Category: Discipleship Essentials

What Does It Mean to Be “Grafted” into the Olive Tree?

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A commonly misunderstood concept associated with the New Covenant is that of Gentiles being grafted into the olive tree mentioned by Paul in Romans 11.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Romans 11:17–21 (NASB95)

Here are five points I will make regarding this passage.

  1. The only way to be attached to the olive tree is by faith.
  2. The “natural” branches, meaning the “natural” or biological descendants of Abraham, were broken off for failing to accept or believe in Jesus the Messiah.
  3. Branches from a “wild olive tree,” meaning the Gentiles, are grafted into the same tree through believing the gospel. Both the natural branches and the wild branches can only connect to the tree through faith.
  4. No one can graft themselves into the tree. God must do this for us.
  5. The purpose of this illustration is to emphasize that faith in our Lord Jesus is the only means by which anyone can be saved and become part of God’s kingdom or the true Israel, which is represented by the olive tree.

This illustration hearkens back to one of Daniel’s visions (Daniel 4) and a parable of Jesus (Mark 4:30-33) in which the kingdom of God is represented by a tree.

In God’s new covenant kingdom, it makes no difference whether one is a Jew or Gentile. All that matters is whether a person is part of the tree through believing the gospel. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (NASB95)

Jesus used another illustration to describe how we draw our life from being part of the vine, which clearly refers to our becoming one with him through the new birth.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. John 15:1–6 (NASB95)

The new birth is the only way a person can be joined to the vine, become part of the body of Christ and the kingdom of God, and be reckoned to be “in Christ.”

There is simply no other way.

Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jew and a Pharisee, that anyone who wishes to become his disciple must be born again. 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:3–6 (NASB95) 

Here Jesus contrasted natural birth to the new birth carried out by the Spirit of God.

Every person who comes into the world does so through a natural birth process, which does not and cannot qualify anyone for the kingdom of God. This is true for both Jews and the Gentiles.

To this Jewish spiritual leader, who was regarded by most Jews to be the epitome of spirituality, our Lord said that, unless he experienced the new birth, he would have no part of God’s kingdom. What a shock this must have been to one who thought being a physical descendant of Abraham, a Jew, qualified him for the kingdom of heaven!

John the Baptist preached a similar message.

Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Matthew 3:8–10 (NASB95)

Failure to properly respond to the Messiah who was now on hand would result in their being “cut off” from the kingdom of God. This is what Moses had warned Israel centuries before.

“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’  Acts 3:22–23 (NASB95)

The new birth takes place when a person believes the gospel. It is what joins us with the Lord.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 1 Corinthians 12:13–14 (NKJV)

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)

Being “in Christ” is a supernatural consequence of the new birth. This is the only way to be “grafted” into the olive tree or become part of the vine.

In the vine illustration, we see an obvious parallel to Paul’s analogy of the olive tree. In both cases we see that existing branches that do not “abide” in or are a part of Christ by faith are removed. These branches would be considered waste and burned, which is a reference to the last judgment. 

The natural offspring of Abraham, meaning biological Israelites, who do not have faith in Jesus, are removed from the vine or olive tree. This can only mean that something about the olive tree changed. Before Christ, under the Old Covenant of circumcision, natural birth made you a part of the tree. Now under the New Covenant, everything is different. Now it is a spiritual circumcision, which is part of the new birth process, that qualifies one for the kingdom of God. This is something that can be experienced by both males and females.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.  Romans 2:28–29 (NASB95)

The New Covenant changed the definition of what it means to be a Jew. It is no longer reckoned by physical descent or externals. It is entirely spiritual based on the new birth.

Being on the outside and cut off from the life in the tree or the vine (Jesus), the rejected faithless branches wither and perish and await burning. Unless faithless Jews repent and believe the gospel, they will be lost. This is also true for any non-Israelite who never had any part of the vine to begin with and were always on the outside looking in.

The New Covenant erases the distinction between Jew and Gentile. Anyone without Christ will perish at the last judgment.

The big difference between the Jews and Gentiles is that God gave to the Jews the advantage of being familiar with the Messianic promises, which should assist their coming to faith in the gospel and Jesus, who fulfilled those promises.

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. Romans 3:1–2 (NASB95)

The Jews knew that God promised to send a Messiah. In fact, in Jesus’ day, the air of expectancy was at a fever pitch. The problem was that, despite having this advantage, most Jewish people rejected their Messiah when he showed up, thus bringing on themselves a stricter judgment. The more we know, the greater our responsibility is and the stricter our judgment. (Luke 12:48, Matthew 11:23-24)

The Jews (“his own” people) did not receive him on a large scale; however, a remnant did and still does.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11–13 (NASB95)

The remnant of Jews who believe the gospel and declare allegiance to Christ are born of God and enter God’s kingdom, just as are believing Gentiles.

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; Romans 11:1–7 (NASB95)

There has always been a remnant or small group of people out of the whole of humanity who have believed in God and related to him on that basis. Jesus made it clear that the difference between the remnant and the rest is a matter of God’s choice. Like it or not, and many do not, that is the way it is.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16 (NKJV)

And here we are back at the illustration of the vine and branches! We cannot be part of the vine outside of God’s election and the new birth. How humbling for those of us who insist on somehow trying to qualify ourselves through being good enough or smart enough!

...(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Romans 9:11–16 (NKJV)

Being a natural child of Abraham has never qualified anyone to be a part of God’s elect or kingdom. It has always been a matter of supernatural qualification. 

Therefore, it is incorrect to think that being a natural descendant of Abraham makes a person somehow “special” in God’s kingdom. Such thinking is a form of racism and a residue from the Old Covenant. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

The old covenant scriptures all pointed to Christ, the only descendant or “seed” of Abraham who is truly special and different.

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:27 (NASB95)

Becoming one with Christ through faith and the new birth qualifies both Jew and Gentile to inherit the promises and blessings of Abraham.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13–14 (NASB95)

 

Link to all the articles in this series.
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King Saul: A Tragic Prefiguring of Israel

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israelKing Saul and his relationship with David can be understood as an Old Testament prophetic picture of the nation of Israel and its relationship with Jesus the Messiah. Below I will recount Saul’s story in relation to David. Alongside I will put comparisons to Israel’s relationship to Jesus Christ.

King Saul was the first king of Israel, a man selected by God after Israel demanded that the prophet Samuel provide them with a king. He was head and shoulders taller than his countrymen and possessed the kind of physical attributes people look for in a ruler..

He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. 1 Samuel 9:2 (NASB95)

The Israelites were tired of relying on God periodically to raise up judges as needed to lead them into battle to defeat their enemies, deliver them from bondage, and rule justly. They wanted the kind of stability they thought a human dynasty would provide. They were oblivious to the fact that their request was an insult to God’s rule. On the surface, Saul appeared to be a great choice, but it took a while for him to win the confidence of the people. God allowed Samuel to carry out the installation of a king, even though the Lord knew that future kings would mostly apostatize and lead the nation into idolatry and ruin.

Even though Saul was chosen by God to be Israel’s first king, he ended up being a tragic figure in that nation’s history. This was inevitable. Without Christ, mankind is doomed to failure.

Saul and the kingdom of Israel were of the old Adamic natural order that had been corrupted by sin and needed to be redeemed. Saul started well, reluctantly accepting the responsibility of the kingship, but his character deficiencies soon betrayed him, as manifested in repeated disobedience to God. The nation of Israel likewise began well, though not without some episodes in the lives of the founding fathers that revealed their moral deficiencies. Once again this should not surprise us because without Christ everyone falls short of the righteousness of God.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21–26 (NASB95)

Abraham lied regarding his relationship with Sarah, putting her integrity at risk in order to preserve his own life. Isaac similarly dissimulated. Jacob made deception a lifestyle until God finally wrestled him into surrender. The history of Israel under Moses was likewise a story of repeated serious integrity failures. The people repeatedly turned away from their devotion to God, choosing false gods instead. There was absolutely no possible way that the nation of Israel could inherit the promises of God.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NASB95)

Instead, that fell to the one and only begotten Son of God, the seed of promise.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB95)

After Saul disobeyed God’s clear command to kill all the Amalekites and destroy their livestock,  Samuel informed Saul that he had been rejected as king and would be replaced with another more deserving man, one who loved God with all his heart.

“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:23 (NASB95)

Looking at this story with the wisdom of hindsight, it becomes clear that Saul’s disappointing reign was a necessary prelude to the David’s. It provided a context by which to compare and contrast how David related to God, carried out the responsibilities of the kingship, and handled adversity, and transitioned to the new king, Solomon, with how Saul lived, died, and failed to transition.

David was a New Covenant man living in an Old Covenant era. God graced him to experience many New Covenant blessings. Otherwise, his kingship would have failed as miserably as Saul’s.

Like Saul, Israel also served in a transitory capacity. Just as John the Baptist’s privileged role was to identify and introduce the Messiah and then fade into the background, Israel was granted the wonderful responsibility to provide and guard God’s inspired Word and to be the human conduit for the Messiah’s bloodline. When the actual Messiah arrived on the scene, the promised one, Israel’s job was completed.

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30 (NASB95)

That nation should have handed off the baton and simply gotten out of the way, but like Saul, Israel failed miserably. It did not realize that it was to its advantage to go quietly instead of fighting to retain something that did not belong to it. Since Israel was part of the Old Covenant, it could not inherit God’s kingdom. It had to pass away like the Covenant of which it was part.

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB95)

Upon learning of God’s rejecting him from being king, instead of humbly accepting the Lord’s decision and asking how he could peacefully transition the kingdom to the new man, Saul grew paranoid, depressed, and murderous. He tried to clutch what God had given to him but now was removing.

He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. Job 1:21–22 (NASB95)

An evil spirit began to torment Saul after this. In his rebellion, he became a tragic anti-God figure by doing his best to kill David before he could assume the throne. Below he expressed his violent intent to his son Jonathan, the heir apparent, who remained loyal to David, expecting one day to serve him.

“For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.” 32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 1 Samuel 20:31–33 (NASB95)

Interestingly, David, who was a type of Christ, also faced a rival claimant to the throne in his son Absalom. David exemplified a Christ-like spirit in how he handled that situation.

The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. 26 “But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” 2 Samuel 15:25–26 (NASB95)

This compares to Christ’s words as he hung on the cross: “Into thy hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) How different from Saul!

When it became apparent that Jesus was gaining popularity with the people, Israel’s leaders were jealous and fearful that he would spoil things for them, putting in jeopardy all the perks and privileges that they enjoyed by cooperating with Roman rule. Like Saul, their behavior mirrored Satan, the murderer. Instead of seeking God’s will, they determined to put Jesus to death.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” 51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. John 11:49–53 (NASB95)

Backtracking a bit to the first time David appears in the Bible, God told Samuel that one of Kish’s sons would be the next king to replace Saul. David was the youngest who kept the sheep and was so little esteemed by his father that he was not even invited to be on hand when Samuel visited. Nevertheless, at Samuel’s command, David was brought to the gathering. It was at this time that the Lord revealed to Samuel that David would be the next king. This young man who had been assigned the lowly task of shepherding his father’s flocks was called to shepherd the entire nation.

So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:12–13 (NASB95)

Jesus was also lightly esteemed. He was born under unusual circumstances that made him appear to be the bastard son of Mary and Joseph, rather than the product of a supernatural conception. His adoptive father was an inconspicuous carpenter from Nazareth. There was nothing about our Lord’s background or appearance that made him stand out as the divinely appointed Messiah. Like David, he was a divine choice.

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:2–3 (NASB95)

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:31–33 (NASB95)

The prophet Samuel anointed David’s head with oil, telling him of God’s choice, but that event only set him apart and gave him grace for the job. The actual accession to the throne came years later after great suffering, testing, and enduring continual danger. Jesus likewise was anointed by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18) and afterward endured temptation, testing, suffering, and even death before he was exalted as Lord of Lords by his resurrection.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, Philippians 2:8–9 (NASB95)

David entered Saul’s life after an evil spirit began to torment the king. David was known as an accomplished musician who could play soothing music when the evil spirit came upon the king. Through this service, David gained Saul’s favor and an introduction into the affairs of the kingdom.

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. 15 Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you. 16 “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the young men said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.” 19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David who is with the flock.” 20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent them to Saul by David his son. 21 Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer. 22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 1 Samuel 16:14–22 (NASB95)

Jesus’ initial ministry also provided relief and deliverance to those oppressed by the devil in Israel. He gained notoriety and esteem by providing healing and deliverance to great numbers of people.

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB95)

Later the Philistine giant Goliath taunted Israel’s armies, challenging the king to send out a man to fight him in representative combat. This revealed that no one was willing to risk his neck in such a fight and kept the king and entire army paralyzed in fear. The arrogance of Goliath against the God of Israel angered David, who immediately volunteered to fight the giant alone, believing that God would enable him to defeat the giant.

Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17:26 (NASB95)

When word got back to Saul, who was not present on the field of battle, he thought David would not be up for the task, being but a boy without training as a military man. In fact, it appears that no one in Israel except David believed that Goliath could be defeated. David was able to convince the king that he had already killed a bear and a lion as part of his shepherding duties and would surely be able to whip Goliath. Saul eventually permitted David to do representative combat for the entire nation. If he won, the Philistines would surrender – supposedly. If David lost, the Israelites would forfeit to the enemy. The stakes were high indeed for the nation, but even more so for David.

Our Lord Jesus took on an even more formidable foe, Satan himself, who kept the entire world under bondage and in fear because of our sin. Just as in David’s case, no one was able to confront this giant, except the unique Son of God, who had been selected by God for the task.

And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. 17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. 18 According to their deeds, so He will repay, Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. Isaiah 59:16–18 (NASB95)

David killed Goliath and, as a result, became quite famous and highly esteemed by the whole nation. Saul put him in charge of part of his military, and he was more successful than any of his other commanders. Once when returning from a won battle, Saul heard something that greatly troubled him.

The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” 8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on. 1 Samuel 18:7–9 (NASB95)

Over time, Saul became convinced that David was indeed the one God had chosen to replace him. Sadly, Saul’s insecurity, fear, and jealousy drove him to attempt to murder the heir apparent.

The Jewish leaders conspired together to put Jesus to death as his popularity rose and people began to believe he could be the long awaited Messiah.

So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. John 11:53–54 (NASB95)

Eventually David fled the city and hid out in the wilderness, where God began to gather faithful warriors who supported him as he waited for God’s timing to assume the thrown. Saul tried to hunt him down and kill him, but never could succeed. Saul even put to death any who appeared to support David. Eventually, David despaired of remaining safe in Israel and fled to the land of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, where he remained until Saul’s death.

Jesus was hunted down and harassed during his public ministry. His followers were threatened and even killed after his resurrection, Nevertheless, God gathered around Jesus a faithful band of disciples who fearless carried the gospel to the world after his ascension into heaven.

As a result of Saul’s hardened condition against God’s will, the Lord no longer communicated with him. He had never been one to seek God personally, and now no prophet was available to hear God for him after Samuel’s death. Eventually, the time for Saul’s demise arrived. The Philistines gathered a large army to fight against Israel. David, his best commander, was no longer available to help. In panic, the king turned to a witch to try to contact the dead prophet Samuel. This final act of rebellion against God by employing occult assistance preceded his death by his own hand after he was fatally wounded in battle. His sons were likewise killed and the ark of the covenant was captured by the Philistines. Upon hearing what happened, Eli, the high priest, fell over dead. Following Saul’s death, David, who had always refused to take any part in overthrowing Saul, began a seven-year transition into becoming accepted as the king over all Israel.

After Jesus was put to death, rose again, ascended to heaven, and was enthroned, Israel’s purpose had been completed. Now God’s kingdom included people from every ethnic group, both Jew and Gentile. Now the land of the redeemed would be the entire earth, instead of a sliver of property called Palestine. When the Jews put the Messiah to death and continued to stubbornly resist the gospel, God stopped speaking to them. After the martyrdom of Stephen, the gospel went primarily to the Gentiles; although, a remnant of Jews continued to be saved, even up to this day. 

It is apparent that modern Judaism, following the fall of Jerusalem and the temple, and probably even before, ceased to resemble what was practiced by the fathers of the faith. The sacrificial system was terminated by God since the Lamb of God had been slain. The Bible was largely replaced by the Babylonian Talmud, which consisted of written oral traditions. Even in Jesus’ day, this process had begun to take place, even though those teachings had not been put in print yet. Our Lord accused the Jewish leaders of serving their true father, the devil. (John 8:44) Later, in the book of Revelation, twice Jesus called the Jews a “synagogue of Satan.” (Revelation 2:9 and 3:9) Stephen accused them of worshiping the false God Saturn / Moloch / Chiun / Remphan, whose hexagram is now found on the flag of Israel. There is a debate over whether this modern symbol of Israel has occult intent, but I am inclined to think so, based on that nation’s history of idolatry, the teachings of the Talmud and Kabbalah, and Stephen’s pointed accusation (Acts 7:43). If not true, it is a very unwise choice for a national symbol.

The Dispensational belief that the land still belongs to Jews fails to acknowledge that the “seed” of promise is our Lord Jesus. All the land belongs to him, the whole earth, not to the currently apostate Jews.

I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. Psalm 2:7–8 (NKJV)

I hope and pray that modern Israel’s leaders have not turned to evil means to obtain and maintain their ancestral homeland for God cannot bless that. The Zionist purpose to re-establish a Jewish homeland at the expense of those who previously occupied the land is even opposed by some Jews. 

We should not fall into the trap of continuing to believe that this people who have rejected the Messiah are God’s Chosen People. A few of them, no doubt, are part of the remnant chosen by God, but not the rest. (Romans 9:29) Neither are Gentiles the chosen people of God. There is only one chosen people – the elect in Christ from before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

The Jews were greatly privileged to have been used by God for his purposes for a season. They also have a long and sad history of idolatry and disobedience to God, just like the rest of mankind. Their ultimate rejection and murder of Jesus ended their role in the world regarding God’s kingdom. Jesus clearly said that the kingdom would be taken from them and given to another people, who it turns out, is the church, God’s born-again people composed of both Jew and Gentile, the “Israel of God.” (Matthew 21:43, Galatians 6:16) 

I always wondered what was God’s purpose in making Saul king. Now, I think I have a better understanding. He prefigured the nation of Israel’s tragic relationship with the man after God’s own heart, our Lord Jesus.

May we learn from this lesson that it is wrong to support any person or nation from which God has withdrawn his favor and blessing.

Instead, let us continue to pray that God will draw to himself from all those of Jewish descent who are called to be part of God’s glorious Israel of the New Covenant, the church composed of both Jew and Gentile, through which God will obtain glory for all eternity. (Ephesians 3:21)

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Israel’s Ongoing Rebellion against the Lordship of Christ

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Israel’s ongoing rebellion against the lordship of Christ means that God’s judgment still rests upon it. 

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 (NKJV)

In fact, modern Judaism, which is largely based on the Talmud, does not resemble the practice and faith of the people of God in the Bible. The following video will most likely shock anyone who is only familiar with a sugar-coated version of modern Judaism.

The Old Testament scriptures pointed toward the coming Messiah, Jesus the Lord, starting with God’s promise in the Garden that one of Eve’s descendants would crush the head of the serpent. (Genesis 3:15) The next great promise was made to Abraham that one of his descendants would be a blessing to the entire earth, not just a relatively small group of people who later became known as Israel. (Genesis 12:3) God’s plan was always to bless the entire earth. (I have written a series about this entitled The Cosmic War.) The next highly significant messianic prophecy came to Moses, who prophesied that God would one day raise up a prophet like him who must be heeded or the consequences would be fatal. (Deuteronomy 18:18-19) The last significant promise that I will mention is the one God made to King David, which guaranteed that one of his descendants would rule on God’s throne forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) Jesus’ miraculous birth, prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14), ended the waiting. His advent fulfilled the longing of many generations who lived in the expectation that God would keep the promises he made regarding the coming Messiah King (Isaiah 9:2).

Satan violently opposed our Lord’s coming because he understood it was the beginning of his complete defeat. He inspired King Herod to attempt to murder the baby boy. God foresaw this and ordered Joseph, his father by adoption, to take his family to Egypt for safety. After Herod died, an angel instructed Joseph to return to Israel, fulfilling an ancient prophecy and identifying Jesus as God’s true Israel.

When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. Hosea 11:1 (NASB95)

He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.” Matthew 2:15 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to connect Hosea’s prophecy to Jesus.

This identification of Jesus as Israel is hugely important in deciding if the modern day Jewish nation is the true Israel. 

The first time God called anyone Israel was when he renamed Jacob following his overnight struggle with God’s angel prior to meeting his brother Esau after many years of separation. 

So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:27–28 (NASB95)

Jacob’s struggle with God, which ended in his being defeated by the angel and surrendering to God, resulted in his receiving God’s blessing. Such surrender, however, has not typified the relationship the nation of Israel has had with God. In fact, it has been just the opposite, as Stephen, the first Christian martyr, stated so powerfully just before being stoned to death.

“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” Acts 7:51–53 (NASB95)

This event ended the seven-year period prophesied by Daniel the prophet, about which I have written in my article, “The Prophetic Significance of the Stoning of Stephen.” From this point forward, the gospel went primarily to the Gentiles.

Dispensational theology is a serious error because it undermines essential New Covenant truth.

The New Covenant has nothing to do with nationality or genetics. It is based solely on the new birth, making participation in God’s kingdom available to people from every nation and ethic background. (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11)

The rejection of the Lord Jesus by the Jewish nation, as exemplified by most of its leaders over the years, began in earnest during Jesus’ public ministry, climaxed at the crucifixion, and continued unabated after his resurrection up until the present day. Since the Lord Jesus could no longer be harmed, their hostility against the lordship of the risen Christ was taken out on his followers who were violently persecuted. This attitude continues, as shone in the video above.

Significantly, Saul of Tarsus, a prominent Pharisee who adamantly opposed the gospel and persecuted followers of Christ, was present at Stephen’s death and heard that man ask his Lord to forgive his murderers. (Acts 7:60) A short time afterward, Saul was intercepted by our Lord himself as he traveled on horseback to Damascus to punish disciples of our Lord in that city. Saul understood immediately that the one who appeared to him was and is the Lord, even before he knew his name. Saul, who became Paul the apostle, later recounted what happened to King Agrippa.

“And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:15–18 (NASB95)

When Paul understood it was the risen Jesus who spoke to him, without hesitation he surrendered his entire being to the Lord and became a fearless trumpeter of the gospel message.

Such a turnaround should be present in every person to whom God reveals that Christ is Lord. Those who reject this revelation of the lordship of Christ sentence themselves to eternal damnation.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you [the Jews] first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’ ” 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:46–48 (NASB95)

The majority of Jews rejected Jesus claims to be the Messiah and Lord. Nothing has changed. That ethnic group of people largely are still hostile to the gospel, as are many others. The reason I point this out is because Dispensationalism causes many people to view Jewish people through rose colored glasses.

God the Father punished the nation of Israel in 70 AD for murdering his Son, just as Jesus said he would.

“But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. Matthew 21:38–45 (NASB95)

God indeed brought that nation to a wretched end at the hands of the same Roman army that they used to kill their Lord. In addition, he removed the kingdom of God from having anything to do with national Israel. It has been given to another nation, those who are born again, the church of our Lord.

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NASB95)

The city of Jerusalem and the temple were both destroyed, thus signifying the official end of God purposes with Israel.  

The sacrificial system ended because Christ’s perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God eliminated the need for any future animal sacrifices. In fact, to re-institute that system would be an abomination. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the Law, ending its significance as a means to gain or maintain a right standing with God.

The New Covenant officially abrogated the Old (Hebrews 8:13). Going forward, the New Covenant is God’s only means of reconciling humanity to himself.

There is no other name under heaven beside Jesus whereby anyone can be saved. I have written more in detail about these things in my article, “Are the Jews God’s Chosen People?”

Under the New Covenant, the kingdom of God is made up of those who acknowledge Jesus’ lordship. The only admission into that kingdom is through the new birth. T

Many believe that God’s end time plan is to restore the nation of Israel to worldwide prominence and rule the earth through a redeemed Jewish kingdom. This is a result of believing the teaching of dispensationalism introduced by the proven scoundrel, Cyrus Scofield. 

I have written a series of articles relating to this deception, the first of which may be accessed by clicking here. This doctrine contradicts the New Covenant and syncretistically blends Old with New, something that cannot be done without sacrificing the truth of the gospel.

Jesus’ purpose was to redeem those God chose before the foundation of the world and to reestablish God’s rule upon the earth.

God’s kingdom advances as people acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Everyone who confesses Jesus is Lord becomes a “living stone” in the New Covenant temple which God is constructing out of human beings who provide a habitation for the Holy Spirit.

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23–24 (NASB95)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19–22 (NASB95) 

The key confession of all who receive forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, sonship, and become part of God’s kingdom is that Jesus is Lord. (Romans 10:9-10) All those who refuse to acknowledge his lordship are excluded. Those who fight against those who make this confession are antichrist.

It is a sadly peculiar observation that those who are most used or elevated by God often succumb to pride. Satan, who was an anointed cherub and close to God, fell into such arrogance and pride that he was no longer content with his assigned role and tried to usurp God’s throne. (Isaiah 14:12-14) In similar fashion, the nation of Israel, whom God elevated to the glorious privilege of stewarding the inspired words of God and providing the human pedigree for the coming messiah, fell into pride. When the actual Messiah arrived, it could not tolerate another having the preeminence. Out of jealousy and a determination to have the kingdom for itself, it’s leaders, supported by the people, put the Lord of life to death.

In a parable, Jesus summed up Israel’s attitude toward him.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ Luke 19:14 (NASB95)

Later in the same parable, Jesus laid out what God’s response would be.

“But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:27 (NASB95)

Today the Jewish nation of Israel continues its rebellion against Christ’s lordship and  is attempting presumptuously to fulfill its ambition to rule Palestine and the world without  submitting to Jesus the Lord.

They still await a messiah who they believe will assist them to accomplish their ambitions. Whoever this messiah may turn out to be, it will not be our Lord.

The only hope for any Jewish person is to recognize that the true messiah has already come and to proclaim him as Lord.

Therefore, it is wrong for Christians to blindly support the nation of Israel’s misguided efforts whose ultimate purpose is to defeat the West and Christianity. (See the first two videos above.)

We have been duped into believing that support for antichrist Israel, which hates Jesus the Lord, is required by the Bible. This is one of the great deceptions of our time. 

The true Israel of God is the Lord Jesus, and because we are in him through faith, we who believe, have become the Israel of God. Everyone outside of Christ, has no part whatsoever.

Just as John the Baptist willing receded from the picture after he introduced Jesus to a waiting world, the Jewish people, having accomplished the purposes of God, should have acknowledged the Lord’s rule, stepped aside, and welcomed the nations into God’s kingdom. Instead, they continue to try to jealously cling to what no longer belongs to them.

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30 (NASB95)

Nothing made the Jews in Jesus’ day more angry than to be told that God’s kingdom now includes Gentiles. They are like the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son who resented the Father’s generous mercy toward the profligate brother. Until we understand that God always planned to reach the entire world, we will not understand Israel’s place in the scheme of things.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)

Not only does God’s kingdom include people from every ethnicity, the land promised under the new covenant is the entire earth, not just Palestine. The New Covenant is superior to the Old in every respect. To continue to believe that God is still working to fulfill land promises to Israel misses the fact that those promises were already fulfilled in David’s and Solomon’s time. 

I do not embrace or encourage any form of antisemitism, but I do not endorse blind support either. 

We will continue to love and pray for the Jewish people and share the gospel with them, just as we would for any people group. However, I believe it is a mistake to label them “God’s chosen people.” Nothing could be further from the truth, except for the remnant who become part of the elect through faith in Christ.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED; 28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold, “UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH.” Romans 9:27–29 (NASB95)

The only way for Jews or anyone else to be saved is by confessing that Jesus is Lord.

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Are the Jews God’s Chosen People?

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torahToday many in the body of Christ believe that ethnic Jews are God’s “chosen people.” They also may believe that the promises made to Abraham and Israel in the Old Testament still await fulfillment in present day national Israel. Do the Jewish people who are biologically descended from Abraham have special status with God? Does the Bible say that the nation of Israel will be of primary importance in Christ’s governmental rule over the earth? These questions are quite important. The only way we can rightly answer them is if we properly understand the New Covenant. Confusion comes when we view things through the lens of the Old Testament or try to blend the Old Covenant with the New, which is called syncretism. Unless we understand that everything in the Old Covenant pointed to Christ, we will fail to grasp that he is the fulfillment of all of its promises and symbols.

The New Covenant leaves no doubt as to who are God’s chosen people.

God never chose people due to genealogy. From the beginning the Lord made it clear that he chooses some but rejects others purely on the basis of his sovereign will. We can see this truth illustrated in his choice of Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau. This is called the doctrine of election.

Paul summarized this important truth in his letter to the church in Rome.

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.” 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:8–16 (NASB95)

For some reason, many of us detest and refuse to believe in God’s sovereignty because we think that it violates our free will. It is interesting to me that when we are faced with choosing between God’s sovereignty and our free will, many of us insist that the freedom to assert our will requires us to reject God’s sovereignty. We often redefine sovereignty as mere foreknowledge, believing that God’s sovereignty is limited to his knowing ahead of time what our choices will be. That is not sovereignty. That is having good intel. Sovereignty is different from foreknowledge, which is proved by both words being in the same sentence.

...this Man [Jesus], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 2:23 (NASB95)

Choosing to assert our freedom over believing God’s Word about sovereignty is a repeat of Adam’s sin.

God’s sovereignty is not limited by our choices. If that were the case, we would be sovereign, not God. But the Bible makes it clear that God is indeed sovereign and we are responsible to him for our choices. If we cannot accept this biblical truth, we will not be able to move forward.

God chooses those who will belong to him, and it is never merely a matter of genetic inheritance.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12–13 (NASB95)

The new birth takes place because God wills it, but we have a responsibility to participate by receiving Christ as the Lord. God’s sovereignty does not cancel human cooperation and responsibility, and our responsibility does not rule out divine sovereignty.

Jesus said:

...“For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:65 (NASB95)

This simple truth will likely offend us if we insist that we are the deciding factor when it comes to our own salvation. If we require our will is the deciding factor, it means that Christ actually saved no one, but only made salvation possible. It means that God put in every single person an inherent ability to choose to believe the gospel or not, thus making us responsible to save ourselves, in a sense. This is Armenian theology that does not agree with the Bible. The only thing that comes naturally to unredeemed people is to sin. Faith originates in God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10 (NASB95)

To deny God’s sovereignty in salvation means that the only difference between me and an unsaved person rests in me, not God.

In other words, we have cause to boast because we were smart or wise enough to choose life, but others were not. But that contradicts the Bible, which says we have no room to boast, since faith is a gift, not an inherent ability.

Jesus taught that we do not make the choice for him. He initiates. We respond by grace alone.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (NASB95)

The Bible teaches us that all people before responding to the gospel are dead in sin. Dead people are not able to respond to anything; therefore, for any person to respond to the gospel in a positive way requires the Holy Spirit to first enliven us. If Christ’s words are true, and they are, the Holy Spirit does an internal work in each person who is drawn to Christ. Otherwise, we never would be able to respond in faith, since spiritually dead people are not able to do so. 

Therefore, God’s chosen people are those whom God sovereignly elects and draws to Christ and who demonstrate their election by believing the gospel and proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. Anyone who believes the gospel participates in the same faith in God and his promises as did Abraham. 

It was never sufficient simply to be a physical descendant of Abraham. Those who are part of God’s elect, whether Jew or Gentile, also must walk in the same faith as did Abraham.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Romans 4:13–18 (NASB95)

Paul described the elect quite clearly in Ephesians.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3–6 (NASB95)

Nothing could be clearer than this. God chose us before he created the world. Therefore, election, just as Paul wrote in Romans 9:16, is solely dependent on God’s choice which was made before we breathed our first breath or made any choices whatsoever.

We either believe this or we do not. If we do not, we are guilty of elevating our own understanding above God’s Word, which is always destructive and deceptive. If we do believe it, it makes it plain that biological descendants of Abraham are not God’s chosen people – unless they are part of God’s election who demonstrate their calling by putting their faith in Christ. 

The second great truth contained in the passage from Ephesians is that all blessings are found in Christ.

Unless we are in Christ, we are estranged from God’s blessings because that is the only place they exist. Being a genetic Israelite has no blessing attached to it, since every blessing is in Christ.

If we are in Christ, it shows that we are God’s chosen people. Outside of Christ, there is no salvation at all and no blessing.

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NASB95)

If we think of the kingdom of God as being a tree or vine (the vine and branches analogy), the only way to become part of the tree or vine is for us to be “grafted” in.

We become part of the kingdom of God when the Holy Spirit makes us one with Christ at the new birth.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB95)

All who have believe the gospel and acknowledge Christ’s lordship, whether we are Jew of Gentile, are grafted into the “vine” or “olive tree,” which symbolize Christ. Paul describes this in Romans 11:16-24.

Before being grafted in, Gentiles likely did not even know there is a tree. We were outside of God’s covenantal promises and probably were totally ignorant of them. Biological Jews who are not grafted in through faith in Christ are said to be “cut off through unbelief.” In other words, Jews had the advantage of knowing the Old Covenant promises, which all pointed to Christ, but still did not believe, which will bring upon them an even stricter judgment.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28–29 (NASB95)

It really makes no difference whether we are biologically descended from Abraham or not, unless we are born again we are not part of Christ (the vine or olive tree). In the New Covenant, genetic inheritance does not matter one bit. The only thing that counts is the new birth.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. Galatians 6:14–15 (NLT)

Once we are grafted in through the new birth, however, Jews and Gentiles have equal status because we are one in Christ. Nothing else matters at all.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NASB95)

This is similar to Jesus’ words to Peter: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) The rock is our faith confession of Jesus’ lordship. There is no other way into the body of Christ other than through faith in Christ and confession of his lordship. (Romans 10:9-10)

Abraham believed God, which was the proof that he was and is part of the elect. God’s chosen ones always will exhibit faith. Those who believe God are called children of promise, which shows they have been grafted into Christ through believing God’s promises, the gospel being chief.

Biological descendants are not automatically included and never have been, only those who believe. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (NASB95)

All those biological children of Abraham over the centuries who had no faith in God and his promises were never part of the chosen people. Genetic inheritance has nothing to do with it, only faith. 

Therefore, when people say that biological Jews are God’s chosen people, whether they believe in Christ or not, it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the new covenant and is a false statement.

Abraham’s physical descendants had a special calling and responsibility to preserve God’s Word and keep the bloodline pure. The Messiah eventually would be born miraculously, just like every new birth in Christ, from this pedigree. Jesus is “the seed” that God promised would be a blessing to the entire earth (Genesis 12:3). Jesus was also descended from King David in the line of Abraham, of whom it was promised that he would rule on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

If we must talk about any chosen person, it is Christ. All the rest of God’s elect are so    because we are included in him.

Everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. All the types, symbols, and shadows found in the Old Covenant were fulfilled in Christ and then faded into insignificance, since they are no longer needed. (Hebrews 8:13)

Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! 2 Corinthians 3:8–11 (NLT)

This includes the nation of Israel’s role as a chosen nation. Since the resurrection of our Lord, God is raising up a new nation, those who are born again.

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NASB95)

God has established a new temple, one built out of people, the church or body of Christ, which the Bible calls “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5). There is no longer any need for a nation of Israel made up of biological descendants of Abraham because God has established his new Israel of God composed of all who believe.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15–16 (NASB95)

Let us not make the serious mistake of trying to hold on to what God has set aside, lest we be guilty of idolatry.

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When Faith Dies

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The saddest thing that can happen to us is if our faith dies because we feel betrayed in some way by God, by life, or by someone we trusted. Our ability to trust is like a beautiful flower that can be rather easily crushed at times. Often little children illustrate its fragrant bloom. Unhappily, faith or trust can be very difficult to restore, if it is destroyed.

Although faith can be rather fragile, the kind of faith that is anchored in God is as tough as iron.

Real faith, the faith that comes from God, is a gift from the Lord.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV)

It does not originate in us; although, we participate in using and growing it. This God-faith does not depend on our strength and grows stronger when tested in the fires of life.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2–4 (NASB95)

Faith in people, institutions, fairness, and equity may die a slow and painful death or be snipped off in an instant.

But the faith in God that comes from God can weather any storm or adversity.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

We never know for sure what kind of faith we have until it is tested.

If we go through a great difficulty that challenges us to our core and our faith dies as a result, perhaps we did not have the kind that comes from God. Perhaps it was merely our best attempt at trusting God and was not up to the task. Maybe God wants us to turn to him in desperation, asking him to impart his kind of faith to us.

We were created by God to believe in him and his promises. Until we find our rest in doing that, we will never be satisfied.

Everyone of us who comes into this world and participates in the mystery of life must believe in someone and something. If betrayal or disillusionment strip away our faith in God, we will lose our anchor and purpose.

If we are not anchored in God, the storms of life will shipwreck us. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

The Bible defines faith in a mysterious way. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

The English word “substance” is the rendering of the Greek word hupostasis, which means substance, steadiness, or assurance. Other translations use the English words “reality” or “assurance.” The general idea is that our faith proves or points to an assured hidden reality that cannot yet be seen. The faith-filled (faithful) person reasons that if God makes a promise or statement, it must be true. We are not waiting to find out if it is true. We know it immediately…by faith.

Faith knows God’s promise is true right now, even though we might have to wait for it to “come true,” perhaps for a long time.

The Greek word for hope is elpis, which means a confident expectation that something will come to pass, no matter how long I must wait. It is very similar to faith. Some call it stretched out faith. Faith know it has the promise the moment it receives the promise.

Hope keeps that faith alive until the promise becomes our experienced reality.

The English word “evidence” is derived from the Greek word elegchos, which means a proof or test. Our faith “tests” or “proves” what is in our hearts. Do we believe God or not? Some say that it also proves the reality of the thing for which we hope, but do not yet see. My own experience with faith is that its presence in our hearts causes us to “know” that what we believe for will indeed come to pass. It is a supernatural thing. It can be faked in front of other people, but inside we know if we have it or not.

We put faith in all sorts of things, starting with our parents. Children trust their parents’ word, unless and until that trust is betrayed. My wife and agreed that to lie to our young children would be a serious thing, even if it were about such seemingly benign things as Santa Claus and the Easter bunny. I believe that, if we lie to our kids about Santa, it may lead them to later question if Jesus is just another version of Santa? If the Easter bunny is not real, was Jesus’ resurrection? I am convinced that we should be very careful not to take advantage of the faith of little children.

As we mature, our experience with disappointment and disillusionment grows. Many adults become quite cynical (or “hard-hearted” to use the biblical term). This cynicism can invade all our thinking, even toward God and the Bible. This is an evidence of a dead or dying faith. A hardened heart is the most dangerous condition a person can have.

For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” John 12:39–40 (NASB95)

Our hearts can become so hardened that we object to the mere possibility that the Bible is true. The world thinks that the more educated we become, the more reason we have to reject God and the Bible. This may be an outright atheism or merely a rejection of those parts of the Bible we find objectionable for moral or intellectual reasons. The latter is perhaps more insidious  because it is not generally recognized as hardness of heart.

Plenty of people reject parts of God’s Word without denying their faith in Christ.

God gave us a deeply seated need to believe. If our hearts are not hard, it is easy for us to believe him and his words. Adam and Eve were duped by a master deceiver into doubting God and believing a lie. Ever since then, people often find it easier to believe a lie than the truth. Knowing this, politicians routinely sling “mud” at their opponents. They understand many will believe their lies.

Children who are blessed with godly parents, who take their responsibility to disciple their children seriously, have a distinct advantage in life. Such parents teach their children to trust in God and his Word. Most children will follow in their parents’ footsteps of faith. Eventually they will face their own decision points in life and must decide if they will continue on that path of faith as adults. We have God’s promise that they will.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

Children who do not have such a godly heritage will have to be intercepted by God somewhere along the path of life if they are ever to know what it means to trust God. Thankfully, that is exactly what the Holy Spirit does as the administrator of the New Covenant. He secretly works to bring to faith those chosen by God from before the creation of the world.

But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 (NKJV)

It is my firm conviction that once we put our faith in our Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit works inside us to cause us to continue in that faith and loyalty to Christ. Some call this the perseverance of the saints. By his grace we will persevere in faith to the end. 

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NASB95)

If, however, our faith in God dies, for whatever reason, we will most likely put our faith in something or someone else. We cannot help believing, even if ironically our faith is that there is nothing worth believing. Such an unprovable position acts as justification for a whole group of people to condemn themselves to a joyless life and a hopeless eternity.

The devil also works hard to hobble the faith of God’s children.

The same liar who deceived Adam and Eve is busy trying to sully our simple faith in God.

But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NLT)

The apostle John told his readers to stay away from idols. An idol is anything that detracts from God’s glory, hinders our faith, and works to deceive us. 

Anything we believe that fights against simple faith in God and his Word is from the devil.

My question for you, the reader, is this. Has your childlike faith in God’s Word died? Do you think you have become too mature in your understanding to believe as a young child? Have you allowed the devil to convince you that it is okay to use a more “nuanced” interpretation of the Bible that permits you to reject a simple straightforward understanding? If so, I encourage you to ask the Lord to restore your childlike faith. 

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Is It Reasonable to Believe as a Child?

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The longer I live, the more convinced I am that God wants us to receive and believe the words of the Bible with the simplicity of a child. Jesus said operating in such humility is the only way to know God.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Matthew 11:25 (NASB95)

Wisdom and intelligence are wonderful attributes, but, if we rely upon them instead of the revelation provided by the Holy Spirit, we will fall short of God’s glory and purpose.

Strengths become weaknesses when we elevate them above what God intended, which is idolatry.

Why would God hide truth from the wise and intelligent, and why would Jesus give thanks for his doing so? This may seem rather confusing unless we realize our Lord spoke of those who are wise in their own eyes but lack the humility to receive from God as a child. 

Children simply believe what we tell them, unless we have poisoned their hearts by lying to them in the past.

But God never lies; so, we have no reason not to believe his words. 

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NASB95)

Refusing to trust God as a child is a sin comparable to Adam’s and Eve’s in the garden. Why is it then that we sometimes feel comfortable in assuming that God did not mean what he said in the Bible?

Could it be that our Lord sometimes utters words that he knows we will not believe unless we humble ourselves in simple, childlike obedience? It seems so.

As adults, we hate when someone deceives us, especially when money is involved. We never want to be anybody’s fool. Since we live in a world full of deception, we learn to sift through the information coming our way to try to separate what is true from what is not. We do our best to protect ourselves from human and satanic trickery, which is good and necessary, but the unfortunate fallout is that we may decide to approach the Scriptures that way, too, oddly thinking that God’s Word requires something beyond childlike faith and obedience. 

And it is impossible to please God without faith... Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

Such simple faith was something Abraham possessed. Paul wrote about him.

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Romans 4:18–22 (NASB95)

God asked this man, and us, to simply believe what was promised. In his case it was that God would give him a son, in spite of the fact that he and Sarah were past the age to have children. For a long time Abraham clung to God’s promise, waiting patiently for it to come to pass, but eventually he grew weary and reasoned that God expected him to do something to help the promise along. Resorting to human reason, wisdom, and intelligence produced an Ishmael. Simple faith later received an Isaac, the child of promise.

During the long years of waiting, Abraham’s faith had nothing to lean upon except God’s impeccable character. That is all anyone needs.

God named him “father of a multitude” when he was childless. People must have thought he was an utter fool until Isaac was born. 

God does not mind placing his people in a position of being thought foolish or being misunderstood as a test of our loyalty to him. He wants to know if we will trust him with childlike simplicity.

Being willing to embrace the scorn and contradiction of unbelievers is part of the cost of having this kind of faith. It is a price we are expected to pay as Christ’s disciples. 

Historians say the Age of Reason extended from the late 17th century through the 18th. This period profoundly influenced the world, including the founders of the United States, and continues to do so. The main characteristics of this era are summarized below.

  1. Primacy of reason and empiricism — Knowledge derived from observation, experimentation, and rational analysis, rather than from faith or authority.
  2. Skepticism toward tradition — Questioning religious dogma, superstition, absolute monarchy, and inherited privileges.
  3. Ideals of liberty, equality, and progress — Advocacy for individual rights, tolerance, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.
  4. Optimism about human potential — Belief in education, science, and reform to create a better society.
  5. Secularism and deism — Many favored a non-interventionist God or natural religion over organized doctrine.

During this age, trust in human reason skyrocketed, often at the expense of faith in God and the Bible. Elevating reason in this way is as old as Eden.

The serpent convinced Eve that his words were more reasonable than God’s.

The Lord gave us the ability to reason, but it is only beneficial when it is submitted to God and his Word. God has ordained that certain important matters elude our power of reason and must be apprehended spiritually with the faith of a child.

Paul wrote about this.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

We have been taught from childhood to lean upon our wits. As a consequence, many of us also learned how to dismiss God’s Word when it seems unreasonable to us, just as Eve did. We also may think it is okay to reinterpret the words of the Bible to suit our reasonable understanding of things.

This is the error of eisegesis – reading our preconceived notions into God’s Word making it mean something God never intended.

The Pharisees knew the Bible better than anyone. As part of their education, they memorized the first five books of the Old Testament. Not surprisingly, they often looked down on others who had less knowledge. Tragically, however, their great knowledge did not translate into revelation or faith. They failed to recognize their Messiah when he stood in front of them. Instead, they put him to death. They despised the simple faith of the uneducated who recognized Jesus for who he is.

If our study and knowledge of the Bible does not produce humility and childlike faith, we have wasted our time and sentenced ourselves to a stricter judgment (James 3:1). The more we know, the greater our responsibility.

Lest we come down too hard on the Pharisees, we need to understand that this human tendency goes back to the garden and infects us all. It is humbling for us to realize that we cannot figure out things on our own or save ourselves. May God mercifully provide us all with the faith and humility of a child that we might simply believe what God has said. In a world full of deception, this is our firm anchor.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (NASB9)
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2026: Will the Church Finally Ditch Her Pagan Boyfriend?

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Pete 20262024 was a year of surprise for me. Imagine having your entire frame of reference for understanding the world in which we live turned upside down! Quite unexpectedly that happened to me and many others. As a result, I asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me for believing a major satanic lie for 72 years. This was necessary because believing that lie came at the expense of my disbelieving parts of the Bible. For someone supposedly committed to teaching God’s Word, this was a serious transgression. As a result, I have a new and growing love for the Bible and an even greater appreciation for its truth. I take every word quite seriously now and refuse to “shrug away” difficult verses and passages.

God wants us to believe what he says even if the world thinks his Word is quite unbelievable.

The Greek word for repentance is metanoeo and essentially means to change how we think.  I had been thinking incorrectly about the world in which we live for almost my whole life. This was not really my fault because, from a child, I had been trained by our education system, the media, and adults who were likewise deluded to think within a false paradigm. Master manipulators, like magicians, understand how to direct our minds to think in a certain way. (An excellent documentary on how this was done can be accessed by clicking here.)

The brainwashing to which I had been subjected worked so well that I had no idea that my way of seeing reality directly contradicted what the Bible says.

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I was so convinced that the framework for understanding the universe that had been pounded into my brain was true that I refused to consider that it could be incorrect. Contradictory information was conveniently filed as “too hard for me to figure out,” “leave that to the experts,” or “save for later.” As a result, I more or less glossed over certain Bible passages, such as Genesis Chapter One, Joshua 10, Psalm 19, and many, many others, because they seemed to contradict my ingrained version of reality. I reasoned that “God can do anything” and some things are just too mysterious for me to understand and went merrily on my way, not realizing that I was missing the obvious. 

Nevertheless, like many others who are victims of this high level of brainwashing, I still said that I believed that the Bible is 100% true. Trying to juggle this apparent contradiction in my mind required that I either interpret some scriptures as mere poetry or metaphor or simply put them on “the back burner,” accepting that for the time being I simply did not understand how to think about them.

Like countless others, I thought I believed the entire Bible while at the same time holding a belief that flatly contradicted Scripture at a most fundamental level.

But God…! But God saw fit to remedy this awkward situation and deliver me from this great deception. When the Lord finally opened my spiritual eyes, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I clearly saw that for over seventy years I had not truly believed what the Bible says about cosmology  the study of the heavens and earth.

Like most people, I thought that, when it came to the origins and nature of the heavens and earth, the Bible was written by people with a pre-scientific understanding and has no “scientific” merit. In other words, to put it bluntly, it was not true. Therefore, its words had to be properly “interpreted” to fit into “scientific truth.”

I had been duped by the devil into accepting what I now realize is a pagan version of the universe designed to hide God’s glory and lead people to believe there is no God, or, if there is, he is distant and quite unknowable.

After the Lord opened my eyes, as a Bible teacher, it became my unwelcome responsibility to warn others, especially the church, which is the future bride of Christ, that it is time for us to awaken to this mind-numbing deception. Sadly, most of the church is not open to this warning and strongly opposes it. 

Most people believe that the commonly accepted cosmology is intellectually unassailable, not understanding that it is a house of cards waiting for the wind of the Spirit to bring it down. 

conspiracyWe have been brainwashed to so revere the “religion of science” that we believe it transcends the words of the Bible, forcing us to twist the meaning of the Scriptures into saying something quite different than its authors intended. We are so in love with our current views on astrophysics that anyone who dares to oppose is deemed to be crazy, unstable, deceived, or, worst of all, that modern overused pejorative, a “conspiracy theorist.” Having endured such contradiction for the last year and a half, and knowing full well how much the church loves her pagan astrophysics, I ask you to nevertheless consider what follows. Don’t kill the messenger! Here we go….

the cosmic boyfriend
Satan (Helios, Apollo) – The Cosmic Boyfriend. If you want to learn more about the occult origins of heliocentrism, click here.

The church, which is Christ’s future bride, has surrendered part of her soul to a pagan boyfriend.

We do not realize we have done this and will fight “tooth and nail” anyone who so accuses us. We think this boyfriend is benign, having good intentions. We think he is truthful and quite helpful in our pursuit of knowledge. Little do we realize that this imposter is cleverly working to undermine our relationship with Jesus and destroy our credibility in the world’s eyes.

This cosmic liar has successfully seduced Christ’s intended into rejecting the Bible’s words regarding God’s creation.

He has so thoroughly deceived us that we stridently defend his pagan cosmology, all the while professing an unreserved love for the Scriptures. This detestable being is Satan himself, dressed up in a figure it outlab coat, posing as teacher of confirmed scientific truth. Only he could befuddle us into such self-contradiction and lead us down a path that has resulted in our bowing down to the globe idol and worshiping him, Helios, the sun god, without realizing what we are doing. (I am choosing my words carefully and not resorting to hyperbole. If you take the time to click on the various links and read the associated articles, you will understand in more detail why I think as I do.)

We largely have underestimated the powerful attraction of Satan’s lies and the exhilarating allure of the tree of knowledge.

In addition, we have failed to appreciate mankind’s propensity to be led astray.

God created us to believe him and his Words. If we reject them, we will believe a lie. We must believe something. Contrary to the claims of “proven” science, most of life is still a mystery that only God can unravel for us.

Even with the safeguards of God’s written Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit, most of us have embraced this cunning cosmological lie. Once we realize this, it produces humility and serves to strip away the arrogant pride so common among the highly educated. 

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (NLT)

The apostle Paul warned us, Christ’s intended – the church, against being beguiled by Satan’s craftiness and drawn away from a simple devotion to our future groom, the Lord Jesus, and his holy Word.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2–3 (NASB95)

Using the same strategy as he used with Eve in the Garden, Satan has succeeded in convincing many of God’s people that the words of the Bible cannot be fully trusted.

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He convinces us, as he did Eve, that God did not mean what he appeared to say. He tricks us into believing that we are smarter than the authors of the Bible and are able to figure out origins and cosmology for ourselves, thanks to modern science. The old heresy of Gnosticism, salvation through higher knowledge, takes many shapes. Today’s Gnostic mantra is “Trust the Science.” Science has become the religion of choice for many. When it comes to cosmology, a large portion of Christ’s bride has concluded that the Bible, especially Genesis, is a simplistic document written by a primitive “pre-scientific” people.

We think we have been enlightened enough to realize that God never meant us to actually believe his words in Genesis Chapter One. Now we understand he only meant for us to glean spiritual meaning from that book. This is a dangerous precedent, however, because it begs the question, “When, then, does the Bible become literally true, and who decides?.”

We have adopted the satanic sophistry of believing that God communicates truth while being untruthful.

The devil wants us to imagine that coming to such a conclusion makes us “deep” thinkers, when in reality it converts us into fools.

Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. Romans 1:22 (NLT)

The simple truth is that God never lies. He says what he means and means what he says.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

Either Genesis Chapter One is absolutely true, or we should not trust the Bible at all.

We cannot have it both ways, which Satan knows, but he has deceived the bride-to-be into thinking we can eat our cosmological cake and still stick to our pure diet of God’s Word. Like Saul of old, we have not fully obeyed God while insisting we have. God might ask his church, what is the meaning of this heliocentrism? Who told you the earth revolves around the sun? God did not.

How did Christ’s intended fall from its noble position of defending the integrity of the words of her beloved at any cost during the Protestant Reformation? Why did we scrap “Sola Scriptura” for “Sola Scientia?” This radical shift resulted from the introduction of a mesmerizing new cosmology at the inception of what historians call the Scientific Revolution. Placing the sun (Helios – Satan) at the center of creation is a diabolical lie, which emerged to counterattack the newfound reliance on the Scriptures fostered by the Protestant Reformation. (The documentary entitled Heliosorcery lays this out brilliantly.)

Just when the Bible’s truth was being restored to preeminence, Satan introduced  a reverence for “science” to undermine our confidence in God’s Word.

Copernicus did not regard the scriptures as sacred. He, therefore, had no qualms about proposing a radical anti-biblical idea that the earth moves around the sun, which became the center of what is now called the “solar system.” Making the sun the center, instead of the earth, accomplished several things for the devil.

  1. It refuted the truthfulness of the Bible.
  2. It established the sun, Helios or Satan, as the controlling influence over the earth, rather than God.
  3. It reduced the earth to being one of the “wandering stars” (Greek: planetes), the rest of which were named after false gods (fallen angels?). 
  4. It destabilized creation by saying that the earth moves rather than the sun, moon, and stars.
  5. It removed heaven, the abode of God, from the picture and gave rise to the even worse errors of evolution and the Big Bang, fostering hopelessness and atheism.
  6. It led to what has become known as the Copernican Principle, that there is nothing special about the earth and humanity, contradicting the Bible.
  7. The fear of the Lord has been diminished because people no longer believe that God is nearby, sitting on his throne atop the firmament, watching everything we do.

At first, the church resolutely rejected these cosmological lies, but over time, as the stalwart defenders of truth died out, the future bride of Christ was eventually swept off her feet by this handsome imposter’s lies.

Today most of the church thinks that the biblical cosmology of Genesis Chapter One is ridiculous. (Selah…let that sink in.)

We imagine that the Bible cannot compete with the wonderful explanations and theories of modern science. Sadly, this reveals that we think the Creator does not understand his own creation or perhaps lied about it because he thought we could not handle the truth.

We try to cover up our betrayal by telling an observant world that we have learned how to properly understand the embarrassing words of our intended by reinterpreting them as poetry or allegory, while at the same time affirming complete faith in the Bible. The world rightly laughs at our duplicity.

This is nothing short of two-timing our intended groom. Jesus knows about our “stepping out” with our “more exciting” cosmic boyfriend who blasphemes Jesus by calling him a liar. We have been so duped that we don’t even trying to hide our unfaithfulness! We think Jesus doesn’t mind at all, not realizing that every time we embrace Satan’s lie, we commit idolatry against the one called the Truth.

The globe is most likely the most prolific idol in history, appearing in classrooms, homes, movies, etc. as a constant reinforcement of our false belief. Christians routinely use the words “planet” and “globe” to describe God’s creation, the earth, without realizing that such language is an insult to the Creator and a public renunciation of Genesis Chapter One. boyfriendWe have accepted our cosmic boyfriend’s accusation that Jesus is an ignorant rube whose words embarrasses us when we are with our highly educated “friends.” Don’t get me wrong, Jesus is definitely the one whom we want to marry and spend eternity, but our “space boyfriend” is way more fun and “affirming” right now.

We have become so mesmerized with our pagan boyfriend’s cosmology that many of us cannot bear to think that Star Wars and other versions of space fiction are bold-faced lies about God’s creation designed to engender in us a desire to abandon our assigned habitation and venture into what the Bible calls “outer hebrew earthdarkness,” the realm of the lost. We teach our children to believe this pagan cosmology while also teaching them to believe the Bible is completely true. I imagine it all becomes a little confusing. 

It appears to be too humbling for us to concede that we live in a kind of giant terrarium under the watchful eye of the Creator. For some reason we find it more ennobling and God-glorifying to imagine that the earth is an insignificant spinning ball of water hurtling through an infinitely expanding universe. If this lying version of God’s creation, which is a kind of cosmological pornography, brings so much glory to him, why then are so many astrophysicists brazen atheists? Do we think that Scripture gives us a version of heaven and earth that is too small after listening to our cosmic boyfriend? Do we really prefer Satan’s lie over God’s truth?

The true heavens and earth are what bring God glory, not the false version. It is time for us to repent for embracing Satan’s lie!

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

We have paraded our devotion to a pagan cosmology at the expense of our witness to God’s truth before the world.

Many evangelicals shy away from the topic of cosmology, thinking it is a distraction from the gospel. But if are embarrassed about what the Bible says about origins, why should we think that will make the gospel more believable? Why should we expect people to accept our proclamation that Jesus rose from the dead and now rules from heaven as Lord of lords? What heaven? Where is it? How can we prove any of this is true? The Bible challenges us to believe many things that run counter to accepted “science” – Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood, Exodus and the crossing of the Red Sea, the manna in the wilderness, Joshua stopping the sun, David and Goliath, etc.

Why is believing the literal truth of Genesis Chapter One such a “no go?” Is it because we love our pagan cosmic boyfriend too much? Is it because we don’t want our scientific friends to think ill of us? Is it because we don’t really believe the Bible after all?

We have been unfaithful to the Bible and its author regarding cosmology for about 500 years now. Enough is enough! It is time for us to come to our senses and unashamedly return to God’s pure wisdom. My prayer is that 2026 will be the year when multitudes of Christians return to a simple devotion to God and his Word, including Genesis Chapter One. Let us steel ourselves against the ridicule of the world and shamelessly embrace God’s Word. He will be rightly pleased with us if we make this stand!

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95

 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, forgive me for falling for the devil’s lies. Forgive me for doubting your Word! Forgive me for being embarrassed to let other people know that I firmly believe the truth of all the words of the Bible, not just those that are socially acceptable. Give me strength to stand for your truth, even if I must suffer for it. Holy Spirit, open the eyes and hearts of other believers who still cannot see the truth. Let your bride-to-be repent for her unfaithfulness and become more fully devoted to you. Amen.

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Does Calling God a Liar Make the Truth More Acceptable?

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A great many Christians believe it is necessary to call God a liar to make the gospel more acceptable. We claim to believe every word of the Bible, while at the same time refusing to accept the biblical cosmology stated in Genesis Chapter One. Why do we reject so many errors that are commonly accepted by the world, such as biological evolution and transgenderism, but cling to heliocentrism, when Genesis Chapter One eliminates that as a possibility?

One criticism that has been leveled against me for embracing a biblical cosmology is that it undermines our efforts to win the lost by making us look foolish in the world’s eyes. Is this a valid criticism or an accommodation the world? Can we make the gospel more palatable by calling God a liar?

What would Jesus do? Would he lie to make us believe in him?

It is evident that Jesus believed in the literal truth of Genesis. It was not an issue in his day. Today, however, what is called “science” claims to have disproved the Bible. Now we “know” that the earth revolves around the sun, not the other way around as the Bible teaches. Most Christians believe that such “science” is unassailable and reinterpret Genesis accordingly. This is in spite of the admission that geocentrism provides an accurate way to account for the movement of the heavenly bodies.

“So which is real, the Ptolemaic or Copernican system? Although it is not uncommon for people to say that Copernicus proved Ptolemy wrong, that is not true…one can use either picture as a model of the universe, for our observations of the heavens can be explained by assuming either the earth or the sun to be at rest.”- Physicist, Stephen Hawking

Does mixing in a cosmological lie make the gospel more believable, or does it undermine its message at the core?

Blending a lie with the truth is comparable to putting a little bit of poop in an otherwise delicious dessert. It may not ruin its taste, but, to those who understand, it is disgusting. Below is a scene in the movie, The Help, that gives us an example of this. (If a bit of vulgar language offends you, you might not want to watch.)

The devil doesn’t seem to mind if we take a stand against other lies as long as we bow the knee to heliocentrism. He knows that this little bit of poop disgusts God and undermines the entire Bible.  We do not understand that it is a form of idolatry and blasphemy because it calls God a liar and elevates the false god, Helios, to center stage. This little bit of poop should disgust us, too.

If Genesis Chapter One cannot be taken literally, when does the Bible become factually true? Chapter 2, 3,4, 5, 6… or maybe 12 when Abraham’s story becomes the focus? Or perhaps we need to wait until Exodus? Joshua? No, that is where he commands the sun to stand still! Judges? Samuel? Kings? No that is where God gave Hezekiah the sign of the shadow on the sundial going backward ten degrees! (2 Kings 20:9-11)

Exactly what parts of the Bible do we have to throw out to make the gospel more acceptable?

Are Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven more believable than Genesis Chapter One? How foolish we are to think we have to lie to get people to accept the truth!

Would it not rather make our gospel message more attractive if we boldly declare that we believe every single word of the Bible is true, not just the parts we think are acceptable?

Does not the world laugh at our duplicity when we proclaim the resurrection is literally true, but not Genesis?

If Jesus wrote a letter to the church today, might not it say something like the following?

I applaud your stand against evolution and sexual perversion, but I have this against you. You tolerate heliocentrism, which teaches people not to take my words seriously. Repent, therefore, and cease to be ashamed of my words. Don’t be afraid of looking foolish to the world. Be afraid of calling me a liar! Be strong and proclaim the whole truth!

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Is Heliocentrism Blasphemy?

deception

According to Webster, blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or something sacred. Jesus was accused of blasphemy for identifying himself as the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. (Matthew 26:63-65) Paul said that the Jews cause Gentiles to blaspheme by failing to keep God’s law. (Romans 2:23-24) Another important occasion of blasphemy was when Jesus called out the Jewish leaders for ascribing the work of the Holy Spirit to the devil. (Matthew 12:31-32)

From these verses, we understand that blasphemy is connected to being a false witness regarding God whether in word or action. 

In the first instance, Jesus was accused of insulting God by identifying himself as a divine being. In the second case, the failure of the Jews to keep God’s laws indicated that they did not take God seriously. Their behavior undermined their claims about God, giving unbelievers a reason for disregarding God and his Word. The blasphemy of the Spirit is saying that something God did was done by the devil. The reverse could also be true in cases when we say that something the devil did was done by God. Blasphemy, therefore, occurs when we defame God by bearing false witness against him, his Word, or his actions. We can personally blaspheme or cause others to do so.

Heliocentrism can be called blasphemy on three counts.

  1. Heliocentrism bears false witness against God by saying he created something he did not, thus  identifying a satanic lie as the work of God.
  2. Heliocentrism calls God a liar or an ignoramus. Heliocentrists infer or declare that God and the Bible are “out of their depth” regarding scientific matters. God either did not mean what he said in Genesis Chapter One and other relevant passages or he deliberately lied to us.
  3. Heliocentrism causes unbelievers to blaspheme God by indicating either that he does not exist or that he and the Bible, including the gospel, are false and untrustworthy.

Christians who claim to believe the Bible as God’s inerrant and true Word cannot at the same time insist that something that contradicts his Word is true. 

The term Christian heliocentrist, therefore, is an oxymoron.

The Bible teaches that the sun runs a “circuit” or circular path above the earth (Psalm 19:6), rather than the earth describing an elliptical orbit around the sun. The Bible says that Joshua commanded the sun to stop for about a day, which God did on his behalf. The earth did not stop rotating, or everyone would have been killed. The sun stopped in its circuit, as did the moon. 

Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua 10:12–13 (NASB95) —

Martin Luther considered this passage alone refuted Copernicus’ theory of heliocentrism because Lutherhe believed the Bible is 100% true, unlike the majority of modern Christians. People like to claim that “God can do anything” to explain away the discrepancy between the biblical account and the heliocentric model, but that is dishonest. The question that must be answered is, “What does the text of the Bible say?”

When we claim that Genesis Chapter One, Psalm 19:6, Joshua 10:12-13, and other relevant passages do not mean what they say, we commit blasphemy by calling God a liar and insisting that the Bible cannot be trusted in matters of so-called science. We thus undermine the gospel’s credibility by revealing that we do not really believe that the Bible is true, except in “spiritual” matters. It is either all true or should be rejected as untrustworthy. In so doing, we bow down before the idols of science and reason and reject any part of Scripture that we deem to be unreasonable or unscientific, reinterpreting and twisting God’s words to mean something they do not say.

It is time for the church to repent this blasphemy and begin to once again hold God’s Word in the highest esteem. It is time we stand against the lies of men instead of calling God a liar.

May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)
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Mind Numbing Deception

flat earth

The Bible tells us that deception and sin can eventually destroy our ability to think critically. Some call this brainwashing. Paul called it becoming a fool.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:21–22 (NASB95)

The root of deception is the denial of the truth of God’s Word. Anything we believe that is contrary to biblical truth numbs the mind and corrupts our ability to think.

control worldBelow is a quote by Martin Luther, who faced enormous levels of deception and contradiction in his day from the Roman Catholic Church and the embryonic stage of the heliocentric deception. Writing about deception in general, he said:

“For such lies and errors numb the mind and the senses, so that one can no longer distinguish truth from falsehood, but instead accepts everything as good that the devil spreads through his prophets. Therefore, it is necessary that we hold fast to the clear Word of God and not allow ourselves to be led astray by human dreams and visions. For where the Scripture is abandoned, there follows nothing but confusion, blindness, and spiritual death.”

(Luther’s Works, American Edition, Vol. 40: Church and Ministry II, p. 189 — slightly modernized for clarity)

The proliferation of such deception has increased by stages over the centuries to the point where now society in general has embraced destructive lies on a terrifying scale.

Even many Christians, who acknowledge the Bible is true, have been profoundly impacted by some of the most foundational lies of the devil.

One such foundational error is heliocentrism.

Herbert Butterfield, a British historian, argued that the Scientific Revolution—sparked by Nicolaus Copernicus’s heliocentric theory in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543)—had a greater historical impact than the Renaissance. In his 1949 book The Origins of Modern Science, he wrote that it “outshines everything since the rise of Christianity and reduces the Renaissance and Reformation to the rank of mere episodes, mere internal displacements within the system of medieval Christendom.” (Grok)

Sigmund Freud made the connection between Copernican heliocentrism and what he called the “shattering [of] anthropocentric illusions” central to traditional Christian cosmology, in which the Earth was God’s privileged creation at the universe’s heart, thus undermining faith’s foundation and paving the way for later “death of God” theology. (Grok) The Copernican Principle, as it eventually came to be called, is the scientific rejection of “cosmic favoritism.” Earth is just one ordinary planet in an ordinary galaxy in a vast, average universe.

The Copernican Principle means that mankind is insignificant in relationship to the grand scope of universe, or, perhaps, multiverse, if string theory is accepted. The Bible teaches that man and woman were the crowning touches of his creation, for whom the earth was made as a habitation, which imparts to us great significance.

It is not hard to see how heliocentrism and the Copernican Principle gave rise to Darwin’s theory of biological evolution and later the Big Bang Theory of cosmic evolution. Both of these unproven and unprovable theories defy what is written in the Bible. For the Christian, this by itself is grounds for immediate rejection as utter falsehood. 

Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isaiah 8:20 (NLT)

Nevertheless, Satan has used these lies to drive countless people away from God and into an eternity of loss, pain, and sorrow, missing out on what could have been theirs had they believed God and accepted the promises of the gospel. Satan is miserable, and he loves company.

Martin Luther, contemporary of Copernicus, recognized this evil for what it was very early. In a conversation which was written down, he said:

“There was mention of a certain new astrologer [astronomer] who wanted to prove that the earth moves and not the sky, the sun, and the moon. This would be as if somebody were riding on a cart or in a ship and imagined that he was standing still while the earth and the trees were moving. [Exactly Einstein’s point of view in his faux theory of special relativity.]

‘So it goes now. Whoever wants to be clever must agree with nothing that others esteem. He must do something of his own. This is what that fellow does who wishes to turn the whole of astronomy upside down. Even in these things that are thrown into disorder I believe the Holy Scriptures, for Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and not the earth.’”

(Luther’s Works, Vol. 54: Table Talk (ed. Theodore G. Tappert, Fortress Press, 1967, pp. 358–359). Original in Weimarer Ausgabe (WA TR 4, No. 4638).

Heliocentrism contradicts God’s truth revealed in Scripture and numbs the mind to prevent our correctly perceiving reality.

hiding god

The brainwashing convinces us to ignore the input of our senses and the results of critical thinking and to accept that which defies reason and contradicts what we observe. A recent example with which we are all familiar is the craziness that accompanies transgenderism. We were asked (forced) to recognize multiple genders even though we know and observe that there are only male and female. Those who maintained some common sense and had some not so common courage declined.

helio religionConsider that heliocentrism requires us to contradict the input from our senses which tell us that the earth does not move. We are told to believe that we are rotating at an astounding 1040 mph at the equator, or about 750 mph at the latitude where I live. In addition, we are told that we revolve around the sun at in incredible speed of 66,600 mph. The combination of these two speeds and corresponding force vectors would require us to experience a continual change of acceleration, since the spin of the earth both adds to and subtracts from the speed of our revolution each 24 hours.

On top of those two speeds, we are told that we our entire solar system is galloping through the Milky Way galaxy at a mind-numbing speed of around 500,000 mph. But wait! There is more! The galaxy is moving at 1 to 2 million miles per hour (It seems to change!) away from the epicenter of the Big Bang explosion! Imagine. We are traveling in four directions at once at incomprehensible speeds, but we do not feel any of it. If you believe that, you have been brainwashed.

solar system

And if the earth is rotating at 1040 mph at the equator, how is it that we do not feel super-hurricane like winds? We are told it is because the earth’s atmosphere rotates, too. If that is the case, why do we feel air currents traveling in multiple directions. Why do we have wind currents such as the jet stream, which independently travels their routes?

wind debunks globe

And if the earth is rotating, how do airplanes land on the ground that is moving beneath them?

And if the earth is curved, as heliocentrists tell us, why do airplanes fly straight and level according to their gyroscopes?

gyroscope

If the earth were a globe, airplanes would be constantly descending to avoid flying off into “outer space.”

brainwashed

And if the earth is speeding through the universe at 2 million miles per hour, why have the stars remained in the same positions? Why are we able to photograph the stars making concentric circles around Polaris? 

stars trails

The fact of the matter is that none of these things make any sense at all to the rational mind, but we have been taught to accept what the experts tell us, rather than to think critically. 

brainwashing globe

Our indoctrination begins at a young age, when all our adult authority figures tell us that we live on a globe zooming through space. Over our lifetimes, we are shown endless images of this globe. We have been tantalized by space movies that have created in us a desire to explore beyond the limitations of this earth, the habitation God assigned to us. We are told that the earth is dying and our hope is somewhere “out there,” perhaps Mars. All of this is lie, but we bought it hook, line, and sinker.

How shall we recover from such deception? The Word of God can set us free, if we believe, receive, and act upon it. 

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

Lies enslave. The truth sets us free. 

If we accept the cosmology taught in the Bible, it will loose us from Satan’s web of deception. We will be able to see creation’s wonder and beauty with new eyes! When we look up, we will understand that God’s throne rests atop the dome of the firmament, just as the Bible says.

One day, God will roll back the firmament like a scroll to reveal our glorious Lord Jesus to the entire earth at once, something that can only happen on the earth the Bible describes.

Below is a documentary I recommend to anyone who is open to exploring this deception in greater depth. Please notice Google’s mandatory disclaimer. Consider that they only provide this regarding subject matter that threatens to expose their lies. Other topics, such as New Age, witchcraft, transgenderism, etc. get a free pass. They are not concerned with suppressing lies, but the truth.

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