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Ignorance Of The Bible Isn’t Just A Problem In Our Culture—It’s A Problem In The Church

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Story is here.

Ignorance of the Bible isn’t just a problem in our culture. It’s a problem in the church, and it’s scandalous.

While America’s evangelical Christians are rightly concerned about the secular worldview’s rejection of biblical Christianity, we ought to give some urgent attention to a problem much closer to home—biblical illiteracy in the church. This scandalous problem is our own, and it’s up to us to fix it.

How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it’s worse than most could imagine.

Only half of all Christian adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the twelve disciples. According to data from the Pew Research Center, nearly half don’t even realize that the Golden Rule is not one of the Ten Commandments.

Multiple surveys reveal the problem in stark terms. Most Christians in the United States believe the Bible teaches, “God helps those who help themselves” (and some even believe this quote is a Bible verse). A series of Barna surveys shows that only 19% of “born again Christians” hold to the simplest elements of a basic biblical worldview.

We would not expect secularized Americans to be knowledgeable about the Bible. A Barna poll once indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc might be Noah’s wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that Billy Graham preached the Sermon on the Mount.

The larger scandal is biblical ignorance among Christians. Choose whichever statistic or survey you like, the general pattern is the same among professing Christians. America’s Christians know less and less about the Bible. It shows.

How can a generation be biblically shaped in its understanding of human sexuality when it believes Sodom and Gomorrah to be a married couple? No wonder our culture has so quickly embraced the normality of same-sex marriage. And it’s little wonder that Christians show a growing tendency to compromise on such issues.

Worse, many who identify themselves as Christians are similarly confused about the gospel itself. An individual who believes that “God helps those who help themselves” will find salvation by grace and justification by faith to be alien concepts.

Christians who lack biblical knowledge are the products of churches that place too little value on biblical knowledge. Paul’s words to Timothy are as valuable today as ever: “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). Bible teaching now often accounts for only a diminishing fraction of the local congregation’s time and attention. And while the increasing emphasis on small group ministry has certainly increased opportunities for fellowship, many of these groups never get beyond superficialBible study.

Youth ministries are asked to fix problems, provide entertainment, and keep kids busy. But how many local church youth programs actually substantially increase their Bible knowledge during the critical junior high and high school years?

Even the pulpit has been sidelined in many congregations. Preaching has taken a back seat to other concerns in corporate worship. The centrality of biblical preaching to the formation of disciples is lost, and Christian ignorance leads to Christian indolence and worse.

Recovery starts at home. Parents are to be the first and most important educators of their own children, diligently teaching them the Word of God (see Deuteronomy 6:4–9). Parents cannot pass their responsibility off to the congregation, no matter how faithful and biblical it may be. Even if they have had little training themselves, it is no excuse. God assigned parents this nonnegotiable responsibility, and children must see their Christian parents as teachers and fellow students of God’s Word. (Spiritual leadership is far more important than second jobs, second cars, and the many other distractions of modern life.)

Churches must recover the centrality and urgency of biblical teaching and preaching, and refuse to sideline the teaching ministry of the preacher. Pastors and churches too busy—or too distracted—to make biblical knowledge a central aim of ministry will produce believers who simply do not know enough to be faithful disciples. (Worse, they will fail to pass down a clear understanding of the gospel to the next generation sitting in the pews.)

We will not believe more than we know, and we will not live higher than our beliefs. The many fronts of Christian compromise in this generation can be directly traced to biblical illiteracy in the pews and the absence of biblical preaching and teaching in our homes and churches.

This generation of Christian parents and pastors must get deadly serious about the problem of biblical illiteracy, or a frighteningly large number of Americans—Christians included—will go on thinking that Sodom and Gomorrah lived happily ever after.

Without a mature knowledge of God’s Word, how can churchgoers expect to make new disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19)?

Scripture of the Day

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Luke 22


2. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
5. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

In our society today it’s becoming increasingly popular in Churches to follow the fads of the Day, to give up their moral clarity to follow sin and wickedness. In His day Jesus introduced pure and undefiled religion to the people, going against the norms placed by the religious rulers of His day, those who corrupted the faith of an entire nation.

Nowadays in the west Christians who goes against the so-called norms or fads of the Day are ridiculed and condemned by an evil society. Some face jail time for expressing their faith. In England a ruler in a church turned in a congregant because he expressed views opposite to the popular fad, that being the acceptance of the LGBT XYZ garbage.

Just as our Savior was killed by the religious leaders of His day, in our time in the west the Lord is separating the wheat from the chaff, the goats from the sheep, and we are seeing the fulfillment of the words of Christ when He said, The world hated me without a cause, so now the world still hates Him without a cause, th world hated Him, the world hates those who follow Him.

Don’t be afraid when persecution comes knocking on your door but praise GOD in that you are counted worthy to suffer for His sake.

Early Uppers

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For years now I’ve been waking before the alarm fires off its annoying sounds. I guess one becomes conditioned through the years, I don’t really know although I consider it a blessing because I do find myself thanking GOD and doing my morning prayers as I begin my day.

Being an early upper allows for more time to begin whatever routines one may have, mines pretty basic, get up, prayer & reflection time, wash off, get dressed, get coffee, drive…. ’bout it. After 31 yrs of sitting behind a windshield and over 3 million miles I’m beginning to think my wandering days are kinda coming due for some closure.

My 31 foot liveaboard sailboat is down in the Carolinas and that sealonging is starting to tighten its grip on my heart and mind.

Getting my affairs in order on land has taken its own sweet time, some of it was due to me, some to work and other external events that had to take their due course to finish. But now that next chapter is about to start, I’m praying the Lord will bless the coming move and use it for His glory.

And to close with Psalm 37
4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Bless GOD and may He bless your day.

1st Post of 2023

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Nuttin’ ta see here ‘cept scripture versus an a couple clumsy blurbs ’bout morals an stuff. Gittin tired of politic’en, ain’t much else can be said bout that since folks been warn’n ’bout moral collapse for a hun’nerd yrs now.

Luke 18:9. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Most church goin’ folks an holiday christians probably fit into the first example there, thinkin’ their devout because of what they do and “who” they think or feel they are. When in truth those they despise and gossip about are probably closer to the Lord.

Humble yourself before the Lord and ask to be forgiven and God will show His mercy.

Scripture of the Day

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Luke 14


7. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
8. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9. And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
11. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Always remember humility is a good thing.

Scripture of the Day

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Micah 3


9. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity.
10. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.
11. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.

Scripture of the Day

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Ezekiel 3


18. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

The Season

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In the Book of Revelation Chapter 18 we read about the coming judgment of a nation/kingdom/people referred to as Mystery Babylon the Great.
Here are those beginning verses,

2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

This begins with the announcement that Babylon has fallen. This fallen state happened because of their sins. We read further about that fallen state; it's become a habitation of devils, I would assume literally and metaphorically. The cultural social cohesion of this place collapsing into literal evil. 

We read it becomes a home to every foul spirit, again literal and metaphorical in nature. These foul spirits are a reflection of the hearts of those living there; anger, deceit, bitterness, malice, theft, lies, murders, adulteries and sexual abominations, all of the vices  of wickedness  manifesting themselves in its cultural and social collapse.

This wickedness doesn't remain localized or regional but spreads outward across the borders to reach all the world. We read that the kings or rulers of nations committed fornication with this nation, again literal and metaphorical. Through lies and deceit rulers and merchants of the world became rich from the abundance of this nation's delicacies and merchandise. 

International trade is one of the hallmarks in identifying who this Mystery Babylon is. Not only trade but the other identifiers, the public evil of this place as well as its abundance of goods and services, its dealing in pleasures, both sexual and non-sexual. 

Then in verse 4 we read "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
Here we can see that believers and those of faith do indeed reside in this place. In what state I'm not sure, but reflecting on the cultural and social conditions that exists one would assume the faithful are not in a very amicable environment where they can worship freely.
Believers are told to leave, to flee from this nation because judgment and plagues are coming.

In our day, today, in my mind there's only one nation on earth that can even come close to matching the descriptions defining Mystery Babylon and that is the United States.
This country has collapsed, both spiritually, culturally, and socially, matching the wickedness which describes Mystery Babylon.
Our political and economic situations reflecting similar relationships describing Mystery Babylon. Our major exports are dollars and pornography. Money and sex are two main features of America’s  modern exceptionalism which are also highlighted in Mystery Babylon.
All of those vices mentioned in Scripture about Mystery Babylon are reflected in American culture and exported around the world.

Those few faithful remaining in this place are called to leave, I wonder how many will heed  that call?

The fallen state isn't an overnight phenomenon, it takes some time but when the cup is full judgment is issued and no time will be left.
I do pray that the Spirit will give whomever this foreshadowing, that judgment is coming, that there is a call going out. That call maybe faint right now for some, but that call will continue to become louder as  more eyes and hearts are opened.

Yep, welp….

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Just read a little sermonette about replacement theology, that’s the idea the Church has replaced Israel as the apple 🍎 of His eye type thing. There are scriptures which allude to such concepts but I think some folks take it to far. Mostly the self-proclaimed reformed movements, extreme calvinists and others from various denominations seem to accept and cling to replacement ideas.

The term used by most scholars is supersessionism, this is where the church supersecedes Israel. This idea has been around for quite some time and it’s rotten to its core. Most adherents ignore scripture concerning Israel and the Jews, Romans 11 is one, the Isaiah chapters 60 onward speak of a future Israel also, one being blessed along with gentiles.

Just gets a little old when you disagree with them they go full covid cult like and refuse anything that destroys their narrative, often reverting to derogating facts down to “your a zionist” name calling crap.

So just thought I’d toss something out there in print so I didn’t forget it. Jus’ sayin.

11:11

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Jeremiah 11:11. thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

US CBDC, Some Thoughts

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Let’s start with verification of the US’s approach to digital coins. Just a note, a CBDC is Central Bank Digital Coin. It’s going to be a Central banks version of Bitcoin based on what they refer to as blockchain.

Executive Order 14067 (/executive-order/14067) of March 9, 2022 Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets

Here we have a quietly signed Executive Order that gives certain entities in government orders to study, formulate, and execute that plan to force the use of digital assets into our economy, people, and nation. This can be seen in section 4.b.

(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall submit to the President a report on the future of money and payment systems, including the conditions that drive broad adoption of digital assets; the extent to which technological innovation may influence these outcomes; and the implications for the United States financial system, the modernization of and changes to payment systems, economic growth, financial inclusion, and national security. This report shall be coordinated through the interagency process described in section 3 of this order.

These people want this and need control of digital assets, why? For no other reason than control. Digital assets or coins are the final steps into their much vaunted Great Reset. There was a story a few months ago that stated 94% of the world’s central banks are moving to CBDC’s. So whether you believe it or not, you’re going to be forced into this new financial system or you’ll be forced to move to the periphery of society and exist as best you can or you’ll be ridiculed and jailed for some imagined violation of their new system.

Governments will know everything you do with their CBDC’s, if you are a compliant citizen then you’ll receive some type of reward, if you’re not and to independent your money will be restricted. Some will think this isn’t going to happen when it already is. In China they deny jobs and travel to people with low social credit scores, in the US and Europe you’re deplatformed if you go against the Governments narrative. Across the world critical medical services are denied to people who remain unvaxxed.

Here we also have a glimpse of their projected timeline as contained in Section 4

(d) The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, shall:
(i) within 180 days of the date of this order, provide to the President through the APNSA and APEP an assessment of whether legislative changes would be necessary to issue a United States CBDC, should it be deemed appropriate and in the national interest; and
(ii) within 210 days of the date of this order, provide to the President through the APNSA and the APEP a corresponding legislative proposal, based on consideration of the report submitted by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 4(b) of this order and any materials developed by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve consistent with section 4(c) of this order.

So 210 days from March 9th…. this corresponds to the end of their fiscal year in October.

For the citizens to accept US CBDC’S those in power have to create an environment where they’ll be accepted and accessible to the masses of mindless drones. The only way to do this is a manufactured crisis, the one way to push this is a financial and economic collapse of the current monetary and economic systems, then from the ashes and chaos from their manufactured crisis they submit their fix, the CBDC’s.

Some may think this could be acceptable and millions will willingly accept this not knowing its the foreshadowing of something much darker, that being a quote from Revelation 13:
16. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

CBDC’s are going to be implemented regardless of what you think, they’re going to be one of the cornerstones of the new economic orders, some refer to this reallocation as the Economic Beast System of that leader called the Antichrist.

The Endtimes environment will have a three tiered system; religious, political, and economic. CBDC’s or the coming Mark will be part of all three of those systems. The mark will be used for religious identification and acceptance of their political and economic authority and it will be required to participate in their system.

These are my thoughts based on my understanding of prophecy and current events.

Thanks and God bless.

Scripture of the Day

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Proverbs 31


4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5. Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

These words are something most of our rulers seem to have forgotten.

Scripture of the Day

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Revelation 6

1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
7. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

I believe sooner than later these four seals are going to be opened and our proverbial hell on earth will start. Scholars will argue until they are blue in the face concerning the matter of the horsemen, suffice to say one quarter of the earths population will die during this beginning Salvo of God’s judgment on the wickedness of mankind.

One thing to notice though is although these seals represent God’s judgment they are caused by man vs man. War caused by mankind, we keep hearing and are experiencing food shortages globally caused by mankind, the death and destruction coming from these seals are because of mankind’s own evil and hubris.

So prep up, it’s going to be a rocky road soon enough.