Faith Posts
Earth (our world) is how old? Part 2
by admin on Sep.27, 2009, under Faith Posts, Opinion
Gap Theory
This is a controversial subject which arises from the idea that there is a long period if time between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Elohim was moving over the surface of the waters.
So where do the arguments that there is a time span between these two verses come from? The key here may be the words beginning, created, and moved or hovered (depending on which translation you are reading). Typically believers assume that Elohim created the earth and mankind in the same week, but there is certainly room for some argument here. Believers can easily agree that Elohim did create the heavens and the earth. What many will not accept is the idea that before Elohim created the current lineage of humans there was another, possibly even multiple generations of humans or human like beings that failed His criteria for continuance and were destroyed.
The Hebrew word that moved or moving is translated from in Genesis 1:2 is רָחַף, pronounced ‘rawkhaf’; a word with a primitive root that means brood. It can also mean shake, tremble, or flutter. If in fact Elohim’s spirit was brooding over the water, the second verse has a very different meaning than moved over the face of the deep. Why would the spirit of Elohim brood over the face of the deep? If He had just destroyed a civilization that had turned to sin and given itself to the forces of evil, Elohim might very well brood over the failure of His creation to succeed in becoming worthy of eternal life with Him.
Why was Elohim’s spirit moving over or brooding over the
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Yahveh loves His children.His desire is that we join Him and live righteous, sin free lives. Those who consciously choose a life of sin and rebellion will perish and not attain everlasting life in paradise. When an entire generation or society turns their back on the creator, He is deeply disappointed. So when Moses writes first that Elohim created the heavens and the earth “in the beginning” and follows that with “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” it certainly seems plausible that Elohim did not create the heavens and the earth and then immediately begin to move over the face of the deep. Was there another world or even other worlds during the time period between verses one and two of Genesis?
Then in 2 Peter, these lines…
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:4-7 (KJV)
that by the word of God the heavens were of old
But the heavens and the earth, which are now
It seems that Peter is referring to different heavens and earths in those statements. This lends further support to the notion that there is a time gap between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis.
Earth (our world) is how old?
by admin on Aug.31, 2009, under Faith Posts, Opinion
How may views and opinions exist today on this topic? Probably one are more for each time the the Earth has revolved around the sun. Surely most people can agree that Earth has made that trip several thousand times at least.
Where would someone get the idea that the earth is only four to six thousand years old?
What leads someone else to conclude that our world is hundreds of thousands, even millions to billions of years old?
The answer to the first question is most certainly the Bible. People believing the Earth to be only 6 thousands years or so old usually arrive at that figure by counting the generations (arguably without any real accuracy but possibly accurate within a thousands years) since Noah built the Ark and escaped the flood. Anyone seeking evidence for this can easily do a search on the WEB and find numerous pages written by people with various theories about events that have transpired and the proper way to interpret scripture so one can arrive at the proper age of our world. Many of these pages are well thought out and present many interesting facts.
The answer to the second question is science. There is currently a great rift between obstinate people from both groups; those who believe in God (christians) and those accused of not believing in God (scientists, especially evolutonists). Evolutionists claiming that Earth is millions or billions of years old may be correct. They may be completely incorrect however about how we came to be here. How could any form of life possibly exist long enough for a male and a female to evolve? Why would a male and a female evolve without some type of influence? Scientists often speak of nature being the guiding force, but what exactly is this “nature” they refer to? The reality is that cells don’t just happen, eyes don’t just form. Animals don’t develop stripes and colors that camouflage their presence on their own. How could they? How could a lizard deduce that if it blends in with the bark of a tree that birds cannot see it? Even if it could, does the lizard make the change to its own genome so the next generation of lizards are born with these changes?
People have been misinterpreting the Bible for about as long as they have been reading it. Countless people sit in pews week after week nodding off as they listen half-heartedly to someone who may or may not have a good grasp on the scriptures telling them what they should believe. Many people spend months looking for a church with a preacher who teaches what they want to hear. (Itchy ears) It’s not uncommon at all to hear “christians” refer to the King James Bible as God’s inspired word to mankind. All of the books in the King James existed long before the good (that’s debatable) king decided to have it interpreted. Why should anyone conclude that the King James interpretation is the correct one? Because that is what they have been led to believe most of their lives. People just don’t take kindly to having their deep rooted beliefs disputed, especially if those beliefs are religious in nature.
Is it possible that people who think they understand the Bible don’t really understand it at all because they don’t read it for themselves? Is it also possible that many people who deny that God created us do so because they cannot deny scientific evidence that indicates the earth is far older than a few thousand years and have been misled or taught incorrectly about what the Bible says? Is it possible that they fabricate theories about evolution from primitive life to complex life in an attempt to explain something that is far too complex for them to ever understand? How many generations have believed that they were on the edge of understanding everything about the world because they made great discoveries? It wasn’t so long ago that the cell was thought to be the smallest unit of life. Then molecules were discovered as microscopes became more powerful. Then atoms were discovered even though they were not directly observable in the beginning. How many generations will pass before we realize that we can never reach the end of the knowledge highway? One fork in the road always leads to more forks and each of those forks to even more, exponentially.
In Genesis, God either makes or creates Earth (more on this later). The traditional thought is that this takes six days and then God rests on the seventh day; the Sabbath. God also creates the light and the Sun and moon that give light by day and night (of course we realize now the moon merely reflects the sun’s light). But wait. What is really said in Genesis? God creates the light on the first day and divides it from the darkness. Genesis 1:3. He doesn’t create the moon and the sun until the fourth day. Genesis 1:16. Yes, no doubt there are many explanations for this, but the facts are there for anyone willing to read what the book really says. Is it possible the light referred to on the first day is not the light we think of as the sun? Or maybe the two great lights created on the fourth day are not really the sun and the moon but something else. How many people notice, much less bother to give any serious thought to this?
The intent of the previous paragraphs is to cast doubt on any argument about the age of our world. This article is not intended to answer the question of Earth’s age but, rather as a catalyst to make a few who read it stop and think about the validity of what most people currently think. It’s difficult to cast away teachings that have been ingrained in thought for years, even decades, but sometimes that’s just what is necessary to approach a topic with a fresh view, wipe the smudges off of the lens through which we perceive reality and see elements of the world through a clean lens. If all that you believe is true, then an unbiased study of facts will lead you back there, but you should not set out to arrive back at your starting point, but at the truth. It’s better to discover that what you believe is false and deal with it than to die never coming close to discovering the truth. Satan takes great joy in seeing everyone confused. It doesn’t matter what we believe as long as it is not the truth, as long as it keeps us in the dark and at odds with one another.
Are You Being Brainwashed?
by admin on Mar.15, 2009, under Faith Posts
Brainwash: Persuade completely, often through coercion. Notice there is nothing in that definition that entails any type of elaborate technology, torture, or mind control. Brainwashing can occur slowly. Victims need not realize that their environment contains unperceivable elements of brainwashing. Brainwashing is most effective when victims are completely unaware of it.
Every day, people in the United States and, most likely, many other countries are exposed to advertisements, music, television shows that distort reality, and many other ideas expressed through media. Most people will state with absolute certainty that they are not affected by these things, but how can anyone be sure?
Perhaps a visit back in time can help. Were people willing to talk openly about sex one hundred years ago? The answer to this question is most were not. We can be sure of this by looking at books written at that time, newspaper articles, and other written records. If people were not as open about personal matters one hundred years ago, what occurred to change attitudes and perceptions about it? The term “Sexual Revolution”, while not heard so frequently today, was a very common term in the sixties and seventies (1960-1970). What caused people to suddenly shed their inhibitions during that era and openly flaunt sexuality and defiance to law and government? Television was not yet so bold then, but in the fifties, rock music was becoming very popular and the lyrics in it were pressing the limits of what was then acceptable.
Elvis Presley caused a stir when he moved his hips while singing. His dancing was considered vulgar and sexually suggestive. Today, with singers grabbing their crotches, using every foul word imaginable and singing openly and explicitly about sex, Elvis seems tame, but it’s important to remember that when he first appeared he was considered by many to be quite obscene. Several cultures still find him obscene today. The point of this comparison is to provoke thought about the way opinion, perception, and morality with it can be altered by what people see and hear even if they do not realize what is happening.
It is natural for opinions to change, but when opinions change due to outside influences that the people changing don’t know the facts of, change can be dangerous. When societies change unconsciously and without realization of the slow change, societies become the puppets of the influencing forces which they know little about and the motives of which they are completely ignorant.
In the early days of television broadcasting foul language was not tolerated in the shows. Married people didn’t even sleep in the same bed. If you ever watched I Love Lucy or The Dick Van Dyke show you will remember that during the rare episodes when a scene was shot in a bedroom there were always two beds and the couple would be fully clothed in pajamas. The only television shows in which more than one person would be in a bed were comedies like The Three Stooges where the three would share a bed so that one of them could irritate the other two by snoring loudly.
Could television have really influenced attitudes and morality? Is it affecting viewers today? Is pop psychology affecting people? Does the general populace really think about what they believe and why they believe it or do most people perversely cling to that which they have come to accept as truth and fact because it is easier to just allow someone to tell them what the truth is than to seek it for themselves? Has religion, specifically Christianity, been affected by distortion of the truth?
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2 Tim 4:3 (KJV)
Has television become a teacher? Do people merely seek the channel where they can hear the words that justify the lifestyle they want to live?
If you doubt that watching television has affected the thinking of people, ask yourself how the term homophobia became so common. Any time that someone who considers homosexuality to be a sin or to be disgusting, there is almost certain to be some liberal, pseudo-intellectual nearby eager to use that term to describe them. People use it as if it elevates their intelligence and or coolness to a higher degree. Being against the casual acceptance of homosexual behavior does not reflect any type of phobia. Phobias are irrational fears of events with a low probability of occurrence. Being against a homosexual lifestyle is not an irrational fear of homosexuals anymore than being against thievery or adultery is an irrational fear of people who engage in those sins, but the term has been cleverly planted into the psyche of society and it is used by people totally ignorant of what they are saying. Once a person accepts beliefs for the sake of fitting in with the crowd he or she begins to lose their identity – brainwashing begins.
The media is a great tool for shaping the opinions and thoughts of millions of people. Even those who think they are too intelligent to be affected by it are affected by it.
In the late sixties and early seventies a common expression was “I have the blahs”. The blahs was an imaginary disease created by a drug company to sell their product. Any time you woke up feeling a bit down or tired you were encouraged to just drop a couple of pills in a glass of water and then just a “plop, plop, fizz, fizz” later you will be feeling great.
How much influence have television, movies, and novels had on attitudes regarding marriage? Today, many people prefer to live together now and have children outside of marriage. How does this affect the children? How has the erosion of the family unit adversely affected the lives of everyone, especially in the U.S.?
How much influence has television had on the general attitude toward homosexuality by way of shows like “Will and Grace”. That show wasn’t funny. People just laughed and watched it to prove how open and liberal they were. How do soap operas affect people? Watching people constantly scheming to destroy each other’s lives, committing adultery, fornicating with several people on a rotating basis, lying, and engaging in many other bad behaviors and often gaining from it is almost certain to alter the way people think about personal relationships if watched long enough.
Why are so many people so obsessed with television? Many people claim to watch only educational shows but that seems unlikely. Many people claim they pay their credit cards off every month and never run a balance on them, yet credit card debt has proven to be one of the greatest causes of financial destruction in the United States.
Proving that any individual is molded by what is seen on television would be nearly impossible. The purpose of this article is to influence the reader to think more seriously about it. If you watch more than a few hours of television a week, you are spending too much of your time in a cognitive void when you could be learning about the realities of the world. If you are watching cable news thinking that you are keeping up, you are being deceived. Cable news exists to make money, not to inform viewers. If you listen to people like Rush Limbaugh more than once a month, ask yourself; “Why do I listen to him?”. Maybe because it is easier for him to tell you how you should feel than for you to seek the truth and form your own opinion. Have you ever heard people arguing about something and realized that their arguments sound very familiar to topics and opinions you heard on a talk show? Maybe one is arguing from Howard Stern’s viewpoint and the other from Oprah Winfrey’s viewpoint. Neither of those two people is a great source to be basing opinions on. When you allow others to think for you, you are being brainwashed. You might be fortunate enough to listen to someone who is basically honest and intelligent, but odds are you are not. Honest, intelligent people are generally seen as not very entertaining so people turn to entertainers and speakers who amuse them.
Television does have an impact on people who watch it often. Humans cannot be exposed to any influence for lengthy periods of time without being in some way influenced by it. At the very least, frequent viewing of commercial television detracts the viewer from the realities of life. People claim that they only watch news or “educational” television. How often though do people take any time to verify what they view on television? Commercial news exists to generate income for television stations and the owners of the stations. Journalistic integrity is not the driving force behind the creation of the news on television.
A few years ago Joe Scarborough became obsessed with the Michael Jackson molestation case. For months his entire show was focused on this case to the exclusion of anything relevant or important. People go to trial frequently for molesting children without becoming the target of a television host’s ????????? so why would someone with an opportunity to educate a vast viewing audience about real work issues waste hundreds of hours on Michael Jackson? Regardless of the answer to that question, the fact is this; all of the people watching that show night after night lost a lot of hours that they could have been educating themselves and doing something productive rather than rejoicing in the misery of others. Viewers allowed their minds to be distracted and focused on an issue with no relevance to them.
After the Michael Jackson incident he become obsessed with the Janet Jackson wardrobe incident at the Super Bowl half-time show. Was that incident really worth the time people spent going on and on about it? Were not more important issues occurring all over the world? Talk show hosts often seem to use their pulpit as a way to elevate themselves above the rest of society. Isn’t it more disgraceful to waste an opportunity to bring important information to people by going on and on for weeks about some trivial incident than to accidentally reveal a bit too much skin on television? There are billboards on highways in this country that show more skin than Janet Jackson showed that day. Dis Scarborough spend any time on that issue?
If you watch(ed) that show frequently you spent time listening to nonsense when you could have been learning something meaningful. That show is only presented as an example. Too many “news” shows on television are as bad or worse.
There is, of course, the argument that television reflects society. What if television only reflects the views of a small minority who wish to have a great influence on a majority though?
More soon in Part 2.
What is Christianity
by admin on Nov.19, 2008, under Faith Posts
Before you decide to answer that question you need to do some research. If you are satisfied that going to church every Sunday, believing what the man behind the pulpit tells you about the faith, believing that accepting Jesus as your savior will spare you the horrors of hell and that it is enough that you are a good person, then maybe you have been blinded by the gradual transformation of the truth into that which people want to hear rather than what we all need to know.
I don’t profess to know everything. But if someone sees you eating a toadstool and tells you it is poisonous then you should probably consider the advice before deciding that since the adviser cannot tell the difference in all cases between an edible mushroom and a toadstool, you have no reason to heed the warning. It is possible to know some truth of some aspects of a subject without knowing every detail of a subject. It’s important for one to be sure that he speaks with authority only about those aspects he is extremely knowledgeable of.
Equally important for all who seek the truth is not to blindly accept any one person’s interpretation of it. Listen and consider. Research and verify. The KJB uses the word Easter one time Acts 12:4. Since I became a believer I have heard numerous Christians explaining away this obvious error in translation. Some of the explanations seem so well thought out and researched. The bottom line though is Easter is not the correct translation. The Greek word is πάσχαe which transliterated is Pascha which means Passover. That word (Strong’s Greek ref. 3957; Strong’s Hebrew ref. 6453 and transliterated Pesah) occurs more than 80 times in the bible. Only the KJB translates it to Easter and only in that one place. A bit of searching will yield many pages on the web written by people condemning other translations over this. If these people bothered to look at the original source their mistake would be obvious to them. Instead they cling to what they have always believed as if admitting any mistake will nullify their entire system of belief.
After becoming a believer I found myself never quite able to decide what the truth is. In the beginning I only accepted the reality of God. (I now use the name Elohim) I did not really believe that Jesus (Yeshua) was the son of the living god or that it made any since for him to have died on the cross to atone for our sins. I certainly could not accept the idea that what he did 2000 years ago could wash away the sins I commit today. I still have a problem with that, but I have not closed my mind on the topic yet.
Discovery of truth is an ongoing process. The world we live in today is saturated with truths and untruths. Some people intentionally distribute untruth, others do so unwillingly. Spreading false information, especially about the word of Elohim, is a bad thing whether it is intentional or not. If you are doing it out of ignorance then it is still your fault. We are all responsible for verifying what we say is accurate – especially if it is something that can effect someone’s life in a profound way. If we hear someone making statements we believe are untrue then we need to discuss the issue with the speaker. That does not mean to accuse the speaker, merely to discuss it. I appreciate when people guide me away from erroneous beliefs and present me with evidence of the truth.
What does anything presented here so far have to do with the subject of the writing? No one seems to have a clear idea what Christianity really is any more because so many outside influences have crept into it. Christmas, Easter, forgetting the sabbath in favor of the false church’s decree of Sunday worship. If you look in any calendar you will no doubt find Saturday listed as the last day of the week. Elohim rested on the seventh day and declared it a holy day. The ten commandments tell us to observe the sabbath and to keep it holy. If your copy of the 10 commandments does not contain that commandment (it’s number four) then you can thank the false church for its omission. No where in the bible does it say that Yeshua was born on December 25. That day, winter solstice, was a pagan holiday. Easter is a pagan holiday also on which the fertility goddess ISHTAR was worshiped. It has nothing to do with Yeshua’s sacrifice. Why do you hunt eggs on Easter? Fertility worship. You need to break free. Do your own research if you doubt what you are reading here. PLEASE, do your own research. Embarking on a journey of research for one topic will often lead to other discoveries. Always look to verify what you read in the scriptures (more than one bible and an interlinear bible is a good idea).
There will be more on this later. If you are on here reading this and want to question me or comment, please leave a comment or e-mail me. I’m happy to discuss matters of faith with anyone.
jw
The Perfect Biblical Translation
by jwwhitten on Nov.11, 2008, under Faith Posts
What is the best translation of the Bible? There are many available in many different languages. How can anyone know which one is the best and which versions may actually be wrong? Despite what many may say and believe, there probably is no perfect translation of the Bible. How could there be?
It’s virtually impossible to translate any writing from one language to another and not make mistakes. The King James Version of 1611 might be difficult for anyone to understand today since the English language changes so frequently. It seems many people who adamantly proclaim the KJB to be the perfect translation of God’s word are unaware that the version of the KJB most people read today is not the exact version originally produced. The KJB has seen several revisions, mostly for spelling.
The writers of the KJB did not claim to be inspired. They only claimed to have made an earnest effort to translate the original manuscripts correctly. If they had been writing from Divine Inspiration they would not have needed the original manuscripts.
There have been many efforts to bring the Bible to English speaking people beginning with John Wycliffe in the early 15th century. (It is beyond the scope of this writing to cover all translations of the books of the Bible, so only those in English will be considered). He was followed by William Tyndale who was inspired by Martin Luther. Martin Luther’s translation was in German. There were no printing presses during Wycliffe’s lifetime making if difficult to deliver his translations to more than a few people. Tyndale’s translation was the first translation after the invention of the printing press and was more widely available than previous attempts.
Since the time of Wycliffe there have been many translations of the Bible. It is not uncommon to hear the publisher of a new translation claiming that their version is far better than previous versions. Some merely claim to be updated with easier to read English than previous versions. Since the language changes, it is not unreasonable to think that udpated translations might be need occasionally. It is also reasonable to ask what the true motivation for a new translation might be. Anyone with a true motive might be aware that trying to profit from the word of God is certainly contrary to what the book being published teaches.
Contrary to what the reader of this page may hear, the Bible is not something that a child can easily read. A child may be able to read the words but comprehension is not likely. The New Testament can be understood only in the context of what the Old Testament teaches. Many adults cannot understand the parables that Yeshua uses so how can a child be expected to? If you doubt this then have a child read Gen 38:9 (KJV) And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. After reading ask the child to explain what this means. Ask a person who says they have read the Bible to explain Ezekiel, Daniel, or Isaiah to you.
The Bible, while being easy to read in many areas can also be very difficult in others. Unless you understand Hebrew and Greek and read the original scripts or at least use an interlinear Bible, you are likely to miss many meanings. No book can say as much in a single paragraph as the Bible.
For the many people who believe the King James Bible is the only true Bible….
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Acts 12:4 (KJV)
Easter is a pagan holiday. The word that easter is translated from is πάσχαe (pronounced pascha) which means passover. That word appears 29 times in the New Testament and is only translated once as easter. Perfect means without flaw. Since the KJB contains this error (there are many more but only one is necessary) it is not a perfect translation. The KJB also adds words. Many sites can be found with articles condemning the newer translations for using different syntax than the KJV. In most of these cases though it’s the KJB that is in err. It seems that many of these critics make a great mistake by assuming the KJB is infallible without testing it against the original writings.
Another verse commonly used to attack newer versions is John 5:7:For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. that verse more correctly reads: There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood: and all three are in agreement. 1 John 5:8 (BBE) or: For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.1 John 5:8 (ASV) This verse is one that is frequently used to support the doctrine of the trinity, but the fact is the KJB has a poor interpretation of it.
There is no intent within this article to condemn the King James Bible. The intent is to encourage anyone seeking to understand the Word of Elohim to use more than one source. If you are serious, find a good interlinear Bible Software program (or learn Hebrew and Greek). Software makes searching a lot easier than using a book, but choose what you prefer to study with. There are many good free interlinear Bible programs in addition to some really great interlinear programs for sale. Computers have certainly made studying the Bible much faster and more enjoyable than in days past.
If you are searching for free software, you can look here: Free Interlinear and you can find a some very nice software here: Comprehensive Bible Software (continue reading…)
Itching Ears
by jwwhitten on Nov.01, 2008, under Faith Posts, Politics
Some of you may know what that phrase refers to before you opened this article. Many of you may be about to read something you don’t like. Please read it anyway. I’m not making anything up. If you feel something here is incorrect, send me a message and tell me.
The phrase “itching ears” refers to the disturbing tendency of a a great portion of society that loves to consider itself intellectual, sophisticated, and well, cool seeking to hear what they want to believe rather than accepting the truth and trying to adapt to reality. A society that thinks its existence can be explained through psuedo-intellectual explanations of unprovable facts. As long as the current state can be explained in a manner that denies creation by Elohim.
So why exactly is it that so many people want to deny the creator? I think there may be many answers to that question. Certainly one possibility for many is that obeying the laws of Elohim requires a level of discipline that few of us can master. If there is no creator and we simply evolved then giving in to lust and greed is merely part of our nature. Why should we fight what is a part of us? Why live according to His laws if He does not really exist? I’m not going to address that issue in this post, I only bring it up as an observation of the current state of attitudes.
The current election campaign and the popularity of Borack Obama clearly demonstrate how eager people are to seek that which they want to hear and to believe it adamantly. I have been shocked recently by the hostility I face from people (liberals) who support Obama and seem to believe he is the answer to their salvation when I bring up his dishonesty. Obama is telling people exactly what they want to hear. His words are as a drug to many of the people buying his lies. The high is great right now, but when the drug wears off – soon after the election – coming down is going to be rough for many.
Obama constantly refers to the tax cuts he will provide. Sounds good, but how much and when. He never mentions this. Seems his speech addicts hear what they want to hear and create their own delusional states of future utopia in their minds. Fine for now but how is it going to feel when Obama starts rationalizing to explain why he cannot provide any tax relief or spends his entire term promising that the tax cuts are coming soon and they never come? Or maybe he will provide a .05% tax cut of some type that is offset by $10/gallon gas? The president doesn’t have the power to simply sign a tax cut into effect. Maybe the huge cuts in the defense budget proposed by several democrats in the house are aimed at providing a means of providing tax cuts to make the democrats look like heroes. That’s a dangerous trade off and shows how irresponsible many representatives really are in the zeal to maintain their political power.
Both candidates are promising things they cannot possibly deliver. The president of the United States has three important responsibilities: Veto, Commander in Chief, and Chief Foreign Diplomat. The president has very little real impact on the economy. Voting for a president thinking that you are voting for the best hope for a sound economy is not unlike flagging a taxi driver when your sink is clogged. Neither candidate is campaigning on the real responsibilities of the office. A truly intellectual society would be aware of the job the president is called to do and confront the candidates on this. Voters let it slide, the media lets it slide, and the candidates themselves don’t seem to know what the responsibilities of the job really are. We are in deep doody in this country.
I read an excerpt from one of Obama’s books recently in which he writes about how liberals tend to be more intellectual and think matters through better than conservatives. I would say that is just another one of his attempts to scratch itchy ears.
2 Timothy 4:3
Romans 1:22
I pray that people will awaken. If you are a believer please pray also.
jw
The Christian Trinity
by jwwhitten on Oct.27, 2008, under Faith Posts
The concept of the trinity is ingrained in christian theology to the point that those of us who do not believe it are scorned, accused of heresy and told that we cannot be saved because we deny the trinity. What is it that leads so many christians to believe pagan teachings? It may be that the trinity idea originated from those who could not escape some of the statements in the Bible such as Genesis 1:26 which clearly state that more then one entity is involved. Rather than admitting that there may actually be more than one God, Christians have chosen to invent a rather confusing explanation of how there can be more than one deity referred to as God; three deities in one being. Some of the defenses frequently heard to justify this explanation make no sense. How does one get from “Come let US….” to the conclusion that there are three persons in a godhead? Why not ten or twenty? Orthodox Christians claim that God is three separate and distinct entities in one godhead. There is nothing in the bible that teaches this concept. In order to find anything in the bible that references the trinity, one must first accept that the trinity is truth and then go to the bible searching for verses to back up what they have decided to believe before studying the scriptures. It gets even worse when those who adamantly defend the idea of the trinity try to explain what it is. Explanations from orthodox christians explaining the trinity range from laughable to pathetic.
One of the most common defenses of the triity is 1 John 5:8. It would do people who use this verse well to research further. This verse is a poor translation bordering on falsification of the scriptures. The original writings say something closer to: “and there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three agree in one.” This is why it is so important to research what you read and what others tell you. Always remember what Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Don’t simply accept what others tell you. Seek the truth for yourself lest you be led astray by deceit or ignorance. Don’t try to convince others of things you have not proven to yourself.
Consider the following verses:
Matt 7:21 (KJV)
Matt 10:32-33 (KJV)
Matt 11:25-27 (KJV)
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matt 26:39-42 (KJV)
Matt 12:48-50 (KJV)
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It’s clear in those verses that Yeshua distinguishes himself from the Father. Why would Yeshua pray to himself?
Think carefully about John 3:6
Yeshua was born of a human mother, flesh. Elohim is not flesh, He is spirit.
My good friend Keith Murray shared this list of questions with me. Keith’s suggestion is that you answer these questions with scripture and not what you have been taught and accept as truth without having looked to scripture. In fact, always look to scripture for verification of what you believe to be truth. Don’t passively accept what someone else (including me) tells you. Find support for your beliefs with scripture. If there is no support to be found look for a mentor that truly knows what the Bible says or think about revising what you think is truth.
1 Is G-d a man?
Numbers 23:19
2 Is G-d a spirit?
John 4:24
3 Was Y’shua flesh and bone?
4 Was Y’shua a spirit?
Luke 24:39
5 Can G-d be tempted?
James 1:13
6 Was Y’shua tempted?
Matthew 4:1
Hebrews 4:15
7 Is G-d omnicient?
Isaiah 46:10
Job 42:2
Psalm 44:21
8 Was Y’shua omnincient?
Mark 13:32
Luke 2:52
Isaiah 7:14-16
9 Does G-d sleep?
Psalm 121:4
10 Did Y’shua sleep?
Matthew 8:24-25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
11 Does G-d become weary?
Isaiah 40:28
12 Does G-d hunger or thirst?
Psalm 50:12
13 Did Y’shua hunger or thirst?
Matthew 25:42
John 19:28
14 Has anyone seen G-d at any time?
John 1:18
1 John 4:12
Matthew 5:8
15 Did anyone see Y’shua?
Matthew 8:34
16 Was Y’shua’s will always the same as YHVH?
17 Did Y’shua do his own will?
Luke 22:42
18 Does G-d do his own will?
Isaiah 48:11
Isaiah 55:11
19 Who raised Y’shua from the grave?
Acts 2:24
Acts 2:32
Acts 3:15
Acts 3:26
Acts 4:10
Acts 5:30
Acts 10:40
20 Did Y’shua become sin?
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 Can G-d be sin?
James 1:17
22 Was Y’shua forsaken? If so, by who?
Matthew 27:46
Mark 15:34
23 Was Y’shua sent?
John 3:16
24 Is G-d sent?
Genesis 1:1
25 Can G-d become lower than angels?
Psalm 18:13
Psalm 47:2
26 Did Y’shua become lower than angels?
Hebrews 2:7
27 Does G-d pray?
Psalm 50:12
28 Did Y’shua pray?
Matthew 26:36
29 Is G-d a mediator?
Galatians 3:20
30 Is Y’shua a mediator?
1 Timothy 2:5
This is not the complete list. There are quite a few more. I’ll be happy to post them all if anyone is interested.
Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"? (Proverbs 20:9, ESV)
