choir loft

Virtually ALL of the posts books and post-protestant propaganda about the End Times is based on a 500 year old Roman Catholic doctrine called Futurism. Nearly all of it is false because nearly all of it has been designed to distract the faithful from God's plan of redemption and to divide believers one against the other. To date the tactic has worked marvelously well. Very few know and fewer still accept they've been duped into believing a false dogma. The following is a summation of the history and identification of the actual author of this massive Christian deceit. It is my hope someone will read this and consider it prayerfully. ----- Truth Left Behind By Steve Wohlberg Chapter 3: The Evil Empire of Jesuit Futurism Imagine a pair of supernatural, high-tech, Heaven-inspired eyeglasses that can give you instant ability to see one of Lucifer’s greatest end-time deceptions. Such X-ray eyeglasses do exist. The purpose of this chapter is help you find them and put them on, and then you will be able to understand the almost unimaginable Evil Empire of Jesuit Futurism. Modern Christianity has largely forgotten the importance of the Protestant Reformation, which took place during the 1500s. “The sixteenth century presents the spectacle of a stormy sunrise after a dismal night. Europe awoke from long sleep of superstition. The dead arose. The witnesses to truth who had been silenced and slain stood up once more and renewed their testimony. The martyred confessors reappeared in the Reformers. There was a cleansing of the spiritual sanctuary. Civil and religious liberty were inaugurated. The discovery of printing and revival of learning accelerated the movement. There was progress everywhere. Columbus struck across the ocean and opened a new hemisphere to view. Rome was shaken on her seven hills, and lost one-half of her dominions. Protestant nations were created. The modern world was called into existence” (H. Grattan Guinness, Romanism and the Reformation, p. 122). For almost a thousand years, Europe had been ruled by the iron hand of Rome. Only a few Bibles existed then, and Christianity was largely permeated with superstition. Faith in Y’shua the Messiah, heart-felt appreciation for His love, and a simple trust in His death on Calvary, were almost unknown. The truth about grace, full forgiveness, and the free gift of eternal life to believers in the Son of God (Romans 6:23), had been buried under a mass of tradition. Then Martin Luther arose like a lion in Germany. After a period of tremendous personal struggle, Martin Luther began teaching justification by faith in the Messiah (being declared “just” by God), rather than through reliance on “creature merits,” or any human works (Romans 1:16; 3:26, 28; 5:1). Eventually, Martin Luther turned to the prophecies. By candlelight, he read about the “little horn,” the “man of sin,” and “the beast,” and he was shocked as the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart. Finally, he saw the truth and said to himself, “Why, these prophecies apply to the Roman Catholic Church!” As he wrestled with this new insight, the voice of God echoed loudly in his soul, saying, “Preach the word!” (2 Timothy 4:2). And so, at the risk of losing his life, Martin Luther preached publicly and in print to an astonished people that Papal Rome was indeed the Antichrist of Bible prophecy. Because of this dual message of salvation through faith in the Messiah apart from works and of Papal Rome being the Antichrist, the river of history literally changed its course. Hundreds of thousands of people in Europe and in England left the Catholic Church. “‘There are two great truths that stand out in the preaching that brought about the Protestant Reformation,’ American Bible Commentator, Ralph Woodrow, reminds us, ‘The just shall live by faith, not by the works of Romanism and the Papacy is the Antichrist of Scripture.’ It was a message for Christ and against Antichrist. The entire Reformation rests upon this twofold testimony’” (Michael de Semlyen, All Roads Lead to Rome, Dorchester House Publications, Dorchester House, England, 1991, pp. 202, 203). It has been said that the Reformation first discovered Y’shua the Messiah, and then, in the blazing light of Messiah, it discovered the AntMessiahi. This mighty, Spirit-filled movement, for Messiah and against the AntiMessiah, shook the world. H. Grattan Guinness wrote these memorable words: “From the first, and throughout, that movement [the Reformation] was energized and guided by the prophetic word. Luther never felt strong and free to war against the Papal apostasy till he recognized the pope as antichrist. It was then that he burned the Papal bull. Knox’s first sermon, the sermon that launched him on his mission as a reformer, was on the prophecies concerning the Papacy. The reformers embodied their interpretations of prophecy in their confessions of faith, and Calvin in his ‘Institutes.’ All of the reformers were unanimous in the matter, even the mild and cautious Melanchthon was as assured of the antipapal meaning of these prophecies as was Luther himself. And their interpretation of these prophecies determined their reforming action. It led them to protest against Rome with extraordinary strength and undaunted courage. It nerved them to resist the claims of the apostate Church to the utmost. It made them martyrs; it sustained them at the stake. And the views of the Reformers were shared by thousands, by hundreds of thousands. They were adopted by princes and peoples. Under their influence nations abjured their allegiance to the false priest of Rome. In the reaction that followed, all the powers of hell seemed to be let loose upon the adherents of the Reformation. War followed war: tortures, burnings, and massacres were multiplied. Yet the Reformation stood undefeated and unconquerable. God’s word upheld it, and the energies of His Almighty Spirit. It was the work of Christ as truly as the founding of the Church eighteen centuries ago; and the revelation of the future which he gave from heaven — that prophetic book with which the Scripture closes — was one of the mightiest instruments employed in its accomplishment ” (H. Grattan Guinness, Romanism and the Reformation, pp. 136, 137). In 1545, the Catholic Church convened one of its most famous councils in history, which took place north of Rome in a city called Trent. The Council of Trent actually continued for three sessions, ending in 1563. One of the main purposes of this Council was for Catholics to plan a counterattack against Martin Luther and the Protestants. Thus the Council of Trent became a center for Rome’s Counter-Reformation. Up to this point, Rome’s main method of attack had been largely frontal — the open burning of Bibles and of heretics. Yet this warfare only confirmed in the minds of Protestants the conviction that Papal Rome was indeed the Beast which would “make war with the saints” (Revelation 13:7). Therefore a new tactic was needed, something less obvious. This is where the Jesuits come in. On August 15, 1534, Ignatius Loyola founded a secret Catholic order called the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. Historically, we might compare this order to Darth Vader’s Evil Empire in the classic Star Wars films. The Jesuits definitely have a dark history of intrigue and sedition, that’s why they were expelled from Portugal (1759), France (1764), Spain (1767), Naples (1767), and Russia (1820). “Jesuit priests have been known throughout history as the most wicked political arm of the Roman Catholic Church. Edmond Paris, in his scholarly work, The Secret History of the Jesuits, reveals and documents much of this information” (Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, by Robert Caringola. Abundant Life Ministries Reformed Press, 1991, p. 31). At the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church gave the Jesuits the specific assignment of destroying Protestantism and bringing people back to the Mother Church. This was to be done not only through the Inquisition and through torture, but also through theology. It’s time to discover those X-ray eyeglasses. At the Council of Trent, the Jesuits were commissioned by the Pope to develop a new interpretation of Scripture that would counteract the Protestant application of the Bible’s antichrist prophecies to the Roman Catholic Church. Francisco Ribera (1537–1591), a brilliant Jesuit priest and doctor of theology from Spain, basically said, “Here am I, send me.” Like Martin Luther, Francisco Ribera also read by candlelight the prophecies about the Antichrist, the little horn, that man of sin, and the Beast. But because the Pope was his boss, he came to conclusions vastly different from that of the Protestants. “Why, these prophecies don’t apply to the Catholic Church at all!” Ribera said. Then to whom do they apply? Ribera proclaimed, “To only one sinister man who will rise up at the end of time!” “Fantastic!” was the reply from Rome, and this viewpoint was quickly adopted as the official Roman Catholic position on the Antichrist. “In 1590, Ribera published a commentary on the Revelation as a counter-interpretation to the prevailing view among Protestants which identified the Papacy with the Antichrist. Ribera applied all of Revelation but the earliest chapters to the end time rather than to the history of the Church. Antichrist would be a single evil person who would be received by the Jews and would rebuild Jerusalem” (George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1956, pp. 37–38). “Ribera denied the Protestant Scriptural Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2) as seated in the church of God — asserted by Augustine, Jerome, Luther and many reformers. He set on an infidel Antichrist, outside the church of God.” (Ron Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 89). “The result of his work [Ribera’s] was a twisting and maligning of prophetic truth” (Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 32). Following close behind Francisco Ribera was another brilliant Jesuit scholar, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) of Rome. Between 1581 and 1593, Cardinal Bellarmine published his “Polemic Lectures Concerning the Disputed Points of the Christian Belief Against the Heretics of this Time.” In these lectures, he agreed with Ribera. “The futurist teachings of Ribera were further popularized by an Italian cardinal and the most renowned of all Jesuit controversialists. His writings claimed that Paul, Daniel, and John had nothing whatsoever to say about the Papal power. The futurists’ school won general acceptance among Catholics. They were taught that antichrist was a single individual who would not rule until the very end of time” (Great Prophecies of the Bible, by Ralph Woodrow, p. 198). Through the work of these two tricky Jesuit scholars, we might say that a brand new baby was born into the world. Protestant historians have given this baby a name — Jesuit Futurism. In fact, Francisco Ribera has been called the Father of Futurism. Before we go much farther, let’s define some terms. Historicism is the belief that Biblical prophecies about the little horn, the man of sin, the Antichrist, the Beast, and the Babylonian Harlot of Revelation 17, all apply to the developing history of Christianity and to the ongoing struggle between Y’shua the Messiah and Satan within the Christian Church, culminating at the end of time. Historicism sees these prophecies as having a direct application to Papal Rome as a system whose doctrines are actually a denial of the Bible message of free salvation by grace through simple faith in Y’shua the Messiah, apart from works. Historicism was the primary prophetic viewpoint of the Protestant Reformers. In direct opposition to Historicism, and rising up as a razor-sharp counter-attack on Protestantism, was the Evil Empire of the Jesuits with their viewpoint of Futurism, which basically says, “The Antichrist prophecies have nothing to do with the history of Papal Rome, rather, they apply to only one sinister man who comes at the end.” Thus Jesuit Futurism sweeps 1,500 years of prophetic history under the proverbial rug by inserting its infamous GAP. The GAP theory teaches that when Rome fell, prophecy stopped, only to continue again right around the time of the Rapture. Thus the ten horns, the little horn, the Beast, and the Antichrist have nothing to do with Believers today. According to this viewpoint, how many prophecies were being fulfilled during the Dark Ages? None. Zero. For almost 300 years after the Council of Trent, this Catholic baby (Jesuit Futurism) remained largely inside the crib of Catholicism, but the plan of the Jesuits was that this baby would grow up and finally be adopted by Protestants. This adoption process actually began in the early 1800s in England, and from there it spread to America. The story of how this happened is both fascinating and tragic. As I briefly share some of the highlights, I want to clarify that many of those whom I will mention were (and are) genuine Believers. But is it possible for a Believer to unknowingly become a channel for error? In other words, can a sincere Believer be used by both Y’shua the Messiah and the devil? At first we might say, “Never!” but consider this. In Matthew 16, Jesus told Peter that God was blessing him as he shared his faith in Christ (16:15– 17), and then, just a few minutes later, Peter yielded to temptation and Satan spoke through him (16:21–23)! This proves that a Believer can be used by both God and Lucifer, and all within a short space of time. I call this the Peter Principle. “The Futurism of Ribera never posed a positive threat to the Protestants for three centuries. It was virtually confined to the Roman Church. But early in the nineteenth century it sprang forth with vehemence and latched on to Protestants of the Established Church of England” (Ron Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 91). Dr. Samuel Roffey Maitland (1792–1866), a lawyer and Bible scholar, became a librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is very likely that one day he discovered Ribera’s commentary in the library. In any event, in 1826 he published a widely-read book attacking the Reformation and supporting Ribera’s idea of a future one-man Antimessiah. For the next ten years, in tract after tract, he continued his anti-Reformation rhetoric. As a result of his zeal and strong attacks against the Reformation in England, the Protestantism of that very nation which produced the King James Bible (1611) received a crushing blow. After Dr. Maitland came James H. Todd, a professor of Hebrew at the University of Dublin. Todd accepted the futuristic ideas of Maitland, publishing his own supportive pamphlets and books. Then came John Henry Newman (1801–1890), a member of the Church of England and a leader of the famous Oxford Movement (1833–1845). In 1850, Newman wrote his “Letter on Anglican Difficulties” revealing that one of the goals in the Oxford Movement was to finally absorb “the various English denominations and parties” back into the Church of Rome. After publishing a pamphlet endorsing Todd's futurism about a one-man Antichrist, Newman soon became a full Roman Catholic, and later even a highly honored Cardinal. Through the influence of Maitland, Todd, Newman, and others, a definite “Romeward movement was already arising, destined to sweep away the old Protestant landmarks, as with a flood” (H. Grattan Guinness, History Unveiling Prophecy or Time as an Interpreter, New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1905, p. 289). Then came the much-respected Scottish Presbyterian minister Edward Irving (1792–1834), the acknowledged forerunner of both the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements. Irving pastored the large Chalcedonian Chapel in London with over 1,000 members. When Irving turned to the prophecies, he eventually accepted the one-man Antichrist idea of Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and Ribera, yet he went a step further. Somewhere around 1830, Edward Irving began to teach the unique idea of a two-phase return of Christ, the first phase being a secret rapture prior to the rise of the Antichrist. Where he got this idea is a matter of much dispute. Journalist Dave MacPherson believes Irving accepted it is a result of a prophetic revelation given to a young Scottish girl named Margaret McDonald (The Incredible Cover-Up: Exposing the Origins of Rapture Theories, by Dave MacPherson. Omega Publications, Medford Oregon. 1980). In any case, the fact is, Irving taught it! In the midst of this growing anti-Protestant climate in England, there arose a man by the name of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882). A brilliant lawyer, pastor, and theologian, he wrote more than 53 books on Bible subjects. A much-respected Christian and a man of deep piety, Darby took a strong stand in favor of the infallibility of the Bible in contrast with the liberalism of his day. He became one of the leaders of a group in Plymouth, England, which became known as the Plymouth Brethren. Darby’s contribution to the development of evangelical theology has been so great that he has been called The Father of Modern Dispensationalism. Yet John Nelson Darby, like Edward Irving, also became a strong promoter of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture followed by a one-man Antichrist. In fact, this teaching has become a hallmark of Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is the theory that God deals with mankind in major dispensations or periods. According to Darby, we are now in the “Church Age,” that is, until the Rapture. After the Rapture, then the seven-year period of Daniel 9:27 will supposedly kick in, and this is when the Antichrist will rise up against the Jews. In fact, John Nelson Darby laid much of the foundation for the present popular removal of Daniel’s 70th week away from history and from Y’shua the Messiah in favor of applying it to a future Tribulation after the Rapture. Thus, in spite of all the positives of his ministry, Darby followed Maitland, Todd, Bellarmine, and Ribera by incorporating the teachings of Futurism into his theology. This created a link between John Nelson Darby, the Father of Dispensationalism, and the Jesuit Francisco Ribera, the Father of Futurism. Darby visited America six times between 1859–1874, preaching in all of its major cities, during which time he definitely planted the seeds of Futurism in American soil. The child of the Jesuits was growing up. One of the most important figures in this whole drama is Cyris Ingerson Scofield (1843–1921), a Kansas lawyer who was greatly influenced by the writings of Darby. In 1909, Scofield published the first edition of his famous Scofield Reference Bible. In the early 1900s, this Bible became so popular in American Protestant Bible Schools that it was necessary to print literally millions of copies. Yet, in the much-respected footnotes of this very Bible, Scofield injected large doses of the fluid of Futurism also found in the writings of Darby, Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and Ribera. Through the Scofield Bible, the Jesuit child reached young adulthood. The doctrine of an Antichrist still to come was becoming firmly established inside 20th-century American Protestantism. The Moody Bible Institute and the Dallas Theological Seminary have strongly supported the teachings of John Nelson Darby, and this has continued to fuel Futurism’s growth. Then in the 1970s, Pastor Hal Lindsey, a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, released his blockbuster book The Late Great Planet Earth. This 177-page, easy-to-read volume brought Futurism to the masses of American Christianity, and beyond. The New York Times labeled it “The number one best-seller of the decade.” Over 30 million copies have been sold, and it has been translated into over 30 languages. Through The Late Great Planet Earth, the child of Jesuit Futurism became a man. Then came Left Behind. In the 1990s, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins took the future one-man antichrist idea of Hal Lindsey, Scofield, Darby, Irving, Newman, Todd, Maitland, Bellarmine, and Ribera, and turned it into “The most successful Christian-fiction series ever” (Publishers Weekly). Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth, was largely theological, which limited its appeal, while Left Behind is a sequence of highly imaginative novels, “overflowing with suspense, action, and adventure,” a “Christian thriller,” with a “label its creators could never have predicted: blockbuster success” (Entertainment Weekly). The much-respected television ministries of Jack Van Impe, Peter and Paul Lalonde, and Pastor John Hagee, have all worked together to produce LEFT BEHIND: The Movie. The entire project has even caught the attention of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, resulting in an interview of LaHaye and Jenkins on Larry King Live. The Left Behind books have been made available on displays at WalMart, Fry’s Electronics, and inside countless other stores. Again let me clarify, I believe the authors of Left Behind and the leaders of these television ministries are genuine Believers who are doing their best to influence people for the Kingdom. God is using them, just like the Father spoke through Peter when he firmly confessed his faith in Messiah (Matthew 16:15–17). Remember that Peter Principle. There is much that is good in Left Behind which God can use to influence people for the Messiah. But, in the full light of Scripture, prophecy, and the Protestant Reformation, something is terribly wrong. Left Behind is now teaching the very same Jesuit Futurism of Francisco Ribera which is hiding the real truth about the Antichrist. Through Left Behind, the floodgates of Futurism have been opened, unleashing a massive tidal wave of false prophecy which is now sweeping over America. Sadly, it is a false “idea whose time has come.” As we have already seen, the theological foundation for the entire Left Behind series is the application of the “seven years” of Daniel 9:27 to a future period of Tribulation. Are you ready for this? Guess who was one of the very first scholars to slice Daniel’s 70th week away from the first 69 weeks, sliding it down to the end of time? It was the Evil Empire’s very own Francisco Ribera! “Ribera’s primary apparatus was the seventy weeks. He taught that Daniel’s 70th week was still in the future....It was as though God put a giant rubber band on this Messianic time measure. Does this supposition sound familiar? This is exactly the scenario used by Hal Lindsey and a multitude of other current prophecy teachers” (Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 35). When most Christians look at the last 1,500 years, how much fulfilled prophecy do they see? None, zero, because almost everything is now being applied to a future time period after the Rapture. As we have seen, this GAP idea originated with the Jesuits, and its insertion into the majority of 21st century prophetic teaching is now blinding millions of hearts and eyes to what has gone before, and to what is happening right now inside the Church. “It is this GAP theory that permeates Futurism’s interpretation of all apocalyptic prophecy” (Ralph Thompson, Champions of Christianity in Search of Truth, p. 90). In love and in the Spirit of Y’shua the Messiah, someone should publicly appeal to the major prophetic television ministries of today to re-evaluate their positions. Hopefully, like noble ships with a new command from their captain, they will yet change their course. Jesuit Futurism has now become like a giant, seven-foot, 400-pound boxer, with spiked gloves. With a seemingly all-powerful punch, it has almost knocked Protestant Historicism entirely out of the ring. “The proper eschatological term for the view most taught today is Futurism...which fuels the confusion of Dispensationalism. The futuristic school of Bible prophecy came from the Roman Catholic Church, specifically her Jesuit theologians....However the alternative has been believed for centuries. It is known as Historicism” (Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alternative, p. 6). “It is a matter for deep regret that those who hold and advocate the Futurist system at the present day, Protestants as they are for the most part, are thus really playing into the hands of Rome, and helping to screen the Papacy from detection as the Antichrist” (Daniel and the Revelation: The Chart of Prophecy and Our Place In It, A Study of the Historical and Futurist Interpretation, by Joseph Tanner, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1898, p. 16). Who had the right theology — those who were burned at the stake for Y’shua the Messiah, or those who lit the fires? Who had the true Bible doctrine — the martyrs or their persecutors? Who had the correct interpretation of the Antimessiah — those who died trusting in the blood of Messiah, or those who shed the blood of God’s dear saints? Dear friend, the Evil Empire of Jesuit Futurism is now at war with the Protestant Reformation by denying its power-packed application of prophecy to the Vatican. “The futurist school of Bible prophecy was created for one reason, and one reason only: to counter the Protestant Reformation!” (Robert Caringola, Seventy Weeks: The Historical Alterative, p. 34). In fact, this Evil Empire of Jesuit Futurism is at war with the prophecies of the Word of God itself! And if that’s not enough, consider this. Jesuit Futurism originated with the Roman Catholic Church, which makes it the very doctrine of the Antichrist! And when Christian ministries and movies like A Thief in the Night, Apocalypse, Revelation, Tribulation, and Left Behind, proclaim an Antichrist who comes only after the Rapture, what are they really doing? I shudder to even say it. Are you ready for this? They are sincerely and yet unknowingly teaching the doctrine of the Antichrist! Now you know why truth has been left behind. You have discovered those heavenly X-ray eyeglasses. You are now able to see The Left Behind Deception. I appeal to you in the loving name of Y’shua the Messiah, the One who died for us — Don’t fall for it.

Everybody seems to want to be a prophet. Nobody wants to endure the pain and discomfort to actually become one. The subject of spiritual gifting is a cheap lie perpetrated by religious authors, traveling con artists and pastors looking for another gimmick to increase revenue. Read the Bible. Every single time a prophet opened his mouth he was subjected to abuse of one sort or another. Does the reader really want to be a modern day Jeremiah? If so, then he or she ought to be prepared to be thrown into prison or down a well. Messiah is a Hebrew term meaning 'the anointed one'. Only three types of people were anointed BY GOD in the Bible. They were prophets, priests/judges and kings. A man or woman who believes they've got some special advantage over the rest of us would suffer terrible indignities instead of being popularized. Today the latter is assumed by those who want to assert their carnal conceit over the rest of us so as to impress everyone else with their style. Such a person is NOT a prophet. Such a person is a conceited fool who needs to be admonished by disciples of Jesus to adopt humility instead. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand the principle of spiritual gifts and prophecy. One only needs to read the book God gave us. Having read the book, one is required to live by it. Jesus taught His disciples that this act of living is respected by God. No further gifts are needed. Fold your checkbooks and open the Bible. THAT is the gift of the Holy Spirit to us all. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

You are entirely wrong when you say "God has chosen Jews and non-Jews (gentiles or goyim as they are called BY THE CHOSEN) for salvation as if they were separate groups. They aren't. However, to be exactly precise, those who are saved become Jews. Notice if you will, or even if you don't, that EVERY time a place of worship is mentioned in the NT it's a synagogue. There is no law in the Bible that states a saved man or woman MUST worship in a gentile venue or that God manipulates them into doing so. Almost all Christians insist church membership is the only thing that saves (saved by works). a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. - Romans 2:29a Read the book of Hebrews. That book describes the nature of salvation with regard to gentiles being accepted as Jews - being grafted into the true vine (the True Vine is Jesus - a living Jew, not Calvin a dead guy). It says nothing about joining a church or that one is somehow spiritually and mentally manipulated before the beginning of time into such a position. In both cases, predestination and church membership, the assumption is entirely bogus. One can be saved and worship in a church with other believers, but such persons enjoy a relationship with God that can only be described as being descended from Jewish blessing - not Calvinist exclusivism and anti-semitic superiority. btw Paul wrote the quote from Romans above. Paul was a Jew, by the way. Again, the NT teaches that a person who CHOOSES to accept Christ becomes a Jew in his/her heart. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. - Jesus as quoted in Revelation 3:20 The word IF precedes the salvation condition described in Revelation. As such, the Bible states FREE WILL is a spiritual principle - not some sort of demonic manipulation coveted by self-righteous and self-justifying Calvinist ideologues. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. - Deuteronomy 23:23 and again from Joshua 24:15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." The principle of FREE WILL is established first among Jews and lastly extended toward gentiles/goyim. THAT WHICH IS PREDESTINED FROM THE DAWN OF TIME IS THAT THOSE WHO CHOOSE CHRIST WOULD BE CONFORMED TO HIS IMAGE. Biblical predestination refers to God's eternal intentions concerning His road to salvation for those who choose it, not Calvinist traffic cops along the way who issue tickets of damnation to those who don't buy their toxic rubbish. Throughout history those who wish to restrict and deny mankind its freedom and liberty have used hate language and exclusivism to do it. Calvinism is but one example of the desire to raise one group to a higher place than others. In their ideology Jews are excluded first and then the rest of non-Jewish humanity that doesn't agree with JC (John Calvin, not Jesus Christ). that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Nice twist. Glorious spin. Do you have music to go with that? You neatly dance to another tune when I mention Biblical context declaring the ONLY people who are chosen out of the world are JEWS. Jews are the oracle of God assigned the task of being a blessing to all the families of the world (Genesis 12:3) - NOT Calvinists. Free will and choice of whether or not to serve God was granted to JEWS (as written in Torah - 1st 5 books of the Bible). The same Free Will is extended to gentiles (read the NT) - who are undeserving of such benefit. Again it is to be understood that when Calvinist ideology excludes JEWS as the chosen, Calvinists by default insert themselves into that glorious position - WITHOUT DIVINE CERTIFICATION OF ANY SORT. The theological term for this form of religious acrobatics is Replacement Theology or Supersessionism. This is the bitter taste of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is forbidden. Again it isn't unique to the cult. Such theological displacement is habitual among the sons of man. It's purpose is to subvert the Kingdom of God and transfer authority to the satanic kingdom (read genesis 3). Have you read the Bible? Except for the possible exception of the gospel of Luke and book of Acts, the Bible was written BY JEWS and FOR JEWS from beginning to end. No Calvinist was ever invited to author its words, but they have enjoyed claiming the authority to twist its meaning to their advantage. After all, who is more blessed than a Calvinist (in their own eyes)? If a man has no Free Will, then he is nothing more than an animal or cog in the wheels of universal purpose. Such a belief is indicative of fatalistic eastern religions rather than the personal God revealed in the Bible. Such a belief is the foundation for tyranny and human oppression of the mind. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Did I accuse you personally of something? If so, please provide a quote where I am arrowing a statement directly at you. You are quite correct in stating I don't know what you believe about Jews or the intricacies of the Calvinist belief system. I couldn't care less what you think. On the other hand, you ought to pay deep attention to what THEY believe. Calvinism provided a minor component for the basis for the German government's policy of eugenics - extermination of Jews as a race. The major philosophical component was the writings and public addresses of Frederick Neichzhe - ideas the society of the United States has eagerly embraced in our own day. It's important to understand where these ideas come from and where they lead. It's important because we are about to live them again here in our own country. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. If you feel guilty about supporting Calvinist ideology that's your affair. Don't blame it on me. As I stated in another post, and repeat briefly here, the American Presbyterian Church mostly supports Calvinism and totally denies the efficacy of Holy Writ. In a convention a few years ago an official statement was voted upon by delegates the purpose of which was to denude the Bible of its divine inspiration and to reduce it to the level of any other human work of literature. In short, the Presbyterian church no longer holds the Bible as the ultimate source of wisdom from the Kingdom of Heaven. So why bother to quote it to a Calvinist? Constantly using scripture as a sort of theological tennis ball or ram so as to argue a point isn't efficacious in any context. Using scripture OUT OF CONTEXT to support a fallacy isn't either. Using illogic and denying the testimony of both Bible and believers is an outright misrepresentation of divine intent. So why call for scripture quotes when they won't be respected in the first place? Most people say they care about what the Bible teaches. What in fact they REALLY believe is a series of religious slogans and buzz words that tickle their ears and please the false assumptions they've made in the past. (Recent religious polls reveal that most 'Christians' admit they've never read the Bible from cover to cover.) [*] That's why Calvinism teaches hatred of JEWS and why the American church winks at the suggestion they are supporting unholy doctrine. One's favorite slogan or buzz phrase is more important to them than Biblical context. The attitudes of today's children echo the practice of their parents. One local high school class admitted to their teacher (a friend of mine) that they prefer to memorize words and phrases rather than to reason things out. "It hurts to think," they declared. The same is true for many who call themselves disciples of Christ. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... [*] Television evangelist Jimmie Baker admitted that the first time he read the Bible from cover to cover was when he spent time in prison for real estate fraud. If a leader admits such guilt how far behind him are those that follow in his footsteps?

There are two reasons Calvinists are wrong about predestination. First is their false interpretation of scripture and second is the Bible itself. Take a look: INTERPRETATION Once again we read Calvinist heresy applied to a verse that means something completely different. John 17:6 is misinterpreted to imply predestination, which it in no way suggests. In this passage Jesus is referring to His disciples. Jesus' disciples were JEWS, not goyim. Not Central European students of John Calvin (who hated Jews). Not arrogant American post-protestant religious types. If we take the verse literally, as you insist, then ONLY JEWS are predestined for salvation. Again, if you insist upon taking the verse to literally represent THE CHOSEN people then YOU MUST accept the Bible's statement that Jews are THE CHOSEN PEOPLE and no other. Where are Calvinists mentioned in the Bible? Nowhere at all. But as I've pointed out before, Calvinists are at heart anti-semitic creatures and reject the idea that God should pay any attention to JEWS whatsoever. They reject JEWS as THE ONLY chosen people and substitute themselves. Again as I've pointed out earlier, it's a form of religious exceptionalism. According to their demonic dogma a Jew could be saved if he or she joined the membership of a Calvinist church (salvation by works). Back up a minute and take a wider view of the whole picture. The entire section from 17:6 through and including verse 19 is a prayer by Jesus to the Father on behalf of His disciples. In verse six we are told Jesus' disciples are magnificently blessed because they "received the words You (the Father) gave Me (Jesus)". This statement alone is in compliance with the context of salvation presented throughout the Bible. Those that receive Christ and His word are blessed with salvation and illumination by the Father through Him (Christ). The spiritual principle of FREE WILL is presented over and over again as indicated by the gospels and epistles. According to Biblical context, divine justification applies even to gentiles (non-Jews) who accept Christ and His Word. It's also a principle of human politics that absence of free will is evidence of authoritative oppression of the human spirit. (Some people like that sort of thing - most don't.) BIBLE ITSELF The American Presbyterian church, which is predominantly Calvinist, sends delegates at regular intervals to a national convention. The purpose of the convention is to decide matters of administrative and theological application to its members throughout the country. The following statement was told to me by a man who was one such delegate to a recent convention. Some years ago the Presbyterian convention voted on a -revised- definition of the Bible. At issue was the revised statement that the Bible wasn't simply "THE WORD OF GOD", but "A word of God". The exchange of a simple word "THE" for the simple letter "A" was spiritually significant. Here's what it meant. If we state that the Bible is THE Word of God we are affirming divine inspired origin for its words. On the other hand, if we state that the Bible is A word of God, we are stating that the Bible is a work of human literature of no greater or lesser importance than any other book that assumes spiritual origins (and there are quite a few). The Presbyterian convention voted to accept the CHANGE of definition from THE to A, thus denuding the Bible of divine authority. Let me repeat that statement. Presbyterians, by roll call of vote, DENUDED the Bible of divine authority. The man who related the news to me said that storm clouds had been gathering on the horizon all afternoon. When the vote was taken with regard to Biblical authority the vote was tabulated on an electronic display for everyone in the room to see. Moments after the vote was tabulated and displayed (to declare the Bible lacking in divine authority) a horrendous lighting bolt struck a nearby power line and threw the entire venue into darkness. (A year later a fellow who attended a Lutheran conference told me about a similar event. The same issue was presented with the same vote result. A tornado suddenly stretched out of the sky above them and ripped the steeple off the large church where they were seated. He showed me a photograph of the damage as proof.) [If the reader is searching for a definition of the term "post-protestant Christian" there can be found no better example than the above testimony.) Therefore, ACCORDING TO CALVINISTS THEMSELVES, the Bible they quote for their heresy HAS NO AUTHORITY AT ALL. Therefore they are clinging to a lie of their own making. When Calvinists quote the Bible they are not only misinterpreting the Bible, they are quoting something they don't believe as authoritative in the first place. This is called hypocrisy in any dictionary you may wish to consult. FINALLY Calvinists are not unique among people who twist Biblical verse to their own ends. Read verse 15. This one is a direct statement that the rapture, as INVENTED by the Catholic church in 1590 and again by American protestants in the mid-1800s is FALSE. There will be NO rapture as imagined by evangelicals. Do they cling to Biblical verse or do they deny it and formulate their own idea? They create their own idea about rapture even as Calvinists suppose verse six refers to them and them alone. If you believe the Bible as THE Word of God, then you must accept the CONTEXT of the entire work as stating God has given mankind FREE WILL to accept His Word. If we do, then God manifests His blessings to us in many ways, not least of which is eternal life. Read the Bible - THE Word of God. Read ALL of it, not just the snippets that justify your hatred of JEWS or your simplistic fantasy that believers will be beamed off the earth when things get dicey. Has God not promised He will be WITH US in all difficulty? Why then would He remove us from it? Faith is made strong in weakness and tribulation. God wants strong believers who accept His word and live by it. Anyone who thinks he or she will be beamed off planet in the near future is believing a lie. btw, the same End Times doctrine is applied to a 2nd holocaust against JEWS. More lies and more hatred. Will God save such folk? That's up to Him of course, but I strongly suspect there will be some sort of reckoning involved in the process - but that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

Your many assertions are based upon misinterpretation of Biblical text - very convenient to support a bogus theory. You refer to two plans of salvation, which there are not. JEWS are God's CHOSEN people, not Calvinists. The Bible indicates none other than Jews are chosen. God's Word states those who are saved become Jews by adoption (or by being 'grafted into the true vine'). Read the book of Hebrews among others. Post-protestants and those who are comfortable with their peculiar form of religious exclusivity (like Calivinists), generally disregard entire books of the Bible to justify their heresy. Jews are not included in THEIR plan of salvation, hence there are two or more ideologies suggesting alternate ways to please God. Moses declared (read Deuteronomy) that the LAW of God isn't too difficult OR BEYOND REACH. Calvinists insist Moses was entirely wrong about things and therefore rewrite the Bible to their own satisfaction. If God already elected those who are to be saved, then why bother to evangelize? A typical Calvinist response would be to say, "because He told us to do so". They disregard their own logic, because if predestination was the rule then NO amount of evangelization would succeed. The opposite would also be true if one assumed evangelization is unnecessary. Calvinists would all be saved anyway. (Just Calvinists, btw, everybody else can go to hell.) If God predestines everything, then there is no point in praying about anything, anybody or any situation. Calvinists insist we are all cogs in the galactic machinery and are basically unimportant - except again for Calvinists who assert THEY are the important ones. If God predestines everything, then God created SIN. The author of wickedness is thus more heinous than satan and more unjust than any human villain that ever walked the earth. If God predestines everything, then there is no such thing as randomness. (Research that one, why don't you?) The list goes on, but despite my attempts at validating truth Calvinists will simply bury their heads in the sand and ignore what everyone else in creation already knows. God has granted choice to mankind. Foreknowledge does not imply predestination. that's me, hollering from the choir loft..... PS Predestination can also be argued against Calvinism. God might have predestined their error and judgmental ways. Because they have invented the god of SIN, they have embraced a lie and are thus all consigned to be predestined to the SIN of religious bigotry and exceptionalism. Calvinists might forfeit eternal life simply because they're predestined to reject the truth. [I don't believe this rubbish because I'm not a Calvinist, but if Calvinists accept the logic of their heresy, then they must admit the possibility they are predestined to believe a lie.)

Either you didn't understand the intent of the quote I shared or you have deliberately skewed its meaning. Either way I repeat the assertion. If man cannot repent, then even a Calvinist is damned to perdition. No one can be saved according to Calvinist ideology. (except Calvinists, of course) Most logical people would interpret this attitude as religious exceptionalism - not indicative of the mercy and justice of God as revealed in the context of the Bible. Your statement that "god knows only those whom he has chosen to salvation will be able to keep his laws" is unsupported. There is no body of scripture or context making such a suggestion. Instead, many passages are misinterpreted to justify Calvinists in their belief that only THEY will be saved. Additionally, Calvinist ideology deliberately misinterprets passages to justify their hatred of JEWS by suggesting that JEWS, the ONLY people the Bible says are chosen, are NOT justified. This is anti-semitism in any book one wishes to consult and any attitude one wishes to dispassionately examine. It is hate language of the meanest sort and not in agreement with Biblical context. Calvinist hatred of JEWS, as well as anyone who doesn't join their ranks, is historically accurate. John Calvin, author of the heresy of predestination, was admittedly anti-semitic. It is reflected in his ideology. According to the Bible, JEWS ARE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD. OT prophesy and NT documents tell us that God invited gentiles to join the family of His chosen people (see Acts & Hebrews as well as the entire Torah) - the JEWS - as a matter of choice even as He invited JEWS to choose to join Him. You wrote that "Sin hasn't changed man's responsibility to come to God". On the other hand, you insist that sin prevents all men from doing so. WHICH IS IT? You cannot argue one idea and deny another. You cannot accept the dogma of Total Depravity of Man and say SIN has no effect at the same time. This is the root of Calvinist confusion. Such an ideology is more concerned with labeling their own members as saints and EXCLUDING everyone else than it is in determining the breadth and depth of the mercy of God as well as man's inherent ability to accept it or reject it. Your TULIP is actually Lucifer's lettuce. Calvinist hatred does not serve anyone except those who think they are better than everyone else. It only alienates those who might otherwise seek God's mercy and love and compassion. that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

re: Revelation 3 The letters to the churches of Revelation were addressed TO THE ANGELS that supervised or administered the churches. Read the scripture again. The figures of candle sticks represent spirits. Congregations and the angels that administered them are each addressed differently. Each church had an angel that supervised its religious life. Each angel was commended or warned about its performance of duty. Read it. With regard to the Laodicean passage, leaders of the post-protestant church deliberately ignore the actions of church angels in a leadership position. Instead they use the example of Laodicea to argue for greater donation$ and inspire members to greater and greater investment in support of their financial mismanagement of church funds. Congregations of the post-protestant church are fed a diet of guilt by human leaders who always have one hand on the Bible and the other in someone else's pocket. Read the Bible in Revelation 3. God is warning the angel of Laodicea, not the congregation. The passage is a spiritual insight into God's concern over His flock. Revelation is basically suggesting that the angel of Laodicea has botched the job and that the Lord Himself will intervene on behalf of the human congregation. At the conclusion of the passage, Jesus promises He will stand at the door of the hearts of the congregation and knock. Those that open their hearts to Him and receive Him will be ministered to directly by the Son of God. References to TARES are generally made in the gospel of Matthew and refer to Final Judgment. The letters of Revelation are a reference to angelic church management and the congregations they were appointed to serve. This is not a unique situation. In most of the Old Testament, God reveals the issues He has with religious leaders appointed to manage the congregation of believers. They too botched the job. Many of the OT prophets spoke for God when He promised to roll up His sleeves, come to Earth, and do the job personally. One of the names given to Our Saviour - Emmanuel - means 'God with us'. hope this helps. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

One of the first lines John Calvin penned was the statement, "there is no such thing as coincidence." Calvin was also an anti-semite - a JEW hater who assumed falsely that Jews could not and would not inherit the Kingdom of God. Only Calvin's people would inherit God's favor - a very bigoted and illogical attitude if ever there was one. The Bible doesn't lie, but liars can use the Bible to justify their hateful racism. For the reader's information, the Protestant Reformation gave birth to many theologians like Calvin. Jacobus Arminius, who asserted free will, was also one of them. Google Arminius for some very interesting information. Today the post-protestant church has abandoned the precepts of the Reformation and marches in lock step with the Vatican. All this talk about predestination and free will is purely academic because the focus of the post-protestant church today is about membership, not spiritual rebirth/renewal. Ask yourself this question, dear reader. If you were to stop attending your local church would you not be considered to be backslid? What of your true spiritual condition, does anyone care about that or do they care about your donation$ instead? Several dogmas accepted by Calvinists, as well as the Catholic church, include the total depravity of man - or original SIN as some call it; Total Depravity of Man - The essence of the argument is that man cannot perform righteousness at all. BUT SINCE, the Bible records that God has commanded man to obey and live by His laws, therefore man is able to do so. The Calvinist argument of predestination is self-defeating with regard to logic. It is a blatant misinterpretation of scripture to put themselves in a situation the Bible does not intend. AGAIN, the ONLY people the Bible says are chosen of God are the JEWS. Calvinists hate the thought - deeply. Gentiles are invited to share in God's grace, which is the essence of the gospel - good news. "If man is purely evil and cannot repent, then he cannot possibly obey God's command to repent." - Ben Perry "The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul." - Deut 26:16 "So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go" - 1 Kings 2:2-3 Calvinists will argue that even Jews had no choice in the matter, an argument definitely defeated by Biblical reference. Evidence of free will - "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Jos 24:15 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." - Deu 30:19 The Kingdom of God will not stand or fall depending upon what you or I decide with regard to God's gift of immortal life. It is us who will benefit or suffer loss, not God and certainly not God's agenda. Calvinists suggest God is the author of depravity, not satan. If God has made it impossible for man to choose, then how can God hold man accountable for the SIN of man? The answer is that God cannot do so. The Bible says God is just. Therefore man is held accountable for man's choice. If God weeps at the loss of a single soul, as He did on the day Lazarus died, then God is not the author of rebellion and SIN. Let's not accuse God of the SINs of man, but place the responsibility squarely upon the shoulders of he who SINs. It is time to repent and be saved. One cannot do that if there is no choice. Redemption is offered to those who will accept it TO THE JEW FIRST and then the goyim (gentile). If the Bible suggests anyone or any group is chosen, it is the JEW. Calvin refused to accept that Biblical truth. So too do those who believe church membership is paramount in their spiritual journey. It is a fatally wrong assumption, if not darkly racist in intent. Shame on those who support that filthy disgusting hateful attitude. The Holy Spirit does not vindicate theologians or those who follow them. The Holy Spirit always vindicates the Kingdom of God. Those who believe that their particular church membership is chosen are fanatically mistaken as well as unabashed racists. It is time to repent regardless of one's affiliations or ancestors. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I read the Bible and have lived many years upon the earth. I've encountered many people who've made a decision to accept Christ into their lives and many who have refused. Such things cannot be easily explained. According to the parables of Christ the thing is purely by chance. The Kingdom of God thrives among those who receive His word with gladness deep in their hearts. It's a choice and a spiritual roll of the dice. The parables of Christ seem to point to this conclusion. It's very easy to claim religious exceptionalism and declare that only a particular group of people will be saved - the ones who belong to our approved list, to OUR group, as it were. Such an attitude is born of base human prejudice and does not reflect spiritual reality. For instance, post-protestant types generally adhere to bigoted anti-semitic attitudes against Jews. In their minds, it's impossible for a Jew to be saved unless he or she becomes a church member. Which church is right? Well, it would depend upon your prejudice wouldn't it? If you're a Catholic, then everybody else is automatically consigned to perdition. If you're a protestant, then you believe you are on the approved list. Not just any protestant church, either. It has to be an approved protestant church. Approved by who? Approved by spiritual bigots - exceptionalists who think their club is the only one worth considering. The Holy Spirit does not vindicate any nation or religious organization. It vindicates the Kingdom of God. That's it and that's all. Who are the chosen? There's only one group of people the Bible says are chosen - JEWS. JEWS are God's chosen people. They are the oracle through whom the wisdom and salvation of God have been delivered to all the world. (Genesis 12:3) Anti-semitic attitudes of the institutional religion known as Christianity generally submit Jews to the fires of the holocaust, of racist hatred and of social ostracism. Good Christians do not accept that being saved makes one a Jew, not a Christian. (see the book of Hebrews) Christians have become spiritual demagogues and exclude anyone who doesn't make the same noises they do. As a case in point, consider the New Testament. EVERY instance of the assembly of believers in Christ met in a synagogue. The Bible was written by JEWS about JEWS and for JEWS. Accounts in the gospels and the book of Acts suggest that God also opened the way for salvation to gentiles. That didn't make them lords over JEWS or anyone else who came to Christ, but that is in fact the attitude we read and hear expressed today. Christian exclusivism is a spiritual disease that has no value in the Kingdom of God at all. To that end the Bible has been and will continue to be interpreted to put a corrupt religious church on a pedestal it has neither earned nor deserved. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

In the post-protestant churches of the twenty-first century, references to the church of Laodicea are usually coupled with petitions for donations, tithing and extra offerings. They are seldom employed to remind congregations of the need to REPENT, which is the original Biblical intent. When was the last time the reader participated in a sermon or Sunday school series of lessons on REPENTANCE? In the 1960's we began to hear Laodicean warnings, but at that time they were focused upon spiritual development. Today, with many congregations in deep financial stress, the message is coupled with fund raising rather than spiritual growth. Hence the almost constant petitions for tithing pledging and fund raising rather than spiritual and intellectual growth. Our religious leaders are more concerned with maintaining their franchises's level of indebtedness (*) than in developing the spiritual qualities of individual disciples of the Lord. Today the church is Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21 "the spirit has departed"). We are light years beyond warnings about Laodicea. We have fallen further than the risk to Laodicea. Consider the words of the passage in Revelation mentioning the letters to the seven churches. Each church was administered by an angel or spirit. The warnings given to Laodicea were to its angel/spirit rather than the congregation. The specific warning to the angel/spirit of Laodicea was that it would be removed from its duties if it didn't get with the program. The Lord promised to eject the angel/spirit and take a personal hand in the matter. Today the post-protestant church has generally rejected the ministrations of the Holy Spirit itself. Consequently the Holy Spirit has departed from our churches - leaving them rudderless and without divine guidance. As a consequence we now inherit the leadership of those who do not promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. They promote their own gospel, which is generally politically correct. Jesus was NEVER politically correct. Those that believe otherwise never read the gospels. Jesus was NEVER a humble respecter of men or institutions. Jesus NEVER vindicated the works of man. He ALWAYS vindicated the Kingdom of God. Consider the difference between Laodicea and Ichabod if you dare. Consider REPENTANCE. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) Statistics gathered about church mismanagement of funds has shown that the average congregation owes between three and four million dollars of debt. There are rare exceptions to be sure, but in most cases the level of debt is beyond the capability of the finance committee to manage. When attendance dwindles, the ability of these religious franchises cannot meet payments. They risk financial ruin, hence the call for more money - the focus on issues for fund raising instead of spiritual enlightenment.

I quoted Ray Bradbury's short story title SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. I was unaware of its earlier use in English literature. Thanks for the info. CL

Truer words have never been written, though many have come close to the bone. verse 4 from the quote above is most apropos to the discussion - "They are impudent and hardhearted children" The time has come when they will not endure sound doctrine. - 1 Timothy 4:3a Reasons for this state of affairs are legion, though I've tried to list a few from time to time. Paradigm shifts in the progress of history have occurred several times in recent decades. In centuries past only one such shift in a lifetime was sufficient to alter the course of history, but in the past seventy years there have been many. All of them have led to an irrevocable alteration in the direction and destiny of the American nation as well as all mankind. The world as a whole is on a collision course with something none of us would want to arrive. The Bible refers to it as THE DAY OF THE LORD and warns that it will be a terrible time. Modern false prophets have assembled a patch work interpretation so as to lull God's people into a false stupor and sense of contentment. To paraphrase Ray Bradbury, an author of note, something wicked is coming our way. There are those who stand upon the wall and call out danger to others. but the others don't want to hear the bad news .... the others don't want to REPENT of their SINs and wickedness. They expect God to answer their prayers even as they put their hands upon every filthy thing they desire. He won't hear and He won't listen. (Ezekiel 8:18 - 1 Samuel 4:21) Look..........the day has already arrived. It is time to REPENT - to the bone if needs be - to REPENT that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Someone once wrote that the average person is more concerned about a hangnail on the little finger than a war on another continent. CL

South Africa isn't considered a western nation despite its previous status as a European colony. America was once a leader of nations. While not perfect, America once enjoyed a measure of respect even from our enemies. But those days are long gone. I am not here concerned about the tribulations of Europe or of the people on other continents. I am concerned about those matters that impact myself, my family and my community. These matters are best addressed as a result of identification with the precepts of the Bible - truth, consistency and honesty are foremost. All of these have been abandoned in recent years by Americans. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth and nothing more." - Morpheus THE MATRIX Either way there is no turning back, no reset, no second chance. Everyone claims to seek truth, but nobody really wants it. NOBODY. Truth can be found by any sincere search. When the seeker finds truth he discovers it will speak to him. When truth speaks to the seeker it demands action of him. At this point, most people realize they don't want to do what truth demands and turn away. Most people take the blue pill. They stay in their beds and do nothing - learn nothing - become nothing - and die in their SINs. Jesus said it best as quoted in John 3:19, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." America has turned its back upon God. The post-protestant church has swallowed the red pill and has embraced the occult, ease, counterfeit love, licentiousness and godless religion. Truth is despised in church and secular society dines on hatred, violence, lies, division and hedonism. We have crossed the Rubicon. Our decision is irrevocable - our nation is lost in the darkness of its own SIN. The spirit has departed the church. It is Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21). There is no turning back - no build back and no return to greatness. There is only the madness of pride and the reality of obfuscation among our leaders - secular as well as religious. The heavy pall of darkness is falling upon us. Oppression is our future, not hope not prosperity and not light. We have denied liberty to one another and rejected God. WE WILL reap the whirlwind of our own hubris. Forgiveness will not be granted unless SIN is first confessed. (1 John 1:9) But the post-protestant church, like a school girl enamored of her mirror image or a boy in love with his own strength, rejects this too. This generation is a mob of fools who refuse to listen to anything but the thoughts of their own mind. (Luke 7:31-32) It is time to REPENT. Not to avoid the issue. Not time to quietly sob as we watch our religion attacked from without and betrayed within. Not time to deny what God and truth demands of us. It is time to REPENT. When was the last time you heard a sermon series on REPENTANCE in church? The message of Repentance risks lost donation$, that's why. God is more concerned with quality than quantity. It is time to make peace with God by confessing our SINs and acknowledging our place in the universe. We are called to do the Will of the throne of Heaven - not the other way around. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

It's not the forces outside the church one must regard with suspicion. It is the leaders within who have betrayed the gospel. False shepherds now guide those who seek solace and comfort in the Name of Jesus. None of this happened overnight and none of it happened secretly. Theologians of the last half of the twentieth century predicted exactly this condition. Statistical organizations like PEW and Gallup gave us numbers to show the path we have chosen for ourselves. (*) The post-protestant church has abandoned all Biblical precepts of morality and salvation and is now a pathetic series of financial franchises - all on the verge of a gigantic monetary collapse. Instead of the Water of Life our snake-oil salesmen now pitch doctrines of demons to people with itching ears and a false sense of love to those who deny the morality of spiritual responsibility. Every false sermon comes at a price. The price is dictated by denial of the LAW of salvation and the only real hope of redemption - Jesus Christ. The church today is ICHABOD (1 Samuel 4:21). In the past, allusions to the church of Laodicea were given as a warning. Those days are gone. The post-protestant church has crossed the Rubicon and IS Ichabod now. Churning along in spiritual darkness, the rudderless church now embraces every aberration it encounters. Beware the lies of the false shepherds. They lead only to destruction. The only thing that can save the church now is repentance - a subject rarely addressed in sermons today. We hear more about tithing than repentance when it should be the other way around. NOW IS THE TIME FOR REPENTANCE. Believe not the false shepherds of the church..... THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LICENSE TO SIN. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) Statistically the number of people attending church on a regular basis, measured as a minimum of one visit per month, fell to 50% of 1948 levels in the year 2010. Projections of the trend predict the level will continue to decrease to 10% by 2050.

You seem to be placing an inordinate amount of importance on going to church meetings. That is all well and good, but in a society ruled by an authoritarian government that does not allow such activity you are going to have to come up with some other life boat to hold onto. Attending a meeting is a sign of salvation, not the source of it. It can be interpreted as works rather than salvation by grace. Grace saves a person in a society that forbids the public expression of religion - like America today. If it were possible for the government to rule salvation in Christ illegal, they'd begin by forbidding church attendance. think about it. It's not about COVID. If it were, the law would be equally applied to bars, restaurants, Walmart and churches. In fact, it is NOT. think about it. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Your fallacy needs to be examined in the light of current events. In truth, the government does not allow assembly of congregations in excess of 50 people - despite allowing bars and clubs to admit 50% of their certified capacity. Even Nazi Germany issued no such restriction. In America today, love among the brethren exists only as the law of our authoritarian government allows. When gloryToGod wrote, "if a person does not love God and does not love gods children,they are not a christian." He was quoting a false doctrine and an aberrant philosophy. The Bible is VERY CLEAR as to who is Justified before God and who is NOT. Those who are justified are made holy by repenting of their SIN and by accepting the blood of Christ (life of Christ) in their lives. In Hebrews 10 the disciples of Christ are admonished to not forsake the assembling of themselves together. This is a measure of one's devotion NOT a benchmark for justification. Roman Catholic doctrine, like many false religions, is based upon works and membership rather than the grace of God. For Catholics, as well as card carrying congregations of the post-protestant church MEMBERSHIP is what saves, not faith in Christ. The measure of a Christian, therefore, is faith in Christ - not a membership card in the 1st Church of Me-First (government regulated humanistic religion). Jesus saves - not government regulated religious clubs and certainly not some philosophical version of progressive religion. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I have attended many churches and heard many sermons. Nearly all of them state the congregation has a duty to witness, preach and otherwise convey the gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world. Meanwhile the preacher has one hand on the Bible and the other in someone else's pocket. Does not the Bible tell us there are many different gifts? Some have the gift of creativity and can produce beautiful works of art to encourage the congregation and glorify Christ. Some have the gift of teaching and use it to transmit the knowledge of the Bible to those who attend Bible studies. Some are musical (I can't carry a note in a bucket. Does that make me less a Christian?) Some folks have the ability to make money and to give more than a tithe of it to the glory of God, charity and the work of redemption of the community. The pastor is usually expected to have endured formal education in religious studies so as to transmit useful information to the congregation. Lately this has not been the case. In far too many instances, Biblically illiterate preachers are vomiting rubbish to their listeners (usually to promote the religious franchise). I actually heard one fellow admit during a sermon that he "preached happy talk to fill seats". We are certainly called to bear witness to our salvation when called upon, but are each of us required to go out onto the street and hold forth the principles of the gospel? We are not. Ervin states that he's a bit shy about sharing certain aspects of his faith. This is understandable because not everyone is a born salesman - like the preacher is supposed to be. A good answer to this question is to seek God. As in all things He will answer if we ask sincerely and honestly. Many times He doesn't give an answer that is compatible with the church's present diabolical mission of fleecing the flock. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The section of Hebrews 9 that teaches redemption through the blood is covered in verses 11-27. "It is finished." - Jesus as quoted in John 19:30 The above quote by the Son of God as He drew His last breath upon the cross was uttered as a statement of completion. The three word exclamation puts a period at the end of God's work of redemption according to the LAW. It describes the pinpoint end of the process of redeeming man from SIN. edited out unnecessary insult Ezekiel 36 speaks to the essence of the New Covenant, when God would write His LAW in the hearts and minds of those who seek Him. Many protestant Christians deny the LAW, which is why the church is presently withering on the vine. Christians therefore deny the Bible and God's plan of salvation. They cannot usurp His purposes by doing so. Neither can you. Since you like to wander off topic I would like to add the following with regard to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Ezekiel 37 is a twin prophecy regarding the revival of Israel as nation among the family of nations. The first half of that chapter is known as the "dry bones prophecy". That prophecy was fulfilled in May of 1948. Ezekiel 37 the second half speaks to making Aliyah to Israel - the gathering of ALL the lost tribes -of Jews- to Eretz Israel (meaning: land of Israel). That process began near the end of the 19th century and continues to this day. The Ezekiel prophecy is known as the "two sticks" prophecy because it addresses both houses of Israel - Judah and Israel. Israel IS in the land - Eretz Israel. Anti-semitic rhetoric and Jew hating Christians have been denying it to this day supposing their apostate churches are some sort of spiritual benefactor of that grace which is reserved for Jews alone. God has NEVER abandoned His people Israel. Finally I wish to address your first sentence quoted here. As I stated earlier and which you conveniently ignore, if you do not or can not understand the simple definition of words you can NOT understand what the Bible is saying either about God's plan of redemption or the State of Israel. You are deliberately twisting the meaning of words to suit your own aberrant ideology. You don't seek truth so much as you seek to justify your prejudice. Instead of scholarship you invite error and racist hatred of Jews, which is the traditional position of the church. Do you want a lesson in history now? The church has been the greatest persecutor of Jews in history having murdered over 55 million innocent Jews in the last two millennia. Look it up. It's an unpleasant truth Christians conveniently ignore. I gave you the accepted definition of "covenant" and "testament". If you wish to rewrite the Bible, you will find yourself in league with the devil rather than the kingdom of Heaven. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Modern gentile Christians are only concerned with church membership and little else. Protestants march in lock step with the Vatican and insist that church membership, for Jews and everybody else, is the exclusive domain of salvation. It isn't. Persuasion of Jews both inside the State of Israel and outside of it consists in testimony of the works of Jesus (Y'shuah ha-mashiach is the Hebrew name of the Son of God), NOT the insistence that believers abandon Jewish tradition and adopt Christian liturgy and church membership. One of the ancient problems of Christians and Jews is belief vs. tradition. Both SIN according to their separate traditions and faux faith. Jews believe in DOING. Belief is secondary. That's why you can find Jews who are atheists. They fulfill their traditions and as far as they're concerned that's all they need to DO. Christians believe in BELIEVING. Doing is secondary. That's why you can find Christians who accept a national policy of international war mongering and aggression as patriotic. To them the LAW is a hateful thing because all they need is to reiterate their religious slogans and buzz words. Both are wrong. How many of the commandments of the LAW can one break and still expect peace with God? Grace is given so as to allow the believer to live according to the LAW. We are saved FOR good works, not BY them. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LICENSE TO SIN. Yet grace is taught as a blank check to grasp any wicked thing we put our hands upon. THIS is the nature of hypocrisy in the post modern church. James declares faith without works is dead and Jesus said that unless one abandons tradition as a stepping stone to heaven one cannot have peace with God. Revelation 12:11 speaks of the twin sources of spiritual power; testimony & the blood of the lamb (Y'shuah) Church membership isn't there anywhere (except to declare believers should gather to encourage one another - as long as the State allows that which God commands). that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

You are absolutely positively correct in every word you wrote. The only point I'd make is that the methodology doesn't 'seem' to be absent. It is deliberately ignored. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

When you don't even know the definition of a covenant and a testament, you really shouldn't embark on an attempt to interpret scripture. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a secular covenant is "a formal solemn and binding agreement". A secular testament is "the determination of the disposition of his or her property after death". According to Zondervan Biblical dictionary, the English word covenant is a translation of the Hebrew word berith meaning "to fetter" or "to bind in mutual obligation". Also according to the Zondervan reference book, the English word "testament" as used in the NT epistles is a translation of the Greek word "diatheke". The Greek word is more accurately rendered after the Hebrew word berith. In other words the English rendering of "covenant" and "testament" is identical. Referring to the Wycliffe Bible Commentary of Hebrews 9:15 the new AGREEMENT between God and Jews is sealed upon the death of Jesus upon the cross. It is NOT FUTURE. IT IS NOW. Again, a testament applies at the point of death. Biblically speaking the "new" testament/covenant began at the moment of death of Christ upon the cross. Looking at the context of the entire Bible and specifically the entire book of Hebrews, an exercise which has escaped your attention, scripture is examining the application of the OLD LAW as stated in Leviticus and Exodus in contrast with the NEW LAW explained in Hebrews (among other epistles). You steadfastly refuse to examine the Bible or its contents. What you ARE DOING is creating a false doctrine and using snippets of the Bible together with your own illogic to justify it. If you truly truly seek truth, then you must do so in an orderly and scholarly fashion. On the other hand if you wish to subject the readers here to your own form of delusionary doctrines of demons, then prepare to be called out on it in no uncertain terms. Not for nothing does the Bible say; Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - 2 Timothy 2:15 that's me, hollering from the choir loft... PS I did your homework this time. Please try to expand your horizons and do your own next time around.