The Road Leading To Destruction, Part C

Chapter 1, Part C

Understanding The Word Of God

The justification of sin under the guidelines of the government has already taken place, and one by one the organized church is being drawn in.  In a society based upon subjective morality, the people represented by the government reserve the right to define such things as, when does life began, the definition of marriage and even how one is separated from sin.  In exchange for funds churches are organized and are required to issue human rights statements that adhere to the standards set forth by the government. While the church and many minority groups danced in the street and proclaim it to be the works of God, The Human rights act of 1964 sets the stage for a direct attack on God's authority and again the church said, “amen.”

A church that once was noted for its message of, "It's Holiness or Hell” dumbed down its rhetoric in the face of adversaries and now proclaim, "God loves all of us."  A deviant interpretation of John 3:16.  This occurs when we surgically remove one verse from the supporting conversation or scripture and present it as a complete thought. From that same verse many teach that we are not to condemn those who walk in darkness.   “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19)  If your life is a condemnation and the Bible says it, can I tell you?  If you are walking in darkness can I implore you to change directions?   In a political correct society the answer is no, we must refrain from moralizing the views and actions of others.

The earth is groaning under the pains of global warming, discord among the races, wars, and the erosion of godly values.   “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” (Romans 8:22) The president of the United States of America chose to publicly state, “America is no longer a Christian nation” as he advances his alternate lifestyle agenda.  In 1964 it seems as if the gates of Hell were flung open and the demonic forces of Hell were unleashed upon the world.  How long before it will be stated that America is no longer a democracy?   How long will it be before this country follows the path of other great empires? 

Our schools now can teach that man evolved from apes, but they cannot teach that man was created by God.  The Lord Prayer has been removed from the curriculum of our schools and morning devotional is soon to be an unheard of thing of the past.  The Ten Commandments that once held a sacred place in our courtrooms and served as the base of our moral and legal system has long since been removed.  Through all of the changes taking place, the world of Christendom dumbed down and accepted a position of adaptability and servitude as it sought to create a non-confrontational image and a non-confrontational God.  The new organized church is now enjoying a new status, not as a spiritual, but as a polluted and politically correct entity basting in subsides from the government.

At an early age, my first impression of God was that of an angry God who underwent periods of silence when dealing with his wayward creation.  God often vented his anger and frustration upon his creation, a fact that has been removed from our modern day interpretation of the scripture.  David understood and expressed the sentiment of God heart when he said, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” (Psalms 7:11)  God’s wrath was poured out upon Adam and Eve and the generations that followed because of their sins.  Cain suffered the wrath of God because he chose to murder his brother.  God poured out his wrath in the form of a flood in Noah’s day and he continued to vent his angry when dealing with wicked nations who stood against his chosen people.  During the dispensation of the Law God’s judgment was often pronounced and swift.

When God’s anger peaked, he gave Israel, his bride, his chosen people a bill of divorcement.  “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah (western civilization)  feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” (Jeremiah 3:8)  God then began to speak through his prophets concerning the final consummation of things.  After His prophecies were established God was silent until a time of fulfillment, then his Son came forth, not to broker a peace treaty, not to pave a road to prosperity, but to bring forth a plan of salvation whereby all mankind could be saved.  

There can be many flaws in the interpretation and application of the Holy Scriptures when we do not follow certain guidelines. The Holy Scriptures should not be treated as a systematic treatise on Theology, History, Science or any other topic.  The scriptures are a revelation from God, that set forth His Plan and Purpose down through the Ages, separated by dispensations, as pertaining to the earth and the human race. These revelations were given to us piecemeal "at sundry times and in divers manners.” (Hebrew 1:1)   Holy men of God spake, and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit during a period of 1604 years, extending from B. C. 1492 to A. D. 100. 

There are two ages spoken of in the Holy Scripture, before “Time” the "Alpha" or "Creative Ages," and after "Time" the "Omega," or "Ages of the ages." In "Time" there are three "Ages" and eight "Dispensations."   This is important if we are to “rightly divide the Word of truth.”

The "Ages" are 

1.      The Antediluvian Age.

2.      The Present Age. 

3.      The Age Of Ages. The "Third Age" is a "Dual Age," composed of the "Millennial Age" and the "Perfect Age."

The eight "Dispensations" are

1.      The Edenic,

2.      The Antediluvian,

3.      The Postdiluvian,

4.      The Patriarchal,

5.      The Legal,

6.      The Ecclesiastical,

7.      The Messianic,

8.      The Dispensation of the "Fullness of Time".

The difference between an "Age" and a "Dispensation" is that an "Age" stands for a period between two great physical changes in the earth's surface, while a "Dispensation" stands for a "moral" or "probationary" period in the world's history. For illustration, the "Present Age" began with "The Flood," and ends with the return of Christ to the Mount of Olives. "The Flood" caused such physical and climatic changes that the length of human life was reduced from 900 to 100 years;  all this will be reversed when Christ comes back, when the whole contour of the Land of Palestine will be changed (Zechariah 14:4-10; Ezekiel 47:1-12), and men shall live again for upwards of 1000 years (Isaiah 65:20). 

The problem with the interpretation of the scripture began when we attempt to combine the Dispensation of the Law and the Dispensation of Grace.  To do so is to deny the purpose of Christ's suffering and dying.  An analogy could be a farmer buying a truck and using a team of horses to pull it down the road.  When we take the Old Testament and the New Testament and combine them together without regard to Age and Dispensation we end up with a polluted form of the gospel that can neither be sustained through the Word of God or common sense.  When we search the scripture searching for a word or phrase to validate a vanity point, we are guilty of shaping the word of God.  

As the dispensation of the Law was giving way to the dispensation of Grace, God became silent and only spoke through his Son.  Unlike the days of Adam, Abraham, Moses and others when God engaged men in long drawn out conversations, the silence of God should be an indicator that his wrath is building up and being stored.  (Revelation 15:1)  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.  Jesus often referenced the Word of God in his messages, but contrary to popular belief, there is only two instances that I can find, (you might be able to find more) where the Father actually spoke in the New Testament scripture.   Both instances were a confirmation of his Son, in whom he was well pleased.  (Matthew 3:17) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.   (Luke 9:35)  And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.  The words, “hear him” were addressed to Peter.  It seems as if the Father was overcome with anger when Peter had a desire to speak with, and learn from Moses and Elias.  This verse should speak volumes when seeking to understand God and the Word of God.

The Dispensation of the Law came to an end on the cross with the utterance of the words, “it finished.” The Dispensation of Grace began with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.  (John 14:26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” 

The Road Leading To Destruction., Part B

Chapter 1, Part B

Understanding The Word Of God

When many of us consider the sin question we think of violations of the Ten Commandments.  Even then, we tend to think of murder and adultery as "major" sins compared with lying, cursing, or idolatry.   Under the dispensation of the law, certain sins carried an instant death penalty; therefore they were considered major sins.  Under the dispensation of grace, the attempt to separate sin as to major and minor often is just an attempt to justify sin.  Such as the homosexual who often state that its sin is no greater than those who commit adultery.  “All unrighteousness is sin...“ (1 John 5:17)   Paul, however, puts this in perspective when he said, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:20).   To be conscious of sin, we must become aware of the feeling derived from sinning; therefore our reaction to sin is also based upon how it makes us feel.   If the Holy Spirit, an attribute of grace and not of the law, abides within our heart, the feeling that we derive from being in the proximity of sin should be disgusting.

The second point of 1^st John 5:17 dissertation states that there is a sin that is not unto death.  This is based upon the contention of the Law that required an instant death penalty for certain sin, the chief commandment is faith and love. Therefore, the chief sin is that by which faith and love are destroyed.  “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith whosoever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” (Mark 3:28-29)  

What is blasphemy?  Blasphemy against God is equated with treason against the State.  Blasphemy is derisive language or any other insult against God, His character, and His system of proper worship.  It is addressed in Old Testament law through the third commandment (do not take the Lord's name in vain).  This should set the stage for a deeper understanding of sin. 

Jesus approach to sin under the presumption of Grace was different from that which was set forth by God under the law.   This should be an interesting line of study for those who insist on invoking the Law of Moses.  The Law says, “If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man finds a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die.” (Deuteronomy 22:22-25)  The High Priest was to insure that this punishment was carried out.

The Scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus in an attempt to bring an accusation against him.  The foundation of their test was to determine if Jesus was following the Law of Moses.  The Law verses the presumption of Grace was a point of contention throughout Jesus’s ministry, and Paul sought to deal with it during the formation of the church.  “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” (John 8:3-5) 

“So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those, thine accusers?  Hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:7-11)

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.  If we do not believe in the Word of God and speak words of blasphemy against God, we shall die in our sins.” (John 8:24)

The road to the justification of sin began with allowing our emotions to play a role in determining what a sin is and what is not.  If we believe in God, then the Word of God should be the determining factor. Paul explained what happens when we remove the knowledge of God from our thought process and replace it with the knowledge of good and evil.  The knowledge of good and evil will blur the line that separate good from evil.

 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:28)  Feeling good is subjective morality; it allows us to justify sin through a non Christian agenda.  The path of sin is marked with a simple truism, “God loves his children and he wants them to be happy.”

God wants us to recognize our sins. Even those who have not murdered or committed adultery will find themselves convicted of lying, or of worshipping false idols like wealth or power instead of God.  We have created new idols.  The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless disguise. It exists in the form of the idolatry of money, in the dictatorship of an impersonal economy within the church.  Worship services are designed to stimulate or excite the masses and are lacking a true spiritual purpose. 

So what is sin?  If you believe in God, this should be a no-brainer. Some things are wrong, some things are right, simply because God says so and He knows. But if you do not believe in God to become involved in a legalistic argument over what is right and what is wrong is pointless.  This argument will never be resolved.

 David speaking to a group of none believers was direct and on point.  "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,   corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” (Psalms 53:1)   David used the word "fool”,  this word is edited out of the modern text.  The attitude of a fool can be ascertained through words or deeds.  

Often the Bible is used by the fool to justify sin.  A small snippet of a verse will be surgically removed and quoted out of its context, “The bible says, there is none that does good”, the church agreed and said amen because it allowed for the justification of sin.

The organized church allowed itself to be drawn into an arena filled with contradictions and lies.  Vain an blasphemous promise is made in the name of God and God is not responding to these requests or promises.  The respect that should be given to God, the church and Christianity is fading because of this fallacy.  Many organized churches are becoming nothing more than a place of entertainment as a new and suggestive beat invades what once was a sacred worship service. A play on the emotions is taking center stage and the spirit of God is presented as nothing but an emotional expression. 

Men and women of dubious stature are demanding that they become respected as messengers of God when their message is tainted with subjective moralities. Leaders who practice to deceive are amassing fortunes selling a shaped message and goods designed to make the listener feel good, while they skillfully massage and manipulate the sinful nature of humanity.  Motivational speeches are not preaching the Word of God.  Practical living exposés is not expository preaching.  Pep talks and clever clichés have no power to save.  Wealth building is not a part of salvation. 

 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)   This question put forth by Jesus deserves an answer.  Take a look around.  What do you see?  Do you really see the faith Jesus spoke of?  It is easy to go through life pretending.  Often we pretend to know the answer when we do not fully understand the question.    It is easy to pretend that we are something that we are not and often it is the pretenders that receive the greatest accolades.  Has our faith become like polluted water and we are guilty of pretending? 

To be Continued

The Road Leading To Destruction, Part A

Chapter 1 Part A

Understanding The Word Of God

For I am the LORD, I change not. (Malachi 3:6)

There are many of us who hold the opinion that the future of humanity as we know it, is at risk because our system of values have become corrupt and the world as we know it is moraly bankrupt.  Even America, that glorious nation that was founded upon the concept of, “One nation under God”, seems to have lost its way and become engaged in the wiles of the Devil.  It’s people are becoming adrift in a sea of deliberate confusion,  as they seek to redefine the basic elements of their spirituality.  America, that once proud nation whose founders chooses to challenge the status quo and had the audacity to proclaim its existence was provided for by the grace of God, is now turning its back on God. 

This nation’s leaders has ripped apart the moral fibers of its collective consciousness and now proclaims itself a nation of many gods, cultures and beliefs.   The only consensus is the indoctrination of "In God we trust" has failed and like many nations of the past, the road being traveled bears the marks of a road leading to destruction. 

Nations once derived their value system from their culture and their culture derives their values from religion or the lack of religion.  The God of Abraham declared himself to be the God of the universe and proclaimed that, “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2-3)   The so-called Christian nations today embraces a new and permissive ideology.

In the ancient days God was known to judge nations harshly if they failed to honor him.  The ancient values of a God fearing society are now being cast aside and our culture is becoming a self defining entity that is now entertaining the ideology that there is no God.  If there is no God, then the definition of sin can no longer be  definitive.  

The concept of sin has become entangled in a legalistic argument of what is right and what is wrong.  The rules of marriage or even  abortion can no longer be argued within the context of the Word of God.  In the eyes of the courts, the true concept of God can no longer be injected into an argument because the burden of proof cannot be met from a legalistic point of view.  Christianity is struggling in the hands of the deceitful,  in a fatal attempt to prove its relevancy in any decision involving the sin question.    Christianity is engaged in a life and death struggling, it must come to an agreement on what is right and what is wrong  and it must be based upon subjective (man) morality rather than objective (God) morality.  In a political correct society it has become necessary to remove God from the equation and redefine sin as right or wrong as it applies to all mankind, regardless of their religious belief. 

  

A modern day philosopher of some sort has stated, "Right is that which is formed within a person's mind, which brings peace to his inner longing."  What's right for one may be wrong for another, this is an accepted norm.  Thus the rule of, "If it feels good, do it", has become one of the standards of determining right and wrong. A rather precarious way to begin a search for, or establish what is right and what is wrong.

The Bible tells us that, “every way of a man is right in his own eyes”. (Proverbs 21:2)  This is human nature, but God also tells us that He decides what right and what is wrong.  In today’s politically correct society are we really concerned about what God has to say?  Humanity has always been determined to live its life, its own way, the way that feels good, and as humanity follows its own path, it considers itself to be right in its decisions.  But this is a lie, because the very core and inner working of human nature is based on pride and selfishness, the self being first.  Whether we admit it or not, this basic nature is the cause of conflicts, arguments, dissension, envy, competition, hatred, wars, stress, and all of the things that makes for an unhappy lifestyle.

There are two basic ways to live life, one is to give, and one is to get.  Humanity, by nature lives by the way of getting, for this reason the Bible speaks of the need for a new nature imparted by God.  Only when we seek God’s help and allow him to change our nature, can we begin to find the true ways to peace through living a life of giving.  The world does not know the way of peace. This is evidenced in a bloodstained earth through 6,000 years of human history. A painful reality of life is to learn that the way of man is steeped in deception, lies and a knowledge that is not based upon the knowledge of God.

The Bible speaks of two sources of knowledge, the knowledge of God and the knowledge of good and evil.  In a culture that is infused with the knowledge of good and evil rather than the knowledge of God, there are two moralities at play, objective and subjective.  Objective morality recognizes God as the decider of right and wrong and its conclusions are guided by the knowledge of God.  Subjective morality gives man the final authority as to what is right or wrong and it conclusions are guided by the knowledge of good and evil.  Thus, with feigned and ambiguous words the learned philosophers have set the rules of debate, man decides what is right  for mankind.

The objective morality verses the subjective morality debate is really a Christianity verses atheist debate in disguise.  To engage in a meaningful debate, both sides must respect each other position, but Christianity has never been a religion that respected the position of the ungodly and the Atheist will never respect the values of Christianity. 

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)  The objective morals that once were promoted by the Western societies are being replaced by a subjective morality.  Christian values have become toxic and are being replaced with politically correct values.  Christianity is adopting a message of peaceful coexistence rather than confrontation.  It is conceivable that if Jesus or Paul were to preach a message in today's modern church they would be harshly chastised.  Imagine John the Baptist standing in the pulpit of a marvelous and richly endowed church screaming, "Oh ye generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath of God." 

There is a sin question that is dominating the human agenda.  To proceed forward in the path that it has taken, humanity as a whole must come to a consensus as to what is a sin and what is not.   Once that door is open, it must also be decided whether sin is a relevant entity in a modernist society.  The sin question cannot be resolved if sin is nothing but a label applied to things that certain groups do not like. 

The real problem with deciding the sin question is that the moral principles that Christians often claim to be "objective" or of God usually coincide with what they "feel" subjectively to be true.      This feeling is often explained as the, "Holy Spirit within us”, but indoctrination also plays an important role here.  When pressed to provide justification, the person being questioned can be led to believe through skillful manipulation that its concept of sin, morality or even of God might not be objective, and the question of sin becomes a question of what one believe.  Without a proper knowledge of God our belief structure is contaminated,  many are easily manipulated and led astray.

The debate as to what is right and what is wrong can continue to the "N" degree, but the true question is, "Do the parties in the debate believe in the same God?"  If the answer is an unequivocal yes, and without doubt, then the question of sin is settled.  There is no reason for a debate.   If one or more parties do not believe in God or the Bible, or even have a different interpretation of God, then there can be no consensus on the question of sin, any discussion of sin is pointless.

Therefore, if we refuse to accept God as the Supreme Being, the Bible as the history of God interaction with his creation that tells how all of this began and how it will end, then we have nothing to add to solving the sin question.  Our acceptance or definition of sin becomes merely a perverse form self-gratification known as the justification of sin.

To be continued 

Part B

The Battle Between Two Brothers, cont...

Genesis 4:9  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?  

Hebrews 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.

From the beginning of the spread of humanity family feuds have played a role in the path that humanity has taken.  It began to grow when Cain slew his Brother, and blossomed when brothers and sisters began to fight over the family estates.  The legacy of a Civil Rights leader who dedicated his life to peaceful dissent and brotherly love, has been tossed 'under the bus' as family members fight in court for the right to sell his legacy.      In todays modern society, families have been torn apart because someone looked in a pot on the stove, or churches split because of the color of the carpet installed in the sanctuary.  The bases of dissent are usually founded upon what one perceives of reality and not what is real.  

The bases of Cain’s dissent were a false perception  of the events as pertaining to the offering of the sacrifice to God.  The fault resided with Cain and it was the result of his attitude and his failure to accept the Word of God.  In reality it was God whom Cain was wroth with, but he took his anger out on his brother.  Genesis 4:6-7  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  Genesis 4:8  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 

False perceptions have tainted family histories down through the ages.  God asked Cain two questions and provided the answer.  If he had carefully listened to the questions and answers, he would have known the basis of his dissent. The problem was not with Abel, the problem was within himself.  False perceptions occur when we refuse to look within our self and see our own faults.  Because of false perceptions, family members often see things through a tainted lens, and they often see things not as they really are.
 As in the case of Joseph this false perception is contagious and spreads from family member to those outside of the family .  Often family members are convicted of infractions that they are not even guilty of committing.   Joseph told his brothers of a dream and immediately he was convicted of thinking he was more than the rest of his siblings.  This false perception was brought on by the belief that Joseph’s  father was showing favoritism.  Once this idea in ingrained in the physic of the family, there in nothing that can be done by the parent of the child to refute or eradicate this perception.  Every act or deed are viewed through a tainted lens.

It was Cain’s belief that God was showing favoritism as pertaining to the brothers and this angered him.  It could be augured and it is well within the prerogative of God to show favoritism to the younger son.  Sound reasoning indicates that the older son ideology was that of a ruler, whereas the younger son was that of a servant.   It was always the attributes of a servant that God was looking for when he established his leaders.  Luke attempted to express Jesus’s concept of the Father’s ideology when he said; Luke 13:30  And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.  It was and is the custom of humanity to look to the oldest as being the heir and ruler of the father’s inheartance.  That in itself is reason enough for God to choose the youngest over the oldest son. 

As in the case of Isaac and Ishmael as a blood feud erupted over who was entitled to the birthright. Genesis 25:5  And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.  There is something inherently sinister about two brother’s at odds with each other.  This is a technique perfected in the ancient days and is carried over into the present age.  Mothers and fathers will spend their entire lives struggling to have something to pass on to their children, only to find out in the end that it is all for naught.   

As the condition in the Middle East intensifies, the battle between the two brothers continue to spin out of control, many mainstream Christian churches has divested themselves of the spiritual  connection they have with the brethren of Christ.   Hebrew and Christian theology, the same as Islam has reinterpreted the scripture and they foolishly claim the blessing of Abraham for themselves.  The Jews, Christ brethrens have been denied their proper place and eradication is at the forefront of many churches and nation's agenda.  1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.  There is much about this scripture that we don’t want to understand.

The spread of Islam began when, around 613 CE, the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570 – 632 CE) began to share the revelation which God (Allah) had, according to Muslims, started to give to him three years previously. During the rest of his life, the Muslim community was established in Arabia. The expansion of the Arab Empire in the years following Muhammad's death led to the creation of caliphates, occupying a vast geographical area and conversion to Islam was boosted by missionary activities, particularly those of the Sufis, who easily intermingled with the local populace to propagate the religious teachings. 

A caliphate is an Islamic state led by a supreme religious and political leader, and it has existed in one form or another for most of the 1,400-year history of Islam. These early caliphates, coupled with Muslim economics and trading and the later expansion of the Ottoman Empire, resulted in Islam's spread outwards from Mecca towards both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the creation of the Muslim world. Military conquest, trade and commerce played important roles in the spread of Islam in several parts of the world, notably Southeast Asia

The start of Islam could be marked in the year 610, following the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad at the age of 40. Muhammad and his followers spread the teachings of Islam throughout the Arabian peninsula.  The objective of his teaching was to unite the descendants of Ishmael under one religious banner.  Prior to the conception of Islam the descendants of Ishmael served many different gods.  The Islamic prophet Muhammad united the twelve tribes under one God, the God of Abraham, the same as the Hebrew religion. 

Both religions claimed to be the heir to the blessings of Abraham and are looking for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.  The difference between the two religions is the difference in the interpretation of the Old Testament scriptures.  Both religions, Hebrew and Islam, refuse to accept the New Testament as the door to the reconciliation of the brothers.  The New Testament establishes a new entity whereby the Jews and the Gentiles could become one body called the church.

The church was established as a spiritual body, and if it exists as a spiritual body, then its blessings and  or benefits must be of the same nature.  The Gentiles are a group of nations that exists because Sarah and Abraham  took matters into their own hand, rather than trusting in God.  Man’s fall from grace took place because Adam and Eve chose to follow the inclinations of their own heart, rather than believing in God.   The Devil has taken all of the necessary steps to insure that the organized church is corrupted through a process call deliberate confusion.

There is the question that comes into play when we think about Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah or even Ishmael and Issac.  The answer to this question is of the utmost importance when it comes to understanding the will of God and the will of man.   To suppress the knowledge of God, we are taught not to ask God questions, yet many of the men of old engaged God in conversations and asked God questions.  To further complicate the ideology of a powerful God, we are taught that God is controlling every aspect of human endeavor.  After God set forth his plan in the Garden of Eden, when Adam was about to disobey, why didn’t God speak and tell Adam, “Don’t do that?” 

The Battle Between Two Brothers

Hebrews 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.

A battle of epic proportions between two brothers has been brewing for thousands of years, yet many modern day rulers have sought to foster a peace agreement to no avail.  The bible prophesies is often overlooked, many seek to establish their own guidelines for a structured peace between between the brothers.  The battle is among the nations established by the twelve princes or rulers of Ishmael and the twelve tribes of Israel. The Arabs and the Israelis have been fighting since time immemorial, more than four thousand years,  over that tiny plot of land called Israel. Their battle is not one of flesh and blood, but of spiritual things. The Bible states that the last great battle will pit Israel against the rest of the Middle East and its allies.  It is this battle, that if Christ did not intervene and fight for his ‘brothers’ all would be lost.

When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all of the holy  angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him, he shall gather all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a Shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: (Matthew 25:31-32).

To many, this verse reference a point in time when Christ returns to judge the world at the last day.  There are several peculiarities  in this judgment day verse that cause it to stand apart from the other judgment day verses.   This verse indicates that Christ is returning to the earth with his Holy angels.   Who are the Holy angels and where is the throne of his glory?

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land. (Joel 3:1-2).

Most of us in school were made aware of the scattering of the Jews, but we failed to see the biblical implications of the acts.  How did it all begin and why have they remained mortal enemies for thousands of years?  It was jealousy and resentment, plain and simple! And man’s failure to believe and trust in God.  The same scenario is played out in the world today. Lets Take a look at how things unfolded:

In Genesis 11:29 we are introduced to Abram and his wife Sarai.  The introduction began with   the family going into the land of Canaan and dwelling in a place called Haran.  One important piece of information that is important to this narrative is in Genesis 11:30  But Sarai was barren; she had no child.  Abram was being selected for a mission and this mission required that Sarai, his wife give him a son. 

Genesis 12:1-3  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

Abraham was given a timetable of possession of the land, but nothing was said about when the child was to be born. In this chapter, Sarah takes matters into her own hands, for she has been childless ten years since the promise of a child was made.  The story is about the two women, Sarah the infertile wife and Hagar the fertile slave.  In Genesis 16 we see Abraham and his wife Sarah panicking about not having an heir yet, and so they decided (at the urging of Sarah) to take matters into their own hands and have Abraham sleep with his wife's pagan/Egyptian servant Hagar. The result of that union was a son they named Ishmael.

Genesis 16:11-12  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.  And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Fourteen years later, Sarah gave birth to a son.  Genesis 17:19-21  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 

Ishmael mocked those who maintained that Isaac would be Abraham's chief heir, and said that as he (Ishmael) was the first-born son he would receive two-thirds of the inheritance. Upon seeing the danger to Isaac, Sarah, who had till then been attached to Ishmael  insisted that Abraham cast out Ishmael. Abraham was obliged to put him on Hagar's shoulders, because he fell sick under the spell of the evil eye cast upon him by Sarah.

Based upon the promise of  God, Abaraham entreated for his first born son, and God relented and promised a blessing a blessing upon him, but it was Isaac, whom with the covenant would reside.  Let's recap the story.

Eldest son of Abraham by his concubine Hagar; born when Abraham was eighty-six years of age (Geneses 16:15-16). God promised Abraham that His blessing should be upon Ishmael, who, He foretold, would produce twelve princes, and would become a great nation (Geneses 17:18-20). Ishmael was circumcised at the age of thirteen (Geneses 17:23-26). When Sarah saw Ishmael mocking her son Isaac, his brother, younger by fourteen years, she insisted that Abraham cast out Ishmael and his slave-mother. Abraham reluctantly yielded, having provided them with bread and a bottle of water. Ishmael was about to die of thirst when an angel showed his mother a well, repeating to her at the same time that Ishmael would become a great nation. Ishmael dwelt in the wilderness, apparently, of Beer-Sheba, where he became a skillful archer; later he settled in the wilderness of Paran, where his mother took him a wife from Egypt (Geneses 21:8-21). Both Ishmael and Isaac were present at the burial of their father, Abraham. Ishmael died at the age of 137. He had twelve sons, ancestors of twelve tribes that dwelt "from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest to Assyria" (Geneses 25:9-18).

This jealousy and resentment between Sarah and Hagar and their sons Isaac and Ishmael created an unparalleled hate which has set off wars and atrocities for four thousand years. It was the title deed to the land of Israel, which God promised to Abraham's lineage, that has been the source of the friction between the Jews and the Arabs right up to the present day.

The Arabs claim the Jews cheated them out of their birthright and the Jews claim the Arabs are trying to steal their God given birthrights.  What you believe is whether you believe in the Holy Bible, the Koran or nothing.

It was customary in those ages, in the development of God's plan, to displace the elder with the younger, Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-7,25), Isaac and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-2; 17:18-21; 21:1-5), Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-26) and Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:14-19) are a few recorded instances.  Abram also was the youngest and inherited his father’s blessings.

There were two promises given to Abram by God, (a) that he would make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, make him a blessing, bless those who blessed him, and curse those who cursed him;  (b) that in him should all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).  These promises were subsequently renewed on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1-18). These promises were subsequently fulfilled in, (a) the covenant dedicated at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1-8), (b) the new covenant (Galatians 4:22-31).

Genesis 16:12 He will be a wild man; his posterity would be rude, un-subdued, and opposed to the restraints of city life; as the Arabs in their native country always have been.  His hand--against every man; they would be robbers and plunderers of such as should fall in their way. They would dwell in the presence; though opposed to all nations, they would never be exterminated or dispossessed; and they have continued to inhabit Arabia down to the present day.

The Empowerment Of Sin

My mother, was a passionate bible reader who often voiced her concern about the changing landscape of Christianity.  In her later years, during many of our conversations there were moments when we both questioned the validity of our religion, because of the many changes taking place place in and out of the organized church. The scripture states that God does not change, but the rules and requirements of salvation were changing all around us.  Even the attributes of sin were changing. What was once considered a sin, were becoming acceptable after a period of time?

It is for these reasons that I often describe Christianity as a failed religion, because as my mother would say, “Christianity has failed to live up to the standards that it has set.  It has begun a process of back peddling from the values it once held true as it adopt the rules of the ungodly in its attempt to redefine the sins that beset us. The definition of sin has always been a factor in living a Christian lifestyle.  In today’s political correct society, the definition of sin is evolving, that which once was considered a sin is no longer considered a sin, it is justified.  More and more preachers are refraining from preaching about sin.  A beautiful Sunday message is filled with God’s promises which creates a spirit of euphoria and profound expressions of his love.

A few questions to ask yourself, then we will proceed.  How can Christian remain true to God and itself when it adopts a position of humbleness and the acceptance of difference cultures.  Why has it become taboo to reverence God or the Bible?  Why did hate laws define Christianity as a hate group?  Has America declared war on Christian values? 

In a recent posting, I discussed the justification of sin in detail.  The Justification of sin is the process by which that which once was considered a sin evolves and become an acceptable way of life.  The first step to the justification of sin is to acknowledge that one sin is no greater than another.  The Bible is often used to support this thesis.  Yet, under the Law, God set forth stricter punishments for certain sins.  Therefore, to justify sin, God and sin needed to be redefined.

 Once a sin is justified it is the empowerment of that sin that enable it to spread and this poses the greatest threat to Christianity.  Justification of sin affects the individual, the empowerment of sin gives it the means necessary to spread and corrupt humanity on a larger scale.  To empower sin, the status of sin must be upgraded. It must be glamorized and made appealing to those who look upon its unholy attributes.  Empowerment takes place when  a church, ruling body or even the government set their approval and enacts laws to protect the rights of the participators.  

The justification of sin allows a minister or pastor to commit the sin of adultery or fornication in spite of biblical condemnation.  How is this possible?  It began with, “Lord, I am weak, but you are strong”, and it ends with salvation being described as a, “work in progress.”  A conclusion is drawn in that we are free to sin until God prefects our salvation.  Sad, but the empowerment of sin is achieved through the process of hermeneutics.  Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation of the Scriptures by isolating verses of Scripture, often out of context, to prove a vanity point of doctrine.  This is a common practice, but it is not a valid approach to understanding God's word. 

Hebrew 13:4 ESV, Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.  A famed movie producer who was living a sexually immoral life, laid hands on the esteemed television  pastor and Bishop and entreated  the blessing of God.  An act that empowered the sin of fornication in the eyes of millions, devalued the marriage bed as he later rejoiced and thanked God for his child that was born out of wedlock. 

The justification of sin under the guidelines of the government has already taken place, and one by one the organized church are being drawn in.  In a society based upon subjective morality, the people not God, represented by the government reserve the right to define such things as, when does life began, the definition of marriage and what is sin and how one is separated from sin.   The trump card is every person reserves the right to make his own descision, this in itself is the polluted stock of mass confusion.

Humanity has denied the power of God in the things of God, and claim that power for themselves.  In exchange for funds churches are organized and are required to issue human rights statements that adhere to the standards set forth by the government. While the church and many minority groups danced in the street and proclaim it to be the works of God, The Human rights act of 1964 sets the stage for a direct attack on God's authority and the church said, "Amen". 

The founding fathers of this nation had the foresight to acknowledge that human right was endowed by God and that these rights were unalienable rights, meaning  that man can neither create, grant, nor could he destroy these God given rights of humanity.  Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,-'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;' and to 'secure,' not grant or create, these rights, governments are instituted. Humanity often creates laws that infringe upon the rights of one group in favor of another, the act in itself declares that all rights are  inalienable and a type of hatred is released that cannot be eradicated.  You can surrender, sell or transfer inalienable rights if you consent either actually or constructively. Inalienable rights are not inherent in man and can be alienated by government. Persons have inalienable rights. Most state constitutions recognize only inalienable rights. 

What does this have to do with sin?  The definition and separation of ‘unalienable rights’  and ‘inalienable rights’ are what gives humanity the authority to overstep his bounds and declare the God that brought us incompetent.  “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)  Hence man began to disregard the authority of God and take upon himself the task of deciding what is good and what is evil.  Humanities infringement upon the lines of separation of good and evil produced a foul stench through the land, a new type of hatred was born.

Let's examine the sin of murder as compared to the sin of lying. One can argue for the sakes of argument that one sin in the sight of God is no greater that an other.  Yet, as we stated earlier under the Law there were different punishment for different transgressions.  Murder is a sin that is so ingrained in the human physic that we can discuss it without incurring the wrath of a permissive society.  The fact that God said, “thou shall not kill”,  or properly interpreted as  "thou shall not commit murder", is no longer a detrimental factor, nor is the application of the death penalty.  In a modern society murder is glorified in struggling communities, gang membership and in the media.  Laws are enacted to protect the rights of the murderer.  Now, a person who commits murder is able to say with conviction, my sin is no greater than the person who bear false witness.

Listening carefully to the message of the Bishop as he chooses his words carefully in his attempt  to justify the position of the church and  reconcile  the difference in opinions among his constituents.  A church that once was noted for its message of, "It's Holiness or Hell", dumbed down its rhetoric in the face of adversaries and now proclaim, "God loves all of us."  A deviant interpretation of John 3:16.  This occurs when we surgically remove one verse from the supporting conversation or scripture and present it as a complete thought. From that same verse many teach that we are not to condemn those who walk in darkness.  John 3:18-19  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

There was a time when we said, “If the Word of God condemn you, you are condemned”.  Today it is neither fashionable to condemn or judge, even though the Bible is a Book of Judgement and condemnation.   As in the movie, "Left Behind", those who follow the Words of the Holy Scripture are declared to be, “Haters". 

A Discussion Of Biblical Proportions

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.

For I am the LORD, I change not. (Malachi 3:6)

There are many of us who hold the opinion that the future of humanity as we know it is at risk because our system of values has become corrupt and the world as we know it is suffering from moral bankruptcy.  Even America, that nation that was founded upon the concept of, “God shed his grace on thee”, seems to have lost its way and become adrift in a sea of deliberate confusion and blasphemy. America, that proud nation that once chooses to challenge the status quo and had the audacity to proclaim itself, “one nation under God”, has ripped apart the moral fibers of its collective consciousness and now proclaims itself a nation of many gods, cultures and beliefs.   The only consensus is the indoctrination of "In God we trust" has failed.

Nations once derived their value system from their culture and their culture derives their values from religion or the lack of religion.  The ancient values of a Christian society are now being cast aside and our culture is becoming self defining entity.  The battle between Christianity and atheism is now being fought and Christianity is loosing.  This does not set well with the professional pundits of Christian lore for they proclaim to be a part of a group that the gates of Hell will not be able to stand against.   Jesus made this population to Peter, but in the Book of Revelation Jesus condemn the church.

In a battle a bullet will kill, yet if the bullet is defective, it may fail to do what was intended or expected it.  Paul used an analogy of putting on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to withstand the Devil.  Failure to do so will allow will allow for premature destruction of the soldier.  Proper use of armor requires we understand the instruction that comes with  the package.   Proper use of the armor of God requires that we understand the instructions that is contained within the scripture.  The uses of hermeneutics is the science of interpretation of the Scriptures. Isolating verses of Scripture to prove a point of doctrine is common practice, but it is not a valid approach to understanding God's word. 

The Bible tells us that, “every way of a man is right in his own eyes”. (Proverbs 21:2)  This is human nature, but God also tells us that only He can reveal the true motives of the heart, the nature of the human mind.  But, in today’s politically correct society are we really concerned about what God has to say?  Humanity has always been determined to live its life, its own way, the way that feels good, and as humanity follows its own path, it considers itself to be right in its decisions.  But this is a lie, because the very core and inner working of human nature is based on pride and selfishness, the self being first.  Whether we admit it or not, this basic nature is the cause of conflicts, arguments, dissension, envy, competition, hatred, wars, stress, and all of this makes for an unhappy lifestyle.   The battle between Christianity and that way that seems right to man is in its final stage, and the Bible is being used to justify the sin nature of humanity. 

 

The concept of sin has become entangled in a legalistic argument of what is right and what is wrong.  The true concept of God can no longer be injected into an argument because the burden of proof cannot be met from a legalistic point of view.  Christianity is struggling in the hands of the devious in a fatal attempt to prove its relevancy.  In order to remain a relevant force, Christianity and society must come to an agreement on what is right and what is wrong based upon subjective (man) morality rather than objective (God) morality.  In a political correct society it is necessary to remove God from the equation and redefine sin as it applies to all of mankind.   

 

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)  The objective morals that once were promoted by the Western societies are being replaced by a subjective morality.  Christian values have become toxic and are being replaced with politically correct values.  The churches are adopting a message of peaceful coexistence rather than confrontation.  It is conceivable that if Jesus or Paul were to preach a message in today's modern church they would be harshly chastised.  Imagine John the Baptist standing in the pulpit of a marvelous and richly endowed church screaming, "Oh ye generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath of God."   The use of the words, “The use of the words wrath of God disturbs many.

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.

The events of Revelation are upon us, despite the fact that our great vast knowledge has allowed us to explain away many of the events, yet we cannot deny the facts, the world is suffering.  There is confusion abounding, and there are those whose mission is to create confusion.  Daniel and John foresaw a new nation rising up out of a sea of confusion, a nation filled with blasphemy.  

It is my belief and hope that the events portrayed in Revelation 13:1 take place after the Holy Spirit and the church has been removed from the earth.  These events are proposed to take place during the tribulation.   The reason for my belief is that in Revelation 4:1 John is invited to “… Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”  What follows in chapter four and the rest of the Book of Revelation is John’s view from Heaven.  When John was invited to “come up hither”, the church is no longer mentioned as being here on earth.

Revelation 13:1 contains a wealth of information presented in symbolic form.  To understand this verse we need to refer to the symbology of Revelation.  John is standing in a place where he can view the event taking place  without being affected by them.  This is John’s view from Heaven.  He is standing among the chosen of God, the “sand” of the sea.  The sea is multitudes of people existing in a state of confusion.  A teeming mass of confused souls.   Religious confusion, racial confusion, land disputes all together forms a sea of confusion from which a new ruler emerges.    

 

Now if you were to reread read Revelation 13:1 and replace the word “sea” with  “multitude of people”  a sense of deeper understanding should begin to emerge.  In the symbology of the scripture a beast refers to a ruler nation.  John saw a “beast”, or a nation rising up out of the confusion that had prevailed over the world, and he goes on to define the power structure of this new form of government.  One world government is a reality and men of power are leading us toward that destination.

This is nothing new, it is a concept that has been promoted by the devil from the beginning.  Out of desperation he tried to set Jesus Christ up as his ruler of the world.  Matthew 4:8-9  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

What the Devil offered Jesus the organize church accepted.  The voice of the true church is being silenced as more and more churches accept government funding and agree to bound by the rule and regulations set forth by the government.   Remember Jesus last word to the church, Revelation 3:18-19  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.