The Rise of Cognitive Dissonance In The Religious Community

Many who are spiritual considers all suffering, whether, debts, unemployment, or any kind of illness an "attack from the enemy".  They give the credit for all bad choices to the Devil, and then pray for God to bind evil spirits or 'bad circumstances', placing the emphasis on God's doing instead of His person. Since "God's presence is always followed by miracles", the supposition is presented that God 'always wants to heal and bless us'.  

There is another group whose views are just as extreme as the first group.  They believe that everything that happens good or bad is the works of God.  The belief is that God is just sitting back directing the affairs of man. In the time of the storm the consolation is, "God know what he is doing and everything happens for a reason".   Even if a drunk driver kills a child in a horrific manner, "God know what he was doing".  There is a feel-good moment when we go to sleep knowing God is in charge.  

All sorts of claims, many I find unsupported by the Word of God emulating from these proclaimed messengers of God.  Brilliant minds are quick to explain the works of God in such a manner that those who are lacking in understanding or indoctrinated will subscribe to and defend an alien doctrine or ideology. The piecemeal skipping here and there does not present the true message of God, nor does it promote the plan of God.

Our conditioning or indoctrination causes us to response in a particular way when the messenger utters a certain word or phrase.  Jame Brown a Rock and Roll or Soul singer could turn  the concert out with the utterance of the word, "PLEASE."  Ask the question, "ain't God good", and the church will response with a thundering "AMEN" or "YES HE IS."  Meanwhile there are those in attendance wondering and asking God, "Why are you letting this happen to me?"  "God, I am praying and I am praying, but it seems like you are silent." This leads to or set the stage for a condition that I refer to as cognitive dissonance within the household of faith. 

The condition within our homes, communities, and the world is out of control and we are praying for Good to fix it.  Too often this presentation presents the metaphysical God of our salvation as an all-powerful but impotent God, one who is always working to make things right but never seems to accomplish the task.   The world is not evolving into a better place. Jesus said the condition would exist before the end of time, and no amount of praying is going to change the prophecy.   Mark 13:5-37 gives a detailed description of the world today.   Mark 13:12-13  Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We pray for peace, but peace is forthcoming.  The truth is the scriptures do not condone praying for peace.   Throughout the scripture, there were acts of peace and peace offering, but Isaiah 26:3 say, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."  It seems as if the condition for peace is keeping one's mind stayed on God.  Paul stated, 2^nd Corinthians 13:11, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."  Jesus said, Matthew 10:34, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

I struggle in this age of apostasy to extract myself from a self-imposed state of despair brought on by this condition of twisted scriptures and fakeness.  Unaware, sometimes, yet intentionally I limit my exposure to the things that are destructive to my belief in God and peace of mind, in doing so I have become a type of social hermit.  Not only have I limited my exposure to the media and public gatherings the religious community has also emerged as a strong contender in the destruction of the inner peace that once found in the household of faith.  There are just too many earthly promises made in the name of our Father and the simple truth is, these promises are not being fulfilled.  With all of the praying, it seems that sinners should be poor and Christians should be rich.

What is cognitive dissonance?  Let's define it this way.  Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory or conflicting beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time; performs or sees an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas, or values.  When confronted by new information or revelations that conflict with existing beliefs, ideas, or values their faith suffers.  In essence, the twisting of the scripture to support a new age idea or doctrine weakens Christian values and is destructive to the building of a true relationship with God. 

There are several questions that I will ask that will expose this malady of what I refer to as cognitive dissonance.  How many have given their last to an unscrupulous preacher and is still waiting for the harvest?  The accomplished speaker can explain the seed and the harvest so beautiful that thousands will rush to swipe their debit card, and then they will patiently wait for God to deliver. The rhetoric that emulates from the rabbit-hole clearly states that God will always keep his promise.  How many have prayed for God to deliver them or their loved-one only to die or see their loved ones die a horrible death?  The question that we can no longer ask is, why do we pray for God's healing virtue to flow as we head to the doctor's office?  The pious are prepared to explain how God works thru the doctors to heal, whereas in time past he only spoke the word.  A true case of cognitive dissonance is at work but we cannot talk about that.

Fake words, fake faith, and fake testimonies cannot resolve the fact that many have prayed for God to move in a particular way and he did not move on their behalf.  Yet when we search for answers, we are told, he answered our prayer but not the way we wanted. Then there are those who will proclaim, "He might not come when we want him, but he is always on time."  Thus began the process of making excuses for God rather than accepting the silence of God or understanding how God works.  It is never about what the creator can do, he could have built a fence around Adam and protected him from the Devil, but he didn't.  Jesus could have saved John the Baptist's life but he didn't.  What we need is more Understanding the Word of God and less selling of the Christ.  

Too many of God children or being led to the banks of the Red Sea, there they are fleeced like Aaron did at the base of the Holy Mountain.  There they are being encouraged to solicit prayers for God to part the waters.  There is a feel good moment sustained through the cute cliché, "If he did it once he will do it again."  To ask why is to question the power of God. The same ideology holds true for those who proclaim to possess the ability to walk on water.  If God were to perform these feats, what would it prove?  Would people rush to God or would they just create another idol?  The gullibility of Christianity often comes into play when men and women seeking to impress they will use the name of God in vain. Few will question the validity of a message when it began with 'God said'.     

What is troubling is the belief structure put in place thousands of years ago is no longer fashionable as we embrace a modern anything goes society. Churches rarely talk about sin or eternal life, the focus is on the everyday fix.  Pastors are becoming involved in politics and performing in high profile arenas. "Fix it now Jesus" or "Jesus, take the wheel" is in vogue now that sin has been justified. Somewhere in the scripture, but I haven't found it, there is a passage that supposedly says, "Jesus will fix all of our problems".   If this is true then why is it taking him more than two thousand years to fix humanities problems? This make the God of our salvation seems like an incompetent God.   Cognitive dissonance, a Devil's trick is in play.

In a world or society such as we live in, it is not rational to acknowledge one's fallacies or faults, but being honest can lead to inner growth.   Whether this is good or bad I have grown to that point where I am suspicious of what I hear and see.  Whether it is the news on television, social media or even in the church, bearing false witness is in vogue.  Messengers who proclaim to operate under the seal of God have become proficient in shaping and twisting the scripture. Regardless of what the truth is, the truth is often shaped, and then it is used to the advantage of the bearer.     

The cavalier approach to God and his works has created a condition among the followers of Christ that is akin to the spread of cancer. Many true believers are feeling trapped, they are indoctrinated into these new beliefs structures that leave them filled with an unspoken doubt and is contradictory to the early teaching of the church. Whereas a message of salvation once was the driving force behind Christianity and It was the belief and preparation for the after-life.  Many church pastors are becoming involved in collecting offering; they have mastered the art of shaming the congregation into giving.  Sowing seeds and reaping a financial harvest has become the message of today. Enterprising and motivational groups are capitalizing on this and they are amassing a fortune in the process and building monuments to them self.  

Contrary to what you hear or have been indoctrinated into believing, health, wealth, and prosperity teachers are the only ones who are getting rich off God's people.  The unanswered questions that resonate within my mind and the mind of the "struggling to believe and not fully indoctrinated Christian is", "What happened to the message of old?" "Why have we killed all of the sacred cows?"  "What do planting and sowing have to do with salvation?" When God did begin giving out miracle money?  If God buys you a car, do you still have a car note? 

Is our prayer effective, or have our prayers been rendered ineffective because we are learning to pray for the wrong thing?  We pray to save our life, we pray for wealth and we even pray for God to fix the problems of the world.  There are many who have emerged as a spokesperson for God and they are prepared to give the answer, but the answers they give are often self-serving and fail to satisfy those who are truly searching for the real God.  

For Bible study, let us consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24-27.

(24) "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  

The Messenger of God would do well to consider the words, "deny himself" as they struggle to be impressive.

(25) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Jesus is talking about life in the hereafter, as a matter of fact, Jesus always addressed life in the Kingdom.

(26) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

(27) For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

In this presentation, Our Savior is trying to explain the relative values of our physical lives and what we can humanly accomplish compared to what awaits us in what is commonly called the afterlife. In short, there is no comparison!  There is nothing here that stresses the importance of sowing seed and reaping the harvest in the here and now.  That being said, one bible verse does not contradict the other. 

The Bible is consistent on the value of human life apart from God.  Notice the words of Ecclesiastes 1:2-4: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever."  

Is salvation a relevant issue in today's modern churches, or has the focus shifted to entertainment?  The message of salvation has lost its luster as the church adopted the business model of a football game. If men and women will pay thousands of dollars to attend a football game and be entertained, they will do the same for the church. Sadly what was left in the better part of that church is a doctrine different yet equally wrong, 'confessing' the word, building protective walls around Christians, global prayer to ask for healing for someone (as if the fact that if enough people would pray for healing God would be in some way be forced to comply). 

Cognitive dissonance is supported when we are taught to pray for God's deliverance while we prepare for a surgical procedure. We pray for financial blessing while investing forty to fifty hours in our job. Global ministries have become the bread and butter of many rising mega-churches, promoting a get rich scheme and the surrounding neighbor suffers from a cognitive blight.  These fancy churches depicted in Revelation 3 now sit as a monument of the pastor's success while the community withers in darkness.  The commercialization and the selling of the Christ have left many of us standing by the side of the road, waiting for a miracle that is not coming, nor was it promised.

The Tribulation of Revelation 13.

Leading up to the solar eclipse that will be seen across the United States and the world I cannot help but wonder will this be the time Jesus make his appearance. Science has explained this event as a natural occurrence and the populace is at ease.  Hatred is at an all time high and it seems as if the prophecies of Revelation 13 is being fulfilled.  A new and ungodly nation is rising up out of a sea of confusion.  The past president established the path and proclaimed that this nation is no longer a Christian nation. 

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.

Those who understand the Word of God know that a beast is a nation and a sea is representative of a multitude of confused people.  

Men and women seeking to be profound easily misled and misleading embracing a rhetoric filled with hate and designed to divide.  Ministers of God preaching and teaching messages of hate, yet proclaiming to believe in a God of love. Polarizing and confusing debates on what color is a metaphysical God, as if a color is an important entity in the kingdom of God. 

If Christ does not return with the darkening of the sun and we remain the tribulations spoken of in the Holy Scripture is upon us.  The world is groaning, yet like Nero, at the burning of Rome many are dancing and prancing and stoking the flames of hatred.  Christian values are at an all-time low as those who are easily swayed no longer believe in the immortal deity.

Never in my lifetime have I seen such a blatant attack on the Christian values of old. It seems as if for years the cauldron of hate was stoked. Now its foul and infectious contents are overflowing, and in the background, many of "God's ministers" are dancing in the flickering afterglow urging the sheep of God's pasture to keep the fire burning. There is a sad sickness engulfing the countryside, the nation, and the world. 

Revelation 13:6-9  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.

In this volatile climate, what I find very discombobulating is ministers of God posting photo-shopped pictures that serve no purpose than to incite hatred. Posting fake messages or photo-shopped pictures is contrary to God's Word. This is bearing false witness in a high-tech society. Love is of God, hate is of the Devil and both have existed since the beginning of time. They are opposites and they complement each other, like light and day. Try as he may, man does not possess the ability to eradicate either. Hate is like a seed that lies dormant in the soil, expose it to the light and it will grow. Tend it and it will spread like a weed.

Revelation 13:9  If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Re 13:9

Observe here, 1. That this acclamation, If any man have an ear, let him hear, is added in scripture when something went before, which required a very diligent attention and close application of mind: If any man have an ear, that is, a spiritual understanding to discern the meaning of what has been foretold, let him ponder and consider what is here revealed concerning this beast, and take heed that he be not found amongst the number of the worshippers of it.

Observe, 2. The consolation here given to the saints, from the consideration of God's just retribution to his and their enemies, He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity; that is, the beast, who has brought many of the saints into captivity, shall himself at length be taken captive, and thrown into that lake of fire and brimstone, spoken of Re 19:20. With what measure antichrist metes to others, it shall be measured to him again: God has as many ways to hurt his church's enemies, as they have to hurt his people; if they lead into captivity, so can he; if they kill with the sword, so will he.

Observe, 3. The end and design of God in suffering antichrist's rage to break forth against the church: it is for the trial of his church's faith and patience, Here is the patience and faith of the saints.

Where note, 1. That none can stand under, or bear up under, sufferings like saints.

2. That under great sufferings, saints themselves will have great occasion for the exercise of faith and patience.

3. That the faith and patience of the saints will be made very conspicuous by great and sharp sufferings.

4. That faith and patience must accompany each other in suffering times. Patience is the soul's shoulder, to bear what is afflictive at present; faith is the Christian's eye, to discover a glorious deliverance to come: where no patience is, it is a token of no faith; and where no faith is, there will appear great impatience. Behold then the faith and patience of the saints.

An Immoral System.

2nd  Thessalonians 2:10-12  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

What is an immoral system?  Those who are familiar with the acts of the Papacy, or modern day Christianity, should have no doubt that the language in 2^nd Thessalonians 2:10-12 accurately describes an immoral system. The plausible reasoning, by which the advocates of that system have palliated and apologized for sins of various kinds, is among its most remarkable features.   Thus, love the sinner, hate the sin emerge as an apology and acceptance of sin.  Sinning is of no consequence for 'we all sin". 

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 filled clichés.  Although bordering on embellishment, John F. Kennedy's famous speech. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country", was enshrined in history as one of the greatest presidential speeches made by an American president.

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 or why one monkey doesn't stop the show.

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". 

On any given Sunday, thousands of preachers will stand before their congregation and proclaim that Jesus said, "Love the sinner, and hate the sin."  Many of those hearing those words will believe because "my Pastor said it".  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.   Thus, the organized church has chosen to become a part of the immoral system rather than being shamed into an irrelevant existence.  Imagine the howls of the wolves if one would proclaim from the pulpit or on 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, with the intent of shaming the pastor and the church into compliance with the immoral system.

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 wears cowboy boots".  Usually, a fight would erupt and afterward, they would usually leave the playground as friends unless an adult intervened.  The intervention of adults usually results in words used like antisocial and bully to describe a harmless prank. 

In today's society, we create new and potent words, and those that speak from self-elevated positions rush to provide the proper definition and narrative.  The media courts this new age narrative.  The list of the made-up word includes; racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it.  Call a person one of these words and the result is similar to saying to the person you have body odor.  These words affect or offend a person whether it is true or not.

I was in a Sunday school when I first heard the words, "love the sinner and hate the sin".  To put things in the proper perspective, it was the Sunday after the Supreme Court of the United States validated the 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 pastor made a feeble attempt to explain how and why we were supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin.  I am not alone in saying, "I don't get it", but the shame of acknowledgment it silences the voice of many.  The government's re-indoctrination of Christian values with the support of the clergy was in full play.  I left the church that day one very confused soul.  

A possible reason Christians have begun to spout these phrases and cliches as if they were God inspired scripture is they are 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 world is going to end.   I must restate to draw people to Christ was not the purpose of the church; it was a place of refuge for those who had found Christ. 

Many learned Bible scholars would have us to believe that Jesus actually said, "Love the sinner, and hate the sin."  Whether he said it or not our indoctrination implies 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 of dealing with any sin is settled.

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?   Will the creation of laws eliminate hate? Can we accent the positive and the negative will disappear? 

The immoral system that has become a part of the organized church teaches that the use of the word sinner is hate speech and it would be judging to make such an assessment of a person's nature.  According to the pious prelates, the bible says, we are not to judge, yet, every day we make judgment calls.  We judge when we refuse to hire a person because of his history or calling a person names because they do not agree with modernist views. 

The use of Matthew 7:1 as the foundation of the dissent against judging is a miss-characterization of the heart of Jesus.   Matthew 7:1 does not say, "Judge not", it says, "Judge not that ye may not be judged", and in the rest of the paragraph Jesus explains his meaning.  If you do not want to be judge, do not judge, because if you judge, you will be judged.  My Grandmother said it this way, "If you can't stand hot grease stay out of the kitchen."   My brother interpreted it as, "grandmother said to stay out of the kitchen when she is cooking."  We err when we surgical remove a segment of a verse or scripture and present it as a complete thought.  To do so is an attempt to turns the Word of God into a polluted mess.

The provincial rabbit hole has re-emerged or recreated itself in the name of political correctness, and now it has become a safe haven for the church.  The leader of this immoral system is promoting, promising and dispensing the blessings of God for a fee.  "This was the problem with the early church that the protestant reformation was supposed to correct."  Salvation and money have become synonymous and sin is not a part of the equation.  The church is no longer a place for the broke and poor because if you are serving God, he will give you money.  The Santa Claus concept of Christianity has placed many in a Lazarus syndrome; we are begging God for the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table.   A careful study of Lazarus offers a clear path of refutation to many of the notions and clichés that have caused Christian values to suffer.   Cliché after cliché emerge, but they are lacking in the constancy and power of God word.     

The Bible makes a clear distinction between the fate of the righteous and the sinner.  "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1^st Peter 4:18)   "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD." (Romans 6:23)  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).   "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24) 

The problem with most truisms, clichés, and new age interpretations is that they seek to justify a preconceived ideology.  My perspective is supportive of what I expect to prove.   In essence, if we want to prove that infidelity is acceptable all we need to do is study the life of Abraham and other great bible figures.  Once we have completed our study we can proudly proclaim, David was a man after God's own heart, "BUT" he sinned.

Are We Playing With God?

There is an argument that uses the Word of God as the basis of justifying sin.   This argument implies that sin is of no consequence because it is covered by the Blood of Jesus.  The justification of sin, once the rhetoric of the heretic was necessary because of the testimony of the saints.  When the spotlight once again shifted from believing to receiving the Holy Ghost, the saints began to testify of living a life free and separated from sin.  This was unacceptable and not conducive to the expansion of multi-facet and multi-denominational churches.   does not the Bible teach, we all sin? 

Standing in the grocery check out I was not amused as the young child threaten to "knock out", his mother.  Annoyed by the verbal altercation  a customer's intervention was met by a stinging rebuff by the mother who exclaimed, "You don't stand there looking down your nose at me and talk to my child that way." Shaming, a new age form of one-upmanship was employed placing the concerned customer in a defensive position.   The young mother of two barely sixteen years of age, explained to all within hearing distance, "There is no shame in my game, and what ever I do GOD got my back."

In the olden days when the knowledge of the ancients prevailed, there were certain protocols put in place that governed the interaction of children with their parents.  Parent was to always address by the title of their position in the household, thus "mother or father", was the proper way to address one parent. Certain deviations were allowed such as "ma, momma, dad or daddy", but never by the first name.   This was not to enhance the standing of the parent within the household, but merely a sign of respect.  Respect was the first step on the path to obedience.

It seems as if it was my generation that tore down the walls of that were put in place to govern the process of being a parent.  The child became the controlling factor and the parent became the facilitator.   I still shudder when I think of the first time I heard a child address his parent by their first name.  The easing of the parenting protocol was necessary because we were of a generation that wanted to be a part of our children lives and not controlling their lives.  Respect for the office of parenthood soon became a declining entity in many children lives.   It was only natural that the lack of respect for God followed.

Years ago it was almost unthinkable and a rarity to hear of children attacking or killing their mother or father.  The code of the family was tight under the rule of "Blood was thicker than water."  We can amuse ourselves by asking, "what happen", but the inconvenient truth is, we know what happened.  We are the generation that killed all of the sacred cows.  There is nothing left that is sacred, not even the name of God.

Much of the posting on the social media cause me to shudder as enlighten men and women speak so cavalier about God or his works.  I am not impressed when a pile of money is used to imply that God is going to work to resolve financial situations in a matter of days.  How many people type "amen" and share, then sit back and wait for supernatural money to fill their bank account?  The question that fills my conscious when I see these type of remarks is, "Do we really believe in God or are we just playing?"

At this point of our dissertation, we should ask, what is causing the erosion of Christian values when the field is crowded with worker?  However, to ask or even answer the question we can become guilty of validating the "pretentious nature of Christianity".   It is easy to pretend that we know the answer, invoking deliberate confusion through the twisting of the scripture and the trivialization of the name of God, his works, and his plan.

Deliberation confusion exists when those who proclaim to know the answer, cloud their message with supposition and obscured platitudes, quoting scriptures out of context and saying nothing in the process.   Confusion is a politician's gambit; distraction is a magician's trick, combine together they form the necessary elements of deliberate confusion.     Much is spoken but very little is said while we are distracted, often by the pomp and pageantry.  

 A most grievous display of contempt for the LORD of our Salvation is the flagrant abuse that we bestow upon the use of His name.  God addressed the subject of disrespecting his name, in the first major group of commandants given to the children of Israel.  "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." (Exodus 20:7)   There are made-up words or phrases that use "god" as the first part of a compound word or phrase, these words or phrases serve no purpose other than to trivialize the name of God.   Does god-awful-truth make the truth more believable?   What about when we scream "Jesus take the wheel" when things are not going our way?

Trivialization, an innate form of disrespect that traverses generations and with each passing generation, it grows more acceptable.   It is sad to say but even a threat from God did not protect his name or his Word from abuse.  The evolution of man was as such that the name of God, even the Word of God became more and more irrelevant in the affair of man. 

God has become the butt of many comedy-show-off-colored jokes.  Music of all genres seems to have learned the emotional and financial value of invoking the name of God in their lyrics.  The entertainment value of misusing God's name in music has created a profitable crossover that appeals to the churchgoers as well as the nightclub crowd. 

The name of God has become synonymous with disgust or cursing, whereas the use of the name of Jesus often expresses alarm or despair.   Furthermore, the name of Jesus has evolved into just a figure of speech.   This misuse of the name of God or the attributes of the Godhead is not limited to those who are of the world; the misuse and abuse exist in the household of faith. 

Those that are of the world, as a Christian's would say, is not totally the blame for the condition of Christianity, the church and it leaders must accept much of the blame.   Our leaders have abused and misused the metaphysical God of our salvation.   What once was a solid foundation has emerged into a fairy tale ideology, based upon a foundation of entertainment.   The stellar awards go to those who can entertain as they recount the stories of a God rendered impotent by our greed. 

One of the most pathetic abuses occurs in the Church.  This type of abuse emulates from the pulpit, spreading through the congregation and community, it exists in the form of a testimony of what God is doing.  From positions of authority, they indoctrinated the masses into a belief that God is just standing by to fix all of humanities problems.  This is not scripture.  In the midst of pain and suffering, "Fix it Jesus" is the cry of the indoctrinated.  Trained to interpret the scripture from a naturalistic perspective the same as the Devil did in the Garden of Eden, they make unfulfilled demands and promises in God's name.

The sad truth is church members are dying waiting on Jesus to fix it, and many have crashed and burned while waiting on Jesus to take the wheel.  Those that are left behind are having are having a hard time reconciling their shattered faith.  

      

The Truth, the Myth and the Lie

""The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:1-4)

The Twenty-Third Psalm is one of many classic feel good scriptures.  An accomplished speaker can place special emphases on certain word that will causing burdens to disperse and smiles to radiate from once frowning faces.  Those of us who enjoy an ethnic flavor often rejoice in that moment when the preacher tone up and roar, "The LORD is my Sheppard."

       

What do we think off when we think about LORD as a Sheppard or a protector?  If you are like most Christians, you think of someone who will shield you from the hardships of this life.  Since David described him as a Sheppard, we ask him to protect our family and us, from sickness and diseases like heart trouble and cancer.   We ask for traveling grace and protection when we travel and the list could go on.  Some even pray for and testify of the LORD putting gas in their car.

It’s tempting to read the verses in the Bible of God as a protector with a kind of absolute interpretation, applying these verses to ourselves directly and proclaiming it to be the truth for all times and places.  If I read about God as a shield, it is logical that I want him to be a shield in all situations.   However, does God protect all of us in every situation?   Most of us cannot answer the question with a simple "Yes" or "No", we must add a disclaimer.  How often have you heard the phrase, "He might not come when you want him but He is always on time"?  From what perspective are we speaking?  Does God have to show up every time we get into trouble?  Here is where a type of disclaimer comes in handy.  In one sense, we will never know how many times God actually protected us, then there are times when God simply left us to karma.   Reaping what we have sown is as much a part of the scripture as God building a fence around us.  In a world with the freewill to make our own choices, we cannot get around the fact that hardships await us—Jesus promised us as much.  However, he has a perfect will for us and that includes different kinds of protection.

Trying to answer the questions of what God do and do not do without adding the disclaimer exposes a cognitive dissonance.  This is one of many common examples of cognitive dissonance activated when people confront the scriptural reality of their concept of God's protection or even miracles.  Cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time; performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas, or values; or confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.  Therefore, if you are reading this right now and you are feeling uneasy, nervous even; it is a normal reaction.   This is what cognitive dissonance does, but confusion can be the prelude to clarity. 

We need be careful that we do not use too cavalier approach when interpreting the scripture.    Christian values suffer most when myth and lies impregnate the truth through bogus interpretation.  This fallacy occurs when we shape the scripture in such a manner that it says what makes the listeners feel good.  When we read the Old Testament we see that God was a deliverer to the Children of Israel, in the New Testament, to the church he was a comforter. 

 The three Hebrew men who was about to be casted into the fiery furnace knew they served an all-powerful God, but they did not pray for God to display his power.  When asked by the evil King they confirmed their faith by stating, "Whether He deliver us or not He is still God."  Deliverance was not a prerequisite of their faith, yet God showed up.   John the Baptist sent a message to Christ, his concern was are you the Christ or shall we look for another. Deliverance was not a prerequisite of his faith.   After receiving an answer from Christ, John was contented to languish in Jail and face execution, refusing to tone down his rhetoric.  Jesus did not show up and save John's life.  Stephen, like his Savior, when confronted with death called upon God to receive his spirit.  It seems the Martyrs were comfortable with dying to be with their LORD.

"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Revelation 6:9-11)

Let us come together and reason, do we believe in God?  Maybe we should rephrase the question, “what God do we believe in”?   There is the God of Moses who left his children to wander in the wilderness forty years because they were rude and disobedient.   There is the God of John the Baptist who left the forerunner of his son to languish in jail until a grumpy old King ordered his head removed.  Then there is the God who allowed the execution of his Son for a crime he did not commit, and there is that God, whose vial of wrath is overflowing.  Both Simon Peter and Paul expressed a profound desire to die to be with the Son of God who said I am going away to prepare a place for you.   

There seems to be a new God in charge today, one that has changed all of the rules.  This new God has "flip the script' and it's about now and not the hereafter.  The rules only apply when it comes to getting stuff.  The wages of sin is passé and the feel-good gospel is in vogue.   The rowdiness of the world has invaded the church house and the sacredness of worship is discarded or desecrated.   Money and power have become the new gods of salvation.  To be able to use the word salvation, I must post the question; do we still believe in salvation of the soul?   What is it that drives us to church each Sunday?    Is it the performance of the preacher, the choir or the dance team?    Is our desire to get our ‘praise on’ greater than our desire to be like Jesus?  Imagine Jesus, that person that we say we want to be like, telling his disciples, let us go to the temple and get our praise on "Yawl"?

Humanity has reached a level of indifference and intolerance to the truth.  From our leaders in high places to the lowly minions whose life is a constant struggle, the truth has become elusive.  Many have bought into the lie because it is the acceptable thing to do.  Without an honest dialog, we quickly digress into a conversation of lies.

In a conversation of lies, stretching and shaping the truth is a necessary element to accommodate or appease the person or speaker who might have a difference of opinion.     Sadly, to say, in many instances nothing can resolve the differences when we elevate our opinion above all other opinions.   

The Hypocrisy of Christianity

After a three month habitat, I began this discourse in a confused state, it is not the confusion of dealing with my business associates or writer friends that shape my gloomy outlook, nor is it the gloomy breaking of daylight outside my office window, it is the confusion of humanity. The people of the world and the people of this nation now exist in a total confused state. Undeniably, this nation has become a sea of confusion.  It is not necessary to establish a timeline when these changes began to occur, they began when we began systematically removing God from the equation, thus preparing the way for the advancement of (the) antichrist.   Revelation 13:1 speaks of a new nation rising up out of the sea (confusion).

The world I once knew, the community and the social groups that I once was a part of have undergone drastic changes.  Even the church was not immune to these changes.  It is as if awakening from a beautiful, peaceful dream and realizing that reality is a cold, dark place. Instead of awakening from a nightmare, those of my generation and older often speak of this dilemma as having awakened to, or within a nightmare.  We can no longer ignore the problems or questions by burying our heads in the sand or pretending the Elephant in the room do not exist.   It is the time we face our own reality.  How did we get to this point?  Did we not train up our children in the way they should go?  If so then why are we plagued with a godless generation whose intent is to destroy our Christian values?  It is easy to cover ourselves with scriptures, plead the blood and proclaim, "God knows what he is doing." Are we contributing to the decline of Christian values by blaming God for our shortcoming?  


If we look closely at the dilemma that we are in, at least two inconvenient truths will emerge.   I use the word inconvenient truth because it can be hard to accept these truths.  The first truth is the millennial generation that precedes us is a product of our own creation.   The base of the second truth is as follows.  "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38)  Our generation has produced preachers, apostles, teachers, prophets and other workers of the harvest by many different names, more than any other generation.  This being true, the question is where is the harvest.  Instead of a harvest, God, church and Christian values have become toxic.   

The cumulative effect of the past eight years has been a blatant attack on Christianity and Christian values.   The attack on Christian values is the elephant in the room that is being overlooked by those who profess to teach the Word of God.  If the attack on Christian values were to be acknowledged, many ministers who have sided with the losing party would lose their credibility.   In this day of confusion, the ancient teaching of the Bible has been cast aside or reinterpreted to accommodate the sinful nature of humanity, and the ministers are saying Amen with cute cliches and shaped truths.  Bible history and science confirms the effects of challenging God, the evidence presents itself when we trample through the relics of lost civilizations that were wiped from the face of the earth.  
  

There are biblical accounts of civilizations perishing and the reason given in the Holy Scripture.  Sodom and Gomorrah, the flood, the threat on Nineveh is just to name a few.   What happened to Africa, the birthplace of humanity?  Consider Eygpt and all its great gods and even the Maya civilization.  Why did a cloud of darkness descend over these along with other civilization, separating it people from their past?  Many of these civilizations demonstrated a technology for surpassing that of today.   There seem to be dark clouds rising. 

The Hypocrisy of Christianity manifests itself as a religion that seeks compromise with other religions.  

As I watched the twisting and shaping of the scripture that 30,000 plus different denominations can attest to, I was overcome with fear.  Theis type of fear has allowed me to believe we are standing on the eve of destruction.  In simplest terms, as pertaining to the United States I assumed that martial law would be declared,  the elections would be set aside and a new and ungodly nation emerges. This worst-case scenario did not happen or did it happen in a way that I and many did not expect.  

Even now as I watch the events unfolding, I am still convinced that America is the nucleus of the birth of this new and ungodly nation.  The cauldron of hate that once was hidden or suppressed has been brought center stage, the fires are stoked and it constant stirring has caused it to overflow and infect the country and entire world. A one world government seems to be on the horizon.  Whether history is repeating itself and whether we are in the first act or last act, the stage is set for an apocalyptical conclusion.

In my study of the Book of Revelation, there were numerous inconvenient truths uncovered.  Revelation is a book about the vengeance of heaven. Ignorance of God is naturally accompanied by vice and crime, filling the nations and communities with violence and bloodshed, and making it ripe for the vengeance of heaven. (Hosea 4:6)  To mask these truths it is necessary that the interpretation of this book follow certain guidelines (denominational and politically correctness).  These guidelines often inject variables into the book that renders it incoherent.  This technique discredits the book of Revelation as well as the entire Bible.  Here again, tampering with the Holy Scripture is a reality that most are not prepared to acknowledge.  If we consider the numerous interpretations and revisions, we should be able to draw a conclusion as to what has and is taking place.

Never in my lifetime has the attack on Christian values been so intense.  Many failed to see the shift in the battle and belief structure as a "man of color" took the helm of a nation that once was proud to proclaim it a Christian nation.  A change was what he proposed and he soon issued a proclamation that America was not a Christian nation.  The institutions of old that made this country what it is, though not perfect, suddenly came under attack.  Those who shared his ethnic background or views accepted much of what he proposed.  To implement changes, the empowerment of dredge elements was used solidified a campaign of shaming and hatred directed at anyone who did not agree with the emerging agenda.  The enactment of laws that in theory was supposed to eliminate hate created an environment that allowed hate to thrive.   

Once these laws were enactment, sermons, certain verses in the Bible and the teaching of Christian values were subject to intense scrutiny.    Appling the hate speech label indiscriminately became the focus of the newly enlightens.  For protection, the church scrambled to change, even the ancient focus and direction of Christianity.  Subjected to reinterpretation the Word of God the church was able to embrace new and alien concepts.  To implement changes pagan values were intermixed with Christian values thereby forming an unholy union.    


We can use Biblical and secular history to document the effect of mixing pagan values with Christian values.  Once our values shift, the warnings of old tend to go unheeded.  The Roman Empire became weak and floundered when its values shifted to include Christian values mixed with Pagan values.  Christian values do not mix with pagan or worldly valued.  Christianity seeks to impress upon the individual or church the need to form a wall of separation from the world. "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 Corinthians 6:17)

Are We Cursed by God?

"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." (Revelation 13:1)

If we were to accept that the events portrayed in Revelation are unfolding chronological order, this would expose certain truths that we are not prepared to accept.   

I began this discourse in a confused state, it is not the confusion of Christianity that shapes my gloomy outlook, nor is it the gloomy breaking of daylight outside my office window, it is the confusion of humanity.  The people of the world and the people of this nation now exist in a confused state. Undeniably, this nation has become a sea of confusion.  It is not necessary to establish a timeline when these changes began to occur, they began when we began systematically removing God from the equation, thus preparing the way for the advancement of (the) antichrist.   Revelation 13:1 speaks of a new nation rising up out of the sea (confusion).   In simple terms, martial law is declared, elections are set aside and a new and ungodly nation emerges. Whether history is repeating itself and whether we are in the first or last act, the stage is set.

In my study of the Book of Revelation, there were numerous inconvenient truths uncovered.  Revelation is a book about the vengeance of heaven. Ignorance of God is naturally accompanied by vice and crime, filling the nations and communities with violence and bloodshed, and making it ripe for the vengeance of heaven. (Hosea 4:6)  To mask these truths it is necessary that the interpretation of this book follow certain guidelines (denominational and politically correct).  These guidelines often inject variables into the book that renders it incoherent.    This is not only true with the book of Revelation, the same technique is being used to discredit the entire Bible.   

Never in the history of this country have Christian values been subjected to the harsh criticism that it endures today.  What once was a God fearing society now has raised up a generation that fears not God nor does it fear man.   It seeds have become corrupt and what has emerged over the past years is a nation torn apart by hatred that has been exposed to the light of day and allowed to grow.  In the name of change, this nation is in open defiance of God and other ancient deities are exploited. 
The introduction of multiple Gods, multiple beliefs or multiple religions has always been a factor in humanities struggle for self-recognition and self-worth.  The worship of multiple gods is a common denominator when studying failed or cursed civilizations, that disappeared under a cloud of unexplainable darkness.   

Regardless of the belief system, there are variations introduced from time to time that alter the true focus of the belief system.  Judaism, a monotheistic religion evolved based on the expressions of a monotheistic God who proclaimed that I am and there is none other.  Once Judaism had established itself as the flagship of religion, to allow for the acceptance of multiple creeds, religion divided itself into three groups.   Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three major monotheistic religions, all originated in what is known today as the Arab World. Monotheism literally means "the belief in only one God".

There is a strange sadness emulating from the land, not because of a presidential election, but because hatred has been cultivated, nurtured and it has grown.   Hate is akin to a plant if kept in the dark it become frail, weak, expose it to the sun, and it grows.  Any conversation that highlights the negative does not produce a positive result.  The lessons taught us by Nancy Reagan escaped us at the most critical time as we struggle to deal with a hatred that threatens to destroy us.  In an attempt to address the drug problem she instituted a conversation called, "Just say No".  The intent was good but the program caused a widespread increase in drug usage among the targeted students. 

In a natural world of opposites, emphasizing the negative is more fashionable then accenting the positive.   In a natural world, can we eliminate the negative and keep the positive?  This question begs for an answer.  How would the human condition fair in a world without night?  The Devil, the opposite of God preys on the negative aspects of society, even the Word of God 

In the aftermath of the presidential election, I expected to find small conclaves of Christians   rejoicing that the suppression of Christian values might be ending.   I expected pastors to breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of no longer having their sermons scrutinized by the government.  When the moment of a possible change in government or administration arose, Christians began crying and begging God to allow the same administration to proceed. Many so-call Christians are content with an administration whose focus is on a godless society.  

The internet has proven to be a dangerous platform, fake news site publishes fake news stories that the gullible quickly accept as facts.  In today's high-tech arena, it has been said, "A lie can travel around the world before the truth can get up and get its pants on."  The media and the government have done an unfair job on characterizing those who stand against the prevailing agenda.  Shaming has become an acceptable tool to control dissent.  Those who seriously proclaimed to be Christians are shamed with words such as, uneducated, irredeemable, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and downright deplorable.    The sadness of the situation is that many are buying into this government supported, media driven frenzy, even families are being torn apart.

There are those who pretend that they oppose shaming and bullying with all their hearts and souls, the truth is far darker: they are the greatest purveyor of shaming and bullying in modern American history.   The government-supported media driven feeding frenzy has created a climate of fear wherein ordinary Americans must abandon their principles, and remain silent.  "They believe America is a force for evil that the military is composed of war criminals and that patriotism is the deepest form of treason. They incite riots and threaten violence by playing the race card, and then claim they are advocates for tolerance." (Marcos Carajol)

Those that are of the world, as a Christian's would say,  is not totally the blame for the condition of Christianity, the church and it leaders must accept much of the blame.   Our leaders have abused and misused the metaphysical God of our salvation.   What once was a solid foundation has emerged into a fairy tale ideology, based upon a foundation of entertainment.   The stellar awards go to those who can entertain as they recount the stories of a God rendered impotent by our greed. 

  

Over the past days the rallying cries of those offended by the supposed change of government administrations, were, God know what he is doing.  Often the utterance of this statement is as if some great knowledge is present.   Is God sitting back directing the affairs of man?  This is a fallacy that is often ascribed to because of the feel-good effect.  Does the scripture support blaming everything that happens on God?   No, God did not direct Adam to sin; it was a choice that Adam made.   God do not override the free will nature of man, and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4)  If the answer to any of these questions were yes then humanity would be off the hook, and as the new age preacher proclaim, "The blood cover it all."

I can understand and accept the level of frustration expressed by newly empowered groups, but the response from the Christian community is confusing.     Like the Children of Israel, when Moses, a known murderer offered them an escape plan, they turned against him.  

Many of us, on a day-to-day base, encounter numerous incidents or situations that just do not make sense.  Whether it is Christian endearment, business transactions or in the field of race relations, there is that highly vocal element that has proven its inability to think rationally.  These entities of irrationality thought patterns though lacking the ability to lead, possess the innate ability to indoctrinate and manipulate the masses.  In their wake of deliberate confusion, they leave behind a mass of used, tangled and tortured souls.  The falseness that exists in each one of the fore mention areas speaks for themselves and somehow has found a means of acceptability.  I cannot reconcile the lies and falsehoods that emulate from the household of faith, especially when receiving the blessing of God is reduced to paying money or even typing Amen in a Facebook status.

Paul spoke of God sending a strong delusion in the end time.  When one knows the truth and refuse to obey it, he becomes subject to any lie, any deception, and any untruth that humanity can conjure up.  (2^nd Thessalonians 2:10-12)

To be continued

A Dying World (Part #1)

"Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.  Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away." (Hosea 4:1-3)

First, to establish the proper perspective we need to define who is speaking, what the subject matter is and who is the focus of the prophecy.  Hosea was a prophet in the Kingdom of Israel.  Tasked by God, he called on Israel to repent its sins of apostasy and warn her of the coming judgment.  His writings form the first of the Old Testament books of the Minor Prophets. Hosea was the son of Beeri and a member of the upper classes He was active 750-722 B.C., considering the repetitious nature of history; this makes his prophecies relevant to today apostate society.

The prophet is predicting doom upon the Children of Israel and to any generation that follows that disobeys God.  In today's modernist society, true to Hosea's prophecies, our food supply is contaminated, the fish and animals are dying and our young people are dying of horrible diseases.   Are we as the world, a nation, a people, standing on the brink of destruction?  History and evidence are all we need to consider.

Since the beginning of time, numerous civilizations have disappeared under what humanity defines as mysterious circumstances.  For almost as long as we have had civilizations, we have lost them. There are records going back hundreds of years of explorers discovering huge temples encrusted with jungle, or giant pits full of treasure that were once grand palaces.  Why did people abandon these once-thriving cities, agricultural centers, and trade routes?   When listening to my learned colleagues discuss the plight of lost civilizations hardly is there a reference to the "wrath of God".

The Maya are perhaps the classic example of a civilization that was completely lost, its great monuments, cities, roads swallowed up by the Central American jungles, and its peoples scattered to small villages. Though the languages and traditions of the Maya still survive up to the present day, the civilization's peak was during the first millennium AD, when their greatest architectural feats and massive agricultural projects covered a vast region in the Yucatán.

What causes the places of this great civilization to disappear into the jungle?   This same fate also befell the African nations.  We as Bible students know that the scriptures list two main reasons for the decline of civilizations, "wars of man" and the "wrath of God". 

Cloaked in darkness since medieval times, the spectacular ruins of the once dazzling, southern African kingdom of Great Zimbabwe posed a thorny dilemma for settlers who claimed to have “discovered” the region a mere hundred years before. 

Refusing to believe the massive, finely hewn walls could be the product of native culture, “experts” eager to claim the land for Europeans credited the ancient city to everyone from wandering Phoenicians to the biblical Queen of Sheba. In so doing, they began a long insidious European tradition of willful misinterpretation of Africa’s past, until, in the ultimate irony, the place where human history began would become a place with no history of its own.   This cloak of darkness, was it an act of God?  Does the worship of multiple God play a role in the decline of a nation or Empire?

There are numerous other archaeological finds that baffle the human mind when the explanation advanced removes God from the equation.  From the creation of the earth to the Pyramids of Egypt, if we eliminate God they become a series of theories and supposition.   

The question of what happen is often entertained, but the reason why is often overlooked.   The Old Testament speaks of many nations, cities, and civilizations wiped from the face of the earth.  Sodom and Gomorra is a prime example of the wrath of God, what once was a thriving metropolis wiped from the face of the earth because of their sins.   

It is necessary to point out that when studying the Old Testament prophecies we should exercise care in our interpretation.  It is necessary that we learn from these prophecies, without placing a greater burden on God.  If we say, God is talking to us as an individual then we are open to injecting inject errors into the scripture.  Too often, we shift the language within the same paragraph from figurative to literal and back, stumbling over perspective and context while trying to prove an asinine point. 

Hosea 4:1-3 seems applicable to the nations of today but it was also applicable to the nations of the past.  Since that day when the prophet uttered those faithful words, the sinful nature of humanity has led to the destruction of many nations and civilizations.  The African nations touting themselves as the birthplace of humanity is condemned to an endless struggle to regain its identity.  Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and most notably the Maya civilization are timeless examples of the dispersal of people and the destruction of civilizations.   These nations or civilization and others that are not mention had one thing in common, they pollute their religious base with a multiple God conceit. 

The multiple God concepts are a common denominator in all failed civilizations or societies.  As the knowledge of good and evil triumphs over the Knowledge of God, the one God concept is cast aside.  Humanity demands the right to choose what God if any, that it will serve, even the ancient impotent gods of their past. 

The changes that are taking place within the government and the government sponsored churches are akin to the problems encountered during the rule of the British Empire during the pre-colonial days. Not contented with the history lessons of the past, the government once again has begun to meddle in the religious affairs of the populace.  We live in a therapeutic government sponsored culture that seems determined to do away with sin and Christianity. Every form of immorality has been re-classified as addictions. 

Addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol are classified as diseases, not the results of deliberate actions. Guns are now perceived as a greater threat than the murderers pulling the trigger.  If we could separate the gun from the murderers, we could solve the murder problem.  Whatever the sin may be, there always seems to be a way to excuse, redefine, or minimize it, even to the point of using the Bible to justify it.

  It is the nature of history is to expand and repeat itself.  We as a people and a nation, even the world find ourselves in the same situation as Israel was in.  The Bible is history that we should learn from and use to govern our lives.   When we sift through the prophecies, adjusting perspectives, changing    contexts, we inject errors into the message.  These errors can become an irreconcilable obstacle, as we study and attempt to live by the Word of God.  

I live in a dying world.  Animals are dying all over the world in huge numbers, due to humanities lack of concern for our environment.  Pollution is destroying the quality of the land, sea, and air.  Millions of Fish and massive numbers of various marine creatures are washing ashore dead.  The Bee population is decreasing at an alarming rate. Birds are falling dead out of the sky, and millions of poultry and wildlife are dying from the avian flu. The animals of the land are also dying in large numbers from disease. Although animals and fish have been dying all throughout history, the massive and consistent numbers that we are seeing are staggering.


People are dying as well, not that death is a newly emerging factor, and young people are dying from emerging diseases.  In the early years of my life even if cancer was mention, people live to a ripe old age.   Today the ages in the obituary section just keep getting younger and younger.   Just the other day the preacher was preaching on how God wanted us to live a long and prosperous life

To be continued...

God's Inconvenient Truth, (Part #3)

Syncretism, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, is “the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief.” It is most evident in the areas of philosophy and religion and usually results in a new teaching or belief system that is un-reconciled to biblical Christianity.

I began this dissertation with a verse that stated, "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." (Exodus 15:3)  I began this blog several years ago when I published my first Bible Study book, "My search for the real God."  At that juncture of my life I was filled with confusion, even though Bible Study and Sunday School was an intricate part of my life.    The more I sit in these classes the more I become aware of the confusion of Christianity.  There is a shaped truth, a feel good truth that is expounded upon and there is an inconvenient truth, a truth that we do not wish to acknowledge, this truth is buried.

In today's Christian arena, there ideologies, concepts and doctrines that are confusing, some are old and some are new.  Do we attribute this to the false teachers that Jesus and Paul spoke so passionately about, or do we attribute this to a better understanding of God Word.  Now the questions emerges, do we understand the Word of God better than the early Christians or are we shaping the scripture to fit our preconceived notion of what we want God to be. 

The Old Testament definitely portrays the Lord as a man of war.  During the Old Testament events, God would kill the infidels.   As stated before the Old Testament, is fill with accounts of God selecting Kings and sending them out to destroy the wicked.  The New Testament Christian church adopted the rules of inquisitions to stamp out hearsay among the people.  The idea of persecuting a religious war soon lost favor with the people as we learned how to explain much of the scripture away.   

Syncretism allows us to remove certain segment of a verse or scripture, casting aside context and perspective and presenting it as a complete thought.      This form of interpretation allows the speaker to claim Bible support for alien doctrines and ideologies. 

A good speaker can pack the house with a message of, "How to get what you want from God" and a message of; "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" will go unheeded.      

Throughout the scripture, many seemly hidden truths allow for the manipulation of the Word of God.   Some of these hidden truths are not the intent of the author, but occur through the process of translation, while some is the result of interpretation.  When God spoke in the Garden of Eden, the Devil's interpretation caused man to sin.  What the Devil spoke seemed to be a logical truth, what God had said was an illogical truth.  In essence, why would God bring us to this place just to destroy us.

There are numerous types of truth. For this discussion, we will look at those that affect our biblical knowledge.  There is the truth, nothing but the truth, there is translated truth, and there is interpretive truth.   Compound words, which are native to the English language, allow truth to take on many distinctive forms, convenient truth and inconvenient truth.   Convenient truth is a type of shaped truth, such as twisting the scripture out of it context to make it say what we want it to say.  Paul's statement, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me", (Philippians 4:13) has nothing to do with getting a job and being successful.

Inconvenient truth is that truth that we are not prepared to deal with.   The book of Revelation is an example of many inconvenient truths.  A discussion of the Book of Revelation is often tempered with big words such "post-millennial", "pre-millennial" and "Amillennialism".  These words quickly render any discussion irrelevant, thereby hiding the truth and causing the believability of the Word of God to suffer.

If we were to accept that the events portrayed in Revelation are unfolding chronological order, this would expose certain truths that we are not prepared to accept.   

The Bible purposely filled with illogical truths profoundly states that it is the truth. How illogical is it for a man to say, you must be born again?  Why was it necessary for Jesus to shed his blood for us?  If a man dies, shall he live again?  Can we drink his blood and eat his flesh?   The Blood of Christ open the door to many of the inconvenient truth of God.  Maybe we need to shift our perspective

   

The blood of Jesus was more powerful than anything the Devil had ever faced.  Judas, the instrument of his hand committed suicide, but there was no power in his blood.  Some equate this as driving the Devil mad.  Paul later issues this warning and referred to the Devil as such, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, and seeking whom he may devour:" (1^st Peter 5:8)

When Jesus and the disciples taught the Gospel of the Kingdom a threat was implied, the wages of sin was death (Romans 6:23).   The populaces were encouraged to seek first the Kingdom of God.  Those that believed sought after the values of the Kingdom.  If we carefully study the scripture a strange paradox emerges, what God bring forth the Devil will attempt to use to his advantage.  For reasons not quite clear, Christians are reluctant to acknowledge the Holy wars depicted in the Old Testament.    Holy and unholy wars existed in the ancient Bible days, even today, there are wars fought in the name of God.  For centuries, wars between the Pagans, Protestants and Catholics have raged throughout the world.  Under the rule of the Catholic Church, heresy once was punishable by death.  Inquisition a court established by the Roman Catholic Church in the thirteenth century to try cases of heresy and other offenses against the church. Those convicted were handed over to the civil authorities for punishment, including execution.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.  Some describe him as the last Pope.  Pope Francis stepped outside of the church dogma in a flagrant attempt to bring peace to the warring factions of religion.   Pacification was his method of choice, the exchange of values, many of which will prove to be detrimental to Christian values.  Whether true or false it was reported that if the Catholic Church does not change its stance on same sex marriage, it would be barred from many countries.

As with all things natural, the rule of opposites applies.  There are the values of God and there are the values of the Devil.   There are Holy values and there are unholy values.   The battle waged today is not with guns and knives alone, it is the substitution of values.  That which once was unholy is now holy achieved through the pacification of Christian values.  

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 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 1:27-28)  This is an inconvenient truth.