we grew older and became more knowledgeable of God, our greatest achievement in our religious walk was to hear the voice of God. Hearing the voice of God became a means of validating our spirituality.  The preacher, the choir director, and even the bench member learned to boost their status by uttering the words, "God spoke to me".  The voice of God described as being loud and clear by many, and many describe the event similar to conducting a conversation with someone in another room.  Yet, a strange truth began to emerge, many who were struggling to be sincere in their Christian walk found themselves on the outside wondering why God did not speak to them.   But, that was the 'elephant in the room' that we don't talk about.  One songwriter tried to bridge the gulf by stating, "when I am on the mountain top God speaks to me, but when I am in the valley, God is silent." 

It was not long before many realized that conflicting messages were emulating from the household of faith and they were carrying the seal of a message from God. God often speaks during the offering collection, he is constantly telling the parishioners to give more money.  Hearing God speak became a moneymaking and status improvement proposition.  There are numerous books are written on the subject and seminars are conducted on "How to hear God speak".  Beautifully crafted sermons are delivered on, "Hearing the voice of God".  Somehow, we have constructed a belief that rather than studying God's word it is necessary for God to speak daily words of motivation into our life. The gullibility of Christianity comes into full play, who dare say, brother or sister, you need to check your message source. 

The silence of God, as well as the fear of God, does not set well in  our modern and pessimistic society.  As Aaron did at the base of the Holy mountain, we have created a God in our own image and we have endowed him with all of the attributes that are pleasing to us.  God is a God of love, we can find  scriptures to justify that.  Yet the visual image that we have created of our God is one of an impotent deity.   One messenger of God proclaimed that if you are praying about it God is working on it.  Through all of the work our God is said to be doing and all of the favors we ask of him, the world situation is continuing to deteriorate.  The voids created are filled irrelevant platitudes that are only good for emotional and motivational responses, leaving the spirituality of humanity to suffer.   "He might come when we want him to come but he is always on time", have left many standing on the banks of the 'river' filled with doubt and confusion.   

A message or a song that cries out to God to speak is a powerful inducement to an emotional encounter with God.  Even a prayer that entreats God to help us along our way seems to open the door to a greater spiritual encounter.  At this point, in my mind, the word 'content' seems to come into focus.  Paul addressed the issue as such, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." (Philippians 4:11).  He seems to infer that our prayer sessions should not be guided by our wants.  Can you imagine your child coming to you on a daily base with a list of wants?

In Paul's address to the Hebrew Jews, Paul explained it as such; "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).  This is one of those scriptures that have been twisted, misinterpreted, and used to create false Gospels.   The first part of the verse implies conditions and if those conditions were met God would not forsake his chosen people,   but the rest of the story can be found in 2 Chronicles 15:2, "... but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you".  

That old Satan is engaged in a battle to make the name of God of none effect. How can this be when the name of God is invoked in more and more encounters? The internet and the social media has become a religious billboard, and God is speaking and doing things for his people.   Yet Heaven is becoming less appealing and Hell is less horrific.  For many the Gospel has become liken unto a fairy tale and it meaning is based upon who is telling the story and what is the desired outcome.   Church attendance has become equivalent to a rock concert of a football game.  Star power is what draws the people in and star power in the church is achieved by hearing the voice of God.   

There are several key factors in 1^st Samuel 3:7-10 that we will look closely at, but before we proceed we must establish certain facts. The establishment of these facts is necessary to rightly divide the word of truth.  The dispensation is that of the Law, the book is of deeds of the Children of Israel, therefore it is a Book of God's interaction with his chosen people, it is not written to the church.   The perspective and the context must be maintained.  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.  This is an interesting assessment of a person who did not know God but was about to be called by God.   Both Moses and Paul and there are others also who would be classic examples of men being called into God's service whose belief and faith was weak or non-existence.  There is no record of these men begging God to speak to them.   In the Old Testament, the evolving message of God was given through conversations with God or his Angels.  In the New Testament, under the dispensation of Grace, men operated under the direction of the Holy Spirit. 

"And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me".  This was a form of validating the call of God.  It is well within the power of God to make himself known to Samuel without going through these seemly unnecessary steps.  Consider this; there was a relationship between Eli, the priest and Samuel.  Eli validated the calling by instructing Samuel on how to proceed.  Imagine the misunderstanding, the animosity that would have existed in the relation if Samuel had come to Eli the Priest and said: "God spoke to me."  It is the Devil, not God who is the author of confusion.