There Will Always Be Rulers Who Will Suppress the Truth

January 6, 2013 3 Comments

I am not sure where I first read this but I thought it was worthwhile to be passed on to my readers so I did. Unless we come to an Epiphany of God through Jesus, unless we realize that God is with us in the form of man the God-man Jesus, then we have not had a true encounter with the living Christ. Wise men were seeking the King of the Jews. What they found was a 2-year-old boy. What they knew was a star had guided them to the very place the King of the Jews could be found. Having met the one spoken of by the prophets of old, they were warned in a dream to leave a different way because Herod had desired to kill this child king.

The three Magi before Herod, France, early 15th century. Stained glass: colored glass, grisaille; lead. Restored by F. Pivet, 1999. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Epiphanies are “aha” moments, times when we come to realize something that should have been as plain as the noses on our faces. This Day of Epiphany starts a chain-reaction of aha moments as the human family begins to recognize that Jesus the Messiah has come. The epiphany of which we speak is an increasing revelation that began with the shepherds and the Wise Men, extended to Simeon and Anna at Jesus’ presentation as an infant, then to John the Baptist and those who saw Jesus’ baptism, further to the servants of the wedding at Cana, and on to worshipers at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. By the time this year’s season has come to its end at the Transfiguration, we will be reminded that God, who is greater than Moses or Elijah, is with us!

What we know of Herod we know primarily from a historian (Josephus) who did not like him, as well as from this testimony in Matthew. Herod was, by their testimony, insecure, paranoid, easily threatened, and ready to act violently if he thought someone might be in his way.

But in Matthew’s story, our Christian story, Herod is not just a maniacal historical figure. He is also stand-in for the powers of the world. These powers keep others from accessing truth they do not want to be accessed, and then try to control the outcome of any truth discovered.

The Magi are free agents initially drawn into Herod’s scheme as pawns. The angels in dreams send them home by another way; and in the verses following, send the Holy Family into exile in Egypt, also as free agents. Herod lashes out with extreme violence, ordering the execution of every Jewish male under age two unless he may have missed someone.

God’s consistent activity in this story was Epiphany! God acted in surprising, transforming ways to subvert the powers that be and all they would attempt to stop God’s reign from being made known (Epiphany!) through Jesus. In nature, God arranged the alignment of planets viewed by the astrologers. Through the astrologers going to Jerusalem, the wrong people are asked and Herod’s suspicions are raised. Through Herod, the Magi discover where they need to go to find the king they seek. Through a series of dreams, God leads the astrologers and the Holy Family to safety in the face of what were very serious death threats from Herod. It is subversion after subversion, God never once using the “right channels” to spread the word of the newborn king and God’s kingdom surely coming to all the world. Not once. God always acted by Epiphany!

Not Knowing.

Have you ever thought of the things that the wise men did not know? Like Abraham, they set out on a journey, not knowing where it would take them (Hebrews 11:8). They did not know how long the trip would take when they decided to follow the star that appeared in the East. Then, they did not know how they would be received in the faraway foreign land. They did not know what the king would look like; nor did they know when or if they would return home. Yet they, like Abraham, chose to make the journey.

Following the light of God is a similar journey requiring faith. We often feel that we don’t know where our journey will lead us, and we certainly never know what we will find along the way. We do, however, know that God goes before us, and with us, and that the journey is not in vain.

Notice the prominence of images of light in the Epiphany readings. So many people are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel — something to signal an end to the present madness. Their concerns and fears wear a dozen faces: loneliness, depression, economics, bullying, terrorism, disease, marital discord — the list goes on. Epiphany’s reminder of the unchanging love of God for us is as refreshing as a glimpse of light at the end of a dark tunnel.

God is still at work today to thwart the schemes and plans of the enemy of truth. His will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no greater power in heaven or earth that can outwit, outlast, out maneuver God. All the plans of evil men to suppress the truth will come to naught. God’s ways will flourish and all those who are willing to accept His guidance shall be delivered from evil.

This is the true meaning of the word Epiphany! Eureka I found it. I found the truth. I found life and purpose. I found the one who was foretold by the prophets of old. I found Jesus! So can you if you are willing to seek Him with your entire being. You must be willing to face opposition and overcome those who are more than happy to keep you ignorant of the truth. There will be many who will try to suppress the truth by their actions. They like Herod of old will do everything within their power to keep you from finding the truth and to hinder the truth from being found out.

You are being lied to my friends and I am here to tell you that you can get victory over Herod’s lies. His reign of destruction will not continue and will be brought to an end. But the Kingdom of God shall remain forever. Now that is something to shout EUREKA about.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.

_{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

Separation of Church and State… Is That Even Possible?

January 6, 2013Allen Frederick 2 Comments

When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:18-20 (GW)

Imagine for a moment that Jesus has just completed his three years of training with the disciples. He has been crucified and is now commissioning the twelve to go into the world and disciple the nations. Now imagine him also making this statement to them.

“Dear brothers, it is now time for you to share what you have learned from me. However, as you share with others be sure that you keep what I taught you separate from your social life. The principles I have shared with you only apply in situations inside your home. Do not try to make them fit into a social context. The miracles you saw in me can only be done in certain situations. Keep this in mind when thinking about praying for the sick or the lost. These truths will not work in society.”

Sound preposterous? It may, but this is the mindset of many in our world today. The spiritual does not mix with the everyday world. “What happens on Monday has no relationship to what takes place on Sunday,” they say.

These are the thoughts expressed so much in our day and time. If you heard it once you have heard it a hundred times at least. Separation of Church and State. The two should never mix. The two need to be kept apart.

The world would want us to keep our religion to ourselves and not to share it wherever we go. That is like asking you to live without breathing. It is not possible to live without breathing, nor is it possible to live your everyday life apart from Christ if you truly are a disciple of Christ. To truly follow him and live our life according to his principles it is impossible to live one way at church and an entirely different way at home or in society? Jesus would call this type of living hypocrisy. Either we are for Him or we are against Him. We can not serve Him only at our convenience for then we are not serving Him at all. We can not choose to love Him one day and ignore Him the next.

We can not choose to follow His laws and commands only in the church since the laws were given to man before there was a church. The law of God was passed to Moses before there was a tabernacle or a temple. Moses was given the law of God and then instructed on how to worship Him. The law was given so that the Israelites would know how to live and prosper in the land God was going to give them.

The laws were to be the principles by which God’s people were expected to live. God expected them to keep the law in all of society and not just the church. It is interesting to note that many of out founders knew how important God’s moral laws where to a civil society and based our own civil law on the Mosaic laws. No one would argue that murder is wrong. No one would argue that stealing is wrong. No one would argue that being respectful of our parents is a good thing for children to learn. No one would argue that infidelity in a marriage is destructive.

Today however we hear that the law of God must end at the church door. We are told to not force our beliefs upon others, and yet those that say that have no problem forcing their beliefs on us. We are asked not to PRAY in public and yet how can we not when the world is faced with so many challenges? We are asked to not teach Christian values and principles, but how can we not if we actually believe that they are the way, the truth and the life? And yet it would seem that those who oppose God’s laws are winning the war on the separation of Church and State. Honestly how is that working out for our society?

I can not force my views upon anyone since I do not have that power. All I can do is attempt to persuade others that God’s moral law is superior than anything man can come up with. Personally I have to choose for myself how to live in this world, whether I should obey the temporary dictates of man or the eternal law of God. I choose to obey the eternal law of God for I have found it to be just and right and holy and true. It is the only law that shows no partiality for all are treated equal under God’s law. There are no special exemptions for special interest groups. There are no lighter sentences for the well-connected. All are judged equally and punished accordingly.

So by asking those of us who believe God’s law is superior to man’s law to shut up and keep it to ourselves, you have elected to be ruled by tyrants and subjected yourself to the inferior, biased laws of man. Remember those who make the laws exempt themselves from the law making the law only applicable to those who the lawmakers disapprove of.

If we acknowledge a Supreme lawmaker and judge then we have no control over how that law is going to be enforced, nor can we use the law to garner special treatment for ourselves, since we too will be judged by that same law and standard.

I can not separate my faith in God from His ways and laws. I can not live my life differently in public than I do in private. Since I believe

the teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise. The instructions of the Lord are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The command of the Lord is radiant. It makes the eyes shine. The fear of the Lord is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of the Lord are true. They are completely fair. (Psalms 19:7-9 (GW))

I shall continue to live my life by the law of God. You can have the inferior law of the land.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

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Is 2013 The Year of the Snake?

Deliver Us From Evil

Is 2013 The Year of the Snake?

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013Allen Frederick 1 Comment

So the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all the wild or domestic animals. You will crawl on your belly. You will be the lowest of animals as long as you live. I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (GW)

The Snake

Mine is the wisdom of the ages.
I hold the key to the mysteries of life.
Casting my seeds on fertile ground,
I nurture them with constancy and purpose.
My sights are fixed.
My gaze unchanging.
Unyielding, inexorable and deep,
I advance with steady, unslaked gait,
the solid earth beneath me.

I am the snake.
By Theodora Lau

English: Chinese for “Snake” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the Chinese zodiac 2013 ushers in the year of the snake. This after the year of the Dragon sets us on a course, according to the Chinese, of good fortune but to those of the Christian west one could draw the opposite conclusion.

To the Chinese, the Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist and fortune-teller. In truth there are many snakes in our society. They are present in every sector of society but are best identified in the areas of academia, politics, the media, and the arts. They weave their way through these institutions leaving in their wake confusion and destruction, and yet they seem to excel and advance undeterred. The poet put it succinctly when he penned the above verse. The snake has been around since the beginning of time and will exist until the end of time. In the meantime the snake has a focused purpose and will not be deterred. With patient persistence the snake will weave and twist and wiggle its way into every dark corner of society, and lay its eggs of deception along the way.

The snake can not be compromised with, nor can one negotiate in good faith with a snake since they will take both sides of an issue and slither their way around any obstacle that opposes their purpose and plans for society. One can not trust a snake. The way of the snake is never straight but always crooked.

2013 is also the Year of the Water Snake, described as unpredictable. When its body moves forward, it ungulates, thus making it difficult to tell which direction it is going. Which personally I find disturbing. It is difficult to tell exactly where the snake is leading you or for that matter where it came from. Since it will willingly take both sides of any issue it is almost impossible to entrap the snake in any ideological debate, since the snake has no problem twisting and winding itself into any distortion necessary to advance and avoid capture. This constant weaving and dodging to the uninformed may look like intellectual debate and positioning, but to those who really understand the ways of the snake will see it as what it is twisted distortions.

The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words. Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut; Psalms 58:3-4 (BBE)

According to Chinese Astrology, the Year of the Snake person is a smart person. They think of clever schemes in a cold calculating way. They are always maneuvering to advance those schemes. Like a river that twists and winds its way through a canyon, the snake will weave around any obstruction that restricts its path toward its goal. This Chinese zodiac animal sign represents people who are loners and use others to achieve their aims and goals.They present their goals as worthwhile for humanity be most are solely for the gain of the snake.

Because 2013 is the year of the snake it is possible, in all the cold, calculated, clever advancing the snake does, it may become arrogant in its own craftiness and become complacent. They might just drift along thinking it will happen – from business ventures to relationships to political success. Ignoring the pulse of society means problems could arise and blow up in their face.

Do not count on that however, since the snake has an uncanny ability to spot opportunities and exploit them to their benefit. This is why snakes are usually very wealthy and successful.

But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3 (BBE)

The snake has a certain allure (sleek, sexy, powerful, hint of danger) to some people – those people not put off by the dangers that snakes can have. Be careful that you are not overtaken by the snake’s supposed charm and charisma. These are disarming characteristics of the snake which want is to overcome opposition. The snake is not your friend and as such should be approached with caution and skepticism.

How best do you deal with the snakes in society? The only sure-fire way to end the advancement of the evil schemes of the snake is to crush them. Expose every crooked deal, and expose every lie to the knowledge of the truth. Take the straight and narrow path and do not allow yourself to drawn into a verbal debate with the serpent who has proven himself to be far craftier then your average person. Immerse yourself in the love of God and surround yourself with the gospel of the truth of God’s word. Only through the light of the scriptures and the illumination of the Holy Spirit‘s guidance will you be able to avoid the deceptions of that ancient serpent.

Although 2013 is supposed to be the year of the snake 2015 is to be the year of the sheep. Take heart, and do not grew weary in doing well. God knows how to deliver His people from the snares of the fowlers and the lying schemes of the snakes.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

Along for the journey

Are Democrats Smarter than a 6th grader on economics?

December 22, 2012December 22, 2012Allen Frederick 3 Comments

Dr. Jay Richards tells a great story about his sixth grade teacher’s explanation of economics. One day the teacher came into class and gave each student a small toy…a silly putty egg, a whiffle ball, a set of Barbi trading cards, and so on. (This was back in the day when 6^th graders were still kids, not the mini adults parents send to school today.) The teacher said, “Each of you look at your toy and the ones around you. Then I want you to mark on a piece of paper how much you like the toy on a 1 to 10 scale. A 10 means you love it and you wouldn’t trade for anything you see. A 1 means you hate it and would trade for anything else. Everything else means you are somewhere in the middle.” Each child submitted a number. The teacher added them up, and wrote the sum on the board.

“Now,” said the teacher, “you are sitting in five rows of five desks each. You may trade freely with any student in your row, but you don’t have to trade if you don’t want to.”

After a few minutes some of the students had traded toys, and the teacher once again asked them to write a number representing how much they liked their toy. Amazingly (if you are a zero sum believer) the sum of the numbers was higher. The toys were the same, but free trade had made the children collectively much happier.

The teacher then told the class they could now trade with anyone in the room as many times as they liked. There was pandemonium for a few minutes as the kids moved around trading, re-trading, laughing, and enjoying the exercise. At the end, the teacher added up their submitted numbers. As someone who believes in a free economy would expect, the last sum was much higher than the earlier ones.

One notable thing from this elementary school exercise is that there was nothing new added to the equation…no new wealth, in other words. The kids made themselves happier by creating an exchange on their own terms, without strict rules (government regulations), without intervention by the teacher or school board (bureaucracy), without someone taking away their toys (taxation) and giving them to someone else (redistribution). Imagine what the result might have been if, like in a free economy, new and better toys (new wealth) had been added to the exchange. Eventually, newer and better toys would have allowed every child in the room to mark his or her toy as a “10.”

Zero sum? Don’t believe it! Zero sum economics is one of the many canards invented by Marxists and adopted by Democrats whose main desire is to control all the wealth generated by the working people of America. Free trade coupled with invention will create more wealth and greater contentment for all.

Obama and the Democrats are wrong. American ingenuity and businesses do not steal dollars from the poor; quite the contrary, those once-lauded elements of the American experience actually create new wealth, which creates new jobs and opportunities for all citizens, which creates even more wealth!

Proving that they are not smarter than a 6th grader.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

Along for the journey

It’s The End of the World As We Know It

December 20, 2012Allen Frederick 2 Comments

Well not so much. For it is written:

“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. “When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah. In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship. They were not aware of what was happening until the flood came and swept all of them away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again. Matthew 24:36-39 (GW)

According to the Mayan calendar December 21st 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world. This is not the first time the end of the world was predicted. All the earlier predictions were wrong and I am certain this prediction will be wrong as well. Had the Mayans had some sort of special knowledge of what was going to happen in the future they would not have suffered the loss of their own kingdom.

But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house be broken into. Luke 12:39 (BBE)

If the Mayan’s were unable to predict their own end how could it be said that they possessed a certain knowledge of things to come concerning the end of the world? Like others who have predicted the end of the world before, this too will be proven to be a false prophecy.

The problem with these false prophecies of doom is that they embolden the skeptics to mock and ridicule God and his holy people. There is coming a doomsday that has been prophesied by Holy Scripture, but with all these phony prophesies coming forth every few decades or so it makes it easy for unbelievers to become skeptics, which is exactly what will happen before the real doomsday prophesied by scripture takes place.

First, you must understand this: In the last days people who follow their own desires will appear. These disrespectful people will ridicule {God’s promise} by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.”

They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God’s word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth {appeared} out of water and was kept alive by water.

Water also flooded and destroyed that world. By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.

Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed. 2 Peter 3:3-10 (GW)

And remember Jesus said that no man knows the day or the hour of his coming. This is information that God himself retains. Only God knows when He has had enough of our sinfulness.

Like I said before had the Mayan’s had some sort of insight into future events they would have not suffered the destruction of their own kingdom.

Most of us do not even know when our last day on earth is going to be, and yet we seem to fall for these end of the world prophesies over and over again. Do not be alarmed nor distracted by all this talk about the end of the world. Heed what Jesus said to his disciples about those days.

but give attention to yourselves, for fear that your hearts become over-full of the pleasures of food and wine, and the cares of this life, and that day may come on you suddenly, and take you as in a net: For so it will come on all those who are living on the face of all the earth. But keep watch at all times with prayer, that you may be strong enough to come through all these things and take your place before the Son of man. Luke 21:34-36 (BBE)

So what will you be doing tomorrow? Will you be found enjoying the pleasures of this world? Will you be doing last-minute Christmas shopping? Will you be wining and dining at a holiday party or two? Or will you be seeking Christ in the midst of all this Christmas glitter and end of the world clamor? Will you be found searching His word for answers to life’s problems? Are you watching for and expecting the eventual return of our Lord and Savior?

So whether you fell for the end of the world prophesy of the Mayan calendar or not, know this; tomorrow we will be one day closer to the real return of the Lord Jesus, and the eventual end of the world as we know it.

Until then Carpe Diem.

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

Along for the journey