choir loft

This ought to raise the ire of many who are comfortable with their religious slogans and who love to parrot buzz words. Somewhere near 90% of the ideology of American Protestantism is based on the Gnostic heresy of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. That's a quote from a scholar that impressed me enough to begin my own search through gnosticism and the American Protestant version of Christianity. Not being familiar with Old Testament LAW, many who profess to a knowledge of God's Word stumble into the vacuous trap of irrelevancy when they repeat words for which they are unfamiliar. Many who scoff at the gospel of Jesus Christ use the gospel of Thomas to justify their own particular form of debauchery - such as the Gay Authority. The gospel of Thomas isn't canon scripture, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone. Submitted for the reader's knowledge of such things I quote: "...when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that male not be male nor the female not female; then you will enter [the kingdom]" - Gospel of Thomas (S. 25-35) My purpose here is to educate, not to persuade of gnosticism, which at one time was justification for the Vatican as it burned the adherents of gnosticism at the stake. The following quote will seem to be contradictory to the first one above, but that's what you see when you read the gnostic texts. Here's another one; "Simon Peter said to them, Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life. Jesus said, I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven." Gospel of Thomas (S. 114) There are denominations today that deny miracles & prophecy exist in the post-modern church. Where did this idea come from? It came from Gnosticism. Read it here, the doctrine of 'no miracles' came from the Gnostic heresy: The Lord answered and said,"Do you not know that the head of prophecy was cut off with John? But I said, "Lord, can it be possible to remove the head of prophecy?" The Lord said to me, "...prophecy issues from the head, (then) understand the meaning of 'it's head was removed'." - Apocryphon of James (S.25) What of redemption? The subject of being saved is entirely confused in the minds of many. Did it come about as a result of Gnostic theology that is repeated in many churches today? "Not only do humans need redemption, but also the angels, too" - Tripartite Tractate 25 "even the Son Himself needed redemption" - Tripartite Tractate 30 The subject of Hyper-grace is being taught today. It basically justifies any wicked thing a person would put their hand to, despite the Biblical statement that it's forbidden at any time. Nevertheless the doctrine of demons persists which was once published in all the world as Gnostic Christianity. "Those of whom he first thought that they should attain knowledge and the good things which are in it, they were planning - which is the wisdom of the Father, - that they might experience the evil things and might train themselves in them, as for a time, so that they might receive the enjoyment of good things for eternity." - Tripartite Tractate 126 This is only a small sampling of Gnostic statements written in letters that were passed from city to city in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Much of what is written in the texts is confusing and pointless. Consider what a writer admitted at the conclusion of a portion of many pages: "For though I continually use these words, I have not understood its meaning." - Tripartite Tractate 137 Like the post-modern neo-gnostic Protestant church in America neither the present day disciple nor the original student of this nonsense understands its true meaning. Is it any wonder then that the present church is in decline because of what church leaders call irrelevance? If all this seems a bit dislocated and nonsensical, then you are appreciating the subject truly. Gnosticism has infiltrated the Protestant church and as a result a lot of folks are turning their backs on the assembly. I invite the reader to consider what is written here and to participate, not in endless reiteration of dogmatic slogans, but to examine logically and dispassionately the effect this sort of thing is having on American culture and the church. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Looks like we are at cross purposes. I did not state a definition of evil. I was attempting to explain where it came from. Definitions of evil do not cover its point of origin, at least none of those brought forward in this conversation. Again, my purpose was to point the discussion to the direction of where it came from. Simply stated SIN is a violation of God's LAW. That's it and that's all. Where SIN came from is a subject many do not address because they don't know. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The 'standard of righteousness' applicable to America of the 21st century is the same as the one dictated by God - the LAW of Moses. Currently the American Protestant church is in denial of Mosaic LAW in particular and nearly the entire Old Testament in general. When a nation as well as its religious folk deny God's LAW, it isn't long before wrath visits. Indeed it is upon us NOW. Indeed, many legitimate scholars, religious leaders and political leaders of the late 20th century looked upon the decline of American society and bemoaned THE FACT we crossed the Rubicon long before 911. America has crossed the line, so to speak, and in our hubris has invited divine wrath upon us. Look at any TV news story or newspaper review. God is NOT blessing America any more. Our land is literally burning to the ground. Our cities are a war zone. Our economy is tottering on the edge of disaster from one crisis to another. Our political leadership is a joke. The Democrats and Republicans are two heads of the same snake. We've lost the respect of the global community. Our military is deeply involved in AT LEAST eight foreign wars (more like 12), most of which are shadow wars not readily acknowledged by our myopic media. A greater war, which Americans will be asked to support, is being arranged for 2023 even as we argue the finer points of American debauchery in the summer of 2022. Watch and learn, pilgrim. American leadership is stuck in a quagmire of partisan politics. Washington gridlock is the rule of the day, not the benefit of the American people. Our culture is wallowing in a trend of decadence unparalleled in human history. We have denied God and turned our collective backs upon Him and His LAW. Insanity corruption and political games rule the day. We don't even seem able to define what a woman is any more. How bad does it have to get before we realize we're in serious trouble? (It's been said that if a man wants to go crazy he should move to Washington, DC where it will not be noticed. - Mike Lofgren) Wrapping one's mind in the tattered flag of a nation long dead and gone isn't efficacious for the wicked now. God's hand is against us and will not cease its hideous work until His wrath is sated. The Biblical principle of the acts of an angry God are ignored by church leaders who are only concerned for their own well being and salaries. God IS merciful to individuals. God is NOT merciful to nations that hate Him. May He be merciful unto those who have surrendered their lives and hearts to Him....alas there are too few. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The quote has been mistakenly attributed to Mrs. Graham. The original quote is as follows: IF GOD DOES NOT JUDGE SHANGHAI HE WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. The quote was part of a letter composed by a missionary who lived in the Chinese city in the early 1930's. At the time the city was a sewer of human debauchery and wickedness. In 1937 the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the area, burned the town to the ground, raped its women and killed most of its adult population. Everything one might consider good, according to current American standards of debauchery, was destroyed. Shanghai sits astride the Yangtze River. Further upstream is the city of Nanking, the pre-war capital of China. The Japanese continued their march up river and savagely murdered over 250,000 citizens of Nanking in one of history's greatest atrocities. Most Americans have no idea what happened in those two cities. Fewer still care. Ruth Graham was raised in China by her missionary parents in a city approximately 300 miles from Shanghai. She left the area at the age of 13 and continued her education in Korea. It's quite possible she knew of the wickedness of the coastal city, but certainly wasn't in the habit of posting personal impressions of Chinese society to missionary headquarters in San Francisco. In my personal opinion, paraphrase of the quote is justifiably applied to America. IF GOD DOES NOT JUDGE AMERICA HE WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO SODOM AND GOMORRAH. Indeed, many scholars and pundits believe, as I do, that divine judgment is already upon us. Is God blessing America any more? He is not. Read the newspapers and watch TV news and you'll see graphic images of an empire in rapid decline. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I tend to agree with DeadWorm in his estimation that Apologetics stands or falls based upon Biblical exegesis. Unfortunately the majority of church folks, as well as their leadership, define their doctrine by dabbling in eisegesis rather than dedicated study to glean the facts out of scripture. Most develop a doctrine and then use snippets of scripture to justify their erroneous dogma - the tail wagging the dog so to speak. Far too many babble religious slogans and buzz words in the false assumption it means something to the rest of society. It doesn't. If asking for the greatest apologist of all time is irrelevant then perhaps one might ask for a favorite religious celebrity. God knows there are lots of those characters running around spewing their pseudo-Christian message. However, it would be preferable to restrict the discussion to those of legitimate scholarship rather than the snake-oil salesman variety. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

APOLOGIST - (def.) "one who speaks or writes in defense of something or someone." (Merriam-Webster) It has been argued by some, Hillsdale College in particular, that C.S. Lewis was the greatest apologist of all time. The statement was probably made to encourage onLine students to take their free course on C.S. Lewis. The caveat to Hillsdale's course on Lewis is that none of the lecturers ever mention the principles, dynamics or mechanics of apologetics. Was C.S. Lewis the greatest apologist of the modern era? I confess to being a fan of C.S. Lewis' writing, but believe he was the product of his time and his time only. When he died on November 22, 1963 (the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated), Lewis' legacy was cemented in the history of his generation. As most of us know, that was a long time ago. America was a different country then as was the church and pretty much everything else society deems important. What about apologists such as Francis Schaeffer, Deterich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, Karl Barth, Ravi Zacharias (*) & Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to name a few? Is the church of the 21st century in a different situation with regard to DEFENSE of the gospel than previous centuries? Have the Culture Wars of America affected the relevance of the gospel? Has the perception of the gospel changed because of it? Who do you believe to be the foremost Christian apologist of all time and why? Who do you believe to be the best LIVING Christian apologist and why? that's me, hollering from the choir loft.... (*) Prior to his 'dabbling in forbidden fruit', Mr. Zacharias was considered one of the most popular apologists of his day despite the fact he never actually defended the gospel. He defended Christian theology, which is an entirely different subject.

The path to salvation is not paved with guilt. Man is NOT born evil. That's a dogma inherent with Calvinists, the Roman Catholic Church and American Protestants who don't know any better. Guilt is established by SIN. SIN is defined as breaking God's LAW. God's LAW is listed in the 10 Commandments. Please read EXODUS and LEVITICUS for the detailed list. One isn't guilty of law breaking if one hasn't broken the law. Nobody is born guilty. Jews are mostly required to obey all 613 laws/mitzvahs of the Torah. There are three basic groups of laws in Torah (1st 5 books of the Old Testament also called Pentateuch by the church). One group is composed of ceremonial LAW and the other group is composed of moral LAW. Interspersed among the 613 are case LAWs such as what to do on Shabbat (sabbath) when one's live stock falls into a ditch and one is not allowed to work that day. Jews are mostly required to keep ceremonial LAW except those which pertain to Temple service - because the Temple doesn't exist any more. Non-Jews (gentiles) are required to obey the moral LAW. Certain TV preachers (most of them, actually) espouse "hyper-grace" or "easy grace" or the "prosperity gospel" (*), all of which justify putting one's hand to any wicked thing one desires. This is certifiably false doctrine. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LICENSE TO SIN. Returning to the false doctrine of Original Sin or inherent wickedness, one is NOT guilty of breaking a LAW if one hasn't broken it. For instance, a man isn't guilty of theft if he hasn't stolen anything. One isn't guilty of murder if he hasn't killed AND A BABY ISN'T GUILTY OF ANYTHING because it hasn't done anything SINFUL - yet. All humans are born with the POTENTIAL to SIN, but not all have done so. Jesus Christ was born with the human capacity or POTENTIAL to SIN yet did not do so. IT IS NOT A SIN TO BE BORN HUMAN. DO NOT tell a family who has lost a newborn child that their kid is going to hell. In the first place such a tale is inappropriate and inconsiderate. In the second place it simply isn't true. Again - SIN or guilt for SIN is based upon the LAW, not upon doctrines of the church which is adept at sweeping SIN under the carpet in exchange for a hefty donation. The RCC doctrines of Purgatory are perfect examples. SIN is based upon Mosaic LAW (moral law for non-Jews), NOT upon doctrines of demons. Hope this clears up a few misconceptions. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) Joseph Prince, Joel Osteen & Pat Robertson to name a few. Personal net worth of Robertson is publicly listed as being in excess of $100 million.

Somewhere someone wrote that the American culture wars began in the 1980's. Most regard the 1980's as a formative period during their teenage years during which we enjoyed a flirtation with modern electronics that has yet to wane. While quite a few of us were playing with our new electronic toys the traditional American culture began to unwind and disintegrate. Movies treated us to new levels of realistic violence as well as voyages to places beyond our imagination. TV evangelists began to sell the gospel like cheap soap even as legitimate church leaders lost their ability to make it relevant. American political parties reflected their new goals - the sale of America to the highest bidder rather than the promotion of the common good for our citizens. "On 16 September 1985, when the Commerce Department announced that the United States had become a debtor nation, the American Empire died." - Gore Vidal Most of us didn't know what national debt meant. Most of us still don't - despite having to pay the consequences of government mismanagement with dollars that are worth less every year. Our government creates supports and insists upon inflation as a "new normal" - a criminal act if ever there was one. Creation of and participation in foreign wars has become an accepted culture of strident American militarism. Our intelligence community achieved financial independence during the 1980's with the help of then Vice President George H.W. Bush. Its' first act of sovereignty was executed on November 22, 1963, but its most horriffic crime was witnessed on television by millions on a pretty day in September 2001. Shall I go on? America is circling the drain of history. "Americans have no idea what's happening to them." - Pravda We have lost the culture wars begun in the 1980's. America isn't the same country it was back then. Do you remember those days? that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Bill Gates provided the world's most popular operating system (not the best, just the most popular). He then proceeded to use it to give the planet an enema. Ever notice how the term USER is employed by two major industries to describe those who are addicted to their product? USER describes those addicted to drugs as well as people who are addicted to their computers. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Your list of what is or isn't evil is quite complete. I cannot attempt to add to it. The REAL QUESTION under examination isn't the nature or definition of evil. Most people know what evil is. The REAL QUESTION is where did evil come from. Genesis 3 is quite adamant on this point. Evil came from US. It still does. Like Eve and Adam before us we all tend to point the finger of blame elsewhere. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed Eve and modern scoffers, who claim to be the most enlightened of all generations, blame God for everything. Evil came from US. that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. - Isaiah 45:7 Please reread Isaiah 45. The chapter is an example of Hebrew poetry of the historic period in which it was composed. The lines of verse are arranged in sections which are intended to enhance the general message (addressed to King Cyrus). For instance, the first section is verse 1. Second section is verses 2-4. Third group is read from verse 5 to verse 7 and so on. Please reread the chapter. Such an exercise will be an interesting review of Biblical poetry. The passage from Isaiah does NOT mention creation of any being of any sort; human, angelic, animal or vegetable. It's part of a poetic series of verses addressed to Cyrus the Great of Persia. It's purpose is to remind the annointed king Cyrus that God, the only sovereign Lord, provides success and failure as well as prosperity and want. The passage from Isaiah does NOT refer at all to doctrines of human choices. Please go back and read the entire chapter. It's submitted to Cyrus as a cautionary reminder that his (Cyrus's) success is a gift from God. The passage from Isaiah does NOT refer to doctrines of obedience or disobedience. It's a reminder of the grace and power of the throne of Almighty God - the Lord of Kings and the Power behind every earthly throne. In the previous verse, verse SIX, mention is made of the RISING OF THE SUN. Verse seven therefore refers to day and night, not some theological or philosophical abstract. My purpose isn't to deny the truth of anything you wrote. It's simply to call attention to the Bible verses themselves and the meaning they are intended to convey. The Bible interprets itself. Hope this helps. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Many try to explain where evil came from, but refuse to understand that the simplest revelation may be to look into a mirror for its source. Evil didn't come from God. It came from us. It still does. Ben Avraham wrote, "the answer is in the creation of mankind. Mankind was given a choice to obey or disobey. God wanted man and woman to love and obey Him out of free will and choice." Get out your Bible and thumb over to Genesis chapter 3. This is the story of the fall of man into SIN while yet in the Garden of God's blessings. I think Ben Avraham's statement here is one that's so obvious it's missed by most - including solid professional theologians. God did NOT set up Eve and Adam to fail as scoffers suggest. He created a situation where Eve and Adam could return God's love - literally out of thin air - by obeying His Word. Subsequent interpretations of evil and the intent of fallen man have confused and obfuscated God's original intent into obscurity. Ben Avraham has touched on an unspoken and perhaps forgotten truth here.... God wanted man and woman to love and obey Him out of free will and choice. Also obvious to the reader of the Genesis chapter 3 account is that neither Adam nor his mate wanted anything to do with expressing love to God. They only wanted to enjoy the stuff He'd given them - not God. Of such is the curse mankind has brought upon itself for in forgetting the source of our blessings we have lost even the blessings themselves. Many today worship God, but do not value Him. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I too have witnessed the loss of much of what was once deemed to be good. I have worked and prayed and struggled with "what's next" and "what am I to do". Two scriptures came to mind; When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. - Luke 21:28 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” - Revelation 22:11 I accept these passages not as comfort but as duty to be performed. Not all duties are pleasant and not all comfort is sweet. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Congratulations on your testimony of belief in the Father. Far too many do not share your opinion. A recent news story from CNN suggested church attendance had declined to about half of what it was in the late 1940's. I don't know where they got their statistic because recent polls by Gallup and PEW state attendance in Protestant churches has declined to 16%. Overall attendance for all denominations considered to be 'Christian' (including RCC, Orthodox, LDS, etc.) are at the 43% level. It's a demonstration of convoluted thinking on the part of church types that many of them insist the church is growing despite the evidence of raw numbers. They insist there's nothing wrong with the gospel when professional theologians and leaders have been warning of its irrelevance since the late twentieth century. They insist it's growing despite the almost complete secularization of Europe, the traditional seat of Christianity. Even the Pope has admitted to this, yet blind deaf and dumb American Protestants seem to be unable to reason it out. On one hand, many Protestant Christians claim (with great enthusiasm) the End Times are upon us - EVEN AS - evidence of the Great Apostacy, predicted for the End Times, is denied. Which is it? Fact or denial? And no one in the position of Protestant leadership has dared to ask WHY the gospel has become irrelevant. Somebody dropped the ball, so to speak, and nobody wants to even admit the game is over. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I think you've touched on a few important items here. Elon Musk hasn't done it cheaper or better than NASA. The government agency has simply washed its hands of the matter completely. Near space is relegated to commercial enterprises provided its launch systems operate within the parameters of consistent operation determined by NASA. Voting citizens did affect NASA operations by way of popularity of its programs. One of NASA's functions is to make the public aware of what its scientific community deems important. Most of it doesn't benefit the public at all, so NASA has to spin its creations with the notion that space exploration is of benefit to the man on the street (who never looks up until a bird drops something on his head). Voters do affect NASA policies albeit indirectly. It seems WAR is more popular with the American public than any noble effort expended upon exploration of space. We'd rather send our sons to die in meaningless conflicts than risk a dollar to see beyond the sky. By the way, the Musk satellite program is designed to provide internet to anyone on the planet. No wires are necessary, just a small monthly fee of about one hundred dollars. (How many nations at the poverty level will be able to afford the price?) that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Apart from the insinuation of a bogus myth called tribulation I fail to see how satellite debris in near orbit fails to be a concern. After all, WE ARE PAYING FOR IT one way or the other. My personal problem with all this is that I don't have word one to say or influence anyone about it. Elon Musk doesn't care what anybody else says as long as his enterprises are moving forward. We are paying for the celestial dump over our heads. Isn't it terrible to live in a time when nobody cares what the guy who is paying for it thinks? Escapist dogma won't solve any of our current problems. A hard true look at them might help. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The greedy thirst for money and the justification of a false growth in Christianity is across the board - every church. For example, most churches today rely upon a data base of members. This data base is used for bulletins and pitches for money, including but not limited to the tiny boxes of offering envelopes used by many churches and synagogues sent out by mail to members. It's also used for a year-end statement of gifting for individual IRS tax forms. What isn't generally known is that these data bases are shared with entities outside the congregation. Principally it's shared with the denominational regional offices, sometimes with 'Christian' financial institutions and sometimes with political leaders and candidates. This became a big issue during the reelection campaign of President George W. Bush. Entries in these databases are NEVER removed or rarely updated. Data base totals of church memberships never reduce. They always grow. Members who go on to their reward aren't deleted and neither are members who move out of town and join a church elsewhere. In Florida, as well as in Western states, many people migrate north and south during winter and summer seasons. In doing so they join a church in the city where they settle. As a result one person can be listed as a member on two different data bases. The true number of Christians is therefore AT LEAST HALF of the true statistic. In addition, many 'new' members may join a congregation who had not regularly attended a church in decades. This is mostly true for retired folks who now can afford to waste time attending church functions and services. They couldn't do it or wouldn't do it when they were working or raising a family, so they return to the sheepfold in the twilight of their lives - and discover a church that is almost entirely debauched. When they leave due to disinterest their data base entry is not deleted. Thus the numbers grow despite the true head count. The muck is deep in the American Protestant church and we haven't even begun to discuss problems with political correctness, the gay agenda or the erosion of principles and ethics BY LEADERS. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I believe the problem of church leadership is based on two critical factors; 1. Irrelevant preaching 2. 501.c.3 tax exemption Last point first is the fear of many preachers that something they may say, as for example an opposition to the Gay Authority, might be misconstrued as justification for termination of their tax exemption. Since virtually all of church activity is aimed at fund raising in one form or another, this IRS subsidy is a powerful tool to force preachers to preach the government position in all things. Indeed the Bible itself is now being redefined as hate speech. In many congregations the Bible is not even considered to be the Word of God. The gospel is recognized as no longer relevant to society. This became especially apparent following the COVID campaign to close all places of worship. Today we see a return of few people where once many attended. It's been said COVID got rid of the deadwood. People who questioned their own waste of time in attending church got used to the idea of doing something else. When COVID restrictions were lifted they didn't bother to return to their places of worship. Nevertheless the irrelevance of the gospel remains. It doesn't speak to us any more. The gospel doesn't speak to society because the church has severed itself from its own root. It is in denial of the power of God's Word both to convict of SIN and to save from it. People wander in the world looking for an answer to their craving for spiritual and physical healing, but don't find it in church. Hence the message there is irrelevant. They don't need motivational speakers and they don't need over-long sermons on situational ethics. They need CHRIST, but their need isn't being defined and they aren't being shown how to fulfill it. We're in a lot of trouble, boys and girls. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

References to the time of the end have been typically interpreted to mean the distant future. However, the context of the passages in Daniel you've quoted is not the case. It's a clear reference to and end of a time of battle and/or occupation of the land by foreign powers (Greek). Jewish tradition is heavily influenced by that time period - a time (inter-testimental period) which Christians who pretend to interpret the Bible deliberately ignore. Such an understanding is important so as to correctly understand Jesus' words as well as the culture in which He spoke them. Many who scoff at Daniel's words deny its predictions of future events altogether. For instance, the Jewish Tanakh (OT) is organized into three sections: Law, Prophets & Writings. Daniel isn't grouped with the prophets (Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.). It's organized with the writings (Psalms, Chronicles, Kings, Proverbs, etc.) I can't pin down the reasons for this. I've even asked a rabbi about the rationale for it. I suspect the true reasons are because so much of Daniel's words point directly to the coming of ha-mashiach (the anointed One - the Christ). My point here is that Daniel's chapters 11 & 12 are referring to political and military influences in the context of a particular point in time. "At the time of the end" therefore refers to the end of that period of political disruption. It does not endorse Christian hopes for another murderous campaign against innocent Jews in a fictitious future tribulation. The time of Jacob's Distress predicted by Jeremiah is a direct reference to the Holocaust of the 1930's and 1940's. There never was a time as horrible as that and God willing never will be again. Those that hope for a 2nd holocaust are as demented and cruel as any Nazi that ever walked the earth. For this reason alone many Jews who would otherwise embrace Christ do not do so. Thus that particular aspect of the fundamentalist interpretation of a future tribulation is false. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Without going into extreme detail, much of your scenario of End Time invasion of Israel has already taken place. The invasion of Israel, which continued through the land into Egypt, was Greek - lead by a fellow named Alexander. The predictions of Daniel are so explicit that many deny Daniel wrote them at all. The Greeks were eventually evicted during the Maccabean Revolt. Their liberation of Jerusalem and the abomination of desolation of the temple that inspired the revolution is celebrated each year during the festival of Hanukkah. Protestants generally rely upon their ignorance of Jewish history and the Tanakh to promote false doctrine regarding these events. Daniel also describes the philosophy of this arrogant deceiver. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. - Daniel 7:25 We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” -Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50 To this day both the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant church follow the Vatican into SIN by breaking the 4th commandment. The appropriate day assigned by God to worship is Saturday, not Sunday. Nobody cares...... He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. - Daniel 7:25 "The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in heaven and earth." Barclay Cap. XXVII, p. 218. Cities Petrus Bertrandus, Pius V. The Book of Revelation performed in history; (look it up) Head wound - death of Pope (Revelation 13:3) In December 1797 a riot took place in Rome and a Brigadier General that had been sent to Rome by Napoleon as part of the diplomatic mission, was killed. Napoleon then sent forces to Rome, defeated the papal forces around Pope Pius VI, took Pope Pius VI prisoner and transported him to Valence where he died in 1799. Healing the wound..... Lateran Treaty - The Lateran Treaty, also called Lateran Pact of 1929, treaty (effective June 7, 1929, to June 3, 1985) The Lateran Pacts signed by Mussolini on 11 February 1929, had three parts: a political treaty (giving the Vatican its own micro-state), a financial convention (giving the Vatican reparations) and a concordat (giving privileges within Italy, for instance by letting the Church influence public education). Mussolini's government also granted the renewed Vatican City a large sum of money to begin operations. Worldwide headlines celebrated the restoration. THE CURRENT scenario of End Times events is false. It was originally written by Jesuit priest Francisco Ribera as a rebuttal against the Protestant Reformation. The purpose of his book, titled FUTURISM, was to extend the prophecies of the Bible into a distant future where the predicted events would be obfuscated by RCC dogma. The Protestant Reformation fathers all agreed that the Roman Catholic church IS the anti-christ religious system predicted by Daniel and Revelation and that the Pope IS the man of evil portrayed there. In the mid-19th century the RCC doctrine was given a new coat of paint and presented to American protestants by John Nelson Darby as DISPENSATIONALISM. It remains the dogma of the day - Catholic lies notwithstanding. The time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) is also referred to as the Tribulation. The Tribulation has been interpreted as a period of 7 years wherein Jews are persecuted as never before or again in history. This event has already happened and is called The Holocaust. The Holocaust began in earnest with the Nazi persecution on Kristallnacht (crystal night) in the fall of 1938 and ended in the spring of 1945. During this SEVEN YEAR PERIOD German murder of innocent Jews continued unabated on an industrial scale unprecedented in all of human history. The current RCC & protestant interpretation of End Times events ignores The Holocaust entirely and even hopes for it to happen AGAIN. This disgusting attitude ought to be rejected by any human being with even a modicum of decency, yet it is thoroughly embraced by the church. There is not a greater example of satanic influence upon Christian doctrine available. Indeed the spirit of anti-Christ lives in the church and its religious system. The truth is that the second coming of Jesus Christ is much much closer than anyone suspects. that's me, hollering from the choir l0ft....

The size of an army does not necessarily guarantee victory. History proves this axiom over and over again. The Bible gives many examples, such as Gideon's army, where a small force defeats a much larger one. An ego will not win a war. Therefore it is wise to "stay frosty" as they say - to be aware of the situation and act accordingly. The odd thing about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that their leaders don't seem to be very frosty - winter notwithstanding. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

There are a minimum of three interpretations of Revelation's prediction of tribulation. One is the standard retribution explanation. God is angry and vents His wrath on a SINful world. Nothing comes of it but death and destruction except that the story line sells a lot of books. Everybody wants somebody ELSE to be punished. Another is the primary explanation - virulent anti-semitism. Supposedly God sends the tribulation to terrify Jews into joining a gentile (non-Jews) congregation. It hasn't worked in thousands and thousands of years, but because they hate Jews a lot of otherwise kind and docile Church types love to embrace it. One should be reminded that German Nazis of the 1930's and 1940's were nice people - just ask one of them. Still another explanation for the tribulation are curious references made in 1 Thessalonians, Isaiah, Hosea, John and of course Revelation that the earth itself would groan and writhe like a woman in labor. These are strange because they aren't strictly pointing to human social upheaval (which seems to always be upset about something). The stars in their courses in the sky seem to be aligned in odd configurations too. The implication, of course, is that something of astronomical importance is about to happen on planet Earth. Still other interpretations imply some sort of local war centering upon Eretz Israel. This much is plausible, but not a welcome scenario to my way of thinking. Enough already with war against Israel. MY PROBLEM with anti-semitic versions of Tribulation interpretations is that they are based upon a fifteenth century Roman Catholic book called FUTURISM. Written by Francisco Ribera and approved by the Vatican FUTURISM proposes all the Fundamentalist rubbish that is commonly accepted today as proper interpretation of the Tribulation and other anomalies of the End Times. In my opinion, there indeed was a terrible Tribulation that engulfed Jewish folks. It is called the Holocaust. The church seems to have forgotten how insanely awful those years were. Revelation predicts a 7 year period of tribulation that engulfs the Jewish community. The holocaust generally ran the course of SEVEN YEARS of the most intense persecution the world has ever seen. It began in November 1938 (Kristallnacht/Crystal night) and continued unabated until the summer of 1944 when the first concentration camp near Lublin, Poland was liberated by the Red Army. (btw, western allied leaders did not believe the initial Soviet reports) Does the world need ANOTHER HOLOCAUST? It does if you buy the trash put out by Fundamentalist interpreters of End Times prophecy. Enough already !!!!! that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

A study of scripture, rather than popular religious novelizations on the subject, reveal the term anti-christ is used in several ways. In some passages, the word spirit is added - as in 'spirit of anti-christ'. In other passages there seems to be a general reference to a sequence of leaders - as in the horns described on the heads of human-animal hybrids. Still other passages refer to anti-christ as though it was a human person. Your sincere doubts as to the identity of 'the' anti-christ person are not without justification. Religious novelizations and pseudo-interpretations on the lunatic fringe tend to lead people away from Biblical context. Even secular Hollywood has been hypnotized by these comic book references. How can one learn what the Bible really means? There are two basic types of interpretative disciplines; literal and contextual. Fundamentalists and religious opportunists generally employ literal interpretation. In other words, their opinions are based upon single passages or a collection of single passages. Scholars tend to use contextual interpretation to determine the 'Big Picture' of Biblical intent. The problem with this approach is that it requires a solid knowledge of the Tanakh (OT) and an understanding of Mosaic LAW. Most Christian churches, at least in America, deny the efficacy of the LAW entirely. Thus they denude their opinions of the value of Tanakh scripture. Without it grave errors appear in literal interpretation and the doctrines that follow. Once a religious person has been convinced of a particular dogma it's nearly impossible to persuade them of their error. Bible study thus degenerates into a refresher course in doctrine they already approve. Who then is anti-christ? What does the magic number point to? The end game of all the confusion generated by the proliferation of doctrines will only be revealed in God's good time. I suspect a lot of folks who thought they had a handle on events will be gravely shocked at what transpires - the Jew first and then the gentiles. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

An unwritten rule of war on the steppes of eastern Europe is that one does NOT go to war during the winter. Russian folklore calls it General Winter and it has defeated armies in the past such as the armies fielded by Napoleon & Hitler. The ground is mushy and the weather unstable, making military operations difficult. Many photos show Russian vehicles stalled in a great gridlock on Ukrainian roads. There is a major interstate/divided highway between Belarus and Kiev. Why don't media photos show activity on this road? Now that the weather is warming up the ground will dry. This may allow military vehicles to move off-road with greater efficiency. Russia seems to be doing everything wrong - beginning an offensive operation in winter, wasting ammunition on civilian targets and denying civilian refugees movement on Ukrainian roads. Refugees block highways as efficiently as weather systems and destruction of civilian targets only encourages domestic patriotism and foreign sympathy. The Kremlin seems to be using a brute force method, which doesn't work well even in the best of circumstances. The German army numbered nearly five million when it attacked the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. A large army doesn't necessarily guarantee victory. Putin himself once said, "it's not the size of one's force that matters, but how it's used." Did Putin not regard his own wisdom? Has his cleverness leaked away somehow? Putin's army is not the same Red Army that won The Great Patriotic War. Dugin's whispers may have corrupted Putin's understanding. I wonder if we'll ever know for certain. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...