Thursday, March 26, 2015

“How do you kill 11 Million people?” You lie to them.

I was asked for my thoughts on the book, “How do you kill 11 Million people?”
The answer, of course is laid out there in the book, so I suppose the real question is, do I agree with the authors assessment, and the answer is yes. I could not read the book without seeing instantly the correlation with this United States of ours, the nation I describe as a fully loaded freight train, going downhill fast, with no brakes.
On page 19, Andy Andrews makes the statement, “What we need to understand is how eleven million people allow themselves to be killed.” The author goes on to say that “this is an obvious oversimplification”, but is it. I do not think so.
The author is right; you lie to them.
Speeches written to appease the specific audience; pledges to cut taxes; the berating of previous administrations for their abuses of presidential/executive actions, and then the subtle affection for redistribution of wealth, a socialist ideal.
Many of us screamed about the evils of President Obama, but he was elected anyway. Up for reelection, once again, we screamed, decrying the horrors of his first four years, and he was still reelected. What does that tell you? No one really wants to know the truth.
Andrews noted that, an educated population accepted their salaries and avoided the uncomfortable truths, like, an insolvent Federal Reserve, but then those that run it do not care so why should I?
He stated, “And when the Nazis came for their children, it was too late.” I can see the impact on our schools; a change that started long ago, but grossly clear with common core.
It may be too late, but we can still pray.
The theme of this book is what I have told anyone that will listen for several years now. The plans are in place, the papers signed, the armaments distributed, and everything you took comfort in will be gone in a moment of time. We, as a church, foolishly talk about the time of tribulation that is coming. Tribulation is here. It is the one thing that I can assure you of based upon what Jesus said. Yet, we know that impossible as it may seem for some, it will get worse.
A strange irony, on the same day you handed me Andy Andrews book, I picked up a copy of Night, by Elie Wiesel. He describes from a personal point of view, a similar, and yet more horrific scene. One in which, German officers politely took quarter in the homes of the Jews. However, that did not last long.
Wiesel tells of a Jewish man, Moishe Beadle, not Hungarian born, therefore a foreigner, and because he was a foreigner, he was one of the first taken. Watching those Jews being taken people sighed and said, what can we do, for such is war? The deportees were soon forgotten. Rumors would come, saying they are in another city and faring well, but that was not the case. Months passed but somehow Moishe Beadle had made it back into town. Now, no longer quiet as before, he went around telling any that would listen of the atrocities and how they were made to dig their own grave, and then made to offer their necks to German pistols. Moishe Beadle had somehow escaped with only a gunshot through the leg. Still, no one would listen as he told of the atrocities and treated him as if he were a madman.
When the horror began, the community still chose not to believe it, because they were told it was for their own good and they had no evidence to prove the Nazis intended to harm them. Moishe Beadle did.
Yellow badge Star of David called "Judens...
Yellow badge Star of David called "Judenstern". Part of the exhibition in the Jewish Museum Westphalia, Dorsten, Germany. The wording is the German word for Jew (Jude), written in mock-Hebrew script. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Stripped of their possessions and identified with the yellow star of David,  the Jews were moved into ghettos. Outward facing windows were sealed, the ghettos were surrounded by barbed wire, and yet they felt somewhat secure in this. As threats of death against them rose, they found reasons to think it was logical under the conditions.
They were told they were being moved away from the front lines when the Nazis began to herd them all at the train station. After standing in the hot sun for hours, they were even momentarily grateful for being pushed into the cattle cars and out of the hot sun, where the doors were then nailed shut. These trains took them all the way to Birkenau where many were cremated that very night.
Oddly, one woman on the train eventually began screaming out the flames and pointing in a particular direction. Everyone looked but there was nothing to be seen, and nothing could be done to shut her up. In time, some viciously struck her in the head to shut her up and soon she grew silent. As the trains came closer to the camp and were not yet visible she began screaming once again. This time no one struck her, but as the camp came into view, everyone could see the flames and smell the acrid smell belching from the stacks of the crematorium.
My point is that this woman acted as a prophet; somewhat pointless as there was nothing much that could be done, even if they did understand what God was telling them. Elie Wiesel, told how even as they arrived at the camp, some of the young, strong men, had knives and began to rally an attack against the Nazis, but the elders talked them out of it thinking that all would be okay. It would never be okay.
That screaming woman on the train saw something unexplainable that horrified her and could only communicate it in the manner she did. For that she was treated just as poorly as many of the Old Testament prophets, and there was nothing to confirm her word. Moishe Beadle, a victim and eyewitness of the violence that was to come, was treated as a madman and ignored.
I bought another book that disturbs me even more than these because the underlying motive permeates the church still today.
In the book, When a Jew Rules the World, by Joel Richardson, he opens chapter one with, “Just three years before his death in 1546, Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, wrote an anti-Jewish treatise titled On the Jews and their lies.” Joel goes on to say that this debate about how they should treat the Jews living among them went on for over a thousand years.
Luther offered his solution, holding nothing back about he really felt. In Martin Luther’s, own words:
What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? … First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder of stone of it. And this ought to done for the honor of God and of Christianity in order that God may see that we are Christians …
Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. For they perpetrate the same things there that they do in their synagogues. For this reason they ought to be put under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies, in order that they may realize that they are not masters in our land, as they boast, miserable captives…
Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer-books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy and taught…
Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more…
To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden - the Jews... Next to the devil, a Christian has no more bitter and galling foe than the Jew.[i]
Having read this for the first time, I will tell you that I am sickened by it. Joel Richardson states, “Most Christians who read Luther’s words for the first time are shocked. Tragically, Luther was far from alone among notable Christian leaders in his hatred and abuse of the Jews. .. his attitude was actually quite common among Christians throughout an overwhelming majority of Church history.”
Even more tragically, roughly five hundred years after Luther wrote his hateful treatise, Adolf Hitler would rely heavily on Luther’s proposals as the basis of his own ‘final solution,’ resulting in the death of two-thirds of the roughly nine million Jews who were living in Europe at the time.”
While we choose to sing the praises of Luther and the life-changing treatise he nailed to the Wittenberg door, he was at the same time filled with a vile hatred of my people, God’s chosen people. Though God has scattered them, and continues to punish them for ignoring him, they are still the root-stock to which I - as a believer in this Jew that will rule the earth - am little more than a branch. God has never given up on his people, but I am now forever tainted in my thoughts toward this hateful man called Martin Luther.
You will be chased out of the Jewish meeting places. And the time will come when people will kill you and think they are doing God a favor.
(John 16:2 CEV)
[i] Bruce Delmont, ed., On the Jews and Their Lies by Martin Luther (1483-1546) (Lulu.com), 165-66

Monday, March 2, 2015

Are there Prophets in the New Testament church?

I am reminded - far too often - that my blogs are long. Although, it grieves me, I reduced ten pages down to two. What I am doing is answering a question in my mind and hopefully yours, about the reality and validity of the prophetic.

The short answer is yes, and you will never convince me otherwise. Prophets are given to the church body - according to the measure of Christ - to build it up.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachersfor the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;” (Ephesians 4:7-14 NASB)
We cannot and should not argue with truth. The book of Revelation is not written to the Old Testament Jews, but to the New Testament church. In it we find this word:
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10 KJV)
Paul attests to the validity of prophets in his first letter to the church at Corinth by telling us that God has placed them in the body.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:27-28 KJV)

We also find the prophets affirmed in 1Corinthians 14.

If anyone considers himself a prophet or gifted with the Spirit, let him understand that what I write to you is a command of the Lord. Anyone who disregards this will be himself disregarded. To sum up, my brothers. Set your heart on the prophetic gift, and do not put any check upon speaking in 'tongues'; but let everything be done decorously and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:37-40 Moffatt NT)
1 Corinthians 14:1 KJV Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:3 MKJV (3) But he who prophesies speaks to men for building up, and exhortation, and comfort.
Take the time to read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. I will only point out that it is making clear that the prophet is a legitimate spiritual gift, and along with the others, is speaking by the Holy Spirit.
but it is the same God working all things in all”; “For through the Spirit is given..”to another prophecy”
The Holy Spirit testifies that Philip’s own daughters were prophets.
..and started next morning for Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist (he belonged to the Seven, and had four unmarried daughters who prophesied). We stayed with him.” (Acts 21:8-9 Moffatt NT)
Also within the frame-work of the New Testament we have Agabus. Led by the Holy Spirit to Paul, he testified that hard times would come for Paul.
While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 21:10-13 ESV)
The Holy Spirit affirmed the prophetic in the New Testament church as Peter addressed the crowds of Jewish worshipers on the day of Pentecost, quoting a portion of Joel chapter 2. I will leave it up to you to look up the original and its context.
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; (Acts 2:14-17 ESV)
Not only is it a valid and active gift, but God gives the prophetic a place of prominence.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28 ESV)
We are told to desire the higher gifts and prophecy  is one of them.
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:28-31 ESV)
The gifts, including the prophetic, are given for the edification of the body.
He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:10-14 ESV)
Just to clarify a point here. Prophecy, does not necessarily equate to being a prophet. The book of Revelation tells us that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Since the testimony of Jesus and his word is one in the same, then speaking his word - in his authority - would constitute the deliverance of a prophetic word.
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
(Revelation 19:10 ESV)
Call them what you want, cynics, pharisees, or grouches who just like to fight, I do not really care. I just know that it grieves my spirit to hear them come against God so adamantly. They will answer for their choices, but in the mean time we need to become more educated. You will only do that by spending time in His word.

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