Month: March 2011

Categories
MetaV The Bible Version History Vision

Progress Update

A lot has progressed since I first posted the central parts of MetaV.  At that time, I had only converted and indexed the text of the Bible itself.  Since then, I’ve managed to add cross references, topics, time lines, readability info, Strong’s Concordance, and locations.  I’ve even made a number of tools to explore each “module,” and one to explore the timeline, places, and text all in one place.  But, what’s next?  The diagram below shows the modules I have envisioned so far to include in the database.  Black outlines indicate areas of future development; white outlines are completed modules (tables).

Each sub-group has at least the main part of it complete, with one exception: People.  What can I say? People are messy.  I know there are a number of genealogies out there and a number of tools produced to explore them, but finding an openly available one in an appropriately structured file that’s free for public use is proving difficult.  Therefore, I expect it will take significantly longer to compile such a reference on my own using what I’ve scraped together so far.

I have chosen not to upload the updated database until I at least have people identified and tagged with basic relationship information (father/son, husband/wife).  After that iteration is complete, I’ll make that available and begin work on the remaining modules and other refinements at the same time as producing new, simple tools to explore the database.  Any estimate on how long that will take would only be a guess.

Categories
Discernment Spiritual Warfare The Christian

Identifying the Enemy

Too many of us have allowed the culture to shape what we expect to see if Satan or his minions come to influence us.  What does he look like? Is he a goat-man dressed in red with horns, a pointed tail and a trident?  What does he act like? Is he a drug-dealing, murdering rapist? Where does he work?  Does he have his underground headquarters in an inner-city slum or a pornography studio? The answer to all of these questions is NO!  Consider the following:

Satan wants to be “Christ-like” (Isaiah 14:12-14).  He wants people to worship himself instead of Jesus.  To do that, he must trick people into thinking he’s the most righteous spiritual man who ever lived.  He will be so successful at this that the world will believe he is the messiah, allowing him to walk into the temple thus putting himself in the place of God (Matthew 24:15).  Satan will outwardly look and act like the last person you’d ever expect!

Satan is a believer.  He believes Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4).  In fact, he was probably there watching all of it happen!  The Devil(s) believe, and tremble. (James 2:19)  He and his demons tremble because they will not repent.  It is repentance, not just belief, which sets apart a born-again Christian.

Satan goes to church.  He’s probably been going to church since long before you were born. Think about it: why would he waste time around other God-haters?  They are already on his side.  No, he works most tirelessly to divert and deceive those who seek to know God.  Those are the most threatening to the Devil’s plan.

Satan knows his Bible. He can quote passages by heart, even when the heat is on.  He intentionally misquotes it ever so slightly to get his way.  Consider Eden when he added just one word to tempt Eve (Gen 3:1).  Or when he tempted Jesus, quoting (and misapplying) God’s promise of angelic protection from Psalm 91:11-12.  Jesus replied: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matt 4:6-7)

Satan is an angel.  Our culture understands the word “angel” to be synonymous with a “good person.”  Yet, Lucifer is an angel and a beautiful one at that (Eze 28:13).  He took many others with him in rebellion (2 Pet 2:4, Jude 1:6).  In fact, Hell itself was created for these angels (Matthew 25:41).  So, if you happen to meet an angel, remember there’s a fair chance it’s actually a demon.

Satan doesn’t judge people of other faiths.  There will come a day when all who are not in Christ will worship the Devil under a unified global religion (Rev 13:11).  Therefore, he encourages people who don’t worship Jesus Christ to continue in their ways unchallenged until the time comes for God to separate the wheat from the chaff and burn the workers of iniquity (Matthew 3:12) in the fire that shall not be quenched (Mar 9:44-48).

Satan accepts Jesus as Lord.  When he started out to test Job’s faith, he went before the throne and waited for permission (Job 1:6-12) after arguing for a time.  How often do we ask or wait on permission from God to do anything?  Yes, that man of sin, the son of perdition, knows all too well that he, along with the rest of the created universe, is in constant subjection to Jesus Christ – and he hates it.  Do you find joy in submitting to his power and authority?

Satan’s strategy of deception is to have every outward appearance of Christ, so it should not be a surprise that he does all of the things I’ve just listed.  This is why we must be exceedingly vigilant (Acts 17:11).  Test everyone and everything to see whether it is of God (1 Thess 5:21).  Test your preacher, theologians, scientists, and philosophers.  Test yourself to be sure you are indeed following God’s way to Heaven (Isa 55:8-9, John 14:6).

So, how do we guard against the influences of that wicked deceiver?  First, I would argue that it’s not Satan we should be worried about.  It’s our own heart that is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jer 17:9)  During the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, Satan will be bound and God’s perfect justice will rule.    Yet, even with him out of the picture for a thousand years, some will still rebel (Rev 20:11-15).  We will have no more “the Devil made me do it” excuses.  Let us look to our own sin, see the ugliness of it, then praise the Lord for lifting that burden up on the cross.

Categories
Astronomy The First Days

Beyond Neptune: Voyager II Supports Creation

A common claim against biblical creationism is that it merely argues against prevailing theories but makes no scientific predictions of its own. Physicist Russel Humphreys (a creationist) explains his predictions that were tested and verified by the Voyager II spacecraft.

Beyond Neptune: Voyager II Supports Creation.

Categories
Culture History Medicine The World

The #1 Cause of Death Worldwide

Abortion Mosaic

Pro-Life advocates have widely reported shockingly high abortion statistics recently released from New York City.  But, how does abortion compare to leading causes of death in America?  How does it compare to mass murder campaigns throughout history?  In all areas, the data prove that the mother’s womb is indeed the most dangerous place in the world.

Live Action, a group that has gained national prominence with their undercover videos exposing illegal activity within Planned Parenthood, reported that New Yorkers had 52% more abortions than died from all other causes combined in 2008[1].

 NYC causes of death

This insight led me to investigate further: how does abortion compare to leading causes of death in America?  We hear a lot about heart disease being at the top of that list, especially when big-government politicians call for legislation protecting us from known risk factors in popular foods.  As it turns out, the abortion rate in our country is nearly twice as high as the death rate from heart disease[2].

USA causes of death

Now, let’s take the next logical step and compare the number of babies killed in America since Roe vs. Wade to the top five multicides (which includes genocide and any other mass murder campaigns) throughout history.

top 5 multicides

We can see that the number of abortions in America secures our place as being more murderous than all the regimes we invoke to compare against our political enemies du jour[3].  Yet, this rate is still fairly low when matched up with the rest of the world.  Global abortions in 2003 were at a whopping rate of 41.6 million annually, down from 45.6 million in 1995[4].  At that rate, there would be over one billion babies murdered in the span of 25 years.  By a wide margin, the pro-life mantra: “The most dangerous place in the world is the mother’s womb” rings true.

So, what are we to do?  Protest at abortion clinics?  Lobby state and national legislatures?  Appoint pro-life judges?  All of these things help to varying degrees but ignore the root of our problem: SIN.  You see, I’ve left out the most important statistic of all: 100% of all deaths result from Original Sin. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” Rom 5:12

We as individuals and as a nation must repent – turn from our wickedness – to escape God’s certain judgement.  Jeremiah 18:8 outlines our only hope for saving our country: “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.”  Our best weapons against the evil of abortion are not the courts or the voting booth.  It is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17).  I pray God through his humble and obedient servants will send this Spirit to all peoples, tribes, and nations to deliver us from death and Hell before our time runs out.

[2] Abortion data from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html#2

Causes of death from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

*Excludes deaths from medical errors which likely fall somewhere within the top 10 (estimates vary widely)

 

[3] Abortion data from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html

Multicide data from http://necrometrics.com/20c5m.htm

*Estimates vary widely

Categories
Current Events The Last Days

Japan, In Need of a Savior

Being a Christian can be frustrating at times because it is so easy to forget about that time in our own lives when we too were blinded to the truth (Ephesians 5:8).  As Paul reminds us about unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”  You want to shout from the rooftops:  “Don’t you people get it?”  When in reality, they can’t get it, because they are both blinded by Satan and willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3:5).  The best you can do is present them the Gospel and pray for their souls.  The rest is between them and God.

Within this framework I always find it amazing when a non-Christian is able to see a sliver of truth (John 17:17) in this world.  Tokyo Governor, Shintaro Ishihara, has apparently told the press that he believes the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit Japan on Friday was a form of divine punishment:

“The identity of the Japanese people is selfishness. The Japanese people must take advantage of this tsunami as means of washing away their selfish greed. I really do think this is divine punishment.”

Shintaro, how right you are!  Instead of blaspheming God as most people would do (Revelation 16:9), you rightly identified the cause of your strife.  Now please, lead your constituents on their knees before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to repent and believe on Him for Salvation.  As in the days of Ninevah:  Jonah 3:8, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.”

While Shintaro correctly recognizes that this tsunami has divine implications, he is sadly ignorant of whom his Lord and Creator is:  Acts 17:23, “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”  Shintaro, please, for the sake of your soul, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so you will not be damned (Mark 16:16).  Contrary to popular opinion, you and your unbelieving countrymen have no excuse:  Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Christians, before you jump on the international aid wagon (rife with fraud, waste, and abuse), take a moment to pray and study your Bibles (2 Timothy 2:15).   Japan (or Africa for that matter) doesn’t need your money, aid, clothing, food, or stuff nearly as much as your prayers and your active witness:  Luke 10:2, “Therefore said he unto them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.’”

If you aren’t a prayer warrior, then figure out how to get out on the street and evangelize the masses.  Get over there and be a tourist, teach English, practice medicine, gain international employment, or even volunteer as a missionary.  If you can’t put your boots on the ground, find a way to do something proactive:  mail tracts, send Bibles, or support a missionary in Japan.  Time is of the essence for us to reach lost souls (2 Peter 3:10).  According to news reports, there are at least 2,500 Japanese dead and their numbers in Hell are growing by the day, Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gave us our marching orders:  Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”  It is up to you to obey (Galatians 3:1) and preach the good news.  For those of us with thick skulls who need everything repeated, Paul elaborated on these orders and clarified them:  Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

American Christians: the Chinese local churches plan on spreading the Gospel to Japan (and the rest of the 10/40 window), will you?

Categories
Medicine Politics The World

Shocking Stat: Number of Abortions Exceed All Other Deaths Combined in NYC

Live Action, a pro-life activist group, uncovers data comparing the number of babies killed in New York City to the total number of deaths in the same city. The data show that abortion is by far the number one cause of death in that city.

Shocking Stat: Number of Abortions Exceed All Other Deaths Combined in NYC.

Categories
Apostasy Evangelism The Christian The Last Days

Confused Christians

For the record, I grew up in a church affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).  For those of you who don’t know much about the ELCA , it prides itself on being “Catholic-Lite” (kind of like Budweiser vs. Bud-Lite).  It offers all of the ritualism and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church but with more of a Unitarian flare.  At its core, it is essentially a “good-works” club that invokes the name of Jesus without actually believing he has any personal involvement in our lives.  As long as a person is willing to sit/stand on cue, read soul-less canned prayers from a book, listen to an uninspired “Social Gospel” sermonette, and talk about the weather over coffee and cookies, they will fit right in.

That said, in an effort to witness to the lost within the ELCA Lutheran Church, I occasionally read their material.  Today I came across an article titled, “Can Evangelism be Redeemed” that clearly demonstrates how lost these people really are.  In this article, Javen Swanson explains how he wants nothing to do with “saving souls.”

From the article:

“Despite Christ’s Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations,” evangelism is a task I have most often avoided.”

Here Javen openly admits that he disregards the commands of our Lord and Savior.  He would be wise to read Luke 6:46,  “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

“I usually associate evangelism with an effort to convert nonbelievers to Christianity, something that makes me very uncomfortable. Too often the desire to bring about conversions grows out of a belief that nonbelievers need to be “saved” from eternal damnation by adopting the Christian faith.”

Javen next correctly associates evangelism with an effort to convert nonbelievers to Christianity.  Sadly, he finds this “very uncomfortable.”  I would assume that he also finds the words of Jesus Christ himself to be uncomfortable as Jesus tells us in Mark 16:16,  “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

“To the extent that evangelism is about “saving souls,” I want nothing to do with it.  I approach matters of faith and belief with humility, unwilling to assert the superiority of my own religious beliefs over those of others.”

This is probably the saddest comment he makes in his article.  He’s a professing Christian that wants nothing to do with witnessing to the lost (Luke 10:2).  This is like a firefighter who sits in his fire truck while watching his neighbor’s house burn down with his neighbor inside it.  When asked why he isn’t helping his burning neighbor, he blithely replies:  “I’m humble, I want nothing to do with that hero stuff.”  Javen fits the description of the blinded mind of 2 Corinthians 4:4,  “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

“The most I am willing to say is that it is the Christian story that has claimed me and helps me to make meaning of my own life. I recognize that other stories have claimed other people in a similar way, and I want to respect that.”

This is the statement of a nonbeliever, a false convert.  The Bible is no mere “story.”.  Either it is literal history and Jesus literally died on the Cross and literally died for your Sins, or it is all a fairytale.  As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:14-17,  “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

If the Bible is just a story then you are wasting your time reading it.  You might as well be out there with the world living the rock and roll satanic mantra: “do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”

Sadly, the “E” in ELCA stands for “Evangelical.”  If you know anybody caught up in an ELCA Lutheran Church, please pray for them and bring them our testimony in sincerity (2 Corinthians 1:12).  Witness slowly as ELCA Lutherans flee from both Bible believers and the Bible itself like a vampire flees from garlic and sunlight.  John 3:19,  “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”  It is up to us as Bible believers to bring these lost souls the Gospel so that they may be saved as Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father:  John 14:6,  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Categories
Application Cool Tools MetaV

Introducing MetaV

I’ve spent some time already on this blog talking about the ideas behind MetaV: what it is, why it’s different, etc. Now, the map and timeline data is complete and the first visual exploration tool is here.  This work is not licensed, so feel free to share, copy, and modify as you wish.

MetaV

Categories
Prophecy The Last Days

The Immensity of the New Jerusalem

Earth Vs. New Jerusalem

The city described in Revelation 21:9-27 is amazingly vivid and also somewhat strange.  It has great walls, many gates, pure glassy gold, precious stones, and light that shines forever.  In the next chapter, Rev. 22, we find out more about God’s throne, the river of life, and the tree of life.  We are only in this world for a time; it is eternity which we must prepare for…do you know what it might be like?  In this article we’ll examine just one aspect of the New Jerusalem: its sheer size.

For some time now, I have been at a loss to imagine a golden city with twelve foundations as described in verses 19-20.  When revisiting this passage recently, it noticed that the city is described as a cube with each side being of equal length (Rev 21:16).  Its measurements are 12,000 furlongs (or stadia) on each side (Rev 21:16), which converts to around 1,380 miles.

Just how big is that?  The illustration below compares the size of this city to Planet Earth:Earth Vs. New Jerusalem

Notice the colors along each edge.  In drawing this illustration, I remembered that there are 12 of them in a cube, matching the number of foundation stones.  This is just a conjecture on my part, but it would make sense to me that the foundations are along each edge rather than simply below it.

At this point I should explain that we’re talking about a brand new place, restored to the conditions of perfection that humans once enjoyed before we rebelled in Eden.  Such a radical change to our physical world could go so far as to alter our concept of space and perhaps modify physical laws in ways we cannot imagine.  Therefore, certain aspects of this city, its construction, shape, dimensions, and more are simply unimaginable.

At the same time, God does give us some basic parameters that relate to the physical world we can understand.  As I mentioned above, we know some basic dimensions (even if we don’t know the exact shape or layout).  I soon wondered how many people might fit in such a cubical volume.  After all, its footprint won’t even cover Russia!  Is there enough room for everyone, or only the chosen “elect?”

It is a fun exercise to take a few guesses about how many people might fit in this box. Make a few guesses of your own below.

If we ignore the areas that might be taken up for public use, streets, etc. and cram every individual into a prison-cell sized room, you could fit one quintillion (one billion billion, or one with 18 zeros after it) people inside.

One estimate of the total number of humans that have ever lived on this planet puts the figure at around 106.5 billion.  For the sake of argument, if we assume each and every one gets a place in the city, that leaves enough room for everyone to have a house that’s 1,500 feet on each side, or 2.25 million square feet on each level and around 150 stories tall!  In other words, it seems there will be more than enough room for everyone.

Yet, not everyone gets to go (John 3:18-19).  There will come a day when God will judge everyone according to their works (Rom 14:10-12).  For those who have repented of their sins and believed on Jesus Christ for forgiveness, this judgment will determine our rewards in Heaven (Matt 25:21).  Everyone else will go to the Lake of Fire (Rev 21:8) along with Satan and the angels that follow him, earning the title “demon.”  Yes, even some angels will go to Hell.  In fact, Hell was originally intended for fallen angels, not for us (Matt 25:41).

Will you dwell in this place called the New Jerusalem, destined to spend eternity with the creator of all beauty?  God wants you to be there with him.  He has made it clear that he has kept a place with plenty of room for everyone, but as a perfect judge he must not allow sin to go unpunished.  If you are not 100% sure of your destiny after death, do not wait another day to put it all on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who paid this penalty on your behalf (John 3:16).  Repent.  Believe.  I hope you enjoy your future dwelling place!

Categories
Discernment New World Order Politics The Christian The Last Days The World

A Letter to Chuck Baldwin

Brother Baldwin,

I write this letter to you because I am afraid you have surrounded yourself with sycophants who will not look you in the eye and expound God’s Truth (2 Timothy 4:3).  I was once in your shoes, and as such I will try to fulfill Proverbs 27:17 in my attempt to guide you to truth.  Like you, I was literally ready to head for the hills and divorce myself from the insanity that has become modern day America (Matthew 24:38).  As always, God’s will won out over my will and in attempting to leave society, I was taught some valuable lessons about God’s will for us today.  As Christians, we are preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2) and not get caught up in the affairs of this world (2 Timothy 2:4).  I believe that God will use this move to Montana to open your eyes just as he opened mine.  I pray that when the time comes, you will heed God’s will and not man’s will as this trip you are making will be a tremendous example to others who are looking for both spiritual answers and spiritual guidance.

This is in response to your 15 September 2010 post titled:  “Why We Are Moving To Montana.”

By now, readers of this column should be aware of the decision my family and I made to leave the beautiful Gulf Coast beaches, and move to the majestic Rocky Mountains: the Flathead Valley of Montana, to be specific. Mind you, Pensacola, Florida, has been my wife’s and my home for 35 years. It is the place where each of our children was born and raised, and still resides today. Rest assured, each of my family is aware of the cold weather climate to which we are headed. We are also very cognizant of the extremely difficult economic circumstances that exist. The truth is, if we were basing this move on things such as “practicality,” or “job opportunity,” or “a place to retire,” we would either 1) stay where we are, or 2) move somewhere else (someplace warmer), because this move, in many ways, is impractical, financially challenging, and could bring personal discomfort to all of us during those harsh Montana winters. The fact is, none of that has any bearing on our decision to move.

I know unbelievers and skeptics have a hard time when I say this, but, we are moving to the Flathead Valley of Montana for the same reason we moved to Pensacola, Florida, 35 years ago: we know it is God’s perfect will for our lives. Period. Why else would we do it? Why would we leave the comfort and security of home, family, and friends? Why would we attempt such a major move in such an economically depressed housing and job market? Why would I walk away from the church that my wife and I started and have poured our hearts and souls into for over 35 years, and that took such very good care of us? On a human level, this move makes absolutely no sense. But as Christians, we are not supposed to live our lives on a purely human level, are we?

I agree with you Brother.  Your moving from Pensacola aligns with God’s will for a number of reasons.  First, there are already multiple Bible-believing ministries operating in Pensacola so leaving will not live a spiritual void.  Second, there are almost zero Bible-believing ministries operating in Montana so your arrival will fill a spiritual need.  Third, you (like myself and many others) have added the Constitution to the Christian Bible which violates the specific prohibition of Revelation 22:18.  I believe that God is inspiring your move in the same way he inspired mine, to open your eyes to a truth that you have either neglected or not known regarding freedom.

So, instead of moving south (like most every preacher you ever knew over the age of 50), I feel God moving me north (about 75-miles-south-of-the-Canadian-border kind of north!). And so does every man in my family. Count them: that’s 5 households and 17 people ranging in ages from 3 months to the upper 70s (I am 58).

I promise you, we have bathed this move in intense and prolonged prayer and meditation. This was not a quick decision. But why would God move us?

For one thing, it became very plain to me that my ministry was over in Pensacola. The brook had dried up, to borrow from the life of Elijah. And I’ve known too many pastors who allowed their personal affections for a prolonged ministry to obfuscate the clear revelation and reality that their ministries had ended and it was time to move on. And in every such instance, the longer they stayed, the more the ministry declined. I had vowed many years ago to not let that happen to my wonderful church family. They deserved God’s best, even if that meant my departure.

Brother, I applaud your discernment in knowing when to exit gracefully.  One of the biggest errors of the modern local church is that we have a tendency to base our success on numbers.  The more people we see in the pews, the more we are able to congratulate ourselves.  As such, it is hard for a preacher to avoid falling into the twin traps of pride (over his attendance numbers) and greed (over his offering plate numbers).  However, is the numbers game biblical?  The Bible tells us that the local church is a place to both equip and edify the saints (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:12).  It is essentially a training center from which to send fellow soldiers (Philippians 2:25, Philemon 1:2) for Christ into a fallen world.  Its success should not be based on corralling and stagnating Christians as babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1), but in sending them out equipped to meet a fallen world (Matthew 9:37-38).  The same precept applies to pastors too.  When your spiritual work is done, it is time to move on (consider Philip in Acts 8).  I congratulate you for having the both the discernment and the guts to walk away from a built-up ministry as most preachers erroneously think that they (and not God) are holding the local congregation together (Ephesians 5:23).

For another thing, my family and I are ardent patriots. To us, freedom and liberty are much more valuable and desirable than wealth and riches–or even comfort and security. And we believe God has been showing us that if there is a place left in America where true freedom has an opportunity to experience a rebirth, it is in the Mountain States of America’s great Northwest. I love the fact that Montana is often referred to as “The Last Best Place.” And as far as freedom and liberty are concerned, it just might be.

Brother, I speak to you as one who has been in your shoes.  I too erred as a Christian who was an ardent patriot.  I too put my faith in my country ahead of my faith in Jesus Christ.  You are correct to desire freedom and liberty over wealth and riches.  I pity the wretched souls in this nation who value their government handouts more than they value their freedom to think.  However, as Christians, we cannot allow this desire for freedom and liberty to derail our primary marching orders:  the Great Commission.

As I say this, I have no doubt that God has shown you that the mountain states are the last bastion of liberty in police state that is the United States of America.  But are the freedom-loving people of the mountain states free in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22)?  Or are they simply free FROM our Lord Jesus Christ (not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness… 1 Peter 2:16)?  I pray that God is moving you to Montana to both open your eyes to the biblical concept of freedom and to open up a ministry to the multitudes of sinners who inhabit the state.

Now, we are not naïve. We realize that there are many Big-Government liberals and neocons in the Mountain States who will not be pleased to see us come. When compared to the rest of the country, however (and I’ve seen most all of it), I would dare say that there are more freedom lovers in the Mountain States (per capita and per square mile) than anywhere else in the country.

Again Brother, I ask you to consider: are these freedom lovers bathing in the light of Jesus Christ (John 8:12)?  Or are they simply hiding in farthest corners of darkness (Acts 26:18)?  The untold story of every remote tribe on earth is that in their freedom, they invariably worship man or the creation, not our Lord and Creator.  Until some brave missionary brings them the Gospel (Mark 16:15), they seldom have biblical truth.

Since the release of my last two columns announcing our move to Montana, I have received more emails than over the last several months combined. And believe me, I’m talking about hundreds and even thousands of emails. I have received more than 200 emails just from people living in Montana, and 99% of them were enthusiastically supportive. I can assure you, the response that my family and I have received from Montanans has made us feel at home even before getting there.

Many Montanans are excited about the prospect of my starting a new ministry in the Flathead Valley, and once again being able to livestream my messages over the Internet. Others are excited about the prospect of us entering the freedom fight. But most seem excited about both!

Brother, I must ask: Are these people supportive of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16), or of your gospel of freedom at all costs (Galatians 1:7)?  Are these people born again, Bible-believing Christians?  Or are they a modern fulfillment of 2 Corinthians 4:4?  If they are merely supportive of freedom, then you need to tread carefully so that you can preach and teach the gospel (as opposed to merely becoming a false teacher for their itching ears… 2 Timothy 4:3).  Please test yourself to make sure you aren’t turning the gospel of salvation into another gospel (of freedom):  Galatians 1:8  “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Furthermore, it is our studied opinion that America is headed for an almost certain cataclysm. As Christians, we suspect that this cataclysm could include the judgment of God. As students of history, we believe that this cataclysm will most certainly include a fight between Big-Government globalists and freedom-loving, independent-minded patriots. I would even argue that this fight has already started. And as this battle escalates (and it will most assuredly escalate), only those states that are willing to stand and fight for their independence and freedom will survive–at least in a state of freedom. And we believe that God has already put the love of liberty deep into the hearts of the people of the Mountain States; and we further believe that God is already calling (and will continue to call) many other freedom lovers to those states. One thing is for sure: we know He called us!

Brother, you are 100% correct.  This nation is headed straight to Hell.  Instead of applying the brakes, the liberals and the conservatives have engaged the afterburners.  If there was ever a time to be concerned for physical safety, it is now!

However, as a Christian, what should your response be?  Should it be to organize a defense?  Or should it be to step up your efforts to reach the lost?  Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, and Luke 9:24 would be a good place to start researching this dilemma.  I have no doubt that God called you to Montana, but was it to defend a man-made Constitution or to minister to the saints?  Ephesians 6:12  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Please make sure you are running the correct race (1 Corinthians 9:24) and fighting the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12).

We are not going to Montana to sunbathe (or even ski); we are not going to play games, or play politics; we are not going to “take it easy,” or “hide,” or hibernate. We are not going to “enjoy the climate.” We are going to fight! We are going to work! We are going to help the freedom-minded people of Montana make their stand for liberty! In many ways, the Mountain States just might become The Alamo of the twenty-first century, with, hopefully, much better results. But if not, I would rather die fighting for freedom with liberty-loving patriots by my side than be shuttled off to some FEMA camp after having been rejected and betrayed by soft-living, comfort-seeking, materialistic statists who simply “don’t get it” and have no desire to “get it,” which seems to be pretty much standard practice for a sizeable majority of people today–Christian and non-Christian–around most of the country.

Brother, take a step back.  Why are we going to have those FEMA camps?  Is it because we have neglected the cause of liberty in this nation?  Or is it because we have neglected our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 2:19, Hebrews 2:3)?  What does the Bible say?  It is very clear that God is in charge of what is happening (Jeremiah 18:6-10).  If you truly want to defend this nation, you need to take the gospel to the highways and the hedges (Luke 14:23) instead of holing up in the Alamo. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense…

The Mountain States are also attractive due to the distance separating them from the great regions of the country in which the tables are truly stacked against any growth and extension of the principles of federalism or limited government, namely, the Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest (with my apologies to freedomists in those areas). Big-city liberalism dominates most of the states in these regions. The federal government has invested billions of dollars and thousands of personnel establishing and oiling the Orwellian machine in these areas. There are exceptions, of course, but they are few and far between, and therefore, quite isolated should any kind of serious stand be required.

Brother, have you heard yourself?   What is a freedomist and where is a freedomist found in your Bible?  It’s bad enough that apostates label themselves Calvinists, Lutherans, Catholics, Anglicans, etc, but freedomist?  Even Joseph Smith didn’t have the gall to add such a non-biblical word to the Book of Mormon.  The word freedom only appears twice in the Bible (Leviticus 19:20, Acts 22:28).  If we are to emulate Paul, we should relish not in freedom, but in being “free born.”  Are you pleasing men or God with your freedomist ideals?  1 Thessalonians 2:4  “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

Add to the intrinsically oppressive nature of big-city liberalism and UN-sponsored globalism the out-of-control illegal immigration problem along the Southern Border and one has a recipe for disaster! And that is exactly what is coming: a disaster!

Brother, preach this!  Preach this message until you go hoarse.  Your warning here is biblical as God has promised us a world given over to Satan (Revelations 13:7).  While we may not appreciate it now, the Lord gives us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction to open our blinded eyes (Isaiah 30:20).  Just like ancient Israel, this nation despises the word and trusts in oppression and perversity (Isaiah 30:12).  As to illegal immigration, just like Israel our inheritance has been turned over to strangers and aliens (Lamentations 5:2).  Brother, use your internet ministry to proclaim the truth to this fallen nation:  that we had better repent in sack cloth and ashes or we are going to be destroyed (Jeremiah 18:8, Matthew 11:1).  The Chaldeans are at the gate and only a miracle can save us now (Jeremiah 21:4).

If I am correct in my analysis, and Montana (and surrounding states) really is in store for a FREEDOM RUSH, then it is certain that patriotic businessmen, laborers, tradesmen, professionals, clergymen, physicians, technicians, and people from virtually every walk of life will find themselves among the “gathering of eagles.” From an economic and spiritual perspective alone, the prospect of such a rush could be not only exciting, but also historic!

I have no doubt that when this nation falls, there will be a huge migration of polar opposites.  The super-bowl watching welfare slaves and their “liberal” taskmasters will congregate in their modern Babels.  Those who value their freedom will likewise flock to the hills.  But are we flocking to build hermitages and fortresses or to regroup to reach the lost?  Psalms 9:9 reminds us that the Lord is our refuge in times of trouble.

Therefore, let no more be said of hardship! Our Pilgrim forebears crossed the Atlantic Ocean without maps and with no one to greet them in their quest to find a land of liberty. Our Patriot forebears challenged the greatest military force in history (at that time) and stood on Lexington Green, Concord Bridge, and Bunker Hill to defend this land of liberty. And our Pioneer forebears traversed thousands of miles in covered wagons with no roads or bridges in their quest to carve a land of liberty out of the wilderness. Traveling 2,500 miles in trucks and cars across mostly an Interstate highway system, sleeping in hotels, and eating at restaurants seem like mighty puny sacrifices to make to find that land where this latter-day remnant can live and stand together.

I applaud our forebears because they sought freedom to worship their Creator, not freedom to worship the god of American materialism.  Liberty in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17) cannot in any way be brought down to the man-made designations contained in the Bill of Rights (1 Corinthians 8:9).  You also miss the fact that God works in mysterious ways (Romans 16:25) when it comes to propagation of the Gospel.  One of the main reasons God put the travel bug in the Europeans was to restore the Gospel to a Christ-rejecting world that had done its best to extinguish the light of the Gospel.  The Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus all but eliminated the churches (Nestorian, church of east, etc.) in Asia.  The Animists did the same thing in Africa, Australia, and the Americas.  Ever wonder why the bloodthirsty Aztecs were looking for a European/Middle Eastern man to come riding in on horseback?  At one time, they too had the Gospel (Romans 10:18).  Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

Yes, I realize the real work will only begin once we have arrived. I completely understand that Montana is not the Garden of Eden and that the Serpent is already there, waiting for us. I expect a fight. And I know I speak for the men of my family when I say, Bring it on! Freedom and liberty, along with the Natural Law principles of federalism and independence, are worth fighting for. In fact, they are worth dying for. So, living or dying, we intend to circle the wagons around the State of Montana and fight to our dying breath for the right of that State to live free! And while we are at it, we believe God will let us help many good, freedom-loving people of Montana find true inner freedom that comes from Christ alone. After all, any true student of American history knows that revival and revolution go hand in hand.

What is this Natural Law that you speak of?  Is it the law of nature described in Romans 2:14?  Or is it the non-biblical laws of nature dreamed up by Aristotle, Cicero and Augustine?  I ask for clarification because your “freedomist” audience may not understand that the invisible things of God are understood by all and that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).  Bring it on?  Are we commissioned to fight with human fists or wielding the word of God (Ephesians 6:17)?  I have no doubt that federalism, independence, freedom, and liberty are worthy ideals, but they should never be the prime focus of our Christian ministries (2 Timothy 2:4).  Please make sure you aren’t getting distracted by the minutia when you need to be focused on the war at hand (1 Timothy 1:18).

To borrow from the Apostle Paul, “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto [Montana], not knowing the things that shall befall me there.” (Acts 20:22) But I also have faith in another Biblical principle: that God opens doors that no man can shut (Rev. 3:8). And for the Baldwin family, that open door is the Flathead Valley of Montana. And no recession, or ridicule, or opposition, or false accusation, or cold and snow can shut that door. Montana, here we come!

Brother, please only quote Paul if you realize that Paul was focused on winning souls (i.e. Acts 20:21) and not establishing a patriotic resistance.  Second, God opens doors that cannot be closed by man, but God is talking about doors to proclaim the Kingdom of God, not to establish the last stand of the Alamo.  Third, I have no doubt that you all are called to Montana.  I just pray you learn biblical lessons from the move and that you focus on preaching to the Montana lost.

I end this letter on the following verse and its implications for anybody who would try and fight God’s coming judgment on this fallen world (the New World Order is nothing more than a modern Babylon):

Jeremiah 38:2: “Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.”

Categories
Politics Teachings The Savior The World Theology

Jeremiah 18: God vs. Nationalism

American Christians, when was the last time you read Jeremiah – I mean seriously read Jeremiah?  I ask this question because so many of us think that God made something special here in America, and therefore God won’t abandon us.  Some of us even think that what God made here is so special that it is worthy of us expending our blood to defend it.  But what does God say in this matter?  If you’ll turn to Jeremiah 18, you will see that God thinks our defense of “liberty” and/or the “Constitution” is futile. Picking up arms, going to the polls, and/or legislating in the name of “God”, “country” or “morality” keeps our “troops” on the wrong battlefield.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no pacifist and I’m no slouch.  I’m not talking about Christians employed in military service (military service is clearly biblical: 2 Timothy 2:3).  Nor am I talking about Christians standing up for truth and/or righteousness (people need to hear the truth: 1 Timothy 2:4).  What I am talking about is putting the values of American patriotism (or nationalism) ahead of the Bible.  Our primary mission isn’t to stand up for Uncle Sam, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc.  It is to stand up for our biblical foundation and preach the Gospel:  Mark 16:15  “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”  According to Jeremiah, God only wants one thing from this country:  to turn from evil (repent) as a nation.

Let us analyze American Patriotism in light of Jeremiah 18:2-10.  These verses will make it abundantly clear that as American Christians, we need to concentrate on fighting a spiritual war above all other battles.  As Ephesians 6:11-12 tells us: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  We do not need to get sidetracked fighting symptoms of apostasy such as homosexuals in the military, liberal activist judges or politicians undermining Natural Law.  Instead, we need to focus on the cancer that is destroying this nation from the inside out:  unbelief.

Jeremiah 18:2  Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

Why should we be analyzing the Old Testament, let alone Jeremiah?  Paul tells us that the Old Testament is written for our admonition in the end times: 1 Corinthians 10:11  “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”  Like Jeremiah, we are to hear God’s words if we are to understand what we are to do in these perilous times.

Jeremiah 18:3  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

Jeremiah 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

            As usual, God is trying to teach us something.  He is giving us a visual picture to precede his spiritual lesson.  Here we have a potter working a vessel of clay on his potter’s wheel.  The vessel of clay becomes marred, and instead of attempting to repair it, he just makes another vessel out of the same lump of clay.  This concept of God as the potter and man as the clay is one that is repeated throughout scripture.  See also Isaiah 29:16, Isaiah 64:8, and Romans 9:21

Jeremiah 18:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Jeremiah 18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Jeremiah 18:7  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

God then proceeds to lay into Israel over their wickedness and tells Jeremiah that he can pluck up, pull down, and otherwise destroy any nation in an instant.  Just like the potter working a piece of clay, God can destroy and rework a nation at will.  Now, re-read 1 Corinthians 10:11 (above).  Here, some may ask:  “This is the Church Age, isn’t God just speaking about Israel?”  What does 1 Corinthians 10:11 say?  It says this picture of the potter is both for our example and for our admonition.

Jeremiah 18:8  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

As usual, God works multiple lessons into every example.  God explains in verse 8 that there is hope for a nation that turns from its evil.  Not only is there hope for a wayward nation, but in a direct refutation of Calvinism’s “eternal decrees”, God explains that he will repent of his planned destruction if a nation repents of its evil.  This is not a one-off concept; it is re-iterated in Jonah 3:9-10, Genesis 18:32, and Matthew 11:21-23.

Jeremiah 18:9  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

To the American patriot’s credit, they are correct to believe that God had a hand in this country’s beginning.  Verse 9 tells us that God builds and plants nations in an instant.  This is what happened to the United States.  Popery had Europe in a stranglehold and through the Jesuits was attempting to usher in another “Dark Age.”  When all hope seemed lost, God fulfilled the prophecy of Genesis 9:27 and opened up a land of freedom in the midst of Shem’s tents.  This verse also best explains why King George III inconceivably divorced America with the Prohibitory Act on 22 December 1775 and how the seemingly invincible British army lost a war to a rag-tag band of farmers (see The Revolution Myth by Gene Fisher and Glen Chambers).

Jeremiah 18:10  If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

Now, here is where it gets scary for modern Americans.  Verse 10 builds on verse 9 and tells us that God benefits, and does good for, those countries that He builds and plants.  This concept is quite clear in history when one examines the United States.  We were instantly propelled onto the world stage with almost limitless opportunity, resources, and talent.  Then our sin natures got the better of us and we succumbed to one of the most famous verses in the Bible,  Proverbs 16:18:  “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

So where does this leave us as modern day Americans?  The answer should be obvious.  Our country needs to repent of its evil and spiritual rebellion towards its Creator.  As Christians, we need to go out to the highways and the hedges and witness to the lost (Matthew 22:9, Luke 14:23).  We must stay focused on the harvest of Luke 10:2  “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

We cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked by man’s logic and/or “good causes.”  2 Timothy 2:4  “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”  Running to the hills will accomplish nothing.  Storing up food, money, and/or ammunition will not save us (see how fast Belshazzar lost everything in Daniel 5).  Gaining political office and/or voting our way out is doomed to failure (see the dismal track records of the “Christian Coalition” and the “Moral Majority” since Christians have tried to vote this country back onto the narrow path; Matthew 7:13-14).  Even protesting abortion, while a good thing, will do nothing to change the heart conditions of the heathen who voluntarily murder their own children in the name of Baal (Jeremiah 7:9).

Have I deflated your patriotic balloon enough yet?  Don’t give up entirely, just redirect your energies.  Ephesians tells us that our enemies are not liberals, homosexuals, or even the New World Order.  Our enemy is the Devil himself.  We don’t even need to worry about the 2nd Amendment as guns aren’t going to win this battle.  Crack open that dusty old King James hiding on your bookshelf and don your battle gear:  Ephesians 6:12-13  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”