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Friday, September 26, 2008

Persistance

I have not abandoned this work, but am persistently pursuing the rebuilding of my PC.

Because of the limited and fixed income I have, this will take some time. All of my study notes are on my hard drive, but I am not on my own computer.

Meanwhile, those of you who are faithful to Christ, be persistant in seeking Him in His Word, and in your prayer time, as well as in doing good for others.

We are told that true religion is this: " To feed the widows and orphans"; as well as the words of Christ "In so much as ye do for the least of these, ye do unto me also".

True works are not of human origin, but are from the heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Never the less, if you do not feel the guiding of the Spirit yet, do well as the words of Christ and His Apostles have shown and instructed us.

Visit the sick, the widows, the orphans, those who are in prison, and our fellow Christians when they need encouragement.

If we wait to hear the Holy Spirit, and do not those things that He has already instructed us in through His Word, we may miss out on developing an ear for His Spirit, and fail to bless those who need a blessing in their lives.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Still Alive

Hey every body! I'm still alive, will be longer in building my new system than I anticipated. Meanwhile:

Jesus is still alive, too. He said He would rise on the third day after His death, and He did. For those who are counting the hours trying to figure out how He rose on the third day if the number of hours from His death to His resurrection was less than 72 hours, maybe even less than 48 hours; turn to how the Jewish people counted days.

Any Part of a day was counted as a day in those times, so the day of His Crucifixion, the whole next day, ansd the day of His Resurrection would count as three days in the custom of the Jews.

If you would like to learn to learn sosmethi9ng about Jewish customs and belief, there are many web sites and many books that are available.

Chabad.org is a good place to start.

Remember, the first Christians were Jews who followed our Lord, and believed on Him, and were much persecuted, so that in their own Diaspora, the Word was spread throughout the world.

Gary

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Long Absence

I have experienced a major crash on my home ocmputer that will require, hopefully only, a new motherboard. If I can reestablish the hard drive hat I have, I will be back sooner. If not, will try posting from the local library or my neighbors computer until mine is up and running.

Thank You
Gary

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Extended Absence

During my studies on the Old Testament Prophecies, the pump on the well I get my water from went out. I may be old and slow, but with the help of my eldest son I got a new pump, down the well this time; no more jet pumps.

In the middle of that.y computer went down. I spent hours on it last night setting it back up. I still have some work to do so, I'll not be posting here for a while longer.

Thanks and God Bless to all who read my blog.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Interlude

Before I go further in the Book of the Revelation, I am going to have to brush up on the Old Testament books of Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and some of the minor prophets.

This might seem like a haphazard way to go about this, but it is the way I am to go. One can not study the Book of the Revelation without the knowledge contained in the books I listed above.

I am doing this on the fly, without extensive use of commentaries, relying heavily on the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide me. It is not in my nature to write extensive notes, edit, re-edit, revise, and then write. If I have to much time invested, I am tempted to change something I have written to make it more pleasing to men. It is and has been my intent to do what I am doing in the Bible studies I do for the glory of the Lord. That is why I use the pen name of Gadfly, and I feel like it was God who chose this name for me.

Why Gadfly? A Gadfly is an annoying little insect that is persistent in it's purpose to bite and annoy it's victims. For this purpose, it is the Word of God that is the most irritating for many people. The Word of God is the true "Inconvenient Truth". The majority of the world, including many who claim Christ's name as theirs, do not really want to hear that they are sinners, that Christ died for their sins, and that He is the ONLY WAY to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ Himself said that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is no misinterpretation of His words on that subject to give any person "wiggle room".

People come to the point of meeting Christ in many different ways, that is their life path, but it is only by acknowleding the truth about one's state of sinfulness and need of the Salvation of Christ to enter into the Kingdom of the Father that we may enter into Heaven. There is, to put it simply and plainly, no other way but Jesus Christ.

A person called and accepted by Christ enters into a personal relationshiop with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one. No religion of man leads one to a personal relationship with the Creator, only the Faith in God and the one He sent.

Read the Book of John in the New Testament of the Bible if you seek the Truth.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Revalation Chapter 3

3: 1 To the pastor of the Church at Sardis; Christ knows the works of that church, that they have authority and reputation that lives, "and art dead"; the church no longer lives up to it's former reputation as a vibrant church full of the first things of Christ.


3: 2 He warns them to keep watch on the things of the gospel that remain and to strengthen them, returning to their first love, for the church is on the point of death regarding it's usefulness as a Light of Christ. Christ has not found their works to be complete in the sight of God.


3: 3 Our Lord admonishes the Church at Sardis to remember how they first received the gospel and to hold fast to it, repenting of their slide into worldliness.


If they do not watch carefully (return to obedience to Christ only and wait and persevere in anticipation of His return), He will come on them as a thief (not as a precipitous decision to come upon them, but that they will not have any awareness of His approaching coming), they will be caught unprepared, that is in sin and abandonment of the first things.


3: 4 Christ states clearly that it will not be so for the whole church, that there are a few of the church in Sardis who have kept themselves undefiled, and that they will walk with Him in white garments (sign of purity), for they are worthy.


Those who's total fiath is in Christ are counted righteous as was Abraham, they are saved ones, saints.


It would appear then, that the church in Sardis, as are many churches then and today, was full of those who did not truly trust in Christ for their salvation, but were more than likely caught up in some form of legalism, and had not come to a saving grace in spite of receiving the Gospel of Christ.


3: 5 "He that overcometh"

is a phrase much used and much debated in the Scripture.


Many people use this verse to argue for loss of salvation. However, we find assurance in many places that those whom God has given to Jesus Christ shall in no wise be lost, that none can take him form His hand, from the Father's hand.


My studies in the Bible have lead me to conclude that those who overcome are those who are faithful to the time of the return of Christ. Not perfect in the Law, but perfect in placing theri faith in Christ alone, His Grace alone, His blood alone.


A study of Romans, particularly Chapter 7, and Galatians will lead one to conclude that He is faithful to keep us. There are two kinds who fall back on the Law; those who were never converted in the first place, and those who are deceived by the legalists.


The fact of death of this mortal body is by default a time of meeting Christ, as Paul has said that to be absent from the body is to present with the Lord. So those who die prior to His return to Earth, have been faithful to the end, if they were indeed saved.


3: 6 He that hath an ear...


3: 7 Christ now addresses the Pastor of the Church at Philadelphia; "These things sayeth he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteht and no man openeth;


3: 8 Christ acknowledges the works of the church, telling them that he has set before them an open door that no man can shut: that they have a small amount of strength but have kept his world, and have not denied his name.


Figuratively, they have kept his word through his strength and by their actions in the world have not denied his name, (or blasphemed Him in their behavior).


3: 9 Christ calls some who claim to be Jews to be of the synagogue of Satan, says that they lie, and that He will make them to come and worship at the feet of the Church of Philadelphia and to know that He loved this church.


Do not take this verse as a blanket condemnation of all of the Jewish people. Christ specifies that it is those "who are of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie".


I will not speculate as to which Jews He refers to here, He knows and that is enough for me.


3: 10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of testing (tribulation, adversity), which shall come upon all the world, to try (test or prove) them that dwell upon the earth.


3: 11 "Behold I come quickly (suddenly, not definite in being near future, but by surprise): hold that fast (cling strongly to it) which thou hast (possess), that no man take thy crown.

Do not allow false prophets to deceive you and take from you your crown of faithfulness to the word delivered by Jesus Christ and the Apostles).


3: 12 "Him that overcometh...". Many people who teach a works based salvation use this verse to back up their teaching, but the word nikao (nik-ah'-o) from the Greek that is translated as "overcometh" in the KJV, has four associated meanings as listed in the Strong's Concordance. These are:

conquer

overcome

prevail

get the victory.


The Gospels and the Epistles of Peter and Paul teach us that it is through Christ that we conquer the world, and that it is He who whins the victory while it is we who surrender our will to him.


If you are in Christ, then you have overcome. Your are one of the "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name".


3: 13 He that hath an ear...


3: 14 Jesus tells John to say to the pastor of the church of the Laodiceans, " These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:


Jesus Christ is the Amen, because he is in total agreement with God; He is the faithful and true witness, because He obeyed even unto death, and spoke only those things which God told Him to speak; He is the beginning of the creation of God, not because He was the first creation as some teach, but because He was the power of the creation.


Jesus says that He knows their works, that they are neither hot nor cold,( they had no passion for Him and no dedication to any thing but themselves), I would that thou were cold or hot. If they were hot, pouring the heat of His Loved into the works that He had for them to do, they would be glorifying the Father and the Son. If they were cold, they would be useful unto Him, but in what way I can not say.


3: 16 Because they are lukewarm he will vomit them out of His mouth.


In a parallel to the geographical situation of Laodicea, Jesus speaks of hot, cold, and lukewarm water. In the time of the writing of the Revelation, Laodicea received water by aqua duct from two other locations, one which had hot springs, the other cold clear water from the snow melt.


Hot water is soothing for bathing and healing; cold water is refreshing to the thirst and also useful in healing, after heat has been applied to an injury.


The water at Laodicea, coming from the two sources, was mingled before it got there and arrived lukewarm. It is said that this lukewarm water was so disgusting that it would induce one to vomit it back out after drinking it.


The church at Laodicea was full of pew warmers, a term that denotes people who have a tradition of going to services, but doing nothing to serve God's Kingdom or help the lost, the widowed, or the orphaned. They were people who showed up because it was expected by their culture, not because they had a passion for Christ and His work.


3: 18 The Laodiceans were rich due to their merchandise being much sought after, but they were poor in the things of the Spirit, lacking any care for God and His Word. They thought they were in need of nothing because of their wealth, but Christ says unto them "knowest not that though art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind (spiritually), and naked:


These people had the finest of clothing, and the nakedness that Christ speaks of is the lack of robes of righteousness, which come from Christ, and without which we are as naked before God in all of our sin.


3: 18 Christ counsels the Laodiceans to buy of Him gold tried in the fire (this speaks of riches in Heaven gained by doing the works of the Lord, not acts to be seen by men), and tried in the fire (proven to be true works or the Spirit, not selfishly done deeds). That they may be rich (in the things of God and His kingdom).


He also urges them to buy of Him white raiment that they may be clothed and that the shame of their nakedness not be seen (the clothes of righteousness that will cover us before God, so that God will see the righteousness of His Son, not the nakedness of our sins.


He goes on to say that they need to anoint their eyes with salve that they may see. When we are lost we are blind to the Truth of Christ and blind to our own sins. The eyesalve is the Word of God, revealing to us the truth and opening or eyes that we may see.


3: 19 God rebukes and chastens those whom He loves. Therefore, covet righteousness, and repent of your sins.


If a man thinks he is a Christian, but is able to sin wilfully without guilt of conscience, he is not being chastened by the Lord.


It is not for me to judge any man's salvation; but it is for each of us to question ourselves. Seek the chastening of the Lord, for a little chastening is painful but a short time, but damnation is and eternity of pain.


3: 20 Behold I stand at the door, and knock, if any man heart my voice and open the door, I will come in and will sup with him, and he with me.


Any man, not a select man; Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of the heart of all, but not all will hear His voice, and of those who hear His voice, not all will open the door of their hearts.


His creation and His Written word are a general invitation to all men. Not all will hear; there are those so bound up in their sins they can not hear. There are those who can hear, but think they have time to repent later. No man knows when it is appointed for him to die, now is the acceptable time of salvation. Only those who open the door in this life will receive Life Everlasting.


3: 21 Again, if we are in Christ, then we are those who will overcome. In addition, Christ promises that will set down with Him in His throne, and with Him in His Father's throne. Throne in this case could imply the place of His power.


3: 22 He that hath an ear....


The word ear used in these messages to the churches of Asia has the meaning of both physical and mental hearing. That is to listen and understand. Strong's Concordance number G191.


Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Revelations, remainder of Ch 1 and all of Chapter 2




1: 16 "And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and hid countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.


Seven stars - I will discuss these in chapter four as there is some background necessary in the first three chapters.


Sharp two edged sword: this speaks of the Word of God ref.: Hebrews 4: 12 " the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercng even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Countenance: his appearance was as the sun in the strength of it's brightness, blinding appearance.


1: 17 John, upon seeing the Lord in his blinding glory falls at His feet as one tha is dead. Christ lays his right hand on the Apostle, telling him " Fear not; I am the first and the last (alpha and omega):


1: 18 "I am he thaat liveth, and waas dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore. (This identifies Him as both God and Christ, for God was the first and is the last. Christ was God incarnate in the flesh, who was alive and died and is yet alive forever more), Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.


Since Christ alone holds the keys of hell and death, He is the only one who can open and shut hell and has mastery over death, and by extension, life.


No man on earth can decide who does or does not go to hell, or to Heaven, but Christ alone who is in Heaven.


1: 19Christ tells John to write what he has seen, the things that are, and the things to come.


1: 20 Christ tells John that the mystery of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks (lampstands) which John saw in the right hand of the Lord is this: that the seven stars are the angels/messengers

properly the pastors of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.


2: 1 Christ addressed the minister (angel) of the church at Ephesus; “These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in hi right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.


2: 2 Christ acknowledges their patience (perseverance in the faith), and that they can not bear them which are evil, and that they have tried (tested) those who say they are apostles but are not and have proven them to be liars.


2: 3 And thou hast borne (persevered) and hast endurance (patience) and for my name's sake hast labored (in teaching the word and in good deeds), and hast not fainted.


2: 4 Nevertheless I have some what against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.


It would seem that they were no longer doing these things strictly for the love of Christ and in obedience to Him, but in expectation of rewards.


2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen (grace), and repent, and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly (suddenly), and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.


As he refers to the church as a candlestick, it appears that he is saying that the destruction of the church will come, which in fact happened in past history. Ephesus is in what is now Turkey, and for a period of time, there were no longer any major Christian churches under the rule of the Muslims in Turkey.


2: 6 Nicolaitan - one of a sect in the ancient Christian church, so named from Nicolas, a deacon of the church of Jerusalem. They held that all married women should be held in common to prevent jealousy. They are not charged with erroneous opinions respecting God, but with licentious practices.


For all seven churches, the statement "unto the angel of the church" refers to the bishop or pastor.


Seven Stars refer to the

light of Heaven that shines on each church as seven seven candlesticks or lamp stands refer to the light that shines in each church.


The seven stars and the seven lamp stands are both in reference to the messengers of Christ, the ministers.


Christ first addresses the church at Ephesus.


2: 6 Christ commends them in that they hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, licentiousness.


2: 7 Christ says : to he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. Those who overcome will He give to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God.


Who are those who overcome? They are not the bench warmers who are in church by family tradition, but those of the church who surrender to Christ and the will of God, knowing there are no works righteousness that will suffice to gain them entry into the gates of Heaven, but that they are totally dependent on the grace of God who spared not His only begotten son, but sent him to the cross to atone for us.


2: 8 He now addresses the church at Smyrna. He acknowledges their tribulation and poverty, but then he says they are rich. There is no contradiction, He speaks of their actual poverty

and the persecution they suffer, but points to their richness in the grace of God.


2: 10 he exhorts the members of this church not to fear the things that man can do to them, prison and death; reminding that those who are faithful unto death will receive a crown of life.


2: 11 Reiteration that those who can hear the words the Spirit says unto the churches, or in other words, the true believers, shall not need to fear the second death; the eternal separation from the Glory of God's light and Being.


2: 12 Christ now addresses the minister and curs of Pergamon. He reminds them that he has the sharp two edged sword, then proceeds to their works.


He first praises them for standing faithful in the city where Satan's throne was, for holding fast His name and not denying His faith even in the day that one of their number, Antipas by name, was slain by those who persecuted the church.


He now proceeds to the things in which they area failing. They have among their membership those who hold the doctrine of Salaam the Old Testament prophet who sought wealth in the use of his ability to prophesy. He told King Balak, an enemy of the children of Israel how to weaken the Israelites by sending their women to the men to seduce them and divert them to worshiping the false gods of Balak's people.


Another strike against them was that they also had among the congregation the Nicolaitanes.


2: 16 Christ ends with a warning to them that if they don't repent, He will come and fight against them with the sword of His mouth, the Word of God.


2: 17 Again He repeats the phrase about he that hath an ear to hear, but the promise this time is that he that overcometh He will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone with the persons new name, known to none except the one receiving it.


2: 18 Christ now turns his attention to the minister and the church at Thyatira. He first describes himself as The Son of God, with eyes like flames, and feet like find brass.


2: 19 Next He describes the good they have done: charity and service, faith, patience, and again their works, pointing out that their latter works are more in number than their first works.


2: 20 Never the less, He says, He has a few things against them, because they allow a false prophetess named Jezebel to teach and seduce His servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.


2: 21-23 Christ tells John that he gave Jezebel time to repent, but she did not.


He then describes her end, and the ends of those who follow her.


2: 24 Christ says that to as many in Thyatira as have not known, or studied, the deep knowledge of Satan, He will place no other burden.


2: 25 He exhorts them to hold fast that which they have, the true Gospel and their Faith until He comes.


2: 26 A promise; To he that overcometh and is faithful to the end, H will give power over the peoples.


2: 27 The ones who receive that promise will rule the people with a rod of iron, speaking of the power of their rule; that they will break the powers and governments of the nations, even as with the power that Christ has received form the Father.


2: 28 Christ says He will give them the morning star, which is one of the names of Christ, and so I believe he speaks of giving them Himself, as in Christ is our reward.


2: 29 A repeat of the formulaic let him who has and ear....



Revelation Chapter 1

Here I present the first chapter of my study in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John the Apostle.

1: 1 John the Apostle introduces the book that he is writing as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.


It is commonly in error called the Revelation of John.


It is the direct Revelation of Christ to John.






1: 2 John identifies himself as one who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things which he, John had seen.


1: 3 A blessing pronounced for those who read and those that hear the words of the prophecy herein revealed, and keep (preserve) those things which are written therein.


1: 4 John addresses the seven churches in Asia, and pronounces a benediction on them; "Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is to come (Jesus Christ), and which was, and which is was, and is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;


The word used here for Spirits is is pneuma, the word usually used for spirit.



1: 5 (continuing from verse 4) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.


Christ is the true witness of the Word of God, as much as He is the Word of God. All of His words are true, because as he taught the disciples, He said and did only those things which the Father revealed unto Him. (John 5: 19-30).


1: 6 Christ has not just washed us in His blood fro the redemption of our sins, but he has made us kins and priests unto God and his Father. A doxology follows, John saying to him (Jesus) be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen


1: 7 Behold, he cometh on clouds; (clouds speak of judgment and retribution). and every eye shall see him,and they also which pierced him: and all tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.


Those who belong to him will not wail at his coming, but rejoice, so it appears that at this point in time, the church will already have been raptured off the earth.


1: 8 I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is , and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Almighty is used in the sense of the all ruling, that is, God (as absolute and universal sovereign):-A;mighty, Omnipotent.


1: 9 John identifies with the recipients of the letter as their brother and companion in tribulation (persecution, not the Great Tribulation to come), and in the kingdom and patience (patient continuance, waiting) of Jesus Christ, and tells them that he was exiled to the Island of Patmos, for his teaching of the word of God, and for bearing witness to the Good News of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.


John was being punished for standing firm in the word of God and His Son Jesus Christ.


Patmos means "my killing", and is a rugged and bare island in the Aegean Sea.


1: 10 I was in the Spirit (the connotation of the Greek being that he was at rest in the Spirit) on the Lord's day, and heard a great (loud) voice (sound) as of a trumpet,


Often the term voice of a trumpet means the communication of the Lord or one of his angels to someone.


1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.


1: 12 And I (John) turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;


As we continue in the book, we find that the candlesticks are the seven churches by way of their being the Light shining the Word of God into their respective regions of Asia.


1: 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps (chest) with a golden girdle.

1: 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire (figuratively as a flashing of fiery lightning);


1: 15 And his feet like unto fine bras, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.


Brass speaks of judgment, figuratively, he carries judgment wherever he goes, and a fierce, inflamed with anger at that, for the wicked who have refused to bow down to him and especially for Satan and his fallen angels.


The sound of many waters speaks to his judgment being heard and understood by all nations, literally overwhelming them like rain.


I just realized that I have left off a few verses, so I will add them when I post chapter 2.



Monday, June 30, 2008

The Underground Church

The following is and excerpt from the book written by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand; published by Living Sacrifice Book Company; P.O. Box 2273, Bartlesville, Ok 74005

"The Underground Church works under very difficult conditions. Atheism is the state religion in all the Com­munist countries. They give relative freedom for the elderly to believe, but children and youth must not believe. Everything in these countries and other kinds of captive nations—radio, television, cinema, theater, press, and publishing houses—has the aim of stamping out belief in Jesus Christ.
The Underground Church has very little means of opposing the huge forces of the totalitarian state. The underground ministers in Russia had no theological training. There are Chinese pastors today who have never read the entire Bible."

As China prepares for the Olympics, they are putting on their best face and showing more tolerance for the underground churches. There is only on recognized official Church in China, and that is the Three Persons Patriotic Movement. As recently as just a few months ago, the Chinese government persecuted underground churches and their members, arresting pastors and some members anad spying on the members to intimidate them.

The whole world is looking at China as the countdown to the Olympics ticks away. They don't want a ral Public Relations problem because of their usual treatment of the underground church movement which is Evangelical in nature.

The question is this, "What will the Communist Government do concerning the underground churches after all the foreign officials, athletes, and tourists have departed China"?

They may crack back down, and even more harshly, or, there is a possibilty that they may realize how good it is for China to have these brave Christians as citizens, who are obedient in all ways, except for meeting illegally. This they do because a Christian is to be obedient to the government, unless the government orders them to commit an act that is contrary to Gods will.

At least one former Communist Party member has left the Party and joined the underground church, and is now a pastor.

Pray for these brave Christians, that they will have greater freedom to worship as they choose, and that the Communist Party leaders have their eyes opened to the fact that the Evangelicals are sober, not stealing, run their businesses by Christian standards, and generally make a valuable contribution to China.

Alfred Edersheim

Alfred Edersheim (March 7, 1825March 16, 1889) was a Jewish convert to Christianity and a Biblical scholar known especially for his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883).

Edersheim was born in Vienna of Jewish parents of culture and wealth. English was spoken in their home, and he became fluent at an early age. He was educated at a local gymnasium and also in the Talmud and Torah at a Hebrew school, and in 1841 he entered the University of Vienna. His father suffered illness and financial reversals before Alfred could complete his university education, and he had to support himself.

This I give for the purpose both of introducing readers to Alfred Edersheim, and putting the statement in the 1st Chapter of 1800 "years ago". Edersheim rounded off the number to 18oo years, as many writers are prone to do in citing large periods of time.

Sketches of Jewish Social Life

I would like to introduce you to a history of Jewish Life in Palestine at the time of Christ. The Following was written by Alfred Edersheim.

Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Chapter 1 - Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
Eighteen and a half centuries ago, and the land which now lies desolate--its bare, grey hills looking into ill-tilled or neglected valleys, its timber cut down, its olive- and vine-clad terraces crumbled into dust, its villages stricken with poverty and squalor, its thoroughfares insecure and deserted, its native population well-nigh gone, and with them its industry, wealth, and strength--presented a scene of beauty, richness, and busy life almost unsurpassed in the then known world. The Rabbis never weary of its praises, whether their theme be the physical or the moral pre-eminence of Palestine. It happened, so writes one of the oldest Hebrew commentaries, that Rabbi Jonathan was sitting under a fig-tree, surrounded by his students. Of a sudden he noticed how the ripe fruit overhead, bursting for richness, dropped its luscious juice on the ground, while at a little distance the distended udder of a she-goat was no longer able to hold the milk. "Behold," exclaimed the Rabbi, as the two streams mingled, "the literal fulfillment of the promise: 'a land flowing with milk and honey.'" "The land of Israel is not lacking in any product whatever," argued Rabbi Meir, "as it is written (Deu_8:9): 'Thou shalt not lack anything in it.'" Nor were such statements unwarranted; for Palestine combined every variety of climate, from the snows of Hermon and the cool of Lebanon to the genial warmth of the Lake of Galilee and the tropical heat of the Jordan valley. Accordingly not only the fruit trees, the grain, and garden produce known in our colder latitudes were found in the land, along with those of sunnier climes, but also the rare spices and perfumes of the hottest zones. Similarly, it is said, every kind of fish teemed in its waters, while birds of most gorgeous plumage filled the air with their song. Within such small compass the country must have been unequalled for charm and variety. On the eastern side of Jordan stretched wide plains, upland valleys, park-like forests, and almost boundless corn and pasture lands; on the western side were terraced hills, covered with olives and vines, delicious glens, in which sweet springs murmured, and fairy-like beauty and busy life, as around the Lake of Galilee. In the distance stretched the wide sea, dotted with spreading sails; here was luxurious richness, as in the ancient possessions of Issachar, Manasseh, and Ephraim; and there, beyond these plains and valleys, the highland scenery of Judah, shelving down through the pasture tracts of the Negev, or South country, into the great and terrible wilderness. And over all, so long as God's blessing lasted, were peace and plenty. Far as the eye could reach, browsed "the cattle on a thousand hills"; the pastures were "clothed with flocks, the valleys also covered over with corn"; and the land, "greatly enriched with the river of God," seemed to "shout for joy," and "also to sing." Such a possession, heaven-given at the first and heaven-guarded throughout, might well kindle the deepest enthusiasm.
"We find," writes one of the most learned Rabbinical commentators, supporting each assertion by a reference to Scripture (R. Bechai), "that thirteen things are in the sole ownership of the Holy One, blessed be His Name! and these are they: the silver, the gold, the priesthood, Israel, the first-born, the altar, the first-fruits, the anointing oil, the tabernacle of meeting, the kingship of the house of David, the sacrifices, the land of Israel, and the eldership." In truth, fair as the land was, its conjunction with higher spiritual blessings gave it its real and highest value. "Only in Palestine does the Shechinah manifest itself," taught the Rabbis. Outside its sacred boundaries no such revelation was possible. It was there that rapt prophets had seen their visions, and psalmists caught strains of heavenly hymns. Palestine was the land that had Jerusalem for its capital, and on its highest hill that temple of snowy marble and glittering gold for a sanctuary, around which clustered such precious memories, hallowed thoughts, and glorious, wide-reaching hopes. There is no religion so strictly local as that of Israel. Heathenism was indeed the worship of national deities, and Judaism that of Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth. But the national deities of the heathen might be transported, and their rites adapted to foreign manners. On the other hand, while Christianity was from the first universal in its character and design, the religious institutions and the worship of the Pentateuch, and even the prospects opened by the prophets were, so far as they concerned Israel, strictly of Palestine and for Palestine. They are wholly incompatible with the permanent loss of the land. An extra-Palestinian Judaism, without priesthood, altar, temple, sacrifices, tithes, first-fruits, Sabbatical and Jubilee years, must first set aside the Pentateuch, unless, as in Christianity, all these be regarded as blossoms designed to ripen into fruit, as types pointing to, and fulfilled in higher realities. * Outside the land even the people are no longer Israel: in view of the Gentiles they are Jews; in their own view, "the dispersed abroad."
* This is not the place to explain what substitution Rabbinism proposed for sacrifices, etc. I am well aware that modern Judaism tries to prove by such passages as 1Sa_15:22; Psa_51:16-17; Isa_1:11-13; Hos_1:1, that, in the view of the prophets, sacrifices, and with them all the ritual institutions of the Pentateuch, were of no permanent importance. To the unprejudiced reader it seems difficult to understand how even party-spirit could draw such sweeping conclusions from such premises, or how t could ever be imagined that the prophets had intended by their teaching, not to explain or apply, but to set aside the law so solemnly given on Sinai. However, the device is not new. A solitary voice ventured even in the second century on the suggestion that the sacrificial worship had been intended only by way of accommodation, to preserve Israel from lapsing into heathen rites!
All this the Rabbis could not fail to perceive. Accordingly when, immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, they set themselves to reconstruct their broken commonwealth, it was on a new basis indeed, but still within Palestine. Palestine was the Mount Sinai of Rabbinism. Here rose the spring of the Halachah, or traditional law, whence it flowed in ever-widening streams; here, for the first centuries, the learning, the influence, and the rule of Judaism centered; and there they would fain have perpetuated it. The first attempts at rivalry by the Babylonian schools of Jewish learning were keenly resented and sharply put down. Only the force of circumstances drove the Rabbis afterwards voluntarily to seek safety and freedom in the ancient seats of their captivity, where, politically unmolested, they could give the final development to their system. It was this desire to preserve the nation and its learning in Palestine which inspired such sentiments as we are about to quote. "The very air of Palestine makes one wise," said the Rabbis. The Scriptural account of the borderland of Paradise, watered by the river Havilah, of which it is said that "the gold of that land is good," was applied to their earthly Eden, and paraphrased to mean, "there is no learning like that of Palestine." It was a saying, that "to live in Palestine was equal to the observance of all the commandments." "He that hath his permanent abode in Palestine," so taught the Talmud, "is sure of the life to come." "Three things," we read in another authority, "are Israel's through suffering: Palestine, traditional lore, and the world to come." Nor did this feeling abate with the desolation of their country. In the third and fourth centuries of our era they still taught, "He that dwelleth in Palestine is without sin."
Centuries of wandering and of changes have not torn the passionate love of this land from the heart of the people. Even superstition becomes here pathetic. If the Talmud (Cheth. iii. a.) had already expressed the principle, "Whoever is buried in the land of Israel, is as if he were buried under the altar," one of the most ancient Hebrew commentaries (Ber. Rabba) goes much farther. From the injunction of Jacob and Joseph, and the desire of the fathers to be buried within the sacred soil, it is argued that those who lay there were to be the first "to walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (Psa_116:9), the first to rise from the dead and to enjoy the days of the Messiah. Not to deprive of their reward the pious, who had not the privilege of residing in Palestine, it was added, that God would make subterranean roads and passages into the Holy Land, and that, when their dust reached it, the Spirit of the Lord would raise them to new life, as it is written (Eze_37:12-14): "O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel...and shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live; and I shall place you in your own land." Almost every prayer and hymn breathes the same love of Palestine. Indeed, it were impossible, by any extracts, to convey the pathos of some of those elegies in which the Synagogue still bewails the loss of Zion, or expresses the pent-up longing for its restoration. Desolate, they cling to its ruins, and believe, hope, and pray--oh, how ardently! in almost every prayer--for the time that shall come, when the land, like Sarah of old, will, at the bidding of the Lord, have youth, beauty, and fruitfulness restored, and in Messiah the King "a horn of salvation shall be raised up" * to the house of David.
* These are words of prayer taken from one of the most ancient fragments of the Jewish liturgy, and repeated, probably for two thousand years, every day by every Jew.
Yet it is most true, as noticed by a recent writer, that no place could have been more completely swept of relics than is Palestine. Where the most solemn transactions have taken place; where, if we only knew it, every footstep might be consecrated, and rocks, and caves, and mountain-tops be devoted to the holiest remembrances--we are almost in absolute ignorance of exact localities. In Jerusalem itself even the features of the soil, the valleys, depressions, and hills have changed, or at least lie buried deep under the accumulated ruins of centuries. It almost seems as if the Lord meant to do with the land what Hezekiah had done with that relic of Moses--the brazen serpent--when he stamped it to pieces, lest its sacred memories should convert it into an occasion for idolatry. The lie of land and water, of mountain and valley, are the same; Hebron, Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, Nazareth, the Lake of Gennesaret, the land of Galilee, are still there, but all changed in form and appearance, and with no definite spot to which one could with absolute certainty attach the most sacred events. Events, then, not places; spiritual realities, not their outward surroundings, have been given to mankind by the land of Palestine.
"So long as Israel inhabited Palestine," says the Babylonian Talmud, "the country was wide; but now it has become narrow." There is only too much historical truth underlying this somewhat curiously-worded statement. Each successive change left the boundaries of the Holy Land narrowed. Never as yet has it actually reached the extent indicated in the original promise to Abraham (Gen_15:18), and afterwards confirmed to the children of Israel (Exo_23:31). The nearest approach to it was during the reign of King David, when the power of Judah extended as far as the river Euphrates (2Sa_8:3-14). At present the country to which the name Palestine attaches is smaller than at any previous period. As of old, it still stretches north and south "from Dan to Beersheba"; in the east and west from Salcah (the modern Sulkhad) to "the great sea," the Mediterranean. Its superficial area is about 12,000 square miles, its length from 140 to 180, its breadth in the south about 75, and in the north from 100 to 120 miles. To put it more pictorially, the modern Palestine is about twice as large as Wales; it is smaller than Holland, and about equal in size to Belgium. Moreover, from the highest mountain-peaks a glimpse of almost the whole country may be obtained. So small was the land which the Lord chose as the scene of the most marvellous events that ever happened on earth, and whence He appointed light and life to flow forth into all the world!
When our blessed Saviour trod the soil of Palestine, the country had already undergone many changes. The ancient division of tribes had given way; the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel existed no longer; and the varied foreign domination, and the brief period of absolute national independence, had alike ceased. Yet, with the characteristic tenacity of the East for the past, the names of the ancient tribes still attached to some of the districts formerly occupied by them (comp. Mat_4:13, Mat_4:15). A comparatively small number of the exiles had returned to Palestine with Ezra and Nehemiah, and the Jewish inhabitants of the country consisted either of those who had originally been left in the land, or of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The controversy about the ten tribes, which engages so much attention in our days, raged even at the time of our Lord. "Will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles?" asked the Jews, when unable to fathom the meaning of Christ's prediction of His departure, using that mysterious vagueness of language in which we generally clothe things which we pretend to, but really do not, know. "The ten tribes are beyond the Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers," writes Josephus, with his usual grandiloquent self-complacency. But where--he informs us as little as any of his other contemporaries. We read in the earliest Jewish authority, the Mishnah (Sanh. x. 3): "The ten tries shall never return again, as it is written (Deu_29:28), 'And He cast them into another land, as this day.' As 'this day' goeth and does not return again, so they also go and do not return. This is the view of Rabbi Akiba. Rabbi Elieser says, 'As the day becomes dark and has light again, so the ten tribes, to whom darkness has come; but light shall also be restored to them.'"
At the time of Christ's birth Palestine was governed by Herod the Great; that is, it was nominally an independent kingdom, but under the suzerainty of Rome. On the death of Herod--that is, very close upon the opening of the gospel story--a fresh, though only temporary, division of his dominions took place. The events connected with it fully illustrate the parable of our Lord, recorded in Luk_19:12-15, Luk_19:27. If they do not form its historical groundwork, they were at least so fresh in the memory of Christ's hearers, that their minds must have involuntarily reverted to them. Herod died, as he had lived, cruel and treacherous. A few days before his end, he had once more altered his will, and nominated Archelaus his successor in the kingdom; Herod Antipas (the Herod of the gospels), tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea; and Philip, tetrarch of Gaulonitis, Trachonitis, Batanaea, and Panias--districts to which, in the sequel, we may have further to refer. As soon after the death of Herod as circumstances would permit, and when he had quelled a rising in Jerusalem, Archelaus hastened to Rome to obtain the emperor's confirmation of his father's will. He was immediately followed by his brother Herod Antipas, who in a previous testament of Herod had been left what Archelaus now claimed. Nor were the two alone in Rome, They found there already a number of members of Herod's family, each clamorous for something, but all agreed that they would rather have none of their own kindred as king, and that the country should be put under Roman sway; if otherwise, they anyhow preferred Herod Antipas to Archelaus. Each of the brothers had, of course, his own party, intriguing, manoeuvring, and trying to influence the emperor. Augustus inclined from the first to Archelaus. The formal decision, however, was for a time postponed by a fresh insurrection in Judaea, which was quelled only with difficulty. Meanwhile, a Jewish deputation appeared in Rome, entreating that none of the Herodians might ever be appointed king, on the ground of their infamous deeds, which they related, and that they (the Jews) might be allowed to live according to their own laws, under the suzerainty of Rome. Augustus ultimately decided to carry out the will of Herod the Great, but gave Archelaus the title of ethnarch instead of king, promising him the higher grade if he proved deserving of it (Mat_2:22). On his return to Judaea, Archelaus (according to the story in the parable) took bloody vengeance on "his citizens that hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." The reign of Archelaus did not last long. Fresh and stronger complaints came from Judaea. Archealus was deposed, and Judaea joined to the Roman province of Syria, but with a procurator of its own. The revenues of Archelaus, so long as he reigned, amounted to very considerably over 240,000 pounds a year; those of his brothers respectively to a third and sixth of that sum. But his was as nothing compared to the income of Herod the Great, which stood at the enormous sum of about 680,000 pounds; and that afterwards of Agrippa II, which is computed as high as half a million. In thinking of these figures, it is necessary to bear in mind the general cheapness of living in Palestine at the time, which may be gathered from the smallness of the coins in circulation, and from the lowness of the labour market. The smallest coin, a (Jewish) perutah, amounted to only the sixteenth of a penny. Again, readers of the New Testament will remember that a labourer was wont to receive for a day's work in field or vineyard a denarius (Mat_20:2), or about 8d., while the Good Samaritan paid for the charge of the sick person whom he left in the inn only two denars, or about 1s. 4d (Luk_10:35).
But we are anticipating. Our main object was to explain the division of Palestine in the time of our Lord. Politically speaking, it consisted of Judaea and Samaria, under Roman procurators; Galilee and Peraea (on the other side Jordan), subject to Herod Antipas, the murderer of John the Baptist--"that fox" full of cunning and cruelty, to whom the Lord, when sent by Pilate, would give no answer; and Batanaea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis, under the rule of the tetrarch Philip. It would require too many details to describe accurately those latter provinces. Suffice, that they lay quite to the north-east, and that one of their principal cities was Caesarea Philippi (called after the Roman emperor, and after Philip himself), where Peter made that noble confession, which constituted the rock on which the Church was to be built (Mat_16:16; Mar_8:29). It was the wife of this Philip, the best of all Herod's sons, whom her brother-in-law, Herod Antipas, induced to leave her husband,and for whose sake he beheaded John (Mat_14:3, etc.; Mar_6:17; Luk_3:19). It is well to know that this adulterous and incestuous union brought Herod immediate trouble and misery, and that it ultimately cost him his kingdom, and sent him into life-long banishment.
Such was the political division of Palestine. Commonly it was arranged into Galilee, Samaria, Judaea, and Peraea. It is scarcely necessary to say that the Jews did not regard Samaria as belonging to the Holy Land, but as a strip of foreign country--as the Talmud designates it (Chag. 25 a.), "a Cuthite strip," or "tongue," intervening between Galilee and Judaea. From the gospels we know that the Samaritans were not only ranked with Gentiles and strangers (Mat_10:5; Joh_4:9, Joh_4:20), but that the very term Samaritan was one of reproach (Joh_8:48). "There be two manner of nations," says the son of Sirach (Ecclus. 1.25,26), "which my heart abhorreth, and the third is no nation; they that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and they that dwell among the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem." And Josephus has a story to account for the exclusion of the Samaritans from the Temple, to the effect that in the night of the Passover, when it was the custom to open the Temple gates at midnight, a Samaritan had come and strewn bones in the porches and throughout the Temple to defile the Holy House. Most unlikely as this appears, at least in its details, it shows the feeling of the people. On the other hand, it must be admitted that the Samaritans fully retaliated by bitter hatred and contempt. For, at every period of sore national trial, the Jews had no more determined or relentless enemies than those who claimed to be the only true representatives of Israel's worship and hopes.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Free Offer

Ever day we are bombarded with "free" offers, most of which aren't truly free. When you factor in the fact that if you receive something free, it still cost some one to provide the "free" item.

Even Salvation in Jesus Christ, though free to us, cost God a lot. He had to send His only begotten Son the Cross to suffer and die for our sins. The pain of separation, the pain of living, the pain of seeing loved ones die; these were a cost that Jesus Christ paid, in addition to his pain and suffering on the Cross for us.

Salvation is by Grace, through Faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works of our own. If we are truly saved, the Holy Spirit will enter in to our hearts, and will inspire us to good works. Christ Himself said that He did nothing on his own, but did all that His Father in Heaven told Him. Christ always prayed to His Father in Heaven to know what His Father's will was, where He was to go each day, what was He to teach the disciples, and that His Father God in Heaven would sustain Him in His Mission on Earth to bring Salvation.

Jesus was not just a good teacher, a great man, or a prophet; He was the Son of God, The Son of Man, the Lamb of God. He lived a sin free life, not so that we would remember a special man and hopefully follow in His path, but so that He would be the Lamb of God, the one free of blemish, the only one who's blood could once and for all pay our sin debt.

He came to make us a free offer, but it cost him more than any one of us could ever hope to pay for a ransom. Why waste what Christ has done for you? Why refuse Him as Lord and Master at the eternal cost of suffering damnation so that you can exercise your free will? Once you die, there is no second chance.

Many teach some form or another of reincarnation, rebirth, a chance to get it right the next time; but the Word of God tells us that it is appointed unto man but once to die, and then the Judgment.

Please, take up His offer of the free gift of Salvation, for which he paid everything, and was raised by the power of His Father, to live in eternity and plead with us to come unto Him. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; whosoever will open the door, I will come in and dwell with him.

Pray as the man who wanted Jesus to heal his son did, when he said unto the Lord: "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief".


Free Bible Resources; click on the title of this page.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

There are people in this nation who seem to think that the First Amendment means freedom form religion, and not freedom of religion. A local man in a town very close to where I live stated in a letter to the editor that Freedom of Religion is not found in the Constitution.

A clear reading of the First Amendment will reveal the truth.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." This portion alone in the amendment says all we need to know.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion... The Founders were particularly concerned that the government should not decree a state approved religion to the exclusion of all others as happened both under Catholic Monarchs and Anglican Monarchs. They wanted to establish that the citizens of this nation would be free to practice their own religion, or none if they chose.

,or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... The Founders wrote in this amendment a provision that the government could not prohibit the free exercise of religion.

Free Exercise of Religion. Clearly the same as saying Freedom of Religion, but with freedom comes responsibility, and no one in the practice of their religion may make human sacrifice, or commit acts of sex with children under th cover of religion.

The rest of the amendment continues "or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances".

That last portion also prohibits the government from interfering with the free speech of religions to teach and preach what they believe, as well as to protect the individual rights of citizens to criticize their government, and the right of the press, the newspapers and broadcast media to report the news and also criticize the government. We are free to assemble peaceably, protecting public gatherings, whether religious or secular.

There are reasonable constraints placed on free assembly, allowing local governmental entities to require permits for parades and demonstrations or marches in order for them to plan for the extra law enforcement personnel to direct traffic, protect pedestrians, and to control those who become unruly or begin to riot.The local government may choose to issue a permit at no cost, or to charge a nominal fee to help offset the extra costs of keeping the peace and safety.

I began by addressing the Freedom of Religion issue, and the prohibition of Congres from establishing a state religion. I have gone ahead and covered the free speech and assmeb.y and the rest because I don't want anyone to think that I consider any part of the amendment to be seperate from the rest.

The First Amendment stands as a whole, for a reason, but it does not establish a "wall of seperation" between state and religion. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson tho the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury Connecticut, reassuring them that the government would not interfere with their freedoms nor be allowed to tax them as had been the practice before the Revolution, when the King taxed all non Church of England churches to support the Anglican churches in America.

We, as a result of the experiences of the colonists/Founders, are not taxed to support any church.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Raid on West Texas Polygamists

What is the problem that requires the removal of all of the minor children from the YFZ Ranch?

Real short: Child sex abuse.

The charges being leveled against these people have nothing to do with their religion, and everything to do with State Laws meant to prevent sexual abuse of children. The State of
Texas states that there is evidence of at least one of the girls having given birth at age thirteen.

In the State of Texas, any one under the age of fourteen is considered not capable of making a consensual agreement to have sex with an adult. State Law requires that a female be at least sixteen years old with her parents consent to marry. If they are under sixteen, even though the parents consent, the law has been violated.

There appears to be evidence that more than one of these girls has been married off at an age of less than sixteen, and subsequently entered into a sexual relationship with the adult male to whom they have "married" to.

There are many things that Religious Freedom under the First Amendment of the Consitution do not allow. An easy example would be human sacrifice. Another example is use of illegal drugs
as part of ones religion.

In the same vein of following the law, Child molesting and sexual performance of a child can not be covered under Freedom of Religion. The whole community is involved in a conspiracy to commit criminal acts of a sexual nature against minor children. They practice this as a lifestyle under the name of religion, all are knowledgeable of what is occurring, and all have been involved in concealing these criminal acts from discovery by the law, which requires a person knowing that such a crime has been committed must report it to the appropriate authorities.

Up to now, only Warren Jeffs, their "prophet", has been charged with conspiracy, and that in Utah, where he is now in prison for the forced marriage of a fourteen year old girl to her cousin. The State of Utah has been cracking down on these men who marry and have sex with prohibited minors, that is why they have built their compound in West Texas.

The State could charge all of the adults with conspiracy, but up to now has not chosen to do so.

What person among you can not understand that this is a case of protecting minor children from adults, who have themselves been raised in this idea that this is alright?

I am a small government conservative who normally does not like to see CPS get a foot in anyone's door except in extreme cases. I believe this is an extreme case. If one married couple were teaching their daughters that it was alright to marry and have sex at the age of thirteen, in violation of State Law, no one would be having a problem with the State's involvement, except probably pedophiles.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Moral Relativism

Moral Relativism is a curse to Society.


What is Moral Relativism? Basically, it is the philosophy of life that says that moral values are relative to the time in which one lives, the situation they find themselves in, and their personal choices and desires in fleshly pleasure.

It is Moral Relativism that has brought about the widespread acceptance of behaviors that as little as fifty years ago, would have been deemed reprehensible. Some examples of this would be adultery, sex out side of marriage, homosexual behavior, and child molesting.

God set Moral Boundaries for us for our own good. Every boundary passed in rebellion against Him takes us closer to accepting another deviant behavior.

You might protest that child molesting is still unacceptable, and I will point out to you the existence of groups like NAMBLA. The National Man Boy Love Association. Among the members of that organization have been priests, businessmen, college professors, psychiatrists, and others. These men are not impoverished financially, in fact, most are very well to do, wealthy pedophiles who prefer boys over men or women for sex. While they have yet to get any laws passed legalizing their activities, they have helped see to it that homosexual men and couples are allowed to act as foster parents and even adopt those who will become their victims.

If we do not turn to God, and follow Him, in time, everything will be acceptable, including men and women having sexual relationships with boys and girls. The deviant morally corrupt university professors and clergy who are involved int theses behaviors are inculcating a philosophy in students that is aimed at corrupting our society. Psychiatrists once defined homosexuality as a deviant behavior, but have now declared it normal, and just a sign of our times.

How long will it be before they declare sex between adult men and women with little girls and boys to be normal, just a sign of our times.