choir loft

First, I'm unclear as to your references for April. There are a number of political events scheduled for that month including a meeting between Putin, Erdogan and Rouhani regarding the Syrian issue. Few in America know of the wheeling and dealing being done on the issue because we're all focused on the political circus in Washington. Our politicians are presently acting like sunburned scorpions obsessed with stinging themselves to death. There will be a meeting of the Arab League later in the month as well as a meeting of Latin American nations regarding corruption in democratic governments (an exercise in futility since US interests fuel most of the corruption as well as removal of those governments, democratic or not, that oppose its economic hegemony). There are many other important political events as well. Which of these are you referring to? All the talk of blood moons confuses the issue of Christian eschatology. I'm not an astronomer and cannot be 100% accurate in anything I assert, however I'd be willing to bet nearly 100% of those who participate in these forums aren't astronomers either. Is Mr. Koenig a professional astronomer or just another Christian snake oil salesman? Everyone has their favorites don't they? The best attitude, I think, is to keep a wary eye on the heavens as well as on the earth. Americans, of all the people on earth, are poorest in this regard being force fed a diet of political sewage, intellectual smokescreens, racist finger pointing, obsession with celebrities, spiritual bovine excrement and a general attitude of confusion surrounding everything else. We can't agree on anything including appropriate ways to disagree. We are a nation lost. We are lost because we've turned our back on God. To paraphrase Ray Bradbury, a noted writer of the last century as well as a Russian newspaper, something wicked has come our way and we have no idea what's happening to us. .....and so we watch the skies for blood moons shiny auroras at night and flying saucers at all times....... because our fantasies have become more real to us than the insanity we live in.... So you go ahead and put Mr. Koenig's book up there with your Bible and ignore everything else. Why not? That's what everybody else is doing. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

So....you are saying that bullying in any form is ok? You justify it by quoting scripture, but the root idea you are promoting suggests you approve of bullying. Just as a side thought.....do you have children? Would you approve of someone bullying your children? Certainly not. I don't imagine you would for a moment. Why then do you automatically assume God would approve of someone bullying His children - in church or anywhere else? Why do you approve of bullying? that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The policy isn't so much isolationist as nationalist. Big difference. Watching the international news will give us a better picture of the general intolerance our financial and political leaders have for the common working man. By us, I mean the citizens of the countries involved - the man and woman who have to work for a living. For instance, EVERY TIME a global coalition of bankers and/or politicans meet to decide their (and by default 'our') future there are raucous demonstrations against them. Every time and in every country! The issue isn't American nationalism. It's about gangs of international thieves masquerading as the financial cartel or trans-national mega corporations coming together to connive new ways to rob us of the fruits of our own labor. For instance, the newest fakery is a thing called the Carbon Tax. We've seen it coming for years in all the rhetoric about global warming caused by industrial emissions. Yes, the surface temperature of the earth has increased a degree or two in the past ten years. NASA surveys of the planet Mars reveal the same temperature rise there too. Shall a new Carbon Tax serve to inhibit global warming on Mars as well? There has also been a marked increase in volcanic activity. Only one eruption of sufficient size is capable of spewing an equivalent amount of toxic gas into the atmosphere as all the factories of man on earth - and there have been many volcanos going off in the past fifty years. The US Geological survey refuses to comment on the unusual increase in earthquakes and volcanos. In other words, scientific conclusions which are indeed factual may NOT be correct. They are true, but not accurate. American nationalism is meant to assure that Americans who work for a living get to enjoy the fruits of their own labor. It's not strange that citizens of other nations should feel the same way. Globalization makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. A sign of the End Times listed in the Bible, by the way. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

References to wonders in the heavens apply to End Times eschatology. They are given to man in the form of signposts - indicators of unfolding events from God. Followers of astrology tend to organize their lives according to astral positions. The difference between the two is that Biblical references are like signposts, while astrologers use these things as guidance. A Christian follows God and receives assurances in the heavens or in signs upon the earth, while an astrologer may not necessarily follow God's guidance at all - choosing instead to decide for themselves what is good or bad. The Bible calls this sort of thing sin, because it does not rely upon divine guidance. The aurora borealis is not listed as one of the signs of the Bible, but because it has been rather intense in recent years it too is an indicator of changing environmental factors in the sky and upon the earth. Not everything is a TV show. God's creation speaks to us in ways that glorify Him and encourage us. Ever heard of the Christian zodiac? Certain signs and alignments of planets and stars indicate the various periods of divine revelation upon the earth including the coming of the Son of Man. These signs and wonders coincide with Biblical prophetic events. It is well to be aware of such things even if the study of them doesn't interest you. Why? Because a terrible and foreign demonic ideology is sweeping across the globe even as we argue over these things. That ideology uses aberrant eschatology to persuade Christians to follow their doctrine and abandon traditional Christian faith. The ideology even suggests Jesus will return to earth to preach doctrines of demons and to approve of the murder of Christians and Jews. Do not dismiss everything that is strange to you. Very soon someone will come along preaching familiar buzz words and slight variations of familiar religious slogans to deceive many. It is already upon us and many have already abandoned the faith because of it. A certain popular 'Christian' music group sings heretical words and stages performances with occult significance. They use religious slogans familiar to Christians to deceive. I cannot name this group without being banned from this site. Apparently it is better to support such groups with indifference than to point to them and say this is who you are... It isn't about the color of the moon as much as its about the nature of the times in which we live. Despotism and spiritual darkness are knocking at the door right now - and the stars in the sky, which have not had such alignments in hundreds and thousands of years, combine to tell us to be wary. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

There once was a measure of respect due to the person in the Oval Office. It didn't matter what party one was affiliated with and it didn't matter that the election process is little more than a mud slinging tournament. It mattered once the words had been spoken and the people had cast their votes. It mattered that the person who won would be allowed time to get their ducks in a row, to get the lay of the land, to learn their job. Journalists called this the honeymoon period, but of late that hasn't happened. There is no measure of respect due to a white male in the White House. Seems to me that of all the things we pretend to have as a nation we've begun to lose the most important thing - respect for authority. POTUS doesn't have it. Congress doesn't have it. Police don't have it.(*) The ordinary citizen surely doesn't have it. What has happened to us as a nation? I submit we suffer many things as a nation and as a people because we've turned our backs upon God. Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said the reason the Russian people suffered so much was because they'd forgotten God. So they did and so have we begun to walk the same path. Is it redundant to cry out that its time to repent? I don't think so. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) In my city, thieves are becoming so bold they actually have stolen guns out of police cars. A recent story chronicled a families' litigation of a local police department. Their black son had stolen a car and was shot by a black police officer when the boy tried to run him down with the stolen car. The families' retort was a public statement saying the lad was just having fun. Respect is a two way street. What is expected is also owed.

Blood was not sprinkled on the east or west end of the Mercy seat. Do you know what the Mercy seat is or was? The BOX containing the slabs of stone with the Ten Commandments written upon them, a jar of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, was called THE ARK of the Covenant. (ark=box) The box TOP was called the Mercy Seat. (read Exodus chapter 25) It had a couple of angels parked on it to symbolize sealing of judgment - to keep it from getting out. For anyone who doesn't want to bother reading God's word, try remembering the movie Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. In one of the final scenes, the bad guys remove the Mercy Seat from the Ark. Judgment and wrath sally forth and kill the whole crowd (except for our hero and his girl friend of course). It is written that those who do not live by the Law will die by the Law. Thus we see in the movie and in scripture that the Mercy Seat was meant to literally keep a lid on judgment. BTW: Stephen Spielberg, who made the movie, is a Jew and paid deliberate attention to detail with regard to the design and meaning of the BOX and the box TOP. He read the Bible. But God's Law, which was contained in the Ark - the box, isn't all about judgment. God provides for forgiveness too....as represented by the Mercy Seat. Both work together unto salvation. Atonement Blood was sprinkled at the altar, which was located on the east side of the tabernacle (and later the east side of the temple). It was the first piece of furniture one encountered upon entering the tabernacle/temple. One must offer sacrifice before one gets anywhere else with God. What is the appropriate sacrifice today? Read on... On Yom Kippur, the Jewish observance of the Day of Atonement, the priest sprinkled the blood. EVERY OTHER DAY, according to the Law written in Leviticus, individual Jews had to do it themselves. The Law said people had to make the effort to slay the animal and to offer it themselves. If we use the Law as a guide we see that God expects each of us to come individually to the altar of mercy bringing the appropriate sacrifice with us in order to obtain mercy from God. What is the appropriate sacrifice? It is the only sacrifice God will accept - the blood of Jesus Christ.....ACCORDING TO THE LAW. Nobody can do it for us. No priest can offer sacrifice for us and mindless reference to the goodness of the Law won't do it either. The LAW says we must DO IT. We MUST act and be personally deeply involved. The Law is instruction, not panacea. Christ is the only sacrifice and we must come to God with His blood upon us to be saved. Jesus, our High priest - dripping with the blood He shed upon the cross - sits on the MERCY seat (holding judgment in abeyance) extending His hands out to all who will embrace His generous offer of forgiveness. Those who refuse to accept His offer are literally taking the lid off the box. What lies within is too terrible to consider. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

You really need to read Joel Richardson's book THE ISLAMIC ANTICHRIST. It will confirm your suspicions.....and then some. A warning: The book is frightening to read. It's frightening because it's so very very close to reality. I have studied a bit of Islamic theology and a lot of the Christian nonsense that passes for eschatology. Richardson's book is not meant to frighten, but because its so close to explaining what is really happening it will give you hard things to think about. For instance, does the reader know Muslims believe Jesus will come again? Yes. The Qur'an calls Him Isa and Isa's arrival is said to precede the final battle with the antiChrist. Islamic eschatology is a mirror image of Judeo-Christian prophecy and so its imagery is a backwards copy. The Muslim savior will be called Mohammad al-Mahdi and his side kick will be Isa. Together they will battle the real Jesus and win (if you follow their line of thinking). The book of Revelation calls these two the Beast and the Prophet. It gets better and it gets real creepy. Check it out. that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

EVERY blood moon in the past has been observed on a Jewish holiday. In terms of judgment, this combination of signs in the heavens and scripture is worthy of consideration. On January 20/21 a super blood wolf moon was observed. Is it an accident that this happened almost exactly on the date of the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shvat? The Jewish holiday in question is a celebration of the New Year of trees. Apart from an appreciation of God's leafy creations, it also signifies new life. Does judgment always have to imply destruction and death and horror? Does not Christ often say that He came to bring life and to bring it abundantly? If so, then the holiday of Tu B'Shvat is significant for our troubled times. The renewal of a promise, sealed by a sign in the heavens, may be given for hope's sake. We can certainly use a bit of that, don't you agree? that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

You are entirely and completely out of focus...... The point and focus of interpretation of Biblical prophecy is ALWAYS Israel. ALWAYS. It's about Israel and Israel's ha-mashiach (messiah). It is NOT about Obama or Trump or Bush or whoever sits in the White House thousands of miles away from Jerusalem. In terms of prophecy, Jerusalem is the center of the earth. In terms of interpretation, Israel is the focus of all prophecy and promises with regard to events and spiritual blessings upon the world. It begins and ends with Israel and Jerusalem. ALWAYS. Stop being blinded by the striped flag of red white and blue Yankee patriotism and look at the Bible as it was written from God's perspective. After all, God is not an American. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The context of the post would suggest something other than Biblical references. That being said, Babylonian influence upon Judaism, Messianic Judaism of Jesus' day & the institutionalized Christian religion was considerable. Prior to the civil war that tore the old kingdom of Israel apart, Hebrews lived in observance of Mosaic Law (more or less). Following the civil war instigated by King Solomon's idiot son Rehoboam, the two kingdoms gradually diluted their religious observance and debauched their moral character. God sent numerous prophets and teachers as well as invading armies to get their attention, but in the end the people resisted with all their will. The northern kingdom of Israel was eventually ripped to shreds by the Assyrians and the southern kingdom of Judah was taken captive to Babylon for seventy years. Prior to the Babylonian captivity the three basic texts of Judaism were considered to be complied in the Tanakh (the Law/Torah/ 1st 5 books of the Bible, the Prophets and the Writings). During the Babylonian captivity Jewish scholars went crazy in the other direction - back to statements of faith and religious ceremony and regulations. As bad as they were prior to Babylon in ignoring scripture, they were worse after Babylon in their multiplication of regulations and interpretations God did not intend. This body of work is generally known as the Talmud. There is more, but for purposes of convenient discussion the Talmud was the result. When Jesus taught in the streets and towns of Judah and Samaria He restricted His comments to the Law (Torah), the Prophets and the Writings (Proverbs, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, etc.). Jesus never quoted Talmudic texts. Unfortunately the Babylonian influence permeated everything Jewish despite the teachings of their greatest prophet and messiah - Jesus. The group Biblically referred to as the Pharisees were the most enthusiastic of any group in carrying these teachings forward in time. They continue today as a group within Judaism known as Hasidic or Orthodox Jews. The Hasidim are the pharisees of our day. In addition to Hasidic theology, restrictive interpretation of Jewish texts and rejection of Yeshuah ha-mashiach (Jesus messiah/christ), Babylonian mysticism continues to infect Judaism and has spilled over into the modern secular world as well as Christianity. Spiritism (the Occult), geneology, numerology and the myth of Hell are three categories that persist in Judaism and/or have been adopted by the institutionalized church. We owe our current belief system to a lot of trash from the past, specifically Babylon (as well as a few myths from ancient Egypt). Few there are who dare to challenge them. that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

The question is less spiritual than it is physical. Many people who live in tropical zones are ok with bare coverings or none at all. The reason is that its so terribly hot and humid. Clothing is not an effective barrier against the elements. On the other hand, take a look at European or Arabian peoples. The former live in cold climates. It stands to reason that one would not be very comfortable running around in a breach-cloth. In Arabia the wind and sand and heat are so oppressive that one needs protection against every aspect of the elements. Muslims continue to dress for the desert even when they live in European nations where the climate is decidedly different. They make fun of European dress in Arabia, but seem to think its ok to wear traditional Arab dress everywhere in the world. I live in Central Florida. The Seminole tribe has inhabited this region for a long time and they did so with little or no clothing. In other states of the country Boy Scouts like to dress up in the traditional garb of the Native Americans of their region. They can't do that in Florida because it would violate a lot of laws regarding child porn and public indecency. The question of nakedness in the Bible can be interpreted spiritually in that one is devoid of covering before God. He sees all our blemishes. It has nothing to do with the quality or type of clothing we wear to worship services. That's me, hollering from the choir loft...