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The Things GOD Hates
These six things YAHWEH hates; yea, seven are hateful to his soul; high eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots evil plans, feet hurrying to run to mischief, a false witness who breathes lies, and who takes pleasure in sending out strife among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-19
It’s a grave and grievous thing for GOD to hate something. GOD created everything, and, in Genesis, declared that everything was ‘good.’ So, I’m personally left to wonder how what has been declared to be ‘good’ can become the object of the Creator’s scorn and loathe. The Bible documents a number of occasions when GOD made His contempt known. The Lord will chastise and reprove the righteous, but the wicked, drawn through their lusts to mischief and wickedness, are violently punished (Psa.11:2, 5, 6; Eze.38:22).
As infinitely patient, longsuffering, and merciful as the Lord eternally is, at some point the willful and unbelieving always reach a breaking point where justice must be meted, and His disobedient children are called to redemption (Isa.1:2-31). God’s judgment is always expeditious, wrapped in the consequences of our recklessness, disobedience, mischief, and treachery. Since the Fall, humanity has been given over to pride and lust in the world (1John 2:15, 16), resulting from our consumption of the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of the evil and the good. Mankind helplessly craves sin, and relentlessly pursues the world with great lust and pride (Rom.7:18, 23; Gal.5:16-21;1John 3:17; Mark 12:44). Despite all, those whom the Lord loves, He corrects, and they humbly receive His chastisement (Job 5:17; 20:3; Prov.27:5; Isa.53:5; Jer.30:14). The wicked will always incur the Lord’s loathe through their prideful rebuff of rebuke and correction (Prov.1:30; 10:17; 15:10,31,32; 17:10; 29:15; 2Tim.3:16).
What the Lord hates falls into seven (Prov.6:16-19) categories of sinful human depravity:
- Pride and haughtiness
- Lying and dishonesty
- Murderers who shed innocent blood
- A heart devoted to the contrivance and implementation of evil
- Feet swift to run toward mischief
- The False Witness
- The Troublemaker who takes pleasure in sowing discord
These abominations all render a person worthless and useless in the eyes of the Lord Who offers redemption and salvation, if only one will repent and turn from these atrocities. The Lord offers correction and practical examples (Psalms 1) of the way of life for which He is calling. Those who accept His correction are saved. However, the fool who dismissively and defiantly refuses chastisement is a bastard and damned for his petulance. The Lord labels these the sons of Belial, worthy of His hatred and eternal derision, their souls the putrid sink for all the world’s evils. The abominations these sinners commit offend and grieve the Lord to the endless depths of His very Soul. These actions are detestable to the Lord, and rightly forbidden by Him, as they separate man from GOD.
Pride
Pride, that inordinate esteem of self and unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank, or human elevation in any office, manifested in lofty airs, imposed distance, feigned reserve, and egregious contempt of others, is an abomination the Lord abhors, forbids, and will judge. People are the Lord’s creation, fully dependent upon Him for everything! Therefore, it is an utter offense to the Holy Ghost for humanity to exude an iota of haughtiness or arrogance for any reason. All gifts, high appointments, talents, and wonders come from the Lord, Who, for that reason, rewards the humble who thank and praise Him for everything, often deliberately passing over the boastfully proud to select and qualify people who exude the wonders of humility, graciousness, and obedience.
A lofty look or haughty bearing largely implies a willful ignorance of the truth of one’s much uglier self, an unkindness and belittlement towards others that is tantamount to abhorrent hatred, and an irreverence to the Creator Who has commanded us all to honor Him by loving each other the way He has loved us. The Lord is neither pleased nor glorified when we look upon ourselves as greater and anything more than He made us to be, presumptuously demanding more from each other than is justifiable or ever deserved. Pride was the sin that felled Lucifer, who presumed to take to the Throne of GOD to receive the worship he thought he commanded as the agent of creation tasked with guarding the seat of endless power (Isa.14:12-17). Pride is the abomination that corrupts and collapses every human empire, most succumbing to the belief that the GOD they’ve decided they don’t really need probably doesn’t exist (Isa.14:18-26). The fool, in the height of his arrogance, has decided in his empty, perverse heart that there is no GOD (Psa.14:1), that he himself is the master of his fate and the captain of his own soul. Pride too easily gives way to self reliance which denies us that dependence on GOD, defiantly renouncing that He alone protects and sustains us. One writer noted that ‘pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.’ Yet another points out that ‘all pride is abject and mean.’ The Word of GOD tells us that pride goes before utter destruction (Prov.16:18), and those who walk in pride the Lord Himself will abase (Dan.4:37). One day, humbled, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the eternal existence of GOD (Phil.2:9-11).
(Lev.26:19; Deu.17:12; 1Sam.17:28; 2Chron.32:26; Job 22:29; 26:12; 35:12; 41:15,34; Psa.10:2,4; 31:18; 36:11; 59:12; 73:6; 89:9; 90:10; Prov.8:13; 11:2; 13:10; 14:3; 29:23; Isa.2:11,17; 4:2; 9:9; 13:11,19; 16:6; 23:9; 25:11; 28;1,3; Jer.13:9,17;48:29; 49:16; Ezek.7:10; 16:49,56; 24:21; 30:6,18; 32:12; 33:28; Dan.4:37; 5:20; Hos.5:5; 7:10; Amos 6:8; 8:7; Oba.1:3; Zeph.2:10; 3:11; Zech.9:6; 10:11; 11:3; Mark 7:22; 1Cor.9:15; 15:31; 2Cor.9:4; James 4:5,16; 1John 2:16)
Lies
A lie is a criminal falsehood, uttered or published for the sole purpose of deception. Regardless of the size or the degree of the lie, it is still the intentional and unacceptable violation of the truth. Whether a mere fiction, a joke, misleading statement, or vain representation, a lie is always intended to deceive or otherwise perjure. It’s the willfulness to deceive that makes a lie. Lies are the false doctrines preached (1John 2), or the idolatrous representations of the true and living God or any false or pagan god (Romans 1). Lies ruin a confidence, causing social harm, irreparably damaging trust.
A lying tongue and a false witness are interchangeable, with the intention of causing harm always aforethought. A lying tongue is not limited to the falsehoods which damage the reputation or another’s position. Liars hate the subjects of their deceit, seeking to hurt them however possible, showing a total disregard for them (Prov.26:28). Lying results in swift judgment from GOD Who will not suffer the presence of a liar (Psa.101:7). The Lord Himself will silence those who speak lies, seeing to it that the consequences of the lie recoils on the head of the liar (Psa.3:11; 5:6; 31:18). GOD hates lies (Prov.12:22; 13:5). The Lord holds liars in the most loathsome contempt and will condemn them Himself in the end (John 8:44; Rev.22:15).
(Deu.33:29; Isa.44:25; Jer.50:36; 1Tim.1:10; Tit.1:12; Rev.2:2;21:8)
(Psa.109:2; Prov.12:19; 21:6; 26:28)
(Mal.3:5; Matt.5:33; John 8:44; Acts 5:3; 23:21; Rom.1:25; 3:7; 9:1; Gal.1:20; Col.3:9; 2Thes.2:11; 1Tim.2:7; Tit.1:2; Heb.6:18; 7:21; James 3:14; 1John 1:6; 2:21,27; Rev.3:9; 22:15)
Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
Murder is the act of unlawfully ending a human life with premeditated malice by a person of sound mind and in full possession of reason. Murder is committed with malice prepense, aforethought, or premeditated, the malice openly implied or unquestionably expressed (Prov.1:11-14). The intent of murder is to ultimately destroy another, to put a permanent end to the very life of another.
Murder is absolutely forbidden by GOD (Exod.20:13; Deut.19:10). So hateful to GOD is the shedding of the blood of that which He formed in His Own Image that He Himself holds the murderer in the greatest contempt for taking the life he cannot restore or replace. All who take a human life are accountable to GOD! GOD did not allow His beloved King David to build Him a house of worship because the king murdered Uriah, an innocent man (2Sam.11:14,15,21; 12:9). At the beginning of human history, GOD charged Cain with the righteous blood of the innocent Abel, blood crying to the Lord from the ground (Gen.4:8). For the murder of Abel, the Lord marked Cain and exiled him (Gen.4:23).
Because the Lord does not Himself shed the blood of the innocent, He does not abide those who do. The shedding of human blood, particularly the blood of an innocent who has done no one any injury (Isa.59:7), is a capital sin, a cardinal offense for which the killer’s blood is demanded (Gen.9:6). The hands of a murderer are defiled before the Lord, the murderer likened unto the devil who exalts himself above GOD and was a slanderous, lying murderer from the beginning of human existence. The Lord reserves judgement for the devil and his bloodthirsty followers who have even gone so far as to martyr His Saints (2Thes.2:4).
(Deu.19:10,13; 21:8,9; 1Sam.19:5; 2Sam.4:11; 2King.21:6; 24:4; Psa.106.38; Prov.1:11; Isa.4:4; 59:7; Jer.7:6; 19:4; 22:3,17; 26:15; Joel 3:19; John 1:14; Matt.27:4,24; Acts 18:6)
Devotion to Wickedness
The wicked are fiercely devoted to the most deviant evil in principle or practice. They are quick to deviate from the Divine law, addicted to vice, ever sinful and immoral. The wicked tend to embrace every thing that is contrary to moral law. These pernicious transgressors are cursed and baneful. They are unreconciled to GOD, unsanctified and impenitent. They viciously scheme to defraud, defile, and injure, eager to succumb to that darkness that lies deep in their ruthless hearts. They are abominable to GOD Who will judge them (Psa.9:5; Prov.2:22; 1Cor.6:9,10).
(Exod.21:14; Josh.22:22; Job 13:7; 21:27,34; Psa.52:2; Isa.24:16; 59:13; Jer.5:27; Ezek. 17:20; Amos 8:5; Matt.26:4)
(Psa.7:14; 10:2-15; 11:2-6; 12:8; 26:5; 28:3; 31:17; 32:20; 34:21; 36:1-11; 37:10-40; 39:1; 49:1; 50:16; 55:3,15; 58:3,10; 59:5; 64:2; 68:2; 71:4; 73:3; 75:4-10; 82:2,4; 91:8; 92:7; 94:3-20; 97:10; 101:8; 104:35; 106:18; 109:2; 112:10; 119:53,61,95,110,119,155; 129:3,4; 140:8; 141:10; 145:20; 146:9; 147:6)
Given to Mischief
Mischief is the harm, the hurt, the injury, or the damage consequent from iniquity. Laws are usually created to remedy mischief. That notwithstanding, there are those who are swift to indulge mischief, those whose feet are listless in the ways of brotherly service or holy worship. These are fast and eager to bask in the glow of the embers of treachery that beget mischief, especially to the harm of those who serve the Lord. They are hated of GOD.
(Job 4:8; 20:27; 21:19; Psa.36:4; Isa.13:11; 59:3-7; Jer.13:22; 14:10; 16:10,17,18; Mic.2:1; Hab.1:3; Zech.3:4; Rom.3:15)
Perjury
Willfully making a false oath or statement when lawfully affirming to tell the truth is not just criminal, but abominable in the eyes of the Lord. False witness is abhorrent and forbidden by GOD (Exo.23:1). A false witness is the destroyer of all justice between man and man. It’s an unpardonable evil the Lord has ordered the righteous to put away from themselves (Deut.19:18-21).
(Exo.23:1; Deut.19:15-21; Prov.12:17; 14:5; 19:5; 21:28; Isa.30:8; Matt.12:34)
Discord
Discord is more than simple disagreement. Discord is that degree of the loss of order between people that is born from variance, opposition, contention, or strife. It’s that degree of dispute wherein anger produces heated contest and litigious wrath. It’s a thunderous clashing without moderation, resolve, or remedy. This provoked rage devolves into disharmony and disunity.
When this degree of discontent is deliberately provoked, the Lord is angered, as He hates discord and those who provoke it (Zech.8:17). The aim of the worthless sower of discord is to breed disunity where there is peace and harmony. These troublemakers delight in arousing acrimony and antagonism. In modern times, this evil has been normalized to include provoking unnecessary wars, breaking up families, and the destruction of fellowship among the faithful, all for the smug self satisfaction or for self gain of a troublemaker. Those who sow discord are abominable (Prov.6:14), in direct contrast to the peacemakers who seek to bring unity and maintain harmony (Matt.5:9).
(Prov.6:14; 22:10)
(Gen.13:7,8; 26:21; Num.20:13; Psa.55:9; 80:6; Prov.6:12; 17:1,19; 18:6; 20:3; 22:10; 26:21; Jer.15:10; Ezek.27:10; 30:5)
(Isa.26:3,12; 32:17; 52:7; 54:10; 57:21; Matt.5:9; 10:14,34; Mark 9:50; Acts 10:36; Rom.2:10; 5:1; 14:17,19; 15:13; 1Cor.7:15; 14:33; 16:11; 2Cor.13;11; Gal.1:3; 5:22,23; Eph.2:14-17; 4:3; Phil.4:9; Col.1:20; 3:15; 1Thess.5:3-23; Heb.12:14; James 3:18; 1Pet.3:11; Rev.6:4)
This list of things GOD hates is not exhaustive, yet rather explicit. These seven deadly, forbidden practices address the human attitudes of thought, speech, action, and influence. The Lord is defining what He hates through the epitomizing of that which He has deemed worthless (Prov.6:12-15), those who, for their personal amusement or gain, cause others to experience inconvenience or suffering. These (Prov.6:12) have nothing in common with faithful believers (2Cor.6:15), and will be judged for their actions in the end (Rev.22:10,11).
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A ‘Christian Nation Versus Divine Election – Part II
God Blessed America
I take serious umbrage with the smug, fatuous manner in which the status quo of contemporary church attendees interchange the Divine designation of God’s faithful Saints with the anything-but-Christian bastardy of the so-called Christian nation. There is a vast and glaring difference in a nation predicated on her devotion to the Way, the Truth, and the Light, and a God-free nation barely able to recognize the Ten Commandments and the 23rd Psalm. Christian sanctification is a far cry from the modern day process for solidifying local church membership. The true Church, that inveritable Body and Bride of Christ, is not the product of the contemporary cultish process of pedestrian evangelism, dogmatic brainwashing, and the requisite participatory idolatry of an unbiblical humanly defined Jesus, sadly mistaken for Christian practice in too many congregations these days.
Much to America’s spiritual undoing, her Constitutional rights of the freedom to practice any religion have devolved into an anti-Christianity wherein a different Jesus with whom any practitioner can readily identify has arisen to be personally deified and worshipped, while the true Gospel has been obtrusively amended to incorporate incredulously surreal lies, fruitless physical exercises, catchy unbiblical mantras, deviant misleading testimonies, extravagant signs and CGI wonders, deceitful rhetoric, and sensational magicians’ tricks, now sinisterly published and broadcast as a marketable, lucrative and taxable form of wholesome entertainment. For this sham salvation, the Bible is merely another stage prop dismissively exploited, unconscionably contorted, and only tolerated so long as it’s used to support this unseemly circus motivated by just about everything but the love for God, the call to repentance, and the propagation of the Gospel of Peace.
America, in and of herself, is a sanctimoniously exaggerated deification of humanistic secularism spectacularly and alarmingly offered up for universal subversion of the world. She is the brilliant golden image by which the awestruck world is mesmerized, after which all are enticed to wonder, to honor and serve with all our hearts, souls, resources, and strength. Her deceitful, mysterious allure fascinates the whole planet as not only this world’s greatest inspiration, but its highest aspiration. Her pseudo-Christian super humanity is little more than an elusive convergence with some esoteric destiny of self aggrandizement every USA-branded believer chasing the American Dream feverishly wars to achieve, forsaking and renouncing all, fighting all enemies, foreign and domestic, hoping to one day to capture God’s throne, wear His crown and wield His scepter over Satan and all other adversaries, to claim full dominance in this world.
Every true American patriot strives to one day secure the entitlements endowed upon only the remarkably blessed to have the recognized Elysian acquiescence of Manifest Destiny, a wily contrivance scandalously drawn from a sparse few craftily selected Biblical passages our pathocratic forefathers enjoyed twisting out of any meaningfully reasonable context. The American founders’ intent was never the provisioning of Christian Americans with the Word of GOD unto Abundant Life for all, but, by hook or crook, to shamelessly further their own avaricious agendas and to ruthlessly advance their own zealously protected fortunes. For these elite, wanton, greedy, predatory sociopaths, the Kingdom of GOD has never been so much as a remote afterthought in the deepest darkest nether reaches of their godless consciousness, but rather just a useful tool and artful weapon available to them to brazenly manipulate and cunningly control their own kingdoms as gods, replete with hand picked priests to lead their rebellious, unruly acolytes into the blasphemous irreligious whoring of nationalistic idolatry, obstinately flaunting their contempt for Christ and resistance to His Kingdom. (Matt.24,25; Mark 13; 1Pet.1; Jude 3-23).
These willfully misguided acolytes, on whom this cruel beast sacrilegiously preys, piously honor and adore the beast. They gleefully celebrate the licentious flag draped, blood thirsty, power drunk, bare breasted whore who lasciviously straddles the beast, facetiously shouting liberty, equality, and freedom, all the while scorching the earth with loathe, oppression, ignorance, and fear. To the damnation of their very souls, they proudly, with hedonistic abandon, take the mark of this beast onto their right hands and foreheads, condemned in mind, body, heart, and spirit to daily endure full consumption in the unquenchable flames atop the blood drenched, molten altars of this ravenous insatiable monstrosity that defiantly denies, yet disparagingly arrogates the Divine attributes of Christ for no other reason but to destroy His Body and subdue and humiliate His Bride (Rev.12,13).
For this egregious denial of Christ and the corruption of the Gospel, the impudent West, America in particular, is truly blessed to have enjoyed the patience and mercy of the Lord for so many centuries. Certainly, though, as this age of grace draws to its prophesied close, the cup of America’s insidious indignation is full and overflowing (Rev.16,17,18). America is ripe for the wrath of God. The faithful Saints bear witness to her consequent Divine judgments in real time daily, with her very worst yet to come.
God’s Elect, The Saints
With the passage of each minute, the Lord is separating His sheep from these dastardly goats. The true Saints, the Good Shepherd’s steadfast flock, know His Voice, and no stranger will they ever follow (John 10:1-30). The Saints are not blessed by virtue of American citizenship, but adoption and grace through faith in Christ’s Work of the Cross at Calvary. Saints enjoy the spiritual blessings of repentance, redemption, forgiveness of our sins, and the gift of being sealed with the Holy Ghost. Our privileges are not national, but relevant to all Christ’s sheep. The spiritual blessings of the Saints include, but are not limited to pardon, peace, and an earnest spirit, precious to all who believe. God has blessed His Saints in regards to all heavenly matters (Eph.1:20) with precious eternal graces in preparation for heaven. These spiritual blessings were promised at Creation (Eph.1:28), with the New Creation now a blessing of GOD eagerly, yet patiently anticipated (1Pet.1:5).
The Saints have been blessed with not just mere temporal blessings, but also with eternal purpose, a Divine fixed purpose for goodness and fullness for all eternity (John 3:6; Rom.8:9-11; 1Cor.15:44; Eph.1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). The Saints bless GOD the Father, we bless our Savior and Mediator Jesus Christ, and we bless The Power that Seals us unto the Day arrives, the Holy Ghost. We have believed, hoped, and trusted in the Triune GOD, blessing GOD, neither to invoke nor to confer a blessing on Him, but to celebrate His greatness and goodness, to glorify and honor Him, to thank, praise, and magnify Him for His grace and mercy to us. We thank and praise GOD for His Son the Christ, for His deliverance, salvation, healing, and restoration. For when we were lost and literally damned, He Who knew no sin saw fit to redeem us and bless us to be with Him in heavenly places (Num.6:27; Eph.1:10; John 15:2-5; 17:21; Rom.12:5; 1Cor.1:30; 12:12; 2Cor.5:17,21).
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A ‘Christian’ Nation Versus Divine Election – Part 1
The other morning while listening to a Bible teacher on the radio, all the students listening were encouraged to thank GOD for everything. With that, I had no problems. I awaken every morning, grateful to GOD for His Divine grace and mercy, for the blessings of salvation, loving family, good friends, my own life, good health, reasonable strength, a sound mind, shelter, clothes, food, breathable air, potable water, and everything else, all blessings which I can never take for granted. I am grateful to GOD for everything.
The teacher then implored us all to thank GOD that America was still a Christian nation. At that, I paused. First of all, the teacher made that insidiously sanctimonious declaration as if America had been founded on Biblical tenets, and, over the centuries of her guile infested existence, had overcome satanic obstacles to now affirm before the world her national unwavering devotion to Jesus. I was annoyed and dumbfounded by such flagrant chicanery, bothered that this deliberate fallacy was facetiously propagated as truth and light. With everything going on in America today, by any contorted stretch of the most liberally generous definitions of Christendom, who, in good conscience with a straight face, can ever dare to claim that the United States of America has ever been a ‘Christian‘ nation? This great nation boasts many who name the Name of Jesus, but the wicked, corrupt heart of America has always been far from Him (Matt.15:8; Isa.29:13; Eze.33:31; Jer.12:2; Acts 8:21; Heb.3:12).
Now, before all the Christian patriots heap kindling to burn alive a godless, hateful, flag-burning, anti-American traitor, let me set the record straight. I do love America. Come what may, I still can’t imagine living anywhere else on earth beyond the American Midwest, preferably in Saint Louis. That notwithstanding, I can’t ever deny that America has paved in gold and guttered in platinum that perditious broadway that runs directly into the infernal abyss of hell (Matt.7:13, 25:41,46; Gen.6:5,12; Psa.14:2-3; Prov.7:27, 16:25; Isa.1:9; Rom.3:9-19, 9:22; 2Cor.4:4; Eph.2:2,3; Phil.3:19; 2 Thess.1:8,9; 1John 5:19; 1Pet.4:17,18; Rev.20:15).
Sure, America, constitutionally guarantees me limited rights and meticulously defined restrictions for my public benevolence and devotion to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That same Constitution also circumvents the influencing of governance by any religious group, regulating belief systems of any kind with an almost dogmatic shielding of the state from any expression of piety. You see, America has no nationally recognized, constitutionally validated institutions of religion, nor any semblance of a statement of faith. Her true god is the reprobate golden calf virulently idolized in the many graceless temples of her myriads of deviant money changers, carnal materialistic despots wickedly devoted to sadistically merchandising and fully consuming humanity’s soul. Her most hallowed creeds and solemn convictions are predicated on the root of all her evils, worldly gain. Her oft broadcast mesmerizing priesthood lulls her brainwashed, comfortably numb acolytes to their graves through the dreadful winding maze of the civilly prejudicial orthodoxy of despondency and loathe, dangerously riddled with humanistic ambiguities distinguished by her grating, insufferable arrogance, unforgivable ignorance, a banal sense of entitlement, wrenching grasping covetousness, narcissistic conceits, and relentless idolatry. All the while America coyly chants her trite, obtusely alluring mantra to pursue her elusive hollow brass incentives to shamelessly and unregretfully reproach oneself, it becomes pitifully obvious that the American Dream is that horrific final state wherein a self deluding knave becomes the miserable prisoner of his own wretched excesses and grievously insatiable desires.
The truth is, America is only grudgingly tolerant of the truths of the Christian faith when she needs a spectacularly ubiquitous distraction to cloak her ugliness, sniveling double-minded sycophants to justify and condone her treachery, or that soothing balm from Gilead to try to relieve and comfort her when her squalid anguished soul is mercilessly taunted by the ruthless demons consequent from her defiantly committing the most vile, egregious, unconscionable abominations known throughout the annals of iniquity. America couldn’t care less about God’s church, true Christian faith, the truth of GOD, or anything else esteemed by those who anxiously, patiently and lovingly await His appearing. America vainly attributes God’s many blessings toward her to her own ingenuity and industriousness. While America has acknowledged the existence of GOD, she sees no real need or use for Him. America finds it tediously vexing that this great God of Eternal Love, Whom these irascible Christians so adore, can’t be even remotely tolerant of and consenting to her scandalous, offensive, detestable, fiendish peccancy. For that reason, she petulantly scorns His faithful adherents with nothing but derision, resentment and contempt (Matt. 5:11; 10:22; 24:9; Luke 6:22; John 15:18, 19, 23-35; James 4:4; 1John 3:13). Thus, the American Way is utterly irreconcilable to the entirety of the Gospel of the Way, the Truth, and the Light.
So, unlike many who follow Christ in America, I refuse to ever claim to live in a Christian nation. Rather, I’m an ambassador for Christ (John 20:21; Eph.6:20; 2Cor.5:20), a humble sojourning stranger merely passing through this weary land, enroute to my promised reward of Heaven. At most, I have been blessed to live in fat, indolent, indifferently depraved America (Ezek.16:48-51) during times of her greatest strength and prosperity, for which I am indeed grateful to GOD. But for the grace and mercy of GOD, my fortunes could have been far worse, with far more harrowing circumstances. I’ve neither suffered much and struggled long, nor endured extreme want and unbearable despair. That, however, no more makes America a Christian nation than my standing in the garage makes me a Buick. That just means I’ve personally been blessed and Divinely favored.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love; having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved, in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him; in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will; to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ.
Ephesians 1:4 – 12
Divine Election
The confusion that exists regarding the state of America’s struggles to feign godliness, derived from the church attending status quo’s desperate need to preserve long held social standards while stridently sustaining cherished worldviews, is directly connected to the ignorance of the doctrine of Divine Election. The doctrine of Divine Election differs from the general venue of God’s grace that permits a man or a nation to not only exist, but to flourish, achieving great feats in the world, in strict keeping with God’s Divine will.
According to the Word of GOD (Ps.145:9; Jer.27:6; Dan.4:17; Dan.2:21; Jer.25:9; Matt.5:45), the Creator of the Universe can elect whomever He will whenever He chooses to carry out His eternal will or enjoy His blessings. Nebuchadnezzar was allowed to grow strong and even take captive the people of GOD, but Babylon wasn’t at all godly or righteous. Babylon was highly blessed, industrious, mighty in military strength, rich in academia, technologically advanced, and most beautiful. God even humbled Nebuchadnezzar to the point where the mighty king was forced to concede that the God of Israel was the ONLY GOD. Yet, though GOD greatly used Babylon and her king during that period of human history, could Nebuchadnezzar be counted amongst the elect of the Lord? Was Babylon ever converted to the state of godliness resulting from the epiphany of their king? The god-fearing righteous of Israel walked among the Babylonians the same way the true and earnest followers of Jesus walk among the godless in America today. Yet, whom does the Lord favor from the foundations of the universe? Was Babylon’s god ever the Lord?
So, let’s first accept the reality that everyone naming the Name of the Lord is not a true member of His Body. While many claim to have made His acquaintance, He does not know a lot of these claimants (Matt.7:23; Luke 13:27). The Lord has, however, revealed Himself to a remnant of humanity whom He Himself has designated for salvation. This elect remnant, called out at the commencement of eternity, and forever endowed with unique privileges(Eph.1.4; Luke 10:42; 1Cor.1:27; Mark 13:20), is blessed forever.
The Plan of GOD for His Elect
The Apostle Paul opens his epistle to the Church at Ephesus with the exaltation of gratitude to GOD for for His spiritual endowment of abundant grace and generous gifts (Eph.1:1-3; Deu.28:1-14; 1Cor.1:3) conferred to His saints through His Holy Spirit, justifying and sanctifying them, thereby building their faith in Him (Col.1:20; Eph.1:20; Matt.5:3-11; Matt.6:20, 21). This liberal conveyance of heavenly things has prepared the faithful for heavenly places. The saints for their faithfulness are imbued with the precious things pertaining to eternal life and godliness, such as peace, pardon, protection and adoption, blessed from heaven through the redemptive works of Christ. Christ has saved them from the reach of any enemy, sin, Satan, and the world (Num.6:7; Act.19:11,19; Eph.4:8).
Thanks to the crucified, risen, ascended Christ, the Holy Ghost had applied to the blood washed and fire baptised every lasting, substantial foundation and legacy of eternity in heaven good for the believers in Christ (Phi.1:27; Eph.2:19). This faithful remnant receives every comprehensive fulness of grace in Christ. All the blessings and sure mercies of the everlasting covenant, all the good things pertaining to life and godliness, and promise of eternal life in heavenly places forever with the Lord belong to His Saints. The fulfillment of the blessedness of the Saints will be in heaven, where hope is laid up and Divine inheritance is reserved (John 3:12; 1Cor.15:40,48,49; Phi.2:10; 1Pet.1:5).
To be continued…….
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Dangerous Liaisons
Ministers of God Genuflect before Mammon Faith Sells Out I’m an Anglican Priest in Canada, watching in disbelief as the Trump administration trashes every high principle which we know that most people of the U.S. hold dear. With my brother and his extended family living in Massachusetts, New York, Florida and California, what happens south […]
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The Great Pretender Commits a Sacrilege!
A Souless Fraud
Somebody is Gonna Burn in Hell Over This Blasphemy
The world has just witnessed a shameless exhibition of hypocrisy, one that rises to the level of blasphemy, conducted by the shameless charlatan who by a grievous accident of history, made possibe by the triumph of the untutored white mob weilding ballots, now occupies the Oval Office of the American presidency. Donald J. Trump – a serial philanderer, compulsive liar, vainglorious braggart, and avaricious money grubber – as ungodly a man as has ever ascended to this omnipotent office; which has sheltered thieves, slaveholders and mass murderers such as his idol Andrew Jackson – called a press conference on the White House lawn to announce his latest Executive Order, “Defending Religious Liberty.”
The monstrous dimensions of this sacrilegous fraud is clear to anyone who pays attention to American politics. Trump’s Executive Order is a transparent…
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“We have this treasure…” #ShineAlready — Life, Gratitude, Faith, & Passion
This morning I still have a smile on my face, because my experience at White Memorial Church in Willow Spring reminded me that the Body of Christ is alive, well, and active in small communities of faith scattered all over this land.
via “We have this treasure…” #ShineAlready — Life, Gratitude, Faith, & Passion
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