Sherlock's Deductions

This is my latest blog. In the tradition somewhat of my former old blog, "Athens Independent News", I will be taking a look at News, Scripture and Life through my mindset of deductive thinking. I examine naturally everything by who, what, when, where, why and how. Drives some crazy, but that is just the way I think, and have thought most of my life.
While attending college, I majored in journalism and photography, and received my A.A. degree in this field. I also served as college staff news writer and photographer. I even got to be involved as a Journalist when President Ford came to town, and went through all the rig ma role to sit in the area of other famous journalist and photograph him, one of my favorite that I have taken only because of his importance.
I later went on to work for a small town newspaper in New Mexico, where I was on the Editorial Staff as Religious News Editor, Photographer and Feature story writer. In 1977 I also substitute taught public school for a year.
From 1979-1983, I started working in the "just kicking into major gear" cable and satellite television industry, I started as an installer, then became a technician, moved up as a Chief Technician, then into management and contracting. Meantime, I went to school for Digital Electronics in New Mexico because of my introduction to the first home PC's and work I had to do with them for my Satellite Technician position. My first- a Radio Shack TRS-80, then I bought a TI-99 4A.. all had a whopping 9k memory and cassette tape for storage and backup. Computers as I know and experienced over the years, are far advanced from the days of their introduction to the public. In the mid 90's I built BBS boards for dialup,and had one of the first for Private Investigators and then was on the Internet as soon, as it was publically available, so I have been on the long haul of computer technology for a very long time.
In 1984, Investigations fell into my life, while doing some freelancing and owning my own photography and video business, I was hired by a PI to do some work for Him, then in 1985, I opened my own Private Investigation and Security company in Aspen, Colorado, from 1985- 1991, I ran a very successful PI agency there even being awarded "Who's Who in Law Enforcement" and Who's Who in the West" and received accolades by local television and newspaper coverages. During this time from 1988-1991, I also acquired State Certification as a Firefighter and Certified EMT-B working on my Advanced Life Support, I attended classes on IV and cardio interpretation, passing both with A's. I logged thousands of hours on calls during this time in Emergency Services. I even got to assist in autopsies with the local pathologist! Learned a lot from that yucky experience.
In 1991 upon relocation to Texas, after selling the business, I served for a short time as a Medic in a metropolitan hospital. I went on to work in sales, customer service, computer networking, repair and back into Security Management where I ran Security for a major Fortune 500 company, for their largest warehouse facility in the United States, meanwhile in all this I attended UT of Tyler working on my Criminal Justice degree.
I also served as Private Police Chief for a Private Community. From 1997-1999 I had another PI business in Texas, closed that one, then again in 2001-2002, I had one, doing mostly public record research for various companies that I contracted to, and I did some pro-Bono criminal defense investigation work. Worked in a boys home in 2001 for about six months, sold burglar and fire alarms whatever it took to make a living, did consulting and more. My life was seriously changed two days before that Thanksgiving after 911, my wife was killed an a car accident sitting right beside me. We were to be married twenty seven years that coming January. I remarried in 2003, and now have three daughters (step) and nine grandchildren (step), all the same I consider them blood because of my love for them and theirs for me.
Since I left Security, Private Investigation, and Computer Networking, I worked in telephone sales and customer service, doing two years working in Health Human Services working the "CHIP" program "Children's Health Insurance Program" for the State of Texas through a private contractor. I am no longer working due to health issues, but in this time, I have written and published a book entitled "The Bondage," a Christians fictional short story. Located here for purchase http://thebondage.webs.com and many other places online Barnes and Noble, Lulu, Scribd, Wisdom books and others and soon to be on Amazon books, available in several formats, including audio. The book is written very simple for a teenagers reading as well. Written for 7th graders level and up. I am presently working on a crime novel, and another that I hope will become a significant book in Christianity, long after I am gone.
I have been studying the Bible since age six, and have spent thousand upon thousand of hours, researching, digging in, studying church history, language, etc. I served over these years in the capacity from time to time as Youth Pastor, Sunday School Teacher, Pastor, and in Evangelical Missions and as a Street Evangelist. I have planted and pastored a formal church and a home church. I have a permanent strong relationship with one dear brother in Christ, who we share like minds and heart and share our walk in Christ.
I have an honorary Doctorate Degree in Divinity and remain an Ordained Minister,both of these are just paper to hang on the wall, like about 30 other certificates, degrees and other accolades of men in both the "religious field and the job field" Matter of fact, they are all packed in a box along with my A.A. degree and all my other educational and work accolades.
I mention these, only because many to most, want some educational or experience resume, rather then the " I have walked with Jesus", like Peter and John.
I do have experience, and my personal study time exceeds anything I would have ever accomplished in "cemetary." My word for Seminary. Why? "The letter of the law kills, it is the Spirit that gives life."
I can hold my own against the geniuses of religion, because in spite of many of their carnal mindsets, and carnal thinking and reasoning, only the Holy Spirit is our guide into all truth, and He has been my teacher far too long to bend a knee to man's pridely accomplishments in "churchianity and their education."

Study the Bible, yes, but without the one who wrote the book telling you what the book is all about, you offer nothing but dead doctrines, dead words, and not Spirit and Life.
My faith is in the Living Word, not the written words of men nor am I a bible worshiper, I honor it, as it is the Story that leads to the knowledge of Christ the one we must worship and thus we must worship "Him" in Spirit and Truth. We are not called to worship the Story book, but the one that the Story is about.
Most of all, all my experiences, my walk with Christ and my work in this world, have provided me a wide variety of experience with people, places, skills and more. I also have been working with computers since the inception of them to the public, and have worked in Networking, PC repair and computer construction, software development, database design. I created, designed and marketed a software that was sold on the Internet to the public, and a two databases for loss prevention departments. and colloborated with two other people in their programming development, on both of these to sell on the Internet successfully before 911.
One of them which was sold and exclusively designed for and sold to Sony Productions Loss Prevention. The other was for Target Department Stores, warehouse, loss prevention department.
I have held positions in management, supervision, consultation and more.
To be quite honest, I have far more experiences in various lines of work then I care to mention here. I don't mention these to brag, but to explain, when I talk often I talk from experience not from research on a subject, or book learning, but actual job experience in the field to which I may be addressing and spiritual experience I may be referring to.
Often, because I do have knowledge of these things, which people are unaware of they think you are "a know it all". Well, I don't know it ALL but I hate to say it, I do know a lot more then most people just because of these varied experiences. Which can be backed up with letters of recommendations and personal references.
Written letters for the jobs, and letters of the heart for the walk with Christ.
I did what ever my heart determined to set out to do in the areas of work and career. I wanted to do something, so I did it. Choices we are given in good and evil, human will to salvation we have "none." Man has the power of choice to do the things as a human, whether good or evil, but none of these make for Holiness or Righteousness, these are reserved to God and His will, and only by His will men may be saved. The wonderful thing is He wills it, and it will be done. When it comes to spiritual things, we confuse our fleshly life with that of the Spirit, here we have our will in the flesh, but in the Spirit, there is only God's will. Thus no man comes to salvation by his human will, it is a divine act of God from beginning to end. I am not a Calvinist, or Armenian, I am one who believes in Universal Reconciliation, that God will restore ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF because He did so at the Cross, and His Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven. In heaven there are no lost souls or creatures of his, thus he there will be none in the end AT ALL that are lost or cast off for some human imaginary torment for eternity. The Wages of sin is death, and Jesus took care of the spiritual death, we will only have to die the physical death. Adam brought sin and death to all, Christ will bring life to all. That says it all! Some lost and being in eternal torment, some found living in bliss while the majority suffer the pangs of a cruel punishment, that theology is for children, not those who have been trained up in love. That is not my theology, though it was at one time, until years of experience, and His love showed me His heart of hearts, and God is Love, not a tyrant.
Now I am in the closing days of my life, I want only to share the one thing that has carried me through this life, in all the good times, and the bad times and believe me, there have been many bad times, but my faith has sustained and my love of God all because of my Savoir - His name is Jesus Christ.
Now that you know most of what there is to know about me, on the positive side of men, and what they consider important and on some on my walk in Christ, you decide if you choose to read anything here. You can judge me right off, and perhaps miss some tremendous information and experiential knowledge and call me "anathema" or you can inquire and read this blog, and let God be judge in the end, of all things.
This site is simply a blog where I can share my insights, ideas, life,things I may be examining in the world outside of myself, and things within myself. It is a share site containing my many daily deductions or investigations of life and what is going on around us, and what may be going on inside of us.
BTW, I hate Facebook, it is a place of cruelty, and far too much snobbery and rejection of others, all the Social pages are. If you want to read this or not, I will never know, but I know those who supposedly call themselves my friends and family, and they are the most judgmental of all and many like them. I make this judgement based on experience of wasting my time there for over a year.
I hope you enjoy this blog and will comment from time to time. Any questions may be addressed to my Google email. May the Lord keep you and bless you beyond all you could ever imagine. I can boast of nothing, for it has all been of the Lord, for He reigns. I can only share my experiences learned and things I have learned and things I am learning, if you would like to be included or not included in my life, that is your choice. If you disagree with my views or experience, then do so, but don't use my personal blog to do so, send me email. I will be glad to discuss your disagreements, or judgements of me. Don't comment here, unless you have something good to say. I don't need another Facebook account, thank you. This is my BLOG!

Joe Black

Welcome to "It's Finished in Christ"

This is my newest blog, where I will explore the meaning of Christ words at the cross for Him and the world. So drop in often, as I talk about the COMPLETED VICTORY of CHRIST THE VICTOR, THE TRIUMPHANT KING OF GLORY.

Joseph Black D.D.

On The Backroad to Heaven

I have just completed reading a book I mentioned a long time ago to others, which I had not had the chance to read as of yet at that time but I had read a short review on it somewhere. The book is a wonderful examination of the AnaBaptist as they are today. This book examines all the "Old Order" as it is known.
A complete description of the Hutterites, the Mennonites, the Amish and the German Brethern or aka the Brethern.
This book will give you insight to a wonderful group of people who have managed in many ways to hold onto the early Christian "church" practices. One must remember the AnaBaptist were the Radical Reformationist, as they were the ones, that in the Reformation took steps to restore the Ekklesia to the practices and way of life of the Early Ekklesia before the Church Fathers (The Paternalistic Age). Their practices really did everything they could to hold onto the biblical precept of the Priesthood of All Believers with Sitters Rights, Communal living, non- resistance, separation from the world and worship not being just something you do on Sunday in a building but something that involves every aspect of life daily, work and play and the way in which one lives their life, a life lived unto the Lord.
They were highly persecuted, hated and killed by the Reformationist, Luther and Calvin hated them, because they stood in great contradiction to the One Leader, Temple worship that even the Reformationist held on to. They held onto the Agape Feast, true Communion ( the meal and community), separation from the world and it's temptations in a life style that we "civilized folks" think odd.
Even today, many look at them oddly, no more than we are looked at oddly by them.
This book will bring you to an understanding of their ways, their dress codes, their dislike for technology and more. You will learn how it has sustained them for 100's of years in their way of life. They have very little crime in their communities, very little government and live simple lives unto God.
Though not perfect, in my opinion each group of them hold something very special that dates back to the times of the Apostles and the true teaching of Christ. It is very unlike American and Catholic-Protestant Christianity that has been Westernized and has thousands of years of pagan cultural pollution.
These are a simple and humble people who have found community and relationship more important than individualism. The group is more important than the individual and the teachings of Christ encompass more than just a once a week thing or a building exercise. These people make Christ their way of life in all they say and do. They reject the Kingdom of Men for the Kingdom of God, and have made great strides to keep it that way.
I would highly recommend this study of the AnaBaptist as they are today, to any serious student of the Bible and Church History. It is written by Donald B. Kraybill and Carl F. Bowman. Donald is a professor of Sociology and AnaBaptist Studies at Messiah College. Carl is professor and chair of the department of Sociology at Bridgewater College. Written from a Sociological examination and not a theological or ecclesiastical study of church history, it will provide you greater understanding and enlightment to these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that in my opinion hold forth the traditions of Paul and the Apostles and the teachings of Christ greater than any other Christian groups known. We as the Ekklesia of Christ can learn much from their way of life and their teachings. Though they have had some crucial things to deal with as the world about them is constantly changing, they manage in their exclusiveness of some of the ways of this world to hold onto community and interpersonal relationships with like minded believers in a tremendous way.
Much of what is missing in Western denominations, because of the procedures and traditions of the institutional church which consist of much which can be proved as a carryover from Catholicism, and pagansim and the writings of Ignatius, Gregory, Constantine and others (the so called "church" fathers) is why so many Christians wonder from building to building hoping to find that real life of Christ in them. They never will through the traditions and practices of the institutional church. There are none of the surviving aspects of the Early Church left in it, as led by the Apostles and as taught by Jesus.You can barely even realize what it was like to be a Christian in the times of the Apostles in any of the institutional denominational "churches".
The greatest thing that these people have held onto is community and love for their enemy and love for one another. Their deep respect for each other, their humbleness, their lack of pride, and their consistent love for one another, preferring others over self is to be admired. It makes me stand in awe, to see these groups and their variation in which they have managed to survive it all- the constant onslaught of the world upon us.
Ekklesia is defined within their community as the real body of Christ, the "Congregation", the individual as a whole represented by the entire community is the dwelling place of the most high and not a building made by hands.
In the brethern who probably hold to the closest example when it comes to matters of the sinner and the saint and worship and to the way the early Ekklesia governed themselves by the leading of the Holy Spirit. In my opinion they most closely resemble the time of the Apostles and what we read of in the Book of Acts. Every man and woman has a voice in the decisions of the whole. Though there are Elders (a multiplicty), they are not selected by their intelligence, their ability to preach, their scholarly achievements, their degrees or ordinations, but by their older age, and exemplary lives they have lived and their humbleness. The average today AnaBaptist has an 8th grade education, but in my opinion their love and servitude of the Lord far exceeds that of most of our Doctorates and PHd's in the opposing denominations. No seminary can prepare a man to leadership of life example. No education can do this for a man, only a life lived in Christ.
For as it was said of Peter and some of the others, these men were recognized not to have been educated men, but men that had walked with the Lord Jesus. When the sermon goes, the building goes, the one man show- the Pastor goes, and the tradition goes, then Christ can resume his throne of Lordship as High Priest for all the priesthood of all believers and life will return to the Ekklesia. The world will be turned upside down for Jesus.
For there won't be a place to go and worship, for worship will encompass all of what a man does and says. There won't be one special super spiritual mediator to Christ - the Pastor or Priest anymore and each member of the body will exercise their gifts as the Holy Spirit provides the gifting. There will be no more temples or special buildings in which God dwell, but the purpose of Jesus in disposing of all these Judaic and pagan practices will have ceased and God will be found where he always wanted to dwell, in the heart of each and every believer, individually and as a whole. When the educated professors of Theology and Homiletics, and Church Life are all gone, the Holy Spirit will be able to do all the teaching as he intended to.
No man, will say Know the Lord, for all will have been taught of the Lord. There will be no more sermons, no more evangelizing, no more emotional ferris wheels of pleasure, there will be only the Lord, the resurrected Lord living and breathing through the congregation of His people, encouraging, judging and praying for us as a whole. The Ekklesia can change when it steps back to the years of 30 AD to 100 AD and throws out all the garbage and traditions of men that has held us back from being God's own people - the called out one's- a strange and peculiar people, strangers and aliens to this world.
I pray for the Radical Reformation of the "church". I pray that we could take the best of what the AnaBaptist taught and believe today from across all the 4 groups and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ out the rest of our days, hastening the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray for a revelation of these truths to every believer, to every man that stands in as a Pastor or office holder in the institutional church, and that they would lay down their titles before the feet of the Lamb, and say- I am giving it all up for Jesus, "let the Lord reign". "I sacrifice my title to be a function of the body and not the head of the body", so Christ can take the Head once more, and we can as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, when she questioned Jesus who was right, them or the Jews in where they worshipped. Jesus response was to the point "Those that worship God will worship in Spirit and in Truth.
May God bless us with a REAL REVIVAL AND REFORMATION- that will lead us into the very heart of Christ. May the Ekklesia of Christ lay all their tradition that is not based on scripture but men, and turn to the way of the Lord and we will see a real outbreak of not emotionalism, as many so called revivals have been- but true worship in Spirit and in truth by His people the Ekklesia. That Yeshua can be declared LORD of LORDS and KING OF KINGS! It can happen. It almost happened to the fullest extent in the Reformation, and there are those like the AnaBaptist that are clinging to keeping it alive.

Dr. J.

For The Sake of Christ vs For the Sake of Argument

I have been doing some recent reading on a Theological perspective that has the Presbyterians and other denominations in turmoil. This theology is called "The New Perspective". Perhaps at another time, I will discuss this and how it is effecting many organized institutional "churches".

I did want to quote something written by a Reformed Theologian who has wrote a paper about this subject. My reasoning for doing so will be explained after his statement.

*We can become preoccupied with debate –making faith an expression of cerebral competition and intellectual arrogance rather than heart engagement and spiritual dependence. If our ministries only become battlegrounds for sacramental correctness rather than instruments for promoting the Gospel of grace, then we and the Church will have lost much. We all must pray earnestly for the work of the Spirit in our hearts to help us determine whether our efforts are turning the Church toward ever-greater introspection and isolation, or whether we are preparing the Church for Gospel-true priorities and progress. Each must examine his own heart to ask if what he is doing and teaching is creating greater love for Jesus that liberates the soul to serve Him, or is binding God’s people to standards of ecclesiastical correctness rooted in our own doctrinal insecurities and preferences.
We need the Lord’s wisdom to know what needs to be defended, what needs to be denounced, and what needs to be ignored because it only appeals to our appetite for argument.


Dr. Bryan Chapell - President and Professor of Practical Theology- Covenant Theological Seminary. From his writing on "an Explanation of the New Perspective - for friends of Covenant Theological Seminary.

His final statement as written, is important.

Now, I ask myself, why do I so want to attack Dispensationalism as it is especially presented into today's churches by people like the Reverend Hagee and others.

I can tell you, with heartfelt sincerity and Spirit taught truth and a longing deep desire to see Christ as center of whatever we do or say, this is my reason for the debate.
I wholeheartedly believe that at the heart of this false teaching and other teachings is a subtle demon leading people from Christ and His teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, Paul's declarations on salvation, and who Israel is and what is the Kingdom of God and where does God reign, in the heart of the believer or in a man instituted government that will restore the shadow of the things that Christ has removed from us. The very things that He has revealed in truth to, his life, death and resurrection, Pentecost and the continued life of Christ in the believer is at risk of being degrinated, and shunned, for a false teaching that has existed throughout man's history, dominance over another man, and their land or their goods dictated by another men.
Historically, it always results in war and blood shed and a totalitarian existence for those conquered.


I don't argue for the sake of argument. I believe that the subject of Dispensationalism, Christian Zionism and Christian Nationalism are the most dangerous prevailing doctrines to the truth of scripture and Christ. These subjects that have become so very popular with the "church", I believe in my heart will lead to totalitarianism, a police state, apartheid government, a false Theocracy and the suffering that will come will be upon the Christian, those who truly hold the truth's of the Sermon on the Mount, and all of the work of Jesus to bring salvation to us, and those living out Christ in them, the hope of glory, will be killed at the very hands of those that now are the tares amongst the wheat in the organized "church".
In all of this, there will come more and more of a propensity to drive law towards more and more capital punishment for minimal crimes.
Just as in Saudi Arabia, you can chop of the hands of someone who steals, I believe the whole concept will lead to a bloodthirst of others, which the "church" will relish seeing and watching, and calling what is evil - good.
These things are already happening, but the uneducated on the real news going on around the world, and the real autrocities going on even at the hands of America and Israel are often times hidden from the populace or they just choose not to look at it to believe the lie.
We have made an unholy alliance that will lead more and more down the road to eliminating everything that we say we are fighting for - freedom. Without this freedom, there will be only the freedom to choose between the interpretation of things by the elite few, the religious leaders like Hagee, Robertson and others who think they can establish a Theocracy or the freedom to have death for opposing their views and the views of the prevailing majority who will be seriously blinded by the "god of this age"- Satan.
The spirit of anti-christ is here, now. I will say in all seriousness, it can be found in the warmongering, bloodthirsty mouths of all those in organized religious leaders spewing out of their mouths the lie of Dispensationalism, which has lead them into a pro-zionist view, that has become in their minds a Christian nationalist view. I pity them for not seeing Jesus anymore.
I pity them for leaving their first love. I pity them for turning to a false gospel of violence from the Prince of Peace. I pity them, that they have quenched the voice of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.

.
False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction. Even so, many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of truth. In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake! from 2 Peter Chapter 2

Nothing can better describe many of these ministries, then they deny the Master who bought them, and they do it to make merchandise of you. They preach for profit, and riches and to make themselves important.

Did you know that Pat Robertson has a jet given to him by the Israeli government, and that he has a jet he leases out to others to fly, and makes a profit off this as well, all money provided by the "faithful".
These may all be facts to some of you, but you have been so blinded to truth, it won't bother you.
You will say, oh well! what's wrong with giving to those who preach the gospel.

First. I will declare they are presenting a false gospel.
Second listen to Paul - the greatest preacher of the true Gospel since.

You yourselves know very well that you should do just what we did. We were not lazy when we were with you. We did not accept anyone’s support without paying for it. Instead, we worked and toiled; we kept working day and night so as not to be an expense to any of you.
2 Thessalonians Chapter 3

Paul was a tentmaker and anyone with common sense and reading of these scriptures knows until Paul was imprisoned, he drew no financial support by demand, salary or hourly. He did recieve gifts from time to time, but never a "tithe" for his missionary work.
He was self sufficient in Christ, and many times this resulted in the following "prosperity" for him. I have placed this prosperity in bold.

But if anyone dares to boast about something—I am talking like a fool—I will be just as daring. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they Christ’s servants? I sound like a madman—but I am a better servant than they are! I have worked much harder, I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more, and I have been near death more often. Five times I was given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews; three times I was whipped by the Romans; and once I was stoned. I have been in three shipwrecks, and once I spent twenty-four hours in the water. In my many travels I have been in danger from floods and from robbers, in danger from my own people and from Gentiles; there have been dangers in the cities, dangers in the wilds, dangers on the high seas, and dangers from false friends. There has been work and toil; often I have gone without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty; I have often been without enough food, shelter, or clothing. And not to mention other things, every day I am under the pressure of my concern for all the churches. When someone is weak, then I feel weak too; when someone is led into sin, I am filled with distress.
If I must boast, I will boast about things that show how weak I am. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus—blessed be his name forever!—knows that I am not lying.
2 Corinthians Chapter 11

If anybody was preaching health, wealth and prosperity - it sure wasn't Paul. He knew that being a Christian was counting the cost, and the cost was great!

Opulent lifestyles, big caravans, fancy homes, lots of cash, sure wasn't the story the Apostles nor the Lord Jesus Christ could boast about while they ministered. They had no home, no place to rest their heads, because their call was greater than all that. There call was a higher call.

The lie of health, wealth and prosperity teaching has stolen from the Gospel and Christ as well, and right along with Dispensationalism, Escapism Rapture, Christian Zionism, and Nationalism, these are made up of three things of this world.

Lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and the pride of life!

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him

We are to contend for the Faith always and hold to the traditions that have been taught to us by Christ and the Apostles.
We cannot make the same mistake that Israel did, and explain away the Word of God for the traditions of men.
Christians that say they believe in "justified war" can give no answer to Christ teaching on "love your enemy". Then to deny it.
The Dispensationalist can give no answers to Paul's writing that both Gentile and Jew are "one" now in Christ. Then to deny it.
The Health, Wealth and Prosperity teachers can give no answer for the suffering of all saints through the ages. When they do offer answers, they are nonsense, and scripture twisted to benefit them. They deny the truth for greed.

I know that surely, more sermons today are preached toward making the flesh feel good, then there are sermons that make a broken and contrite spirit before a Holy God, that would make us beat our chest and say "have mercy upon me a sinner".
No, our days are the days of Pastor or Reverend- Feel Good.
Please make me feel good about my materialism, my nationalism, my hatred for those that don't fit my image of God (which is an image of my self), hatred for anyone I prefer to hate and help me justify it. Help me Lord to take and get all I can get in this life, "as I only go around once, so I got to grab all the gusto I can". We enter a false temple, to get a false sense of well being, from a false priest too often.

I am sickened by the "me" sermons. What's in it for me? Yea, preacher, preach it, it makes me feel good, it pumps up my human drive to accomplish great things in this world for myself.
It makes me excited, it's like those sales seminars I go to, I love it man, preach it. I can go out of here and conquer the world for my flesh.

The question we should be asking, is what is in it for our heavenly father and the Kingdom of God (his rule in my life) and sacrificial love expressed to others. A love that puts others first over the "me". If worship is nothing more than pumping up the human spirit, I know some better speakers than a lot of preachers in that area. This is where we have gone, the better Dr. Feel Good is at making me feel good, the bigger the numbers become, and the more money there is to build a temple unto myself. Bigger crowds means more money, and more praise for my flesh.

My stomach is sickened when I hear the feel good sermons, not that Our heavenly Father doesnt want us to feel good.
The Kingdom of God is about the Holy Spirit, it is about joy, peace and righteousness in Him, all these things can bring psychological and emotional "feel goods".
The reason most often we don''t have this is that we have not given recognition to our need to let go of all the other things that substitute for this.
Material wealth, perfect health, being the top dog, etc. Our idea to be the best over others, etc.
The guy with the biggest toys when he dies, wins! That's the exclamation of the new "me" crowd and the preachers who drive them with their humanistic sermons.

I would go even as far to say, it is because of these false teachings and the false gospels, that more church going Christians, suffer depression and anxiety, than those that aren't proclaiming to be Christian or those who have "come out of her", the institutional organizational Babylon.
Why is this? because of a false gospel they are living in the flesh as carnal Christians, the flesh wars with the Spirit, and as long as you sow to the flesh - it's what you get - more of it. There is a clear dictomomy between the flesh and the spirit once you have been given the new birth in Christ by the Holy Spirit. You will be in a stuggle, yes, but it is a struggle that can only be won in the Spirit and by the Spirit. You must fall into the arms of Jesus and rely upon his resurrected power to overcome the flesh and this means having a paradigm shift of thinking as well, and this comes through the study of God's Word, without commentary at hand, without interpretation from some super spiritual teachers, or school. It comes as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit as our one and only true teacher of the Word. Soak your self in the Word, fill you heart with it , breathe it, eat it, and love it, and change will happen.
David put it this way, let me hide your Word in my heart that I might not sin against YOU!

Then, go back and read all the traditions of men, and you will have a huge paradigm shift of thinking, because now you will see things through the eyes of Christ and not the organization you belong to, not to any denominations doctrine, you will see God for the first time - in your heart and your need for Him in every aspect of your life, above all things. You will see and realize how wonderful it is when He grants the grace not only for us to believe but to live the Christian life.

Then stand fast to the traditions taught you by the Word of Christ, no matter what.
He is the ulitmate authority for all things doctrinal or "sacramental" or other.

No man can give you what the Father will - TRUTH!

In all the false teachings that are going around, these teachings, disturb me the most, and I will shout it out from the house tops if I have too. False teaching is false teaching and their is no compromise with darkness. We are to abstain from even the appearance of evil.
Greed, war, hate, pride, all these things, all come from evil. Satan is disguising himself as an angel of light, in his ministers.

So, if you read my editorials, comments or news, you will find, often that I appear negative.
I am not negative, I believe in the most positive thing that ever happened to mankind, the love of God expressed in Christ toward us.
I do pray and hope that my writing will make believers more like the Bereans when they heard the Gospel preached.

The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11)

If I accomplish this one thing, if I give you a readiness to recieve God's word, and to make a sincere search and study for yourself, of scripture, politics, history and all these that are associated in many ways, I will have accomplished my calling from God, it is to stir the gift within you, the gift of the Holy Spirit who brings holiness into your life.

My calling is the ministry of reconcialation, and that calling is to express to as many men, women and children, God reconciling men unto himself through Christ and how that reconciliation should affect us in every area of our lives in being reconciled to all people, of all races, economics, culture and life. The Gospel is the only thing, when taught in truth that brings peace and love, to a world that is torn by hate, war, greed and pride.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Do you really want peace in your heart, that is everlasting, that provides greater joy than all the things material that we could ever buy or own, greater than all the position you could hold, greater than the day your first child was born, come to Yeshua Messiach - Jesus the Messiah. Come to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords who offers a Kingdom that is everlasting and takes in all men, that have recieved him with joy.

So, my arguments are presented "for the sake of Christ".

With that said, I will continue to Contend for the faith always. I will always, God help me, stand up and speak out against error and false teaching. Christ first always!

Dr. J.

War and Taxes - A Call to the Christian Conscience

"What would you do if someone came to your door, with a cup  in hand asking for your contribution to help buy guns to kill a group of people they didn't like"?

 

You would either ask the questions as to who and why, as many do today, accepting the governments explanation for spending 30-40% of your income tax for the wars it is involved in, or you would say go away, I'm not giving you anything to kill anybody.

Going with the latter answer, it seems the most logical when offered no explanation for this contribution other than to buy guns and kill a group of people they didn't like.

Here is the problem of tax paying for those like myself, who do not believe in war and believe Jesus brings a Gospel of peace.

Peace and goodwill to all men was the declaration of the angels at Christ's birth.

How the church has turned from the heart of the Gospel to where most fundamentalist today stand is a subject I am writing on in a book I intend to title "Why The American Church is Failing",

 

The question of paying taxes is a question we must face as a non-resistant believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. This question I believe has been answered with suggestions of how to resist by either no payment or partial payments to the IRS and great clarity of the penalties, etc. by  the Mennonites www.mcc.org and the War Resistance League. www.warresistors.org

 

Here are some facts you may not be aware of:

 

Cost of the War in Iraq
$410,451,578,221
as of 8:46 on March 22, 2007

 

MORE DEATHS

 

• More than 34,000 Iraqi civilian deaths in 2006 — twice as many as in 2005 — and 37,000 injured 1
• More than 12,000 Iraqi security forces killed since 2003 1
• More than 3,900 U.S. military and "coalition" forces dead with more than 38,400 U.S. military and coalition forces wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 2
• Twice as many Afghani deaths in 2006 — 4,400 (including 1,000 civilians) — compared to 2005 3

 

 LESS SECURITY 

 

"Rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position."4

 

"It's a very candid assessment . . . stating the obvious," according to
one intelligence official.

 

1 UN report, 1/16/2007;
2 icasualties.org;
3 Human Rights Watch report (AP, 1/30/07);
4 A key finding of the National Intelligence Estimate, a 2006 report from 16 U.S. government spy agencies ("Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight," Washington Post, 9/24/06)
 FEWER FRIENDS 

 

A poll of 26,000 people in 25 countries show the global view of the U.S. role in world affairs is deteriorating.
• 73% disapprove of U.S. role in Iraq
• 68% believe that the U.S. military presence in the middle East provokes more conflict than it prevents
• 49% believe the United States plays a mainly negative role in the world

 

source: BBC World Service poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org
 

Now these facts alone are not enough to make many individuals war resistors, for the truth be told, fundamental churches have bought into the teachings of Dispensationalism and  the result is war mongering, and more and more they have twisted scriptures, I believe to their own destruction. When I speak of destruction, they have left their first love, Jesus, for the love of the world, self and nationalistic pride.

 

I am someone who understands the IRS and their power. I have since 1983 been in a struggle against their tactics of intimidation and not because I had resisted paying taxes, in most cases, it was due to employers failing to report all I have paid, or to the IRS claims somehow enough was not paid. In some cases upon filing I found out that I still owed more taxes when during the time I was working and my employer was taking out taxes, I assumed they were taking out the right amount, then would find at the end of the year, I owed and I didn't have what was owed to pay. 

I have always filed and never intentionally lied on my income tax return and simply tried to pay my tax as due. Misunderstanding the scripture in context when it says, pay taxes to whom taxes are due. We forget that this continues with saying, owe no debt to anyone but the debt of love.

I have since 1985 paid near every month additional payments to the IRS just to pay them what they claim I owe. In the last 6 years that has meant paying them, $250.00 a month until I finally got them to reduce it to $50.00 per month. I was at that time going through a period of unemployment, health problems and more, which left me broke. I am still only partially employed, doing direct marketing for 20 hours per week that pays only commissions when an appointment is set for the service representative to do a demo of our product. The demo must be carried through, sale or no sale, which means most often people have second thoughts and cancel their appointments I set. To this point I have earned only $584.00  - subtract taxes, in the past 5 weeks since going back to work part-time. I am still broke. I obtain little help from outside sources, but God is my sustainer and my provider and I remain thankful to him, for all that he has done for me and is doing for me. I have been unable to find full-time work, for 6 months now, and have sent out, over 100 resumes, to find that the corporate world is just not in the market for 53 year old men regardless of their  education, experience and skills. I continue to look but still no replies, or answers to applications or resumes.

The IRS during all these years, would dig up new claims of owing them taxes even going back to the tax year 1993 in the year, 2005. This is over 12 years ago, assuredly there has to be some sort of law against going back that far.  They know I couldn't prove them wrong if I wanted to, as those tax records are long gone. Those records are lost to the many moves I have made, the cleaning out of my home after my wife's untimely death in a freak car accident in 2001 and just in general of not holding onto these records  because I didn't think it was important to keep them beyond 7 years. 

I was mislead to think they could only go back 7 years. I guess I was wrong, I have had no one tell me different.

 

My wife and I had filed an Offer to Compromise in July 2001, they didn't respond after the longest time period, (per their statement they had 30 days to decide), I heard nothing for 9 months, we did hear from our Taxpayer's Advocate, two months after the filing that the IRS claimed they didn't get our electric utility bills, which we know they did and the Taxpayer's Advocate, said she recalled them being in the package she helped mail.

We went through the whole process again of accumulating these records to send them. Yet, still time went by. My wife of 27 years was killed in an accident on November 21, 2001, then not until April 2002, did I hear from them after I filed my taxes for 2002, and they had rejected our plea, When I called them they told me, now that my wife was dead, I would have to file "two" Offers of Compromise one under my dead wife's name and then one under my name. Needless to say, I was exasperated. I gave an attorney $4,000 of my wife's life insurance money I had inherited to file these, being assured by him he could help reduce my tax and get them to make an offer in settlement.

Instead the lawyer took me for a ride, did nothing and kept the money, then created a fake bill for his time- which might have been a total of 2 hours that we ever talked. The State only offered a grievance form to be filled out as the only means of action to be taken against him. This "shyster" knew what he was doing, he made it impossible for me to come back and get my money back, as he wrote the contract, to say in small lettering, "he guaranteed no results and no money back guarantee".

Lawyers like him commit a crime against people everyday and walk away, without penalty or repayment to their client. This is life in America, land of the rich and the oppressed.

Land where the lawyers make laws that oppress the poor and enrich the rich.

 

I lost my chance to file an Offer to Compromise and I lost $4,000 which could have been paid on the taxes which would have been better than the "thieving" lawyer stealing my money. So, there  I was back to square one paying money to the IRS for years back that they claim I owe and I truthfully do not know that I do owe any taxes for most of the years claimed.

I have had during all this time, two personal audit meetings with them. One in 1986 and one sometime around 1994. Neither one of these would be what I call at that time a chance to prove them wrong with records but rather a time for them to tell me what I was going to pay and when.

My battle has gone from a Congressional tax case initiated by a Senator of Texas, Phil Gramm, who assisted me in getting the Tax Payers Advocate and an opportunity to settle for less with an Offer to Compromise, to the IRS denying of my Offers to Compromise, to them requiring two new Offers of Compromise, to no offer filed because a lawyer stole my money, to paying them monthly from 2002 - 2005  - $250.00 per month to paying $50.00 per month until I finally couldn't pay them anything due to my bad health and unemployment.

I now suppose I will get the typical letters of demand - "pay or else" threats again. To be quite honest, I am not only tired of the harassment, I am tired of contributing any money period to a nation that has gone mad and spends over 31% of our income taxes for WAR!

I am tired of the threats and the harassment, I have nothing for them to take, and welcome them to take the only thing I own, a 1996 Pickup truck which has over 168,000 miles on it and is my only means of transportation. Take away my means of transportation they take away my ever having a chance to pay their taxes. Garnish my small earnings I have right now, I quit work and they get nothing.

I would say I should be declared "uncollectible". Since the rejection in 2002, I have paid what they claimed was $28,000 down to about 9,000 dollars. The remaining $9,000 is as debatable as that which they have already collected from me. You have to remember this is the Internal Revenue Service. Though I have dealt with some individuals by telephone who have been very understanding, the collections process is not. The poor men, pays by intimidation which they the IRS know works well. The rich men is very seldom harassed because he can afford large tax attorney firms that can hold collections up in court for years. They almost always can obtain an Offer to Compromise and pay little of the actual tax due. I once read a report by a former IRS collector who said this was their practice and the managers of the IRS collection department made this very clear to their collectors, to collect from those that they could intimidate, "the poor".

 

I am a peace lover, I am strong believer in non-resistance as Christ taught and the Apostles lived out with the practices of the earliest believers who died for their faith in the Roman Coliseums and even on a cross hung upside down as Peter did. The Great Persecution or The Great Tribulation.

Why didn't any of them resist those who persecuted them? Why didn't the early Christians including Paul take up a sword and form a group of people to fight their oppressors. Not one of them ever lifted their hand to strike out at their persecutors, all except Peter on the night at Gethsemane and then Christ told him to put down his sword and the Jesus healed the servants ear.

 

We must ask ourselves, if we are truly Christians, one specific question. Doesn't contribution monetarily toward a government that is bent on the deaths of many people, constitute, that we should refuse to pay either that portion of tax that goes to war or even all our taxes? This is a question I have asked myself a lot in the last 3 years especially since through time with the Lord in prayer and much biblical study, I concluded that I believe as the Mennonites do in Non-Resistance and only in the Kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit has confirmed this in my heart.

I know there are many arguments otherwise but there is no argument that stands against what Jesus did, and what the  book of 1st John tells us, that if "we abide in Him, we will walk even as He (Jesus) walked".

 

Yes, Jesus showed anger and there is no where we are told that anger is wrong, as long as it doesn't lead to sin.

I am angry now, but my anger will not lead to murder or hatred of my brother.

I am angry against a organized governmental system that in no way gives us a choice to contribute or not to contribute to evils that we as Christian believers should have choice in.

I choose to love my enemy as Christ taught and to do good to them. Good is not the death and destruction this nation has become largely responsible for worldwide anymore. One cannot even apply Justified War to Iraq. The attack of 911, had nothing to do with Iraq and Afghanistan, yet now, thousands have died because in our hearts along with a lying President, we became evil and cried, Vengeance!

When the Lord, says, "Vengeance is mine", and He wasn't even talking about vengeance for the sake of countries and governments but for the persecution of those of His church. The attack on the WTC was an attack against our financial systems and economics, it wasn't an attack directed at Christianity and even if it were, God, says, "Vengeance is Mine"! We are now suffering the chastening of the Lord individually for not listening to the Spirit of God, with 3,400 men and women being sent home in body bags. Truly, if this was a battle God told us to fight the victory as an the Old Testament days would have been hands down with little or no loss of American lives. I state this because those who ascribe to justified war love to use OT scripture as their justification, as if we are a Theocracy as Israel was. This is not the Lords' Battle.

 

Good is not killing others for the sake of my ideas of government or other worldly concepts. Good is preaching the ministry of reconciliation to Muslim and Jew alike. Teaching the truth of salvation, when taught in truth always results in peace between all people. "Love conquers all".

I am now in the place trying to determine how best to continue paying for taxes I am not sure I owe anyway and my conscience that hates war and loves peace. It is a difficult problem for anyone facing this. In truth the biggest reason people don't want to answer their conscience in regards to this, is because refusal or even partial payment, may result in the loss of any and all material goods they have, including if they own a car or their home. The other side is they may fear going to jail. Something even I fear, as I see jail as the worst thing we can do to anyone. To take a person and lock them up for their conscience on serving or not serving war, is absolutely the greatest injustice one man can do to another. Then again, no one ever said, that man's justice is good, even David asked God to give Him His justice rather than that of men's, knowing full well that God's is tempered with love and compassion and correctiveness in mind, and the concept of sinful men's idea of justice is only in punishing individuals for their sins against society or law, while yet they are sinners themselves. God offers forgiveness, men do not. God is holy and any justice he gives us is from Him that is perfect, whereby imperfect men, subject other imperfect men to  punishment for the very same sins they are guilty of. They live a lie, saying it isn't true but Jesus proved just the opposite. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Even the murderer is no more greater a sinner then he who hates his brother. Jesus made this clear, and hatred of any group, of people, culture, race, or peoples of a religion that we don't agree with is in the eyes of God, murder!

The American fundamentalist continue to feed this fire of hatred with their rhetoric against Muslim, Palestinians, homosexuals and more. We may not agree with various practices, or religions, or other, but we are not called to be judges as Christians but to minister reconciliation to these people in the form of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Beyond that we have no higher duty then to love them, pray for them and preach the Good News to them.

We cannot legislate righteousness, man is sinful, only a new creation in Christ can establish righteousness in a man, woman or child's life. Law's designed to regulate man's behavior, have proven failed throughout history. I am not calling for no law, for society itself would crumble without law because it is made up of the lawless as well as the Christian, but to remember that the law is for the lawless and a school master to Christ, and that as such it is our purpose only as Christians to seek the redemption of all violators by showing them the way to Christ.

It is not our job to punish  this belongs only to the, One Lawgiver and Judge, God.

I oppose the death penalty for these reasons and I truly believe we can find better ways to correct criminals then propagating criminality through penitentiaries and putting them in a society that only promotes criminality, not only among the imprisoned but with those that imprison them. Recent events in Texas youth prisons have proven my point and the history of criminal justice has proven my point. Very few people come out corrected and very few people stay corrected from imprisonment. The few that have it is only due to the presence of Christian outreach and their conversion to Christ. Many of these in the prisons suffer, psychological and spiritual problems that could be resolved, many had no chance in life in their upbringing, and they could be made whole with a different societal approach to their correction. How can imperfect men, ever correct imperfect men, without Christ as center of that correction coming from a Spirit led and abiding Christian.  This is not the case in the real world. Thus it is a spiral that continues until Jesus comes, or we as believers take more action to being a part to bringing the Kingdom of God to pass in people's lives. I thank God for people like my uncle who was a Prison Chaplain, I have seen God use his ministry to bring life to many individuals. He is not perfect but he has Christ and scripture and it is the Word that changes an individual whether them, you or me.

It is our calling to correct the body of Christ always with the thought in mind that we too may fall into sin, and to offer compassion and forgiveness. not judgment, condemnation in which punishment doesn't involve these things -correction ( being steered in a new direction) and healing ( both psychological and spiritual). Punishment only appeases men's flesh and sinful pride, especially for those doing the punishment.

We are to extend this love of God to ALL men, regardless of their religious belief or sin. We are to remember, that God so loved the "world" that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. It must always begin the same way God's love does, He loves all men, and offers them redemption.

He took care of the redemption it is our call and duty to offer this to others by the way we live our lives and the words we share with others. This love for them that is without prejudice or bias.

We are to love them not kill them, or punish them, we are but to love them. This is the hardest way, this is the narrow gate, because everything in our flesh says the opposite.

 

I have digressed from somewhat where I began this editorial, but all the same, it is for us to see, that war doesn't meet the call of our heavenly Father, and that we really need to ask ourselves; are we contributing to this evil by paying our taxes. In honesty, the answer has to be a loud, Yes.

Now what you do about it is up to you, and how much you may be willing to sacrifice of the "me" for the "all".

The greatest prophets and saints have always sacrificed as they stood in direct opposition to the world, their people, their culture and their society, and it's ways.

We are in the world, but scripture makes it very clear, we are not to love the things of this world and hatred is one of the big things of this world and war is it's means of exercising that hatred.

Dispensationalism, and the "Left Behind" series of fictional, non scriptural theology and exegesis has brought many to believe the big lie. This lie feeds the flesh. It is fed with justified hatred and it is very hard to escape it once one let's it become a part of themselves.  Sow to the flesh, you reap the flesh.

I am really beginning to see that "war tax resistance" may be the only hope we have left of changing this country from the war mongering, blood thirsty nation we have become.

God have mercy on us for the death and destruction we have so willingly supported. We need forgiveness not only for our willingness to listen to preachers with itching ears, but our continual contribution to the war effort in our silence, and our willingness to pay for it.

I remind readers it was over a simple tax on tea, that fired up the American Revolution, it is perhaps time for a new revolution in this country that has totally failed at the ballot box to change the face of America. Taxes are the only support these politicians have - my money and your money.

Without money, they cannot continue to disregard the voice of the people.

The "moral majority tries to make us believe that it is an attack on Christianity, whether or not the Ten Commandments are in a court officials building or not. This has little to do with being a Christian especially when the very same people that fought against the removal of the Ten Commandments from a judge's court in Alabama will not resist and take action against war, especially when one of those commandments say, Thou Shalt Not Kill. I don't read FIFTY justifications written alongside of this commandment for doing other than what it says.

It was only with the passing of time, that Christians came to the idea  of " justified war", and this not from scripture but from men, like Augustine.

I can truly say, Christian, "You Nullify the Commandments of God for Sake of the Traditions of Men!"

It is time for us to say, no more war, and no more support for your wars. My battle is not against flesh and blood. I am in a spiritual battle, in that battle we are called to render unto God what is God's.

The opposite of  the coin. Our very lives and all that we are and have belongs to God, not to the Federal government or the State, It all belongs to Him. what will you do with it, render all that you are to Caesar or to God. There is in the scripture, unlike "justified war", taught by men, there is clearly taught in scripture and the New Testament "justified civil disobedience".  "Is it better to obey God or men"?, the Apostle asked.

We know what they did, they obeyed God, and continued to proclaim His name though told it was against the law and to not do it.

This is one of the reasons, the early Christians turned the world upside down! They feared no man and only feared God. They lost all that they had to follow Jesus, who said," foxes have dens, and birds have nest, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head"

Lest we forget, we are no less called to this calling, that Jesus spoke, "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men".

Peace is the only answer to war, and we as Christians, are the answer for peace in this world, if we hold fast to the traditions taught by the Word and the Apostles instead of the "traditions of men"

Neither Muslim or those that practice unlawful  or immoral things, will ever be able to resist love and peace.

When we harken to His word, we truly will become "Fishers of Men" and like the Disciples, our nets will be full and our boats will be weighed down with the catch. But hear me, WE HAVE TO FIRST CAST OUR NETS!

Cast your net, stand against war and hatred, and turn to love both in word and deed.

 

 

Dr. J.

 

The American Myth of Manifest Destiny

One of the most hotly contested issues in the 1840's through the 1850's was American territorial expansionism. To most it seemed that it was inevitable that America would expand into the West beyond the Mississipi. It would be inevitable that we would have to displace the residents of that land from Mexico, England and the American Indian tribes. In 1845 John O'Sullivan, editor of the influential "Democratic Review", coined the phrase, "Manifest Destiny". Along with this highly regarded concept came the idea that America's destiny was meant by God to be. The idea of America stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Of course, we should all know by now, how this Manifest Destiny, resulted in death, wars and more over time, to the setting aside of the Indians to reservations but not before many died at the hands of those who so strongly believed it was their manifest destiny to have all the land.
This fierce, individualistic, political idea has continued even today, and because of Darby and his teachings on Dispensationalism and the American public falling in love with the books like LaHay's fictional books the "Left Behind Series, and previous books that swept over the organizational church attendees, "The Late Great Planet Earth, a new mindset has developed which is neither orthodox in scripture or consist of proper Biblical exegesis. This new mindset has created what is known as Christian Zionism and has now transposed into a new Manifast Destiny, that the politicians call the "American hegonomy", and as a Christian I can no better define it as "Christian Nationalism". The idea is the same but it is in my opinion, nothing but pure unadulterated idolatry. I call it Christian Nationalism but there really is nothing Christian about it. In it's purest form, it will result in fascism, totalitarianism, a Police State full of fleshly pride with disregard for all human life as it stands in the way of it's goals and purposes. The goal, to create, what the fundamentalist, the Bush regime of politics, the Israeli influence of dictating American foreign policy call "Democracy" worldwide is actually misnomer for dictatorship. The new Rome has risen it's head out of the sea of history and now proclaims itself God. The American has come to believe that he is somehow to rule the world, and that God means this for us, as assuredly as the Dispensationalist teach Israel is to have their promised land. We believe and listened to a lie to come to believe that we like Israel were a persecuted people, and the American revolution, was won, because we were God's special people and he brought us into this promised land. It is an easy transition to make mentally when one has fleshly pride, and a lust for power. We will justify like Israel, all our sins against all other humanity, for the sake of proving this is so, worldwide. In Iraq alone since 2005 there has been over 35,000 men, women and children that have died as a result of our occupancy there that has created a civil war within the boundaries of this country. Yet, we went there, proclaiming and announcing the horrible practices of Saddam and his killing. We alone have suffered the deaths of over 3,000 men and women of the United States serving in the military. Just as we have slaughtered and justified to kill during the "Christian Crusades" and we slaughtered and killed thousands of American Indians, we will continue to press forward until all the world is America or a clone of ourselves. We desire to make an image of us, the American worldwide, rather than see the image of God restored to the world through the proclamation of the true Gospel of peace and love. This is George Bush's plan and the thought and belief of most of the fundamentalist preachers like Hagee and Robertson and TBN.

They are seriously leading this country toward not the Kingdom of God, but the kingdom of hell on earth! Their doctrine will only feed the Israeli hate for all those but their race, and feed the hatred and warmongering of American foreign policy.

To borrow from a great paper written by John Hubers entitled " "Christian Zionism" and the Myth of America.

"In the eyes of dispensationalists the pivotal event of the 20th century was the founding of the State of Israel in 1947 which was "proof positive" that Darby got it right. This was given more credence by the Zionist state's swift and decisive victory in the 1967 six day war. "Clearly God's hand was in this", trumpeted the dispensationalists. The ancient promises God made to Israel were coming true in front of their eyes - a literal fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy.
This was the position of the dispensationalists. But they were not necessarily the dominant voice of the mainstream evangelical church at this point. That didn't happen until the two myths began to merge-the dispensationalist myth and the American myth."
I use the word "myth" with some hesitancy as there may be those who take this to mean that I believe the biblical message to be on a par with children's fairy tales. Such is not the case. Myth in the sense I am using it here refers more to the power of a story to shape a consciousness which defines truth in a way that transcends the story itself. The myth of manifest destiny functions this way as it draws on historical events to define something larger than the events themselves. The dispensationalist myth does the same with the story of the founding of the state of Israel. Here, too, the historical events are less important than the interpretation given to those events, the way the story is framed giving rise to a larger Truth.
This is the way the story goes, at least in its condensed version: A persecuted people longing for a land where they can practice their faith in freedom overcome great odds and a determined opposition under God's direction and empowerment to create a state of their own. The opposition comes from "savages" who use terrorist tactics to keep these brave settlers from establishing their state, savages whose poor stewardship of the land justifies their removal.

Here, I believe, is at least one explanation for the tenacious hold of the dispensationalist myth on the American consciousness (even beyond evangelical circles)-it echoes themes of the American frontier myth. We hear our own story in Israel's story. We identify with the Zionists because their experience matches ours (or at least appears to match ours as we are dealing less with actual history here than interpretive history.

I agree wholeheartedly with John what he wrote. We have somehow made the transition to believing Israel as a political national world force and chosen by God to have their land we now believe it is our "Manifest Destiny" to force our way of life upon all the world, whether they like it or not. We will do so without consideration of justice, peace, or love. What matters is this great concept of America to be ruler over the world, and Israel to co-rule with us. Rather than a spiritual Israel which encompasses both Jew and Gentile as one in the Spirit of Christ, we desire to show the world it is a physical promise and not a spiritual one. We miss it just as assuredly as the Old Covenant Israel missed it when Christ proclaimed himself Messiah and had Him crucified.

Soon and very soon, this will all backfire in our faces, as it did for Germany and every nation in history that ever sat in the temple and declared themselves to be God. America is about to face the greatest challenge it ever will, when this idea of supremacy over anyone that opposes our ideals, turns in on itself, and destroys it's own people in the form of a massive Police State. It has already begun, and we are just starting to see the storm at the beginning of the tornado, that will rip through this country like a whirlwind destroying everthing we ever knew as freedom, as the voices of politicians and fundamentalist become one, they will cry out for the blood of those that oppose anything that is in any way, oppositional to their way of thinking and believing. They will gain what the Zionist refer to a nation under the "Noahdic laws". I will speak on this greater at another time as to what this law is and it's origins.

I remind Christians once again, Israel received the physical land they were promised, they lose the promise of their spiritual inheritance which is all that is remaining for them unless they come to accept Christ as Messiah. We are one with those Jews that are Christian as all people, as there are many Christians in Palestine, that are Palestinian. There are many former Muslims in Iraq, Iran and other nations that have come to know Christ.
Regardless of what anyone believes our government is not divinely appointed by God nor will it ever be. Only the soon coming Theocracy of God, when Christ does return will be the government of God.
In the meantime we must respect all life, and all culture, all nations, and love them and bring them to the Gospel of Christ. The problem is we want to bring them to a distortion of the gospel which is made up of the ideals of American materialism, American culture, American western theology and the list goes on to that which makes up that we call American Christianity.
It is a false gospel which is doomed for failure, regardless of the Pat Robertson's the TBN er's and others who propagate a lie, that will only turn them into monsters or will imprison them. I know these are harsh words, but I can't stomach what I see happening around me and what people call Christianity and Democracy, and on and on, when they are not! It is a lie from hell, that God has allowed to blind us to truth. We need to wake up, get serious about individual study of the Bible and the verses that clearly show these ideals come anywhere but from our heavenly Father, the Apostles and Jesus, Our Lord. It didnt take that long for Hitler and other dictators to turn Germany into a land of persecutors and death squads. Our time may be waiting to come and I believe it is just around the corner.
It is a time to smell the roses to say, Christians need to seriously step back and look at what it means to abide in Christ versus the new drive of American Zionism-Nationalism. Beware, even Satan can appear as an angel of light. I believe this is his time to do so, and Americans are falling into hypnosis of that light that he pretends to be, right this very moment. I call for an end to American hegonomy and an end to the myth of a Christian nation, and an end to Dispensational teaching in the body of Christ that separates the promises of God for Jew and Gentile. We are one and all the promises have been fulfilled in Christ. It is He, that cried out, "It is Finished." We only await the day of resurrection and His coming, when the sons of God shall be truly revealed. In the meantime we the wheat must deal with the tares, among us. I choose to discern between what is and what is not. Thus, I pray for God to bring His ideals of truth, justice, mercy and compassion back to the Church in America before it's too late. There is a late great America if we do not realize it is He who which we are to draw our strength and not a perverted gospel or perverted sense of American patriotism salted by an Apartheid government in Israel which is no Israel at all, except for the few Hebrews who live there that know Jesus Christ as Lord.

Dr. J

China - The Truth of Persecution

Here we are in America, living with the benefits of labor and production from those suffering in one of the most oppressive countries of the world. Why? This is not an easy question to answer unless one says we have drawn our attention away from communism to focus on terrorism. Yet, this nation, China, continues to terrorize it's own people and no word from Washington ever is spoken about the injustice or the lack of individaul freedom there. Recently, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.spoke in Shanghai, China on March 7, 2007.

In all of his speech, that I read there was never a mention for China to change it's policy on individual freedoms. No, it was all about China and it's continued blessing toward a one world economy. What they needed to do yet in banking and commerce to improve their status worldwide, and glowing commendations on what they have done financially to strengthen the world economy and how important they are.

This is our government who once sacrificed 60,000 men to fight against Communism in Viet Nam, now we play bed partners with them in commerce.
What changed?

Here is an example of what still goes on over there with Christian persecution.

On March 6, 2007 - Local Police raided a home church where a Bible study was being held in the Wancheng District of Nanyang vity, Henan Province. Thirty four Chinese Christian leaders and three church leaders were taken in and interrogated. Policemen from the Public Security Bureau (PSB)broke into the house which is the home of Pastor Dong Qaunyo who is the Vice president of the Chinese House Church Alliance.

This all took place one day before the Secretary of the Treasury's visit.

What has changed? Why the sudden acceptance of China as a nice country to move your business to, and to do business with? Why do we buy their products by the groves. Walmart being one of the largest purchasers of Chinese goods.
Why do we still call them a "most favored trade nation"?

I can recall many a person even relatives who were all for the war in Viet Nam, all because the fears then that had played on the emotions of Americans, once called the "Domino theory". The idea planted was when one country falls to Communism, the next will and on and on until the world would be swallowed up by Communism, even the United States of America. Get your gun boys, and let's go get those commies!
I remember the cry, and anyone who wasn't willing to fight this war called for by our government was a coward and a Commie. I was one of those who opposed the war. I never had to raise a weapon and kill anyone, which I thank God for that. All the same, I find it interesting, that the very same people that would have called me a coward or a 'Commie', now supporting and not caring how much money they are contributing to the support of the greatest communist nation known outside of Russia. One of the greatest persecutors of our Christian brothers and sisters.

Where is the call of hypocrisy?
Why have we become such hypocrites within less than 50 years. Now, how long will it take before we accept all Muslim countries as A-OK.
We already do, nothing has been done about Saudia Arabia, the largest financial contributor to terrorism. Nine out of the thirteen participants of 911 came out of Saudia Arabia. Yet, we still condone our friendship with them, because our politicians condone it, just as they do China.
When will the American Christian get out of his living room, his church pew or other hiding place, and finally take an opposing view inline with scripture and tell our politicians and corporations, that we will not support or purchase another item from China until they allow Christianity to flourish there.
Many pastors here might say, well they can join the institutional church there, and quit meeting in secret. They as most, don't realize how much they are already a state run church of America with their non-profit status' and their incorporations, they aren't under the rulership of Christ but the State. I am sorry but will be blunt to say it, and thus the house church movement in the U.S. is growing by leaps and bounds. People aren't interested in buildings, structured services, organized meetings, wasted money, people are dying for relationship with other like minded believers and with Christ as the leader, not a man or an organization.

Pastors of the past could be political, now you can't, you have to limit what you say or someone will report you and you will lose your non-profit status - like a pastor in Florida did. So what does that say for freedom of worship here. It is the pastors of the past that because of their political rhetoric and sermons that led the great revolution as I wrote in my article entitled "How American Preachers Incited the American Revolution. I wrote this on 2/27/2007. We have lost our power as the church to change the politics of this nation because we bent our knee to the love of money, and servitude to the State, through incorporation and non-profit status licensing by the IRS.

See China does have an institutional church, one that is licensed and advocated by the Communist government there. The problem is, it has all the appearance of being Christian with buildings and pastors, etc. It is state run and dictated what is to be taught by the government, the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ is not allowed to be taught truthfully or in line with scripture. So, REAL Christians meet in their homes, in the woods, or wherever they can find escape from the Communist State rules and authority over them and over truth. These are our real persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. They are persued like the Romans did Christians with the same vigor and often imprisoned and tortured like the early Christians, they suffer for their belief.

Americans do not understand suffering for their faith, except the few that may have escaped these communist countries and live here now. So, we accept American Christianity as it is, and disregard the truth of the politics of this nation and we disregard scripture in loving our brother. Chinese Christians are our brothers.
When we sit silently about these things, whether it be in Saudi Arabia, where all Christianity is illegal and China and many other nations, I ask where is our love?
Our silence and partnering with these countries says much more about our Christianity then all the church meetings we will ever attend.
We have failed those in need to only acquire our lust for material goods at a cheaper price. We do this on the backs of slaves of communism.
Will any Christian, become active in boycotting these businesses that drive the economy of China and allow them to continue in the direction they are going. Great material wealth for some Chinese- the elite- cannot be reconciled as anything democratic or otherwise free.

This hypocrisy of our ever changing outlook on life and what is right and wrong irritates me, because it seems we let our government dictate what is righteous rather than our hearts, minds and scriptural dictate. We have lost our first love.

China, I pray for you, not your government, but I pray for my many brothers and sisters there, and whatever I can do, to help you obtain freedom of true worship, I will do with God's help. May God help us as American Christians set you free! May we do it without war, but by your ever growing presence there as a force to be contended with. It is Jesus, who said, that the very gates of hell will not be able prevail against the church (those who truly believe).
You have a hell while in your spirits you are in the Kingdom of heaven with Christ as King, I pray that your hell of persecution will soon come to an end, and you may live in peace and be able to proclaim the Gospel of Christ freely among your people. I pray that American Christians that truly believe will take action to see that this is so. Sometimes it only takes a letter or a phone call, but the work has to be done. I ask the Holy Spirit to give us all conviction where we have failed you, our brothers and sisters, so terribly. God help us to see and have the blindness taken away. I pray that the blindness that the god of this world has brought upon the wealthiest nation in the world, will be removed, and we will see clearly once again truth and live by it.


Dr. J

Israel, Dispensationalism, Truth and the News

It seems the news always contains something about Israel and the Middle East. As an independent news writer and editor, sometimes, it becomes necesssary to let your readers know where you stand on issues, and what you believe. It is especially important because my viewpoint of History and what Christ means to me, as a believer and my bias in reporting or commenting on news will often be subjective and opinionated, then one needs to understand my theology and more. I believe absolutely that Christ died for my sins, was raised from the grave and ascended to the Father to give us, the Holy Spirit, who trust in Him, and to live His resurrected life within the believer by grace through faith, and that it is His work alone that saves, sanctifiies and glorifies the believer. We are to trust him and in this trust comes obedience by His Spirit.

A little history of the Hebrews from 597 until today on their belief structure and more.

The Chaldeans, following standard Mesopotamian practice, deported the Jews after they had conquered Jerusalem in 597 BC. The deportations were large, but certainly didn't involve the entire nation. Somewhere around 10,000 people were forced to relocate to the city of Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean empire. In 586 BC, Judah itself ceased to be an independent kingdom (which they were), and the earlier deportees found themselves without a homeland, without a state, and without a nation. This period, which actually begins in 597 but is traditionally dated at 586, is called the Exile in Jewish history; it ends with an accident in 538 when the Persians overthrow the Chaldeans.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Chaldeans, only deported the most prominent citizens of Judah: professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the wealthy. The "people of the land" (am-hares ) were allowed to stay. So Jewish history, then, has two poles during the exile: the Jew in Babylon and the Jews who remain in Judah. We know almost nothing of the Jews in Judah after 586. Judah seems to have been wracked by famine, according to the biblical book, Lamentations , which was written in Jerusalem during the exile. The entire situation seemed to be one of infinite despair. Some people were better off; when Nebuchadnezzar deported the wealthy citizens, he redistributed the land among the poor. So some people were better off. In addition, there were rivalries between the two groups of Jews. It is clear that the wealthy and professional Jews in Babylon regarded themselves as the true Jewish people.These are the same people today who call themselves - Jews

The salient feature of the exile, however, was that the Jews were settled in a single place by Nebuchadnezzar. While the Assyrian deportation of Israelites in 722 BC resulted in the complete disappearance of the Israelites, the deported Jews formed their own community in Babylon and retained their religion, practices, and philosophies. Some, it would seem, adopted the Chaldean religion (for they name their offspring after Chaldean gods), but for the most part, the community remained united in its common faith in Yahweh.

They called themselves the "gola," ("exiles"), or the "bene gola" ("the children
of the exiles"), and within the crucible of despair and hopelessness, they forged a new national identity and a new religion. The exile was unexplainable; Hebrew history was built on the promise of Yahweh to protect the Hebrews and use them for his purposes in human history. Their defeat and the loss of the land promised to them by Yahweh seemed to imply that their faith in this promise was misplaced. This crisis, a form of cognitive dissonance (when your view of reality and reality itself do not match one another), can precipitate the most profound despair or the most profound reworking of a world view. For the Jews in Babylon, it did both.

From texts such as Lamentations , which was probably written in Jerusalem, and Job , written after the exile, as well as many of the Psalms , Hebrew literature takes on a despairing quality. The subject of Job is human suffering itself. Undeserving of suffering, Job, an upright man, is made to suffer the worst series of calamities possible because of an arbitrary test. When he finally despairs that there is no cosmic justice, the only answer he receives is that humans shouldn't question God's will. That God is sovereign. Many of the psalms written in this period betray an equal hopelessness.
But the Jews in Babylon also creatively remade themselves and their world view. In particular, they blamed the disaster of the Exile on their own impurity, their forgetting of the Law and breaking the Torah and it's 613 commandments. They were sure they had betrayed Yahweh and allowed the Mosaic laws and cultic practices to become corrupt; the Babylonian Exile was proof of Yahweh's displeasure.

During this period, Jewish leaders no longer spoke about a theology of judgement, but a theology of salvation. In texts such as Ezekiel and Isaiah ,there is talk that the Israelites would be gathered together once more, their society and religion purified, and the unified Davidic kingdom be re-established. However, what they missed was God was going to establish a "spiritual" kingdom and not a physical kingdom and not the nation of Israel.

These scriptures misunderstood then, and when they crucified Christ because he didnt fulfill these things physically, are still misinterpreted and misunderstood even more today, but now not only by those who call themselves Israel but the true Jew or (Israel, the church) today.
It wasn't until the 1800's with the advent of the Scofield Bible and it's pro Zionist (separating Jews from Christians)commentary and premillenial doctrines did the church believe that Israel was to re-establish a physical nation in the "promised land, once again to usher the coming of Christ"
The prophets, that Israel misundersood then, when they crucified Christ and even today with the re-establishment of an aparthied government known as the State of Israel still persist due to poor interpretation and pro-Zionistic leading by pro Zionism even within the Christian Church.

Yes, it was to the Jews he gave the promises and the law, but they rejected it and as a result only a remnant was saved when the church began and even unto today only a remnant is being saved. Paul and the earliest Christians, the Apostles and the beleivers at Jerusalem- who were all Jewish were and are part of this remnant even until today.Along with those who claim to be Hebrew or believe in the Torah alone come to know Christ since then. What most Christians don't realize is the Torah is not the Jewish authority today nor was it when Christ was here. The Talmud and the rabbincal teachings have replaced the Torah (the first five books of the Bible which includes the 613 commandments of God).
So this period is marked by a resurgence in Jewish tradition, as the exiles looked back to their Mosaic origins in an effort to revive their original religion. It is during this time that the Jews began to develop the Mishnah, the Gemara and what is finally known as the Talmud which is what the Jews beleive in and practice today. The Torah by the time Christ came was lost to thousands of interpretations and new (fence) laws made by the Sophraim and the Tannah and thus Christ told them- "You nullify the Commandments of God for the traditions of men".

The Talmud has become the central text of the Jewish faith. The one thing that allowed Israel to rediscover itself at this time was the fervent revival of religious tradition it was aided by another incident in history: when Cyrus the Persian conquered Mesopotamia, he allowed the Jews to return home. This was no ordinary event, though. Cyrus sent them home specifically to worship Yahweh—what was once only a kingdom would become a nation of Yahweh.
The so called nation of Israel if based that they are to return to their homeland has been fulfilled many times before 1949. It may be that never before was a particular area called Israel since the Babylonian captivity but it is not the land that God promises those of Hebrew origin but Himself, if but they would return to him.
One of the main reasons the Law has not made the Hebrew or those claiming to be Jewish, lead them as "the school master to Christ" as it did us, who claim to be Christian, is the purity of the original 613 commandments made by God to Israel has been turned into ridiculous and long discourse of the law which in themselve have become the law for Jews.
Judaism, regardless of what you may mistakenly beleive has nothing to do with the honor of the Torah as the Supreme law of God as the pre-Babylonian Jews trusted in and broke it's laws but the traditions of these men who wrote the Misnah, the Gemara, now known as the Talmud and all the rabbinic discussions since. The Talmud and it's writings are anti-Christ in nature and anti-Christian. One must study to discover these things as I have, and read the Talmud and the Jewish writings of today to discover this truth. Israel- the nation of Israel is made up of Zionist and those who hold to the supremacy of themselves over all races, including American Gentiles ( Gentile, here, having the meaning - all of us who do not accept the Talmud and their Jewish supremacy over all other races in the world). Most Americans and even most preachers in America have simply accepted what has been handed down to them as interpretation of the majority of Paul's writings in Romans on this subject, and the most predominant teaching since the 1800's has been Darby's and Scofield's popularizing this DISPENSATIONAL interpretation of Biblical prophecy, all of scripture, and the book of Revelation.

However, they weren't alone in this non-biblical interpretation of scripture. Here is the story behind DISPENSATIONALISM, from whence most of the premillenial doctrine is taken. It will surprise you, it may even anger you at me for telling you, but what I hope is it will anger you that you have been so mislead to believe in DISPENSATIONALISM. It will anger you to find that the foreign policies and the War against Terrorism and much of the Police State, that is already in effect in Israel is driven by Pro-Zionist and those in the church who proscribe to these cultic theories of DISPENSATIONALISM.

The Origins of Dispensationalism

Most people assume that Dispensationalism started with J N Darby, one of the originators of the Brethren movement. Certainly Darby popularised this doctrine and, with the spread Scofield’s reference Bible, the teaching went world wide. However, Darby was not the first to develop these ideas. In fact, there is now conclusive evidence that there was a plan by William Kelly (another key Brethren leader, and follower of Darby) to discredit the real origins, because of their dubious pedigree, and inflate the place of Darby.

I should be very clear that Dispensationalism finds no place in the entire history of the church before 1830. No one has yet found any credible evidence that anybody believed or taught such a thing. This alone should cause alarm bells to ring in our spiritual ears. When we learn the true origin of the error, we can see even more reason to steer clear.

Key Distinctives of Dispensationalism

Before we proceed, we need to clarify exactly what this teaching is in connection with other eschatological theories.
Dispensationalism is a variant of
Historic Premillennialism,that is the teaching that Christ will return after the Great Tribulation and establish a 1000 year reign on the earth (millennium) before the final battle with Satan (Armageddon), which issues in final judgment and a new earth.
Postmillennialism
teaches that Christ returns after a golden age of 1000 years where the church rules the earth in righteousness;
Amillennialism
believes that there is no Biblical teaching about a literal millennium and that the only passage which mentions is (Rev 20) is symbolically speaking of the age of grace in which we now live.

Dispensationalism is very different and has become the predominant belief in America and versions of it are growing rapidly in Britain. One problem is that it has very many variations, so to simplify our approach we will keep to essential distinctives. These are:
• Two comings of Christ. One an appearing for the saints in the air, the other a return with the saints. A period of 7 years separates these comings. In this time of tribulation, the Gospel is preached by a remnant of believing Jews and Christians not spiritual enough to be raptured.

• A secret rapture of some saints before the period of tribulation when the
antichrist will arise. This is the key distinctive called the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, (henceforth: pretribulation). This is imminent and could happen at any time.

• A dichotomy between the church and Israel. Jews are God’s true covenant people who will inherit the literal covenant promises, the church is God’s stop-gap
operation which benefits from Jewish promises. This distinction is seen as the most important Dispensational tenet by Dispensationalists Charles Ryrie and John Walvoord.

• A rigid literal approach to interpretation, especially of prophetic books.
This divides the Bible into that which refers to the Kingdom (Israel) and that which speaks of the Church.

• History is divided into specific dispensations where God deals with men in a
certain way. Each of these time periods ends in failure and judgment.

The most important aspects in evaluating the origin are: the pretribulation rapture and the dichotomy of Israel/Church.


The Origins
Pre 19th century

Some isolated superficial ‘dispensational’ statements have appeared throughout history. Some 18th century writers began to systematise some of these ideas e.g: Pierre Poiret and Isaac Watts. No one, however, taught a pretribulation rapture.
Everyone believed that the church would go through the Great Tribulation. Claims, of
some, to find it in the early church fathers are false. There is some amillennialism
there, but none of the key distinctives of Dispensationalism:there is no separation of the church and Israel and no idea of Christians escaping the tribulation or antichrist by a rapture.

The earliest form of a ‘secret’ rapture was the idea of a partial rapture which
separated some saints from others after the tribulation. This really was about
prioritisation at the second coming, spiritual believers being given priority over less worthy ones. No one saw a place for Jews until the very end and there was no form of Church/Israel dichotomy.

19th century prophetic conferences

During the 18th century there was very little teaching on the Lord’s return. As a result, a reaction began in the 1820’s and 30’s. Prophetic periodicals and references abounded. Most important were the Albury conferences established by Henry Drummond in 1826-30, but the Powerscourt Conferences, instituted by Lady Powerscourt, were also significant. Anglican S.R Maitland began to teach a future rise of Antichrist and a 3½ year great tribulation in 1826. His follower,James Todd, also wrote extensively on the subject. William Burgh converted to this ‘futurist’ view of Revelation and wrote systematically upon it in 1835.

Edward Irving

Before we continue, we must explain the person of Edward Irving. Originally a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister, he moved to London in 1822 and became a very famous preacher. He was such a powerful and stimulating speaker, who attracted great
crowds, that in 1827 the large Regent Square church was erected for him. This was the first to adopt modern charismatic practices (including tongues) following Irving’s belief that the gifts of the Spirit were about to be given again. Tongues first appeared in the west of Scotland in Spring 1830 but were soon present in Irving’s church. Being expelled by the Church of Scotland in 1833 he established
the Catholic Apostolic Church which was fully charismatic, including a belief in the vital role of prophets and apostles. Events soon took a turn for the worse with the gifts being abused and overruling common sense. Irving himself was ousted by men with gifts of supposed greater (apostolic) authority, and many serious doctrinal and ethical aberrations resulted. Irving himself taught a false Christology. As a result, Irving died a demoralised man and the whole movement was vilified.

In 1830, however, Irving was at the height of his fame, and spoke at the Albury
conferences. His journal "The Morning Watch", which had a high eschatological content, was widely distributed. We should note that this journal was susceptible to many weird teachings in its desire to undergird a new wave of spiritual gifts.
Some examples follow.

• Human pre-existence, author: ‘WL’. March 1830.

• The church will give birth to generations of new people in heaven to inhabit
other worlds, author: ‘C’. Sept 1830.

• The Jewish occult Cabbala rested on a ‘stable’ foundation, author not named. Sept 1830.

• Christ will multiply human beings, from the church in heaven, not by creation, but by mysterious generation in the same way that Christ was generated, author: Irving, March 1833.

• The Zodiac will bring out from secular science a conclusive demonstration of
scripture chronology, author not named. March 1833.

These sorts of doctrinal aberrations were felt to be: ‘mysteries heretofore unknown’ (Morning Watch June 1833). The same issue derided great theologians of the past, denigrated Christians that studied their writings as ‘idolaters’ and called the Evangelical World: ‘modern Moabites’.

Like many other cults, it was deemed necessary that one must join them and be
initiated to be safe. Irvingite historian Edward Miller explains that it was necessary to be sealed by the apostles of the Catholic Apostolic Church in order to escape the Imminent Great Tribulation. Each of the Irvingite apostles had to seal 12,000 before he died, but failed to do so in time (and insufficient volunteers). A helpful prophet declared that the sealing would thus be carried on in Paradise.

Roman Catholic influence

The Irvingite church journal (The Morning Watch) carried an article in September 1830 that posited a two phased coming of Christ. This critical idea is originated from a Roman Catholic Jesuit Spanish writer, called Manuel Lacunza. His book, The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty, was translated by Irving in 1827 and studied at the Albury conference, and especially at the later Powerscourt meetings. This is important - one of the key spurs to the foundations of Dispensationalism was the study of the imaginations of a Roman Jesuit, the ideas of another Jesuit, Ribera, were also considered.

So, by about 1830 we have a high degree of eschatological speculation in conferences, books and journals; a futurist view of Revelation; a growing acceptance of extreme ideas including charismania; a Jesuit view of two second comings of Christ; ideas about the separation of the church and Israel; a parenthesis of the Jewish kingdom (see later); and the expected rise of antichrist and the Great tribulation. It is also interesting to note that Joseph Smith published the Book of
Mormon, teaching a regathering of Israel, in 1830. In 1831 William Miller (the founder of Adventism) began teaching his ‘findings’. Jehovah’s Witnesses also started soon afterwards. Chiliasm (millennialism) was in the air in the mid 19th century. The missing ingredient, however, is a secret rapture.

Margaret Macdonald

The first person to speak about a pretribulation rapture was a young girl named
Margaret Macdonald from Port Glasgow (15 miles from Glasgow) who was familiar with The Morning Watch and Edward Irving. The vehicle of this idea was a vision which was written down and read by Irving. In the early 1800’s, some people were beginning to think of a future tribulation and Antichrist. Earlier, most had been historicists who saw the 1260 days of Revelation as years, viewing tribulation as present or past and seeing the Antichrist in the pope, or Napoleon, and the beast as Jews, pagans, Arians, Saracens etc.

In 1829 The Morning Watch represented the most advanced prophetical ideas, including:
• a future tribulation and Antichrist.
• a literal rapture
• a partial rapture (only those filled with the Spirit)
• however, the man-child of Rev 12 was not seen as a church symbol
• an emphasis upon the witnesses of Zecharia tied in to the witnesses of Revelations 11.

[Historically, these witnesses had been seen as the Old and New Testaments, or alternatively as Enoch and Elijah (who had been raptured)].

Margaret saw these witnesses as a symbol of the church which introduced a completely new eschatological idea. Irving (as a historicist) had come close to this in seeing the Rev 11 witnesses as a succession of chosen men faithful to God. This is found in his introduction to the translation of Lacunza’s: The Coming of the Messiah’. (Although he later in the same work states that they are a symbol of the scriptures.) Lacunza also saw them as 78utwo congregations of faithful ministers, but neither saw them as being secretly raptured before the Tribulation. Irving, like many others, believed he was already in the 1260 year Tribulation.

Young Margaret Macdonald, who had such a critical influence in the formation of
pretribulation was a poor foundation on which to rest. Her insight came in a lengthy vision after prolonged sickness which required bed-rest for 18 months. This was written down and passed to ministers, including Irving at a time when he was very susceptible to such charismatic revelation. Margaret had also only been a Christian for a year and was uneducated. It was probably these facts which led to the origin being obscured and publicised by more educated men.

Margaret was also particularly open to the occult. Robert Norton wrote of her and a friend, ‘I have seen both her and Miss Margaret Macdonald stand like statues scarcely touching the ground, evidently supernaturally’. Andrew Drummond tells us that Margaret’s close friend Mary Campbell practised automatic writing and had intense psychical power and was a medium. Margaret also predicted that socialist Robert Owen was the Antichrist at the time she had her pretribulation vision. Margaret herself began to speak in tongues about four months after her vision in August 1830.

"The Morning Watch"

The Morning Watch did not credit Margaret Macdonald as its inspiration, although it does mention ‘several young women’ having given deep revelation in a few broken sentences.

Robert Baxter, a lawyer who became disillusioned with the Irvingites and left
them wrote about Margaret in his Narrative of Facts. He states that: ‘the delusion first appeared in Scotland’ but ‘it was not until adopted and upheld by Mr Irving, that it began to challenge much attention.’ Margaret’s (uncredited) vision appeared in 1840 in the Memoirs of James & George Macdonald of Port Glasgow written by Robert Norton. In 1861 he told her vision and named her specifically, identifying her as the source of the new doctrine. The fact that the Irvingites initiated the teaching of pretribulation is also asserted by several contemporaries,including eminent Brethren writers, such as: S. P. Tregelles, J. P. Lange, Thomas Croskery,
Edward Miller (Irvingite historian), William Reid, George Stokes and J. S. Teulon.

Subsequent to receiving a copy of Margaret’s vision, The Morning Watch went into overdrive in explaining their modification of eschatology. The caught up of 1 Thess 4 is now separated from the gathering of Matt 24. An article by ‘Fidus’ in June 1830 clearly states that ‘Philadelphia’ (spiritual believers) will be raptured and ‘Laodicea’ (non-spiritual Christians, and Jews who follow Antichrist) will be left on earth to endure the Great tribulation. Margaret had rested on the ‘two
witnesses’ symbol, Fidus on the 7 churches.

Later, others (especially Darby) would rest upon the ‘man-child’ symbol. Pretribulation must lean upon these symbols from Revelation because there is absolutely no clear, non-symbolic statement in the Bible to defend it.

The pretribulation rapture became known as ‘the secret rapture’. This has tendencies of developing an elitist, arcane society of adherents, those who are privileged to know about the secret or are especially spiritual in order to take part in it. In June 1832, it was stated that the Lord’s coming was only a joy for those prepared and looking for it. Only they would see the Lord, the rest of the church would only see this first appearance as a meteor or cloud.

Other ideas began to emerge. In June 1832 an article on the feast of Tabernacles saw the seven days of the feast as seven years, the thirteen bullocks slain indicated a confederacy of thirteen hostile powers, during the rise of Antichrist, Gog and Magog etc. This appears to be the first mention of a seven year tribulation period. Out of interest, Darby was teaching a tribulation of three and a half years as late as 1868.

Because the symbolism of types can be interpreted according to other influences, once sound Biblical hermeneutics are ignored,the interpretation of the feasts varied significantly from year to year. Irvingites shifted the rapture from feast 6 (of Lev 23’s 7 feasts) to feast 5, then feast 4 and even feast 3 within the first few years. Modern Dispensationalists have the same problems.

Scofield based his pretribulation rapture on feast 3 (firstfruits). Hal Lindsey has a rapture somewhere between feast 3 and 7. Edgar Whisenant based it upon feast 5, stating that it would occur in 1988. Another recent author stated that it would occur in May 1997.

Irving’s man-child ideas began to emerge in June 1831; repeated by Darby in 1839. He took Paul’s teaching on the union of believers with Christ and transferred it to the the interpretation of OT prophecy and Revelation symbolism. References to ‘Christ’ became corporate, especially the veiled reference of the man-child in Rev 12. With appalling exegesis he sees a first company gathered (rapture of the singular child) before the others of the church who suffer in the Great Tribulation (a remnant of the woman’s seed).

Questions raised by this nonsense include:

• Part of the symbol is literal (‘caught up’),and part is taken spiritually (‘man-child’).

• If the man-child literally referred to Christ as claimed, why did the disciples not accompany Christ into heaven at his ascension?

• If the man-child symbolises a pretribulation rapture at Rev 12:5, the head
needs to be on earth for the whole body and members to be caught up together.

• If the church is already mysteriously (spiritually) joined to the head, why does the church need to be with him in person at Rev 12:5?

Development by Darby

Dave MacPherson has catalogued Darby’s main eschatological beliefs in 21 tenets. He then demonstrates that all of these are present, using the same wording, in Edward Irving’s preliminary discourse to Lacunza’s work published in 1827. In 1829, Darby himself was only voicing 6 of the 21 items. For instance, in 1829 Darby had a Post-tribulation outlook and only saw a distinction, not a dichotomy (separation) between Israel and the church. Darby also quoted Irving, Lacunza and
The Morning Watch in 1830.

Furthermore, Darby’s idea of the parenthesis (where the Jewish kingdom is put
on hold while the Gentile church is developed) appeared in 1830; but the same thought in very similar wording appeared in The Millennium by W C Davis of South Carolina in 1811. Lacunza also frequently mentioned this word in explaining prophetic scripture. It was only in 1870 that Darby’s development led to the position now held by modern dispensationalists. He ceased to emphasise the man-child symbol in favour of the Philadelphia symbol, or even the apostle John who heard ‘Come up hither’. All these had been previously stated by Irvingites, even
using John as a church symbol.

Darby’s later reminiscences show signs of misrepresentation and plagiarism. For example, his observations of an 1830’s Scottish prayer meeting conducted by the Macdonalds, and which included tongue speaking,is almost identical to the report given by John B. Cardale printed in The Morning Watch, Dec 1830, except for one item. Darby omits Margaret’s utterances regarding a pretribulation deliverance. Other writers noted this. F. Roy Coad called it, ‘disingenuous tactics’ and ‘descended to the disreputable’. Benjamin Newton wrote that Darby was most subtle (i.e. sly). Darby can be claimed as a populariser of other’s thoughts on pretribulation predispensationalism, but not the originator - as is everywhere claimed.

Earlier historians and theologians were not in the dark on this. George Stokes wrote: ‘Darby ... imbibed the Irvingite theories about prophecy, which coincided with his natural turn of mind.' Samuel Tregelles, one of the ablest 19th century scholars and a Brethren leader, said that the Secret Rapture doctrine was developed by Irvingites, that Darbyites wrote heterodox tracts, misrepresented historic writings to suit their ideas, and added unsound thoughts to quotes of existing writers, all excused as being done for the honour of God. In editing Darby’s
works, William Kelly deliberately revised them to give the impression that Darby originated the key doctrines and used editing techniques to misrepresent the Irvingite position. Modern Dispensationalists have continued this error, by accident or design.
After being taken on board by the Brethren leader, John Darby, some Brethren
leaders (like B. W. Newton, George Muller) rejected it. S. P. Tregelles added that the idea came from a false spirit prompting a vision in Irving’s church. Other contemporary leaders, like Charles Spurgeon and William Booth also condemned the teaching.
The ideas were exported by several visits of Darby to the USA (between 1859-74) and a series of prophetic conferences (1878-1901) presenting Dispensationalism to Americans. Delegates included Hudson Taylor, A.T. Pierson. A.J. Gordon, S.H. Kellog and W.J. Erdman.

The Scofield Bible and other writings

Dispensationalism was Internationally popularised by the Scofield Reference Bible (arising out of these conferences and published in 1909 with over 3 million sold by 1960), J.N. Darby’s writings, William Kelly’s books, E.W. Bullinger’s The Companion Bible, W.E. Blackstone’s Jesus is Coming (hundreds of thousands sent free to Christian workers in USA) and many other Brethren writings. Many of these works denigrated existing commentaries, and even the church Fathers and the Reformers, and boasted a special revelation, only their works truly understood God’s mysteries.

This gave these ideas an attractive and popular ‘novelty’ to the Christian public. It should also be noted that there was widespread corruption in the church at large in this period with a poor level of teaching (despite some notable exceptions). As a result, many people jumped on to Darby’s bandwagon which
promoted a return to exegetical teaching of the Bible. ‘He (Darby) was able to do what he did because there was a great need ... the church was corrupt, the clergy unlearned.

Liberalism had all but taken over. Prophetic teachings ... were almost unheard of.
Multitudes were spiritually starved’.

The current situation

Today, the most popular systematic defenders are Americans (live & dead) like:
Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord, Lewis Sperry Chafer, Arno Gaebelein, J. Dwight Pentecost and Ernest Pickering. At a popular level, there are numerous melodramatic paperbacks (like Hal Lindsey’s: The Late Great Planet Earth and Bruce Larson, Armaggedon) or like films.

We can identify the following varieties:
· Classical Dispensationalism -
(Scofield, Chafer), Israel is on the earth, the church is in heaven and the two never meeting the new world. There are two ways of salvation: works in the OT and faith in the NT. Chafer holds to two covenants. This view dominated 1900-1950’s.
· Hyper Dispensationalism - Instead of finding the usual Dispensationalist origin of the church in Acts 2, these see it in Acts 13 (as Charles Baker, author of A Disp. Theology and associated with Grand Rapids Grace Bible College!).
· Ultra Dispensationalism - The church begins in Acts 28 (as E.W. Bullinger, hence sometimes called Bullingerism). Therefore, only a few of Paul’s letters apply to the church, the rest of the NT is Jewish.
· Neo Dispensationalism - (Ryrie, Walvoord, Dwight Pentecost). Israel and the
church will be together after the millennium; there is only one way to salvation in both testaments (faith); there is only one new covenant. Dallas seminary promotes this view.
· Progressive Dispensationalism - In recent years some have realised that even some of the Neo Dispensational views are untenable and have sought to further ameliorate its teaching (e.g: Robert Saucy, Craig Blaising, Darrell Bock).
They state that:
o The church is not a parenthesis but the first step towards establishing the kingdom of God.
o God does not have two purposes (i.e. Israel and the church), there is only one purpose, but both of them share in it.
o There is no distinction between Israel and the church in the future state.
o The church will reign (with Jews) in glorified bodies on earth during the
millennium.
o But - they still insist that OT prophecies regarding Israel will be fulfilled
in the millennium by ethnic Jews. They do not see the church as the new Israel or believe that OT prophecies are fulfilled in the church.

One can begin to see how complex and varied this scheme is. There is, also,
hopeless disagreement among its teachers. Is it really conceivable that the greatest saints in the history of the church could have not known of this ‘vital’ truth for 1900 years?

Also consider that the foundation was laid by: a Roman Catholic Jesuit, a discredited, charismatic heretic and a young girl influenced by hallucinations and connected with occult practices.

Go figure how this belief system has so influenced American politics and the preaching of this in America, to create Christian Nationalism, the greatest lie told to the church, so that is has become proactive in this idolatry to the point we have become a nation of war mongering and blood shedding of any others that would disagree with us, all except the present nation of Israel, who not only is
allowed to have WMD's but continue it's persecution of all those that in anyway would oppose their authority over all of the Middle East. We have somehow come to beleive that as long as we support this Zionist nation, we too are some how the nation, with the promised land and the physical promises that can never be removed.
Wrong, as history and time will tell. If we continue, on the same path as Israel, to put ourselves, above God and others, and not promote the Kingdom of God over the earthly kingdoms of men, we will soon find the destruction of America just as Israel found itself under the destruction by Rome in 70 AD. It is our call to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone, to bring forth the true Jew, as Paul so elogantly put it - those not circumcised in the flesh but in the heart. The true Israel, the organized church is unable to realize is the unseen "universal church" (EKKLESIA) "the called out one's" of Christ who no longer look for an earthly kingdom, but live by the Lord's prayer. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Remember it is Paul who said that "there is neither, Jew nor Greek, nor male or female, all are one in Christ".
How easy it is to be decieved, even with the very first letter Paul wrote sometime in 51 AD, to the church of Galatia, the Judaizers were then trying to destroy Christianity with a return to the Old Covenant and circumcision of believers as they have so subtley done so today to convince us that God has any kingdom on this earth.

"The Kingdom of God is within you", Christ said. This is the rulership of our Father in our lives over all things and all purposes, all desires of this world (Cosmos) which the Bible says very clearly, "they are blinded by the god of this world"- Satan. I am not anti-Semitic nor do I hate the people in Israel or any race called the Hebrews, but the truth is they are blind and as long as any Hebrew continues to reject Christ he as all others including Americans, Chinese or whoever, they are under the power of Satan and blinded by him.

I refer you to a scripture now, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that "all" will be condemned "who have not believed" the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

It is time the church rejects these ideas of dichtomy (seperation) of the Jews and the Church and realize, there is only one true Israel it will all be saved, as it is made up of men and women, of all races, creeds and color, who given their lives to Christ and recognize him as King now, and the Promised Land as the dwelling place we have with him now in the Spirit.