The Yom Kippur Crises In Jerusalem

   In some circles there is great concern that Israel is NOT observing God's calendar, in observing the High Holy Days. Reference is being made to Psalm 81 where God declares He gave Israel up to their own hearts' lust because they walked in their own counsels and did not hearken unto Him.

   Here's how it goes: God declared, in Leviticus, that The Day of Atonement [Yom Kippur] would be celebrated on the first day of the seventh month. The Hebrew Calendar, starting with Passover, counts the 7th month as beginning with the New Moon of our September. If this is followed, Yom Kippur is Tuesday [Sep't 17]! Not yesterday [Friday, Sep't 14].

   Big Deal? To some it is. The Day of Atonement is a Big Deal to observing Jews. They do not have a Temple, nor do they have an altar or Holy of Holies in which to actually celebrate God's atonement. All this was removed with the crucifixion of Christ, Who did away with atonement [the covering of sin], by fulfilling God's Plan of Redemption on The Cross.

   However, religious Jews still observe the atonement as a religious rite, waving live chickens over peoples' heads -- a practice being condemned by animal rights groups. The Point is not atonement, per se, but whether or not Israel is following God's Word or simply operating according to human invention.

   According to Jonathan David, Israeltoday.co.il, "After Israel's captivity, the Jews stopped waiting and watching for the Lord to reveal the exact date of these holy days, by means of the New Moon. Since the 4th century, Jewish leaders have held that Rosh Hashanah / Feast of Trumpets should never fall on a Sunday, a Wednesday or a Friday. Why? Because God's Covenant People were driven out of the land of Israel and scattered throughout the earth, making it hard to know whose observation of the New Moon and which location on earth should have been used to determine the date."

   Will Israel ever get it right?  Yes! When Jesus returns! We are told, in the scriptures, that during the Righteous Rule of Jesus, we will celebrate The Feast of Tabernacles in The Kingdom [Zech. 14]. There is no doubt that it will be celebrated on the correct day! 

It's A Mystery!

     It's a mystery to me why so many people reject The Gospel! Are they brain-dead? The Bible says only a fool believes there is no God [Ps. 53]. This type of fool [there are at least 4 different types in the Bible] is stupid! wicked! impious! Maybe this is the answer, since rejecting The Gospel brings the specter of an unpleasant eternal hell.

    I ponder these things and then remember what the scriptures say: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." [II Thess. 2:7] This adds a spiritual dynamic beyond intellect, alone. 

    Human beings are characterized in The Bible as sinners, from birth: born in iniquity. We are 'cut off' from God, unable and unwilling to repent and believe on The Lord Jesus Christ. But here's an additional limitation: The Enemy of our soul is at work hindering men and women from believing!

    The old English "let" is confusing. It's referencing the restraining work of the Holy Spirit that keep Satan's efforts from succeeding completely. This restraining ministry will continue until the Spirit of God is 'taken out of the way.' Of course, then, Satan will have almost carte blanche to work his wiles and deceive the masses, even more.

    Dispensationalism sees The Church personifying this restraining power, until she is taken from the earth, in The Rapture. This easy solution does not answer some other important questions, however. Satan's liberty to deceive and enslave does not become a reality until the middle of the Great Tribulation, which has given rise to the Mid-Tribulation Rapture Theory. Rapture issues are not the purview of this treatise.

    The Point is: The Church represents at least A restraining influence in this world, perhaps THE restraining influence. The reality that sin and wickedness is once again on the increase makes us wonder about how close we are to Christ's Return. In the past couple of centuries we have had The United States as the bastion of Christian Testimony. We have looked to the U.S. for hope and for a hedge against the evils of this world. No More!

    Now, the U.S. is at the forefront of wickedness. We just celebrated(?) forty years of Roe v. Wade. Did you know in Liberal, Humanist, Progressive, Socialist France, it is a crime to abort a child after the first Tri-mester? In Russia, their Parliament, the Duma, has recently backed a draft law that outlaws homosexual propaganda.

    At home? We're doing all we can to open the flood gates of wickedness and immorality, in every area of society. Social policy, economic policy and government policy. We WANT to get God out of our life and out of our thinking. Keep in mind, God is still restraining wickedness. Can you imagine what the future will look like, if Jesus tarries? It apparently will be worse, if He doesn't!

    The Church, The Bride of Christ, is at her weakest point in recent memory. In the past we dealt with men and women who sought to depart from the cardinal doctrines of The Faith, creating new and different doctrines. We called this Liberalism. Today, we are watching folks who think themselves to be Christians flocking to large, impersonal, venues to be titillated and entertained and calling it worship of God. 

    This is not the worst, however. The newest [and oldest] fad is mysticism. Christians are embracing a mystical form of Christianity where how The Word of God makes them feel or how various techniques can get them out of their bodies, so as to merge with The Spirit, or how these techniques can improve upon what we know of God or of His Word, passes for worship and/or study and/or meditation.

    Christian Yoga, Lectio divina, Emerging Church Movement, where feelings matter more than reason; a growing number of young pastors fixated on teaching about sex, in graphic terms, others playing with alternate spiritualities and doctrines. These are what we read about, not Evangelistic efforts or about strong families or dedicated Christians.

    There are more "mysteries" afoot than we know. The mystery of iniquity is just one. Mystery Babylon is another. We'll talk about that on Sunday Evening, from 8 - 11 pm.  Join Us!

     PS: You can watch the Bible Forum from our Facebook Page

 [www.facebook.com/BibleForum]

RACISM IN AMERICA?

   25,000 people gathered around and in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to remember Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. This speech, delivered in 1963, is a stirring, dynamic speech clarifying all that he was trying to achieve.

   Many in the Civil Rights Movement were present, along with invited guests, to 'Remember' and to 'Remind.' It's hard to remember how this segment of our society was treated, for no reason than the color of their skin. It's good to be reminded of what we once were, lest we forget how easy it is to drift back.

    However, many who spoke at this Event were not Marking the passing of an era. They were stirring up old animosities as though they were current. Are they current? The Black community does not enjoy Middle Class status. Is that my fault? The Black community is a protected group. Is that what America is about?

    The cry is Racism! It sounds bad. It is bad. But is it true?

    For generations, people have claimed racism where none exists! How do I know? Because, to denigrate or otherwise discriminate against another race, there must be another race! And there isn't!

    I know. This sounds all too petty! But, stay with me. The problems we have in America, today, regarding discrimination are not, technically, racial. To keep maintaining this terminology is to miss The Point!  To miss the point is to avoid The Problem. Avoiding the problem means it will NEVER go away!

    Our current concept of racism is a Darwinian idea. More specifically, a theory posited by British sociologist, Herbert Spencer, in his book, entitled: "Social Statistics," 1850. 

    Spencer coined the phrase, "survival of the fittest" to describe the outcome of competition between social groups. He argued that through competition social evolution would automatically produce prosperity and personal liberty unparalleled in human history.  

    This doesn't sound bad. What made it bad was Darwin's adaptation of it. He suggested that persons, groups and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as were perceived in plants and animals in nature.

    This means some human beings have a greater ability to achieve than others, based on where they are in their evolution. Think about that! Human Beings who are not fully evolved? How does that work? What does that mean? Is that every Black person on the planet or just those who aren't able or willing to achieve? It's astounding!

    The men and women on the platform in Washington, this past week would have shouted "NO!" But, every day in State Schools and on TV and the Internet we are told and told and told that we have evolved, incrementally, up from primordial slime to sentient creatures [oops] with opposable thumbs. What's the logical conclusion, when we have an entire group of people we must care for and protect, lest they be left behind?

    It takes an evil heart to create this sort of disparity in society, based simply on the color of a person's skin!  The kind of evil God describes in Jeremiah 17:9 -- 'desperately wicked,' 'deceitful above all things.' This is exactly the way God describes the human heart. 

     This is exactly what we saw in Nazi Germany, during WWII. Drawing from these principles and applying them in a most logical way, Nazi Germany went about systematically weeding out undesirable illustrations of humanity under the Banner of Eugenics.

     Eugenics was / is the term coined by Social Psychologists to describe the effort to purge weaker DNA from the human genome. They didn't know about all that, except that there were people on this planet who were inferior and they could not be permitted to reproduce, if we were to reach the pinnacle of humanity, the stylized 'Aryan Race.'

    Blacks, Jews, Homosexuals, Gypsies, the Insane, the weak, Educated men and women who did not support the Nazi goals, and preachers were systematically eliminated. Some were summarily shot, others systematically gassed, while others were useful slaves in work camps, until they died of starvation, depravation and hard work.

    After the war, Eugenics fell into disrepute. Not before it was applied to the Black community in notable experimentation. In recent years, in N.C., reparations were paid out to survivors and their families of these so-called efforts to cleanse the gene pool.

    Today, it is the Liberal Elite in Academia, Psychology, Sociology and Politics who keep the idea of Eugenics alive. If Darwinian Evolution is true, Eugenics makes great sense!

    The Black community would do well to keep a weather eye on their 'Friends.' And, since "Success is the Best Revenge," it would do well for them if they found a way to reclaim the integrity and strength of the Family and focus on becoming a more productive segment of society, before their 'Friends' find a way to use them.....again! And, not simply as stepping stones to their own wealth and power. 

The "Gay" Movement Is Actually A Struggle For Survival

Eight major studies of identical twins in Australia [largest 'Twin Register' in the world], the U.S. and Scandinavia, during the last 20 years, all arrived at the same conclusion: Gays Were Not Born That Way!         [www.hollanddavis.com]

"At best genetics is a minor factor," says Dr. Neil Whitehead, PhD. Dr. Whitehead worked for the New Zealand government as a scientific researcher for 24 years, spent four years with the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency and most recently serves as a consultant to Japanese universities about the effects of radiation exposure. His PhD is in biochemistry and statistics.

Findings:
Generally, if an identical twin has same-sex attraction the chances the co-twin has it are only about 11% for men and 14% for women. In the U.S., it's less: 7.7% for males and 5.3% for females.

Same-sex attraction is caused by "non-shared factors." Things happen to one twin that don't happen to the other. Or...one twin responds one way and the other, another way, to the same factors.

Dr. Whitehead was struck by how fluid and changeable sexual identity can be, especially in adolescents. About half of the homosexual/bisexual population (in a non-therapeutic environment) moves towards heterosexuality over a lifetime. About 3% of the present heterosexual population once firmly believed themselves to be homosexual or bisexual.

The fluidity among adolescents is more pronounced: of the 16 - 17 year olds who had a romantic attraction to the same sex, all had switched one year later. The number of people who have changed towards exclusive heterosexuality are greater than current numbers of bisexuals and homosexuals, combined. In other words, ex-gays outnumber actual gays.

What this indicates is:
     Homosexuality is not an inherent orientation.
     Homosexuality is not a preferred orientation, statistically, even among homosexuals.
     Homosexuality among young people is more experimental than defining.
     The homosexual community is not nearly as large as they would have us believe.

That's The Science!  Dr. Whitehead notes: "The academics who work in the field are not happy with the portrayals by the media on the subject, but they prefer to stick with their academic research and not get involved in the activist side."

Ex: One activist group openly declares their intention to break the bankbooks and dry up the streams of money coming to those people and groups which seek to overthrow the various gender-neutral laws beginning to proliferate, by mounting court cases even if they know they can't win.  The ACLU has used this tactic for decades until most local governments refuse to stand up against them, even if they are right.

Ten to Fifteen million people is a lot of voices, but it still only represents 3 / 5% of the population! A group that cannot reproduce except through recruitment. Half of these folks move toward heterosexuality over their lifetime. They need us! They need people to give them credibility and support or they will dwindle to a small, insignificant minority -- which they are, now! Except for their Voice!

Linda Harvey, writing for MissionAmerica.com, says:
   The first step toward homosexuality is realizing an attraction to people of the same sex.
   The second step is being encouraged by every homosexual group 'out there.'
   The third step is acting on these feelings.

We're told this is an inborn desire / orientation. The science indicates not. How many people are hooked on alcohol, drugs and even sugar? Are these inborn appetites? Or are they learned? Do we have to develop a 'taste' for them, before they control our lives?

Ex-homosexuals often speak of stopping and asking themselves, "How did I get here?" This is the first step in overcoming any destructive or disordered behavior. In the end, homosexual behavior is a cruel task-master! We are not serving our fellow human beings well by keeping quiet.

Of course, neither are we helping by simply condemning those who practice this destructive behavior! The people are caught in a trap! The behavior is The Problem. But, those who seek to keep people enslaved for their own purposes [like getting elected or making money off their misery] have a reserved seat in a very dark place!

LET TEENAGERS HAVE THEIR ROMANTIC SLEEPOVERS

USA TODAY [International Edition -- Aug 16, 2013] Online, suggests parents "rethink mandatory minimums" in letting your teenagers have romantic sleepovers. They explain: "As youthful cohabitation rises, parents should see it as an opportunity to teach."

Responding, Jim Denison, writing in The Christian Post, looks at how it worked out for Angelina Jolie. He says "when Jolie was 14, her boyfriend was allowed to live with her." "The actress plans to raise her children the same way."

So, how did it "work out?" Jolie says of her first sexual experience, "I got knives out and had a night where we attacked each other." She says she still has scars from that episode and continued cutting herself until she became a mother [adopting 6 children, with Brad Pitt -- whom she still refuses to marry].

Of her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton, Rolling Stone magazine [at the time] proclaimed theirs to be America's most dangerous marriage.

After her divorce she had a lesbian relationship. Her father [actor Jon Voight] once said publicly that she had serious mental problems. "She's my kid. And if she gets help, I pray that she will be able to know and to feel true love in this life."

The Times, They Are Achanging! Traditional Christians are shocked by these ideas. New Evangelical, Contemporary, Charismatic and Emerging Church-goers: not so much. This is not to say all these folks approve of teen romantic sleepovers, but traditional Christian values are changing and these groups are at the front of the line that accepts them.

Relying more on how things 'feel' than what The Bible actually says [if they even know]; interested in how things work, rather than the doctrines upon which life-choices stand or fall, the growing Christian influences are doing little to build godly character, let alone convict hearts and condemn sin.

So called "Thinking Christians," "Loving Christians," have little or no problem with the contemporary lifestyle. Divorce, Cremation, Friendly Sex, Homosexuality, Foul Language, and a host of other sins and/or demeaning attitudes and behaviors are commonplace in the world of Christianity, today. We don't want to be judgmental! "No one is perfect!"

Problem No. 1? Many of these folks aren't saved! Aren't really Christians, at all!
Problem No 2?  Culturally-popular Churches aren't focused on God's Word!
Problem No 3?  The preachers....aren't! Preaching, that is.

Our society would not be where it is, morally and politically, if The Church had been doing her job! For 200 years, the Holy Spirit restrained evil in this culture, as a relatively small group of churches, preachers, Christians stayed focused on biblical values and spiritual commitments, providing moral and spiritual guidance / conviction. All that changed after WWII. Between 1964 and 1973 America underwent a Cultural Revolution. U.S. Supreme Court decisions removed God and biblical morality from the culture.

The public expression of Christianity ultimately accepted these changes under the guise of 'tolerance' and of not being 'judgmental.' The fact that the culture and so-called Christians now embrace homosexuality as normal is evidence of our failure. The forces of evil 'smell blood in the water' and are emboldened. More and more Christian Religionists are caving to social, political, economic, religious immoralities. The culture is rotting from within.

Of course, this is all within the spectrum of God's Over-Arching Plan and Purpose! Jesus said things would be as bad as they were in Noah's day, before He returns. How bad is that? A lot worse than it is now! Those people [estimated to be in the billions] incurred the wrath / judgment of God and were pre-emptively destroyed by a monumental catastrophe that changed the very face of this planet, along with it's climatic systems.

How long, O Lord?  "Not Long, My Child!"

THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT FOR SALE? OR IS IT?

   The Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, has signed a Bill that bars licensed therapists from so-called "reparative therapy" in regard to homosexuality.  New Jersey is now the second state (after California) to ban this type of counseling.

   One legislator who voted for the Bill said it would not preclude clergy from providing such counseling if they do not seek a state license to practice professionally. One pastor objects, stating that he wants the option for clergy-counselors to obtain professional credentials, citing the legislation hinders his counseling center.

   Question?  Why would a pastor WANT a State License to help people understand and apply The Bible to their everyday lives? What does the State offer that entices pastors to seek such credibility? We all know! It's Liability Insurance and Secular Credibility -- which translates into higher Fees For Service.

   Question? Why would a pastor [or a Christian Counseling Center] seek Fees? Is The Word of God For Sale? Do we charge a fee to explain God's Word? If so, I've missed something [not to mention a lot of money].

   These are some of the questions NOT being asked or answered in this debate over Reparative Therapy. That our world is accepting of homosexual behavior, goes without saying. That our world is now supportive / protective of this dangerous and disgusting behavior, is a clear sign that God has judged our Nation.  [Rom. 1]

   However, lost in this debate is the issue of biblical counseling v. secular counseling. In the 1980's John MacArthur's Grace Community Church faced a lawsuit from a family whose son committed suicide while receiving counseling from the church.

   John recounts the ordeal that worked its way to the California State Supreme Court. At each juncture, the Church won their case.

   On one level [I can't remember which one], John reports that a Jewish judge [a woman], hearing from both John and at least one secular psychologist, declared that IF what these men were saying is an accurate representation of their disciplines, these systems are not the same; not friends. They are enemies of one another!

   This, of course, is The Issue! We bemoan the inclusion of homosexuality in the definition of 'normal,' but ignore the fact that for over 50 years the psychological community has been drawing Christians away from The Bible; away from The Holy Spirit, into a system designed to destroy our dependence upon God.

   That pastors and Christians, generally, approve and support this philosophy says more about the Christian Community and The Society at large, than does acceptance of homosexuality!

   How did we get here? By embracing the world's view of life, rather than God's. One is accepting, the other is judgmental. We are now at the place where pointing out sin is a sin! Did YOU contribute to this development?

Christians Are Not The Smartest People In The World

   A Paper, published in the academic Journal: Personality and Social Psychology Review, continues to demonstrate how more intelligent people are less likely to come to Christ. 

   These studies and reports have been consistently finding this phenomena since the early 20th century [1916]. Periodically they pop up and stimulate the debate. 

   What is that debate? Whether or not religious faith is universally desired, or needed. If the more intelligent among us do not find it appealing or necessary, what does that say? That the rest of us are clinging to religion, because of our lack of intelligence or because of our dependence upon something outside our own abilities or because of our gullibility?

   What none of these articles seem to notice is what God has already said about it: that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men;..."  That God "...hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty."  [I Cor. 1:25-27]

   Intelligent people find school easier, generally have greater appeal to employers, have greater natural success rates and therefore more wealth and social standing. With all this going on, what "need" do they have? The "need" they have is the same as all men, they are simply less likely to see it or to feel it. 

   The more intelligent among us also spend more time in school, statistically. Our schools are designed to militate against God. The extra conditioning adds to The Problem. There is also the desire / need to succeed at whatever is their chosen field. Education, Science, Business, and Politics are among the more attractive choices. What chance does someone have if they a) believe what the Bible says about the universe and, b) have higher that average moral standards?

   I'm not saying every intelligent person is immoral, simply that their world more often involves moral, social and academic standards foreign to Christianity.

   Evangelicals seem fixated on finding ways to bridge this gap or at least minimize it. The reality is: "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;..." God is about destroying "...the wisdom of the wise and bringing to nothing the understanding of the prudent."  [I Cor. 1:18,19]

   Queen Victoria is credited with saying how much she appreciated the letter M. In Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, he stated: "...not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;...."  [I Cor. 1:26]

   We would do well to listen to what God says and stop trying to force the facts into our prejudicial presuppositions.