The Allure of Politics for Christians

In their desire to promote righteousness and God's will, Christians have too often found themselves drawn into the political systems of this world. Unfortunately, instead of influencing things in a better direction, the Christian often finds him/herself participating in a process which interrupts his/her focus on God, distorts the distinction between good and evil and causes him/her to compromise with the dictates of his/her faith and conscience. One candidate or policy seems to be the right one at the time we are considering the alternatives, but we often learn later that our choice(s) produced unintended negative consequences. In other words, in our attempt to avert an evil outcome, we often set the stage for an even worse future than the one we were trying to avoid!

This is not a new phenomenon. For centuries, various Christians have seen themselves as acting to defend God, their faith, and their way of life. Christians have found themselves drawn into participating in the persecution of others and taking up arms to repel the heathen hordes of the world. Indeed, when we take an impartial look at the long history of our faith, we see numerous instances where the saints sought to use the secular governments of this world to defend or advance their agenda. Unfortunately, people of faith have taken up arms against those whom they perceived to be their (or God's) enemies, or imprisoned and/or executed them! In more modern times, we have seen Christians flood into the political system to try to influence policies related to morality, freedom, abortion, capital punishment, war, and peace. Moreover, those of us who have been tempted to jump into the fray often fail to give any serious consideration to the effects of our intervention. Did our vote make things better? Did our policy prescription solve the problem? Did our candidate improve the circumstances which originally compelled us to support him/her? In other words, how many times have we been disappointed by our political choices?

Hence, while the impulse to make a positive difference is noble and good, we find that the devil is often found in the details of what comes next! Perhaps this is why Jesus prayed that God would not remove his disciples from this world, but that "he" would protect them from the evil inherent to it (John 17:14-19)? Perhaps this is why Christ said not to worry about what is going to happen in the future, but to be prepared for what is to come (Matthew 6:25-34 and 24:36-44)? Perhaps this is why Jesus told his disciples to render unto Ceasar the things which belong to his realm, and to render unto God the things which belong to "his" realm (Matthew 22:21)? Perhaps it also accounts for the fact that Christ told his disciples to pray for the day when God's Kingdom and will have encompassed the whole earth (Matthew 6:5-13)? Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul advised the saints at Rome to be subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7)? Perhaps this is why Paul told Timothy to pray for the governing authorities so that Christians could practice their faith in peace and without harassment (I Timothy 2:1-4)? Also, perhaps this is why that same apostle later told him that Christians should not become entangled in civilian affairs (II Timothy 2:3-4)? Perhaps this also accounts for Paul's instructions to the saints at Philippi not to fret about ANYTHING, but to ask God to supply their needs (Philippians 4:4-7)? Finally, in the book of Revelation, Christians are warned against participating in the corrupt Beast/Babylonian system which is symbolic of humankind's polity (Revelation 13:16-17, 18:4-8, and 20:4).

Unfortunately, we Christians sometimes forget that we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, and that are primary citizenship resides in heaven (Hebrews 11:13-16). Our salvation, spiritual and physical, is found in God's plan. In short, the political systems which humankind has devised are flawed, and they will fail someday. We must not forget that our faith and hope is found in God, and him alone! (Psalm 118:8)

The Plainest Truth

Readers of my last post may also be interested in a few other of Paul's thoughts about the proper relationship of Christians to the Law of Moses:

Romans 3:19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. (NLT)

Galatians 3:10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. (NLT)

The Mystery of the Ages Revealed!

Followers of the teachings of Herbert W Armstrong will recognize in this post the title of the book which elucidated the most comprehensive and succinct statement of those teachings. According to Armstrong, God had revealed to HIM seven mysteries from the Judeo-Christian canon which had eluded mankind's awareness for centuries: the true nature of God, the nature of angels and demons, the nature and destiny of humankind, the origins of our civilizations, the nature and purpose of Israel, the nature and identity of the Church, and the future scope and structure of God's Kingdom on this earth. Unfortunately, most of the perspectives provided in that book were deeply flawed and based on the faulty reasoning and understanding of its author.

More recently, Pastor Vance Stinson of the Church of God International delivered a sermon on "The Mystery of the Ages" in which he approached the subject from a slightly different perspective, but which resulted in many of the same conclusions which Herbert Armstrong reached about a Christian's obligation to obey parts of the Law of Moses. To his credit, at least Mr. Stinson appealed to Paul's usage of the term in his letter to the saints at Ephesus. Unfortunately, instead of following the scriptural evidence wherever it landed, he ended up twisting it to conform to the teachings about the Law which his church received from Herbert Armstrong!

At any rate, we will begin where he began and take another look at what is revealed in that passage and elsewhere in Scripture. Paul wrote: "For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel<good news>. Of this gospel<good news>, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." (Ephesians 3:1-12, ESV) What or who is this mystery of which he is speaking? Clearly, the mystery is that God is saving humankind through the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth!

Mr. Stinson interprets the passage as revealing that "The mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs," which is certainly a part of the message. Here, and elsewhere, Paul reveals that this salvation is available to both Jews and Gentiles. Nevertheless, the context clearly demonstrates that Jesus Christ is what has been revealed to them - that HE is the vehicle of humankind's salvation. Before leaving this particular passage, we should also note that the phrase "The mystery is...." was added by the translators of the English Standard Version - it does not appear in the King James Version. Moreover, the New Living Translation makes clearer that Paul was speaking about the entire plan of salvation (of which Christ was the focus). This is underscored by the eleventh verse of that translation: "This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3:11, NLT)

That this was the mystery that Paul was discussing is made even clearer in the opening to this epistle, and in its conclusion. In the first chapter, we read: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." (Ephesians 1:3-10, ESV) Likewise, toward the end of the epistle, Paul asked the saints to pray "that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it." (Ephesians 6:19-10, ESV) Clearly, the mystery which Paul was speaking about is the plan to save humankind through Jesus!

Indeed, this is the mystery which Paul proclaimed in all of his epistles to the saints of the First Century. In the conclusion of his letter to the saints at Rome, he wrote: "Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen." (Romans 16:25-27, ESV) Likewise, in one of his epistles to the saints of Corinth, he wrote: "When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God. Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. (I Corinthians 2:1-8, NLT) Also, in his letter to the saints of Colossae, he wrote: "I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:25-27, ESV)

Nevertheless, in his sermon, Pastor Stinson continued to insist that Christians are obligated to observe some of the tenets of Torah. Indeed, the Armstrongist practice of lifting a few passages out of context and using them as prooftexts was apparent throughout his message. His treatment of the second chapter of Paul's letter to the saints at Ephesus is a case in point. In addressing the Gentile Christians of this congregation, Paul wrote: "Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called 'uncircumcised heathens' by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us." (Ephesians 2:11-18, NLT) What had created this wall of hostility? Could it have anything to do with the fact that the Torah was given to Israel, and that made them very different from the Gentiles who surrounded them? Clearly, Paul thought that Christ had accomplished this by "ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations."

Even so, after reading the italicized portion of the above passage as part of his text, Mr. Stinson pointed to the different courts of the Temple: One for the Jews, one for the Israelites, and one for women. He then proceeded to associate this with the "wall of hostility" which existed between the two peoples (Jews and Gentiles). Wondering where he was going with this? Pastor Stinson asserts that the Law of Moses was intended for EVERYONE, both Jews and Gentiles. What? He proceeded to point out that some Gentiles worshipped the God of the Hebrews and were included in many of the provisions of Torah. To underscore his point, he quoted many of the passages from the Torah which include "the stranger who sojourneth among you." (like Exodus 12:49, Leviticus 16:29, 17:12, 18:26, 25:6, Numbers 15:15-16, etc.)

The problem with Mr. Stinson's thesis, of course, is that ALL of these instances involve aliens/Gentiles who were then residing within the boundaries of the Promised Land. In other words, the Law of Moses did NOT generally apply to the Gentile peoples of the earth! Indeed, over and over again (as I have pointed out many times), we read in Torah "Speak unto the children of Israel." In other words, there is absolutely no disputing the fact that the Law of Moses was addressed to the "children of Israel!" Now, sure, illegal immigrants to the United States are still subject to the laws of this nation, but there is no escaping the fact that those laws were designed and intended for the citizens of the United States - NOT them.

No, Armstrongites can try to twist and reason their way around the PLAIN TRUTH that God's plan to rescue humankind from sin and death through Jesus Christ is the "mystery of the Ages" which God has revealed to the ones "he" has called out of this present system! The truth remains undiminished that the Law of Moses was an iteration of God's Law intended for the people of Israel and embodied the tenets of God's Covenant with THEM! As Paul wrote long ago to the saints of Galatia about his confrontation with the Apostle Peter over this very question of Christian observance of the Law: "When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, 'Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.' But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So, I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die." (Galatians 2:14-21, NLT)

Christianity Needs Reformation and Revival, NOT A New Denomination or Organization!

When Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the castle church in 1517, it was the culmination of many years of frustration and chagrin with what many believed had become a corrupt and worldly church. In short, many of the saints decided that it was time to reform their faith and remove many of the abuses, extra-biblical traditions, and authoritarian structures which had become an integral part of the Universal Church. In short, for many, the Church had evolved into something that many no longer recognized as being consistent with the values and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, the founder and foundation of their faith.

Unfortunately, although the Roman Catholic Church, both reformed itself and initiated its own Counter Reformation, the folks who had protested the various corruptions of their faith devolved into a number of alternative theological camps which competed with each other for the hearts and souls of the faithful. Hence, instead of promoting greater transparency and righteousness, the whole movement devolved into a chaotic brawl which resulted in even greater dissension, dissatisfaction, intolerance and divisiveness. Far from cleaning up and restoring the ekklesia to its original purity and simplicity, Christianity focused on doctrinal and theological differences and encouraged disharmony and even more squabbling among the saints than had existed before the schism!

Over the years since, the faith of many Christians has been challenged by scientific and historical developments, which has engendered a cycle of falling away and revival. Once again, however, when we look at the health of the Christian movement as a whole, we see that this "boom-and-bust" cycle has not made a significant contribution to the growth and/or sustainability of the overall faith. Instead, in our own time, we have witnessed the stagnation of the faith on the global stage, and even its decline in both Europe and North America.

Unfortunately, too many of us have attributed the current state of our faith to secularism, science, and Satan and have failed to recognize the fault in our own course and behavior! In short, we have not set a good example of practicing what we preach and have ignored our responsibilities vis-a-vis the Great Commission. Instead of focusing on things like brotherly love, compassion, kindness, service to others, and forgiveness, we have concentrated our attention and energy on doctrine, theology, judgment, and condemnation. In short, too many of us have focused on the piece of sawdust in our brother's and sister's eyes and have ignored the large beam in our own eyes. Too many of us have devoted ourselves to the identification and condemnation of sin in others, while ignoring our own shortcomings and failures.  

Stop for just a moment and try to imagine how this appears to folks on the outside of our faith. Do the words hypocrite and heartless come to mind? They should. After all, who would want to be part of a system that doesn't embrace and practice the tenets of their own faith! What is the solution to all of this? I can assure you it isn't to be found in the formation of a new sect, denomination, or organization! No, the only real hope of correcting the current trend is in changing the hearts and behaviors of the saints themselves. If we can do that as Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, and Anglicans, there is hope for the future. For, not only will we initiate renewal, growth, and more grace and unity for ourselves, we will present a more appealing posture to others and make a better impression on the rest of the world! Indeed, that might just start filling up those empty seats in many of our churches! What do you think?

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ARE Christian Values AND Loving God and Your Neighbor

In response to the statement that "a TRUE Christian is going to be all in on DEI," one of the commentators at Banned by HWA replied: "Do you even know what DEI is? It is contrary to Christ's teaching and Christians would never get involved in such a thing. Apparently, you are confused as to what true love is, believing it to be the acceptance of sin." From my own experience, this is standard fare for many of the folks involved in Armstrongism (not all of them). They claim that most of the folks who claim to be Christian are NOT, and that they embrace a "touchy-feely" kind of "false" love! Personally, I'm thinking that it's the other way around - the folks who say such things are the ones who are NOT Christians!

First, the Apostle Paul defined love as: "patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing <like discrimination> but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (I Corinthians 13:4-8, ESV) In other words, things like cliquishness, exclusivity, discrimination, and racism are INCONSISTENT with Paul's definition of love. Moreover, those things are also INCONSISTENT with Christ's example and teachings!

Jesus of Nazareth declared: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-17) Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints of Galatia: "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:26-29, ESV) He also wrote to the Christians in Rome that "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. (Romans 3:22-30, ESV)

Indeed, Jesus was criticized for healing those who were disabled and keeping company with sinners. In the Gospel of Luke, we read: "And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" (Luke 5:30-32) In the same spirit, James wrote: "My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or, 'Sit down at my feet,' have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it." (James 2:1-10, ESV) Hmmmm, I don't know about you, but that sure sounds like diversity, equity, and inclusion to me!

The Helper/Comforter

In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ had this to say about the Helper or parakletos (one who helps/aids/comforts):

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." - John 14:15-17, ESV

"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." - John 14:25-26, ESV

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." - John 15:26, ESV

"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you." - John 16:7-14, ESV 

A Guest Commentary: Serving Disabled People

True Christians or truly good people in general It should sadden our hearts to see the great suffering of the disabled people. Like the Shriners hospital for children, we should remember the disabled members of our community and those who care for them.

UCG supports law enforcement but when they had the opportunity to do justice, the pastor said we should leave the justice up to God. He thought the courts and police were working for God. How come, if God is real, he never punishes people himself like striking them down with a lightning bolt? The only things God ever does is stuff that is humanly possible, and that is done by humans themselves - never God himself.

We ought to feel saddened by the suffering of disabled people. A minister said, "Don't take them to the feast because you have to watch them." That's discrimination because the UCG minister told someone not to take them to the feast because they would need to be watched. After all, they are disabled. If they truly had an outgoing concern, they wouldn't mind watching someone who's disabled I would want them to have a good time at the feast. That is what he told someone who invited us to the feast last year.

IN THE UNITED CHURCH OF GOD, there is an arrogant ableist that is prejudice towards disabled people so a United Church of God member told someone, pointing at me and my brother, "I can't hang out with these guys." Someone asked, "Why can't you?"  Who was this man? Only the most arrogant and hateful person, who claims to follow Jesus Christ but does not live up to it! He said that we talk funny and are socially awkward. Even though the bible says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." He also called us "retards" to our face!

Jesus commanded to invite the disabled to feast with you. "Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite only your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. At another time they will invite you to eat with them. Then you will have your reward. Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed, because they cannot pay you back. They have nothing. But you will be rewarded when the good people rise from death.'" - Luke 14:12‭-‬14 ICB 

Persecution is a crime that is defined as severe discrimination that results in the denial or infringement of fundamental rights. Practice inclusive love as Jesus loved. Treat everyone as if they were an angel in disguise. One of the people who refused to help disabled people said, "We need a president who can speak!" - putting down Joe Biden on a Facebook post for his speech impediment. It is commonly believed Moses had a speech impediment too. Would you say he is not a good leader because of how he talked too, really? They like Moses but pick on people with speech problems in our time. Moses’ own description of himself is that he had trouble speaking, and God allowed his brother Aaron to act as spokesman for him (Exodus 4:14–16; 7:1–6).

People will know the distinctiveness of Christians by the nature of their sacrificial love for one another. Loving one another invites a test of the validity of genuine Christian living. Love is the badge of a Christian. I wonder why Christians would treat someone with a speech impediment in our time badly when the Bible says Moses had one? Even though you shouldn't pick on someone for having a disability, did you imagine they would pick on someone who for something that someone in the Bible also had, like Moses was known as a stutterer, but they pick on Joe Biden for also being a stutterer, they love Moses, but they pick on Joe, but he has the same thing that Moses had?

The person who bashed Joe Biden for his speech impediment also has a Facebook account he shares with his wife. Isn’t the Bible talking about how we should behave with humility and sacrificial love? Interestingly, that goes against our nature. We tend to want to be the best, the strongest, the first in line. Jesus teaches being a servant. The church called "The United Church of God" discriminates against the disabled apparently their churches college doesn't offer any accommodations for people with disabilities. 

What does Judaism say about this? The commandment "Thou shalt not oppress the weak" applies to all individuals, including those who are disabled. In Judaism, every person is valued and worthy of respect, regardless of any physical or mental disabilities they may have. We are taught to treat all individuals with kindness, compassion, and empathy, following the principle of "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). Disabilities are not a measure of a person's worth or value in the eyes of our faith. In Judaism, every individual is considered to be created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), regardless of any physical or mental disabilities they may have.

The Torah teaches us to treat all people with respect, kindness, and compassion, including those with disabilities. In fact, there are specific commandments and laws in Jewish tradition that emphasize the importance of caring for and supporting individuals with disabilities. For example, Leviticus 19:14 states, "Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. | am the Lord." This verse teaches us not to take advantage of someone's disability or mistreat them in any way.

 Additionally, Jewish tradition places a strong emphasis on the concept of "tikkun olam," which means repairing the world. This includes working towards creating a more inclusive and accessible society for people with disabilities. Overall, Judaism values the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, and teaches us to treat all people with compassion and respect, regardless of any disabilities they may have.

The Bible teaches that every person conceived in this world is a unique creation of God. Ultimately, in the eyes of Judaism, individuals with disabilities are valued members of our community, deserving of love, respect, and support just like anyone else. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are able to fully participate in society and have their needs met with dignity and compassion. There is a commandment in the Jewish 613 commandments it says " Not to oppress the weak—Exodus 22:21 "

About the disabled, we should show them compassion and serve them as equals. Remember, Jesus healed the blind, the mute, and the lame during Jesus's time on earth. Each one of them was a precious child of God, deserving of dignity and respect. We must not look upon them with condescension or sadness, but rather with understanding and empathy. For we are all in need of healing, whether from physical infirmity or spiritual blindness.

Additional notes: Bullying is hurting or threatening people who seem weak. If a church does not give disabled people the same equal opportunities as non-disabled individuals, it could be considered discrimination. Discrimination on the basis of people with disabilities goes against the principles of equality and fairness. All individuals should be treated equally and without discrimination regardless of their disabilities and abilities. 

About the Bible: The four gospel accounts record that Christ performed many miracles during His ministry. Many of His most dramatic were healings. He made the lame walk—gave sight to the blind—healed lepers—healed others with the palsy—and “healed all that were sick” (Matt. 8:16). He also performed many healings of the mind by casting out demons from those who were possessed.

My brother was going to Suffolk Community College now, but UCG bullies were so arrogant they were trying to recommend a day program. I remember when someone even said, "They can walk!" And the church also didn't punish someone who made disabled people cry or want to hang out with them because of their disabilities and punched another church member in the face when they were fighting! 

When we see Christians who mock the disabled, It means that there is a disconnect between the teachings of Jesus, who showed love and compassion towards the disabled, and the actions of some individuals who claim to follow him. By mocking the disabled, these individuals are not embodying the values of kindness, acceptance, and empathy that Jesus exemplified. This behavior is not in line with the teachings of Christianity and goes against the principles of love and respect for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

NOTE: The author of this post, my friend, is a very articulate, bright, and thoughtful young man with a cognitive disability. He is curious about the world around him and wants to be a part of it. I believe that he and his brother should be treated with the same respect and compassion which Scripture enjoins us to do for others. I should also note that I edited out some individual names from the original and inserted a few pronouns and punctuation marks. What do you think?

The Holy Days Point to Jesus Christ as Our Savior!

Although Herbert Armstrong and his followers have maintained that Christians are obligated to observe the Sabbath and Festivals of Torah, they have largely NOT understood them or their purpose. Even though Jesus once said that he came to this earth to fulfill the Law (Torah), and Paul said that they were shadows of the reality found in Christ, they have maintained that all of those symbols pointed to God's "great plan of redemption." Ironically, although that is technically true, they mostly leave Jesus - the central feature of that plan - out of the picture! (See HWA's Pagan Holidays - or God's Holy Days - Which?)

After over eighty years of trying to observe these festivals, modern Armstrongists still don't fully understand the Holy Days they insist we are required to observe. In its latest issue of Beyond Today, the United Church of God proclaims: "Besides His weekly Sabbath, our Creator has revealed seven annual festivals starting in the spring, each one depicting some great event in the ongoing mapping of God’s salvation for humankind...Each represents a decisive turning point in human history." The article goes on to say that "The Feast of Trumpets maps the arrival of Jesus Christ." Continuing in the Armstrongist tradition, they go on to say that "The Day of Atonement maps Satan’s removal," and that "The Feast of Tabernacles maps universal peace and prosperity." Really?

Likewise, the Systematic Theology Project of the Church of God International states that "These seven annual 'appointed feasts' picture God’s plan of salvation for mankind." The document goes on to assert that the understanding that Satan should be associated with the Azazel goat of the Day of Atonement is derived from a book outside of the canon. They state: "In later literature 'Azazel' was considered a name for the chief of the demons, i.e. another name for Satan (1 Enoch 9:6; 10:4)." Regarding Tabernacles, the document states: "This festival metaphorically illustrates the Millennium—the 1,000 years of Christ’s reign on earth. The true harvest of mankind can now take place. Without Satan—the original source of evil finally removed—all nations can now be brought to God. For 1,000 years, a Golden Age shall reign: happiness and peace shall be reality and worldwide salvation shall be possible."

But, do these interpretations of the meanings of these days really conform to what Scripture reveals about its own symbolism? We will demonstrate in this post that the Armstrong Churches of God fundamentally misunderstand what these observances foreshadowed! 

In Torah, God revealed his Sabbath to the Israelites by teaching them how to gather manna - the bread from heaven. Likewise, for us, Jesus is both the bread from heaven and our rest. Just as the Sabbath was the sign of the Old Covenant between God and Israel, Jesus is the sign of the New Covenant. Moreover, just as the Israelites were expected to work for six days and rest on the seventh, Jesus represents our rest from our own works. (Compare Exodus 16:1-31, Exodus 20:8-11, Leviticus 23:1-3, Matthew 11:28, John 6:30-41, John 7:37, Hebrews 4:1-11)

Jesus was the young lamb without blemish whose blood was painted over the door posts of our dwellings (these temporary bodies which we now inhabit) to make the destroyer (Satan) not enter our houses. Christ is the Passover Lamb whose shed blood causes death to pass over us.  Just as Moses led God's people out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus leads God's people out of slavery to sin. He is also the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth that we must partake of to be reconciled to God. Moreover, Jesus is the wave sheaf offering - the firstfruits of the harvest waved before Almighty God during the days of unleavened bread. (Compare Exodus 12:1-27, Leviticus 23:4-14, John 1:29, I Corinthians 5:7, I Corinthians 15:20 and 23, I Peter 1:19)

Now, just as the wave sheaf represented the first of the firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost represented the rest of the fruits from that first harvest. Christ's sacrifice and offering to God had made it possible for God to harvest even more fruit. In this way, Christ's disciples became part of that first harvest. Prior to his sacrifice and death, Jesus had promised his followers that God would send them a Comforter to assist them in their growth and maturation - until they were ready to be harvested. Remember too, that ALL of the offerings to God associated with these festivals pointed to the offering of Jesus Christ to God. (Compare Leviticus 23:15-22, Deuteronomy 16:9-12, John 14:16 and 26, John 15:26, John 16:7, Acts 2:1-36, I Corinthians 15:23, Ephesians 5:2, James 1:18, Revelation 14:4)

Just as silver trumpets were used to summon the assembly in the wilderness and to summon them to move and to celebrate and to go to war, Jesus has summoned humankind to reconciliation and salvation and has commissioned his disciples to "trumpet" that message to the world. Moreover, the New Testament makes clear that Christ will return to this earth with the blast of a trumpet, and that the dead in Christ will be resurrected at that time. (Compare Leviticus 23:23-25, Numbers 10:2, 8, 9-10, Numbers 29:1, Numbers 31:6, Matthew 28:19-20, I Corinthians 15:52, I Thessalonians 4:16)

In the Old Testament, Aaron was God's High Priest who performed the annual rituals associated with the Day of Atonement. Christ, of course, is the High Priest of the New Covenant. Unlike Aaron, Jesus presented his own blood before the true altar in heaven. Also, instead of placing all of the peoples' sins on the head of a goat, Jesus himself bore our sins away from us and God's presence. Moreover, by removing our sins from us and God's presence, Jesus has reconciled us to God and made us at one with Him! Also, unlike Aaron's yearly ritual, Christ's atonement was a one-time event that does not ever have to be repeated. Moreover, just as Jesus was afflicted and suffered, his followers are expected to accompany him in his affliction and suffering. (Compare Leviticus 16:1-32, Leviticus 23:26-32, Isaiah 53:1-12, John 1:29, I Peter 4:13, Hebrews 5:1-10, Hebrews 8:1-7, Hebrews 9:1-28, Hebrews 10:1-14)

Finally, the children of Israel were instructed to dwell in temporary shelters for the duration of the last festival to remind them that they had been forced to dwell in temporary shelters while they wandered in the wilderness. In similar fashion, Christ was made to tabernacle in the flesh for a little while so that he could experience what we all experience in these mortal bodies and pay the penalty which our sins have incurred. Moreover, just as the Feast of Weeks celebrated the first or Spring harvest, this festival also pictured the second or fall harvest in the Holy Land. Also, Christ's tabernacling in the flesh paved the way for the great spiritual harvest at the end of the age - the time when the majority of mankind will finally be harvested and receive salvation and life through Jesus Christ! (Compare Leviticus 23:33-43, John 1:14, I Corinthians 15:20-28, II Corinthians 4:7, Hebrews 2:9 and 14-18, II Peter 1:14)

As for the so-called "Last Great Day," we read in the Gospel of John that Christ delivered a specific message on that day. In that account, we read: "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39) Hence, we see that, once again, the day is all about Jesus and salvation through HIM! Unlike the voluminous writings of the ACOGs, this post represents the real Scriptural meaning of these days.