Archive for the 'Religion' Category

Isaiah 53

We’ve already explored why you were made in the Image and Likeness of God in three parts;  One,  Two, and Three. Those regard what we suppose our final estate to be. But the question before us now is, what is the image of Christ in men while God has seen fit to leave us here in anticipation of Christ’s return?

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” – Isaiah 53:2

I’ve seen many “AI” renderings lately, the makers of which have supposed to be of our Lord Jesus Christ. The definition and use of AI is another topic, but the image of Christ is critical for believers to understand. Seeing these images got us thinking, what is the image of Christ?

There was nothing special about His appearance as a man. He was not particularly attractive or fascinating to gaze upon, and He was not especially stunning in outward physique or face. And He, being a working man, unquestionably wasn’t pretty and effeminate as so many Middle Ages paintings would depict. He looked like an average guy.

Isaiah 53 is the prophecy of the trial and crucifixion of Christ. The degree and intensity of humiliation are vividly displayed, for in being debased, smitten, and stricken of God for our sin, the Father hath highly exalted Him and given him a name which is above every name (Philippians 2:9). Isaiah 53 is the Scripture the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading when the Lord’s messenger of the Gospel, Phillip, showed Him the way of salvation (Acts 8:26-40).

Verse 2 shows us that there would be no outward appearance of His person that indicates He is the Lord. But it’s more than that. Why did God ordain, in His wisdom, that Christ should have no external beauty?

Humans are visual creatures. It’s the most prevalent of our five senses. We have 3d depth perception in one of the broadest color spectrums of any creature on earth. Humans become enamored with beauty for a season. Some men appreciate specific facial structures and adornments given by God, while other men may respect different ones.

We’ve seen folks enamored with the appearance of somebody to the point of refusing to acknowledge that soul’s inward condition and ugliness. And conversely, if Christ had been attractive, could any have heard His great word and the offer of the Kingdom? The Father, through Christ, was and is seeking a people to worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), not in outward impression.

Lovely, however, is the notion that He grew before God as a tender shoot, indeed, born of a virgin, God in a helpless child nurtured into manhood. So too that He grew from dry ground, an infertile hard pack where no life of the Spirit would grow; all Israel hadn’t heard from God in 400 years and was far astray from the Holy Creator of heaven and earth when John Baptist came preaching repentance toward God making way for the Holy One. Jesus arrived right on time, according to the prophet Daniel. But, praise God, not all were in darkness; some waited for the consolation of Israel and the Kingdom of God at His appearing. Simeon in the temple – Luke 2:25 and Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Christ’s body – Mark 15:43, are two examples.

“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” – Isaiah 53:10

Isaiah 53 reveals the lost condition of the human soul and God’s desire for reconciliation. Perhaps you’re not so sure about God’s desire. What more excellent an offer than that His own Son should die for you, standing in your stead as payment for your sin? It pleased the Almighty to bruise Christ and put Him to grief, making His soul an offering for sin. On the cross, Jesus Christ saw you, who would be a son of God. Jesus saw all His seed who would receive the new birth by the Spirit of God to be heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God.

God made Christ’s soul an offering for the torture of hell that your eternal soul was supposed to suffer. Though every sinner deserves hell, God gave His soul to suffer in agony so that your immortal soul, helpless in its sin-stained condition, might see the Glory of God in eternity. Jesus poured out His soul, receiving an inheritance of the eldest Son, firstborn from the dead, resurrected to new life. He defeated hell and set the captives free.

Yes, God wants to reconcile with you so that you might know Him, even be friends with Him in service of His domain; it would please Him. Imagine that; God being well pleased with saving your soul by a simple faith in the power of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead.

The challenging part for those who are His is to resemble Christ. You, dear Christian brethren, are supposed to look just like Him, who sacrificed everything so that men could be remade and joined again in fellowship and harmony with God almighty.

You were made in God’s image, but the likeness is broken by sin. Even for those born again, sin remains and is a constant battle. However, the resemblance to God has been recreated (a new man), and your mind and heart should be refreshed, having been given the image of God again in the Spirit who created you. “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” – Colossians 3:10. The new man, having been made a new creation indwelled by the Spirit, should look and act like Christ, God in flesh.

What did Jesus do, teach, and prepare His disciples to do? Those are the specific things the followers of Christ are supposed to do even today, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” – Romans 8:11.

Don’t limit or reject the quickening of the Spirit, but trust God in all things doing the will of Him that loves you. What does a leader in Christ do? He declares to the believers that we are to emulate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). What is the similitude of Christ if not His people following His commandments because they love Him (John 14:15). The mirror is pointed right back at me, for none are perfect and all fall short. Still, brethren, “…press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14).

Jesus is the express image of the Father (Colossians 1:15, Hebrews 1:3). A disciple in any endeavor of human activity is supposed to be the likeness of his teacher; so much more the Christian, we are to be the picture of Christ who is the Master of all. But so many Christians today will need to be taught how to serve. John 14:9 is instructive, “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

Has the word of God been so long time with you, yet you haven’t seen Christ and how you are to serve? Reading the Scripture, filled with awe and wonder at Him, what are you going to do about that? Hide it away in a napkin buried in the ground? What are you afraid of (Matthew 25:25). We’re all naked before God, why care what people think of you, serve Christ! “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46

There is no outward beauty that we should desire Him. The truths He taught and commanded in the Holy Bible are where the magnificence of Christ resides because in His word is where a man must always find the revealed will of the Father. Do the people you spend time with, do they see Christ? Do they know Him through you?

If you want to understand the relationship between God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit better, always do the will of the Father, for that is as Christ did. It’s one reason why the Father sent the Holy Spirit in Christ’s name; to teach you all things and remind you what Christ has said. Without studying the Scripture, there is nothing about which to remind you! And without doing what the Holy Bible says a disciple of Christ must do: if you read it and don’t do it, it’s not real to you. You remain a theoretical Christian untrained by the Spirit and untested through the fire, having never walked by faith in the service of our Lord to see the blessings of the Dispensation of Grace. You’re missing the Kingdom into which you were reborn and are meant to be an active citizen.

What is an ambassador for King Jesus but one who represents Him in all things and beseeches the lost sinner to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). A consumer of Christianity who won’t be a bondservant of Christ in the New Covenant is a wicked and rebellious son.

What is the glory of Christ Jesus; the fullness of grace and truth (John 1:14). Be the fullness of grace and truth to bring glory to God.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” – 2 Corinthians 4:10

In response to the headline: perhaps not, but homeschooling sure enough is.

Photo from the article: attributed, artfulblogger/Flickr/cropped/ CC BY 2.0

From the article:

The only thing more predictable than boys being fascinated with weapons is them eventually sketching one in class. But that’s not allowed anymore. What is it that makes a little boy — practically straight out of the womb — take an interest in weapons and emulate gun-toting, swash-buckling heroes? Even doctors aren’t sure. As one pediatrician told me about my then 16-month-old son who turned every stick into a sword, “We don’t know why. They just do it.”

Doctors don’t know why because they are almost exclusively Godless servants of money, turned agents of the State for profit. But “we” do know. In a post here at TCJ, Ignorance, Feigned or Real, we show that inherent sin is provable, both in nature and from Scripture.

Now, weapons are not evil, sinful, or a sign of sin, but necessary for living in a world overtaken by the results of the fall of man into sin. Sin entered into the world through Adam’s disobedience to God, and all men inherited this sinful nature from him (Romans 5:12). Seemingly, the Holy Bible being its own authority and believing what the Bible says about inherent sin upset some lurkers. Oh well. Jesus loves me; this I know because the Bible tells me so. If the Bible is good enough for God, it’s good enough for me. Where were we?

All men are sinners. As one does not have to teach a child to strike another child and steal his toy, so too, the very need for self-defense is evident, even inherited knowledge in an infant. If the child will commit assault and theft quite without any training in the matter, why should he not, evidently in his nature from Adam, recognize the need, yay, the divine right of self-defense to preserve life and immediately, even as an infant, undertake to train himself in this requirement? We see no discontinuity in the idea.

Even a heathen doctor could have told this mother; we do this because we are men, and we must keep you from harm. It is our duty. Seems simple enough even to somebody who’s never read the word of God. Now, as we know, this duty of men comes from God and is evident in nature. Woe to them who makes the State or women rulers of households and keepers of men as chattel.

You can read the rest of the sad tale of child abuse at the hands of government communists indoctrinating children in the ways of sinful effeminacy if you desire. Get your children out of government-run schools!

This post is somewhat incoherent, being about three different random thoughts, but hopefully, it connects together, and somebody will benefit. Christ is the final authority in matters of the State, family, and Church, but this post is only loosely connected to those three domains.

“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” – 2 John 1:9

First, God is the final authority on Himself. Second, the Holy Bible is the final authority on all things about God; it’s God’s word. Third, God is also the final authority on you, the individual, and all that men do and say.

Most people have only minor problems with the first statement. Many have issues with the second, but this third drives men to anger, landing them finally in hell. God made everything, and it’s His.

God is holy. You are a sinner. You are made in God’s image.

These three things cannot be simultaneously true. If God is holy, perfect, sinless, and righteous, but we are sinners, how can we be made in His image? Something must have happened that changed or destroyed the original likeness that God created when He made man.

In Luke 5:1-11 Simon (Peter), James, and John, with him, are shown to be professional fishermen. They are experts in all things pertaining to fishing in those waters. For at least two generations, their families had fished that sea. Peter had fished all night to no effect proving the fish were not in that area. Jesus is a carpenter by trade and asks Peter to launch out into the deep and cast his net. In verse five, Peter answers, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.” – Luke 5:5. By faith in the word of God and trusting in His power alone, a great haul is taken up in the net.

Covenants

The word of God are His covenants with men and, indeed, all living things. You should seek to understand these covenants, especially the New Covenant; civilization and your very life hang in the balance of obedience to God by keeping the contract He made with man. Time and again, given as an example to us in the Holy Bible that we might learn to obey Him, men break covenant with Holy God, and a ruinous future proceeds to unfold.

Instruction

To be honest, I would have to say many sections of Scripture bother my conscience deeply, convicting me of God’s righteousness and my helplessness to stop sinning against Him. Sometimes this also happens when I listen to preaching. I don’t like it when that occurs, but it’s true, and I know I need to hear the point being made at that time. It’s my job and yours as adults to adjust to reality or suffer the consequences. It’s a matter of personal integrity before God Almighty.

The situation of Western Civilization, now a godless empire going astray, is not unusual, but adults rejecting reality is historically irregular and deeply problematic to our day. It’s what the judgment of God looks like; everybody is running blindly from the truth. It’s not only an adult’s job but a distinctive marker of human maturity, in general, to adjust to any reality, including the word of God, as set forth in the Holy Bible.

Society is rife with young adults and even middle-aged adults who reject the reality of how life is on earth; they renounce God’s created order and the state of man as violent, wicked, sinful creatures. I fear we’ve been handed over to darkness.

The situation has infected the churches. The young and old alike reject the word of God yet claim salvation. This is a problem of Christian maturity. In every instance, when shown what the Bible says and how they are commanded to serve Christ, they cite feelings, time, cost, or many other excuses to avoid doing the hard work of bringing in the Kingdom of God. A maturing Christian sets his feelings and dislikes aside, mortifying the flesh, and, by faith, follows Jesus through keeping the commanded instruction in the Holy Bible.

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”- 1 Samuel 15:22

Through salvation in Christ, the consequence of eternal damnation for sin is off your shoulders, but if somebody told you that being Christian was easy, I’m sorry, they lied. Crucifying self daily and following Christ to the cross is demanding. In your own strength and spirit, you don’t want to do it.

Maturity in Christ is not a function of physical age; it’s a matter of believing what God says in His word and acting upon that knowledge. A man may not reject His word and claim to be a disciple. God even puts His word above His own name.

And, in reality, we must question the faith of those who won’t pray, read their Bible, serve within the body, and witness to lost sinners; these four duties are the basis and foundation of the New Testament instruction in building the Kingdom of God which brings glory the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

The maturity problem is so pervasive that the churches have stopped teaching that men are sinners. The people don’t want to hear it because they are whiney little babies with poopy diapers who would rather have a pacifier than coming off the milk onto the meat of the word of God so that they may grow thereby into Christian adulthood. They hate God’s word, and brothers, if you hate God’s word, you hate Him that wrote it! Loving Holy God means trusting His word over your understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Witnessing

Romans 10:17 explains why we open our Bible and show the lost sinner what the Scriptures say.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Because Christ has been given all power in heaven and in earth, we have the authority to make the kingdoms of the world His kingdoms, as soldiers of our King. In the operation of God in salvation, the Holy Spirit brings conviction as the lost sinner hears and understands God’s word; this builds their faith. As soul winners, we seek to determine if the lost sinner trusts God. Establishing the honesty of God and the integrity of His word is essential to faith and trust in God.

When witnessing, I ask lost sinners, rather starkly and out of the blue, is God a liar? And also ask them, is the Holy Bible true? (Alternately: is what I’m showing you in the Bible true, or do you believe what the Bible says to be true?)

The lost sinner must confess that what they are being shown in the Holy Bible is accurate and that God does not lie. There are verses of Scripture for both of these questions, but demanding to know what the lost sinner says of his own accord, belief by faith is being tested. If the lost sinner is under conviction, they will confess correctly. (This isn’t the only question we ask, and his salvation is with God alone, we are merely witnesses of the truth.)

If the lost sinner does not verbally confess and admit to the integrity of God, they do not believe in His authority as the judge of men or the authenticity of His word. Salvation is to those chosen in Him before the foundation of the world by faith in the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, plus and minus nothing.

If a man doesn’t believe the Holy Bible as God’s words, it’s not our job to convince them, and trying to do so may damage the seeds that God is planting and watering in their soul. They are not being saved if they don’t believe, trusting in God by faith. The conversation with the lost man is over if they, sadly, reject the integrity of God.

It may be a wonderfully interesting conversation among believers to discuss the source and authenticity of the Holy Bible, but here’s why I’m not a fan of apologetics as a manner to reach the lost. Weaving specific facts or illustrations into a conversation with a lost man is essential, but it’s not our job to convince people of the genuineness of the Bible. If a man wants to argue the authenticity of the Bible, an important question is whether they have read it.

Those under the influence of the Holy Spirit will seek by faith. A function of the Holy Spirit is to convince men of their sin and that the wrath of hell abides on them and of God’s salvation by grace. A lost man can’t understand the Bible. Convincing him of its historical origins can be a waste of time with a lost sinner when he needs faith.

Most men who argue against the Bible’s authenticity are really saying that they deny God, and if you press them on this, you’ll find it’s true. If somebody, whether they confess belief or not, doesn’t believe the Holy Bible is God’s word, we’re hard-pressed to see how they can be a Son of God. If somebody has read the Bible and doesn’t believe it, share some more Scripture with them, perhaps, or tell them to read the book John praying to God for understanding.

The Problem

God is holy. You are a sinner. You are made in God’s image. As stated at the top, these three things cannot simultaneously exist; how can the likeness of a perfect God be a sinner? Something is logically incorrect, or somehow one of these things became untrue.

“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” – Proverbs 20:7

The break happened in the Garden when Adam, given a mind and will of his own by the grace of God, sinned against his Creator. Subsequently, all men became cursed with death and sin for Adam’s disobedience to God’s covenant. Your sin will also affect not just you but your family, church, and nation for generations to come.

That’s what sin does; it destroys our connection in relationship to Holy God. When Adam sinned, he broke the image of God in himself, and when you sin against the Almighty, the person God wanted you to be is also damaged; and it’s too late; you’re a sinner.

Conclusion

God will restore this damage from sin to a far superior condition than Adam in the garden could ever have imagined. The day of the resurrection and judgment is coming. You must belong to Holy God through faith to be entirely remade into the likeness of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. If the Bible troubles your soul, this is an extraordinarily marvelous thing; praise God, for He seeks to speak with you.

“26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” – Proverbs 14:26-27

In the fear of the Lord, not with or because of the fear of the Lord. Salvation is likewise in Christ, not with Christ. It’s not our might or our grace; it’s His to those that are in Him.

Though your faithfulness to God is required, and though your service brings glory to the Father through His Son, none of your yields are sufficient to merit forgiveness for sin. So very frustrating to hear is the man that claims His duties in service of God as warrant for the grace presented as freely given only by belief in Jesus Christ. To suppose works could save your eternal soul is to remit payment due to Holy God: what a perilous chasm to hang yourself over; God owes no man.

And even if one paid all they had, shall you try to best the crucifixion of Jesus; can you sacrifice greater than He? No outcomes can get you life with God nor keep you heaven bound to stand with Christ forgiven. Cast off your reliance on self and gaze upon the cross with the faith of a child; the strength and confidence of the saved sinner rest solely in the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the propitiation: the favor and goodwill of the Almighty to sacrifice His own Son as payment rendered in blood to appease His perfect law for your sin-guiltiness. Assurance of eternal life comes with peace of mind knowing the safest assumption you’ll ever make is in the superiority of reliance on Jesus Christ.

When looking to your right hand and finding no man, no help or pity or care from this world, and none cared for your soul, cry out unto the Lord, call upon your portion and your redeemer, the bringer and giver of life, the God of salvation. Sing aloud of His power, sing aloud of His mercy in the morning, for He is a strong defense.

Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day, and by His power over the grave, you can depart from the snare of death and hell that pursues every man. Never to see outer darkness and the torment of hell; in Christ Jesus is life everlasting to those that are given by the Father to be His eternal prize. “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” – Psalm 91:2

Buried with Christ through trust in God and raised in a new and Holy Spirit of eternal life, placed in the family of God as His child, having shelter from damnation, nestled snug to His bosom in eternity, kept by the power of God through faith is the sanctuary in the Lord our King.

Though God owes men nothing, yet with one drop of that water, clear as crystal, a fountain of life from the throne of God and of the Lamb, a man may have the gift of salvation so thorough, so complete, that in the fear of the Lord, nothing can pluck you from the Master’s hand. But it’s not one drop; the river of the water of life flows freely to all who seek in confidence the Just One as their new and holy city of refuge.

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” – Romans 5:12

Inherent sin is provable, both in nature and from Scripture.

There was a video recently in which the speaker claimed that there is no inherent sin in man because the young are unaware of their sinful acts. I won’t link the video; we’ll stay attached closely to the truth lest we wander. But in this video, his children were acting up very near the beginning. He told the camera that his two-year-old is always doing bad things, but their behavior is not sin because the child does not know right and wrong.

Brothers and sisters, he disproved his point at the outset. One does not have to teach a child to strike another and take his toy. What made the child like this? To claim they are not sinners is to say that God made them rebellious, which, when you realize all men are sinners, is a claim that the source image of man is also a sinner; this is blasphemous! With no prompting or instruction whatsoever, children are sinners. Nobody had to teach them this. Even upon reprimand, children will continue to bear false witness, disobey a mother, steal, assault without good cause, and worse. They do this because they were born this way!

We are sinners, born of the seed of Adam, wholly wicked and depraved, even without remorse. It takes 12, 14, or 18 years to train a child in the way of Jesus Christ. Even then, much to his own dismay, though he would not, an adult born altogether anew by the Spirit of God sent from Heaven by Christ continues to flout the law of God in his heart, in his mind, and in his actions.

In fact, before salvation, the lost sinner may have some vague and darkened sense of right and wrong, but it’s almost always applied comparatively to other men. Man is born a sinner; unless and until the Lord opens their eyes, they are blinded by the devil to God and Christ; yet, created by God, they are His, without excuse before the throne on high. To acknowledge your sin, you must have knowledge of it, which is the miracle of salvation in Christ; that He is opening your eyes, showing your need for forgiveness and fear of hellfire. But Heaven help you, refusal to acknowledge your sin, even in ignorance feigned or actual, shall not save you at the final trumpet when Christ returns.

As to our verse at the top, the Scripture does not lie. Sin entered into the world through disobedience to God by the first man Adam, causing death. For this was the devil’s claim in the lie to the woman; “Ye shall not surely die.” But dead in sin, naked and afraid before Holy God, became the first man and his wife, and indeed his body expired, returning to the dust from whence he was taken, which was the very curse of God pronounced upon him for his rebelliousness. Disobedience to God is now in every man from his birth, so death passed upon all men, every single one, from Adam down each generation until today. There is no more clear evidence of sin than that every man’s life is but a vapor, appointed by God once to die; depravity of sin and the inevitability of death torments us all, for all that are in the world and the very earth itself are cursed by God for this sin.

But spoken in the word of God by the prophet Hosea, portending the day of Christ: “O grave, I will be thy destruction.” And later in the New Testament: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” For what need a man of Christ if he is not a sinner bound to death unto the weight of the curse? Jesus himself said He came to save sinners. That you needn’t have to, Jesus tasted death for every man, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That’s right; payment has already been made; accept it and call on Jesus.

Admit your depravity, abandon your pride, and seek forgiveness from God through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That’s why Jesus died on the cross, to pay your sin debt to Holy God. And now, Jesus having risen from the grave; by the very mercies of God Almighty, you need not die. Though your body will expire and be eaten by worms, those raised with Christ by the Spirit now will be raised again in the body, and with Job, we can proclaim to all the world: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth…yet in my flesh shall I see God.”

Poignant and timely, history applied both personally and nationally. Oh, that America would tear down its alters to neopaganism, the worship of Baal, and the sacrifice of Moloch; repent on bended knee, building the altar of sacrifice upon our hearts unto Christ Jesus, the one true living and resurrected Saviour. God is a consuming fire.

The hour is late; evil unleashed is setting in, and on the final day, Christ will return for those that are His and no others. Woe to those He finds standing at the altar of Baal and woe to those worshipping what they know not in pagan darkness, gods that are dead and never living. Jesus Christ is He that liveth, and behold He is alive forevermore. Amen.

Revelation 8

You can understand New Testament prophecy and the book of Revelation for yourself! To help you, we offer several resources to provide background, key components, and tools. The video below is an excellent presentation of the meaning behind Revelation chapter 8 and the entire book. There is no way you can’t learn from this presentation.

Being unable to understand New Testament prophecy is typical today due to awful teaching. Dr. Baldwin alleviates this malady by doing several things in this video. This is the first time we’ve seen somebody connect Old Testament Prophecy language, adequately defined, to concisely present the meaning of Revelation by illuminating those verses. The teaching here is masterful.

This instruction is essential. The American churches are awash in a sea of ignorance and lies. We’re going to provide study notes and linked materials. All the information presented and linked here will leave you without excuse for remaining ignorant of the real meaning of much of New Testament prophecy. Your churches are not teaching the truth; you remain ignorant and are losing your civilization for it. There is no reason for your continued lack of biblical understanding but willful unfamiliarity, for which you will have to reckon with God Almighty one day soon.

If you begin to watch this video and are lost, it’s ok; that means you first need the requisite background. In this case, start here with Matthew 24. Take your time, examine all ten short posts, praying to God for truth and knowledge according to His will. Understanding Matthew 24 in context is required to apprehend the New Testament’s broader context, and specifically the meaning of Revelation.

Generally, the terms used in Revelation are not defined in that book. But, there’s something in Bible analysis called the Rule of First Use. That is, the first time a term appears in the Holy Bible, it is the most accepted definition and the springboard for usage throughout Scripture. Dr. Baldwin uses some of the simplest verses from the Old Testament as examples to teach the true meanings in Revelation Chapter eight.

Tracing back terminology to its other uses in the Old Testament and proper contextual understanding of Matthew 24 as a background is the only way Revelation can be understood.

Note: There is another fatal flaw in teaching by today’s churches. The correct method is that the New Testament interprets the Old Testament rather than the other way around. The Rule of First Use does not override this different interpretive principle. The Old Testament does not change the contextual meaning of a passage of Scripture in the New Testament. Quite the contrary is true; the New Testament shows the true final meaning in fulfillment of the Old Testament both in total and when specific Old Testament verses are quoted or cited in the New Testament.

A few Old Testament definitions used in New Testament prophecy were provided at TCJ. You must know these terms to understand prophecy in the New Testament.

Prophecy is full of hyperbolic and symbolic language, and Revelation, along with Ezekiel, are the most symbolic books in the Holy Bible. In fact, Revelation verse one of chapter one uses the word signified (KJV), which can mean symbolized. The angel provides John with the symbols of actual events both in heaven and on earth.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” – Revelation 1:1

Dr. Baldwin will help you immensely to understand the signs to glean the substance of the text.

The video contends that each trumpet and woe should be viewed separately and analyzed. We agree for study purposes, but it’s the only rough spot in the video. He doesn’t lay out the format very well. Literary context matters, but structural context also matters. Some time ago, we had written an overview of structure to help with format context for those studying Revelation; it’s called, Structure of the Book of Revelation Chapters 6 through 11: 7 seals, 7 Trumpets, 3 Woes, glorious depictions of Heaven and blessings of God. That post will help you keep your place and understand the action any time you explore this section of Revelation. Please read this first and perhaps keep it handy as you watch the video.

Dr. Baldwin cites some videos from The Israel Packages, which are available for purchase, or you can find each video in this exhaustive series by searching the web. These messages are critical to demolishing Israel-based prophetic futurism. We’ve seen every one of them. The series is worth watching because it will topple the years of false teaching you’ve been under in American evangelical churches.

Verse Studies from the embedded video:

-Rained hail, fire, brimstone – Revelation 8:7

“And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 9:23

Not mentioned in the video but germane – “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven” – Genesis 19:24

“And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” – Revelation 11:8

-Mountain moving/burning – Revelation 8:8

“Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” – Jeremiah 51:25

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” – Matthew 21:21

– Wormwood – Revelation 8:10-11

“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.” – Jeremiah 9:15

“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.” – Jeremiah 23:15

“He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.” – Lamentations 3:15. See verse 19

“Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,” – Amos 5:7

– Block out the sun – Revelation 8:12

“7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. 8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.” – Ezekiel 32:7-8

“9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” – Isaiah 13:9-10

“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:” – Joel 2:10

“30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” – Joel 2:30-31

There’s more. Watch the whole video.

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Additional New Testament prophecy and eschatology study resources:

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Notes on the Destruction of Jerusalem, Part One and Part Two

Two brief Studies on the date Revelation was written and why that matters; here and here

Structural Strands in NT Eschatology

Why you can’t understand the Book of Revelation

“1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” – Psalms 1

Sometimes simple is the best course to take. Not a season but a day of seeming silence from God and in frustration turning to the first Psalm, there is the Lord, waiting in His mercy; the word of God beckoning; draw nigh to the throne of heaven and be refreshed.

Keep it simple; Psalm the first certainly does that for any who seeks to hear from the Almighty, to know of His basic instruction for saved sinners, and has the desire to turn away from the counsel of the ungodly. Also contained in this Psalm is the warning to the man without Christ as his God. Deuteronomy 11:26 plainly says what runs throughout the entire holy writ; God has set before us blessings and curses, a truth of the economy of our Creator, plain from the text above.

There is a lot of negativity today. So much so that it will disturb the soul. The closer one walks with the King of saints, the brighter the promise of His coming and the new creation. And conversely, the further from His love, the darker the counsel of this world, so much so the saved man may find himself standing in the way of sinners having sat down in the seat of the scornful.

Life is a choice every day; the way of the Lord Jesus Christ or the practice of evil that is of the world with its conventions and impostor gods. Psalm One offers two paths, the straight gate, the narrow way leading unto life and life eternal, or the broad way which leads to destruction.

The word of God engages the law written on the inward parts, that is, upon the heart, delighting in the Lord, meditating upon His grace, for the soul of the man that the Lord plants shall not be uprooted. Here is the way of the godly: though we may briefly faint, returning to God’s written truth, getting set firmly on the beacon of hope, the true north by which any compass must be fixed, which is Christ.

Two things are not so: speaking of the scornful (verse 1) doesn’t mean the godly saint goes along to get along with the evil of this world by not rebuking the sinner. Nor is the prosperity mentioned (verse 2) somehow worldly goods and pleasure; for all the riches of heaven await. Come out from the false churches of the New Religion and be revived!

The seat of the scornful is that of the man with a beam (Matthew 7:5) in his own eye. And the man that would prosper is bearing fruit in due season, blessed of the Lord, telling of the loving-kindness in salvation wherewith Christ has made him free indeed. Though He grows us through testing, failing to prosper in service is evidence of not doing as the Lord commands according to the word of God. Do all things God’s way, and though this is the more challenging road, follow the Bible, and by providence, in dominion, His blessings will reign from heaven.

Verse three tells us of the day when there will be a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. No more night, no more curse, but bathed continually in the love and light of God Almighty. In Christ is eternal life to those planted by still waters, never to wither, having an inheritance that fades not, calmed in the gale by the Lord’s indwelling hope, having the signature of His grace, the name of God, in their foreheads.

Every living thing brings forth fruit of its own kind (Genesis 1:11), in which is the seed of renewal. So too, the fruit of the Christian is all things by the law that tend to reproduce godliness in those with whom we interact; the fruit of the believer is the seed, which is the word God spread abroad, planting and watering in the souls of sinners and saints alike.

What better season than the fall of Empire to speak of a finer hope in a better Kingdom with better law and a great high King who rules in the affairs of men? Tell somebody about what great things the Lord has done for you!

The day of great separation is coming, the wheat from the chaff. There is One, Christ Jesus, who is come threshing all things; a great cleaving is at His hand upon the earth. Those without Christ, having never tasted the glories of the liberty in pardon the death of Jesus has brought, will surely perish, fruitless in the end; they will be driven away into outer darkness to burn up in the great fire.

Through Christ is forgiveness. Seek him carefully now before it’s too late because the ungodly, having rejected the day of new life that began with the resurrection of Christ from the dead, will be unable to stand at the great judgment of the Lord. In His wrath, He will indemnify evil for evil upon the head of the scornful man that rejects and mocks the most High by walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Perhaps they don’t hate God; however, some do for no good cause, but they couldn’t be bothered with seeking their Maker, having no fear of God before their eyes.

And what future have those who called upon the Lord but continue to walk as scorners and sinners do? Integrity comes from following Lord in faith and trusting until the end.

All that heaven holds: the wealth of glory is to them that are joint heirs with Christ. The unforgiven may not enter into the congregation of the godly; one must be thoroughly cleansed, washed through and through by the blood of Jesus Christ, made upright, and seen of God in Christ, who is the only hope.

The choice is indeed simple this day: Christ Jesus is the righteous one, and God sees and does know if you are His. Destruction and hell are the future of those without hope; they are the ungodly scornful sinners who reject Christ. The Lord knows the way of the righteous man, but the ungodly shall perish in His wrath.

“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” – Deuteronomy 4:24

If enough Americans turn from our wicked ways, seek the face of the Holy One, pursue the Word of life in His purity, and forsake all sin, perhaps God will relent with the impending judgment forming all around. But you can’t fix them, you can start, and you must begin with yourself. At the last day, when you stand, judgment will be individual; Jesus is your one, best, and only hope to be made blameless before the consuming fire of the wrath of God.

Millions of hours are spent every year comparing ourselves; look at them and how bad they are. It’s an American industry, this sport of observing the wretchedness of others. Well, you can’t fix them. All you can do is get on a right standing with Holy God. If you seek the Lord with all your heart in a contrite spirit, you shall find Him merciful unto forgiveness from all sin.

God is a jealous God. He will allow no other gods before Him. Reject the false gods you’ve set over yourself, your family, and your nation. Everything done against His word is sin, and everything made higher in the mind and action than the truth of Jesus Christ is an idol.

Where you spend your time and money, there is your heart. Examine your schedule and your bank statement. Are those things contrary to the foundations of the teachings in the Holy Bible? When you work at counter purposes to God, you work against yourself and the blessings God would shower from heaven. Make God your god, pray without ceasing, seek His will in all things, and live according to the instruction in the New Testament.

“29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” – Deuteronomy 4:29

In its narrowest context, this verse speaks nationally to those who received the law from Moses. The broader applications are reducible throughout Scripture to the Church, a church, family, and the individual.

God’s emphatic command aims for you to get right with Him, setting yourself according to His law-word. God is gracious, providing His divine criterion, His word in the Holy Bible. It’s a fixed beacon, the standard upon which every man can rely. The world spirals out of control, but God changes not. You needn’t wonder what course to take, what is good and right, for His love is codified for you; the instruction in righteousness given to all men fills every page. His Holy Bible is the measure, not measuring men against each other, but you must follow God by His canon.

Then, after days or weeks of preparation, as long as you need, lead your family out of the wilderness of sin and worldliness, rejecting the Godlessness and darkness of this sin-filled world that has coaxed you away from the life God has called you to fulfill. The way of the world leads to one dead end, your mortal soul in the consuming fire of the wrath of God.

Make a family devotion time together daily, drawing one immediate lesson showing God’s judgment of the wicked, the mercy of His lovingkindness to those that obey Him, and outlining a primary objective for instruction in righteousness to grow in Christ.

If you set about to do this, all manner of distraction and evil will come to bear against you. It’s a war, a real spiritual war of good against corruption. You must fight to bring your family into the love and light of Jesus Christ. But God is faithful and true; He will be with you.

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” – Mark 1:15

Two thousand years ago, the time was fulfilled; the day of the Gospel arrived when Jesus Christ was manifest; therefore, to this day, the Kingdom of God rules in the hearts of men who repent of their unbelief. Jesus came preaching grace and truth, dying for your sins and rising again from the tomb. If you call upon His holy name, seek forgiveness from your sin, setting your face toward the new Jerusalem, that heavenly kingdom, the Christ of God will save you. Today is the day of salvation.

His compassion for new beginnings is available every day.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” – Lamentations 3:22

Prior: God’s Church, Family, State

2 Samual 11:9-13

“But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.” – 2 Samuel 11:9

God was manifest in the flesh, crucified for your sin, rising again from the tomb to offer salvation from sin and life, even life eternal, to all who believe by faith that He is and does what He says. We have a wonderful, loving, and caring God, full of grace and abundant in mercies. If that’s the message you need, stop here.

This post is a hard topic. If you want to avoid facing the reality of our current condition, skip this post. Evil is hard to stomach. Mature Christians must be able to confront the truth of evil in our day if we are to address how to fix it. The object at the outset is to arm you, not cause despair.

The destruction of the family is a blow to the heart of loyalty. The government neither deserves nor bothers any longer to garner commitment, and all its institutions wonder why it’s treated upon the scale from distrust to disdain and outright lawbreaking. The churches soft-peddle a New Religion, becoming full of wicked unrighteous men.

There’s no loyalty anymore. It used to be that a man could have one job, he would work hard, and a company would take care of him. He would have one wife, work diligently to provide for her, and raise his family and she would be loyal to him. The head of the family would have one law, the law of God taught by the Church of Jesus Christ, the foundation upon which civilization must function. But we’re not here to worship the good old days. This law scales up from the individual to the nation.

God is loyal to His own, demanding our loyalty to Him in return. God will never leave you nor forsake you, but what have we done? Loyalty is a component of human behavior and a man’s nature. Being social creatures made in God’s image, we have this same attribute and desire built into us. We have an innate longing to both garner loyalty and to be loyal. Fidelity is how an association of any size functions. But allegiance outside God’s law always leads to ruination in sin.

Though rarely expressed as such, at the core of many a lament today is a lack of loyalty, and rightly so; how can one be loyal to that which is unworthy of trust and respect? Commitment comes from faith that good men will do the right thing, particularly if difficult. All institutions today demand respect but have not functioned for decades in a manner that garners trust; they are deserving of none.

Some men are born having a personality that tends toward loyalty. This is a fantastic character trait, but when the churches, the State, and the family all fall apart, where can one turn? How shall we make a functioning society?

America is littered with millions of people coming to realize their loyalty to the State has been misplaced. This can be a dangerous circumstance as they’ll seek any leader they perceive to be strong enough to direct their cause. And a fraudulent apostate church reinterpreting Scripture to accept sin has led to the ruin of the churches and our country. It’s so bad that forced acceptance of pedophilia and child sacrifice, by law, is not far off. Don’t scoff at this; read your Holy Bible; America is no better than they were. Blind loyalty leads to genocide, and TPTB knows this. Men must be loyal first to God and His law.

Evil tests loyalty by requiring sin, which isn’t much of a test since all men are inherently sinners seeking the iniquity of this world. The darkness truly is the weaker and for the weak of spirit.

God tests loyalty through trials of faith and even tribulations. America is entering one such phase, where the true Church, those in Christ, is being tested. Are they vassals of the unscrupulous empire, or do we follow the Holy One? And God can allow all manner of evil to befall a Christian to draw them closer to Him. God demands loyalty, even obedience. Among the lessons one may find is that God will let you fail, ensuring you know that He is God and that men do not attain perfection. His will, in divine sovereignty, is accomplished in all things.

If you find men who seek to be loyal by nature, you should learn how to be worthy of their loyalty. This is a key component in team building and exists in family nurturing as well. But how can a leader know if somebody is loyal? Seeking a way to devise a test comes to mind, but we have no such formula for righteousness, only time together finding who is full of love one for another.

Some are more so than most by nature. They look for groups to which they can become loyal. It might be that people who appear to have their feelings hurt easily are faithful by nature, searching for reciprocation. They’re not soft or weak but have a remarkable character trait that needs to be recognized and fostered.

People are petty and don’t think long-term, but hard times are arriving. No team wants people that are hesitant to commit fully at that moment of critical decision. Always fostering a team attitude is leadership at its most basic. Don’t take advantage of the loyal.

A man should know himself and his own nature. If somebody is seeking to be loyal, they should be forgiving, accommodating, and patient in all things. Trust takes a long time for others to realize. Even relying solely upon what people say can be misleading; loyalty is found in the trenches of doing hard things together.

The loss of loyalty is a direct result of sin. If you’re a Bible-believing Christian, that’s not much of a revelation. In the case of corporations, commitment to money over people and products is the error. As to government, so too devotion to money and power over the security of the liberties bought in the blood of loyal men. Of the family, the lust of the flesh destroys the foremost fundamental requirement for a functioning society. When marriage is nothing more than a hookup that lasts a few years instead of one night, your society will soon fall.

In the Garden, holy God gave one law that man might not sin against Him. He created the first institution of civilization, the family, to live in peace and prosperity by obedience to His command. At the roots of the destruction of loyalty in America and the west is sin, the violation of God’s law, and His created order upon earth.

Uriah is a hero. We’ve heard much preaching about that section of Samuel but never on the loyalty of Uriah; perhaps the churches are not loyal to Christ our King. The modern churches teach and preach how David and Bathsheba sinned, but then how they moved passed their sin. The American churches teach adaptation to contemporary society with all its wicked sins instead of preaching and teaching how to build and maintain a culture based upon the moral laws of God Almighty. Teaching Christians how to adapt to the beast system instead of how to resist it is despicable; it destroys trust and respect and separates men from the loyalty to God they should always strive to maintain. That’s the foremost problem in American Churches today. When the church has no foundation of moral code, the destruction of the family and the State soon follows.

Few are loyal to a church nowadays. It’s a separate topic, but most Christians seek to find where they feel pleased instead of being challenged in their faith, growing and prospering in the faith of Jesus Christ. Entering into the finers pot (Proverbs 25:4) is hard, but purity before the throne must be above all else. On the tombstone of America will be written: they were comfortable.

Why would men be loyal to a church that condones divorce? In some instances, Jesus taught a more stringent law than the Old Testament, and divorce is one of those instances. See Matthew 19:7-9.

Uriah refused to leave his king (2 Samuel 11:11) until receiving new orders to return to his brothers in battle. That’s loyalty, both to the king and to his brothers. The well-being of his people was at stake because they were at war; this was loyalty to his family and clan. The first reason Uriah gave for not rejecting his moral duty by leaving the battle was that the Ark of God was down on the field; Uriah was devoted to his God. He was loyal to his Creator, the Lord of hosts, the God who is the right hand of the faithful warrior for good.

Government is merely a reflection of society. When men reject sin, flourishing families are established, and a just government is soon born, the structure of which matters much less than the morality of the component members. Loyalty is garnered because the government is loyal to the same law of God that the Church of Jesus Christ is, and the families adhere to it.