Rubik’s Cube, the New World Order, and the Mark of The Beast.

We have all heard the stories of subcutaneous transponders, global computer systems being designed for subjugating mankind into slavery, barcodes imprinted upon our foreheads or hands, all under secretive and demonic masters (or the 1%, per some sources).  We have shivered at the prospect of an antichrist raising the One World government to plunge the world into darkness, of torment, of Tribulation, and we fear of ending up in hell for eternity ourselves.

 I posit that these things are all only symptoms of something much greater, and much simpler, if you care to dig and think things through.

 The Biblical book known as “The Revelation of St. John the Divine” has terrified and mystified people for millennia.  If this one book doesn’t scare you into repentance and submission, nothing will, really.  Full of hard to understand imagery and concepts so fantastic, as to stagger the imagination, it is easy to understand how power-hungry and manipulative religions and individuals have used this to rise to power, creating fear among the poor and uneducated throughout history. 

 

…And yes, they still do.

 As I have stated repeatedly, and continue to state, I cannot prove anything, and only offer my thoughts for discussion.  It is up to you to engage or not, but I think you might find this entry as intriguing as I do.

You can do your own Bible-study with me, if you like.   The First thing to do is to gather your study materials; A Bible, a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (for the version of Bible you are using), perhaps several other versions of Bibles and Concordances.  NOTE:  You will hear that the “Direct Translation” versions are the King James, and the NIV.  This is a lie because there is no such thing as a direct translation, as many of the words are un-translatable from the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts.  Worse, many words, phrases, and passages, were deliberately mistranslated because they didn’t sit well with those doing the translating.

I use a KJV, and an NIV, my Strong’s, Lost books, Gnostic texts, and even the internet.  I have to admit that, because I am digging through the leavings of several millennia, and because no one from that time is alive now (that we know of) to corroborate or disprove that which has been rammed down our throats; all we can do is try to make sense of it all.

 So…  Let me start by explaining my technique, which I call the “Rubik’s Cube approach”.  This is Keyword searching, and laying out the correlating passages, to expose something.  This is where your Strong’s comes in, as passages are much easier to find when you know the words within the passage you seek. 

Here is where (and how) we start the argument.

We need to look at the BASIC questions; Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. (Not necessarily in that order).

Let’s start with one of the most simple, and defining questions facing us:

Why are we here? 

Most Christians and Hindu understand the concept of being tested (or evolving, becoming enlightened) as the reason for mankind’s existence.  I agree with this train of thought.  However, without invoking God, or spirituality, one can simply look at our Form, which follows function.  Physically, we are here to procreate and beget life.  As the highest order of intelligence on our planet (Yes, some will debate this), we have the added responsibility to safeguard and manage the world, not only for the other life forms, but also for ourselves.  Many would agree that we’ve done a very poor job so far, and those who have lined their pockets at the expense of God’s creation, highlight my FIRST premise:

Matthew 6:24-  “No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one, and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.”

 This defines the game as choosing a side, either choosing God, or his enemy, Money.  Now we know What the game is, and Who the players are.

Now, let’s define the “Mark of the Beast”:

What is a mark?  The first mention is in Genesis, after Cain slew Abel.

Genesis 4:15-  “…Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him”

It is an identifier.

The Beast:  (Keywords in Red, Comments in Blue)

Revelation 13:1- “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.  And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.  (I suspect this refers to the passage where “the waters are the people, languages and nations of the earth”, and that this beast arises as a byproduct of human society, perhaps our economy?) He had ten horns (Hard growths deriving sustenance from the system) and seven heads (Perhaps 7 countries or even continents?), with ten crowns on his horns (Some think this to be the ruling banking families, which includes the Rockefellers), and on each head a blasphemous name. 

2) The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. (Hosea 13:4-8: “…So I will come upon them like a lion, like a leopard I will lurk by the path.  Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open.  Like a lion I will devour them; a wild animal will tear them apart.”) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. (I find this very interesting as we see Satan clearly identified as the dragon, which is God’s enemy, and money competes with God as a “Master” over people.)

3) One of the heads of the beast seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.  The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.  (I’m making a leap here, but I suspect this refers to the American stock market collapse of 1929, and how we rebuilt, and now have led the world into capitalism.  FDR removed the US from the Gold Standard in 1933 and Bretton Woods was a collusive venture on a global scale.) http://useconomy.about.com/od/monetarypolicy/p/Bretton-Woods-International-Monetary-System-And-1944-Agreement.htm

“The Bretton Woods system was a remarkable achievement of global coordination. It established the U.S. dollar as the global currency, taking the world off of the gold standard. It created the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the two global organizations to help monitor the new system. In effect, since the U.S. was the only country with the ability to print dollars, it established America as the major power behind these two organizations, and the global economy.”

4) Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast?  Who can make war against him?” (See Keynesian economic theory, how tying all the world’s economies together makes it impossible for any country to attack the US, without facing economic suicide in the attempt.)
5) The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. (3 ½ years or “half a time”)

6) He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 

7) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.  And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 

8) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast- all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9) He who has an ear, let him hear. 

10) If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go.  If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.  This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.  (Basically, this is unstoppable and all we can do is to endure)

11) Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth.  He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (Has the trappings of gentleness, respectability and piety, but speaks and acts boldly)

12) He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 

13) And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 

14) Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.  He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (Perhaps this refers to currency which represents Gold?)

15) He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.  (Ever heard the saying “Money talks”?)

16) He also forced everyone small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, (Genesis 48:17-18-  The Right hand being the hand of blessing which was placed on the forehead of the one being blessed.  Exodus 15:6- regarding deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt “Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power.  Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.”  Isaiah 41:10- “… I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Putting marks in these places would clearly then be done as an insult to God.)

17) so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. (See below)
18) This calls for wisdom.  If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is a man’s number.  His number is 666.  (This is what drives the entire argument home for me.  Wisdom and Insight seem to point to Solomon, then you find there is only one other place in the Bible where 666 is mentioned.  See 1Kings 10:14- “The weight of the Gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,” 

“A man’s number” also screams salary to me.  Do we not judge each other by how much money we make?  Do we not look up to those who have vast wealth, or down upon those who make less than we do?  I strongly believe that all of this validates all my previous comments.)

 

So, it kind of looks like the conspiracy theorists could well be right.  We see the United Nations and the IMF and the World Bank driving Bush’s “New World Order”, sovereign nations bowing to demands in order to receive financial assistance, we see Keynes’s plan coming to fruition, and we see the rise of fascism threatening to return people into slavery, albeit by a different vehicle, and without bloodshed.  This is not the world I grew up in, and I do not like where we find ourselves now.

The only way to stop this, in my opinion, is revolution.  No, I am NOT advocating violence or war, not unless it is the very LAST resort.  

It seems far simpler to me that people could identify the sources of production and stop using common currencies, which are regulated by banks, but it would require a unified act of rebellion, by all the people around the world.  Barter, and other systems of exchange, could remove the threat of enslavement and abject poverty, by removing the power that these people, governments, and corporations control.

Smart decisions about what you buy and whom you buy it from, is the best first action I can think of to recommend.

Are we IN Hell aleady?

In Hinduism and Buddhism, you are perfected through “Samsara” (cycles of reincarnation) until reaching the state of enlightenment, and then through “Moksha” (release from Samsara), you join with God. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moksha

What if this is the truth? What if The Bible scriptures actually support this concept?

Again, as always, I make no claims to be an authority, or to have secret knowledge. I merely offer discussion and my thoughts, in my search for God and truth.

In my life, I have experienced the gamut of emotions through good times, bad times, suffering, loss, joy, despair; just like everyone else. Have you ever contemplated how hellish life can be; The suffering in the world; Growing old and watching those around you, whom you love, grow old and die?

The Christian explanation of life, is that we are here to be tested, and if found acceptable to go and be with God for eternity. Those who are not acceptable, are to be cast into the “Lake of Fire” (found in Revelation) for all eternity. Many conclude this to be Hell. But wait… the Lake of Fire is to be cast into the abyss, which is the “Second Death” (Revelation 19 & 20)… How can the Lake of Fire be Hell, if torment is supposed to be eternal? It says “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is the Second Death.” (Rev. 20:14)

So, what is this “Lake of Fire”? What is this Second Death? What is the River of Life in Rev.22?

Revelation 22:1- “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”

Water also appears in Genesis 1. Of note, Genesis 1:6- “And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” Genesis 1:7- “So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse “sky” And there was evening, and there was morning- the second day.”

Separating water below the sky from the water ABOVE the sky? How can this be? I don’t believe there is water in outer space.

I believe the answer is found in Revelation 17:15- “Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.”

So, it would indicate to me, that the “separation” divided us from God, via being brought forth into this plane of existence.

An interesting observation is how life is referred to as water, which occurs in waves as does, heartbeats, brainwave activity, and all energy. Quantum Physics seems to prove more about God, than not.



Fire is ritualistically used for purification, and also in fact. Burning diseased corpses prevents the spread of certain diseases and causing greater harm to society. We see this also in Matthew 3:11,12- “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

In Revelation 3:18 (Jesus to the Angel of the church of Laodicea, via John)- “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you may become rich; and white cloths to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see.”

Zechariah 13:9- “This third (people who survive) I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like Gold.”

1Corinthians 3:13,14- “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. “

Malachi 3:3- “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like Gold and Silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.”



The extrapolation is that the Earth was created as a testing place. Through trials and tribulations we are refined, tested, and separated, in preparation for God.

A river is an active water source, whereas a lake is more inactive or stagnant… enclosed. My thought is what if the Lake of Fire is the collection of waters (us), being tested and tried? Maybe, here and now, this place we live?

This would correlate to the concept of Samsara.

However, The Bible states in Hebrews 9:27- “It is appointed unto man to die once…” (KJV) and “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that face judgment.” (NIV)

It may be appointed unto man to die once, but it doesn’t say that we do only die once. What if the real choice is for us to decide to leave and be with God? Yes, we must become acceptable, but it doesn’t deny reincarnation. To put this into perspective, as Christians we know that Jesus died and was reincarnated, as the main tenant of our faith. There was also that matter of the dead rising from their graves at the moment of Christ’s death, who walked around and talked with everyone.



Ok, so we have the Lake of Fire possibly being creation, where we are tested in preparation to be with God.

We see that reincarnation does exist.

We also know that Satan was given power over the Earth, and guess what? He lives in Hell. This makes sense if he is bound here and doomed to be cast into the abyss and the Second Death. Revelation 2:13- “I know where you live- where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city- where Satan lives. (Pergamum)”

This could also possibly explain the concept of Christ spending an eternity in Hell, in payment of our sins… as each person is ransomed out of this place. In accepting Jesus as savior, he is put back on the cross each time someone is saved. No proof, just a thought.

So, How does this tie into the second death? How about the casting into the abyss?

I was reading an article recently about the Big Bang. According to the theory, at the moment of expansion, there was one “superforce” which cast all matter outwards faster than the speed of light. As the universe expanded and slowed, the one “Superforce” split into the four forces we have now: Gravity, Strong nuclear, weak nuclear, and electromagnetic. To abstract the article: At some point, the expansion of the universe will overcome the ability of gravity to hold it together, and that means that atoms will no longer be able to maintain molecules or matter, and that the universe will simply dissipate into nothingness. Whoa!

Revelation 21:1- “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

There is another passage which I cannot find as of this moment, which stated, “As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end.” This clearly means the end of creation and the return to the abyss.

Does it make sense that God would need to create a special place of torment?

The word “Death” means separation. Could it be that separation from God, would be torment enough? I don’t know about you, but the worse possible torment I could think of would be to live forever in this place, especially as so many are destroying the earth for wealth. And worse still, what greater prison or torment could there be than to be cognizant and aware, in a total abyss with total blackness, no other intelligent entity for companionship, and your memories intact, for all eternity?

Godless Communism, Holy War, Conservative Christians and Other Oxymorons

By Dianna Anderson



Socrates stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being.”; I agree and argue that the statement is also true in exchanging the word Faith for the word Life. Religion has been the root cause of more murder, oppression, discrimination, torture and hatred throughout history than any other social or ideological construct.

The ultimate, independent truth of reality, is that NO person whether they are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, or of any other group, can either prove or disprove the existence of God. This is the very heart of Faith! …Belief in that which is unseen.

I will not argue the authority or validity of any one religion over another; that simply cannot be done, by anyone. I will however, point out and argue the discrepancies.

You might ask, “Who are you and on what authority do you presume to speak to me?” It is a good and valid question. In fact, this is the question that you should be asking of every religious leader, organization, book, scroll, or document that is held aloft as “Holy Writ”.
Do you think that God is interested in mindless, blind faith? If that were so, we would not be created in God’s image. We would not have been given the gift of Free Will.

My answer to you, and everyone else, is that I am a Child of God, a seeker, a voice crying out in the wilderness. I have no pretentious titles, degrees from seminary, or religious affiliations. Likewise, I could challenge anyone to produce the names of the Universities where Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, or Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) attended and graduated from. Not that I compare myself to these great religious and spiritual leaders, but neither am I less than any other person, which God has created.

I am merely offering discussion, engage or not; it is your choice.

Returning to Socrates; another quote which drives my points (and holds my fascination), is this: “And how is not this the most reprehensible ignorance, to think that one knows what one does not know? But I, O Athenians! in this, perhaps, differ from most men; and if I should say that I am in any thing wiser than another, it would be in this, that not having a competent knowledge of the things in Hades, I also think that I have not such knowledge.”

My statement of Faith, so that you may understand my position, is that I believe in God and Jesus Christ. More to the point, I consider myself an “Exo-Christian”; outside, and apart from, any established dogmatic structure and organized institution. I will provide a more complete description of my beliefs in time. What I can prove, believe and suspect to be true, are all dependant truths; based on historical content, available scripture, books, and documents. The question is whether we can count on the truth and accuracy of these sources which have been handed down to us, over the millenia, from our forbearers.

“History is written by the victors”, is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill, but no one knows for sure who first said it. We cannot know many historical things for certain, as we were not there, and so at the mercy of the past. What we can know, is that human nature is unchanged from the beginning of recorded history and is probably our best insight into deducing and understanding the past.



Religions

These are my views on religions I have explored to some degree, and what I have come to understand about them. I do NOT believe that any one religion is the ultimate, true word of God, but that perhaps each has a portion of the truth. To state that only one group has the truth and only they will go to Heaven, does not count for the ability of God to grant special dispensation, as seen in Romans 11 (The grafting of the gentiles ‘branch’ to the olive tree of Judaism).

To try to limit, or contain God, in any manner or writing or legality, seems evil in and of itself. God is beyond our comprehension or ability to understand, although I often envision God as a frustrated parent trying to deal with an errant 2-year old. That we can comprehend God, in any manner, is a good thing, and marks a step in our development and evolutionary growth, but do we know him?

Any person, or organization, who tells you that they know God’s will, is a liar.

The key to enslaving any person or group of people throughout history, has been to withhold knowledge and truth. If you keep people ignorant and feed them propaganda, they will come to embrace that view. If you would deny dissension, you will limit access to other thought and discussion. For these reasons, I strongly urge everyone to explore, make an effort to truly understand, and discover, what others think and believe.

1Timothy 6:10 describes the “Root of all evil” as being the love of money. C.S. Lewis in his epic “Mere Christianity”, describes it as pride. I have heard elsewhere that is a lack of caring for others. All of these are valid statements and symptomatic of the very human, and common, state of uncaring self-absorption.

Thank God, that God is not given to such behavior, but instead gives us, as any loving parent would its child, the opportunity to explore, bloody our noses, and in doing so, learn. The first Gift of God was Free Will.


A) Islam

My study of Islam, produced many interesting findings. One, the Arab people are the descendants of Ishmael, the first-born son of Abraham and the slave woman, Hagar. The Arabs claim that link to Abraham, but do not embrace the religion of Abraham. Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 and his death on June 8, 632. The Qur'an was reportedly written down by Muhammad's companions, while he was alive.

In reading the Qur'an, I discovered that Muhammed was visited by a spirit in a cave and that he believed the spirit was a demon. The spirit stated, “Surely, your companion is not djinn-possessed.”. Later, only through the convincing of his wife and others did he come to believe that he was a prophet. The Qur’an totally destroyed all of its wisdom, witness and relevance with me in one phrase, “He who kills Christians and Jews, does a service to God.” This is not to say that there isn't beauty and wisdom in the Qur'an, its just where I stopped reading.

I do not condemn all Muslims, as I have (and do) know many who are good ,decent, hard-working and God-loving people who would never engage in these atrocities, but I cannot buy into ANY religion (Including Christianity and Judaism) which promotes violence, murder, suicide, jihad, unfair dealings with others outside of the faith (infidels), the oppression and mistreatment of women or children, or condones acid being thrown into, and disfiguring, the faces of girls who attend school. To me, this is inconsistent with my understanding of the nature of God and is in fact, evil incarnate.


B) Buddhism

Buddhism, isn’t really a religion, per se. It is more like a philosophical/spiritual adjunct which could be integrated with any religion, and I found nothing to indicate any disharmony with the nature of God. For those seeking a higher spiritual enlightenment, I’d recommend that you explore Buddhism.


C) Daoism/Taoism

It has been many years since I read some of the teachings of Lao Tzu, and I am of a mind to re-read the Dao De Ching. Many of his teachings remind me much of Christ’s teachings (although 600 years before Jesus) and are well worth exploring and understanding.


D) Paganism

Paganism is primarily concerned with Harmony, respecting creation, and the worship of The God and Goddess. I see God as being both Male and Female from Christian scripture, so I have no issues, nor see any conflict with the nature of God here. The Pagan use of magic does not seem much different to me than the use of ritual, incense and prayer in the Christian Faith, to work the will of God on the earth and in our lives. In fact, some forms of Christianity have evolved from, and include many Pagan practices.

I find the Pagans to be generally, nicer people, more non-judgmental, more accepting of diversity, and more humane than many Christians or many other religious/spiritual groups. I also really enjoy the company of those I know and have met.


E) Christianity

Ah, Christianity… this is where the bulk of our discussion will be, as this is the religion I understand best. To many, the heart of the Christian Faith, is The Bible, which is widely considered to be the “Incontrovertible” word of God. I disagree; the “Heart” of Christianity is Jesus Christ, himself.

The Bible was created by synods and ecumenical council, canonized into its present form, somewhere between the First Council of Nicaea and The Council of Trent which ended its convention in 1563 AD. There are several different canonizations and you can read more about the history and development of The Bible at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible

My point is that it was created by men. The Emperor Constantine called the First Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD (or CE, if you prefer), to define and unite Christendom, in order to save his empire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea
Christianity was on the rise; Paganism on the decline. The struggles between the Faiths were splitting the fabric of his society. Like any politician, he chose to bet on the outcome and brought together Christian Bishops to give him an official, state-sponsored religion, which was called Catholicism (Universalism). The Nicene creed created the Dioceses
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church

As any Protestant scholar can tell you, the foundations of Catholicism were incorporated with many of the practices and tenets of Paganism, such as: The statue of the Mother and Child http://www.sabbatarian.com/Paganism/Madonna05.html, the practice of confession, etc.

So, do I think that The Bible is false; without the Word of God within? God forbid that I would give you, or anyone else, this idea. There is much wisdom and truth within The Bible, but it was compiled and created by men, the process started by empirical fiat, as shown. When I read the Bible, I first look to Jesus Christ, NOT Paul! The real treasure within the Bible are the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus is the reason for my Faith and Salvation. The Old Testament is the past, and while good for edification and understanding, is not where we are now, for the Grace provided by the sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ fulfills the Law.

Jesus summarized that Law in Matthew 22:34-40, “Hearing that Jesus silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Also, In Matthew 23: “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’.

But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi” for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one teacher, the Christ.
The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

Woe to you, blind guides! ‘You say, If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple which makes it sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’

You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers.

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I will tell you the truth, all this will come on this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’


I understand this to mean that Jesus Christ was opposed to, and despised, organized religion which perverts and tries to prevent the direct relationship of individual to God. Otherwise, why would the Holy Spirit descend on everyone who is baptized? Is this not why Jesus came? I know we definitely see his anger at the moneychangers and vendors in the temple, selling doves and whatever else, within, when he flipped their tables.

Man eventually corrupts that which was once good and pure, i.e. creation. It would seem logical to me that to prevent interference from those who would control and manipulate others, that God would provide a way out, through Jesus Christ.

To conclude this discussion on the Bible, there are the epistles of Paul and others. While there is much wisdom in them, they were written and addressed to churches of that time regarding specific issues. Again, this is not to say that these things do not apply to situations now, it's just that many of Paul’s teachings conflict with the teachings of Jesus. As an “Exo-Christian”, I tend to follow Jesus. http://www.wordwiz72.com/paul.html

Also, many people dismiss the Apocryphal books, many of which were at one time part of the "canon" of the day, later dismissed. Who has the authority to tell you or me, that they know which book is authentic and which one is heresy? One online group dismisses the Nag Hammadi as such. How do they know? Beware those who tell you what to think.

You may not agree with what I have to say, or my opinions, so for the rest of our discussion on the oxymorons and conflicts in reconciling Christianity with modern life, I will refer to The Bible, which is the ultimate authority for many of you. I may also present outside sources which will reference back to The Bible.

Oxymorons

Godless Communism- Although many Communist countries have outlawed religion, the true beginnings of Christianity were firmly rooted in Communism, as described in:

Acts 2:42- 47
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the labor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Acts 4:32-37
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

Luke 3:11
“John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him that has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”


The Apostles' Community Purse

John 12:4-6:
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

John 13:29
“Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.”



C.S. Lewis stated in his book, “Mere Christianity”, that “No one wants a true Christian society, because it would be leftist.”


Conservative Christians-

I, and many others, find it ironic that Christianity has become the very thing that Jesus denounced; Teachers of the law, and Pharisees.
Jesus was NOT a Conservative; he was a radical, a communist, and a liberal, who healed people on the Sabbath and challenged the Conservative church of that day, the Sanhedrin. He told them they were doing wrong and they conspired and killed him for it.

John 11:47-53
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.”
Then one of them named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life.”

The only thing Conservatives believe in conserving, is their own power and position. They will do whatever they can, including telling lies, causing dissension and sowing fear and hatred, and yes, even murder.
Groups like Westboro Baptist Church, led by Fred Phelps, and “Focus on the Family”, led by James Dobson, are perfect examples of this hate-mongering mentality, and YES their behavior is very UN-Christlike. Do you honestly see Jesus protesting at funerals and saying, "The reason our soldiers are dying is because we tolerate gay people."?

See the “Seven Woes” (listed previously, above) which Jesus Christ laid upon the “Teachers of the law and Pharisees” (Matthew 23)

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck from your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Matthew 6:5
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

Matthew 7:15-17
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly theu are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

Matthew 24:10-13
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets’ will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”


So… How should Christians behave towards other people?


Matthew 25:31
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Mark 10:18 & 19
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother."

Mark 12:28-31
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Luke 10:25-37
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

1Corinthians 13:4-13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Ephesians 4:25-32
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Imitating Christ's Humility- Philippians 2:1-11
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


Holy War

No one is righteous- Romans 3:10-20
“10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."[a]
13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit."[b] "The poison of vipers is on their lips."[c]
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[d]
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."[e]
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."[f]
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”

Romans 3:23-24
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Love, for the Day is Near – Romans 13:8-10
“8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

And if, “Thou shalt not Kill, ( or ‘commit murder’)” doesn’t clarify things, let me propose that IF there is nothing holy in the world but that which is of God, then “Holy War” can only happen when God is actively waging it.

One word of reminder: The Jews awaiting the Messiah did NOT expect one like Jesus, because they misunderstood the scriptures. Do you REALLY think YOU know God’s mind? I know I don’t.