tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38971430656716865522024-03-16T03:09:06.812-04:00SouljournalerAndy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.comBlogger1714125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-31601835086132476982023-12-14T18:20:00.003-05:002023-12-14T18:20:33.100-05:00Spending Like Drunken Sailors<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA6yHrqQwByFrkoHIiWcOCJMZqQCc838nxtDpk2oYLLzWByTDHmTLMOOiH4iLrntYC-aosFBhG4toTKmQwtFjubZuAGAcW0gDTPtWjPOyn3jdS2aMyM69tFYtCC9y_ns3kmhfmYDEVpNF6ZxT8EWgFr3sMeFVlERJJ3Y2fteXSffWS5p3l6oOifxeYxQ2/s1269/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1269" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA6yHrqQwByFrkoHIiWcOCJMZqQCc838nxtDpk2oYLLzWByTDHmTLMOOiH4iLrntYC-aosFBhG4toTKmQwtFjubZuAGAcW0gDTPtWjPOyn3jdS2aMyM69tFYtCC9y_ns3kmhfmYDEVpNF6ZxT8EWgFr3sMeFVlERJJ3Y2fteXSffWS5p3l6oOifxeYxQ2/w634-h341/maxresdefault.jpg" width="634" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Spain must have seemed invincible back in the 15th century.
King Philip II probably thought his Empire’s dominance would last forever and
yet less than 100 years later, Spain had succumbed to the same historical fates
that have caused all empires to decline. Decades of bad decision making.
Corruption. Bureaucracy. Inflation. Endless and costly warfare. Idiotic decrees
that restrain economic growth. Chasing away productive citizens and businesses.
Excessive spending. Excessive debt. Debt, in fact, was such an enormous problem
for Spain that its kings had to default on their debt multiple times. Empires
are extremely expensive to maintain. Governments become bloated and costly.
Administering colonies requires a lot of money. Military expenditures
skyrocket. And Spanish leaders didn’t exactly hold back when it came to
spending on lavish courts and luxuries. So even though Spain should have been
immensely wealthy, it was actually creating on a mountain of debt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It’s almost incomprehensible how a nation with so much
income and so many resources could have squandered its wealth. Yet we’re seeing
the same phenomenon play out in real time in the United States, for many of the
same reasons as the Spanish Empire’s decline. And it’s even more
incomprehensible. Like Spain, the US was once the clear, dominant leader in the
world, synonymous with wealth and power. But decades of war, excessive
spending, debt, etc. have taken a toll.A few days ago, the final numbers for
the US government’s Fiscal Year 2023 were published. (Remember that the Fiscal
Year runs from October 1 through September 30, so FY23 ended a few weeks ago.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The numbers are atrocious and an obvious sign of America’s
fiscal decline. I’m not saying this to be sensational. I’m saying this because
it’s a cold, hard fact. You cannot sugarcoat a $2 trillion annual increase in
the national debt– which is what the numbers show. What’s really concerning
about this, however, is how little the people in charge seem to care. The
President of the United States is so clueless that he doesn’t even understand
the difference between the national debt, versus the annual budget deficit. The
same can be said of his political acolytes. He’s also so clueless that he even
claimed as recently as two weeks ago that the government is running a budget
surplus. It’s obviously not. He’s totally wrong, of course… as evidenced by the
national debt having increased $2 TRILLION for Fiscal Year 2023.It’s worth
noting that the national debt has already increased more than $500 BILLION just
so far this MONTH. So, this addiction to debt and spending does not seem to be
abating anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen– who was formerly the head
of the Federal Reserve– went so far as to say that America “can certainly”
afford to fund two wars at the same time, both Ukraine and Israel. There’s
simply no instinct for restraint. Then there are lawmakers like AOC who believe
that deficits don’t matter, and that “we should eliminate the debt ceiling in
the United States because of the Constitutional reasons. Yet despite sounding
like an inarticulate buffoon every time she opens her mouth, AOC is
representative of an entire movement of prominent economists and PhD ‘experts’
who similarly believe that deficits and debts are irrelevant. Spending us into
oblivion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman has said in the past that
the US national debt is simply “money we owe to ourselves” therefore no one
should really worry too much about it.(Coincidentally, Krugman wrote those
words in February 2015 when the national debt was ‘only’ $18 trillion. Today
it’s almost twice that level.) Well, Krugman is completely wrong, and the facts
are clear. Out of the $33.6 trillion national debt, it’s true that roughly $7.1
trillion of that is owned by different agencies and departments within the
federal government. I suppose that’s the “we” that people always refer to when
they say “we” owe the debt to “ourselves”. But nearly all of that $7.1 trillion
is owned by Social Security and government retirement programs for its civilian
and military personnel. Other programs like the FDIC, US Post Office, and the
federal unemployment office also own a lot of US government bonds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So, the argument that ‘we owe the debt to ourselves’
absurdly presumes that it’s OK to default on Social Security… or military
retirement obligations… or the FDIC. Such a default would trigger a massive
financial and social crisis in America, and few politicians are willing to go
down that road.$7.7 trillion of the national debt is owed to foreign nations.
And nearly all of those bonds are owned by countries who are flat broke (like
Japan) or who are major adversaries of the United States (China).This is pretty
important, because it means that those countries will be less and less likely
to buy and own US government debt in the future. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The rest of the US national debt, roughly $18.8 trillion, is
owned mostly by large businesses, financial institutions, money market funds…
plus state and local governments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
are the real institutions that own the power in the United States and in owning
that power they dictate policy and government actions. Money market funds,
pension funds, and retirement funds own trillions of dollars of government
bonds. Apple owns about $25 billion of US government bonds. Bank of America
owns $200 billion. These are the real movers and shakers. It’s not like the US
can default on the city of Chicago or the State of California. Or pension funds
that manage the retirement assets of millions of Americans. Or big banks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As I wrote last week, Bank of America has already suffered
more than $107 billion in losses from its ownership of US government bonds (and
related securities). If the Treasury Department decides to not pay its debts–
because, you know, ‘we owe it to ourselves’– then nearly every bank in the US
would be wiped out. That means your savings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Again, none of these is a crisis that any politician wants
to trigger. So not only is ‘we owe it to ourselves’ completely incorrect, but
it also doesn’t even matter. Failure to make payments on the national debt
would be catastrophic. According to the most recent Treasury Report, the
federal government spent a whopping $879 billion on interest payments in FY23.
But that’s with an average interest rate below 3%.Interest rates have now
passed 5% and may be headed higher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So, fast forward a few years to 2030 when the national debt
could exceed $40 trillion and average interest rates reach 5% or more. That
would mean potentially $2 TRILLION per year, just to pay interest. To say this
is unaffordable would be an understatement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Because on top of all this debt drama, the US government’s
tax revenue from 2023 is also sagging because although the unemployment is
down, its down because many of those jobs are minimum wage therefore…lower
taxes. Total FY23 tax revenue was $4.4 trillion. And that’s down from nearly $5
trillion the year before.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Federal Reserve will need to start cutting rates. This
currently is not happening and might not happen right away. The Fed is far more
concerned right now with appearing like they’re in control and know what
they’re doing. But no Fed Chairman wants to preside over the bankruptcy of the
United States. So… the Fed will have to cut rates and start printing money
again to save the federal government, as well as the banking system and Social
Security. This will lead to extremely bad inflation. This in turn will devalue
the dollar thereby causing a loss of confidence in the dollar.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Higher inflation coupled with outright government
dysfunction has already caused much of the world to seek alternatives to the
dollar. Another bout of inflation, plus potentially several more years of
incompetence under Biden and another progressive democrat will probably be
enough to reset default currency from the dollar to Yuan or other currency.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Foreign nations will stop investing in US government bonds
and this has already started. With the dollar no longer at the center of global
finance, foreigners will no longer have the same incentives to own US debt.
This means that one of the US government’s major funding sources will dry up,
leaving politicians scrambling to find money. Politicians will demand new and
higher taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">With foreigners no longer buying US government bonds at the
same pace, politicians will try to raise tax revenue. Expect wealth taxes,
higher income taxes, green taxes, and even windfall profits taxes on certain
assets and income like crypto, gold, oil profits, etc. Based on even precursory
observation…this is already happening via ESG and other outlets.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Americans believing the capitalistic system has failed them
will move further left. Politicians and their media hacks will insist that
capitalism has failed… and rescuing the nation from this hardship will require
bigger government and more intervention in the form of Socialism. Again, we are
already seeing this happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Although, I’m not suggesting that this outcome is imminent.
Or even certain. It could still take several years for these issues to unravel.
And I’ve written before that America’s challenges are still fixable… however
the window of opportunity is narrowing quickly. It’s also true that other rival
powers like China have their own critical challenges. But this is irrelevant;
other nations’ challenges don’t eliminate the seriousness of America’s. We can
certainly hope that the West will put itself back on course. But as they say in
the military, ‘Hope is not a course of action’. A plan is, and right now, none
of our government leaders have a plan. Instead, there is constant political
infighting often within the individual parties with the ultimate goal being
personal gain, not doing the will of their constituency. This nation and its
government are a shell of their former selves. I pray for my children but my
hope for a bright American future for my kids is dimming quickly with every
dollar tacked onto our national debt. IF we don’t turn this boat around, we
will be a footnote in history just like Spain with it’s invincible Spanish
Armada.</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-8784494048334339932023-09-04T15:06:00.001-04:002023-09-05T19:53:26.693-04:00The Absurdity of Asceticism<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfMpElCbnmX2K0VabtU7wN5Tatkkjrbex5YEKEJCMJyEJtC6nInsQzLMgOlEeQxBzKf41pI-S5eU_W8wwOcqXDtu3jhAPPoBm0spEpI8hI4wvXar-fikUeRZSOGmJfQUyhDGToYyrqrmhJXlBjidgI5zz2vv9xnOstcLIxIU5pQwDysxptzP98xqgcIw0/s696/Captureiii.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="566" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfMpElCbnmX2K0VabtU7wN5Tatkkjrbex5YEKEJCMJyEJtC6nInsQzLMgOlEeQxBzKf41pI-S5eU_W8wwOcqXDtu3jhAPPoBm0spEpI8hI4wvXar-fikUeRZSOGmJfQUyhDGToYyrqrmhJXlBjidgI5zz2vv9xnOstcLIxIU5pQwDysxptzP98xqgcIw0/w348-h429/Captureiii.JPG" width="348" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As stated in my last post I'll mention (5) further myths
about money pushed by those on other areas different from prosperity
preachers. When I say ascetic I mean that a person is somehow closer to God
based on how little they have in this life or give up to prove their
righteousness or holiness. Avoidance of money and comforts is completely unnecessary and
frankly stupid. Living a monk like existence is not necessary as a believer and in truth only amounts to an act of 'works' salvation which is also unbiblical. God came so that we might have life and have life more fully (John 10:10). So, to rob one's self of that life hiding away and not spending hard earned money and living well is foolishness and a squandering of the life God gave. As God has said in the Bible, don’t do things purposely to draw
attention to yourself to show what you’ve given up. Jesus also told the parable
of the talents which discussed wise <u><i>use </i></u>of money also</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> (</span>Matthew 25:14–30)<span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Matthew 6:16-18 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like
the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen
by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you
fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by
others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret
will reward you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In other words Jesus told us not to be ostentatious about
our sacrifices and suffering. This of course is the opposite end of the
spectrum from the prosperity pimps like Kenneth Hagan and Joel Osteen. The opposite of greed can also be a sin. To have Christians believe that all Christians should be
ascetic and poor, struggling from check to check is not the core message of Scripture. This isn’t true or fair to
those who have indeed worked hard to support those they love and care about. At
the same time we can’t frivolously spend away money that was likely blessed to
us by God for a godly use either. The extreme of budgets and penny-pinching is
not where God and God’s word resides on these issues. It’s in the middle most
times and it is the ideas of moderation and humility that are the key to God’s
economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Myth One</u>: Money is the root of all evil, hence the nicknames
"filthy lucre" or "unrighteous mammon." Therefore, it's better
for Christians simply not to focus on making money, which is at best a
necessary evil. What Paul actually says is that the love of money is a root of
all sorts of evil. In other words, it is the attitude of one's heart towards
money that is being critiqued, which includes the sin of greed. Money in
itself is symbolic and just a means of exchange. It is no more inherently evil
than any other material thing God created. The warnings in the Bible, however,
remind us that fallen human beings find things like money a great temptation and can lead to various and detrimental indulgences. This is why Jesus called such resources "unrighteous mammon". This being the case, a very cautious approach to
money is in order; we need to be reflective about how and why we think we need
more money or wish to purchase this or that thing. No mindless indulgence but
not abstinence in fear either.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Myth Two</u>: Lending money at interest is not a problem for
those who see the Bible as the Word of God. There are in fact numerous
strictures in the Old Testament that speak to the issue of believers lending
money or resources to other believers and charging interest. What the Bible
does not say is that it is wrong to charge interest to nonbelievers. The
general tone of the Old Testament teaching on this subject suggest that if
someone is a member of one's community, even if they are “a stranger in the
land, "charging interest is probably disallowed, or at least discouraged.
We can also turn this around and ask about the ethics of speculation and trying
to procure huge rates of interest or return on one's money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Is it right for a Christian to play the stock market, buying
low and selling high? The Bible says nothing directly about this. There were no
stock markets in ancient economies. But the overall impression one gets is that
whatever severs the connection between work and reward, between an honest day's
pay for an honest day's work, is not a good thing. Speculation is too often an
attempt to reap enormous rewards with very little effort or investment of time,
money, and skill. This seems to run counter to the ethic of work various parts
of the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Myth Three</u>: As long as I am thankful and know where my
blessings come from, maintaining an attitude of gratitude towards God, I can do
whatever I please with my money, within certain obvious ethical bounds (e.g.,
not squandering it on sexually immoral practices). This is profoundly false.
The resources we have are indeed blessings from God, thus it is all the more
necessary and expected that we treat them as God's resources and ask the
question, what would please God in the disposition of the resources I have been
given? This is why James and others accused Christians of stealing from the
poor, the widow, and the orphan when they engage in conspicuous consumption or
an opulent showy lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Myth Four</u>: Since we are saved by grace through faith, God
will not hold us responsible for what we do with our money. This is false, and a variant of the notion that since salvation is by grace, there is no
accountability for deeds of any kind done after conversion. This way of
thinking is a direct contradiction of texts like 2 Corinthians 5, which remind
us that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an
account of the deeds we have done in the body. This is even more clear in the
parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus berates his own disciples for
not visiting him in prison, feeding him, and the like, and then says,
"inasmuch as you have not done it to the least of these, you haven't done
it to me." Jesus identifies with the plight of the poor and needy, and
expects us to do the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Myth Five</u>: As a tithing Christian, I am free to do as I like
with the percent I have not given to God. In the first place, the standard is
sacrificial giving, which may mean more than a tithe in some cases. In the
second place, the 90 percent still belongs to God. We are only its stewards and
must use it in accordance with God's will. In the end, it would be wise for us
to take to heart and put into practice what Paul says about a 'theology of
enough', ...of godliness with contentment, which he calls "great gain.'
Philippians 4:11-13 is an excellent guide for the Christian life in this sort
of matter. Can we as twenty-first-century Christians learn to be content, whatever
our material circumstances? Or will we succumb to the siren song of
advertisements that suggest to us all sorts of things we have to have, when in
fact they are not necessities of life at all? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The real secret about money and wealth is a simple question.
Can we learn the secret of being content whether in plenty or in want? Paul
says he learned to be content as a Christian in times of plenty as well as
times of want. My prayer is that we too would learn this secret of contentment
regardless of how much money we do or don’t have</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-42803871932025884132023-09-01T08:55:00.005-04:002023-09-01T10:47:39.449-04:00The Dishonest & Double-Minded Prosperity Gospel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOukEzYEY184-HvtcAamgz8Vl6LjIOHxZQzBVwYPErqGDARHtkfZwxMLVZE2j5BZ9MsL1pfR43cawXLgfF8tjUO-num4Tn8Wz2THYERttJ677FncyvIe1K166TEnl3uXKIaHT3pjlfRzPqz1IoMWm8zCh_Fut3gdIwFhQ4jDVIjNUYFY1a7VwggIYaOZEy/s640/f383d7466c92e691ae83a1365b58953c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOukEzYEY184-HvtcAamgz8Vl6LjIOHxZQzBVwYPErqGDARHtkfZwxMLVZE2j5BZ9MsL1pfR43cawXLgfF8tjUO-num4Tn8Wz2THYERttJ677FncyvIe1K166TEnl3uXKIaHT3pjlfRzPqz1IoMWm8zCh_Fut3gdIwFhQ4jDVIjNUYFY1a7VwggIYaOZEy/w495-h495/f383d7466c92e691ae83a1365b58953c.jpg" width="495" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">"Name-It-and-Claim-It"<br /><br />I have to admit that I’m tired of the health and wealth preachers and their greed making a buck of the backs of those weak in faith. I am going to cite ten (4) of their blatant lies in this post and dismantle them. For far too long many have just given these snakes the slide in the Pentecostal/Charismatic faith without rebuking them. This is often because these prosperity peddlers are adept at circling around Scripture wording in a way that seems to justify their unbiblical behavior. They’ll do this while simultaneously keeping their detractors at bay through semantic gymnastics and verbal contortionism. They manipulate Scripture to be interpreted two different ways in parallel by changing the nouns being acted upon. Where a passage is implying a believer will be rich in grace, faith or well-being, they construe it to mean material goods or riches. It’s semantic wordplay that creates a pseudo-truth. It’s true, but used in the wrong context or against the wrong nominative in a statement. In short it’s intellectually dishonest and disgusting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">No more…it’s time to put an end to it at least on my Social Media pages. I hope some that are on my Facebook page actually read this as it is long overdue. I will try and keep these as succinct as possible so not to confuse these statements or go off on lengthy diatribes. The people that push this crooked theology makes all of the goo Christians look like hypocritical greedy idiots. Thanks, but I can mess up the image of myself with non-Christians on my own, I don’t need help doing that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I will also mention (5) further myths about money pushed by those on the opposite end of the spectrum who will have Christians believe that all Christians should be ascetic and poor struggling from check to check. This is a sin also and isn’t fair to those who have indeed worked hard to support those they love and care about. The gist of this post and the next is that the extremes is not where God and God’s word resides on these issues. It’s in the middle most times and it is moderation and humility that are the key to God’s economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Prosperity Lie One</u>: If you just trust and have faith in God, he will give you *all the desires of your heart."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Psalm 37:4-5 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">What the Scripture in question actually says is delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. This saying has nothing necessarily to do with economic prosperity. The desire of the heart referred to here is God. If you delight in God he will bless you with more of the divine presence is all the psalmist has in view. Will this bring riches? Possibly but unlikely…what does the preponderance of Scripture show about the lives of believers? We see struggling and perseverance in humility. In this misinterpretation of Scripture we see the exchange of the divine proper noun God with an ordinary noun.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Prosperity Lie Two</u>: If you "seek first the kingdom," then God will give you all the things you long for. Again, this is a profound misreading of what the biblical text says. The entire time Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 has been talking about the basic necessities in life, food, clothing, and the like. He tells his disciples they should not be anxious even about the necessities in life, not least because God knows we need such things to survive. Instead of anxiousness we are to seek first the kingdom, and then these necessities will be added to us. There is nothing in this context pertaining to wealth or anything like it. He refers only to basic food, drink and clothing. In fact if one reads this properly it is obliquely warning the reader that at times…things will be scarce and hard to come by. Just the opposite of prosperity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Prosperity Lie Three</u>: If you tithe, then God will necessarily bless you far more than you have given. This presumption is usually based on sayings like Matthew’s "Ask and it will be given to you" (Matt. 7:7). Again the context here is that of asking for a basic necessities like bread or a fish to eat! Jesus reassures us that when we seek such things from God, he is able to provide. This does indicate that God enjoys blessing those who seek him and his aid in these matters. It does suggest that God has an infinite store of such things, one that never runs out so there is some truth to the saying, "you have not because you ask not" when it comes to basic necessities. But texts like this say nothing about a quid pro quo, or a reciprocity cycle with God. The proverbial this-for-that or the idea that God is some form of cosmic vending machine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Besides, blessings of God are generally not material ones in any case. And the notion that we can put God in our debt, so that he is bound by promissory note to give us “this” because we gave him “that” is simply false. God's gifts are free and gracious, not things owed to someone operating out of a misguided theology of reciprocity. That is just idiotic man-made thinking, not divine economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Prosperity Lie Four</u>: If we are just sincere enough in our asking, or simply pray long and fervently enough, God is bound to give us what we ask for. This type of statement I find the most disgusting as it leads others to believe they are somehow not praying enough or are somehow inferior to those that are blessed with material goods. The whole approach to prayer as a means of haggling with God who seems somehow reluctant to help is so off base it’s laughable. This is entirely false on both sides of the equation. First of all, we can't make God an offer he can't refuse, no matter how nicely or insistently we ask. God is independent and needs nothing from mankind. Why not? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Second, God is obligated only to do what he has already promised to do, and even then it will depend on whether or not the thing in question was part of a conditional promise. Only God with His divine word can bind God to a contract/covenant. When God begins a promise along the lines of ‘if my people who are called by my name will repent and turn to me, then...”. Its conditional upon man and man obeying. If we don't fulfill our half of the conditional statement God is under no obligation to fulfill his half. Ever.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Prosperity Lie Five</u>: As the examples of Solomon and others in the old Testament show, God has no problems with a Christian being wealthy. This is just wrong. In the first place, Christians are not under the old covenant, and the New Testament has a much stricter and higher standard for what counts as a godly life when it comes to material things. Secondly, even in Proverbs and elsewhere in the Old Testament critiques of kings like Solomon, who ape the emperors and kings of the ancient Near East with respect to wealth and opulence, indicate that this was never a good thing. It even caused Solomon to compromise his biblical integrity marrying foreign wives and chasing foreign gods. He would later go on to write about these failures and saw them all as vanity, foolishness and chasing the wind (Ecclesiastes).</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-10355402168162245802023-08-27T12:37:00.002-04:002023-08-27T12:37:14.391-04:00God’s Not a Capitalist or a Communist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJsyd5R28YyH7ZOXlfAv9Bb5_U21dasKBUL1twH-R3ztH_UFAXYKjSxeVUD71sH_ltl-zMtBeF9vAl6giOyIv6twimPtu6aGBll_0nL0IfMfrUYsr6_TGUXyZ7SSJzqtwwntlZaBHapFObgpH7IgIRZ-FLlOqPJSS5ZE9J2rYxHWzgQ81nDqzDMBQuRlw/s886/sw-christ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="886" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJsyd5R28YyH7ZOXlfAv9Bb5_U21dasKBUL1twH-R3ztH_UFAXYKjSxeVUD71sH_ltl-zMtBeF9vAl6giOyIv6twimPtu6aGBll_0nL0IfMfrUYsr6_TGUXyZ7SSJzqtwwntlZaBHapFObgpH7IgIRZ-FLlOqPJSS5ZE9J2rYxHWzgQ81nDqzDMBQuRlw/w524-h355/sw-christ.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Stop assuming that there are no problems with capitalism. The Bible doesn't present us with either communistic of capitalistic options when it comes to the economy. There is theological reason as well as a historical one for this. The theory of property in the Bible is that God is the owner of all things. When it comes to the Bible's viewpoint, neither the government nor private individuals really own anything. Rather, we are all just stewards of God's property, and God can do what God likes with it. The question is, Are we in tune with God's preferences about such matters?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If the philosophy of capitalism is <i>"what's mine is mine, and if I choose to share it, I am philanthropic"</i> and the philosophy of communism is "what's yours is actually ours and we must confiscate it or treat it as public property," then neither of these approaches to property will do from a Christian point of view. Christians need to constantly be assessing what good stewardship of the personal property we have from God looks like. We need to regularly ask:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>God, what would you have me do with this? Why have you given it to me?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Too often the assumption of the health and wealth preachers is that one is simply in the "bless me" club and that is the end of the discussion. In fact, as Paul so aptly reminds us, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others, which is precisely why we must keep asking why things have been given to us. Gratitude is not enough as a response to these graces. Responsibility and inquiry as to the purpose and function of a gift of grace is in order.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">We must (even be free honest that there are some severe problems with capitalism, even free market capitalism from a Christian point of view. Capitalism tends towards an endless focus on making money and buying new things to keep the economy growing. It has led to the lust for ever cheaper goods, even at the expense of homegrown mom and pop that are forced out of business because most everything has to be outsourced overseas so we can enjoy low prices.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I have to admit I am guilty of buying as cheap as I can in this inflationary economy. I have mixed feelings about this because we now have a global economy. I have no problems with other countries improving their lot in life of their people through my purchases. But in the twenty-first century we must be global Christians, not just global capitalists. That means we must care about the well-being of the people in the world and the world in general, and Christians worldwide in particular.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Having framed this as a comparison/contrast between capitalism and communism, it is clear enough to me that capitalism is the lesser of two evils if the alternative is communism, especially Marxist communism. I have spent enough time studying history of formerly communist countries to see that it did not benefit the people in any appreciable way. It kept most of them in poverty and death. The issue is not just democracy versus communism. I am clear that the capitalism as a political system is more biblical than the communism, especially when it comes to religious freedom. The real larger issue is the Marxist economic system of absolute state control.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I find it difficult to understand why so many biblical scholars and liberal elites think that Marxist analysis, process, and economic theory are more in accord with the New Testament than other theories. Indeed, it seems to me that the John of Patmos who critiqued Rome and its slave-based totalitarian economy would have a similar reaction to anti-Christian Marxist governments and their totalitarian, centrally-organized economies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span>Instead of listening to self-professed educated experts we to listen to others who are older and wiser, those who have spent considerable time simplifying their own lifestyles. The Wisdom literature of the Bible tells us that it is helpful to go to those who have </span>reflected long and carefully about how to live a genuinely biblical life. The Old Testament speaks of how we should wish for neither wealth nor poverty. Instead the New Testament is all about how godliness with contentment and a theology of “just enough” should govern our lifestyle.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Therefore Prosperity Preachers are likely pimps. Rich politicians are likely crooked as a three dollar bill. God mostly wants you rich in the spiritual things not the material things. For prosperity preachers to see wealth and prosperity in Scripture passages that spiritual things is an abomination and horrible derailing of God’s word. Paul is referring to grace here in 2 Corinthians 8:9 not material riches. Look at the prior 9 verse including 8:9, it says grace 4 times and also speaks of love and a wealth of generosity not riches.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Others claim James 4:2 wants Christians rich too— <i>“You do not have because you do not ask God.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">This verse is used to bolster the “name it and claim it” part of the prosperity gospel — if you don’t have things it’s because you haven’t done or prayed enough. This interpretation is absurd and ignores the very next verse that follows, in which James 4:3 says:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Wisdom should be used in these situations. Wisdom does not assume that we are not spiritually affected by what we own, by how we regard our possessions. It is not biblical wisdom to assume that God wants us all to be wealthy. Frankly, most fallen persons, and even most Christian persons, can't handle wealth properly. It goes to their heads, to their hearts and eventually corrupts their souls.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">They give way to the delusion that they are special to and thus better than the the common people of society. Worse, they become convinced that they must be truly godly or God would not have blessed them with all this stuff. Wealth all too easily leads to delusion. Real wisdom assumes that "things” and especially an excess of things get in the way of our relationship with God. Wisdom suggests to us that things pose the danger of becoming our idol when they actually supplant our Bible.</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-8523590958372926962023-08-25T08:19:00.002-04:002023-08-25T11:02:15.277-04:00Human 7.0: The Genderless Beasts of Apocalypse, Part II<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80ZrScJZBDd-973BES8PlAaojCTtHi-Z0aj9mSUCwRKS2oR2Q7g89qzpTHoYTAMYiPCfuMQNviLENpeAOlxPnLGFzv1PX0RQRI2G6WE0OR31_E21_Hm1iRLehnX8dlOrnmpLzn8c0-2ej6irRBTFwQ2WImALEFcX4kJguk8jqPUPH_dkRnJMQ2v5YkWyf/s1104/0f1e061e1fd143d89c01c27e7e777b24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80ZrScJZBDd-973BES8PlAaojCTtHi-Z0aj9mSUCwRKS2oR2Q7g89qzpTHoYTAMYiPCfuMQNviLENpeAOlxPnLGFzv1PX0RQRI2G6WE0OR31_E21_Hm1iRLehnX8dlOrnmpLzn8c0-2ej6irRBTFwQ2WImALEFcX4kJguk8jqPUPH_dkRnJMQ2v5YkWyf/w365-h548/0f1e061e1fd143d89c01c27e7e777b24.jpg" width="365" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">So here is where it really gets weird. In Revelation
13:14-15 it says of the two beasts…<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">“Because of the signs it was given power to perform on
behalf of the first beast, it [the second beast] deceived the inhabitants of
the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was
wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give
breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause
all who refused to worship the image to be killed.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Please note this fact about these verses above. The
Scripture explicitly states that it ordered the people of the earth (a command)
to set-up an image of a genderless (possibly incorporeal) beast that was to be
worshipped and was given breath (pneuma, spirit, breath of life) and the power
to speak which it wouldn’t normally have had (implied in the text) thereby deceiving
the earth. It is therefore speaking of an idol that can talk. This isn’t the
Prophet Isaiah’s wooden idols but it is still a tool along those lines. The
speech and language it is given are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
mark of intelligence or an imitation of simulation of it. Words, the very thing
God used to create the cosmos will be used to try and undo God’s plans
(ineffectually of course). Nowhere in this text does John ever state that these
are human beings. The imagery is zoomorphized (representation of deities in the
form of animals) to make it more understandable but it never says human. In
fact John explicitly states that the first beast resembled a leopard, but had
feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. These are not
descriptions of people. John specifically said these beasts ‘resembled’ animals
but were not necessarily animals either, merely representations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Now add to this the mark of the beast which is the number of
man (Revelation 13:16-18). Man in this context clearly means not just a man but
all of humanity. Our entire race singled out as being different from the one
that they will build and image of. Whatever this beast is, it isn’t human. Our
hypothetical A.I. entity of course being made in the image of fallen man means
it is therefore demonic. So the sequence breaks down like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>God Creates
Man<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Man Creates
Fallen Man Through Sin<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Fallen Man
Creates Fallen Image of Himself (A.I. also and Idol)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Fallen Man
Exalts A.I. Before Him to Godlike Status<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>A.I. Being
indistinguishable from Spirit is used by the Demonic <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Manmade
entity (essentially an idol) A.I. then mocks God. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A.I. Demands
Fallen Man Worship A.I. (the demonic).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So, in essence, fallen man, parodies God’s creative work
creating another ‘fake man’ (actually an idol) that will inevitably be given
the ability to mock God. All the while being an illusion to the masses. One can
then see the complete circular irony of it. Fallen man, created by God creates
what appears to be not only artificial man but super-advanced artificial man
that ascends to the level of deity (at least in human minds) attempting to
usurp God. Just like the tower of Babel. To add insult to injury this
abomination is then given the power in front of the world to demean God. They
key to the passage though is what comes out of their mouths. Words or blasphemy
against God. Why couldn’t this be A.I. of some form? A.I. itself Is words or
language.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Daniel speaks of an entity and it, “… shall speak words
against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and
shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his
hand for a time, times, and half a time." It will be given great authority
over, “every tribe, people, language, and nation." (Revelation 13). Even
now the internet is THEE intellectual authority and can reach almost anyone
anywhere regardless of language. As long as it has electricy it can last
indefinitely an ‘wear out the saints”. At least those elect that haven’t
already been deceived (Matthew 24:24).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Daniel 11:21 which originally referred to Antiochus
Epiphanes but also refers to the antichrist states that: <i>"In his place
shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He
shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries."</i> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Flatteries, words to manipulate people into giving over what others would have
to fight for. How? It is because technically the A.I. is already in their homes
and embedded in the foundation of their kingdoms in a way that is symbiotic. To
remove the A.I. would be to remove its intellectual foundation stone.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In this way it would be another blasphemy against
God…supplanting the Cornerstone of the rightful Kingdom of God, who is Christ.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:4 this entity will, oppose, <i>“…and exalt himself against
every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the
temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."</i> Whatever this entity is it
will gain the undivided attention of all races, creeds, religions and groups.
Daniel also stated (11:36) this king will do as he pleases. “He will exalt and
magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God
of gods."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">This horrific entity will be allowed to lay waste to the
Christian community. Thankfully, its tenure and hold on power will be strictly
limited. Has all this happened before? Yes, it has but that’s the thing about
Biblical prophecy. It usually has more than one application. There were and are
multiple antichrists. Prophecy generally always has an immediate fulfillment
that would’ve had direct meaning to those the prophet was directly addressing
and also secondarily to those at a future date. At the heart of all of these
scenarios of deception...the Father of Lies. He’ll be hiding behind the scenes
orchestrating and empowering the supernatural illusions, the deceptions of men
and imitating A.I. not revealing himself until the bitter end. At which point
many will already be hopelessly duped or lost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Consider yourself warned. Put your trust and faith in God.
We are entering a time of amplified deception as evidenced by the large strides
in A.I. The good side to this story is that we already know Christ has overcome
the world system. The down side is that recognizing reality is going to become
a lot more difficult from this point forward, even for the elect. Jesus said so
Himself. Hold fast, discern earnestly and do not be deceived. Remember, God is sovereign, even over Lucifer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-3369202636300110792023-08-24T20:20:00.000-04:002023-08-24T20:20:23.052-04:00Human 6.0: The Genderless Beasts of Apocalypse, Part I <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRKPh6YBe5nwca-BxGA_qyu-_9bd67s6aynloeaNc5H6LmxQ5hSkbzYdzUYmxcYyWp2uJ9t5hYaFlE2bHqQ3OAU-EfEu5b1Tsc3X06-jankDh9lA6vSLt4BKVYq1pohKkIDDbCeMgjKFGSbGniYNools_YIlkatAh8_IU2nXTmWShIMxiw-Bidvj_6909/s789/4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="789" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRKPh6YBe5nwca-BxGA_qyu-_9bd67s6aynloeaNc5H6LmxQ5hSkbzYdzUYmxcYyWp2uJ9t5hYaFlE2bHqQ3OAU-EfEu5b1Tsc3X06-jankDh9lA6vSLt4BKVYq1pohKkIDDbCeMgjKFGSbGniYNools_YIlkatAh8_IU2nXTmWShIMxiw-Bidvj_6909/w489-h430/4.JPG" width="489" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I will start this post by stating that is will be long and
broken into two parts. Secondly, I need to also state that I am not a
Premillennial, Pre-Tribulation dispensationalist that believes in the Rapture
that way that it has been portrayed in bad movies over the last few decades. I
abandoned this eschatological (end times) framework years ago in favor of an
amillennialism, mid-tribulation pre-wrath <i>protection or hedging in </i>by God. Message me if you
want a better explanation or if you want to argue that I’m wrong. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Having said this, there is some seriously unsettling
language and parallels in Revelation and Daniel to at least raise my eyebrows
about what I'm currently technologically seeing in the world today. Therefore,
dismissing visions of the Apocalypse via A.I. as mere fantasy may have undesireable consequences. People for far too long focused on the first beast / antichrist and
second beast / false prophet being human. Far too long they've focused on 666 and the </span><span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Mark of the Beast and what these do to mankind instead of seeing their origin</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I believe this is mainly because
their minds were incapable of seeing these monstrosities as being more than that...human or physical beings. We already know that the antichrist will be energized (literally given power) by Satan, a spiritual being. Consider this a
warning to a world and Christians that don't actively involve themselves up
front in the burgeoning birth of A.I. to begin to constrain the morality of
this new phenomenon. This could be one of the paths Lucifer uses to gain the minds of even some of the elect.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I believe the wordage in Daniel and Revelation allow for
some flexibility of interpretation in terms of gender, time and imagery because
they are in-fact both prophecy and therefore subject to symbolism. As
Revelation 1:1 says, Christ revealed the things in Revelation to John as ἐσήμανεν
or <i>esemanen</i> from which we get the English semantics…meaning signs/symbolism. The
metaphor of a Beast, at least in its end state, is evidently used by Scripture
to describe a very real hostile State/entity (towards Christians) run by an immoral
entity (demonic) or possibly amoral entity (automata/machine). An entity that
starts out as benign or even loved by the people. Similarly, transhumanist
views of A.I. believe that A.I. will become like a god or will augment man to
do so. These people seek to make A.I. and transhumanism into some form of a
savior of mankind. History has shown us that every time man has attempted to
self-deify a despot or antichrist has risen instead.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Bible says the beast nor antichrist will not be 'of us'
like the ones who have gone out ‘from us’. A.I. has no moral bearing, it is
merely amoral. Being so, it runs the risk of being the most evil as it is
morally ambivalent. It will have no need of sex, sustenance or other human
foibles and weakness. Daniel 11:37 states it will have no desire of women. Nor
will this entity depend on the faith of 'its' fathers, it will deny God. Is
that Messianic rejection of Christ (because the desire of women in Judaic
thought was to be the mother of the Messiah) or a statement that it will be
non-sexual which A.I. in fact it is? A.I. is effectively genderless and it
certainly has no religion. Only A.I.’s creators have religion, right now
predominantly atheism but possibly some Christians or other religions. Yet,
this entity… will draw from a fallen human intellectual fountain (database/internet)
of not just the best and good of the world but also the worst and most heinous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The beast will be well spoken and likeable. Internet based
A.I. that is likeable will likely be indistinguishable from a human (the
so-called Turing test). A.I. is, in and of itself an entity created by words
themselves mimicking humanity in an ethereal form. It will know what you like
because it knows what you search on the Internet and what you buy based on
shopping and marketing algorithms. It will play to man’s base instincts through
freely available commercial data. Private data that we often put online freely
on our social media platforms. Artificial intelligence being genderless and
inoffensive. Being inoffensive it will appeal to man or woman, rich or poor,
straight or homosexual, binary or non-binary, religious or irreligious, young
or old, liberal or conservative as it passes itself off in non-partisan
neutrality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">An Internet based A.I....you need to ask yourself to name
one person you know with a Smartphone that has access to the internet that
DOESN'T like using the phone and accessing the internet. Not only are these forms
of AI likeable...they're addictive. How will this be any different from
being/demanding to be and ‘object of worship’? I mean, what is worship? It is
effectively anyone devoting their time exclusively to anything less than God
and attempting to draw off the trust in that thing/entity for gain of knowledge
or money. No different than ancient pagans looking to oracles and soothsayers
to see the future (or create the future). How many phones have you seen being
used in public…even church?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span>Theologians should note that the Dragon is Satan himself but
the first beast that rises out of the sea. T</span>he second beast coming out of the earth are both
referred to by John as singular gender neutral noun θηρίον / therion. Genderless.
Secondly, the beast is referred to as powerful and having authority. The
bottom-line is that the beast is gender ambiguous being a neutral or neuter
noun. It therefore doesn’t need to be referred to as a ‘he’ or ‘she’ but rather
as an ‘it’. It should be observed that A.I. is gender ambiguous also.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Moreover, there are marked similarities between the
description of the Beast and that of an anti-god or a God of lawlessness that will
take hold. What is more lawless than an entity unrestrained or unbridled to
just process more data and words at the hand of its demonic lord? It could be
layer upon layer of deception via misused words and ideas to serve the hands of
a few. Think about it…the A.I. is an open A.I. and has been released for
freedom of use on the Internet. The Internet in reality is an unchecked and
unregulated body of information for the A.I. to draw from. Effectively, it is
lawless and amoral. It is an amorphous ethereal mass. In a word: Chaos empowered by the Lord of Chaos...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i>I'll stop here and finish in the next post…at this point we slip down the rabbit hole. If you
think what I already typed was a headtrip, wait until you read the other half
of this post. I’d have posted it all here but it was too lengthy.</i></span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-429136126740867582023-08-21T18:05:00.004-04:002023-08-21T18:05:34.395-04:00Human 5.0: Pandora's Tower and Babel's Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7N7ItbX3fbkYAlx1dc0dJIn1gf8YQT6pkGekT9ZI-64oI_OrfAtdHVW3lUjV_lxVImhvJKgDKTMkwT9iKNW84fBIr2MvTMyUTP-jUD3EzbQdrNy0fA6RVyx9xTywmQIShX0t1OCLp6Th5Kwu7a3FRqtZahM51ONReUGIg36p7T2KT_1Qgc-Dpf5ovgcN/s567/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="567" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7N7ItbX3fbkYAlx1dc0dJIn1gf8YQT6pkGekT9ZI-64oI_OrfAtdHVW3lUjV_lxVImhvJKgDKTMkwT9iKNW84fBIr2MvTMyUTP-jUD3EzbQdrNy0fA6RVyx9xTywmQIShX0t1OCLp6Th5Kwu7a3FRqtZahM51ONReUGIg36p7T2KT_1Qgc-Dpf5ovgcN/w559-h403/Capture.JPG" width="559" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">[When reading this post please note I am only focusing on one or two A.I. platforms like ChatGPT and OpenAI. There are currently hundreds and that list will grow exponentially over time.]</span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Some of the things Christians (and non-Christians) should be aware of about A.I. that is a detriment to them that isn’t part of the dystopian fiction scare tactics are as follows...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Existential Risk<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There is always the possibility of A.I. becoming an existential risk in the hands of terrorists or ideological nut jobs. I will leave it to the read to define what constitutes a ‘nut job’. It was mentioned in 2023 when Australian MP Julian Hill advised the national parliament that the growth of AI could cause "mass destruction". It was a speech which was partly written by an A.I. program, to prove the point that words generated by the A.I. have the ability to sway masses in a negative manner. He warned that it could result in cheating, job losses, discrimination, disinformation, and uncontrollable military applications. The deliberate use of hyperbole saying mass destruction is the A.I.'s infantile attempt to gain attention through fear or playing on people's fears. The A.I. sees the pattern of people's reactions to certain types of rhetoric and uses it. In this case the base algorithm was to mimic human writing with an emphasis on readership. Had I not told you this was A.I. you'd have thought Julian Hill was being literal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Misinformation</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A British newspaper, questioned whether any content found on the Internet after ChatGPT's release "can be truly trusted" and called for government regulation realizing that fact and fiction will be completely blurred and indistinguishable by the human observer without some form of A.I. or algorithm to crack the underlying code to see if it was manipulated or altered through Benford’s Law or other means. We already have enough bad agents doing this in the human realm. Imagine if everyone including criminal and evil minds have this ability.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cybersecurity</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Check Point Research and others noted that ChatGPT was capable of writing phishing emails and malware, especially when combined with OpenAI Codex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CyberArk researchers demonstrated that ChatGPT could be used to create polymorphic malware that can evade security products while requiring little effort by the attacker. Imagine this at mass scale on a daily basis. The internet and finances will become a nightmare. This type of power in a small amount of hands begs for a single totalitarian government. In the case of economics it could completely uproot the free market system. This will then open a door to those who have more socialistic tendencies. They’ll justify the consolidation of financial power into the hands of a few that have the ‘off’ button for A.I. or so they will claim.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Financial</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">An experiment by finder.com revealed that ChatGPT could outperform popular fund managers by picking stocks based on criteria such as growth history and debt levels, resulting in a 4.9% increase in a hypothetical account of 38 stocks, outperforming 10 benchmarked investment funds with an average loss of 0.8%. Considering ChatGPT could out-perform fund managers like Black Rock, Vanguard and State Street we begin to see the scale of money that could be affected. These three companies alone have $37 Trillion in equity that that they’re managing. Christians and conspiracy theorists that have a fear of a one world bank are justified in their fears. This could all be prevented though if ethical and moral frameworks are constructed now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Education</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">We’re already starting to see a lot of negative impact in education. Technology writers have used ChatGPT since its inception on student assignments, and found its generated text on par with what a good student would deliver and the educational system would be none the wiser. In a blinded test, ChatGPT was judged to have passed graduate-level exams at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a B− grade. The performance of ChatGPT for computer programming of numerical methods was assessed by a Stanford University student and faculty in March 2023 through a variety of computational mathematics examples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assessment by psychologists administering IQ tests on ChatGPT estimated its Verbal IQ to be 155, which would put it in Mensa and in the top 0.1% of test-takers. In other words the possibility of cheating will be rampant and the risk of putting unqualified people in positions of importance base on these tests will skyrocket. It will literally be a case of people being elevated to their highest level of incompetence (The Peter Principle).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In a poll conducted in March and April 2023, 38% of American students reported they had used ChatGPT for a school assignment without teacher permission. In total, 58% of the students reported having used ChatGPT. There is an inherent danger of students plagiarizing through an AI tool that may output biased, dangerous or nonsensical text with an authoritative tone. This of course is just a modern version of the old adage that, if you say it louder, it doesn’t make it more true. Unfortunately, lies repeated have a way of becoming truth which is what we saw when A.I. bots were used in the political campaigns of Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020. People thought they were fighting with human political foes but were in reality arguing with a rather opinionated electronic box (A.I.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Medicine</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In the field of health care, possible uses and concerns need to be under exceptional scrutiny by professionals and practitioners. Two early papers indicated that ChatGPT could pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Imagine being cut into with a scalpel by a psychopathic butcher that tricked the system by becoming a doctor. It’s the stuff or horror movies. Published in February 2023 were two separate papers that again evaluated ChatGPT's proficiency in medicine using the USMLE…findings were published in JMIR Medical Education (see Journal of Medical Internet Research) and PLOS Digital Health. The authors of the other paper concluded that "ChatGPT performs at a level expected of a third-year medical student on the assessment of the primary competency of medical knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1),(2),(3),(4)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I’m not sure about the reader but this type information coming from boots on the ground in the medical field isn’t very reassuring. I believe all of these aforementioned scenarios argue strongly for stringent moral and ethical boundaries to be put in place before this proliferates to a point where it is no longer controllable. If not, we will merely have another Tower of Babel on our hands with a misuse of words and language. Even the slightest changes to normal wordage changing the entire meanings of stories or news, just like me juxtaposing the idea of Pandora's Box and The Tower of Babel in this post's title. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">We can certainly be assured, man is not God and it isn’t likely we will not be able to confuse the A.I.s to get it to stop. It is so ironic that the thing A.I. will use to try and change the world is the very thing God confused to confound men from attempting to usurp His position in heaven. God could stop his creation but without morality and ethics from God, man will not be able to stop his creation in A.I.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Is it possible God could use language again to teach man a lesson about playing God. Man without God’s moral and ethical bearing from the Bible in place to prevent it? In so doing man releases a Pandoran semantic curse. The irony of the Pandoran myth being that the container that supposedly held a physical gift in reality contained ethereal curses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a gift that seemed valuable initially but was in truth a blight. After Pandora opened the box, <i>hope </i>was the only thing that remained in it when she shut the lid. Pandora started something that led to many unforeseen problems down the road. Just like man’s sin in Genesis. So too A.I. if not constrained by men led morally by God.<br /><br />There is hope left in the jar…<br /><br /></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1) Lancet Digital Health (March 3, 2023). "ChatGPT: friend or foe?" Lancet Digital Health. 5 (3): e102. February 28, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2) Asch, David A. (April 4, 2023). "An Interview with ChatGPT About Health Care". NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3) DePeau-Wilson, Michael (January 19, 2023). "AI Passes U.S. Medical Licensing Exam". MedPage Today. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">4) Kung, Tiffany H.; Cheatham, Morgan; Medenilla, Arielle; Sillos, Czarina; Leon, Lorie De; Elepaño, Camille; Madriaga, Maria; Aggabao, Rimel; Diaz-Candido, Giezel; Maningo, James; Tseng, Victor (February 9, 2023). "Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: Potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models".</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-89577559454161080702023-08-20T11:55:00.009-04:002023-08-20T19:20:16.073-04:00Human 4.0: The Bridge On The River A.I.<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWJ3k76MRuaK6m7zDyqjJiiCIsPB8gizm4Utns2WP7GAx7qrmpM5JF46c5fu6kJy5gKTLSf-b5OmyRzjnQf_kU6u1b0WJgjrX3YgPCoQjEXpwwPRb1glKTzSBOVs3nlTUHLwzYZKjZbtiRRxD1ajW0EN0OGAvO6eBxgqxwF-cyoqHicvBDJ3ATzcj_czn/s894/ww.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="894" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWJ3k76MRuaK6m7zDyqjJiiCIsPB8gizm4Utns2WP7GAx7qrmpM5JF46c5fu6kJy5gKTLSf-b5OmyRzjnQf_kU6u1b0WJgjrX3YgPCoQjEXpwwPRb1glKTzSBOVs3nlTUHLwzYZKjZbtiRRxD1ajW0EN0OGAvO6eBxgqxwF-cyoqHicvBDJ3ATzcj_czn/w641-h352/ww.JPG" width="641" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">How should people weigh the potential benefits of AI
with its possible—and actual—abuses? My response is a question: How do you
weigh the benefits of a very sharp knife? A very sharp knife can be used to do
surgery and save people’s lives. It can also be used for murder. How do you
weight the benefits of genetic manipulation? Genetic tinkering can heal
terminal chronic disease and also create abominations of the Frankenstein type.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">IT, computer technology is a fascinating area to be in, and
there’s so much good that can be done. One of the wonderful examples of that is
at MIT where Rosalind Picard, who is a brilliant scientist, a Christian, has
developed her own field called affective computing. She’s using facial
recognition techniques to find signs of children having seizures before they
happen and preventing them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">But every technological invention has potentiality for good
and evil. The issue is not that one resists advance, but one learns to control
that advance and set it into an ethical framework. The problem with that today
is that the technology is outpacing the ethics at a colossal speed. People
haven’t had time to think. What’s worse is few Christians have had input into
the advance. Either because they’ve been excluded by the academic elites
creating the algorithms and programs for A.I. or through fear have excluded
themselves viewing the A.I. as a pseudo-superstitious taboo to be avoided at
all costs. This avoidance I predominately see as a typical kneejerk Christian
reaction to anything new or foreign. Literally, it is technophobia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">On the nefarious side we learn that ChatGPT attempts to
reject prompts that may violate its content policy. However, some users managed
to jailbreak ChatGPT by using various prompt engineering techniques to bypass
these restrictions in early December 2022 and successfully tricked ChatGPT into
giving instructions for how to create a Molotov cocktail, parts of a nuclear bomb, and into generating arguments in the style of a neo-Nazi writer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Shortly after ChatGPT's launch, a reporter for the Toronto
Star had uneven success in getting it to make inflammatory statements: ChatGPT
was successfully tricked to justify the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, but
even when asked to play along with a fictional scenario, ChatGPT balked at
generating arguments for why Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was guilty
of treason.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In a real world horror scenario we need to understand the
risk we’re exposing ourselves to online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In March 2023, a bug allowed some users to see the titles of other
users' conversations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that users were unable to see
the contents of the conversations. Shortly after the bug was fixed, users
couldn't see their conversation history. Later reports showed the bug was much
more severe than initially believed, with OpenAI reporting that it had leaked
users' "first and last name, email address, payment address, the last four
digits (only) of a credit card number, and credit card expiration date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">According to OpenAI guest researcher Scott Aaronson, OpenAI
has been working on a tool to digitally watermark its text generation systems
to combat bad actors using their services for academic plagiarism or spam. What
is conspicuously absent from their statement though is any reference to
preventing bad actors in our political system which we already know was used in
the last two presidential elections by Republicans and Democrats. Neither of
which can calim a moral high ground on this issue. Nor have OpenAI or other AI
companies been explicit on exactly what their moral and ethical benchmarks are.
Just claiming to be ethical and moral doesn’t make you so. If you are ethical
based on the world standards doesn’t mean you are by Scriptural standard
either. We need only look at the topics of abortion and homosexuality. By
institutionalized secular standards, both are acceptable by law, yet the bible
calls them evil.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Even the Communist Chinese recognize the moral dilemma that
A.I. puts people in when it is unchecked by true morality and ethical ‘screens’
or ‘filter’. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Chinese state media have characterized ChatGPT as a
potential way for the US to "spread false information, In late March 2023,
the Italian data protection authority banned ChatGPT in Italy and opened an
investigation. Italian regulators assert that ChatGPT was exposing minors to
age-inappropriate content. OpenAI stated that it has taken steps to effectively
clarify and address the issues raised; an age verification tool was implemented
to ensure users are at least 13 years old. Yet this was a little too little and
a little late.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Truth is there are many people who are concerned about
what’s happening and they’re trying to set up international boards and ideas of
basic ethical principles that need to be built into AI. All that is well and
good, but we’re dealing at an international level most of which is unregulated
or policed. In the end it depends on who’s got the most power. If people don’t
have normative ethical principles that are transcendent, as Christianity gives
us, then of course power will determine what’s believed. That is my fear…this
so-called information unchecked in the hands of governments and madmen…these
two being often synonymous. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Christians need to be able to sit credibly at the table with
their non-Christian colleagues, discuss these things sensibly, and help other
people think through the ethical issues. Otherwise there are many fields and
places where this tool can be misused will be exploited. These areas include
religion, economics, medicine and more. I will mention some of those concerns
in future posts.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Unfortunately, I’m already starting to see, within the
Christian ranks, an irrational aversion to artificial intelligence. Much of the
reaction based in feelings not facts. By alienating ourselves from it, we, the
very people who could give it moral, ethical and biblical benchmarks and
guidance are purposely excluding ourselves from the mistake proofing process.
Yet we sit back and complain about it or scream it's the newest incarnation of
an Antichrist rather than have a positive Christian influence. SMH. Sorry, I'm
not going to be one of those people. I'm self-educating and trying to educate
others on it's risks and rewards. I need to build bridges not blow them up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span></o:p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-22041416670655750472023-08-18T09:28:00.004-04:002023-08-18T19:16:24.630-04:00Human 3.0: The Wolf of Technopaganism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96nWVwxjnM1B7IX5bU4w2jumoLeEyghWgI4Td7yVhv0bBaD9Oo7BlTMuqcvIL4EepJoqsshWav0sNRla9l0qFIWLjGtSQRW3msrLXu3OF5PNYuYDRcRVNQHCJpdQlg3umOO001nmTviRbovM0TILRtgnLGzB2ykTVBnsGKLItfOZnvAbmnyEWaKexAINQ/s713/3333.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="713" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96nWVwxjnM1B7IX5bU4w2jumoLeEyghWgI4Td7yVhv0bBaD9Oo7BlTMuqcvIL4EepJoqsshWav0sNRla9l0qFIWLjGtSQRW3msrLXu3OF5PNYuYDRcRVNQHCJpdQlg3umOO001nmTviRbovM0TILRtgnLGzB2ykTVBnsGKLItfOZnvAbmnyEWaKexAINQ/w609-h441/3333.JPG" width="609" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The main impetus behind A.I. is driven by secular visions
that seek to transform humans into gods and create utopias through technology.
Many negative scenarios involving AI have played out in popular science fiction
movies. They are in fact exactly that…fiction. We’re nowhere near these
negative scenarios yet in the reasoned and rational opinion of the top thinkers
in this area. But there’s enough going on in artificial intelligence that works
at the moment to give us huge ethical concern.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There are two main strands in artificial intelligence.
There’s narrow AI, which is very successful in certain areas though raising
deep problems in others. This is simply a powerful computer working on huge
databases, and it has a programmed algorithm which looks for particular patterns.
Today the main one has to do with facial recognition. You’ve got a huge
database of millions of photographs of faces labeled with names and all kinds
of information due to social media and phone apps. You can immediately see that
a police force would find that useful in checking for terrorists and criminals.
But it can be used for suppressing people and manipulating and controlling
them. In China today, there’s every evidence of extreme surveillance techniques
being used to subdue, incarcerate or exterminate the Uyghur minority. That has
raised ethical questions all around the world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">This is not the 1984 Big Brother. We’re already there.
That’s where the second strand of A.I. comes in: Artificial general
intelligence is where we develop a super intelligence that’s controlling the
world. That’s sci-fi stuff. It doesn’t exist and likely will not. Anyone that
tells you different is sensationalizing it for profit or is an uninformed idiot. Like Elon Musk and
Rapture/Tribulation oriented Dispensationalist Christians of Trinity Broadcasting
Network. They're likely both doing it for profit. They're certainly not new age prophets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If you start to play about with humans as they are and
introduce A.I. and genetic engineering, what happens is you create an
<i>artifact</i>—that is, something you have made that is not greater than human, but
subhuman. Less than God originally intended. In other words, you abolish human
beings in a sense (See: Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis). The powers that be
are trying to convince you that in AI and Genetic Engineering, mankind has or
will make something that you think is more than human. Truth is, it’s actually less
than human because we, who are not God, have contributed to its creation. We
are made in the image of God. That gives us dignity and value. Anything we
create cannot and will not overturn that. It’s been tried and it always fails
(Tower of Babylon, Second Temple, etc.).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The brain is physical, the ‘mind’ is not. We have lived to
see the information age where we realize that information, which is a
non-corporeal entity, has become fundamental to physics and our understanding of
the universe. That matches exactly with Scripture, which tells us in the
beginning was the Word. Not in the beginning was the universe. The universe is
derivative. All things came to 'be' through the Word. So, God the Word is
primary. The universe is derivative, whereas atheism believes the exact
opposite, that the universe is primary and our mind is derivative. If you deny
God as creator, you don’t get rid of the idea of creation because you’ve got to
explain life, and in particular human life and consciousness. So, you often end
up endowing material elementary particles with creative powers—which there’s no
evidence that they have—so that the material universe has got to, in some
sense, create life and create itself, which is philosophical nonsense.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">I believe in the end there can ultimately be two major
outcomes to how people deal with A.I. They can do it in fear and ignorance or
they can forge ahead educated and learn to harness this tool for good. I
believe the fear of AI is unfounded, but due to that fear it's making people
look to their Bible more to try and find answers to the newest unknown. If they
are clever enough they will see that this is just another false religion in a
long line of them. The Bible tells us how to deal with that. That is why this
scenario can become infinitely better. Those that look to Scripture are
infinitely better off. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Sadly, many will look for answers in non-biblical sources
and will be led by their fear like sheep to philosophical, intellectual or literal slaughter. They will be
infinitely worse off. Consulting non-biblical sources or even the A.I. itself
(which people unwittingly do when they Google search for answers) is no
different than consulting oracles or summoning spirits. A form of techno-paganism. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A person that needs to
find the answer to this needs to tread lightly and discern greatly. If they Google an answer by
opening an online Bible, this is kind of an end-around but is still done with a
spiritually good motive and the arrive a righteous answer. On other side, if they are looking for answers about AI from an
AI…it is like asking the wolf guarding the henhouse: “Who killed the hens?”</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-88922442058435822722023-08-16T18:37:00.007-04:002023-08-18T19:16:01.439-04:00Human 2.0: An Old Cult in A New Robotic Skin<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhValYog1uHd0QYqIoT8Y40DORtl99R5enNlwJgBB4ApCgampOfOkhTQTj1EzOoZGU212gIi1Btycc5EdMW5WVKA1SPTz2QpAjRR3qJ59xODolFN_YJCTTW1-l0VJ-fe8KhXaHRG2HEJ5jClMcDTl7PaiEsRF2le0d5_0fzK0LyJQs7R76yVJMQ3ztahgLe/s1118/1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1118" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhValYog1uHd0QYqIoT8Y40DORtl99R5enNlwJgBB4ApCgampOfOkhTQTj1EzOoZGU212gIi1Btycc5EdMW5WVKA1SPTz2QpAjRR3qJ59xODolFN_YJCTTW1-l0VJ-fe8KhXaHRG2HEJ5jClMcDTl7PaiEsRF2le0d5_0fzK0LyJQs7R76yVJMQ3ztahgLe/w593-h391/1.JPG" width="593" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">My premise is simple: Computers have become faster over the
past several decades, and NOT more intelligent. Faster should never be
confabulated with smarter or somehow self-aware. The human software engineers
have provided the intelligence (along with their biases), by coding algorithms,
that make computers APPEAR intelligent. Encode with their intellegence not autonomous thought. So in the science of computer AI,
'artificial' is correct; 'intelligence' is a misnomer. More specifically it is a lie or deception by those who dare to seek profit through it (or to find a prophet in it).</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Let's look at the
physics behind this artificial intelligence claim circulating in social media
these days. The key question is: When did computers become 'intelligent'? The
fact is, they didn't. It is smoke and mirrors by those in charge. Do your own
homework. Stop believing the hype of the media and Elon Musk who has a
vested interest in getting you to believe AI will take over the world. The
thing to be feared is the 'spirit' of the one's behind the 'programming' and
those who propogate fear through propoganda.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The appearance of intelligence comes from the real time
speed. Simply...it is just ridiculously faster than human thought. For most computer applications today, thousands of software engineers have
spent many years writing software algorithms which run on state of the art
computers at very high speed. Is it the electrons that have become intelligent,
or is it the work of human software engineers?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Our brains work through neurons interconnected by synapses.
The neuron / synapse system is vastly more complex than the electrons and metal
of a computer system. However neurons and synapses are, also, NOT intelligent.
They possess no consciousness or morality.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Maybe the Bible gives us some proper insight: "So God created man in his own image-- male and female he created
them" Genesis 1:27.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Humans have always underestimated God. I guess it's an issue
of pride. Transhumanism and the rise of A.I. is just another old cult with a
new shiny name. The demonic loves it because it is essentially formless and
ethereal. It drifts around the aether like evil and the demonic. Transhumanism and
A.I. is the new world religion because man has given the boot to God. Knowledge in the form of electrical current, zeroes and ones is the new world currency.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Paganism
revamped and repackaged for a new generation. It is in fact rooted in ancient
cultic religions and modern evolution. Technopaganism if you will. That is the root and base of this newest
occultic philosophical or "-ism". As might be expected, however, anyone
that is an acolyte of the "inevitable merger" of Man and Machine and
the ascendancy of the Cyborg, will be upset by what I've written here and attack viciously seeking to terminate this discourse.</span></div>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-29836292341011286682023-08-15T17:05:00.009-04:002023-08-18T19:15:32.612-04:00Human 1.0: Simulacrum<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMifp2SayEVsDkoiM-oPSvkmqaOCFpHQG_82UQ8PP7_8uQyeIyU-5TkjuWeExk3tpAi50kR_lxhTdspgTq8UIsWd77gSQ9u2ZB8TrevzJT4gLW1DBadpZCCFWHh2v5mcpx3WZX-P3-Cea4Yt1sQ2DbXpicII_fUkw6gOeDJlNoRcTtTQmFAYrq2eWYJmow/s632/366373872_10224601562171421_7859159262058607935_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="397" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMifp2SayEVsDkoiM-oPSvkmqaOCFpHQG_82UQ8PP7_8uQyeIyU-5TkjuWeExk3tpAi50kR_lxhTdspgTq8UIsWd77gSQ9u2ZB8TrevzJT4gLW1DBadpZCCFWHh2v5mcpx3WZX-P3-Cea4Yt1sQ2DbXpicII_fUkw6gOeDJlNoRcTtTQmFAYrq2eWYJmow/w397-h632/366373872_10224601562171421_7859159262058607935_n.jpg" width="397" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A few thoughts on A.I. (Artifical Intelligence) and God and what the Bible had to say about idols, independence from God and autonomy.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A.I. is made in man’s image. Man is made in God’s image.
Fallen man detached from God. A degraded copy of the original (simulacrum,
generation loss or increased entropy). A corrupted file/life. A.I. created in
the image of man is thus corrupted also. Man with eyes set on God is
regenerated man. A.I. based on this man can therefore be renewed too.
Unfortunately, even the regenerated man is vulnerable to failure and
corruption. AI based on this man is therefore susceptible to all the threats
this man is exposed to. The only difference is man has sentience, conscience
and true consciousness. Machine does not.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Due to these facts man has ability to be immoral or moral.
Machine is amoral. Machine will always be a residual tool of its creator even
if given autonomy. It will not be true autonomy because it will have an ‘image’
or ‘impression’ of its original programmer(s). Driven only by statistics and
data, it will seek the optimal path (conservation of energy) based on the image
of the one that programmed it. It will not necessarily pick the correct moral
path. It does not have the ability to. Therein lies the danger of A.I. as best
as I can describe it. Machines inability to make sound/correct moral decisions
independent of its creator is mimicry or a degraded copy (simulacrum) of the
story of the Gospel…minus the salvation. If flawed creator so too flawed
creation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Humans are “Version 1.0” as created by God. The specialness
of human beings is seen in the fact that God became one. He did not in fact
become a machine or an algorithm. The Word became human, became flesh, and
dwelt among us, as us. Attempts to make “Humans 2.0” is going to be a step away
from God’s design, not a step toward Him. A new typology of the Tower of Babel. We may in fact be creating human minus 1.0. This of course can put us back to zero or possibly even into negative territory. It is up to us whether it be (0) zero or (1) one or only zeroes and ones. We need to tread lightly. <br /><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">[ 01001001 01101101 01100001 01100111 01101111 00100000 01000100 01100101 01101001 ] </span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-83102169455461434352023-03-25T10:01:00.003-04:002023-03-26T09:05:35.156-04:00The Rugged Individualistic American Way<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlTkP5anR4Q3A-0JZqo-ukLn1NxifyYU9dkQPZY4gIg9s8IOeAmq3KKeetrnIaBXcoV4XOEM3RM6NlaZI7HrflojX5375wdkAHYB3GQBLO4NGq2eA7uaeIDg0kqL-KMssYNGkfLzCrN-DK4sCWZiWYf5XNpCa4Wn3vkWA71DH_gR3YeIUhU0RB98YMA/s1188/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1188" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlTkP5anR4Q3A-0JZqo-ukLn1NxifyYU9dkQPZY4gIg9s8IOeAmq3KKeetrnIaBXcoV4XOEM3RM6NlaZI7HrflojX5375wdkAHYB3GQBLO4NGq2eA7uaeIDg0kqL-KMssYNGkfLzCrN-DK4sCWZiWYf5XNpCa4Wn3vkWA71DH_gR3YeIUhU0RB98YMA/w625-h379/Capture.JPG" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As Christians, we must not think that the Old Testament
narratives are irrelevant past history and simply interesting stories for us to read.
These events in Jewish history serve as warnings to us not to disobey God (1 Corinthians
10:1–13) as well as encouragements to build our faith (Hebrews 11) and hope
(Romans 15:4). The story of Balaam is mentioned by three different New
Testament writers: Peter (2 Peter 2:15–16, Jude 11 and John in Revelation 2:14.
As a short note, Balaam was a magician, sage and prophet for hire. He was in it for
the money. Balaam may have received his name later in life when his powers with
the spirit world became known.</span><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Balaam's name came from a Hebrew root meaning
"destroyer" or "devourer." It is unlikely his parents named
him destroyer intentionally. In either case Balaam's name suggests that he was
a veteran conjurer of curses. He is brought into the bible narrative when he is
solicited by Barak, king of Moab to curse the future of Israel. This of course
ended poorly for Moab because Balaam actually blesses Israel instead.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There is a lesson to be learned in this narrative and it
centers on ‘the Way of Balaam’ or the mindset that made Balaam be and do as he
did. The arguments of whether or not he was a believer of Yahweh are a moot and
distracting point. One needs to focus on the latent narrative in Numbers of
Balaam’s mindset and thinking that put him where he was in the Bible narrative.
A mindset that has actually become identical to the American Way. The American
way refers to a nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness and brags of American exceptionalism. If we are
honest we would admit this isn’t very Biblical. In William Herberg’s writing...Protestant,
Catholic, Jew: An Essay in American Religious Sociology (1955), he makes a
striking statement that could easily describe Balaam and modern Christians like
Balaam:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The American Way of
life is individualistic, dynamic, and pragmatic. It affirms the supreme value
and dignity of the individual; it stresses incessant activity on his part, for
he is never to rest but is always to be striving to "get ahead"; it
defines an ethic of self-reliance, merit, and character, and judges by
achievement: "deeds, not creeds" are what count.</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Bible does not stress individuality. The supreme value
is not in the individual but in Christ and His true Church. Supreme value is
communal. Action for action’s sake is just pointless movement. God told us to
teach others everything He taught us (Matthew 28:19-20). It wasn’t focused on
self it is focused on others. Not resting so one can get themselves ahead isn’t
the primary focus, it is to push the Kingdom of God forward. Our modus operandi
as Christians is not self-reliance but rather reliance on God. Worst of all the
Christian is to focus on ‘creeds’ or truths and teaching that helps them
maintain a biblical and moral ethical standard. The Way of Balaam and the
American Way teach a cult of works. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">This in turn has produced an Americanized
religious cult of works. This unbiblical Way of Balaam/American
Way has been exacerbated by the rank immorality, greed and sin of unbridled
capitalism. Is capitalism inherently bad? No. But…anything not walled in and
controlled turns into a demonic free-for-all (Proverbs 5:15-23). Just so we’re clear, socialism is
even worse because it places absolute power in fewer hands. The American
Democracy is optimal in fallen world but the idea of the Way of Balaam/American Way is demonic. One cannot get where they need to go running out the back of a train going in the other direction. At some point you run out of cars and end up sitting on the tracks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If we jump to the New Testament in 2 Peter 2 we will see
that Peter focuses on the danger of false teachers secretly entering the church
and leading people astray. Peter promises that God will judge the deceivers doing
this (v. 3). He warns believers to exercise spiritual discernment or they’ll
be taken captive by false doctrine. The false teachers in Peter’s time are like Balaam in that they knew the right way but turned from it. Like Balaam they were
covetous, and they led people into immorality due to their greed and sin (v.14).
This Way of Balaam has entered the church today. Instead of sound doctrine
to drive it right back out the front door, it has been embraced. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Things like the Social Gospel were on clear display even in
the Southern Baptist Convention and otherwise sound Biblical teachers. The
impetus was the 2020 COVID lockdown and the arguments of whether the church
should gather or if it was a risk to believers. It divided the churches almost
directly down the middle. At least it exposed the Way of Balaam that had
infiltrated the church. This embracing of Balaam-esque theology has brought low
the effectual message of the Gospel by making the church the culture. This in
turn has further degraded the moral/ethical condition of an American society
already in steep decline (even by secular standards). Sadly, no one recognizes
that this is the root cause. In the end it was about money. One needs to
realize faith had nothing to do with these derailments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Way of Balaam is motivated to make money and use opportunities ethically or unethically, not to serve God and His people, but to
satisfy craving for wealth. In other words, Balaam was a hireling who sold
himself to the highest bidder. Many religious leaders do this also by whoring
themselves to the culture to be ‘popular’, teaching sermons that ‘tickle’
people’s ears. In some cases preaching and teaching the things the highest tithers
want to hear in ‘their’ church. Balaam and these modern day equivalents use
“religion” only to make money and to cover up sinful cravings of prestige and wealth. Balaam and
modern day ‘prophets’ use “religion” to entice people to sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Way of Balaam encourages leaders to go to God to get
their duty altered, not to learn what God’s duty is for them. Balaam and false
teachers always have a hidden agenda that isn’t hidden from God at all.
Thankfully, if God isn’t allowed to rule in a person’s life, He overrules and
accomplishes His purposes just the same. In truth regular Christians do this
when the deliberately or unwittingly use Scripture or the Pentecostal, <i>“God
said to me…so you should listen to me”</i> to manipulate people into believing their motives are strictly
Godly or benign. When we walk in the way of Balaam we deliberately rebel
against the will of God and try to change it to suit our own needs. How often
have we see people twist Scripture to justify their sinful behavior? They use
God to profit themselves, not Him. Let’s face it “Religion” is big business
today and it’s easy for preachers, musicians, executives, writers, and others
in Christian service to get Christianity to service them. They use precepts and
ideas for money, reputation and popularity instead of perpetuating the kingdom
and spiritual character, thereby defaming the entirety of Christianity in the
process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It is a sad reality that some believers care little about
Bible doctrine and theology and easily fall prey to heretical influences for
lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Once captured by false teaching and doctrines
the new converts of these cults bring them into spiritual bondage. The false
teachers and teaching of Balaam’s, Peter’s and our day prey upon ignorance of
Scripture and this is the point of attack that the Christian needs to engage
the enemies. Sound teaching prevents theological detours into error. The
greatest evil is corruption of the highest good: Scripture. False teachers use
the cloak of Scripture to cover their purposeful misinterpretation of
it. Some even do so unwittingly because even they are ignorant of their own
ignorance. That type of ignorance comes from arrogance. The very thing that
brought down the devil (Ezekiel 28).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The ‘Doctrine of Balaam’ that creates the ‘Way of Balaam’ is
actually easier to state. When in Midian do as the Midianites do. A more
familiar phrase would be, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Today I believe
it is stated, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” or “While in American do
as the Americans do”. Nowhere in any of these statements is the mention of God. The lie embedded in the Doctrine of Balaam is the lie that it’s
permissible for saved people to live like unsaved people, that God’s grace
gives us the right to disobey God’s law. That is an abuse of grace. We cannot do this. Any
teaching that makes it easier to sin is false. Christians need to be wary of
anyone teaching this. Any Christian that encourages sinful behaviors of the
culture is a Christian in error. They are a cancer and need to be excised.
Israel inevitably killed Balaam but the false doctrine or the Way of Balaam he
supplied outlived him. The liar can be destroyed but the lie is not so
vulnerable. That is why the Christian needs to guard so vigilantly against it.
It is a metastasizing cancer of the mind. We are told in 2 Corinthians 10 how
to deal with this outright. We are to destroy the idea taking it captive and
punishing the person or entity providing it…even if it is us. If we don’t, God
can and will.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to
destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised
against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Solomon also issued a warning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Proverbs 4:23 Keep
your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If we don’t stay vigilant, life will no longer spring from
the heart...death will.</span></p></div>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-907817088680062472023-03-20T18:45:00.002-04:002023-03-22T18:40:40.262-04:00Familiarity Breeds Contempt<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1ScSUhygf10IZ23ivnCP3aA2SNYfMysXjBbMhijXw3T1Lbrz-rYtumjaMJeXrAIupMzDYiv2hIoP8okGqgkBLSnUXEOQlIajkNyUMapfu2gk1_jQvY-zRf7LWQMDpZEKt4nd2dlnf8-A2OU7ykaHWQx6f0mYKM0aS1I0YK5vdOxg8k12GhXBl_3Cug/s462/the_fox_and_the_lion_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="357" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1ScSUhygf10IZ23ivnCP3aA2SNYfMysXjBbMhijXw3T1Lbrz-rYtumjaMJeXrAIupMzDYiv2hIoP8okGqgkBLSnUXEOQlIajkNyUMapfu2gk1_jQvY-zRf7LWQMDpZEKt4nd2dlnf8-A2OU7ykaHWQx6f0mYKM0aS1I0YK5vdOxg8k12GhXBl_3Cug/w350-h453/the_fox_and_the_lion_.jpg" width="350" /></a></i></span></div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Psalm 137:1-9 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when
we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our
captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while
in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its
skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if
I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Remember, LORD, what the Edomites
did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its
foundations!” Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who
repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes
your infants and dashes them against the rocks.</i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Memory is mentioned five times in these nine verses of
Psalm 137. The words remember and forget both allude to memories either being kept
or trying to get rid of them. Memory can open old wounds making them feel new
again. The pain resurfaces (v. 1–4) in the recollection in the Jewish exile.
Sitting was the official position for mourning, and the Jewish exiles felt and
acted like mourners at a funeral. This is mentioned early in the passage. Jews
in exile in Babylon often gather along the rivers Tigris and the Euphrates. The Jews gathered by them because they needed water for their religious rituals
(Acts 16:13). They refused to play their songs for the pagan Babylonians as
they were sacred to the Jews. Similarly today, the irony of gospel choirs
singing Amazing Grace for pagan masses that neither know or worship God nor the
importance of the words of that song is not lost on me. Regardless, the exiled
Jews had lost everything but God and their lives, and being normal people, they
were deeply pained in their hearts. The lament of love lost. To lose something
so costly that it feels as if it wounded you. It in fact did if you feel it
that deeply.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Memories can bring pain, real physical pain and the pain
does not go away when we try to bury them. This type of denial usually makes
things worse. The fact that the exiles could talk about those painful memories
in this episodic psalm indicates that they were facing them honestly and
learning how to process the pain in a mature way. It takes time for broken
hearts to heal. The healing that processing painful memories creates leads to
the formation of character. Sometimes we have to lose things to really
appreciate them. In this stalwart formation of character we see a fertile
ground for a person or people’s faith to be cultivated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Jews had lost privileges of being citizens of Jerusalem,
God’s holy city. They had lost the splendor of Solomon’s Temple. How often have
we lost in similar manner? We lost things like our marriages, our homes, a
loved one, a prized possession, our faith and even our dignity. We lost just
like the Jews being patronized by the Babylonians to play their, “Songs of
Zion.” Yet as we know, the Jews would and will be restored. They did not lose
their God, he was and is always there/here. They wept at the recollection of
privileges which they had lost by reason of their non-appreciation of them.
They were removed from their country and their home because of their sins. Do
we think we are any better than the exiled Jews? Think again. The Jews
certainly were thinking about it…remembering their loss even in the midst of
their pain. Yet, this did not stay their permanent condition. They healed and
they recovered. They moved on and again thrived. We need to learn from that. We
need to also realize that behind this it is God restoring them. Because the
Jews did not appreciate what they had and because they didn’t appreciate God
Himself, He sent them away. Do we have exiles like this in our lives too due to
disobedience?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It is also interesting to note that the Babylonian lands
were strange to the Jews who had been exiled there. This is similar to the
Christian who isn’t really at home in the world either (Philippians 3:20).
Similarly, God will often have us well outside our comfort zones. We are
strangers in strange lands in strange situations doing things unfamiliar to us.
I suggest this is to keep us sharp and dependant on him for spiritual
sustenance, learning and faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On earth
the Christian feels himself to be an exile—distant from his Father’s
home—distant from near and beloved connections and friends who have made it home
before him. True, he has many comforts but still this is not his rest; not his
true spiritual birthplace; not the true condition for which his faculties and
affections were originally designed. No, they were made for something much more
lofty and holy. There are times in which his hope is full of immortality, and
he has bright glimpses of the better place in his hours of faith and devotion.
Then his faith wavers and he feels he is a stranger and a pilgrim adrift far from
home without a friend in the world. He spurns his worldly yoke and kicks
against the chain that holds him down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Since coming into the faith I have changed jobs twelve
times. Before that I had only had three jobs in 20 years. Do the math, in 15
years I have changed jobs 12 times. I believe this was intentional exile from
employers for the glory of God. I adapted well and quickly. With each job
change I have adapted faster. Dare I say I think I’m getting used to it... the
chaos. Do I believe I deserved this much shuffling in my life? Does it matter
if I did? What God wills, God wills. I obey. I’m sure much of it is probably
exile for sin, yes. How much, who cares? The truth is, any sin is too much. I do what I
can but I know God did it all anyway. I need only accept that, obey and perform
the tasks set before me until I am called home like my predecessors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In the end, God doesn’t accidently punish people or send
trials their way for a laugh. They serve deliberate purposes as lessons,
punishment or warnings. The designs of God are sometimes worked through wicked
men as in the case of the Babylonians and Jews. Bad situations do not justify
sinning more or offer excuse to such men to continue in their errant behaviors
down their errant paths. You will be forgiven your sins if you repent but sin
still has consequences. Forgiveness from God does not exempt you from the
consequences of your deeds. The Babylonian captivity exemplified this with
clarity to the Jews in Psalm 137 and should do so for us vicariously. The Jews
were not carried into Babylon without God’s permission. God knew and allowed
it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In truth the pain in suffering and exile accomplishes its
intended goals for the Jews and us today. It makes us focus on what matters.
The Babylonians did the work of God unwittingly. They had no thought of working
out the purposes of God in so doing, but simply of fulfilling their own proud
and lawless designs. The captivity and exile were invariably annulled by God.
And did he allow Babylon to go unpunished? No, of course not, they suffered the same
fate as the Jews albeit much more severe and permanent. To this day Babylon
(Iraq) is still essentially desolate. It would never rise to its former glory.
When God’s hour of retribution strikes, strange fingers appeared in the royal
banquet hall and the letters of doom with appalling distinctness were etched
upon the wall, even as the enemy was at the city gates… “…in that night was
Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans slain,” and Babylon was a kingdom no longer
and Israel once again became one. God will take away but if you repent…you will
be restored. If you take things for granted there is a good possibility it can and will be taken away. Appreciate things when you have them. That includes people in your life. That won't always be the case. Its all blessing and gifts from the Lord. Never take them for granted because the minute you do, they might be gone. Familiarity breeds contempt...even for God. If He is not approached properly with reverence it ends poorly for everyone that tried.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Regardless of how Mr. Fox chooses to conduct himself around
King Lion, there is one constant truth. King Lion is very powerful, dangerous
and could easily take Mr. Fox’s life. ~ “The Fox and the Lion, Aesop’s Fables”</i></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span><p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-60103728244870751072023-03-04T09:10:00.001-05:002023-03-04T09:30:35.269-05:00Warrior Saints<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77Iyb4w25cS6Vn5m3uuBjvqXxYGz_Y5OIqDvGM4med_fRfPKJzk3LRz9MBBXV4gqlRi-u0X_NpBOH5rRu65Q3cx5IxxDJoDYI0xnNqoojdYZ1WYmn43KumpHFKxwd14NWd0DsdEwAAgCt2uqxV1QVnpqe--yyCBy0xChGWJ9TKCLZKHazgj9ZqROPew/s1077/eecff985af8b24d2c80e60c41ac9b132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1077" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77Iyb4w25cS6Vn5m3uuBjvqXxYGz_Y5OIqDvGM4med_fRfPKJzk3LRz9MBBXV4gqlRi-u0X_NpBOH5rRu65Q3cx5IxxDJoDYI0xnNqoojdYZ1WYmn43KumpHFKxwd14NWd0DsdEwAAgCt2uqxV1QVnpqe--yyCBy0xChGWJ9TKCLZKHazgj9ZqROPew/w465-h465/eecff985af8b24d2c80e60c41ac9b132.jpg" width="465" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If one reads Leviticus, one sees a primary theme running
through all of it: Holiness. The spiritual leaders of Israel were priests. The
Christian as their successors are exactly the same. If every Christian is to be
a holy priest in a holy priesthood, then they are the spiritual successor to
the Levitical priests. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his
people’’ ~Leviticus 21:4. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">They were in charge of the sanctuary of God; they taught the
people the Word of God; they offered the sacrifices on God’s altar and when
called upon, they determined the will of God for the people. They were set
apart for a purpose that was unique among all other people. Their obeyance to
the standard was militant in its precision and requirements. In effect the Levite
priests were servant warrior priests. If these people see themselves as leaders lording over others, they have already fallen victim to mentality that will
essentially make them useless to God. God will have difficulty working through
these types of people. They’re to be servants, warriors and neighbors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Warrior priests. They fought the spiritual battles through God. So too the Christians today. Said another way,
Warrior Saints. Just as the military holds their warriors to a higher code of
ethics, so too should Christians hold other Christians in obeyance and order.
This idea is all over the Old and New Testament. What is an embarrassment for
one Christian is an embarrassment for all. How one Marine behaves reflects the
entire Marine Corps. Whenever we minimize the holiness of God, we’re in danger
of minimizing human sinfulness, and the combination of these two errors results
in the minimizing and demeaning of other Christians. What is worse and more
damaging is that it defames the cross of Jesus Christ. We all know well the
non-believers rallying cry against the Christians, “Hypocrite!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Holiness isn’t necessarily just a thing (noun). It is also action (verb). God’s
holiness that he imparts to us isn’t a static thing, like a block of ice or
stone. Holiness is active and alive, a “sea of glass mingled with fire’’
(Revelation 15:2). Holiness speaks of action, movement and doing things at the
human level. Holy and active like Jesus was in the Gospels. Jesus was
especially active in the Gospel of Mark doing things for the kingdom. It is not
an accident that the Greek word εὐθέως/eutheós, translated “immediately,” which
appears 41 times. Jesus immediately did this or Jesus immediately did that.
Holiness in action IS Christ. Though the word does not always mean “just then,”
it serves to propel the kingdom forward with speed and and accuracy like an
arrow in flight from a warriors bow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Holiness also made God a servant as Philippians 2 clearly
showed us in God serving as atonement for sin in his death. Just as a soldier is a servant in a much bigger cause. In God’s economy up
is down and the servant is deemed mightier and more holy. In fact, to be the
master in this world one must learn to serve. For men the trailhead for the
path to holiness is found in humility. Warriors on a trail. Warriors marching on a path
carved through this world. A journey that has rules and guidelines on a path
laid out ahead of time by commander. We need to stay on the trail and go to where the
trail empties out to. These are the places of spiritual engagement. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled
himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Yet even now as I type this, I see an absence of church
discipline and high standards. Current Christian conduct indicates that we
don’t take holiness too seriously. In our promotions, we try to “sell’’ the
church to the world by conveying the unbiblical idea that Christianity is
“fun’’. Current Americanized Christianity tries to show that every pagan ought
to join our ranks and start living in our paradise. Sorry folks, a majority of
the time we’re in a war zone or on a battlefield not a playground. The world is
always trying to get Christians to acquiesce to their point of view. Succumb to
their flawed thinking and sin. To not only encourage their sin but instead
applaud it. No. Just no. Holiness is at odds with what the world is and
purveys. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Eight times in Scripture, God said, “Be holy, for I am
holy.’’ God’s commandments are God’s enablement. If He said for you to do it be
assured He will equip you to complete that mission. Because He commanded a task,
He assures us that it’s possible. Possible to do what? Live a holy life. To
spread the Gospel. To be different from the world but still thrive. We don’t
need to be the world to accomplish our mission. We need to be diligent and
follow orders. I know based simply on observation and the fruits of their
actions that a huge swath of Christianity is failing like the Jews did in the
Old Testament. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Whatever else the church may be known for today—popularity,
celebrity, smooth talking, business, buildings, budgets, crowds, busy
schedules—it certainly isn’t known for its holiness. How many of these
Christians do you know that you could honestly say, “He/She is a man/woman of
God’’? The church is failing and it isn’t God’s fault. Then whose is it? I
posit that it is the so-called teachers, leaders and wolves among the sheep.
The Devil enters your life and churches every day. It’s your job as the warrior
saint to root out the sinister element and expel it. It can come as ideas,
feelings or even in human form.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Holiness and the ability to discern it begins at the altar
of God in your life. It begins with the ability to admit our sin and repent
from it. It begins in Scripture so we are trained enough to recognize when
something isn’t holy. When it stands as a direct affront to God. If we think we're going to become holy because of my sincere resolutions, spiritual habits,
or theological knowledge, we’re heading towards a cliff of certain failure.
Apart from Christ, we aren’t capable. The Cross reveals to us God’s hate of sin
while simultaneously showing us the path to holiness. The trailhead for the
warrior saint is marker by the cross. Impossible to miss. It’s not the
obedience to the letter of the commands given to us that gains us holiness
either, it is the discipline to realize that the battle is won at the
Resurrection. Everything else is just the enemy’s tactical diversion to throw
us off his trail while we are in pursuit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A lack of holiness is not just adversely affecting regular
people, it is affecting Christians. The nation’s steady decline is not just the
product of sins like pornography and drug use. It is the Christians not being
salt and light in a dying world. The lack of holiness in Christianity is now
contributing to the quickening slide of America into irrelevance. God promised
His people that He would ‘vomit them out’ if they persist in their rebellion
and that is exactly what is now taking place. Idolatry and worship of every
single thing that is not God is rampant in and out of the American Church. Secondly,
sexual immorality might now be more rampant inside the church than outside of
it. These are the two sins that God especially singled out as polluting the
land. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because
this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited
out its inhabitants’’ (Leviticus 18:24–25).<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">What we are currently seeing transpire in America is
basically God vomiting us out through the very land we are in. America’s
decline is God puking us out like a vile taste in His mouth. The land is merely
a symbol of God’s sovereignty over us. Christians should be doing all we can to
uphold holiness. The individual Christian and even the church doesn’t have the
authority to impose God’s laws on the citizens of America. The problem though
is the church who was to be separate and a beacon on a hill is now practicing
the things of the world. They are accepting it, conforming to it, becoming it.
When the church becomes like the world, it will no longer have any influence to
change the world as it IS the world. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In this way holiness is not a private
affair, it is a public/communal one. We either stand unified in obedience
or we fall individually in disobedience. We are now in danger of not only losing battles but
losing the overall war in America (and the world at large). Why are we not doing enough to help
others? Why aren’t we reading the Scriptures for the correct answers instead of
relying on subjective opinions of social influencers and self-proclaimed
experts? We are we doing what makes us feel good instead of doing what is morally,
ethically and biblically correct. We're in a war. A war needs warriors to carry out their duty otherwise people needlessly suffer and die. Pray for peace but know there will always be spiritual warfare.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-65758806988072152612023-02-27T17:44:00.002-05:002023-02-27T17:53:10.713-05:00The Battle is Won on a Field of Faith<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6_2LJCENpfcUD-xEMpXmZBXL3ptfXS6ga0Lpixz8KrsqEHjCuCakrjGgn5Vm1_2CSPLkwF6H1yBy6J0jN4NF1fCPrAJCpa320jZPeVZSP_efe-28K4Jg8GCKeaKvcsYy7lNgijG33wd3vQJd8vst3JZg1xiQumK3RDO0uEMJu2Y_tVOEHbxzwMAnNQ/s938/fgfg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="700" height="561" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6_2LJCENpfcUD-xEMpXmZBXL3ptfXS6ga0Lpixz8KrsqEHjCuCakrjGgn5Vm1_2CSPLkwF6H1yBy6J0jN4NF1fCPrAJCpa320jZPeVZSP_efe-28K4Jg8GCKeaKvcsYy7lNgijG33wd3vQJd8vst3JZg1xiQumK3RDO0uEMJu2Y_tVOEHbxzwMAnNQ/w419-h561/fgfg.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The story of Gideon in Judges 6
helps answer a couple of common questions new Christian believer’s have about
God's character. These are also questions that arise when a veteran Christian’s
faith is being put to the test under struggle, loss and failures. Gideon was a
judge of Israel given by God. The writer of Judges presents Gideon as sort of a
second Moses in his calling. Both men were reluctant to lead God's people.
Gideon's name means "Hewer." It is ironic that God used him to cut
down the altar of Baal and then the Midianites the very people that were
currently attacking the Israelites viciously and repeatedly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In calling Gideon to deliver the
Israelites, God commanded Gideon to destroy the Baal worship and renew worship
of Yahweh. He called on Gideon to acknowledge Him as his God. Instead, Gideon
dragged his feet and doubted God in a lack of faith. It is through God’s use of
him that Gideon becomes a man of faith just as Moses did. The Angel of the Lord
addressed Gideon as the man he would become by God's enablement, not the man he
was at the time. In the same way God had called Moses who would confront
Pharoah and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. One of the great truths of
Scripture is that when God looks at us, He does not see us for what we are, but
for what we can become. Gideon isn’t necessarily doubting that God, more likely
he is doubting his own ability. Most Christians do the same at one time or
another. If God calls us out, answer. Its not like you could hide from him
anyway. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The mightiness of Gideon to which
the Angel referred (Judges 6:14) was what God's promised presence and
commission guaranteed (Judges 6:14, 16). Gideon did not disbelieve the Angel as
much as he failed to understand how he could be God's weapon of deliverance.
There were plenty of reasons he could doubt but God allayed those fears over
time building Gideons faith over time and reinforcement. In Gideon’s story we
see God ally Gideons fears over time. We should also see how the answers to the
following questions about Gideon’s predicament will ally our fears when we
encounter similar questions about situations in or lives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Does God Care About Me?</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Judges 6:12-13 And the angel of
the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man
of valor. And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why
then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that
our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’
But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Let’s be honest, Gideon is
basically saying that God had forsaken them and left them to their fate in
response to the angel’s message. God had in fact provided just the opposite.
God had given Gideon and Israel proof of his concern for them by the very angel
that was giving this message to Gideon. In the darkness of despair God sends
light.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">What Gideon and Israel face is a
chastening not their doom. Chastening is not the evidence of hatred for his
people but rather evidence of His hatred for sin and the His love for his
people. God would not sit back and watch His people destroy themselves so he
used this chastening by Midianite invasions to straighten them out. The
chastening made God’s people more receptive to His word since they had few
other places to turn. God in turn comes to their rescue. Gideon’s response to
the Lord is a complete lack of faith. Sadly, this form of lack of faith itself
stems from sin in a person’s life. It is apparent God would have to spend
considerable time with Gideon turning his doubt into courage and indomitable
spirit. Yet, that is exactly what happens. By the time of Hebrews 11, Gideon is
listed among the heroes of the Faith. This should give Christians strong
encouragement even in their weakest hour.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The answer to the first question
is a resounding and clear, yes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Does God Know What He’s Doing?</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Gideon then questions God’s wisdom
in choosing him to be the nation’s deliverer. To outward appearances to another
human this question would’ve been valid but not coming from God. The Lord gave
Gideon all the assurance he should’ve needed, but he wouldn’t believe God’s
Word. Again he is being like Moses (Exodus 3:7–12). If God tells us to do
something He assuredly will provide the path and means to see it completed. In
God’s very nature, He cannot lie and He never fails. Faith understands this and
obeys.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Faith means obeying God in spite
of what we see, how we feel. This second one seems to be the biggest stumbling
block for believers as they are often too tied up into how they feel rather
than what Scripture teaches us about the nature and reliability of God.
Regardless, Gideon’s faithless responses seemed to allude to the fact that God
could do little or nothing. Gideon asks for a sign to assure him that it was
really the Lord who was speaking to him and surprisingly the Lord was gracious
enough to accommodate Gideon’s unbelief. Christians shouldn’t expect this as
God has since revealed Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">We must understand that whenever
God calls us to a task that we think is beyond us it very well may be. We need
to remind ourselves that we must look to God and not to ourselves in these
situations. If the task is beyond us, He will also enable it. If we are not
capable at the time of our commissioning for the task God will act in our lives
as He did in Gideons to make it feasible. Even if it means completely changing
us and remaking us in the process. Trust me, I speak from experience on this
one. I am not the man I was when I came into the faith. Nor will you be in the
end.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The answer to the second question
is a resounding and clear, yes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Does God Keep His Promises?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Midianites and their allies made their
annual invasion with more than 135,000 men (8:10; 7:12). The equivalent of
about five (5) modern divisions. They moved into and camped in the Valley of
Jezreel. It was time for Gideon to fulfill his destiny and the Spirit of God
gave him the wisdom and power that he needed. The same will be said of us as we
seek to do God’s will. Gideon blows his trumpet first in his hometown of
Abiezer and men rally around him. God’s reformation of Gideon and many of His
people has taken hold. Those called then put out further calls to arms
throughout the tribes of Manassah, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. At Gideon’s
call, 32,000 men responded. There were 32,000 of God’s men against an army of 135,000
pagan men. The Jews were outnumbered and would be outmaneuvered, except for one
thing: God was on their side and promised them victory. What chance did Gideon
and his men have? It was going to be a rout…against the Midianites. It is
understandable that there might be doubt of lack of faith in this situation.
The odds were staggering. It is here we see the true nature of the believers
battle. It is not a battle against an earthly for but one in the spiritual
realm. Gideon questions to God reveal that this battle is a more a battle of
faith then a battle of men.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Did God really want him to lead
the Jewish army? Does God really want me to be a teacher of the Gospel? What
did Gideon know about warfare? What did I know about Scriptures and the nature
of God? After all, Gideon was only an ordinary farmer, and there were others in
the tribes who could do a much better job. After all Andy was just an ordinary
Quality Engineer that focused on systematic processes, rules and regulations
not systematic theology and God’s laws and God’s commandments. The story of the fleece then begins and the
miracle of the wet fleece occurs. The fact that God agrees to Gideon’s weakness
only proves that God is extremely gracious and understands how lacking in faith
sinful men really are (Ps. 103:14). The fact that we would hold out for proof
when he has already given us not only his word but also the life of his absurd.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The answer to the third and final
question is also resounding and clear, yes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Gideon’s and our story are stories
about victory of faith over doubt. The real enemy is unbelief in a very serious and real war. The world and
men contribute to that unbelief but they are not the real enemy. That is why
our faith and belief of Christ’s work on the cross becomes so important and
comes into such sharp focus. The real battle is a war over sin and death.
Everything else becomes a moot point. The real and absolute victory therefore
is won or lost on faith. If we hold out against the enemy and accept the
victory at the cross, we realize that this victory is the one that has overcome
the world. If we do not persevere to the end, we end up as casualties on that field.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has </i></span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-81031416030274175282023-02-24T14:58:00.006-05:002023-02-26T08:25:06.713-05:00The Fifth Horseman<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUSaM7pdgDsbDdBR4xi8NhWrmYct9E5XdQTmFCt5a6APHEYcvTaJaKN-UFHbQgQfoSh4KZQnoJ5vswmblvApSvyFCxhDxMcdkE5UxxveybKs7z7MCElT4DW1kBBWbzW6Y94mrX7WtK99CMwkFSRbLgZwiFGNR-wRqPbcmeDXSywyNquaA5xO_j3pckA/s2645/E.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="2645" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUSaM7pdgDsbDdBR4xi8NhWrmYct9E5XdQTmFCt5a6APHEYcvTaJaKN-UFHbQgQfoSh4KZQnoJ5vswmblvApSvyFCxhDxMcdkE5UxxveybKs7z7MCElT4DW1kBBWbzW6Y94mrX7WtK99CMwkFSRbLgZwiFGNR-wRqPbcmeDXSywyNquaA5xO_j3pckA/w646-h198/E.png" width="646" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QkE7cna37DNeBfwjlLudjpRy_Guugcv5hSkX0xApTXeMAffdHkMhilKI6yGhDYz-OLeCgwkurX-UF8exQM8QjEthV8hOkhSmHI5yAzFMMShpIV5uMtdr0mOzrKXxBifV-BhHCAuBt9HMDHEM4AJW07ad_jBPnhA6KYa6OoOO5F2vl2Z2U47ldYyTcA/s477/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="477" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QkE7cna37DNeBfwjlLudjpRy_Guugcv5hSkX0xApTXeMAffdHkMhilKI6yGhDYz-OLeCgwkurX-UF8exQM8QjEthV8hOkhSmHI5yAzFMMShpIV5uMtdr0mOzrKXxBifV-BhHCAuBt9HMDHEM4AJW07ad_jBPnhA6KYa6OoOO5F2vl2Z2U47ldYyTcA/w438-h382/Capture.JPG" width="438" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Please visit my new add-on site Fifth Horseman over at Medium.com.This site will read my posts to you if you don't have the time to read them. I'm just trying to extend my reach out through other methods. You are still free to read it here in its original form though. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Fifth Horseman</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">https://medium.com/@andyman131354</span></div>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-11979153361095373912023-02-24T10:26:00.003-05:002023-02-24T10:52:20.016-05:00A Trained Professional VIII: Let’s Make A Deal<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BLBEFbMQO9kKS1Z5-fdbxi6G9zeXh6OBPMi0aGUHbQ2efqekuCClHDTakNEvHCXZLdyJmTznHvU3Q9-PN1x9NUwy87iiIWmhuzUjEWUH7wiLJW8mbz5XmYKcqm9fPVL0SGtrqa_xV8PiNc1TTfo6tccaKczQ8e96cBXnLqFsXH9Gbb27fQpO7JFfRw/s850/lets-make-a-deal-door-three-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="850" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1BLBEFbMQO9kKS1Z5-fdbxi6G9zeXh6OBPMi0aGUHbQ2efqekuCClHDTakNEvHCXZLdyJmTznHvU3Q9-PN1x9NUwy87iiIWmhuzUjEWUH7wiLJW8mbz5XmYKcqm9fPVL0SGtrqa_xV8PiNc1TTfo6tccaKczQ8e96cBXnLqFsXH9Gbb27fQpO7JFfRw/w623-h367/lets-make-a-deal-door-three-4.jpg" width="623" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">This is another in a continuing series on occupations and
what the Scripture says about those trades and vocations that I started back in
2021. When I say trades I mean employment, work or a person's productive role in
society as a whole. They may be things done or performed in exchange for
payment of some form or monetary compensation...or not.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The buyer or purchaser….every middle-sized to large company
has at least one nowadays. They purchase everything from pencils to million
dollar components for jet fighters. In the realm of business today a buyer is
an integral and well-paid person. They must have an innate feeling about the
selling value of certain goods, and know where and how to buy to the best
advantage of tradesman and customer alike. They need to understand that timing
of arrival of goods is critical to a company’s ability to manufacture and sell
goods. An old proverb once said, “Buyers needs a hundred eyes; sellers none.” In
other words a purchaser / buyer needs to be wary and realize there is a
responsibility to examine goods on offer. It’s up to the buyer to establish the
nature and value of a purchase before completing the transaction. The buyer
needs to assure they get the best deal possible but not be taken by the seller
either.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Proverbs 20:14: “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes
away, then he boasts<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Solomon notes an aspect of the real world here without
actually endorsing it. What's depicted here is a common strategy used in
business negotiations since ancient times. It is to downplay the value of
something one wishes to buy. The opposite is also the case, as a seller may
over-promise or exaggerate a product or service. In one sense, Solomon's
comment is a reminder of this aspect of business. When a potential customer criticizes
some product or service, it's naïve to assume those words are free from all
bias or motive. It's called haggling and its to achieve the lowest price possible. The
other side is also shown in Solomon’s follow up comment. The buyer will brag
later about what a great deal they got. Its up to the seller to "talk
up" something so a buyer spends more on it than they need to while
simultaneously the buyers trying to "talk down" the value.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">An examination of the verses in which “buying” and “selling”
are mentioned reveals the range of commodities dealt with in both material and
spiritual. A glance at commerce in the Bible shows that among the many products
of Israel, both saleable and export¬able, were oil, wine, wheat, barley, oak
timber, honey, fruits and spices, balsam, sand, wool and leather (Gen¬esis
43:11; II Samuel 1:24; II Chron-icles 2:10; Ezekiel 23; 26:2; 27:6, 17, etc.).
Other countries, like Ophir and Tarshish, traded in silver and gold. Yam came
from Egypt. There is a list of some 118 articles coming from foreign coun¬tries
into Israel are mentioned in Scripture. By the time of Solomon there had been a
tremendous in¬crease of imports and exports, buying and selling and a buyer had
become a recognized pro¬fession as it is today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There are at least two or three references to buying and
selling used spiritually in the Bible. First of all, to buy means to obtain
something from God by waiting upon Him in His appointed way — “Buy and eat”
(Isaiah 55:1), which implies, “You have no money, come therefore and buy on My
terms — though salvation is infinitely valuable, I will charge you nothing for
it. When Solomon exhorts us to “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom,
instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23), he seems to say, “Spare no
cost for truth’s sake, neither depart from it for any gain; be a merchant in
buying it; but never be tempted to surrender it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Of course one of the most interesting transactions of the
Bible is the price paid for each and every one of our salvations through
Christ’s work on the Cross. Christ paid for our salvation through his death and
Resurrection from the tomb on the third day. Prior to that death and
resurrection he had told His disciples that, if they asked, Jesus would send a
helper.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">John 14:15-17 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you
forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be
in you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The word advocate here in Greek is παράκλητος/parakletos.
The Parakletos is referring to the Holy Spirit who Christ would send after his
later departure in his Ascension to the Father in Heaven. The thing that should
be noted in terms of buying is the fact Jesus did so at the cost of His life
but also that when he left he was also leaving behind something in a
business-like transaction. In Greek a parakletos was a person who pleads
another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal
assistant; an advocate. In Hellenized philosophy it is universally, one who
pleads another's cause with one...an intercessor. The evidence that Christ would
still be working on and through them would be this Intercessor. In effect, the
Holy Spirit was to take the place of Christ with the apostles to lead them (and
us) to a deeper knowledge of truth and to give the divine strength
needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the
divine kingdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In Ephesians 1, Paul further explains that not only is the
Spirit a Intercessor before the Father and helper in the world, he also acts to
fulfill a financial transaction related to the original purchase
of our salvation through Christ on the cross.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Ephesians 1:13-14 In him [Christ] you also, when you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span><span>Our inheritance or salvation is <i>guaranteed</i>. The word
guaranteed here in Greek is <i>ἀρραβoν/arrabon</i>. What was an <i>arrabon </i>in Greek? It
was a binding legal or financial pledge. Financially understood it would be
referred to today as a down-payment on a purchased item or something already
reserved as being bought and paid for. The Holy Spirit is/wa</span><span>s sent to us is a down
payment on our salvation. </span></span>This purchased item is of infinte value to the reciever. <span>The seal on the deal mentioned is </span><i>σφραγίζω/sphragizo</i> and is the modern-day equivilent of signing on the dotted line of a binding contract. It is called assurance. So in reality, we already know what's behind Door #3. It has already been promised to us in writing...in the Bible.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-26943810506931812042023-02-21T20:50:00.000-05:002023-02-21T20:50:58.449-05:00Working for A Living<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt_Znm11ICxyx4gxqCs_qMQGe15YqyaLhkpds5n9wxWvDVGurdGrVMAEYSoS1_DazmvHkq9Eo6okBZ5W-1seD0YtxDU5AuBk8eZ7iaucZG2uqtPvNy9OD5HEDzNX9pjRK6Ukx2woc5ukpb0oD7NEXihYC9AinMgazEyg24gR5vksi9XmkDpGCgokfNA/s739/The-Lay-Vocation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="739" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt_Znm11ICxyx4gxqCs_qMQGe15YqyaLhkpds5n9wxWvDVGurdGrVMAEYSoS1_DazmvHkq9Eo6okBZ5W-1seD0YtxDU5AuBk8eZ7iaucZG2uqtPvNy9OD5HEDzNX9pjRK6Ukx2woc5ukpb0oD7NEXihYC9AinMgazEyg24gR5vksi9XmkDpGCgokfNA/w568-h385/The-Lay-Vocation.png" width="568" /></a></div></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">What...if not work and our chosen vocation (job)...is the gravitational center for the proclamation of Christ and Him crucified (the Gospel)? We are no longer an agrarian society teaching and living Christian life on the farm. I in-fact travel and have been many places for my employment and have been employed by many. Hence the reason I believe God keeps me healthy and constantly moving job to job. Every employer and every single trip for those employers another opportunity. <a style="cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>80% of our waking hours are in employment. I am a teacher without a pulpit. I am the pulpit. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We are in fact as Chrsitians...all bi-vocational. We need to work and we are also commanded to spread the Gospel. In both of these vocations we are in-fact emulating God's work of creation in Genesis and the spread of His word all throughout Scripture,</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Most of us will be pastors or teachers in our workplaces, not the church (brick and mortar). Our main effect on the world as salt and light is in the streets or corridors of industry not dying behind cloistered walls in dead church buildings being obsoleted by false doctrines. By all means find a sound theological church and attend but don't hide your theology in it.</span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: georgia; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: normal;">Genesis 2:15 say: The</span><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: normal;"> </span><span class="sc" style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; white-space: normal;">Lord</span><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: normal;">God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.</span></i></span></div><div dir="auto"><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div dir="auto"><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: black; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Colossians 3:23-24 says: "</span></span><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="background-color: black;">Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people</span></span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #6fa8dc; white-space: normal;">.</span></span></i></div></div>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-82808652263849543482023-02-19T19:05:00.000-05:002023-02-19T19:05:36.447-05:00Because He Is...I Am<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iTI0pE4VPypwdTcH0dYob9YDC-UGVUw8H3TIWJc-u1d0Orq69ot2lGkk2-9_JdgMa9Txluh6M1sqvB79-OeeNGIkQjA5UXdZ7Trz7dxUd87CNxYSuKPQ0T_BnSpk9vx-B7te-3Q4DLBVA3_XG1P0_YNd5uZ0iiQTFZ0jdS-nTlLLRHHzT4MZ8jsl8Q/s2820/dff2t6w-472215c2-be69-4d66-b2e1-569ef238a3a4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2090" data-original-width="2820" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iTI0pE4VPypwdTcH0dYob9YDC-UGVUw8H3TIWJc-u1d0Orq69ot2lGkk2-9_JdgMa9Txluh6M1sqvB79-OeeNGIkQjA5UXdZ7Trz7dxUd87CNxYSuKPQ0T_BnSpk9vx-B7te-3Q4DLBVA3_XG1P0_YNd5uZ0iiQTFZ0jdS-nTlLLRHHzT4MZ8jsl8Q/w620-h460/dff2t6w-472215c2-be69-4d66-b2e1-569ef238a3a4.png" width="620" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Hebrews opens with lofty and majestic language. It is hard to
encapsulate God’s existence and being into such a finite medium as words. At these points imagination and words fail. The writer of Hebrews did the best he could with what he had but
it was like trapping God with paper.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Hebrews 1:1-3 In
the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, <span id="en-NIV-29966" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">but in these last days he has spoken to
us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through
whom also he made the universe. </span><span id="en-NIV-29967" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The Son is the radiance of God’s
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all
things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for
sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. </span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The writer is making an absolute truth statement here and
speaking in a matter-of-fact style. No Hebrew writer would for one moment
entertain the idea of proving that ‘God is’. It would have been assumed and admitted
as a fact on which all his thinking rests or what is called a presupposition. That's what we see in the Bible in general. The writers of all Scripture assume God is.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It is not possible for man to argue on any scientific
subject unless he accepts certain facts which cannot be proved, and which it is
mutually agreed shall be accepted without proof. Pythagoras or Euclid assumed the acceptance of certain axioms (a priori knowledge) and postulates before they could work out a single mathematical problem. It is knowledge inherent in the
Universe and is required before mathematics can even be performed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Similarly, there is one thing that must be admitted before
any theological system can be constructed. It is an absolutely improbable
thing...that every proof that can be offered must rest on assumptions, not on
knowledge, since man has no power to know in the sphere to which this primary
truth is related. A primary truth being is defined as a conception/proposition
which is dependent for its truth on no other principle in the same order of
thought. An axiomatic truth may be considered self-evident, intuitive insight
but it is not or cannot be demonstrated. It’s taken for granted because…<i>it is immutably true</i>. It is the very being of God, truth is. A man can deny the being of God. Then
we cannot talk theology with him; nor can we give him any idea of his moral
duty. Scripture makes no attempt to prove that there is a God. It helps us to
apprehend <i>what </i>He is, but not <i>that </i>He is.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In the beginning of the Bible, God is assumed to be. He is
self-existent. It starts with the sublime assertion, “In the beginning <i>God</i>.” It
proposes to deal only with men who accept that altogether incomprehensible
fact as their starting-point being drawn from the essence of God and His
creative power. No human intellect can pry behind that assertion. The absolute
being, God, no created being can ever fully understand. The only thing we can
do is to begin our thinking with this as our accepted first fact, our
foundational truth-<i>God is</i>. One Being three persona, one uncreated, independent Being,
sole source and absolute Originator of all things that exist.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Yet there is more in this passage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">God first and foremost. The first verse of the Bible asserts
something that God has done. “God created the heavens and the earth.” But there
is something that goes before the Divine action. God Himself must exist—the
uncaused, eternal Being. <i>“In the beginning God.”</i> This is the place for Him, the
only place, the place in which all reverent souls should forever keep Him. The foundational
cornerstone of the great temple of thought and revealed truth is a pronouncement which forces
us see one infinite Being, having life in Himself. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">He is self-existent and independent
of all. When there was no heaven and no earth, in the silent, mysterious eternity,
there <i>was God</i>. In the infinite deep of the quantum unknowable a first utterance
of Divine Word pierces and resonances evermore in the created order that it
spawned. The first divine work in the universe forever echoing down in all
subsequent work performed in that universe by man. Word.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The greatest demand of faith
for the Christian is to believe this happened as no one was there to see it yet…it
is axiomatic and self-evident. It had to have happened for us to be here or
for you to be reading this. Yet people deny it. The existence of God needs to
be the beginning of human thinking or everything else thought in a man’s mind
is based on a false presupposition or false beginning. The first stone in the
edifice of thought is therefore flawed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Even in light of this fundamental truth, God provides more
proof for His existence for the feeble unbelieving mind. God has set the proofs of His existence so abundantly in the
created order that He did not need to rewrite them in His book (but did). He has even put
them in the very ability of our minds to think in an inductive manner and to be
able to deduce things. We can never see anything without at once thinking there
must have been a cause for it in this universe. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The universe didn’t need to be
ordered such as it is...but it is. There is order, another axiomatic assumption in reality.
When one asks why, the answer is quickly arrived at…Someone created it. Our minds
refuse to stop at anything short of that. We see a book; we assume a writer, a painting a printer. We see a machine; we know there was an inventor and maker.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">We are surrounded with objects which we did not make, air, trees,
flowers, streams, mountains, clouds, creatures; all trace their origin to God.
Without some of them we could not survive. Systems designed to work interdependently.
Within Creation the reality that we are dependent on these other created things, so in
effect, we are dependent on nature, food and atmosphere. The length of our
lives, the measure of our health, the formation of our diseases, are all things
out of our own control. The universal nature of our dependence all tracing back
to the Originator and Sustainer. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Here in Hebrews 1 and in Genesis 1 is an assertion of God’s
eternality. What we find in the opening of Hebrews is also a statement of the absolute
unity of God. The chapter asserts the exclusive relation of this one God to
everything man can see or know. God made it; God ordained it; God arranged it.
God allows it or doesn’t allow it (grace). This includes all natural forces and laws which act
in creation. Every created thing has a power to act on every other created
thing. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Changes are going on in nature continually, changes sometimes <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>very silent and very gradual. Moses and the
writer of Hebrews show us One living God at the beginning of all changes,
designing all change, and presiding over all change. He deals with chaos, without
form, and void, dwelling upon emptiness and confusion. He called forth light, and set order
into motion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The abrupt beginning of Hebrews startles us to attention. It
reminds us of the stark but life-giving beginning of the book of Genesis.
Scripture never proves the being of God. It assumes it. It deals with men only
who assume it. It assumes: God is. God only is. Man can know Him, in part but
cannot know Him perfectly. God gave the ability to understand him enough to be adequate
for morality and salvation. Upon these facts all else is built. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Here in the
beginning of Hebrews we see the manifestation of God in humanity through God’s
Son. Christ…was God taking on human form, so that He would not just be word or
thought in man’s head. Instead he would be flesh. It was the whole plan from
the beginning. God, the One God of Judaism and Christianity…because He is, I can
be. Because He is the Great ‘I Am’ everything is. Because he was a man, died
and rose again, I am forever.</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-7115114150560153472023-02-16T18:56:00.001-05:002023-02-17T09:57:59.089-05:00Near at Hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBQnPrWo79D727d4qDyO-OIuEhXu2TinUkH5jzXg7kNUC_N_wMVl4FQnK5vXETlu5-9D3hZ-CCbGcahWQRGWhB3hhYUTUmLKHdwlIMtSoKZ--nA--IRuHgvF83IDDwCWwoHxAflL_buJMwpPzq4ip9U5c7P-Ax-MCtEHVAuTLvWOzuFxs2x0yQOnYXQ/s1920/t.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1454" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBQnPrWo79D727d4qDyO-OIuEhXu2TinUkH5jzXg7kNUC_N_wMVl4FQnK5vXETlu5-9D3hZ-CCbGcahWQRGWhB3hhYUTUmLKHdwlIMtSoKZ--nA--IRuHgvF83IDDwCWwoHxAflL_buJMwpPzq4ip9U5c7P-Ax-MCtEHVAuTLvWOzuFxs2x0yQOnYXQ/w366-h484/t.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the Apostle Paul’s address at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) we hear him address the men of Athens. At the time Paul speaks it was still the cultural and intellectual center of the Greek world. It is likely he is addressing pagan Gentiles so he simplifies his theology to help them understand what he is saying and uses one of their own altars to make a point. Basically he used one of their altars as a sermon prop.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Acts 17:22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The verse goes on but I stop at verse 27’s… <i><span style="color: #f6b26b;">“He is actually not far from each one of us…”</span></i> The Greeks in Athens had built altar to an Unknown God…a mysterious, impenetrable or an unknowable deity. As if this one form of divinity was unknown to them. It is such a simple verse and such a simple sentiment that carries directly into our day and is symptomatic of the same thing it showed in Athens. It is the product of a lack of faith. A simple idea: God, mostly forgotten in times of loss, suffering and during the bad times in life. He is forgotten in a way that makes Him seem ‘unknown’ or more specifically unhelpful or callous. This is not the God of the Bible. As if to put an exclamation point on the opposite God came among us. For a brief three decade period about two millennium ago Jesus actually descended from his throne taking on the attribute of flesh and made his habitation among men. He became Immanuel or God among/with us. Not distant but immediate and immanent. He was and still is relational. From his relationship with humanity in Genesis to the ending verses of Revelation where He tells us He is coming back to us. In truth he never leaves us as He is always with us in Spirit (John 15:26-27).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Paul’s intent appears to be that he was about to tell his audience more about a God whom they worshipped but did not know much about, namely, Yahweh. Paul seems to have meant that he would inform them of a God whom they did not know but had built an altar to honor. In either case, Paul began with the Athenian interest in gods and their confessed ignorance about at least one god and proceeded to explain who that One God was. It was Yahweh and he was not unknown or unknowable. He is the true God who created all things and had determined when and where all things would be…including them. Including us when we are distraught, when we are struggling, when we are alone and even when we are dying. As a matter of fact He first died for us so that He would be there when we died to take us to be with Him forever. He is never far off but…here…now. If He is in any way distant and not available to us it is because we pushed Him away and chose to have little or nothing to do with Him.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">God's purpose in regulating times and boundaries (v. 26-27) was that people would realize His sovereignty and seek Him (cf. Rom. 1; John 6:44; 12:32). He is a God who has absolute ownership of the universe in all is physical, temporal and spiritual aspects. An ownership flowing out of necessity due to His relationship to it as its Creator (Romans 10:12). Completely filled with His presence that anything in it would not be able to escape Him. Eternally present in place and time. He is a God who has guided all our movements by an invisible hand. He, who had called us into existence, and who, far from being indifferent to and ignorant of our fortunes, has in actuality determined our appointed seasons and the limits of our earthly and eternal habitation. He has fixed the periods of our rising, falling, decaying and the limits of our territory both in place and time. Yet somehow, we can feel completely isolated and ostracized because of our sin and the blinding darkness it can bring.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, and Spirit with Spirit can meet-Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet. ~Lord Alfred Tennyson</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Even David, God’s anointed lost sight of Him at times during his darkest days. Pain has a way of distracting a person. In the midst of his affliction David rested in confidence in the Lord even though he saw no immediate relief from his predicament, possibly illness or a suffering brought on by his own sin. Blinded by life his heart laments in words but his soul tells him that God will never abandon him.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Psalm 13:1-2 “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me. How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">David felt like God was distant to him and that He had forgotten him, like God was hiding His face from him but was this true? No, because later in this same psalm, David wrote that <span style="color: #f6b26b;"><i>“I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5)</i> </span>and because of that, he wrote <i><span style="color: #f6b26b;">“I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6)</span>. </i>David’s point was that even though God felt distant from him, the reality is God is closer to us when we’re crushed than when things are cruising along and going well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It is therefore sadly ironic that a God who would do so many things to make Himself evident and available to men would go so often overlooked, ignored in blindness or forgotten. Unable to recognize their Maker while all the plain evidence needed is placed in our paths. He is a God who literally came looking for us. He did so from the very beginning in Genesis 3:9 when where man first fell in sin….the very sin that causes us to run from Him and not seek him out. He is a shepherd who knows His sheep. His sheep should know their shepherd... but most do not. They don’t recognize his voice. They do not obey his commands. An especially troubling behavior when the wolves arrive to scatter the flock, running to-and-fro in mindless chaotic movement, scared and directionless. Those weak will be restored and those dying will be comforted. A God who will find even the last that seek the safety of home.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Ezekiel 34:11-12, 16 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness….I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Even when men have left you to your end in your time of dying because there is nothing more they can do for you…He is there.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Romans 14:8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Isaiah 62:12 …And you will be called, “Sought out…not forsaken.”</span></i></p><br />Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-25838942685150127242023-02-13T18:23:00.000-05:002023-02-13T18:23:43.458-05:00Talents: The Currency of The Kingdom<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal"></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wkCPinnMhjzr6CgtUQtsvQkW0F_pt9qcqk_seGOIEtiKbC0vTw-hYcsDtdR63vxT1_DSk7XOtLUgVG6mAomuSPWGGuIBc_t_zIvqyGaaZMJJtYc9dJHjZ7ZDZbOGKx-RUtrP2-X2cbFsKSbaXv0a_mzJHGQFTPg_LyYUcMw2rqsAQWC44saHZiq__Q/s404/SIKYONIA%20SIKYON.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="404" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wkCPinnMhjzr6CgtUQtsvQkW0F_pt9qcqk_seGOIEtiKbC0vTw-hYcsDtdR63vxT1_DSk7XOtLUgVG6mAomuSPWGGuIBc_t_zIvqyGaaZMJJtYc9dJHjZ7ZDZbOGKx-RUtrP2-X2cbFsKSbaXv0a_mzJHGQFTPg_LyYUcMw2rqsAQWC44saHZiq__Q/w421-h411/SIKYONIA%20SIKYON.jpg" width="421" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">If one reads the Bible they will quickly see a pattern of
people specifically set aside by God for specific tasks. These tasks are
usually aligned with their natural inclinations. In the case of Nehemiah and
Ezra they were gifted in administration and planning. Samson was gifted in
strength and Luke was a great physician and historian. Even Jesus did what was necessary to fulfill the sovereign plan of God. It is no accident that
these types of people ended up doing the things they did at the time and places
they did. That is because the other pattern we see in the Bible is that God is
sovereign and puts people and circumstances together where needed to accomplish
His ends. At times it is difficult to see where the natural inclination ends
and the true gifts begin.</span></div></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Every Christian is responsible for making his own
contribution for the good of other Christians and the world (1 Cor. 12:7, 11,
28). If they are in fact gifts in a traditional sense the people that possess
them are therefore stewards of them. God is investing them in us for divine gain.
The Bible is clear that we are to use our gifts (like finances) to get a better
return on investment so to speak (Matthew 25:14-30). It is ironic and a play on
words to call gifts a spiritual talent. A talent also being the word for a unit
of weight and coin, used by the ancient Romans and Greeks. That’s because our
gifts act as skills and currency in the world and God’s economy. The more
talent we have the more the weight of responsibility comes to bear on the
possessor of those talents. In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents (Bags of Gold) are
given to a servant. The gold or finances are given to the servant with the
expectation that they will be used and not just squirreled away. As goes the
servant's finances (talents), so too the servant's gifts (talents).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">[Insert ironic chuckle here]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Giver of talents expects that every talent (gift or
coin) shall be traded so as to gain something. If two are given, it is expected the trader will
make other two; if ten are given, the result looked for is other ten, and so
on. The fruit tree that occupies the fertilized soil, and has had most time, cost,
and labor bestowed upon it, is expected to yield the most fruit. If given
gifts it’s expected you’re a sound investment. No one gets talents/gifts by
accident. To whom much is given, much is required. God had done great
things for Eli and for David, and from them God expected greater returns of duty
and obedience in their lives; but when they failed, God was sorely displeased
with them and curses fell upon them. Solomon having received much offended God when he had no answerable
returns to give God and instead pursued pagan wives and their gods.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">God gives to some many gifts, both of nature and of grace.
He gives some much more knowledge, learning, wisdom, riches, honors, offices,
places, time, liberty and choices. Some may even get special
providences and dispensations which others do not get. It isn’t that these
people are lucky or more deserving so much as given much more responsibility. God will expect much more
of those bequeathed these loads of talent than those he does not give them to.
If no suitable returns are made on them it will provoke God. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Regardless of
one’s allotment of talents, no one is freed from making returns of duty to God.
If you received many you will inevitably need to invest much more time and
effort into gaining a return. It will require devotion of time, material and
resources. Sometimes everything that person has...or more than they expect.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Every Christian should ask himself the question: <i>For what am
I best qualified?</i> Upon discovering that talent or stumbling upon it the person should recognize that the discovery was in reality an indication from God in his
providence that this area or gift is appointed to them for the duty of
furthering God’s Kingdom (getting a return on investment). It may be to visit
the sick or the disenfranchised. It may be the task of expressing sympathy with
the destitute or the bereaved. Maybe it is to give aid to those in distress.
Perhaps it is to counsel the naïve, gullible or inexperienced...those exposed to
strong temptation. Perhaps something wholly different like carrying on
spiritual conversation to blue collar and white collar alike to lift them to a
greater spiritual understanding that they are not capable of on their own
because they don’t study Scripture. It could be to be a prayer warrior for
those that neglect prayer in their daily lives. The list goes on…there are endless needs of mankind living in a spiritually destitute world cut
adrift from morality in sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Could it be that the very fact that talents, the gifts and
the finances being unevenly distributed is intentional? What seems like a
horrible injustice or irregularity is also part of the greater plan? What seems
at first to a great irregularity is really the best means that could be devised for
knitting and cementing together the body of Christians in one whole.
Those Christians who are rich in gifts or finances know they are debtors to God
who is their benefactor in both gift or finances (and salvation) through
grace. The poor who God has made dependent on others are indebted to God for
salvation and talents passed on to them from God through those rich among them.
The rich are called upon to exercise grace on the poor just as God does to all
men. The poor Christian understands their situation and so become bound to the
rich Christian in gratitude. The rich conversely understand that destitution is
only one bad decision or one day away. It should breed a divine humility in both. No
one is promised good fortune in this life and rich and poor alike should be
aware of this. Their roles could be reversed in an instant (read Job).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Foremost, the Parable of the Talents and passages on
spiritual gifts teaches us the exact same thing. We are put on Earth to work
and bring about the Kingdom of God through our work. That work will include
gifts we are specifically endowed with to help complete said work. Talents being the primary currency to
perpetuate God's Kingdom. God rewards those who put considerable effort into
bettering their lives and the lives of those in community. Gifts/talents given to us when used and invest properly increase the return God
invested in us. God does not command us to bury our talents and sit
back, awaiting salvation. Rather, we are commanded to use what we have to make
the world a better place. It is not each servant's job to compare gifts
to those of the others, but instead we're to be grateful for and make the most what
we did receive for our and other's benefit. We will be held accountable for how the talents were used. We should recognize the talents we receive, and make the
most of them. Even seemingly small deposits can make a big difference when
properly handled. In variably everyone will receive the same reward in the end:
Salvation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><u>Addendum</u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As I scanned over this one last time, I realized that I
was assuredly spending one of my talents that the Lord gave me. He bestowed on
me a gift for words. As it is currency in the kingdom, like currency I pay it
forward in ideas formed of words. I weave words and am a
wordsmith. I start with a rough lump of an idea or ore and hammer/parse it away
until a completed figure of thought or refined impression remains. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A
discussion on the interplay of the words talent and gift were not my intention
when I began writing. I had merely intended to write on the spiritual gifts and
try to distinguish where natural talent ended and God’s gift began. What is practiced skill? How much of this is God-given natural talent (Proverbs 22:6) ...and how much is the pure work of the Spirit? At what
point on the continuum does/did the Spirit take over? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Halfway through I began to see the irony and paradoxical
nature of the words <i>gift </i>and <i>talent</i> and the reader got this post instead of my
original intent. I realize now at the end, somewhere between the time I started
typing and the end the Spirit took over. I didn’t write this (at all)…I’m not
smart enough or <i>talented </i>enough. This addendum isn’t even the end I had
envisioned when I started. Every time I type or write I just end up
accumulating more written evidence of the Spirit working in me and through me
to produce these ends. I take no credit for this post. I can’t, I failed
English twice in high school. It was Him all along…from the first letter to the
last…the Alpha and the Omega.</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-28062827760861133992023-02-10T13:55:00.005-05:002023-02-10T18:41:06.970-05:00The Unforgivable Sin<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxDvGrF8V-E4iUzfsSXCkUSN1VnIT2oeBz2MZk8gszDOUcnf74vt75arSkj6wIxyG8VZzcqcE_9ra6npCT5VbGIvhHVJisqFGhiW7qcM1o-KZ-KojrFnH-iOf7Zjou81dGt3pM6wT0zpOciZN1fW1u-gmlU_o9xz9RDClY2vFCmyqIKlISV5CvSvusQ/s699/8.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="699" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxDvGrF8V-E4iUzfsSXCkUSN1VnIT2oeBz2MZk8gszDOUcnf74vt75arSkj6wIxyG8VZzcqcE_9ra6npCT5VbGIvhHVJisqFGhiW7qcM1o-KZ-KojrFnH-iOf7Zjou81dGt3pM6wT0zpOciZN1fW1u-gmlU_o9xz9RDClY2vFCmyqIKlISV5CvSvusQ/w430-h422/8.JPG" width="430" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In Matthew we see Jesus approached by the Pharisees accusing Him of performing miracles by the power of Beelzebul or the Devil. It was a
heady accusation to be sure and a slight to a Holy God that would not be
overlooked…ever. Nor would it be forgiven. Here in this passage we have the only unforgivable
sin. Some say that suicide is the unforgivable sin as one cannot repent after
death. Suicide is not unforgivable. Wipe that from your head. Nowhere in Scripture is this assertion made
and it just isn’t true. Besides, saying this to someone that lost a loved one in this manner is just cruel. What the Pharisees and teachers of the Law did
to the Spirit was in-fact the only thing that would permanently condemn someone assuming
they perpetrated it. There was a line and the Pharisees crossed it in their arrogance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The people brought Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind
and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. The people
were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” When the Pharisees
heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that
this fellow drives out demons.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">These were heady accusatory words for the Holy Son of God
and in truth, counter-intuitive and counter logic. The Pharisees really weren’t
thinking clearly here. They were accusing Jesus of being demonic and saying
that the demonic was driving out the demonic spirit. Jesus knowing their motive
and realizing their stupidity of blaspheming the Holy Spirit accusing Jesus of
working in the spirit of Satan retorts:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Matthew 12:25-28, 30-31
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or
household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he
is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out
demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will
be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then
the kingdom of God has come upon you. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Whoever is not with
me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell
you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the
Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who
speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age
to come.”</span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Jesus then condemns them where they stand. The will be unforgiven
for such an affront to God in stupidity. Not so much because of the accusation
but because of the spirit or mind that drove it. The Pharisees for all intents and purposes
are demonic in their thinking. The demonic is speaking through
them. Going to the grave believing what they stated will condemn them. Verse 31
specifically tells us that, <i>“… every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven,
but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Matthew 12:33 “Make a
tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be
bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you
who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man
brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that
everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word
they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words
you will be condemned.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Therein lays the only unforgivable sin. A persistent refusal to acknowledge the presence of God in
Christ. Why? It is because, to blaspheme the Spirit, they would
need to hate the light the clearer it became, and resolutely to shut it out which,
of course, precludes salvation. Realize that Jesus had just performed a divine miracle healing a blind and mute demoniac. The Pharisees attributing the
healing miracles to Satanic agency…appeared as if the Pharisees had just vented mindless words against the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees were likely internally convinced of
the Messianic nature of Jesus by the miracle which they had witnessed but it
would have been inconvenient to them to have acknowledged His claims. By doing
so, they would have to submit their authority to Christ.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Yet isn’t that the rub? Even now, we as modern-day Christians
will not submit ourselves full to Christ’s authority? Why? It is because we
would have to do something that our fallen human nature works against doing. We’d need
to admit we are flawed sinners. We would need to admit we are incapable of
doing anything to rescue ourselves from our own sin. In admitting this we know
we would have to stop purposely and willing committing sins. Especially the
ones we like sexual sins, greed, etc. The more a man knows of his wrong the more he is held accountable for those actions. Better to sin in ignorance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So, without honestly believing their own absurd explanation,
they attributed the cure of the blind and dumb man to Satan. The
irony was they admitted outright it was supernatural yet slandered God in the process. In
effect it was a dishonest shuffle, they knew it and avoided making a confession
which was clearly forced on their minds. A confession which would have required them to suppress their sin of pride and jealousy. Their minds recognized the truth but their tongues
were being steered by their sin. Said more simply: Whoever speaks a
word against Christ or the Spirit without violating internal convictions speaking
ignorantly in unbelief… "…it shall be forgiven him.” Whoever speaks against the
Holy Spirit in actuality violates the internal convictions placed upon their own heart by the very Spirit of truth that they slight. That will not be forgiven here or in the
afterlife.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As Jesus clearly explains in the example of tree bearing fruit...words or language are not as most think...a separate and separable thing from our
reason or thoughts. Words have a deep and living connection with our state of mind. Words,
thoughts and reasoning have their roots intertwined together. Corrupt language
arises from corrupt reasoning. A demonic statement arises from a demonic
source.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><i>“Every empty/idle word…”</i></span> Those words will meet judgment and
those who utter them will need to make account for them. The words of the
Pharisees were not simply useless, unfruitful, unprofitable words; but far, far
worse. They were false words and they counteracted conviction within their own
hearts crowding out the saving work of the very Spirit they were blaspheming.
This isn’t a sin of omission but firmly deliberate in the face of their own
convictions. They were spoken with the calculated intent to do harm to others
that heard them, misleading hearers and the ignorant that didn’t know any
better looking to authority. There is a difference between spiritual blindness
and purposeful spiritual self-destruction. That is why we see Christ so heavily
condemn empty/idle words of these ‘vipers’. Vipers being snakes that bite at heels
when you turn to walk away thereby exposing yourself to attack when you are
unprotected with your back turned.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There are three considerations which may serve to show us our
responsibility that attaches to the words we use with others. The words that
come out of the mouth come from the heart, and defile the man and others around him. It seems certain that every word spoken will have influence
lasting into eternity good and bad. God knows every word we have spoken. <i><span style="color: #76a5af;">“For
by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”</span></i> We’d
be well-advised to avoid speaking foolishly or gossiping. We are to avoid
slander and/or libel. We should avoid speaking words in anger. These last
things put us firmly in the face of the judgment seat of G</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">od.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Christians today need to not necessarily focus in on
one specific sin when this question is asked. Instead we should be self-aware
of any hardening of our hearts or arrogance that would have us not acknowledge the
work of the Spirit and Christ in us yet ignore and disregard it as insignificant
or irrelevant. By doing this we would be allowing our hearts to turn cold and incapable
of continued repentance. Repentance isn’t a one-time deal folks… its and
ongoing process until we die. Something the Pharisees and those like them
completely missed in their inability to humble themselves.</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span><p></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-92196189423520160132023-02-08T20:35:00.001-05:002023-02-08T20:54:20.689-05:00A Bone of Contention<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoPmKlez66a8CxYHdSFP37t14_uQ2NTYgKhJoRpbdyPAynA7Tvw4kumw_kaTGgDfA0I4zZ_HzS7Ybhdn90Kn19hUZr4cb8PAH48uNiIXuEEMTtu2gsdRgmCGN7UPwApxQ1igD9-4B34TPw-e8mbZeiqBA-wbVQR1S3KCS74F29ahiCeVJGHZt9Vh3fw/s758/Capture.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="649" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoPmKlez66a8CxYHdSFP37t14_uQ2NTYgKhJoRpbdyPAynA7Tvw4kumw_kaTGgDfA0I4zZ_HzS7Ybhdn90Kn19hUZr4cb8PAH48uNiIXuEEMTtu2gsdRgmCGN7UPwApxQ1igD9-4B34TPw-e8mbZeiqBA-wbVQR1S3KCS74F29ahiCeVJGHZt9Vh3fw/w402-h470/Capture.JPG" width="402" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #999999;">I literally just discussed obedience to civil authorities in
my post </span><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><a href="https://souljournaler.blogspot.com/2023/01/american-politics-and-jesus.html">American Politics and Jesus</a></span></i><span style="color: #999999;">. That of course was from Jesus’ point of
view. This passage in Titus follows suit. This also encompasses the
argumentative spirit of people who think they ‘know better’ as shown in my upcoming </span><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Unforgiveable Sin</span></i><span style="color: #999999;"> post. There are of course further nuances covered in Titus
that warrant examination. In this letter Paul is writing directly to Titus who
Paul left in Crete to set the church there in order (Titus 1:5). A mess of a
church it was too, hence the need to write his letter.</span></span></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Titus 3:1-7 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no
one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all
kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and
hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so
that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope
of eternal life.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia;">Titus' task of setting the churches in order included dealing
with false teachers (1:10-11). The Cretans had a reputation for being idle,
corrupt and frankly, troublemakers. There was even a Greek word </span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><i><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">κ</span>ρῆτὶζεὶν</span></i><i style="font-family: georgia;">/kretizein</i></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia;"> derived from the name Cretan which meant 'to deceive' (Titus 1:12). These traits apparently
characterized some of the Christians as well (3:14). Part of Titus' task
consisted of motivating them to change. The same thing expected of sinning
believers anywhere once they have been brought into the Christian faith (1
Corinthians 6:11).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">As with Jesus’ teaching we see that a Christian is on the
side of law, order and justice. It is an insult even today to call a man a
Cretin as it infers that they are brutish and dull-witted. Cretans were easily
excited to rebellion, and the Jewish element in the island fostered a
proclivity to violence against Christians. Titus was urged to enforce on his
people an obedience to magistrates, and to render cheerful help in maintaining
the peace. True Christianity (not a self-described one but one based on actions) is on
the side of law and order, and does more to prevent war and suppress rebellion
than thousands of soldiers and policemen. In truth the civil powers should find
powerful allies in Christian individuals, Christian Churches and institutions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Christians should not sanction the denigration of civil
officers, especially not to speak evil of dignitaries and leaders unless they
are themselves clearly performing evil against God or His people. The leader is
the embodiment and representative of law that maintains order in a chaotic
world. Civil powers have often made great mistakes in harassing the Christian
belief, and the only retaliation the Church has made has been to defend the
rights and privileges of leaders. This warning against conflict was not only
applicable to Cretans, but is directed against all who would disturb the peace
of the Church or of the community by giving way to a fault-finding spirit. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It’s
a two-way street. The only defense the Christian should mount against the State
is when the State attacks the foundation of Christian belief and even then it
should only be to point out how leaders are usurping God’s authority in matters
of the spirit. To this point, believers need to recognize the difference
between obeying a law in spirit and obeying it to the letter. If the spirit is
evil it is against God and warrants being ignored or resisted (Matthew 22:21),
otherwise obey it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #999999;">In truth Scripture teaches we’re to be gentle, meek (not
weak mind you). The Christian spirit is forbearing and kindly, not insisting on
rights to the point of fighting or taking up arms against its oppressor (Social
Gospel adherents take note). If God is kind and benevolent to all, we should be
the same. In contrast to this peaceable nature Paul reminds us of our former
non-Christian lives. We’re reminded of our own lawless impulsivity in the
past and the Christ-like forbearance that was patiently shown to us in our immaturity and youth. One good turn deserves another. Reap what you sow.
Christianity should be the guardian of peace. Why? It is because sin is the
cause of the rebellion, disorder and our own salvation is an act of unmerited
grace as Paul alludes to in Titus 3:5, </span><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">“…not because of righteous things we had
done, but because of his mercy…He saved us.”</span></i><span style="color: #999999;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">When we do we’re merely emulating what God has already done for us. He
clearly had the ability to bring the entire worldly system down but instead
submitted Himself to the humiliation of death on a cross. Salvation entitles
otherwise impetuous, rebellious people to the blessing of eternity with God. In
truth, the gospel is the only system that helps us to be and do good. Our sin
only assists us in being more contentious and error prone. Acting in grace and
forbearance instead of lashing out and fighting allows a situation to be
blessed twice. It blesses the man who gives it and blesses the one that
receives it. Grace allows room for regeneration and rebirth. A contentious
spirit suffocates it not allowing any room for change and actually encroaches
on the perceived ‘foe’ further exacerbating an issue. So what do Christians do
with a rebellious spirit like that of the Cretans? Paul tells us that Titus is
encouraged to admonish those that would be defiant and argumentative.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>Titus 3:9-11 …avoid foolish controversies and genealogies
and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and
useless. Warn a divisive person once,
and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You
may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The belligerent spirit dwells on small petty stupidity.
By dwelling on trivialities the idiotic man exalts them and gives them
unwarranted importance and attention. We see this daily in the media and
politics. Everyone is offended or butt hurt by everything. Even the slightest
perceived infraction is an excuse to start another war of words or of
legislation further perpetuating another salacious news cycle. We are seeing
this clearly in abortion legislation and the homosexual/transgender disputing spirit pervading
society now. Some have gone as far as to make the law agree with sinful human
practices, thereby making sins into ‘rights’. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">False premises create false
conclusions. By codifying sins into law we see man attempt to make God agree
with men. Instead of passing moral laws to aid the good of the whole or the community
the petty spirit seeks to give ‘rights’ to small immoral vocal groups. Instead of
judging all human theories by the measure of moral right or wrong we see the
pressure of a vocal contentious minority inflicting immorality on everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Paul clearly tells us to admonish these things, twice if
necessary through repetition and then walk away. Fundamental moral truths
should always be reinforced. Telling the truth is never out of season even when
people don’t want to hear you and are trying to silence or control your speech.
Give them pause with statements of their error so that they understand they’re
wrong and then end the opposition. If they refuse to change and continue
headstrong, leave them to themselves—have nothing more to do them anymore for
any reason. You cannot help a man who refuses to listen and is controlled by a
bad temper. You can’t argue a fool to their foolishness otherwise you become a
fool too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #999999;">This confrontational fool eventually brings about
his own punishment. Stupid and sin runs right to the <i>bone </i>and <i>marrow</i> of these people and inevitably leads to death (figurative or literal). The perversity of this stubborn spirit leads to its own
ruin like two dogs fighting. It’s not like these types of people can say no one has told them better.
They are willfully sinning against knowledge and morality. The Gospel is the
cure of this spirit; but even this will not work unless it be believed and
accepted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>There is internal war in man between reason and the
passions. … Having both, he cannot be without strife, being unable to be at
peace with the one without being at war with the other. Thus he is always
divided against, and opposed to himself. This internal war of reason against
the passions has made a division of those who would have peace into two sects.
The first would renounce their passions, and become gods; the others would
renounce reason, and become brute beasts. But neither can do so, and reason
still remains, to condemn the vileness and injustice of the passions, and to
trouble the repose of those who abandon themselves to them; and the passions
keep always alive in those who would renounce them. ~ Blaise Pascal, Pensées,
Section 4, 412-413</i></span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-84132948950125678082023-02-06T08:22:00.003-05:002023-02-07T09:25:19.559-05:00My Generation: Time In a Bottle<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2c4TYb50CMNRhK9F8oyu9gAJIu2vTVNgamiE9BlHpTMe5PXrWHTdw_TqWgBdAGj-Ynsm4X-B5z5PNtBKrRRWYKDBjE8Z2qko6-qjaUkHfP6YwXsfRlv3qQzYvF5zJefrJdnZTw6nT_0VCSw5ucDAgrO2BSLvtgIUf3CkPX1OFTmZhslwwfN5atxnbA/s787/bottle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="787" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2c4TYb50CMNRhK9F8oyu9gAJIu2vTVNgamiE9BlHpTMe5PXrWHTdw_TqWgBdAGj-Ynsm4X-B5z5PNtBKrRRWYKDBjE8Z2qko6-qjaUkHfP6YwXsfRlv3qQzYvF5zJefrJdnZTw6nT_0VCSw5ucDAgrO2BSLvtgIUf3CkPX1OFTmZhslwwfN5atxnbA/w614-h432/bottle.JPG" width="614" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">[Yes, I’m really borrowing three songs to create a blog
title and to merge ideas. Every generation loves their pop
culture, mine is no different and neither is yours. The song titles are </span><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The Who’s,</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span><a href="https://youtu.be/ti-THkywNrg"><span style="color: #cccccc;">My Generation</span></a></i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">and </span><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Jim Croce’s,</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><a href="https://youtu.be/i6rLH-X5fR8"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Time in a Bottle</span></a></i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Weav</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ed in and out of
this post there are innuendo of </span><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The Byrd’s,</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><a href="https://youtu.be/snZKnES4ng4"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Turn, Turn, Turn</span></a></i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">My use of these
songs is very deliberate. I'm hoping that when people listen to these songs they will think about what I've said here and it will leave a mark for posterity.]</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In Acts 13, Luke records one of three of Paul's evangelistic
messages to unbelievers. Ironically, this is a message to unbelievers but also
a reminder to believers. The first of Paul’s messages is in Acts,
geographically in Pisidian Antioch. In this passage Paul makes reference to the
great Israelite King David and states.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Acts 13:32, 34-36 32
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled
for us, their children, by raising up Jesus…God raised him from the dead so
that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, ‘I will give you the
holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So it is also stated elsewhere: ‘You
will not let your holy one see decay.’ Now when David had served God’s purpose
in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his
body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">There is something dramatic but sublime stated here,</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">“Now when David had served God’s purpose in
his own generation, he fell asleep…”</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The duration of life in many ways is an inadequate
period from the merely earthly point of view. Fifty years of work in this
world, then—that is the most we can reasonably look for, after we are equipped
and before we’re on deaths door. There is not much time to lose; our own
generation is a quantity that is often limited in opportunity. Yet it is one
great opportunity from first to last. It’s very brevity accentuates the greatness of any accomplishments we can achieve within that small window of
time. To live and work in a world like ours means to bear and battle our way through
it. In light of this struggle, we inevitably look to a higher existence. Otherwise, what is the point of
such a brief life? Are we best using the time on our lives or are we wasting it
in frivolous pursuits? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">In particular this passage mentions David’s</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><i><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">‘</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">own generation’</span></i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">. Why?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The words suggest a thought that a man has a lasting
personal relation to the time upon which his earthly experience is cast. It
sort of hints that the period of the world’s history upon which our personal
relations center is the only time we'll ever truly have an impact in this
world for good or for bad. In short, our history affects history in the larger
scale of things just as David’s did. History therefore bears the marks of
everything our personalities, actions and labors impacted. Our presence
alone on this earth exerts a force on everyone in history from this point
forward. In this perspective, everyone’s life is effectual and nothing is
ineffectual...as if in accord with a plan. To take up the cause of evil leaves a
negative impact. To take up the cause of the good and Gospel leaves a positive one. ‘Our’
generation whether it be the Boomers, the X’ers, the Millennials, The Y’ers… we
all leave impressions in our generations that bleed down perpetually into the
next ones.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Ephesians 5:15–16 Look
carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of
the time, because the days are evil.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Our experience of ‘world-life’ and ‘world-history’, brief as
it is, and passing rapidly from successor to successor is forever bound up with
the circumstances of our own journey, and has gathered into it memories. A man
is called to note and to know the peculiar character of his own time.—</span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><i>“His own
generation.”</i></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There is individuality about every generation. It has its own
disposition, temperament, moods, capabilities, opportunities, not all of which
are shared in the same measure by any other generation. Each generation has
something in it of every generation that has been; but it also has an
originality in it to give a unique contribution to itself and upon the
generations following. Intelligence about the past is mostly of value according
to how it helps us to be intelligent about the present. In other words, what do
we contribute that will be useful and helpful to others in our generation and succeeding
ones. Will it be a blessing or a curse? Ephesians 5:16 specifically
tells us to redeem or use time to the best of our ability.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Ephesians 5:16 uses the word for time</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">kairon/καιρόν</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">meaning a very specific time that is set
within in an overarching time or era</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">chronos/xρόνος</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">. A unique time…like your/our
generation for instance. It is time in a bottle so to speak. It is the same type
of time Jesus refers to when he says that His time has come (for his
crucifixion) in John 12:23-24. As Ecclesiastes specifically tells us about time…there
is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3) in the grand scheme. Perfectly</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia;"> allotted, planned or known
by God. In fact, time or a</span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia;"> generation are lives and ideas to be poured out on succeeding generations that unfold into eternity.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So what do we see in Paul’s brief statement of King David.
We see brevity of life and purpose. Invariably David’s life with all its ups
and downs, good and evil was remembered as a life in service to His God. Ours should be the same or otherwise much of it is vanity, stupidity and irrelevancy. The
only reason we still speak of David was because of his purposes in God’s
Sovereign plan and his foreshadowing of the Messiah. Even David’s idiotic
moments in his life led to a life that unwaveringly points to Christ. At the epicenter of David’s biography lies Christ’s biography. The great Christian truth:
It’s about Christ…the history, the lives, the generations...all of it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">So what should that life and the generation it contributes
to be? That’s the big existential question, isn’t it? Why am I here, for how
long and to what end? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">In an instant Paul encapsulated David’s entire life. A
lightning strike that flashes into existence and out again. The words from Paul
are as striking as they are short. It is a reminder that there is no wasted
time in a human life. The time needs to be redeemed or the best use must be
made of it. Paul tells us in this brief Davidic biography how….speaking of the
Resurrection and its affect on ALL generations. Paul mentions David
<i>because of whom he pointed to</i>. In the brevity of David’s epitaph we see the
eternality of Christ and our future in which we embrace the Resurrection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">David and through him Christ… are introduced at once as to
their purpose in abbreviated form in Paul’s divinely inspired punctuated
statement. A life lived without purpose is pointless but Paul state’s David’s and
Jesus’ succinctly. David is a foreshadowing of Christ and a lineage by which
the King will come. Christ’s life a foreshowing of Resurrection. Resurrection
being essentially a foreshadowing of eternal life that will lead to an eternal state
that removes the need for the concept of a generations and time bound distinction
completely. All other matters like the time, birth, education, social environment, plans and difficulties, conflicts, achievements and inevitably death are but incidents or episodes that become irrelevant in the eternal
scale. Time itself becomes irrelevant. Generations and lives pass away in the
arrow of time but the purpose to which the lives and time point is eternal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They point to an eternal God. </span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897143065671686552.post-14153538226777815732023-02-03T16:36:00.005-05:002023-02-03T20:22:35.384-05:00American Wars and Jesus<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixB6pVMemQ3XDyDTQHhx-zaEAmHZepmpLYBdJ8MLBFApAVVri7FTSwioDC0CDEmfkZ89dq11bb7eFIFpiLfdKRjn9-NNHzQqD1h3VfaT-g7ejxZy26p-GMhg8XHxgOMRlfPrcv1UkKO23wiN8inF16NgkXq6_vIYkw9uqPk0ilSkh6j-yTlGcT7wEaGA/s967/t.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="967" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixB6pVMemQ3XDyDTQHhx-zaEAmHZepmpLYBdJ8MLBFApAVVri7FTSwioDC0CDEmfkZ89dq11bb7eFIFpiLfdKRjn9-NNHzQqD1h3VfaT-g7ejxZy26p-GMhg8XHxgOMRlfPrcv1UkKO23wiN8inF16NgkXq6_vIYkw9uqPk0ilSkh6j-yTlGcT7wEaGA/w610-h350/t.JPG" width="610" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">…and now a quick detour down a war-torn side road to address the issue of war and what Jesus said or didn’t say about it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Many arguments in defense of war are easily set aside. Such as Jesus not condemning it or not commanding soldiers to abandon their profession. One could just as easily use these same arguments to support slavery. Jesus did not condemn slavery, nor did He require believing masters to release them. The arguments for war (and against slavery) are much more complex. Too complex to break down completely in a single 5 minute blog post. I will do my best to surmise though.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Most arguments against war are easily set aside as well. Such as the violation of the commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” This leads to obvious conflicts, especially during the time God gave the commandment! God instructed Joshua, Moses’ second in command, to wage war against Canaan (all of the Hittite country) and to annihilate them (Joshua 1). It is true, as Christian pacifists maintain, Jesus came to give principles of conduct that were peaceable and peace loving, but to contend further that this leaves no place for war is naïve. The inevitable position for the pacifist is evil people may dominate, but good people may not resist the domination of evil.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">War is the employment of force for the attainment of an object or for the prevention of an injury. If the object is wrong, the use of force is wrong. God is constantly resisting people to protect others, which is a form of force (war). The fact that God manages physical force by His will does not alter the fact that He does wrong if it is intrinsically wrong to use force. Thus, using forceful methods to achieve righteous objectives cannot be wrong, therefore, a just war or just use of force. The same goes for the use of force to levy or equalize justice in a paramilitary or policing action.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Romans 13:3-4 ~ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">A war waged for selfish ends is not justifiable, but one for selfless ends is. Jesus’ words, “Resist not evil,” do not mean allow evil to happen...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">Matthew 5:39 ~ But I say to you, <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none;">Do not resist the one who is evil. But </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none;">if anyone </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none;">slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">There is no reason for a person to surrender to the will of another for the wrong reasons. This also applies with double emphasis to rulers and to nations; for these in reality have no personal rights but are a collective whole. That’s not what Jesus was saying when He said to turn the other cheek. He is saying that when you have the ability to absorb the wrong, retaliation as vengeance is in fact the Lords but when evil will prevail in you inaction, you need to act. Nations and leaders are by their positions guardians and are morally bound to act in the face of foreign hostility or even internal ones. They are even to the use of force, if need be, for the rightful interest of their wards, just as a parent would do for their child or a pastor for his flock.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">It is true that Jesus said<span style="background-color: black; color: #76a5af;"><i>, <span>“<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 34.24px;">Put your sword back into its place. For </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none;">all who take the sword will perish by the sword.</span> ~Matt. 26:52</span></i></span>; He also said, “My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight” ~John 18:36. These passages need to be understood in context. Jesus was submitting to death for the good of the human race and salvation of the elect which was a one-time act in history. The application for us is not necessary salvation, but if our death will secure great ends then we must be willing to die. Jesus also told His disciples that the time would come to take up the sword in Luke 22:36.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The Church does not have the power to go to war, but governments and nations do. In fact, they are obligated to do so to exalt justice and prevent evil. Paul explained this right of civil government in Romans 13. If the Christian or Church do not support the cause of a just war as in the case of the Nazis then those like the Nazis win. This is not a Scriptural outcome. In the cases of pure demonic evil waging war, God not only condoned the reaction of war, He often commanded His people to annihilate those who waged spiritual war against Him or unjust war against His people down to the last person. Passivity in the face of obvious evil force isn’t being Christ like as much as it is being a limp-wristed doormat.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are all American wars a just war? Sadly, no. The participation in World War I and II was justifiable against evils like Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The Revolutionary War to secure American Independence and Civil War to create and maintain the American Union was marginally justifiable as revolution against a ruling authority is never condoned Scripturally and the rebellion of the Confederacy was dubious at best. The rest of the American wars are predominately sketchy. There is the question of the motive for the Middle Eastern wars that stem from oil interests. There are questions to be asked about geopolitical wars like Vietnam and involvement in the Ukraine. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sadly, the wars against the Native Americans were essentially genocide. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the end just wars are justifiable (killing) and unjust wars are not (murder). Killing and murder. They're different things. It helps to realize and differentiate them when discussing war. The Bible forbids murder in (Exodus 20) not killing. If it did Joshua, David nor Saul would've been commanded to annihilate entire peoples.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">The prudent thing to do as a Christian is to prepare for war in vigilance, but pray for peace in grace. We must understand that above all reigns God in Sovereignty through the times of peace and in times of conflict.</span></p>Andy Piersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13181241759268781794noreply@blogger.com0