Monthly Archives: February 2013

Feb 7 2013

Be Still and Know That I AM God

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Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

When you feel overwhelmed by the difficulties of this world read Psalm 46 and be amazed!  Find your refuge in God even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea.  When the nations rage and kingdoms trotter, when the evil one prowls around you like a lion, when trouble is upon you, just remember that the Lord of hosts is with you.

But most of all, when you find yourself cornered by trouble and grief, be still.  You must maintain your composure under pressure because you have special revelation about who God is.  The sons of Korah proclaim the message of the Almighty for you: “Be still and know that I am God.”

The One who can stop a world war can ameliorate your situation, whatever that is.  It may be physical or psychological illness, troubled relationships or stress at work.

In the day of trouble just run to safety.  Run and hide in the fortress that is the God of Jacob.

And be still and know that He is God.

Feb 6 2013

Bill Johnson, Jesus Culture, Glory Cloud, and Mysticism

I will not write off the entire charismatic movement because I believe there are authentic Christians who attend these churches, but I will focus on non-biblical practices in this movement which seem to be in line with mysticism.  One such ritual is the observance of the presence of God in the “glory cloud” at Bill Johnson’s church in Redding, CA, the home base of the hugely popular band Jesus Culture.

In the first video, as the Jesus Culture band plays “Show Me Your Glory” the crowd is fixated on the lights in the ceiling waiting for the “glory cloud…” and it appears at minute 1:45.  Please observe and decide if that is the presence of God…

The next video is a short documentary on Bill Johnson and the “glory cloud” phenomenon at Bethel in Redding, CA.

Let us go back to the Bible and reflect on some passages that tell us about the presence of God and the what truly happens when God “shows up,” and then we can compare such descriptions with what we see in these videos.

Isaiah 6  

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost…”

Exodus 19

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.

Exodus 20

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

Revelation 1

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

The point I am trying to make is that when God truly shows up in a physical way like Bill Johnson claims, THERE WILL BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.  Holy men like John fell “as though dead” in the physical presence of the Lord.  Isaiah said “woe to me” and temple’s foundations shook.  Israel could not bear to hear God’s voice and stand in the presence of God “lest we die.”

And Bill Johnson is trying to convince us that the “glory cloud” made of glitter and fanned by the air conditioning is a sign and wonder of the presence of God?

Feb 5 2013

Proposition to Solve the Abortion Dilemma

The following is a satirical essay by Delight in Truth friend and follower Matt.  Originally written in High School, it brilliantly shames our society into realizing the grave sin and injustice of aborting millions of unborn babies.

My Humble Proposition

 There is an issue which has divided our nation for far too long.  It is an issue that angers many Americans against each other, and I would like to offer my humble proposition to permanently resolve the issue in a way that is both acceptable and beneficial to all.  I propose a solution that would also serve to strengthen our country.  I offer my humble proposition to resolve the issue of abortion.

 First and foremost we would outlaw abortions immediately.  This should assuage the concerns of even the most extreme opponents of abortion.  In conjunction with this we would create a national database for unwanted unborn children.  Any woman who is pregnant and does not want the child would be required to register her child as unwanted.  This can be done any time up to the ninth month of pregnancy or even after birth up to a reasonable age, such as one year.  This does require the woman to carry the child for 9 months, but in exchange it allows her a one year trial with the child after birth to determine if the child is wanted or not.  This is a tremendous benefit over the current abortion-based system because it would allow her to assess the personality of this child in a way she can’t currently because the decision must be made before birth.  Under this program, once the child is declared unwanted, the government would cover all expenses of medical and child care.  Further if the child is declared unwanted after birth she would still be eligible for reimbursement of medical expenses and reasonable child care expenses.

 The next step is, of course, the management of the unwanted children, which I will hereafter refer to simply as Unwanteds.  Certainly there is an expense to U.S. taxpayers for delivering and raising the Unwanteds, but with foresight it should be easy to see the benefits of this system.  The Unwanteds can serve untold benefit to our society.  Education of the Unwanteds can be minimal as they will primarily be working at hard labor and jobs valuable Americans don’t want.  Further their living conditions and food can be kept at minimal levels.  I estimate that by age 12 they can begin to earn their keep in various forms of labor.  It should be possible to create a program in which a percentage of the value generated by the Unwanteds can be provided to their birth mothers as an income source long-term.  This would help compensate the mother for the 9 months of carrying the Unwanted.

 Currently, the military has roughly 1.5 million active members, and 1.5 million reserve members.  Currently there are also roughly 1.5 million abortions annually in the U.S.  You can see that only two years of Unwanteds could populate our entire military.  This would prevent the loss of valuable American lives in any future conflict. The remaining Unwanteds can perform other hazardous or undesirable jobs.  They can provide low-cost factory labor to compete with countries like China.  Those who demonstrate exceptional ability and attitude could be rented for private service to valuable Americans.  Because they are not citizens we need not be concerned with things like a minimum wage, or excessively comfortable working conditions. 

 Perhaps there will be a few who feel this is unfair treatment of the Unwanteds.  One would logically expect, however, that they will in fact be grateful both to their nation and to their birth mothers who offered them the opportunity to live and contribute to their mothers and their nation.  If an Unwanted made the illogical decision that death would in fact have been better, they can always be provided the opportunity to make this decision for themselves.  It might even be possible to create a program in which an Unwanted, of exceptional talent and work ethic, could eventually purchase a Wanted status and become a valued member of American society.  In this scenario it would even be possible to allow a reunion between the grateful Unwanted and the potentially proud birth mother if both parties agreed.

 I believe this solution provides a resolution to the abortion issue that is satisfying for all parties.  We prevent the abortions as opponents desire, but we also create a system in which the mothers are able to convert their Unwanted pregnancies into a much-needed income stream.  This seems to be a benefit to all involved. 

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Feb 4 2013

The Next Progressive Move: Normalizing Pedophilia

Delight in Truth friend and follower Gabe Bogdan draws our attention to the next item on the progressives’ agenda: the normalization of pedophilia as a sexual orientation.  The Los Angeles Times published a post titled “Many experts now view pedophilia as a sexual orientation,” and this is part of their attempt to exude sympathy toward sexual deviancy and one of the worst possible crimes one can imagine.

Let me be clear, this is not an isolated article or opinion.  This movement has gathered steam over the last decade and is closely linked to the gay agenda.  The American Psychiatric Association is the pocket of these progressives, and their meetings frequently address subjects like the stigmatization of the pedophile, the victimhood of the pedophile, the orientation and the needs of the pedophile, and other such subjects building the case for the normalization of pedophilic feelings.

The LA Times proceeds to publish this unholy statement meant to separate pedophilia and molestation:

“Not all pedophiles molest children. Nor are all child molesters pedophiles. Studies show that about half of all molesters are not sexually attracted to their victims. They often have personality disorders or violent streaks, and their victims are typically family members. By contrast, pedophiles tend to think of children as romantic partners…”

The editors at the left leaning, progressive LA Times allowed this statement in the article because they want to validate the point that pedophilia has a romantic basis.

It that not crazy?  Do they not have children of their own? How would they feel if pedophiles start eyeing their children… Hello?!  Satan’s progressive agenda has blinded them to the point of lack of logic.

Much like the homosexuality, lesbianism, transgenderism and transexuality have been accepted as orientations which come naturally to those who profess them, pedophilia is heading in that same direction among academicians. This is now a nefarious train with the inertia of the entire progressive movement behind it.

I predict we will hear arguments such as Jesus never spoke against pedophilic attraction in the Bible.  Or show me where in the Bible it says that it is a sin to have romantic feelings towards children.

I  predict that in 10-15 years romantic desires for children will be accepted as normal in many different levels of our society.  I simply do not want to imagine the possibility of a legal adult-child romantic relationship in the future.  I hope our society will never stoop that low.  I pray that the Holy Spirit and the Church which are still present in the world will restrain the impulse of depravity from reaching that point.

Our children need God’s protection and our protection from pedophiles, no matter what academicians and psychiatrists say about these twisted individuals.

Feb 2 2013

Ray Lewis, When Will You Tell the TRUTH?

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will forever be haunted by a double murder in Atlanta in January 2000.

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Ray Lewis claims to be a changed man, a born-again Christian, but it is this claim that brings shame to the Christian faith. Lewis, the heart and soul of the Superbowl contender Baltimore Ravens has been on a joy ride of fame and glory, but also a ride of depravity and deception.

Ray Lewis, when will you tell the truth about the altercation and the double murder you were involved in following the Superbowl in 2000?

What happened to the white suit you wore at 4 AM in that night club in Atlanta, the suit that investigators could not find and you did not help them find?

The prosecutors were only able to obtain a lesser charge of obstruction of justice against him as all of a sudden witnesses changed their stories and Lewis blamed his friends.  All this despite the fact that the blood of the victims was found in Lewis’s limo.  When he could not be convicted of murder, he settled out of court for millions of dollars with the families of the victims to avoid civil law suits.

If you came clean before God after that event and you changed your life, why do you continue to father children out-of-wedlock with multiple women?

Instead of flamboyance and attention seeking behavior why don’t you practice Christian qualities like meekness, humbleness and the most important of them all, repentance?

But we are getting ahead of ourselves and dwelling on spiritual subjects which clearly do not have much meaning for Ray Lewis. He fathered 6 children ranging in age between 11 and 17 years old with 4 different women, a pattern that continued after the club murders 13 years ago. This is evidence of a life lived in sin for a man who wears his “Christian” faith on his sleeve.

The most important and visible aspect of someone’s conversion is their repentance and the regret they have for the crimes and sins of their past life. This is where Lewis fails, and he gets a pass on it by the sports media and the sponsors.

His actions on the field do are not in sync with his professed faith.  He singles himself out after every play and every win.  It’s all about him.  Victory shouts, dances, in-your-face-rub-it-in attitude that polarizes everyone who sees it.  This is not the way a Christian is supposed to act.

Despite the repertoire of sin, crime and depravity, apparently Rev. Ray preaches in some churches.  Instead of reciting Bible verses and instructing others in the way of the Lord, Lewis needs to first repent and truly repent, and then show the world evidence of his repentance.  And no, donating money to charity is not evidence of repentance.

Repentance must be evident in your everyday actions, in the way you carry yourself, in the way your life undertakes a 180 degree change from before, and in the way you tell the truth.

Ray Lewis is the same loud, flamboyant, arrogant man he always was.

And the TRUTH about the murders is still out there.

Ray Lewis, when will you finally tell the TRUTH?

Feb 1 2013

Scientific and Medical Facts Found in the Bible (part 1)

The Bible is not a science book but it contains TRUTH.  And yes, it contains stunningly precise guidelines and statements based on scientific facts which have been discovered only in the recent past.

In Genesis 17:12 God instituted circumcision on day 8 of life.  Why day 8?  Why not day one? It turns out a critical physiologic development happens between day 2 and day 9 of life with respect to platelet function and clotting.  A leading pediatric hematology book describes the phenomenon of platelet hyporesponsiveness which spontaneously resolves by day 8 of life! It takes about a week before these circulating cellular fragments called platelets develop their full “stickiness” and are able to help prevent hemorrhage during circumcision.  It is more than a mere coincidence that God would command Abraham to perform this ritual when platelet function reaches physiologic maturity.

Before humans understood the concept of a solar system with the Sun found at the center and the Earth rotating on its axis around the sun, Jesus knew this all too well.   The Earth’s 24 hr rotation and exposure to the Sun is responsible for the simultaneous presence of night and day on opposite sides of the planet.  Luke 17:34–36 tells us that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night present on the planet at the same time!  People had no concept of such phenomenon back then!

The prophet Isaiah also receives revelation from God that the earth is round: “It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). This is not a reference to a flat disk, as some skeptics maintain, but to a sphere. The Hebrew word used here  literally means circle or circuit.  Secular man discovered this many years later.  It was in fact Scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world.

In a written statement from Columbus’ own hand, he testified that it was from reading the book of Isaiah that he discovered that the world is round.  He wrote (from his diary, in reference to his discovery of “the New World”): “It was the Lord who put it into my mind. I could feel His hand upon me …  there is no question the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit because He comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures.”

Medical and scientific principles first mentioned in the Bible are many, and we will explore them in upcoming posts.

to be continued…

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