choir loft

References to 'sons of God' vary depending upon context. The phrase occurs 5 times in the OT (Genesis 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1 & 38:7) and five times in the NT (Matthew 5:9; Luke 20:36; Romans 8:14, 19; Galatians 3:26). The phrase has a different meaning in the OT than in the NT. OT references generally refer to corrupt spirits that are held in some sort of bondage until a time of final disposition. NT references generally refer to those who are saved - humans. Jesus usually referred to Himself as 'son of Man' - using the identifying phrase from Daniel 7 - an implication of His 2nd coming. Much has been debated about fallen angels and their supposed sexual intercourse with human females, little of which is Biblical. These unBiblical references usually imply the creation of mythical creatures that are hybrids of human and animal or are ugly animal creatures. I submit that fascination with the subject is itself perverse and subject to demonic influence when an undue amount of meditation is involved. Why the fascination with perverse sexual encounters? The Bible doesn't provide an inordinate description of the subject. One ought to wonder, as I do, why this is so important a subject to some. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Don't believe.....what? According to scripture the Holy Angels CAN assume human form. By this its implied that what is perceived is a form, not an actual human body. Likewise demonic spirits may persuade their victims that what is being seen is solid human matter. The argument rests on the head of a razor and we can only discern correctly by looking into examples and statements of scripture. Denying what scripture teaches is a fool's errand. The kingdom of satan is not without power...or what we refer to as authority. While the kingdom of deceit lost its heavenly status when evicted from heaven, it gained much upon earth. When satan tempted Jesus it was said that it had been given authority over all the empires of man. Here's a question for you; If satan was given authority over all the kingdoms of mankind - WHO gave it such authority? Bear in mind satan was speaking to Jesus, who didn't argue satan's assertion. Jesus knew, as did satan, that demonic authority did not come from God, but that it (satan) DID have considerable authority. Where, then, did satan get its authority if not from God? Make no mistake...authority it does have. (Hint: Read Genesis 3) that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Sorry if I ruined your image of me. I'm a veteran, not a hero. I served in the military service of the United States from 1968-1974, a period of six years. During that time I was deployed overseas four times. When I entered the service I was a naive kid. I had a large America flag hung on my bedroom wall and I immersed myself in all manner of literature that honored American victory in WWII. During my service I personally witnessed inappropriate unjust illegal and murderous acts that were the antithesis of everything I believed my country represented. I witnessed the deliberate massacre of innocent civilians and the destruction of a democratic nation for the purpose of enabling corporate power sympathetic to Washington, DC. In other words we assisted in the destruction of a democratically elected government so as to replace it with a fascist dictator-state. I received an honorable discharge for participating in dishonorable acts. I have innocent blood on my hands. There is nothing you could say or do that would make me feel more ashamed of my enlistment or more disgusted with my country than that which I enabled by my service to a flag that dishonors everyone who salutes it. When I left military service I burned my uniforms. I knew others who buried their uniforms as soon as they got off the plane at home. Still others left their gear in the airport men's room. Those I served with KNOW the full extent of our SINS and WICKEDNESS, which we performed in uniform. To this day I REFUSE to salute the flag, REFUSE to speak the Pledge of Allegiance and REFUSE to support the troops (most of whom innocently put on their uniforms without knowing the dishonorable intent of those who order them into battle). I have pledged my allegiance to Jesus Christ. If He is rightly owed 100% of it, then how much is left for the stars and stripes? Nothing. Scripture says I owe Caesar my taxes and my obedience to civil law. That's it and that's all. I owe nothing else to my government. Bear in mind, sir, that our government owes nothing to us in return. We and our ideals have been betrayed on every imaginable level. If you are disappointed in me, I apologize. I did my duty to my country, for which I shall remain ashamed and guilty for the rest of my natural life. Every veteran who participated in things of this nature will tell you the same thing. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Neither does it justify GETTING MORE TATTOOS in contradiction of God's Holy LAW. Why are you so adamant to defend SIN? that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The miraculous tattoo removal you mention sounds like a TV commercial to support some iterate evangeli$t. Most stories like this are bogus - fake. If there is supporting documentation, photographic proof or perhaps a testimony from the man's mother I'd consider it plausible. However, this isn't likely to appear anywhere. According to the LAW expressed in Leviticus one should not tattoo the skin. (Leviticus 19:28) Bear in mind that spiritual rebirth doesn't necessarily impact the flesh. We all die in the flesh ... and to some extent are called to deny it in our normal Christian life, by the LAW. Most Christians don't pay any attention to the LAW anyway ... and then wonder why they suffer afflictions and diseases and trials. Stupid is as stupid does. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 11:29-30) Do what you will. Believe what you want to believe. (Prov 14:15) Let your ears be tickled by every lie of the world. (2 Tim 4:3) When we suffer because we deny God's LAW, He laughs at our misfortunes. (Job 9:23) But God isn't willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) REPENT and be saved. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Those who hate God's LAW will ALWAYS redefine what is or is not a SIN. This is especially true with church folks who aren't taught the LAW any more (in centuries past they were) and who believe they are a law unto themselves. I've witnessed to Christ in biker bars. Theirs is an attitude both refreshing and lacking in hypocrisy. They KNOW what SIN is and they KNOW they're guilty of breaking the law. One gets no argument from them except perhaps to be shown the door when they become impatient. Christians and Jews will justify themselves all day and night ... and on the next morning they'll still be guilty as hell. Both believe their traditions will save them and both are as lost as the boys in the biker bars....except that the religious types refuse to admit to it. It is said that one evidence of the End Times will be lawLESSness. This does not fully refer to violence, but also that of disdain for God's Holy LAW. Christians and a growing number of JEWS today dishonor disrespect and ignore the LAW. BOTH uphold their invented traditions and claim they'll be saved by them. They will not. Case in point here is the marking of one's skin - tattoos. They are forbidden. Excuses, human tradition and popularity of the marks will NEVER make it lawful. What IS done is that of hiding the marks.....just as Eve and Adam tried to hide their SIN from God. (Genesis 3:7) Condoning tattoos is not justification for getting them and keeping them. Will tattooed people now dictate to God what is or is not SIN? It seems they do. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Phylacteries were worn at all times as indicated in the gospels and commanded in the ceremonial LAW of Moses, but most particularly during synagogue services as you've pointed out. Indeed even the 'tzit tzit' are worn today even by those who aren't orthodox by admission. I personally prefer to wear them with my tallit during worship services only, but many wear them attached to the belt loops on their trousers on a daily basis. Bottom line here is that there doesn't appear to be any insistence upon where or when these items are worn and displayed. That they are worn at all IS my point. Discussions of these points are academic since our secular women and men seem to feel it's entirely appropriate to dress like a slut in public without the slightest consideration of the sexual aberrations such clothing represents. One of the tangential issues of service in the Israel Defense Force is wearing phylacteries on the arm and head (pictured above). Orthodox men once refused to serve in the IDF until certain acknowledgments were made by the military to their traditional accoutrement. The picture you shared in your post is an example of the IDF's yielding to the point of wearing phylacteries during military service. YES they are worn during worship, but YES they are also worn at other times as well. (I should point out here that the fellow in your photo is NOT participating in a religious service. Evidence of this is that he isn't wearing a Tallit, which is required attire for Jewish worship services.) Jesus once made a joke of those who wore excessively long or large phylacteries as a measure of public religious pride and hypocrisy. The SAME thing is done by Christians who wear HUGE crosses on necklaces around their neck or as tattoo marks on their skin or who display them on their cars or as statues in their homes, etc. MY POINT is the odd parallel described in the book of Revelation between phylacteries and the Mark(s) of the demonic religious system. Is it a coincidence? I think not. Does any demonic perversion of appropriate religion have to be exactly identical or is it enhanced by its own twisted application? I believe this is a distinct possibility. Indeed we see much of the church already embracing certain aberrations of behavior certified by the RCC (the embodiment of the demonic religious system). Attending church services on Sunday rather than Saturday is one of them. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” (Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. (Daniel 7:25) Secular society has thrown all such discussion into the waste bin of history. It is a FACT of American life that God may own Saturday, but the NFL owns Sunday. Returning to the Marks of the religious system, I don't believe they need to be as overt as Jewish phylacteries or as imaginative as the idea of tattoo marks on the skin. The hand is typically representative of action, of active WORK being performed for some reason. The head is typically representative of ALLEGIANCE, of active assent to a particular religious doctrine or political entity. Together the head and hand symbolize a kind of fanatic support of either religion or politics or both together. Personally I feel this is the appropriate interpretation of Revelation's reference to such marks. Are they real marks or are they figurative and representative? Perhaps both, for every single tyrant in history has demanded both whether they employed actual physical marks or not. Is not our salute of the American flag and declaration of allegiance the same thing? We need to be very careful about what it is we think is important enough to demand and receive our absolute fanatical allegiance. that's me, hollering from the choir loft....

I take exception to simplicity here with regard to interpreting the placement of the marks. The Revelation reference is directly connected to the tradition of wearing phylacteries. (Please Google phylacteries.) We must FIRST examine the LAW and what it says about phylacteries.....that which is bound upon the hand and head. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16) The "it" referenced above implies either the demonic global religious system or the leader of it. Both are implicated. The scripture quoted above is rather odd in that it does not agree with the requirements either of Jewish LAW or tradition. It's a specific description of a religious system that perverts God's Holy LAW. What then is the meaning of God's LAW? How is it to be correctly interpreted? And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” (Exodus 13:16) According to Mosaic LAW, wearing phylacteries is still obligatory upon those who strictly observe the LAW (mostly orthodox Jews). PHYLACTERIES are to be worn on the head and whichever arm isn't primary. For instance, if the left hand is primary then a phylactery is to be worn on the right arm. If the person is right handed then a phylactery is to be worn on the left arm. Phylacteries are of two kinds, both of which are to be worn by the devout Jew. One is a leather strap that is curled tightly around the forearm. The other is a small wooden box worn on the forehead and attached to the head with a leather strap. The small box contains verses of scripture from the LAW. Those that wear them claim they make the wearer feel closer to God. (I can't attest to the veracity of this claim.) Since we now understand the correct interpretation of phylacteries - how they are worn and why, we may continue to explore the meaning of Revelation with regard to its prediction of the corruption of this Jewish LAW and tradition. Historic and Biblical references chronicle ordinances made by conquering rulers that restricted trade. In order for a person to escape persecution and in order to further establish the authority of a tyrant, numbers were either carried by citizens or tattooed upon their flesh. The practice is in force today in every nation on earth. Every person is issued a number or identification of one sort or another and cannot perform transactions without it. Is this interpretation of the End Times correct? I suspect it isn't. All the scriptures about the global anti-Christ system refer to a religion. To the best of my knowledge there is no such religion in existence today. It has been argued by some that this church manipulates currency, but no sufficient evidence has been offered to substantiate it. Therefore we turn to the meaning of phylacteries - one that is entirely corrupted in most interpretations I've read. Is there a correct interpretation that hasn't been influenced by aberrant guesses and that doesn't depart from the true Biblical meaning of phylacteries? There are none available that I'm aware of except perhaps one......that the church by way of allegiance (the right hand symbolizes working allegiance) and assent (the head symbolizes mental acceptance or belief) might already have placed an invisible mark upon those who falsely follow it...rather than Christ. You see.......its not all that simple. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Americans typically admire those who are violent, liars, confidence artists and who live in positions of privilege and influence. We teach our children to honor celebrities (regardless of their moral debauchery), sports figures and to some extent politicians (the very embodiment of corruption) as well as institutionalized murderers (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines). If peace makers are the sons of God, then whose sons are they who make war and honor it? Americans admire the proud and the strong. It isn't the earth the meek inherit, it's the dirt. Should an angel appear on earth without the ability to reduce an entire army to ruin and death it would be the object of laughter and disdain. I too have seen angels. They are creatures deserving of our respect and attention. (It's also rather odd that they aren't very friendly. Therein lies the chief difference between the Holy Spirit, who is the embodiment of love closer than a brother, and angels who demonstrate no personal affection whatsoever.) It should be noted that Genesis 6:3-4 suggests the intent of God to put a physical end to giants in the earth. On the other hand, if it were up to mankind these creatures would be drafted into our professional football and basketball leagues. The desires of the human heart are only evil continually. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

SIN makes humans different from every other creature in creation. It isn't intelligence or social organization or space travel. All these things are subject to scrutiny of one sort or another. The similarities between humans and animals are too numerous to ignore. Other than open hostility toward the One who created us, there isn't any other difference worth noting. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 3:19) Indeed there is NO component of the average human that survives physical death. A human dies the same as any sick dog or cockroach. Nothing of the human survives physical death. There is no 'human spirit' that is claimed or worshipped in American culture today. There is no such thing as eternal torment - hell. The basis for the doctrine of hell rests in the assumption that there is an everlasting component of humanity. There is no evidence of this either physically, philosophically or Biblically. If the human doesn't exist beyond death then everlasting torment is impossible. Only when this quality is assumed <falsely> does the possibility become rational to the point of discussion. According to Genesis 3 the eternal component was lost and/or removed from humans due to SIN. This eternal component is called "the Image of God" in chapters 1 & 2. Once lost the indwelling Image of God, which enables immortal life, isn't mentioned again in scripture until Colossians 1:15 where it is specifically defined and named as the spirit of Jesus Christ. It's also called the 2nd birth - the birth of the spirit of God. If there were no necessity for this immortal spirit, then it would not have been necessary for God to die on the cross. It would not have been necessary to proclaim the Good News. The Good News is that God has decided to remove the curse of death upon those who do not have the immortal Image of God and to give it to them. This is why the resurrection was so exciting to those who first witnessed it. This is why those who preached eternal life were so excited about it. This is why so much is written and rewritten about it. For if there is no such thing as eternal life given to man who didn't have it in the first place, then the whole gospel message is an absurd lie. Consider then, that to which we are called and invited...to participate in the greatest miracle upon earth since creation itself - the gift of the Image of God to man - the gift of the 2nd birth - the gift of God Himself, Jesus Christ. For if the eternal component of man had NOT been lost, there would be no necessity to be born AGAIN. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

In this do I agree with you....God is no longer interested in churches. "For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:17-18) Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2) “The glory has departed ......” (1 Samuel 4:21) The church has turned its back upon God and God's LAW and is now enamored of the corrupt relevancy of secular society, of its sexual aberrations and its debauchery. God no longer visits most churches. Their prayers are not heard by God. (John 9:31) This is also why Messianic Judaism is enjoying a resurgence not seen in the world since the 1st century. God's blessing is upon His people Israel NOT THE CHURCH. (*) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “’Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; (Revelation 18:4) that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) It is commonly and mistakenly taught today in our post-modern churches that the church saves, not Jesus Christ...that the church is God, not the Lord of Hosts...and that the church has replaced Israel as the chosen people, which it most certainly is NOT. The modern State of Israel is the revived nation predicted by Ezekiel 37. Those that insist otherwise are not in accord with God's Word, the unbiased record of recent history or God's plan of redemption ... including the soon return of Messiah Y'shuah.

Churches deny God's Holy LAW...to the point of lunacy and indiscriminate obsession. Nobody teaches the need for repentance and nobody teaches the fact that the LAW still stands. Churches today arrogantly teach hostility toward the LAW and anyone who suggests it ought to be respected and applied to one's life with Christ. "The parsons will dig their own graves. They will betray their God to us. They will betray anything for the sake of their miserable jobs and incomes. Protestant clergy don't believe in anything except their well-being and office". (Adolph Hitler) Truer words were never spoken for today we see many church leaders embracing politically correct agendas and immoral behavior as a standard for faith. The parsons always have one hand on the Bible and the other in someone else's pocket or pants. This much is true. I've personally seen it over and over again. Nobody cares about PEOPLE. Who then do the people seek as a shepherd for their lives? If they can't find it in church they will seek it elsewhere. These are undeniable facts of our post-modern society and apostate church. I have been in the trenches of deliberate church mismanagement. My warnings are true and accurate as any one who exercises a modicum of effort will discover for themselves. Laziness isn't acceptable in pursuit of God's kingdom. If anything we are to run toward it as fast as we can. (1 Corinthians 9:26) that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

If you deny that Jesus, the immortal God He admitted to being, died on the cross then you deny any possibility of salvation by His blood ACCORDING TO THE LAW. For it is by His blood we are saved once and for all time. Therefore there remains no hope of justification, of forgiveness or of fellowship with God according to your agenda. If I believed in hell, which I don't, I might be justified in saying, "see you there". Does not the scripture say He tasted death for us all? He didn't have to do so, but He did. Your argument is rather like Muslims who deny God can be human (who also deny the Qur'an's statement of the possibility in surah 28). Which is it? Can God become human and actually die as scripture said He would and as it said He did or can He NOT because YOU say its impossible? that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Nice spin, but quite a dizzy one. Let me put it to you this way........if Christ isn't God, then His death meant nothing in terms of providing atonement for SIN. According to the LAW, atonement for SIN can only be accepted by God if a suitable BLOOD sacrifice is offered. Prior to Jesus' death on the cross, the acceptable sacrifice for SINs was animal blood. Various animals were offered at different times for different reasons too numerous to go into here. Bottom line is that the life of the creature is its blood, which is why blood must be offered. However, the sacrifice of animals was eventually declared by God to be obsolete (Heb 8:13) because it was temporary. A perfect animal, however clean it may be, is still mortal ... still subject to the natural effects of mortality, meaning limited life span. This is why animal sacrifices had to be made continually. A perfect man, especially one that is IMMORTAL, is the acceptable PERMANENT sacrifice for SIN. It only needed to have been offered one time to last for all time for all who benefit from it. Only God is immortal. (1 Tim 6:16) This is one of the reasons Jesus said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) Therefore it is the immortal God who died upon the cross, who's death will benefit all who claim it for their own. In Matthew 7:17 Jesus says MOST PEOPLE WILL DIE without the justification offered by His death. Most people will reject it. We see the truth of this in history. Most people do not accept the Lordship of Christ and most people, being informed of God's generous mercy, CHOOSE TO REJECT IT.....they "JUDGE THEMSELVES worthy of immortal life" (Acts 13:46) (Which is WHY Jesus told His disciples not to judge others....they didn't need to do so....because the 'others' judged themselves already.) Hope this helps. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

You are way off the rails on this. My post isn't an attempt to affirm religious convictions, but to determine how to sift through all the chaff and rhetoric that is presented to us by the world. May I remind you, sir, that the world does NOT recognize Jesus as being the personification of what is essentially an abstract concept. This is why we endure murder thievery lies and why we, including most Christians in America, glorify war and those who participate in it. If peacemakers are the sons of God, then who are those who glorify and promote war? Is not the pursuit of American wars nothing less than the manipulation of an entire population into believing a lie? How do we determine the truth of things? What measure do we use? Most who read John 14:6 misrepresent and misunderstand what the Son of Man was saying to His Talmudim *. What is truth? If Jesus claimed to BE the truth, then we need to know what truth IS do we not? Truth is that which is consistent with what is. (def: Merriam Webster dictionary) Let's be clear on this. When Jesus said He IS the truth He was saying He is consistent with what IS. Within the context of the religious conversation He was having with His Talmudim He was saying He and the Father are the same thing - the same person. Jews of the time disbelieved it. Christians today don't understand it. Instead they content themselves with parroting words they do not comprehend. Within the context of atomic physics, any scientific physicist can also lay claim to the truth when He publishes a scientific paper on his discoveries. The same is true for any field of endeavor humans may attempt or discover including the local auto mechanic. Context is important here when referring to the person and nature of Christ or anything else. Discernment is also important when we attempt to discover the manipulations of society, politicians, the government, our schools and even our religious institutions. Most of the time most of them are NOT true. Variations and exceptions are the rule in 21st century America. Most of them now have an agenda that is inconsistent with what IS - inconsistent with God's Holy LAW. This is my point here. This is what I'm trying to illicit from readers and posters. What is true in society and what isn't? What benchmark do we use to determine we aren't being conned into believing and acting upon something that IS NOT......true? According to the Bible, God's LAW is the benchmark for all things moral and spiritual. Unfortunately the church now completely denies the LAW as do many Jews (some Reform Jews deny Torah and Adonai altogether). These are the days of lawlessness - not violence alone, though that is certainly on the rise, but of the lawlessness that results from refusal to be bound by God's LAW any more. (There are videos on YouTube showing satanists and representatives of the Gay Agenda in the act of tearing to pieces a copy of the Bible. While Christians and Jews may look upon this with horrified eyes, they DO THE SAME THING in their solemn assemblies when they reject God's LAW or make excuses for ignoring it in their hearts and with their mouths.) The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom everything that causes SIN, and those who commit lawlessness (Matthew 13:41). The wages of SIN is death. (Romans 6:23) Therefore since we have all REJECTED any representation of truth whether it be an abstract concept, the Son of Man or the LAW itself how are we to judge what we're being told? Pointing to a dead guy on a stick won't persuade those who deny any and all legal and moral standards of behavior. What do we do? Do we accept God's LAW as a personal benchmark or do we sit on the fence and watch the world circle the drain of history? Choose wisely, for it is God who will ultimately judge US according to what we've done with the salvation He's provided. that's me, hollering from the choir loft... (*) Talmudim - (def) a disciple or student. In the context of the time of the gospels, Talmudim were those who had attached themselves to a teacher (Rabbi) for the purposes of learning philosophy, religious laws (mitzvah) and history. While modern Judaism continues to support formal learning in its Yeshivas (rabbinical schools), Christians make little or no effort to do so. Some churches deny the veracity of any formal education at all (ie: Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas). All students typically choose an institution or teacher for learning. Jesus turned the process on its head when He chose His students instead of them choosing Him.

The subject for discussion here is, WHAT IS TRUE. 1918 US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson is purported to have said: The first casualty when war comes, is truth. It isn't meant to be a logical or religious or philosophical definition of truth itself, but rather a cultural one - one more political than scientific and one more subjective than objective. It has been said that PERCEPTION IS REALITY, meaning that one's opinion on a subject is normally based upon attitude rather than evidence. "What a fool believes, no wise man can reason away." (Doobie Brothers song of the year 1988) In this first quarter of the 21st century, we find ourselves subject to manipulation at every level. - Retail advertising is designed to encourage us to part with our hard earned money (or revolving credit) to buy things we don't really need. - Reelection campaigns promote those who hope to gain an advantage in society. Contributors donate millions of dollars to their favorite candidate who in turn exposes us, the gullible American public, into voting them into office - whereupon they will act according to the desires of their contributors rather than in the best interests of the voters. Does it work any other way? Certainly not in 21st century America. - Religion is no less active in the arena of attempts to manipulate its captive audience. Unfortunately in this day and age it doesn't seem to be as expert in manipulation as it competitors for public attention. Declining regular attendance proves this point true. - Government manipulation is at an all time high - being dedicated to selling the general population on the necessity of continued undeclared war upon any party or nation that opposes the national interests of our mega corporations, military and intelligence community, to the detriment of maintenance of public infrastructure, the defense of our borders and public safety. The impetus of this manipulation is a principle of propaganda called PERCEPTION OF REALITY. "The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth." (H. L. Mencken) Any and every device known to man is employed to pervert the sense of tradition and what is commonly thought to be truth. In the end truth itself is the first casualty. It's obvious to everyone that there are more churches and church denominations in America than one can shake a stick at....more excuses for continuation of war than there are proofs... and more reasons to doubt everything than there are TV stations on our cable or internet feed....and almost every one of them quotes the Bible in one fashion or another to justify its erroneous manipulations. So what is true? How do we tell the difference when even the Great Opposer has quoted scripture to the Son of God so as to manipulate Him to lawless action? Is scripture a reliable benchmark of truth or is there something else ... or a combination of sources ... or nothing at all? Which is it? Which should we embrace and which should we deny? Bear in mind that scripture alone cannot provide guidance because every tyrant and con artist also quotes scripture. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

I agree 100% with your position here. No experience of mine regarding angels would dispute your interpretation OR that of the fellow I once knew who survived a disaster at sea because of such guidance. I suspect that secular mathematicians and astronomers, who acknowledge nothing of any heaven but that which they see through their glass, would of necessity be disallowed. That includes our local TV stations that like to rebroadcast the same regurgitated story each December for popular consumption by people who wouldn't admit to angelic activity even if one hit them in the face with a pumpkin pie. I believe the interpretation of the star of Bethlehem being an angel is the only plausible one to consider. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

NO ASTRONOMER has ever been able, with mathematical certainty, to duplicate or explain the manifestation of the Christmas star reported by the traveling Magi. This is most likely because there wasn't a star - as we suppose by a traditional reading of the account. What they followed may have LOOKED LIKE a star, else how could a star park itself above a building? Ergo, it was something else. During my days in the Navy I heard many odd stories. One of them was told to me by a fellow who was stationed aboard a destroyer that was accidentally cut in half by an aircraft carrier. Many sailors died that night. If you've ever been aboard ship when the lights went out you'll understand how black dark it can get inside. The fellow who spoke to me said he was in terror when he called upon the Lord for help. In answer to his prayer he saw a tiny light in the darkness. He told me it looked a lot like the flicker or spark that's made by a cigarette lighter just before it ignites the wick. With nothing else to guide him, he followed the tiny flicker of light around and through the pitch black darkness. Eventually it led him to a ladder. Following it up the ladder he eventually found himself on an outside deck where he could escape his sinking ship whereupon the spark vanished from sight. He called out in the dark and several men were able to follow the sound of his voice to safety. To this day, he believes the Lord answered his prayers with that little spark of light. Could the star of Bethlehem have been some ethereal presence similar to the one that saved my friend's life? It's certainly worthy of consideration. No other explanation seems to fit. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

As a work of scholarly discussion you've done rather well. But the problem isn't one of logic and documentation. It's one of personal importance. One is said to be spiritual who is best able to "blow their own horn". This applies to mega church pastors like Joel Osteen who have nothing at all to do with spirituality in the Biblical sense. It has to do with a mysterious gnostic form of OSMOSIS, which many who do not enjoy the discipline of study embrace. Instead they choose the lazy part - and claim spirituality of a sort also demonstrated by those who dabble in VooDoo. Your long definition and proofs of Biblical spirituality would be welcome in the pages of any scholarly work on the subject. Unfortunately they do not describe the level of brain dead congregations that now fill our churches. I say brain dead because their pastors don't encourage study. Indeed I've been asked to leave some churches because I repeatedly requested a true Bible study - instead of motivational books and discussions which rarely even quote God's Word. I recommend you save your post to a permanent personal file. It could be useful some day for a more elaborate discussion of what church values ought to be.... Because they certainly aren't held to be important now...... that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

YES, churches almost universally reject God's LAW. Want proof? Why do church types worship on Sunday IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE 4TH COMMANDMENT to worship on Saturday? You cannot argue it any other way other than lawlessness. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” (Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50) Did you read the above? It is the church that has SUBVERTED God's LAW into its own perverse form of pagan tradition. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. (Daniel 7:25) Prophecies of the End Times tell us it would be a time of lawlessness. Certainly there is much violence in the earth, but the church is foremost in leading people away from God's LAW. No church I am aware of respects or teaches the LAW. Indeed they teach a false doctrine that Christ destroyed the LAW, which He did not. (Matt 5:17) You aren't reading my words for the purpose of understanding, but are reading them for the purpose of argument. Read me again. Jews observe PERSONAL repentance at least once a year during the High Holy Days. Preaching and physical actions underline the reason for the season. Christians DO NOT observe any particular day or season for repentance - apart from which no one can be saved. Indeed some churches, such as the Methodist church, deny the need for repentance at all. (told to me by a licensed Methodist minister) NONE preach repentance. When was the last time you heard a series of sermons on the subject? Every single one of them would have to be based upon Mosaic LAW, which our churches deny being bound to..... It makes perfect sense - proved by declining attendance - proved by those who see the hypocrisy of our churches today and want no part of it. What do these church types DO about this perceived hypocrisy? NOTHING. They simply continue to deny it exists. Meanwhile more and more members of their congregations deny the church itself has any meaning for them. Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Romans 4:31 HCSB) that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

The claim of billions of abortions is a total lie. According to FOX News the total number of abortions performed in the US under Roe v. Wade is approximately 63 million. That's a long way from a billion.....which is a thousand million for those who don't know how to count. The second topic mentioned in the lead post is something often referred to as a Great Deception. It has nothing at all to do with genocide and everything to do with spiritual authority. According to history, which some deny, the Great Deception is that which is promoted by the anti-Christ system. Identified in the Bible as the Roman Catholic church, the protestant religious community in America generally follows in lock step with this satanic works oriented religious system. The Great Deception is a conglomeration of rules and traditions forced upon Christians by the Vatican and willingly swallowed whole by protestants. For instance, the Bible (remember that book......the one given by God?) says God determines what is right and what is wrong. God determines how He is to be worshipped and when. God tells us this in the 4th commandment......the Day of worship is Saturday, not Sunday. But the anti-christ system, which protestants embrace, says otherwise. "The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in heaven and earth." Barclay Cap. XXVII, p. 218. Cities Petrus Bertrandus, Pius V. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” -Rev. Peter Geiermann C.SS.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. - Daniel 7:25 Which god do you serve - the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob and Jesus or the god of Rome? In the end we see that the church doesn't give a damn about God, about His Bible or about the lost. Every man stumbles in the dark alone - not guided by those who are hiding their lamps under their pews. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Apparently the term "spiritual" applies to someone with an extremely swelled head regarding their personal religious point of view. One does not have to have an education to be 'spiritual' in this way. Indeed one doesn't even have to have completed grade 1 of formal education to be considered 'spiritual'. All one has to do is confess that they learn the things of God via OSMOSIS - a learning process which is denied by Grade 3 in most schools. Nevertheless, evangelicals claim to have this gnostic sort of illumination operating upon them. They also claim that a person who is not on the same wifi spiritual frequency as they are is also said to NOT be a Christian and NOT familiar with either the Bible, the gospel of Jesus Christ or the local Pizza Hut menu. These are perfect examples of WHY the rest of the world considers post-modern Christianity a JOKE. The almost total lack of knowledge and education by Christians is a scandal upon the church. What happened to 2 Tim 2:15? Nobody pays attention to it.....perhaps because they don't know how to READ or THINK. ("It hurts to think," their children cry to their teachers. I know because I've been told by the teachers.) Ours is a comic book, video generation that cannot and will not participate in anything remotely approaching a logical documented discussion about religious or political matters. The almost total lack of understanding and willingness to understand is mind-boggling. "You have to work hard to be that stupid." (John Wayne) Consequently the church as it has been known is rapidly shrinking into a non-entity with those who still attend involving themselves in a sort of ignorant redneck social club masquerading as a church. Legitimate statistical polling organizations predict the church will shrink to 10% of 1948 levels by the year 2050. We've already shrunk to between 35% & 40% right now. Personally I think it will reach the 10% level long before mid-century. We're circling the drain very quickly. Do you know about the prophecies of apostasy in the End Times? Well we're there right now, buddy. We're in it up to our necks and denying it won't reverse the trend. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Not only are you terribly incorrect as to my awareness (how can you judge such a thing of another?), but you are completely ignorant of the spiritual and physical condition of the church today. Every single statistic points to withering. Nearly every revelation of the social and political position of the church points to apostasy heresy and outright debauchery. Don't throw rocks at glass houses. You reveal your own ignorance and illiteracy when you do so. Apparently you have no idea what's going on - or perhaps you have a personal vested (financial?) interest in your local church that you want to remain secret. I suggest you educate yourself further. You have no idea what's going on. Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “’Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; (Rev 18:4) She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel"—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. (1 Sam 4:21) that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Not as long as liberal inspired groups support them... Not as long as the illegals send what extra money they've stolen back home to finance their relatives' trip to America. Not as long as the American people continue to believe its ok to ignore the law and wink at those who do. Not as long as our borders are wide open.......its harder to get into a professional ball game than to cross the American border. Not as long as we remain stupidly in support of politicians who allow illegals to violate our laws. that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

BIBLICAL ILLITERACY is a scandal of the post-modern church......yet several here defend it. This is absurdity in the extreme. How does anyone learn anything? Education is acquired by WORK, by STUDY, by EXPERIENCE and by certification of one's peers. It is NEVER acquired by consulting chicken bones, astral projections, the whispers of demons or false revelations by those who gaze out church windows instead of listening to the preacher. If you need medical attention do you seek an educated experienced doctor or some witch doctor who learned their trade by being taught of demons? If you want legal help do you seek an educated bar-certified attorney or do you wait upon the advice of some auto mechanic or bartender who just flunked out of high school? BIBLICAL ILLITERACY results in the over use of religious buzz words and scriptural slogans employed by those who rarely know the meaning of the words they speak or write. The reason for this is pure unadulterated LAZINESS. Instead of composing appropriate sentences and explanations that anyone can understand these religious buzz words, such as "God is able" are thrown in the face of people who have no idea what they mean. Indeed they come to accept that Christians are a closet group who speak only in mysterious terms that disallow anyone else from understanding. BIBLICAL ILLITERACY is the cause of false doctrine, bogus expectations of God and the certification of church leaders who care nothing for God, the Bible or the salvation of the lost. Chief among these are the dogmatic themes of rapture and tribulation. The former is misunderstood and misapplied while the latter has already happened in real time in history. BIBLICAL ILLITERACY is prideful and denies all references to historic FACT, to scholarly INTERPRETATION and to the Bible itself as for example the application of Mosaic LAW. (It is now acceptable in the eyes of the church to embrace the Gay Authority, lies, theft, murder and all manner of corruption from top to bottom of society.) Denial of Mosaic LAW now focuses upon bacon and cheeseburgers rather than immorality and the meaning of repentance - which is denied most emphatically. The post-modern church is above all morality and defines its own regardless of God's Word. The post-modern church displaced the throne of heaven and now declares itself to be God! As a result of - Biblical Illiteracy. In summation BIBLICAL ILLITERACY has led to the loss of respect of God (nobody gives a damn about Him), about the Bible (several major denominations now deny it as the singular authoritative revelation of Divine Authority) or about the lost (massive crusades, tent revivals and church involvement in spiritual development are things of the past). Church types sit in their religious closets and admit to no one of that which God insists upon. To justify their erroneous self-righteous bogus doctrines they assert the right of BIBLICAL ILLITERACY as legitimate, which it most emphatically is NOT. BIBLICAL ILLITERACY is shameful and a reproach to the church, yet many here support it as something untouchable. Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. (Eccl. 10:3) "You have to work hard to be that stupid." (John Wayne) that's me, hollering from the choir loft... PS Every single Christian should participate in church sponsored Bible study, taught by the pastor and no one else (as St. Paul did). Instead Christians today get their 'knowledge' from popular imagination, self-centered nonsense and secular society.