Women, the Bible and the Church

Women, the Bible and the Church

Women, the Bible and the Church

New Year Message

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Judgement and Mercy, Both

Judgement and Mercy, Both

Judgement and Mercy, Both

The Church, as we see in the Epistles, did not conform to the culture of the times.  It did not worry about whether it hurt people's feelings when it preached the Gospel.  They, as Jesus did, even when he lectured for hours before feeding the crowd, taught them the laws of God, that those laws might be written on their hearts and they might "sin no more", which is the command Jesus gave the woman who was to be stoned for adultery.  When people talk of Jesus as if he is this fluffy teddy bear, I have wonder what Bible they are reading, as he had one heck of a temper, even lost patience when his disciples shown little faith, told the leaders of the synagogue they and all those who professed to be of God but lived in lawlessness and sin that he didn't know them, that they were vipers and would suffer eternal damnation.  He also made it clear that if they fully accepted him as the Messiah, begotten Son of God, then with the aid of the Holy Spirit the commandments would engraved on their hearts, and they would have the strength to overcome Luciferian influences, something he gave to Paul in much greater detail in that vision and intimate conversation on the road to Damascus.  Our actions, behaviors and motives will be judged and if we have not accepted Christ, then our judgement will be the judgement of unbelievers and lawbreakers that we receive.  

Also those who profess to be of Christ and deliberately live in sin will also, if they die in that state of flagrant disregard for God's concepts, precepts and fixed moral law, will also face the judgment as law breakers.  The Holy Spirit can't work in and with us if we refuse to obey God's laws, if we openly thumb our nose at God, and I know this.  My life changed only when I came to full terms with the Biblical truth as a Christian, as a creation of Elohim, and what that meant. When I stopped wanting life my way, by my pleasures, wow everything that was dark, was turned around for good and it made a huge difference.

Shalom and Amen.

Fait Is Not Inactive

Active Faith

Faith is not Inactive

People often assume that faith means you just sit there and pray, just pray a bunch of empty words.  Some think faith is about affirming what they want and magically God is obligated to give it to them. Somehow being a Christian means you can have instant solutions to everything, instant healing all the time, no poverty, no troubles. I wonder if these people, pastors who preach  that ever read the Bible, really read it.  God never promises that and neither does Jesus.  What is promised is that our faith will get us through any trial and that the Princes and Principalities of darkness will not be able to shake our faith, or destroy our spirit, our soul. No way does being a Christian mean smooth sailing 24/7 forever and if that is what any pastor or such tells you, they lie.  It's that simple, even to themselves.  Faith will see you through the storm and I can attest to that, and help you find light in the dark, so much more.  God will do things his way, in his time, and we have to be open to and accept that, so we may get an miracle healing etc... for ourselves, family, friends, co-workers, pastor, or not.  God knows why he does what he does and we have to have faith that his decisions are for good in the grater scheme of things and trust that 100%, that is what true faith is at the end of the day.  
We also have to look at whether we have any bitterness and such hindering God from answering our prayer, but that is another presentation, which I will be offering after the New Year.

Shalom and Amen.

Church Organization and Leadership

Church Organization and Leadership

Church Organization and Leadership

Today's Church has gotten into its' head that it needs to bring in consultants and operate according to surveys, to what the community and the people want, or it operates as a corporation, or as the Catholic Church does a complex government entity and bureaucracy.  None of this is Biblical, nor is it wise.  This is not the way a church ought to operate, not a church of God, of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit.  What should such a church look like? The CEO, the directors, primarily, ought to be The Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the Elders being the founder, the family that the Lord specifically led to found the church in that community, for the express purpose of sharing the Gospel, the only true answer and solution to any problem, period.

Shalom and Amen.

Understanding A Syndrome

Understanding A Syndrome

When my life got turned upside down a few years ago, to where I couldn't even lift my arm to write on the board, and do my job as a teaching assistant, and I was snapping at the students, my co-workers, it was awful.  I was crashing physically, tired all the time, felt like I had a flu I couldn't get over.  For a number of years I had had thyroid issues, joint and muscle pain, sleep difficulty, a range of issues, but no one was connecting the dots.  No one realized it was a syndrome they were looking at.  Turns out, that's common.  I had a mini meltdown, but ... let the presentation tell the rest.

Shalom and Amen.

A Very Narrow Gate

The Way the Truth and The Life

Kumbaya, let's all sit around the fire, hold hands, love each other, forget differences in doctrine, save the world, don't mention sin, hell, look like or operate like a church, operate like a business instead, be totally in the world, like the world, and ecumenical because Yahweh, Christ, his Word/Logos from all time are just about LOVE, nothing else and hey they change on the whim of man, right. WRONG NIMROD PASTORS, WRONG BIG TIME.  While you think that, and reject all the gifts of the spirit, including tongues, blaspheme against the spirit, you lead your flocks to hell, and along with yourselves.  If you want to lead yourselves there, be stupid, go ahead, but  you have no right to lead others there as well.

Jesus makes it clear that the gate is narrow and few will enter, while the gate to destruction is broad, which many will go through.  Throughout the Bible Yahweh and his Word/Logos Christ makes it clear no other Gods, not other doctrines other than the Bible, than what is relayed by the OT Prophets and NT Apostles, no other teachings other than those given by Yahweh, those communicated to by Yahweh, Christ and the Holy Spirit of Yahweh, of Christ.  Nothing outside of that is to be trusted, or followed, period. Those of Yahweh, of Christ are not to have any intimate part with anything of the world, with sin and sin patterns in any way, shape or form, with false doctrines, doctrines not exclusively, holistically Biblical.  Jesus tells us that "if anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire [the lake of fire], and they are burned".   He also tells us that "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears^*listen!", "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned", as well as "take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world",  "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" and "The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment".  These and other passages throughout the Bible make it very clear that the road to salvation, including his telling us that he is the only Way, Truth and Life, is very narrow and unless one follows that very narrow road, accepting him as the one and only savior there can be no salvation.  It is also clear that there will be judgement, just as there was for Sodom and Gomorra and others throughout time and history who rejected the true God, Yahweh, and those reject the one true path Christ in the present day, or who profess Christ, but refuse to give up sin. 

As Christ is the Logos, the Word, whatever judgements on sin were made in the Old Testament, whatever Ten Commandments, on many levels, whatever sins Paul Lists in the Epistles, and whatever abominations Yahweh punished cities and such for in the OT, including sexual ones, are still such today.  Yahweh is the same in his holy standards always, and will not change according to our culture and whims, desires and such, for which I am grateful to him.  This notion that all reads, all doctrines, etc... lead to God, to Christ is unbiblical, period.  Any pastor or such teaching it is a disgrace to the faith.

Shalom and Amen

Academic and Living Theology

Balance

When people think theology, we think complex, overwhelming and it can be.  It doesn't have to be, not if we can understand Genesis and Revelation in fullness of the Message of the Cross, Sin Nature Of All Mankind, Redemption in Christ, Discernment/Righteous Judgement and We Choose Heaven or Hell, Not God For US.   We must have balance between the academic, emotional and application of those in our lives.  The problem arises when Christians even try to go to any extreme, either all academic intellectual, all emotional charismatic, without any discernment, or religious humanism and  legalism, which can lead to a host of problems, including buying into the lie that there is no moral absolute.  How does one then figure out the balance between the academic, emotional and application of it all?

Paul is a good example of this.  He was adamant in preaching biblical truth that Christ had revealed to him in vision and what he was taught by the one Christ told him to be instructed by, as well as any future discerned revelation by the Holy Spirit, including gift of tongues.  He also admonished sin in detail and when he taught, when he admonished he did so with great love for the Trinity, for the truth, which was very evident, which he never held back.  However, even in his emotions, teachings etc... he was never out of line with Biblical truth, and never went into foolishness, such as making animal noises, gold dust and all that junk, which is of Satan, not of God. 

Even when he gave instructions on charity, he was very specific and orderly about it, the order in which charity was to be distributed, given etc... It was not to be distributed by government, not to be made a habit of, had to be proven that the person was truly in need and they still had to make some kind of contribution to society.  When any kind of communal sharing is talked about, it is only within the church itself and only during times of pilgrimage, church persecution and the time of the tribulation to come.  As regards sin, and judging, the NT alone gives us over 100 sins, and paul in his epistles lists at least 30 if not a few more.  One must be passionate and have true belief in the Word of Yahweh when conveying it, but also sound knowledge and truth to not lead others astray. One must loathe sin, even in one's own life and seek the God, through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit daily to avoid falling into the temptation and trap of sin.  Satan makes sin look very okay and alluring even, which is why people fall into it. Thus balance is the key in theology and in Christian living.  Balance in the journey is important and I hope I can provide some of that balance along the way, as we make this journey together.

Shalom and Amen.

Justification and Sanctification -Understanding the Difference

Justification and Sanctification

There is often misunderstanding and also wrong teaching on this doctrine, even within the church itself.  I felt it was important to set things straight.  There are denominations that teach that what Christ did was not sufficient, so there has to be further cleansing either here through a lifetime of works and more works or after death in purgatory. The other extreme is the the bullcrap teaching of Joseph Prince of hyergrace where you just say sorry when you are born again and then whatever you do is fine because Jesus paid for all your sins past, present and future, so don't worry.  You don't have to says sorry periodically, seek forgiveness, nah, all good.  Don't worry about it.  None of this is Biblical.  The only Biblical doctrine is that of Justification and Sanctification.  

Shalom and Amen.

Christmas Day Reflection

Reflection

In the stillness of the day, I am able to marvel at the Holy Spirit and how he will give you the words to stand by the truth of God's Holy Word and stand by Biblical truth.  He will also help you really see the inconsistency of those who profess Christianity,  but the Lord will say on that day of Judgement to depart from him.  There are those we love dearly, but we come to see are not in line with Biblical truth. This holiday brought this out to me even more clearly.

Don't get me wrong. I do not agree with much of the Catholic doctrine and the traditions, which are those of men, not Biblical and not of God. However, if one is professing to be a Biblical Christian and Catholic, and taking communion, it would seem to me, one should adhere to certain principles.  It would seem to be that one ought to adhere to the basic Biblical principles and teaching of Christianity and the Bible, to accept that the Bible is God's inspired Word, Christ the only way of Redemption and the Holy Spirit the sanctifier, to reject a life of lawlessness.  I have to scratch my head at anyone, even those near and dear to me professing to be Christian, but then denying the very core of the faith, of thinking it is okay to receive communion while supporting things that are ungodly, or being in agreement with anyone who supports anything that is abomination, who flagrantly lives a life of sinful lawlessness to receive communion, or to even be a pastor etc... I don't get it frankly.  I could never without having sincere repentance and having turned my life out of lawlessness receive communion. Maybe that makes me old-fashioned as I get older, but I am fine with being called old-fashioned, even antiquated.  Better to be antiquated and aligned with Biblical truth, peace, no turmoil, chaos etc..., even if storms should come.  Nothing is more beautiful than to be in alignment, I realize at this point in my life, with the fixed moral truths of the Bible, being in firm belief it is God's one full truth, period.

I also found that when evolution was thrown at me this Christmas Eve the Holy Spirit gave the answer that left the science man with a very pondering look.  I explained that God created everything in a particular order and groups, that everything works by system and hierarchy, even in the heavens.  Take for example the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Son and Holy Ghost go by the vision, will of the Father, the Holy Spirit is sent by the Word, the Logos, Christ.  Then you have the angels, also a hierarchy, all angels, but still not all the same, but a commonality in terms of who they are, what they are like. Thus even when one looks at the mammals and humans, the fact that we have DNA and certain components in common, doesn't mean we derived from them.  When God created the earth and all in it, as he creates in groups and systems, which we can clearly see from the Bible, he would have created things in hierarchy and by way of most similar to least similar.  The larger animals were created right before we were, hence the similarity.  Also, as the Trinity and creation itself, that very act is dynamic, so nature is dynamic and not static. Therefore, why are we surprised that the sin nature, which entered into the universe, would not create changes in viruses, mutations all kinds of wonky weather patterns?  When anyone tries do tell me that evolution proves God doesn't exist or the Bible wrong, well I have to now chuckle in my spirit and soul because the opposite is true.  Even if God only set up the initial building blocks, what the bible makes clear is that the development of everything happened in a particular sequence, order, and that there is a hierarchy, just as in the highest level of heaven.  No matter how one tries to present it to me, God will always be the igniter of the spark.

I also realized that if rather than getting all mad and upset, all that, I just let the Holy Spirit speak through me, then it was a lot more effective.  He can give us the right words and way to present things that will be pleasing to The Father and the Son, as well as allow the Holy Spirit to do his work in us to sanctify us.  I found that I also felt better in letting the Holy Sprit speak through me.  I realized that this was another reason Jesus came, so the Holy Spirit could finally indwell permanently in the true believer and Christian, the one who truly believed, truly repented and sought to do the will of the Father, in Christ, through the Hoy Spirit.  I had besides the redemption of Christ one more thing to be grateful for, the spiritual growth as a Christian I had gained that allowed me to breathe, relax and let the Holy Spirit speak through.

Shalom and Amen.

Christmas Eve Post Prayer Services Contemplation

First and foremost, Merry Christmas everyone.

It is the day before the birth of God’s begotten son and I came back from attending Services and the teen choir sang and the kids gave a modern/traditional take on the nativity scene twenty minutes ago. As I get older, it becomes more and more about Jesus about the faith and all else, every other aspect of it, who care.
None of it matters, not the presents, not the tree, not the foods, none of it. When I think of my life, of sin, of the state of the world, of all the immorality of it, the Amoral state of things, of how lost the youth is, all crap and junk throughout history, Jesus’s redemptive power and gift is all that matters. Sin becomes all the more real, and making sure people understand the truth of the Bible, the whole truth, the good, bad and ugly of it becomes more and more important. What becomes important as a minister, artist and person to me as I grow older is to share the truth of sin and redemption both strongly, clearly no sugar coating it. If people get offended in the process, tough, don’t care. Maybe they need offending and so do I if I am in any pattern of sin and lawlessness as given in the Bible and God, in Christ and by the Holy Spirit convict my heart, spirit and soul, so I get out of it.

As I watched the kids sing etc… I thought of Jesus coming into our human existence, living amongst us so on and so forth, just how great a gift that was, to be with us. The power of redemption of that humanity with the divine that he was able to really say “I get the struggles you go through, so you can come to me with your crosses, sins etc… and I can be your advocate before the Father and can send the Holy Spirit to give you the courage and strength to overcome the patterns of sin.” That is an amazing gift that God the Father gave us in Christ beyond what I or any of could have ever been worthy of or earned in any lifetimes. This Advent, the whole season really needs to be directed at Christ and the gift he gave by coming to dwell amongst us, the Word made flesh, and all he lived and did to redeem us.

Amen.

A Prayer to Share

Prayer

This is a prayer I came across that I wanted to share with you.

We praise thee, O God :
    we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee :
    the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud :
    the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim :
    continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy :
    Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
    of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world :
    doth acknowledge thee;
The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man :
    thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death :
    thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants :
    whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.

The Written Word, It's Essence

The Written Word, God's Holy Word -Guide for Life and Living

I want to on this day of the Eve of Christmas discuss the essence of the written Word using various sources including the Recovery Version Bible, Matthew Henry Bible Commentary and Inspiration of the Holy Spirit as I write. There are several passages to look at, starting with and primarily 2Tim 3:16-17, and Titus 3:5-6.  Then there are also other passages, such as Ezek 36:25-26, Rom 5:4, Heb 13:20-21 1 Cor 3:16.

Looking at Timothy and Titus, one finds certain words that are a thread throughout the Bible.  They are to work in synergy and they are as follows: God Breathed, Inspired, Profitable, Conviction, Correction, Instruction, Righteousness, Christ, Mercy, Regeneration, and Renewal.  They have to all be part of the whole package and you can't leave any of them out.  They all have to work together as one, intertwined, a team, the holistic entirety of the Bible.  This book is God's one and pure sacred truth, so it is a creator, counselor, teacher, parent, friend, redeemer shown to you in black and white, but you have to be willing to enter its' pages, surrender to the fact that we can not bring salvation to self, that we can not be righteous in our own selves.  Our righteousness does not even come close to that of Yahweh, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  

There are things that can stop us, such as the vanities of this world, confusion of wrong doctrine, personal rebellion against rebuke, correction so on and so forth.  The Holy Spirit, should we realize this can then regenerate our reprobate mind, the self which, as Paul puts it, we have prostituted to the world, rather than kept in sacred marriage union with Christ because we have loved things of the world, approval of man, even family more so than the Word of God, of Yahweh, more than Christ, forgetting his sacrifice for us, being unwilling to make any sacrifice ourselves for righteousness.  Paul warns Timothy to always stay firm within the scriptures, to let them be his primary education, learning, correction etc... as they are not from the flesh, but from the spirit, from Yahweh, through the Logos, Christ, the Word, which was then made flesh.  That is the most reliable education, when properly understood and taught.

We must never be afraid to convict, correct, and instruct according to the Bible, again holistically and in Agape love, sometimes tough love as necessary, but never with violence or such. We must be willing to speak out and speak up in regards to sin and all injustice as related to sin always, constructively.  We must through the Word, daily, seek to be regenerated and renewed in every aspect of life.  We must die to the world, pleasures and sins of the world and let the Holy Spirit guide us as to enjoyment of life within boundaries as Yahweh would wish us to do.  We can sing, dance, enjoy life, but without sin and that is the key, without sin, within the Word, the essence of the Word.

Shalom and Amen.

The Church

The Church- The Bride of Christ

The Church- The Bride of Christ

Wisdom of Solomon -Song

This is a song I composed based on a phrase in one of the poems in the Bible.   I hope you enjoy it.

Wisdom of Solomon

May Wisdom, True Wisdom Always Be Our Guide.

The Amazement/Awe that is Fall/Winter

Winter in New York can bring out the worst complaing and whining in people. Then again so can life, which as one with a syndrome and all that comes with in can attest to.  Having had to forego injection to the knees, my final one till after the New Year, for one in the neck to treat my herniated disc, as I was in a lot of pain for three days, but ending up with a sleepless night last this past night due to pain in the legs and back that radiated through out my body can attest to, so does life.  

However, as I walked today first to take mom to sort out an insurance issue then to set at a nearby cafe to eat something I had a revelation.  I looked at the trees and started to realize something about Fall and even Winter.  Fall is about shedding, as trees shed their leaves and spring transforms into Fall. I looked at the trees, bare, raw, which will be chipped away at by the elements, their flaws exposed to Yahweh, to all, their ranches reaching up to heaven.  I thought about the clouds obscuring the sun, the light, the rains washing away the last of the pollen, and filling the reservoirs.  The cold and snow killing the germs, bacteria, seeping into the ground so we can have crops next spring, about each snowflake being unique in shape, just like our fingerprint and footprint.  I then thought about what this says about Yahweh, about our creator, the symbolism about us, our society, about Christ, the redemption. I am in awe.

Think about it.  The bare trees and clouds that obscure light, but the trees reach out with their branches to the heavens, seeking  Yahweh. They shed their leaves, as we shed our sins, burdens when we come to Christ at Calvary.  The rain washes away, the cold kills the virus, the germs etc... just like the blood of Christ justifies us before God and the Holy Spirit continuously sanctifies us with his indwelling to keep us from a sin pattern of life.  The Holy Trinity nourishes us.  It's so amazing how nature is a metaphor for us for life, for God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.  While nature is not Yahweh, or the Trinity, it is a gift from Yahweh and it can teach us a lot about our selves and the Holy Trinity.  Each season has something to appreciate, to teach.  I hope we can find what it is.

Shalom and Amen

Prayer of Thanks

Thank You Jesus For Redeeming Us

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

² Let Israel say:
    “His love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say:
    “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say:
    “His love endures forever.”

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.
¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹¹ They surrounded me on every side,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
¹⁶     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.

²² The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
²³ the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.

²⁵ Lord, save us!
    Lord, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.^[b]
27 The Lord is God,
    and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
    up^[c] to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Destroying God's Word and History

In academia, the media etc… there is a destruction and re-writing of God’s Word, as well as history, as humanists, progressives seek to eradicate any trace of this nations’s Christian roots and the Christian roots of our founders.  They take verses out of context, and other tactics to justify their unbiblical humanist etc.. agenda, and the same with our true heritage.

In regards to the Bible, you have these paraphrase and liberal bibles that try to make Yahweh and Jesus out to be hippie like, marxist progressives, which is blasphemy. They try to justify sin, sinful lifestyle and such by trying to make forgiveness, for example, a blanket thing with no consequence for ongoing sin behavior or rejection of Christ as the only way truth and life.  They also use it as a punching bag against any kind of expression of moral compass, boundaries etc…  When anyone re-write’s God’s true Word (KJV, the truest version) to suit man’s ideology, they blaspheme, and Yahweh help them.  

Humanists and such, also seek to deny America’s heritage. They refuse to accept that America’s true origins began with the Protestant Reformation, which led to people leaving to seek religious freedom of expression, and then to the American Revolution, leading eventually to the creation of the United States of America.  Our origins are Christian in nature and anyone who values heritage, ancestry so on and so forth would cherish and honor that.   The  Reformation advocated for free thinkers to question the practices of the Catholic church, and the printing press spread these ideas relatively quickly and easily. The time was ripe for the  scholars who promoted democracy and justice through discussions of individual liberty and equality. You also have to look to the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence that tells us our rights are endowed by our Creator to know that our founders were not secularists.  As a matter of fact, 56 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christian, George Washington was Orthodox Christian, used over 200 bible references in his writings and 98% of the colonies were Christian.  Keep in mind that in the days of our founders, most of the education was religious, so their entire framework for life was Christian, not secular, not Muslim or any other unGodly anything, but Christianity, Yahweh’s one holy truth. Thirty of the states, their Constitutions directly, in the preamble make mention of God, or Jesus Christ. In a supreme court case in 1892 Church of the Holy Trinity vs U.S., citing 87 precedents, it stated that our institutions must be based upon the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind and that our institutions are most emphatically Christian.  This is just one example of a number of examples where before the hippie “revolution” that destroyed America came in, the Supreme Court ruled with clarity that this was a Christian nation and it was those values that should direct the nation.  http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/rulings.html

What of the founding fathers?  They would have us believe that the founders were Deist, which is not true. They will say that they only spoke the words they spoke for convenience and politics sake.  Really, that’s how little they think of our founders? That’s really thinking very little of them that they would just over and over again just say what what popular to say.   Let’s start with Thomas Jefferson because atheists and such love to point out the Jefferson Bible as proof that he rejected Christ and was not a Christian, for one and the whole separation of Church and State thing in his letter to the pastor.   He also made it clear that our freedoms, laws care from God, not man and should we violate God’s laws, his wrath would come on us. Now, let’s discuss the Bible he created and why he created it.  It was not out of anger or any of that crap they would have you believe. He created that specifically to teach the American Indians Christian values, to change their ways, hearts, etc… to embrace Christian living and values.  Did he have an issue with organized religion and legalism, sure, but then again so do I.  He was also clear that “I am a real Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.”   He had doubts regarding the Trinity doctrine and the divinity of Christ, but he still did not doubt that Jesus was a real person, or the existence of God. As regards the whole church and state thing, that just meant that the government would never persecute the church, interfere with the church or any religious expression of the faithful.  It also was assured that no state run church would be established.  That is all it meant.  James Madison made it clear he created the three branches of government based on Isaiah 33:22, that one ought to live by the Ten Commandments, and that without a Godly foundation we would be like the tower of Babel.   James Madison even studied for the ministry.  Ben Franklin made it clear at the 2nd Constitutional Convention made it clear that all freedom was given by the laws of God and nature, not man.  As God created all, then his laws reign supreme.  John Adams wrote to Jefferson that three things form morality: the existence of God, immortality of the soul, and the future state of rewards, as well as punishment, without which there was no conscience. There are countless other examples.  When atheists and such talk of a Godless Constitution they are lying or are ignorant.  Even if they at some point left organized religion, or had issue with it, as I have their whole orientation and worldview was biblical, and so would how they shaped the nation and governed.  It’s just common sense.  A biblical worldview is one of faith, spirituality and reason all in one.  All thought the Bible essential for just and harmonious society. As a recent Forbes article pointed out: Washington’s Farewell Address neatly summarized, “Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensible supports.” Franklin warned the irreligious Thomas Paine, “If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it?” , “The founding documents of every one of the original thirteen colonies reveal them to be awash in the concepts of Christianity and God.” Youth learned to read using Scripture. Universities were chartered to teach doctrine. Students could not even enter Harvard, Yale or Princeton without assenting to the Westminster Confession. I also think about our national monuments and how they offer us proof of our Christian heritage and here are some examples.

 The Library of Congress - The Bible is the rock upon which our republic rests.” 

The Supreme Court - On the outside East Pediment is a marble relief of Moses holding tablets containing the Ten Commandments. 

The Capitol Building - All of the eight large paintings in the Rotunda present aspects of our Christian history.  Columbus and spreading of the Gospel, Baptism of Pocahontas — This shows the baptism of one of the first converts in the Virginia colony,  pilgrims observing a day of prayer and fasting. William Brewster is holding an open Bible upon which is written: “The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “God With Us” is written on the ship’s sail and others.

The National Archives - A bronze design on the floor of the Rotunda contains the Ten Commandments with Senate and Justice to the right of them, which symbolizes that our legal system has its origin in God’s law. 

The Washington Monument - Inside the structure are carved tribute blocks with many Godly messages: “Holiness to the Lord,” “Search the Scriptures,” “The memory of the just is blessed,” “May Heaven to this union continue its beneficence,” In God We Trust,” “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

The White House - An inscription by the first President to inhabit the White House, John Adams, is cut into the marble facing of the State Dining Room fireplace. It reads: “I pray Heaven to Bestow the Best of Blessings on THIS HOUSE and on All that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under this Roof.” 

The Lincoln Memorial - On the south wall is the Gettysburg Address which ends exclaiming “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” On the wall of the north chamber is Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address which shows his knowledge of the Scriptures: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. „Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh‟ (Matthew 18:7).”

The Jefferson Memorial - The inscription from Jefferson’s Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom states: “Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion. . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.” A third inscription from his Notes of the State of Virginia says: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

Never let anyone tell you the heritage and basis of this nation is anything but Christian.  That is a lie, a big big big lie.

What can we do to counter this insidious Marxist, Humanist Secularism that is destroying our Church and Heritage, Nation?  A few things come to mind:

• Teach our children the truth.
• Evangelize to our teens and youth to counter the crap lies given to them by academia and the media
• Push back big time, non-violent always, against all unGodly laws, and the CSCOPE Curriculum
• Create sliding scale fee online schools, elementary all the way to college, strongly Christian, none of this of the world psychology driven based crap, CSCOPE crap
• Create out of the box ways to deliver healthcare, sliding scale and other ways, no insurance needed, doctors, clinics, hospitals and patients need create our own insurance plans, no middle men, so we do not pay for anything unholy and unGodly

Is the push back going to change things overnight, now but nothing major changes overnight, but we have to start.

Shalom and Amen

Remember Freedom of Not From Religion

When Communists, Marxists and such want to destroy a culture, a nation,  a people, and bring tyranny, the first thing they attack is Freedom of Religion, then Speech and Assembly.  Have you ever wondered why that is and why in America, the Humanists and Atheists are so determined to eradicate all traces of faith and such in the square, and permeate society with their liberal progressive, marxist even agenda, and ideology, including Common Core, making Obama seem like a Messiah?

As the Heritage and others rightly point out religious freedom along with a thriving religious culture define the United States, are core characters of the American order as much as its political system and market economy. Going back to the earliest settlements of the 17th century to the great social reform causes led by religious groupss in the late 19th century and again in the 20th century, religion has been a dominant theme of American life. Freedom of religion is a cornerstone of the American experiment. This freedom to express faith is not just about “toleration” but is understood as the exercise of “inherent natural rights.” As George Washington so rightly put it : “[T]he Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” And “what is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the Creator,” James Madison wrote in his 1786 Memorial and Remonstrance. “This duty is precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society.”  Any society that would deny full public expression of religion, speech and assembly, so long as there is no destruction to property, animals and no one is physically harmed, is not a civil society.

The Freedom of Religion is intertwined with Freedom of Speech and Assembly both in the Church, home and public square.  There is no separating them and the government has no right to interfere with an individual or group quietly exercising these freedoms anywhere in the country, including at school, a courthouse, government building etc…, period.  Freedom of Religion is a right given to us by the founders, along with Speech and Assembly.  It is not freedom to just worship in a church, speech and assembly only if it does not offend anyone, no.  If my worship, assembly or speech offends, tough.  Should I try to be empathetic, kind in my speech, sure, but not to speak Biblical, Moral Godly truth, because it might offend you , or not worship in public, because it might offend you is not going to happen, nor should it.  If you don’t like it, walk away, don’t listen to it.  I can do the same, or don’t say the under God part in the pledge.  Don’t participate in the school pageant or event, that’s fine, but don’t have an whole event cancelled for the whole school because you are a big cry baby and might be offended or will be offended.  Get a thick skin and suck it up.

The minute we allow Humanists, Atheists to win and stamp out religion in the public square or even tell anyone they have to foot the bill for abortion etc… insurance wise, we have given America over to Satan and God will not easily forgive, same thing goes if we turn our backs on Israel.  We must stand strong in Sola Scriptura, Trinity Doctrine, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, including Tongues, truth and that the Gospel is the only solution, as is a Biblical Worldview applied to all the ills of society and fight loud and clear for Freedom of Religion, Speech and Assembly in the public square at all times, even under the threat of lawsuits and  neutralize Humanist, Marxist  Liberal Progressive ideology, with the help of the Holy Spirit in America, for America’s sake.

Shalom and Amen

Sin and Salvation

There is Hope in Christ

Sin and Salvation

One of the things humanists and atheists will throw out there is that Yahweh created Satan and sin.  I have to laugh because it is beyond stupid to even propose that.  Yahweh created all things good, all kind to unite in kind, for women to be in compliment to women and vice versa, for humanity to be good stewards of each other and the home they were given, earth.  Lucifer was the first source of music in heaven, the most beloved of Yahweh, so he was not created as Satan and neither did Yahweh create sin.  God is holy and He would not create that which is contrary to His nature. Sinfulness is the opposite of holiness.  Lucifer rebelled against God and sinned (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezek 28:13-15)  and Adam and Eve, having been made by God without sin, listened to the devil and chose to sin against God (Gen. 3). But God did not cause them to sin (James 1:13). In the freedom of their wills, each decided to rebel against God and sin entered the world (Rom 5:12). God simply allowed the condition to exist where sin was possible.  God, like a parent who respects free will, but also sets, hopefully having a brain, clear consequences, created the condition in the world where the ability to rebel against Him was possible, as choice was possible. Yet, he is not responsible for that rebellion once it has been committed. Therefore, sin originated with Lucifer who was the first to rebel and entered the world through the first humans who likewise chose disobedience.

When you give any creation free will, well that means you risk them rejecting you, and wreaking havoc on the world, the universe, self destructing.  If you are a true father, truly love your creation, then you have to risk that, but also have a plan to save them, at least your most precious creation.  He did in Christ, but as we have free will, we have to accept it and it doesn't matter how far we have strayed because we can come home again.   The love of choice, consequence, but also mercy through Christ, the only way to salvation is an amazing thing, from an amazing parent.

Christmas Decor Downtown Manhattan

Merry Christmas Everyone

Full Christmas Decor at Home

Christmas is Here In Downtown 

More Downtown Christmas

More Downtown Christmas

South Street Seaport NYC Christmas Tree

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Trinity - Conclusion

Holy Trinity - Conclusion

The Trinity

Introduction

More Christmas Songs- Enjoy

Hark the Herald Angels Sing 

Little Drummer Boy

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I thought it would be nice to share with you the background on the holiday songs I recorded.  Enjoy.

History is Knowledge.

Comments email: mhcblogcomment@yahoo.com - Use for any other purpose and you will be blocked.
According to Wikipedia, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 1739 in the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems, having been written by Charles Wesley. A somber man, Wesley had requested and received slow and solemn music for his lyrics, not the joyful tune expected today. The popular version is the result of alterations by various hands, notably by Wesley’s co-worker George Whitefield who changed the opening couplet to the familiar one, and by Felix Mendelssohn. A hundred years after the publication of Hymns and Sacred Poems, in 1840, Mendelssohn composed a cantata to commemorate Johann Gutenberg‘s invention of the printing press, and it is music from this cantata, adapted by the English musician William H. Cummings to fit the lyrics of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, that propels the carol known today

 According to Wikipedia, “Deck the Halls” or “Deck the Hall” (which is the original title) is a traditional Christmas, yuletide, and New Years’ carol. The melody is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, “Nos Galan”.
The English lyrics first appeared (still called “Nos Gallan”) in volume 2 ofWelsh Melodies, a set of four volumes authored by John Thomas with Welsh words by John Jones (Talhaiarn) and English words by the Scottish musicianThomas Oliphant although the repeated “fa la la” goes back to the original Welsh “Nos Galan” and may originate from medieval ballads.  The song is inAABA form.  The series Welsh Melodies appears in four volumes, the first two in 1862, the third in 1870 and the final volume in 1874.

According to Wikipedia “The Little Drummer Boy” (originally known as “Carol of the Drum”) is a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941.  It was recorded in 1955 by the Trapp Family Singers and further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale. This version was re-released successfully for several years and the song has been recorded many times since.
In the lyrics the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the nativity where, without a gift for the infant Jesus, he played hisdrum with the Virgin Mary‘s approval, remembering “I played my best for Him” and “He smiled at me”.
 The song was originally titled “Carol of the Drum” and was published by Davis as based upon a traditional Czech carol.  Davis’s interest was in producing material for amateur and girls’ choirs: her manuscript is set as a chorale, the tune in the soprano with alto harmony, tenor and bass parts producing the “drum rhythm” and a keyboard accompaniment “for rehearsal only”. It is headed “Czech Carol freely transcribed by K.K.D”, these initials then deleted and replaced with “C.R.W. Robinson”, a name under which Davis sometimes published.

 According to Wikipedia God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen, also known as God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, and God Rest You Merry People All, is an English traditional Christmas carol. The melody is in the minor mode. It was published by William B. Sandys in 1833, although the author is unknown.
Like so many early Christmas songs, the carol was written as a direct reaction to the church music of the 15th century. However, in the earliest known publication of the carol, on a c. 1760 broadsheet, it is described as a “new Christmas carol”, suggesting its origin is actually in the mid-18th century. It appeared again among “new carols for Christmas” in another 18th century source, a chapbook believed to be printed between 1780 and 1800.
It is referred to in Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol, 1843: “…at the first sound of ‘God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!’, Scroogeseized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.”
This carol also is featured in the second movement of the Carol Symphony byVictor Hely-Hutchinson.
In 2010, the British recording artist Annie Lennox recorded a contemporary version of the song on her Christmas album A Christmas Cornucopia. A very different contemporary version of the song was published by the Canadian rock group The Barenaked Ladies on their 2004 Christmas album Barenaked for the Holidays. The song was also covered by Bright Eyes on A Christmas Album in 2002 and by the synthpop duo Erasure on their dance-oriented 1988 Christmas EP Crackers International.
  
According to Wikipedia,  “Ma’oz Tzur” (Hebrew: ‫מעוז צור‎ Māʕōz Sˤūr) is a Jewishliturgical poem or piyyut. It is written in Hebrew, and is sung on the holiday ofHanukkah, after lighting the festival lights. The name is a reference to theHasmonean stronghold of Beth-zur. This Hebrew song is thought to have been written sometime in the 13th century. It was originally sung only in the home, but has been used in the synagogue since the nineteenth century or earlier. Of its six stanzas sometimes only the first stanza is sung (or the first and fifth).
The hymn is named for its Hebrew incipit, which means “Stronghold of Rock” and is a name or epithet for God.
“Ma’oz Tzur” is thought to have been written in the 13th century, during theCrusades.[1] The first letters of the first five stanzas form an acrostic of the composer’s name, Mordechai (the five Hebrew letters מרדכי). He may have been the Mordecai ben Isaac ha-Levi who wrote the Sabbath table-hymn “Mah Yafit“,[2] or even the scholar referred to in the Tosafoth to Talmud (Bavli) Niddah36a. Or, to judge from the appeal in the closing verse, he may have been the Mordecai whose father-in-law was martyred at Mayence (now Mainz, Germany) in 1096.
The hymn retells Jewish history in poetic form and celebrates deliverance from four ancient enemies, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman and Antiochus. Like much medieval Jewish liturgical poetry, it is full of allusions to Biblical literature and rabbinic interpretation. Thus, “malchut eglah” denotes Egypt(Jeremiah 46:2); “noges” is Nebuchadnezzar; “y’mini” is Mordechai (Esther 2:5); “y’vanim”" is Antiochus; “shoshanim” is the Jewish people (Shir HaShirim 2:2); “b’nei vinah” are the rabbinic sages; and “shir” refers to the Hallel psalms.

According to Wikipedia, “Angels We Have Heard on High” is a Christmas carol in the public domain. The song commemorates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Luke, in which shepherds outside Bethlehemencounter a multitude of angels singing and praising the newborn child.  The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes (literally, “Angels in our countryside”) composed by an unknown author in Languedoc, France. That song has received many adjustments or alignments including its most common English version that was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, northeast England. The carol quickly became popular in the West Country, where it was described as ‘Cornish’ by R.R. Chope, and featured in Pickard-Cambridge‘s Collection of Dorset Carols.[
There is also a Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) translation of the carol which is known as Ainglean chuala sinn gu h-ard (literally, “Angels We Have Heard on High”). This was translated into Gaelic by Iain MacMilan from James Chadwick’s English translation.
Shalom and Amen