Moving Forward with God's Grace

I am so proud of my younger brother, Steven. He has endured so much heartache and sorrow over the course of the last twenty-five years and has continued to embrace God and move forward. My readers may recall that my sister-in-law passed away this past December after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Steven took good care of her, honored her wishes, and did the right thing by her son and parents.

The contents of his house and life with Whendy has now been divided up, and the house which they shared has been sold. Steven has found a new home for himself and is planning a new life based on faith, his family, their dog, and a whole lot of fishing. May God bless his new home. May it always be a refuge for him and a comfort when he is tired. May God bless whatever time he has left on this earth with health, peace, and happiness! 

Taking Responsibility for My Own Choices

In the course of this blog's existence, I have been sharply critical of the leadership and theology of the Armstrong Churches of God. Now, I still believe that all of those criticism were valid and deserved. Nevertheless, in the discussions that have been generated here and on other blogs in which I have participated, the question of my own culpability in my entrapment in this cult has arisen a number of times.

First, I want to say that I embrace that as a valid question, and one that a person of real integrity is bound to consider and to offer some response. Having accepted the question, I want to acknowledge immediately that I do accept a large share of the responsibility for my involvement in Armstrongism. If that surprises any of my fellow survivors, it might warrant a little introspection on your own part!

The PLAIN TRUTH is that I was intellectually lazy and did NOT do my due diligence! In short, taking a so-called college level Bible Correspondence Course, reading the Bible and a bundle of booklets and articles on various doctrinal issues did NOT constitute a comprehensive, objective, or critical review of the information available to me. I allowed someone to feed me a pre-packaged, highly subjective interpretation of the Bible. Looking back, it is clear that I accepted the inferior research of others simply because it sounded superficially plausible in explaining a very complicated reality. In other words, while I was definitely interested and looking for answers, I was not willing to do the deep dive necessary to arrive at an informed conclusion.

Sure, it is easier for folks now than it was back in the day. We didn't have the internet at our fingertips, and it is a tremendous resource in the right hands for ferreting out truth. Even so, I cannot escape that realization in the back of my mind that tells me I should have known better. I also have to admit to myself that it did feel good to think that I was privy to inside information that wasn't available to everyone. The allure of being in on the big secret exerted a powerful influence on my ego/vanity!

Over time, I also allowed those master manipulators to place me in a mental straitjacket. I stopped thinking for myself. I stopped asking questions, researching, and seeking answers to the big questions. I allowed myself to be convinced that such curiosity would lead me to the Dark Side of the Force - that I would make myself vulnerable to losing the "truth" and salvation which I thought that I had found! Looking back, it is clear that I also ignored a great deal of evidence over the years which contradicted the interpretations that I had accepted so enthusiastically!

Yes, there were plenty of occasions for me to reject Armstrongism over the years, but I continued to dismiss or ignore the warning signs that things were amiss. I knew that racism was wrong, and I majored in the history of the United States and Britain in college. The evidence was right in front of me that Anglo-Israelism was completely absurd - that what I had already learned had completely and thoroughly discredited the heresy. Looking back now, I have to say that my excuses for taking as long as I did to emerge from the delusion of Armstrongism look pretty weak and pathetic in hindsight!

The point of this post? NEVER allow yourself to be satisfied. Continue to look, explore, question, research, and learn. Also, listen to your own conscience and invite the Holy Spirit to help you in your search for answers and understanding. Do NOT go and dig in the earth and bury the "treasure" which you believe has been entrusted to you. Jesus Christ, your Savior and mine, made it very clear that he expected his disciples to increase/multiply what he had entrusted to them!

The Feast Days and the Trinity

The Feast Days

In the latest edition of The International News, Solomon Bleary writes: “The feast days and weekly Sabbath stand or fall together. In Leviticus 23:1, God uses the possessive pronoun “MY appointed festivals, the festivals of the LORD” to show ownership. Leviticus 23 addresses God’s seven annual holy days and the Sabbath.”

In response, I would note that God “owns” the entire Torah, and that ALL of the commandments contained therein are “His!” Indeed, they are repeatedly characterized as “my commandments,” “my statutes,” and “my laws” throughout those first five books of the Hebrew Bible (See Genesis 26:5, Exodus 16:28, 20:6, Leviticus 22:31, 26:3, 15, Numbers 15:40, Deuteronomy 5:10, 29, 11:13). I would also agree with Solomon that ALL of these obligations (feast days, weekly Sabbath, sacrifices, offerings, etc.) “stand or fall together.”

Like Herbert Armstrong before him, Solomon failed to mention that everything outlined in Torah represented the terms of God’s covenant with ISRAEL! For instance, the twenty-third chapter of the book of Leviticus opens with this statement: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.’” (Leviticus 23:1-2, ESV) Likewise, after enumerating all of the Lord’s holy times, we read: “Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:44, ESV)

Moreover, God made clear to the people of Israel that ALL of the commandments and instructions included therein were parts of an inseparable whole. In the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy, we read: “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, ESV) And, a little later in the same chapter: “This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 4:44-45, ESV) In this sense, the entire legislation of Torah “stands or falls together.”

Likewise, the Greek New Testament makes clear that Jesus Christ and his apostles viewed Torah (AKA “The Law”) as a comprehensive, inseparable whole. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17, ESV) Here, Christ divided the Hebrew Scriptures into Law and Prophets and said that he came here to FULFILL THEM (ALL of them). Later, in this same account, we read that Christ was asked about the greatest commandments of the Law. He replied: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV) In similar fashion, Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10, ESV) James wrote: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10 ESV)

In other words, Jesus Christ fulfilled ALL of the Law and ALL of the Prophets. It all pointed to HIM! That is why Paul wrote to the saints at Colossae: “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” (Colossians 2:16-17, NLT)

How do they all point to Christ? Jesus was our Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for us. He is also the Unleavened Bread of Life, without the leavening of sin. He is our Wave Sheaf Offering! He is the firstfruits of God’s plan to redeem humankind from sin and death, and who made it possible for us to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! Jesus is both the epitome of God’s reign over the earth and its inhabitants and the impetus for the proclamation of that Good News. He is the one who carries away our sins and reconciles us to God – achieving our at-one-ment. Finally, Jesus is the one who took on our nature and tabernacled in the flesh for a little while, and the one who invited “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!” (John 7:37-38, NLT)

In fact, the New Testament informs us that the ENTIRE Hebrew Bible MUST be interpreted and understood through the Christ event! In the Gospel of Luke, we read: “’When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:44-45, NLT) Hence, we are forced to ask ourselves: What happens to the symbol when the reality comes to pass?

In his article, Solomon went on to point out that “Some argue that the feast days (Leviticus 23) are a part of the sacrificial system of the Levites.” My reaction: Have you actually read this chapter of Leviticus? Do you realize that sacrifices and offerings are woven into the text describing ALL of these appointed times which the Israelites were instructed to observe. Yes, as Solomon points out, there were also sacrifices associated with the weekly Sabbath. That’s because it was ALL part of a system – components of a whole!

So, how are these things manifested in the New Covenant? Jesus is the true Sabbath rest who said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT) Likewise, in terms of circumcision (another sign of God’s covenant with Israel), Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome: “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.” (Romans 2:28-29, NLT)

What Solomon and his associates fail to see is that Jesus of Nazareth FULFILLED ALL of the requirements of Torah for us. He didn’t do away with them. He made them obsolete by being  what they pointed to! Moreover, like the saints of Galatia, many of the people of CGI continue to believe that salvation is something which they must earn! Solomon wrote: “If we are not commandment-keeping people, how will we be saved and be a part of the first resurrection?” The answer to his question, of course, is that we will be saved because Christ obeyed those commandments without flaw and then offered himself as a sacrifice for us – to pay the penalty for all of the occasions we failed to obey!

As Paul wrote to the saints at Galatia almost two thousand years ago: “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.’ 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.’ 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.’” (Galatians 3:10-12, NLT) Even so, there is a sense in which Solomon’s assertion that Christ is going to return to a commandment keeping people is true.

Quite intentionally, Christ drew Two Great Commandments from the Torah and identified them as fulfilling the Law (Love for God and each other). Indeed, Christ commanded his disciples to love each other, and that them doing so would identify them as his disciples (John 15:9-13).

Paul wrote: “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So, you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So, use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:6-14, NLT) Hence, Christ will be returning to people who have been transformed and are living their lives in obedience to Christ’s commandments about love.

Christ’s people do NOT need a list of dos and don’ts like the one given to the people of Israel. The people of the New Covenant do NOT need to present sacrifices and offerings, keep the festivals at Jerusalem, be physically circumcised, attend synagogue on Sabbath, avoid eating unclean animals, consult the Urim and Thummim, observe mildew regulations, or write bills of divorce when they become dissatisfied with their spouses! If Christ’s followers are truly loving each other, a specific commandment against murder, adultery, stealing, or coveting becomes redundant and unnecessary. Hence, the answer to the question that Solomon posed (Should the Feast Days Be Kept?) is NO! One last thing, it is currently impossible to observe the festivals in the manner prescribed by Torah anyway!

The Trinity

In the commentary thread for my last post (Should the Feast Days Be Kept?), the issue of the Trinity was raised and offered as evidence that Christians should be observing the Feasts and Sabbaths of Torah. “WHAT?” some of you will ask. It was asserted that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of the Old Testament – that Christ was the one who gave the Law to Moses. Hence, for them, the Law of Moses = the Law of Christ. And, of course, everyone knows that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Now, admittedly, in the realm of human reasoning there is a superficial kind of logic to this assertion. However, as usual, if we dig a little deeper, the logic falls apart (because it relies on the Armstrongist binitarianism). In other words, a heresy built on the foundation of yet another heresy!

In response to one of the comments, I wrote: “The fourteenth chapter of John is critical to understanding this phenomenon. We read there: "6 Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.' 8 Philip said to him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' 9 Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.'" (John 14:6-11) Jesus had already told them that he and the Father were ONE (John 10:30).

Likewise, Christ alluded to another part of the Godhead in that same chapter (14) of the Gospel of John. He said: "15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.' 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?' 23 Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:15-24) Did you get that? Jesus promised that all three parts (Father, Son, Helper/Holy Spirit) would make their home with true Christians - God with and in us!”

In response, the commentator who relied on binitarianism quoted the following passages:

1 Jn 2:1 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate [parakleton] before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (BSB).

Jn 14:16) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate [parakleton] to be with you forever— (BSB).

Rom 8:9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you

Gal 4:4) God sent forth [exapostello] his Son

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth [exapostello] the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Now, the commentator obviously believed that these passages supported his/her binitarianism; but if we take a closer look, we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in these passages, and they appear as ONE and a part of each other.

Likewise, the same commentator cited a number of other passages that he/she believed would support his/her binitarianism. As one example, the commentator quoted John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He/she then asked: “Why isn’t <it> ‘and the Word was with God and the HS’?” He/she, however, fails to acknowledge that later (in this same chapter) we read: “32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.” (John 1:32-34)

In similar fashion, the commentator quoted: “1Jn 1:3b and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Then asked: “Why isn’t our fellowship with the Father, Jesus Christ and the HS?” As is usually the case with proof texting, the commentator completely ignored what followed. In the second chapter of this same epistle, we read: “20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” (I John 2:20-27) I don’t know about you, but that sure sounds to me like John believed that the Holy Spirit was essential to maintaining our fellowship with the Father and the Son!

The commentator then went on to list “Well-wishes with two divine sources.” In this instance, the commentator pointed to the greetings in several epistles (mostly Paul’s):

Rom 1:7b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Cor 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Cor 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Gal 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Phil 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Thess 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

1 Tim 1:2b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Tim 1:2b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Titus 1:4b Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Philemon 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Pet 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord

2 John 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love

--David E. Aune, Revelation 1-5, WBC, p.27.

Then, he/she went on to quote from Bullinger’s commentary on Revelation: “Nowhere do we find the Holy Spirit associated with the Father and the Son in any salutation. Not even in the Pauline Epistles”

REALLY? Please notice the rest of Paul’s salutation in his epistle to the Romans:

Romans 1: 1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. 6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.” (Romans 1:1-7a)

Likewise, in his first epistle to the saints at Corinth, we read: “6 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. 7 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. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard,  and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’ 10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.” (I Corinthians 2:6-12)

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit may not be mentioned in all of the salutations; but this trio is woven into the very fabric of the New Testament (and the Hebrew Scriptures). Indeed, some of the very passages which Armstrongists use to disprove the Trinity actually demonstrate the unity of the Godhead! In the first chapter of Genesis, we read that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” While in the New Testament, we read that God created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9). So, who did the creating? Was it God, the Word, or the Holy Spirit? The answer is YES! In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Mary “became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Moreover, the angel told Joseph that “the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18-20) Was the Holy Spirit involved or was the Father involved? Once again, the answer is YES! No, sorry folks, the Trinity isn’t demonstrated in a few proof texts – it is in almost every page of the Greek New Testament!

**Although these posts were written for Banned by HWA, after reviewing the commentary threads on that blog, I think that they should also appear here.

 

Saint David's Day

Yesterday (March 1) marked the day that the people of Wales celebrated their patron saint. He was born in the Sixth Century in the vicinity of St. Bride's Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He is known to have actively sought to refute and stamp out the Pelagian heresy. He also served as the Bishop of Mynyw, and several miracles have been attributed to him. It was said that he raised a dead child back to life and healed a blind man. On another occasion, while addressing a crowd, a hill was said to have formed underneath his feet and elevated him enough so that the people could hear him speak. The people of Wales associate the Daffodil with him and often wear them on his day.

Britanica's Article on Saint David

At any rate, as a person of Welsh ancestry, I am pleased to acknowledge this early pioneer of the Christian faith in the British Isles. Interestingly, my Welsh ancestors were devout Quakers who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th Century and early 18th Century. Indeed, the records of that sect's monthly meetings were a valuable resource in tracking this part of my ancestry. I had the opportunity to travel to Wales many years ago and was struck by the rugged beauty of the countryside. May God continue to bless the ekklesia in Wales and may the seeds that David planted so long ago continue to spread like the mustard seed in Christ's parable!  

The Things That You DON'T Have to Believe to Be a Christian

Many denominations and individual Christians have formulated elaborate professions of faith and/or official statements outlining their beliefs. Naturally, these folks believe that these professions/statements are an important, or even essential, part of their religion. Nevertheless, many of us understand that TRUE Christianity is NOT defined by what you know or think you know! Sure, as we have described here in previous posts, there are some essentials or foundational elements that a Christian MUST believe (like believing and accepting that the life and sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth has paid the penalty for his/her sins and reconciled us to God); but there is a whole lot of stuff floating around out there that is simply NOT critical or necessary for us to accept/believe!

Here are a few:

1. You do NOT have to accept the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. You do NOT have to believe that the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are flawless and without errors, mistakes, inaccuracies, or contradictions. You do NOT have to believe that it is the only or most perfect representation of God's will and character that is available to us - or that it is the "final authority" in matters related to our Christian faith. You also do NOT have to reject the inspiration of Scripture or its value to the believer just because you reject the teachings of Fundamentalist Christians about Scripture! In other words, rejecting biblical inerrancy does NOT necessarily make Scripture irrelevant! The all or nothing notion is a clearly FALSE DILEMMA in terms of logic.

2. You do NOT have to reject the theory of evolution or believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old. You do NOT have to believe that the fossil and geological records have been misinterpreted by scientists, or that the evolution of life forms on this planet is an absurd or illogical explanation for the diversity of the life we see around us. In short, you do NOT have to believe that science or scientists are the enemy of our faith, or that the conclusions they've reached based on the available evidence necessarily contradict the notion of God as Creator of the universe. In other words, the choice between faith and science is yet another FALSE DILEMMA!

3. You do NOT have to accept ANY denomination's or individual's profession of faith or statement of belief to be a Christian! The acceptance of such professions/statements may identify you as a Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, or Armstrongite; BUT it has NO bearing on whether or not you're a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a member of the assembly called out and together by God! Indeed, I haven't found very many people in my experience who embrace all of the practices and beliefs of the various manmade organizations they may be affiliated with in terms of their Christian faith. Once again, all or nothing is always a FALSE DILEMMA! If you have God's Holy Spirit and something doesn't make sense to YOU, then you would be FOOLISH to embrace it as truth!

4. You do NOT have to adopt a partisan political affiliation to be a Christian. Indeed, I'm personally very skeptical of the status of folks who do that. In other words, you do NOT have to be anti-abortion or against LGBTQ folks or immigrants to be a Christian! Likewise, you do NOT have to be a Capitalist, Socialist, Libertarian, Conservative, Liberal, Globalist, Isolationist, Vegetarian, or Carnivore to be a Christian. As we have already mentioned in the previous points, identifying manmade ideologies or policies as good or evil, Christian or Satanic is the epitome of binary thinking - the good old FALSE DILEMMA!

What do you think?

The Modern Beast and Babylon

Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God offered a booklet in the early 1970s titled The Modern Romans. Unfortunately, although Armstrong flirted with the truth in that booklet, he still ultimately missed the boat (as he and his followers have done with most things of a prophetic nature. In the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Roman Empire became the epitome of human governance during the period of the Second Temple and beyond. Rome was the type of Babylon, the city that ruled over the other kings of that part of the earth! The Romans were militant, wealthy, exploitative, inventive, and ruthless. They erected great works, demanded the loyalty and worship of their subjects, and were obsessed with entertaining themselves and the masses.

Let's notice some of the language in the book of Revelation. We read there: "they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?'" (Revelation 13:4) Rome and its army were considered the preeminent military power in the Mediterranean and European world of that time. Continuing, we read that the beast: "opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain." (Revelation 13:6-8) Rome and its Emperor made themselves gods and declared that the state and emperor were worthy of worship. Over time, the Roman Senate became a rubber stamp for the emperors - eventually, willingly ceding all of their power to him. They persecuted Jews and Christians and ridiculed their beliefs and practices.

Likewise, a little later in the same book, we read: "'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.' And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: 'Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.' And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (Revelation 17:1-6) Rome ruled the lands around the Mediterranean and set up client states and allies in many different lands. Indeed, the Roman economic, political, and military system was duplicated in numerous other nations around the world of that time. Coliseums, amphitheaters, baths, aqueducts, and highways were constructed everywhere that Rome ruled. Wealth and excess were the foundation of that society. Continuing, we read: "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages...And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:15-18)

Now, the readers of John's apocalypse in the First and Second Centuries would have readily recognized this symbolism as applying to the Roman Empire. It would have been crystal clear to them! Likewise, being very familiar with their own history and the book of Daniel, they would have appreciated the comparison of the city of Rome to the city of Babylon, and the Roman Emperor to King Nebuchadnezzar of old. Unfortunately, many Christians are NOT looking for these attributes in any of the nations of the Twenty-first Century, and the real import of the message of the book of Revelation regarding God's evaluation of human systems of governance is often missed or overlooked! In short, do we recognize any modern nations which exhibit the same characteristics?

Are there any nations in 2025 who have built vast empires and accumulated great wealth and military power? Are there any instances where we could justly ask: Who is like this great nation? Who would dare to fight against it? Are there any nations extant in our day who have exerted their economic and military power on a global basis? Is there any nation(s) who has imposed its will on other nations and forced them to adopt copies of their own systems? Is there any nation today who has monopolized the wealth and resources of much of the rest of the world? Is there any nation today who has devoted itself to great public works and spectacles? Is there a nation in our time who has constructed great arenas, theaters, and stadiums to entertain its people? Is there any nation in the 21st Century that has copied Roman and Greek architecture - causing people to admire the classical past? Is there any modern nation who has made its ideology into something worthy of adoration and worship? What do you think?

*The English Standard Version is used throughout this post.

The Generosity of the United States?

Jesus of Nazareth laid down a principle of God's judgment that is recorded in the Gospels. He said: "When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." He also said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Likewise, in the Gospel of Matthew, we read that he once told a rich young person: "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor."

In a thread for the Banned by HWA post The Incredible Human Paradox, I wrote: "As with Babylon of old, the United States has conquered, exploited, murdered, enslaved, and oppressed." In response, Ronco wrote: "No country has done more than the US to aid people in third world countries." This is one of the standard responses of "patriots" when anyone dares to point out any fault in the United States. The reasoning goes like this: "as long as the good is greater than the evil" we must evaluate the entity as "good."

Well, let's take a closer look at Ronco's claim about the generosity of the United States. By any object standard, the United States is one of the wealthiest nations on the face of the earth (see The World's 25 Richest Countries by GDP and The Ten Wealthiest Countries in the World). Now, while we could certainly say that the United States gives the largest total dollar amount of any country in foreign aid, that statistic would be virtually meaningless when we compare the wealth of nations in relation to their giving. According to the World Economic Forum, these countries are the most generous in terms of their giving based on percentage of gross national income given: Sweden (1.41%), UAE (1.09%), Norway (1.05%), Luxembourg (.93%), Denmark (.85%), Netherlands (.76 %), United Kingdom (.71%). Hint, the United States did NOT make the list! In their article Why the U.S. Ranks at the Bottom in a Foreign Aid Index, NPR reported that: "According to an annual index released Tuesday by the Center for Global Development that ranks 27 of the world's wealthiest countries, the U.S. scored dead last on foreign aid contributions and quality — despite being the largest donor in dollar amount. That's because in 2017, it allocated a mere 0.18 percent of its gross national income for development assistance. That is well short of the 0.7 percent that wealthy countries have committed to strive for since 1970."

Imagine that - the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth gives the smallest percentage of its income to the poorest of the world! How can anyone point to this statistic with pride? By any objective standard, the United States is one of the least generous nations on the face of the earth! In the Gospel of Mark, we read: Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." (Mark 12:41-44, NLT) 

The Evil Foundations of the United States of America

Unfortunately, a growing number of Fundamentalist Christians have sought to portray the United States as a "Christian" nation. To support their false narrative, they have asserted that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and that its Founding Fathers were Divinely inspired men of an exceptionally righteous character. In short, they have ignored and/or attempted to whitewash a great deal of the dark reality of U.S. history. The TRUTH is that the United States was founded on discontent, exploitation, oppression, rebellion, ruthlessness, hypocrisy, greed, and unrelenting violence! In short, there isn't enough lipstick in the world to make this pig pretty!

The story of the United States begins with the European Colonization of the Americas. From the "discovery" of the very old "New World" by Colombus to the establishment of plantations or colonies by the British, there hasn't been very much righteousness or truth in the narrative of what actually happened during those years. Indeed, the story opens with such a sense of European superiority and arrogance toward the indigenous peoples of this continent that it makes the racism of the Twenty-First Century look mild by comparison! To be clear, those natives were looked upon as savages, barely worthy of being considered human. Their civilizations were regarded as barbaric, and their use of the land they occupied was looked upon as uncivilized, wasteful, and lazy. In fact, Europeans had such a low opinion of the aboriginal peoples that they regarded their claims to the lands they occupied as having been invalidated.

These attitudes toward the indigenous population of the Americas manifested themselves in a number of ways over the years which followed. Europeans took lands and established settlements without permission. They also launched wars of conquest on the natives and imposed treaties on them based on European laws and values which they did not understand. Moreover, as those natives had no natural immunity to European diseases, the Europeans unintentionally and intentionally introduced lethal epidemics among them which suddenly wiped-out large numbers of the original inhabitants of the land. In fact, according to History.com, "By the close of the Indian Wars in the late 19th century, fewer than 238,000 Indigenous people remained of the estimated 5 million-plus living in North America before European contact." That same source goes on to inform us that the clash of interests between natives and Europeans led "the U.S. government to authorize over 1,500 wars, attacks and raids on Indians, the most of any country in the world against its Indigenous people." By the 1830's, President Andrew Jackson had set in motion the removal of 60,000 indigenous people from the Southeast by the United States Army (many of whom would die along the way in what is now known as the "Trail of Tears."

Likewise, we know that the first African slaves were introduced into what would become the United States in 1619. In their article on "The Middle Passage," Britannica informs us that thousands of Africans were involuntarily loaded aboard ships for the 5,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves in the New World. The same article goes on to inform us that, because of the intolerable heat, crowding and unsanitary conditions within the holds of the ships: "Historians estimate that between 15 and 25 percent of the enslaved Africans bound for the Americas died aboard slave ships." The souls who survived were subjected to forced labor, substandard food/clothing/housing, beatings, and forced separation from family members. Politifact.com informs us that "Thirty-four of the 47 men depicted in the famous 'Declaration of Independence' painting were slaveholders." By the way, that number included such names as John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson! Indeed, history informs us that twelve U.S. Presidents owned slaves (including Washington, Jefferson, and Madison). Moreover, we know that the United States eventually fought a great Civil War over the institution of slavery, and that that war remains the deadliest war in terms of casualties in U.S. history.

As for our notions of republican and democratic governance, we borrowed heavily from the pagan Greeks and Romans. We sometimes forget that Rome had a Senate long before the United States did. Also, within the false history of the Fundamentalist Christians we spoke about at the beginning of this post, the claim is made that all of our Founding Fathers were Christians. Now, in the broadest possible sense, we could say that such statements were true, but the devil is truly in the details. Indeed, the kind of Christianity practiced by men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin would be disavowed by the same folks who make these claims. It would be more accurate to state that they were Deists with Christian dispositions. For instance, did you know that Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version of the Gospels which eliminated the miracles and claims of Christ's Divinity? Did you also know that Benjamin Franklin described himself as a Deist and expressed his doubts about Christ's Divine status? Moreover, it is clear that many of the things which these men believed and practiced were inconsistent with Christ's commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. We could justly claim that there were some elements of "servant leadership" incorporated into the Constitution of the United States, but we would be hard pressed to find widespread evidence of it in the actual experience of our government.

Finally, we must admit that the United States was founded in rebellion against Great Britain. Indeed, the Revolutionary War is a well-documented fact of our history. In fact, that war served as the basis for the original extant/borders of our nation. Later, Thomas Jefferson purchased what was then known as the Louisiana Territory from the French tyrant, Napoleon Bonaparte. Likewise, many of us seem to forget that we fought a war with Mexico that resulted in the United States annexing the entire northern half of that nation's territory! We also fought a war with Spain and acquired many of their interests and territories around the world as a consequence of it. We too sometimes forget that the United States became a world power because of our commerce and devotion to building a strong Army and Navy. Moreover, in the course of that pursuit, we have developed and used weapons of mass destruction unprecedented in the history of humankind on this planet! Hence, we can see that any attempt to characterize our nation's beginnings as benign, righteous, just, or "Christian" is very problematic and contradicts much of the historical evidence available to us.

The PLAIN TRUTH is that the United States of America is yet another in a long list of efforts by humans to govern themselves. Like the other nations of the earth, one faction seeks to impose its will and vision on others; and together they attempt to secure their interests and will at the expense of the other nations of the earth. In short, nostalgia for the good old days and patriotic propaganda may make us feel warm and fuzzy; but then again, most fairy tales do just that! As Christians, we would all be better served by a clear-eyed assessment of who and what we are compared to God's standard.

The Moral and Intellectual Credentials of America's Defenders of Family Values

In the United States, the Republican Party is perceived to be politically conservative and the defenders of faith, family values, marriage, masculinity, and patriotism. Some of the most vociferous mavens of traditional "Christian" values in the United States have been affiliated with talk radio and the current and former political commentators of Fox News. And, make no mistake, many Evangelical Christians eat up the stuff these folks dish out like it was caviar! BUT is the influence these demagogues exercise warranted? What exactly are their credentials to defend the ideology they espouse?

Let's begin with the President they all adore and defend with such vigor. Donald Trump is a notorious womanizer and adulterer. He has been married three times and has fathered children by all three. He does NOT attend any Church on a regular basis and has used the Bible as a prop for the furtherance of his own political career. He lies and twists the truth without blinking an eye - insisting that the end justifies the means. He is arrogant, vindictive, and unkind and has displayed none of the other fruits of the Holy Spirit in either his personal or professional life. However, he did receive a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Wharton. Hence, unlike most of his defenders, he does at least have a college degree. There is no record of military service.

Rush Limbaugh was the preeminent voice of conservative talk radio for many years. He was a nominal Methodist throughout his life. He was divorced three times, and his fourth wife outlived him. He had no children. He was addicted to prescription drugs for a time. To his credit, Rush did graduate from high school and tried college for two semesters at Southeast Missouri State University. Rush was a gifted and flamboyant radio personality, but he was not known for his intellectual prowess. Even so, he did amass a fortune in the course of his career on radio. There is no record of military service.

Rush Limbaugh - Wikipedia

Rush Limbaugh - Death, Career & Facts

Sean Hannity began life as a Roman Catholic but abandoned that faith when he was young. He professes to believe in God, the multi-verse, and that God is the Creator of all of mankind. He is noted for his less than generous appraisals of homosexuals and liberals. He has stated that "there is an intersection between politics and a belief or a faith in God. And, you know, the United States of America has been the light to the world." Hannity has also affirmed that he is at his best when he takes 30 minutes out of his day to devote to "God time." He was married to the mother of his children for many years before separating from her and eventually divorcing her several years later. He is currently in a relationship with Ainsley Earhardt (who is 14/15 years his junior), a fellow commentator on Fox. He attended New York and Adelphi Universities, but did not receive a degree from either one. There is no record of military service.

Sean Hannity | Biography & Facts | Britannica

Sean Hannity Opens Up About His Religious Journey and Christian Faith

Sean Hannity - Wikipedia

Speaking of Ainsley, she has been married and divorced two times; and she has been in a relationship with colleague Sean Hannity since her last divorce in 2019. Nevertheless, Earhardt is a professing Christian and does have a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Carolina.

Ainsley Earhardt - Wikipedia

In one of his many books, Bill O'Reilly wrote: "My religion is Roman Catholicism. I go to church, but I'm an independent thinker." He is divorced and was accused by his former wife of domestic violence. O'Reilly has been the subject of many lawsuits by women claiming that he sexually harassed them, resulting in many millions of dollars being paid to settle those cases. Bill, however, does hold degrees from Marist, Boston, and Harvard. There is no record of military service.

What religion is Bill O'Reilly? - Beliefnet

Bill O'Reilly (political commentator) - Wikipedia

Jesse Watters, a protege of Bill O'Reilly, divorced the mother of his first two children in 2019 and immediately announced his engagement to the woman who had caused his divorce (to be clear, he had an affair with her while he was still married to his first wife). He and his second wife also have two children together. He does, nevertheless, have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College. There is no record of military service.

Jesse Watters - Wikipedia

Glenn Beck started out life as a Roman Catholic, but he drifted into alcoholism and drug addiction. Later, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) and has even dabbled in Anglo-Israelism. He divorced his first wife in 1994 and married his current wife in 1999. Although Beck didn't attend college, he did graduate from high school. In fairness, he is noted for his generous philanthropy, and his affinity for unreliable sources and conspiracy theories. There is no record of military service.

Glenn Beck - Wikipedia

The Not-so Mormon Soteriology of Glenn Beck – Mormonism Research Ministry

Tucker Carlson is the product of a broken marriage and was abandoned by his mother as a child. He claims to be an Episcopalian, but he has been very critical of that faith (see my post on that subject). He is still married to his wife and has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Trinity. He lost his job at Fox for exposing that network to significant liability for misleading reporting surrounding the January 6th Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. There is no record of military service.

Tucker Carlson - Wikipedia

Mark Levin is an accomplished lawyer who received his law degree from Temple University. He has only been married two times. He was raised in the Jewish faith. There is no record of military service.

Mark Levin biography, net worth, wife, divorce, marriage, wedding • biography 

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure the collective moral and intellectual credentials of this bunch is very impressive. What do you think?

They preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Is Gender Mortal or Eternal? Fixed or Cultural? Biological, Psychological, or Both?

There is a great deal of discussion these days about gender. Indeed, the whole question of gender has become one of the battlefields in our ongoing culture wars. Moreover, much of the debate around the topic has focused on emotion instead of objective analysis. Also, sadly, the Christian community has decided to wade into the debate and drag God and the Bible with them!

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary entry for "gender," the complexity of this term is underscored in their answer to the question: "Are gender and sex the same?" We read there: The words sex and gender have a long and intertwined history. In the 15th century gender expanded from its use as a term for a grammatical subclass to join sex in referring to either of the two primary biological forms of a species, a meaning sex has had since the 14th century; phrases like "the male sex" and "the female gender" are both grounded in uses established for more than five centuries. In the 20th century sex and gender each acquired new uses. Sex developed its "sexual intercourse" meaning in the early part of the century (now its more common meaning), and a few decades later gender gained a meaning referring to the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex, as in "gender roles." In other words, our usage of these words has evolved over the centuries (this is an expected phenomenon in the realm of languages).

The same article goes on to inform us that: Among those who study gender and sexuality, a clear delineation between sex and gender is typically prescribed, with sex as the preferred term for biological forms, and gender limited to its meanings involving behavioral, cultural, and psychological traits. In this dichotomy, the terms male and female relate only to biological forms (sex), while the terms masculine/masculinity, feminine/femininity, woman/girl, and man/boy relate only to psychological and sociocultural traits (gender). Even so, the article acknowledges that our cultural usages of these words tend to be more amorphous/fluid than the way that the scientific community uses them. And, of course, among some people of faith, anything associated with the scientific community is suspect!

In the Psychology Today article on "Gender," we read: "All humans are born with biological characteristics of sex, either male, female, or intersex. Gender, however, is a social construct and generally based on the norms, behaviors, and societal roles expected of individuals based primarily on their sex. Gender identity describes a person’s self-perceived gender, which could be male, female, or otherwise. In recent years, expanding the public understanding of gender has freed many to feel more comfortable in their own skin and live as the people they believe themselves to be. People whose gender identity corresponds to their biological sex may be referred to as cisgender. Transgender people have a gender identity that does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth. And people whose gender identity feels neither masculine nor feminine may identify as non-binary, while those who feel no gender identity may refer to themselves as "agender." I can already hear my religious friends asking: "OK, but what does GOD have to say on the subject?" The answer to that question may surprise you.

The book of Genesis makes very clear that male and female are biological realities for the purposes of reproduction in both humans and animals (see Genesis 1). As it related to humans, we read: "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27, NLT) Now, a cursory/superficial reading of this text will prompt some folks to say, "There you have it! Case closed. God says there are TWO genders." However, if we take this passage within the context of this particular story, and how these terms are employed throughout the Judeo-Christian Bible, we will arrive at a more nuanced and more scientifically consistent application than the superficial and simplistic interpretation would allow! In this passage we are told that BOTH genders reflect God. And, in the following chapter, we are informed that the female was made from a part of the male; and that when the two were joined together in sexual intercourse, they would become one person (Genesis 2:21-24). Finally, a little later, in God's instructions to Noah, we see that male and female were an integral part of his plan to preserve the animal kingdom aboard the ark (see Genesis 6 and 7).

Later still, in the same book, we see God commanding Abraham and his male heirs to circumcise the foreskin of their penises (Genesis 17). Indeed, this was to be the symbol of God's covenant with these ancient and culturally patriarchal Hebrews (Genesis 17:11)! Moreover, this was later stipulated to occur on the eighth day after a male child was born (Leviticus 12:3). In fact, most of the commandments of Torah were addressed to the male head of household - as women in that society were seen as completely dependent on the men. Even so, there were also specific rituals designated just for the females of that society (see Leviticus 12 and 15:19-30). Notice too that both of these rituals were related to natural biological functions of the female. These kinds of sociocultural designation for the genders also extended to things like wearing types of garments and hair length (Deuteronomy 22:5 and I Corinthians 11:14-15).

What about the spiritual/eternal application of gender from a Scriptural perspective? In the Gospels, we read that Jesus Christ told his disciples that when humans would be resurrected in the future that "they will neither marry nor be given in marriage." (Matthew 22:30, Mark 12:25, and Luke 20:35) Interestingly, under the terms of the New Covenant, circumcision became a matter of a spiritual operation on the human heart - both male and female (Romans 2:28-29 and Galatians 6:15). Finally, the Apostle Paul wrote this to the saints of Galatia: "For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you." (Galatians 3:26-29, NLT) Hence, it is clear that from God's perspective sex/gender/male/female is a temporary sociocultural construct. Under that construct, women had to be silent in Church, keepers at home, etc. In God's Kingdom, we see that these artificial designations completely disappear.

Now, what about you? Does this knowledge have any impact on your thinking related to gender/sex? It should! Does it modify your views on the subject of gender identity? It should! What do you think?

Here, in the Present

Watching The Cult Next Door interview with Seth Forrestier, I was reminded of the overwhelming negativity associated with the Armstrong Churches of God. The focus of their message was on warning people about the wrath of God - the rapidly approaching consequences of their sins. It was a message of fear, and anything positive was saved for The World Tomorrow - NOT the here and now. This present life was just preparation and training for the future, and you'd better get your nose to the grindstone and get it done! The god of Armstrongism was a pissed-off fellow, and he was just itching to zap the hell out of all of those wretched folks on earth! And, since there wasn't anything in this life worthy of our resources, we were supposed to send all of our "excess" money to further the proclamation of their dreary message.

Looking back on it now, it seems impossible that I ever embraced such a theology. At the time, it all seemed like a reasonable, almost insignificant, sacrifice. In my twisted way of thinking, I felt that the end justified the means. There would be glorious joy and peace in the future, and every sorrow of the present time would be forgotten. Every trial and tribulation of the present was just preparing me for a glorious future. After all, hadn't Paul written to the Romans that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

Then, however, I was disfellowshipped for dating someone outside of the Church, and Gehenna fire yawned before me. I was outside of the true Church - that glorious future had been cut off from me! Fortunately for me, however, I almost immediately began thinking for myself again and started down the long road of emerging from the delusion that had been the focus of a self-imposed narrow and dark existence.

I learned, finally, that Christianity wasn't just about the future. I learned that there was joy to be had in this life, and that my faith could be a source of peace and comfort in this present life. I learned too that God wanted me to be saved and was looking forward to an eternity with me and my loved ones (John 3:16, Romans 8:35-39, and I Timothy 2:3-4). Moreover, God broke through my delusion and revealed to me that worry, fear, and hopelessness was NOT the state of mind he wanted for "His" people.

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Christ had told his followers not to fret and worry over the things which we need to sustain this life, and he had assured them that God knew that they needed those things and was able to provide all of that for them (Matthew 6:25-34). Sure, our focus was to be on God's reign in our own lives, and in the lives of all of humanity someday; but there was clearly joy/peace to be had in THIS life as well!

Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi: "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9, NLT) In other words, this stuff that he had been teaching them wasn't just for the future - it was for the here and now!

Paul had also told Timothy to "fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (II Timothy 1:6-7, NLT) From Paul's perspective, God had given Timothy that gift to USE - NOT just in the future, but in the present too! Likewise, John wrote: "God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So, we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." (I John 4:16-18, NLT) Did you catch that? John said that we (Christians) should be living in and experiencing that love NOW - in the present!

Indeed, even the Hebrew Bible (what we refer to as the Old Testament) espouses this same philosophy. After surveying a life of great accomplishments, Solomon wrote: "So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him." (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, NLT) A little later, in the same book, we read: "So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 8:15, NLT)

Now, this post is about enjoying and experiencing life in the present, but it should NOT be interpreted as disparaging the future. God has promised a glorious future for "His" people, and that too can (and should be) a source of joy and comfort in the present. Nevertheless, as Christians, we must understand that God does NOT view this present life as a waste of time - or only as preparation for the next life. There is much to do and enjoy in the present! Moreover, while we do not want to be a part of this world's evil, we must never forget that God created us and the flora and fauna which surround us, and "He" pronounced all of it to be VERY GOOD. (Genesis 1:31) Enjoy!

The Two Great Commandments and Human Sexuality

The Gospel of Matthew informs us that Christ identified TWO commandments as being the foundation of both the Torah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. He said: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NLT) Now, the "entire" law means ALL of it - including those related to human sexuality. Moreover, after telling his disciples that the time had arrived for him to sacrifice himself and return to God, Jesus told his disciples: "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35, NLT)

We should also note that this means that NONE of the commandments contained in the Bible are arbitrary in nature. They were ALL meant to reflect God's love for us! After all, John wrote: "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (I John 4:7-8, NLT) Indeed, this is such an integral part of true obedience to God that John went on to say: "God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." (I John 4:16-18, NLT) Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints at Rome: "Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.' These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law." (Romans 13:8-10, NLT)

In other words, if one is truly loving God and his neighbor, if he/she is truly obeying the Two Great Commandments which Christ identified, that person has met/fulfilled the requirements of God's Law! In this sense, Christians do not need an individual prohibition against dishonoring parents, stealing, murdering, lying or coveting because they would NEVER do anything to hurt or harm another person - that would be inconsistent with love. Moreover, in his letter to the saints at Corinth, the Apostle Paul defined the kind of love that God was expecting from his people: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (I Corinthians 13:4-7, NLT) Paul told them that this kind of love was the most essential characteristic of a real Christian!

Hence, even though Christians are NOT responsible for obeying the commandments of God's covenant with Israel (as outlined in the Torah), we can see how all of the commandments related to human sexuality relate to love for God and each other. For instance, we can readily understand the real potential for both physical, mental, and spiritual damage which infidelity/adultery can inflict on a marriage and the individual members of the families involved. Likewise, we can readily see how temple prostitution, both heterosexual and homosexual, would be contrary to loving God and having a loving and respectful relationship between two people engaged in such a practice. In similar fashion, most of us can readily comprehend the mental, physical, and spiritual harm inherent to behaviors like rape, incest, bestiality, and pedophilia. In other words, it does not take a rocket scientist or a religious guru to see the obvious hurt/harm in such behaviors. We understand that such behaviors are self-centered, impatient, unkind, presumptuous, violent, and lacking in love, compassion and mercy.

This is also why we can state with absolute confidence that the clobber scriptures (Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:25-27, I Corinthians 6:9-11, I Timothy 1:9-10) have been misinterpreted/misrepresented by most Christians to condemn all homosexual activity. In other words, interpreting these passages as Divine commandments forbidding two consenting adults of the same gender from engaging in sexual intercourse clearly contradicts the spiritual principles which we have described above! After all, we all know that homosexuals are capable of kindness, love, fidelity, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, hopefulness, etc. Likewise, we all know that homosexuals are capable of accepting and having faith in the sacrifice which Jesus of Nazareth made on his/her behalf. Now, in the same way that it is possible for heterosexual sex to violate the Law of Love, it is also possible for homosexual intercourse to hurt/harm others. Whether hetero or homosexual, things like gang rape, incest, adultery, pedophilia, violence, exploitation of others, etc. are clearly wrong - they are clearly violations of Christ's commands to love God and each other.

In conclusion, there is clearly a rationale behind the morality outlined in the Judeo-Christian Bible. God's commandments, OLD or NEW Covenant, are NOT arbitrary! They make sense, and they ARE always consistent. Of course, we are all free to interpret Scripture in whatever fashion we choose to do so, but if our interpretation contradicts the principle of LOVE outlined above, you can rest assured that you are NOT in harmony with God's intent.

The Politicization of Christianity in the United States

In the course of my lifetime on this planet as a citizen of the United States, I have witnessed a dangerous trend in both the political and religious life of that nation. Over the last twenty years, I have delivered a number of messages both orally and in writing warning about the deleterious impact which this was having on both. Indeed, our current circumstances have underscored the validity of those concerns. We now live in a culture which does not respect the separation of Church and State and has made political ideology the measure of one's Christianity!

We witness this phenomenon in the declaration of some of our leaders in both realms that support for diversity, equity, and inclusion reveals that you are NOT a Christian! We see this in the declarations of these same leaders that support for abortion rights, gay rights, transgender rights, and/or the notion of welcoming economic and political refugees from Central and South America marks you as a NON-Christian! In this mindset, all TRUE Christians reject Socialism and embrace Capitalism. Indeed, in recent years, we've even heard some folks say that a True Christian would NEVER vote for a Democrat!

For me, the seriousness of the threat posed by this phenomenon was underscored by an article which originally appeared at The Christian Post. The article was titled Tucker Carlson says Episcopal Church is "not Christian at all" after Mariann Budde sermon: Pagan (by Ian Giatti). The author draws our attention to media commentator Tucker Carlson's reaction to the Inaugural homily delivered at the Washington National Cathedral on the occasion of Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term. Carlson said of the Episcopal Church: "This is not a Christian organization at all. This is a very angry, hateful organization run by dreadfully unhappy middle-aged lesbians, which is exactly what it is. So only by showing that in public can it ever be forced to reform." He continued: "I actually thought it was a hopeful thing that the rest of America, not just we Episcopalians, could see what it's actually like, which is repulsive and totally non-Christian. It's pagan."

What did the Episcopal pastor say that Tucker found to be so offensive and anti-Christian? Was she unkind, impatient, unforgiving, nasty, sacrilegious, angry, lacking in compassion or mercy? What exactly did she say to the new president that got Tucker so fired up and willing to make such disparaging remarks about his own faith? Reverend Budde talked about unity in the United States and identified three Chrisitan principles that would be essential to building a unified country (honoring the inherent dignity of every person, being honest, and exhibiting humility). Now, all of that cranked Tucker's tractor the wrong way, but what really pissed him off was when she appealed to Trump's mercy and compassion for the outcasts of our society!

In a Transcript of Bishop Budde's Sermon, we read the passage which so offended Trump and Tucker. She said:

Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you and, as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and Independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people, the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals. They, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, wadara and temples. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people. The good of all people in this nation and the world.

With all due respect to Mr. Carlson, that sounds an awfully lot like something Jesus Christ would have said to me. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Jesus said: "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Likewise, in his own Sermon on the Mount, we read that he said: "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Two questions for Mr. Tucker come to mind: Are the bishop's remarks really anti-Christian and pagan? OR Do they interfere with your political agenda to garner support for Trump and his policies? And, respectfully, once again, there is a distinction/difference between the spiritual and the political!

Paul's Letter to the Armstrong Churches of God

It was originally written to the saints at Philippi, but it is made current by the Armstrong Churches of God, and their insistence that Christians observe the commandments of Torah.

Paul wrote:

3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

The New Living Translation

Another Look at the Word of God

Many Jews and Christians refer to the Bible as the "word of God" or "God's word." Now, while I would agree that Scripture contains some of the words of God/God's words, it can be misleading to think of Scripture in these terms if we fail to acknowledge certain truths revealed in those writings! As I have said before, Scripture was/is a joint project between humans and Almighty God. Hence, it would be wrong to intellectually confine "God's Word" to the pages of any scroll or book. In other words, Scripture is NOT the only source of "God's Word" or message to humanity!

First, we should note that in the Hebrew Bible the "word of God/the Lord" most frequently refers to a special message from God, not to the whole of Scripture. Indeed, this usage of the phrase was used over and over again during the kingdom period of Israel's history. Samuel told Saul to stay behind so that he could show him the word of God (I Samuel 9:27). Moreover, reading into the following chapter, we are informed that Samuel then proceeded to anoint Saul as king in accordance with the Lord's instructions to him (I Samuel 10:1). Likewise, we read that the word of God came to Shemaiah (I Kings 12:22), and to Nathan (I Chronicles 17:3). In this context, it should also be noted that this phraseology was most often used to refer to spoken messages, not written ones. This last observation will take on even more significance when we consider the usage of this phraseology in the Greek New Testament.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read that "during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (Luke 3:2-3, ESV) Moreover, the Greek word used in this passage and translated into English as "word" was rema. Interestingly, in Blue Letter Bible's outline of the word's biblical usage, we read: "that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word." Thus, once again, the clear implication being a message which has been delivered orally. Moreover, this same Greek word was used to describe Christ's statement about living by every word of God a little later in the same account (Luke 4:4).

Nevertheless, the most common Greek word used for this purpose in the New Testament is logos. In Blue Letter Bible's outline of its biblical usage, we read: "of speech, a word uttered by a living voice, what someone has said, the sayings of God." In other words, once again, the clear implication is of a message which has been delivered orally, not in writing. For instance, the Greek word logos appears in this description of crowds surrounding Jesus in the same Gospel (Luke). We read that "the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God." (Luke 5:1, ESV) In other words, the message which Jesus was delivering to the crowd was considered to be the "word of God." Jesus went on to say that those who hear (and act on) the word of God were his mother and his brethren (Luke 8:21).

Of even greater significance, in the opening to the Gospel of John, we read: "In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God, and the Word (Logos) was God." (John 1:1, ESV) In the following chapter, we read that Christ predicted that he would be killed and resurrected, and that "When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken." (John 2:22) In this connection, it is incumbent upon us to note that all four Gospels are based on things which his disciples heard him say. In other words, what Christ delivered orally to them has become our Bible/Scripture! After all, Christ once told his disciples that "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me." (John 14:24) Indeed, earlier in that same chapter, he told them: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, ESV) Indeed, just before his ascension to heaven, he instructed them to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)

Finally, in the anonymous epistle to the Hebrews, we read: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." (Hebrews 1:1-3, ESV) Thus, when we speak of Scripture as the "word of God," we should remember that the word of God originated with the spoken word. Moreover, we must not forget that whatever we have in writing is inferior to THE WORD - the One who perfectly represents God and conveys his message to us through deed and the spoken word!

 

Bill Watson's Hard-on for Trump

Trump is in office, and Bill Watson is very happy! In his infamous "Missing in Action News," prior to the weekly sermon at Medina CGI, he appeared positively elated over developments since Trump's inauguration on January twentieth. Have you been following all of the wonderful and important changes? Bill wants to know - He wants to make sure you don't miss any of the "policy" which the Donald has introduced in his glorious second coming!

Trump has officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America! He has officially declared that the United States only recognizes two genders: male and female. How can anybody be against this stuff? Bill wants to know. After all, this stuff is just "common sense." Have you heard that ICE has officially "ICED" 500 illegal immigrants since he took office? Yes, Trump is busily marshalling the resources of the Federal Government to root out all of those murderers, rapists, child abusers, violence prone, and otherwise nasty folks who have broken our immigration laws! Have you heard that Trump is doing away with taxes on Social Security earnings, tips, etc.? Bill reminded his audience that this will put more money into the pockets of folks who will go out and spend it and create more demand and jobs as a consequence. Of course, there is no mention of this reduced income increasing the Federal Deficit, because Trump has that covered! He's going to slap tariffs on all of the imports coming into this country - from friend and foe alike. Wonder what that will do to the prices of those goods for American consumers? Ever heard of a thing called inflation?

Bill's message was unmistakable. The bad old days of Biden and the Demoncrats are gone, and happy days are here again because of the Donald and his merry band of Republicans. Bill even goes on to speculate that maybe God has raised up a judge to save Israelite America - just as he did in the days of old! So, let's all rejoice abortions are down, we're getting rid of immigrants, foreign aid has been frozen, queers and gay folks have been put in their place, and the Saudis are going to invest billions of dollars in our economy - the Prince promised! Indeed, if things keep going this well, we may not need Christ to return for another forty or eighty years! Hallelujah, the lord god omnipotent reigneth! Yes, that's not just a bulge, Bill is definitely happy to see Trump back at the Resolute Desk. Why isn't everyone else?

Flurry's Open Letter to the ACOGs

Gerald Flurry's Philadelphia Church of God gets my vote for most delusional of the ACOGs - and there isn't even a close second! In my humble opinion, Gerald's slavish devotion to the memory of Herbert Armstrong, along with his attempts to imitate all aspects of "the work" that Herbie founded (including the Worldwide Church of God, The Plain Truth Magazine, Ambassador College, Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, etc.) put him in the "bat sh-t crazy" category! For me, this opinion was recently reinforced by his An Open Letter to the Churches of God.

The letter's opening tells the story about what follows: "Herbert W. Armstrong was part of something great. He led the Worldwide Church of God, which was a work of miracles. Do you remember that glorious history? Too many of God’s people don’t. God challenges us to always keep the big picture."

Hmmmm, I remember that history well, but I do NOT remember it being "glorious." Indeed, from my perspective, I remember a manipulative, corrupt, and authoritarian regime which peddled a plagiarized, heretical theology and squandered the contributions of members and coworkers. I remember a narcissistic old conman and his adulterous son with a tremendous gift for oratory. I remember an organization which immersed itself in the Old Testament and Headline Theology. That's what I remember!

Mr. Flurry remembers things very differently. According to him: "Over Mr. Armstrong’s 55 years in Jesus Christ’s ministry, the work blossomed. It started with nothing and grew into a huge, Spirit-led work that spread God’s beautiful truth across the world." In other words, Mr. Flurry measures success by numbers (income, circulation, influence, etc.). I don't know about you, but that sure sounds like prosperity theology to me! He continued: "Do you remember that history? God put our tithes and offerings to magnificent use, and we were happy to be part of such a noble cause." Indeed, Flurry still believes that things like private jets and Steuben Crystal are a "magnificent use" of church folk's tithes and offerings!

What about you? Do you remember that history? In the words of Gerald Flurry, "Do you remember that glorious history?" Was God responsible for all of that "success" or was it a warped and twisted old man and his minions? Was God responsible for 1972/1975 in Prophecy? Was God responsible for the thoroughly discredited and racist teaching of Anglo-Israelism? Was God responsible for Stanley Rader? Was God responsible for Gerald Waterhouse? Was God responsible for GTA's shenanigans or his catastrophic fall from grace? Was God responsible for the State of California's intervention in Church affairs or the Mike Wallace expose on 60 Minutes? Was God responsible for Joseph Tkach's rise to power and overhaul of doctrine? Was God responsible for the collapse and splintering of the Worldwide Church of God? Was God responsible for all of those ruined marriages, deaths from not seeking medical attention, and abused spouses and children? If not, what exactly should we attribute to Herbert Armstrong?

Flurry finished his "Open Letter" by recounting all of the great "accomplishments" of his own Philadelphia Church of God. He lists the Philadelphia Trumpet magazine, Key of David television program, Armstrong Auditorium ("with its Swarovski Strass® crystal-trimmed chandeliers, Baccarat crystal candelabra, Spanish marble, Azerbaijani onyx and world-class acoustics, is one of the finest performing arts venues in the world."), Armstrong College, and Armstrong International Cultural Foundation as the key achievements of him and his church. Really? Nevertheless, Flurry considers his greatest contribution to the church the new "truth" which he has introduced through his own booklets and pamphlets. You know, I think he may be right. The same god who inspired Herbert Armstrong continues to work through Gerald Flurry in 2025! What do you think?

Camelot? or NOT?  

The Pursuit of Wealth IS INCOMPATIBLE with Christianity!

Jesus Christ once told his disciples that "it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" (Matthew 19:23-24, NLT) His disciples, knowing that most humans are preoccupied with the accumulation of wealth, wondered aloud if it would be possible for anyone to be saved (Matthew 19:25, NLT) Christ replied that, while this was humanly impossible, all things were possible with God (Matthew 19:26, NLT).

Now, of course, the narrative leading up to this statement by Christ involved a young man who professed to have obeyed the commandment to love his neighbor as himself. "What else must I do to have eternal life?" the man asked. Knowing that the young man had NOT obeyed this commandment, Christ told him to "go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." What happened next? We are informed that "when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions." (Matthew 19:16-22, NLT) In other words, this wealthy young man loved his money more than he loved God or his fellow humans! Moreover, he did not understand that eternal life was NOT something that he could earn - that it was something that was available through the man who was then speaking to him (John 14:6, Romans 6:23)!

Jesus also said: "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money." Luke 16:13, NLT) Indeed, when Christ was asked to intervene in a dispute between two brothers over their father's estate, he declined and offered some advice. He said: "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own." (Luke 12:13-15, NLT) Then, he proceeded to tell them a story about a man whose farm produced a crop that surpassed his expectations to such a degree that he didn't have sufficient space to store it all. As a consequence, the man decided to build bigger barns to hold the abundance. Nevertheless, in the telling of his tale, Jesus said that God intervened and told the man that he would die that very night, and all that he had worked for would accrue to someone else's benefit (Luke 12:16-21, NLT).

This was all reinforced by Jesus telling his disciples to look at the natural world around them and learn from it. He said: "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need." (Luke 12:22-31, NLT) In other words, the pursuit of wealth is a useless/unnecessary pursuit - our attention should be focused on being within God's will for our lives!

Christ went on to assure his followers that their Father wanted them to have and participate in his reign. He concluded the thought with this message: "Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Luke 12:32-34, NLT) He pointed out that everything that can physically be acquired by us in this life is subject to rot, decay, and/or deterioration in value.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (I Timothy 6:6-10, NLT) Paul reiterated to his young apprentice what Christ had taught to his original disciples about the pursuit of wealth. Just as Christ had taught, Paul knew that Godly behavior could NOT be founded in the pursuit of self-interest. He understood that a true Christian MUST love his/her neighbor as his/herself (Romans 13:9 and Galatians 5:14).