Blog | Reproach of Men

The Short-sightedness of Man

Yesterday, I wrote an open letter to Vladimir Putin that, quite literally could have been written to any number of individuals. All one would have to do is take out the specific references to Putin’s activities and substitute the activities specific to whoever you were writing to. The fact is, everyone is in need of salvation, and the only people who would not need to receive the letter are those who have already heeded the message to repent and believe the gospel.

The idea of an open letter is not a new thing, even in Scripture. Nebuchadnezzar wrote an open letter to all the earth after the LORD humbled him and he repented and believed (Daniel 4). Darius wrote and open letter to all the earth as well admonishing them to fear the God of Daniel — which is the LORD God (Daniel 6:25-27). Of course, that was also a time when people weren’t so “rational” and could consider that an event was indeed of God.

There is also another open letter in Scripture, and it is the one that I was reminded of yesterday when I was composing the letter to Vladimir. It comes from Psalms , and is a reminder to every person in this world of how short-sighted each of us are. I would that you read it in its entirety and consider what it states about us, individually and collectively. After all, there is one end appointed unto man — the grave, and then judgement:

Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: Both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. (Psalm 49)

Oh blind and foolish man. Repent and believe the Gospel.

WordPress 2.5 Update

Last week I wrote a note that I had upgraded to WordPress 2.5 and was not entirely happy with the result. I lost one of my favorite plugins and the blog was running slow, etc. I was pretty much not happy with things overall concerning the blog and software to run it.

However, things change. For one, the host fixed the problem with accessing the blog in a timely manner so that access time went from 3-5 minutes down to 3-10 seconds (for dial-up that is pretty quick). Also, the plugin I like so well got upgraded to work with version 2.5, and I found that Firefox 2 works better with WordPress than Opera 9.26 when working in the admin pages. Additionally, I went back in a tweaked some of stylesheets to change the appearance a bit (hopefully for the better).

Now that these things are working better I can go back to my plan of changing the theme from fixed width to liquid, or at least elastic. We shall see how that goes.

Dear Vladimir,

I am well aware that this letter could be written to virtually anyone on this earth and be equally applicable. However, since I have been observing your antics as the leader of the Russian Federation, I am constantly reminded of how short-sighted man really is. In all your machinations to openly reassert communist rule in Russia, you have proved that you know little and understand less about how you will be judged for the things you do. Beyond doubt, you did not think twice when you gave the word to have those opposing you murdered. Never mind that they performed an actual service to you in checking your aberrant behavior. Instead of listening to them, you unceremoniously got rid of them. How very sad for you.

You see Vladimir, you are not the end all, be all, and neither is the communist doctrine you believe in. I am certain that you either know the truth, or could easily find it out concerning Karl Marx and what he really was. After all, it is no secret that he was a bum who depended upon everyone else to support him while he whined about the social and economic order of the day. He doesn’t sound like much of an authority to look to for one’s ideas on how things ought to be done in this world.

But Marx’s problem was actually much bigger than that. Like you, Karl Marx did not believe that God exists, despite all evidence to the contrary. Now, I can kind of understand why he would have problems in that arena, as the state churches in Europe really do not present Christianity as it actually is. Instead, the Christianity they present is warped and twisted so that the leaders in those churches can ride the gravy train on the backs of all those duped by such a system. And that, all with the permission, blessing, and support of the government they are in bed with. So much for the Lord Jesus Christ being the head of those churches. No, instead of them being administered by the Holy Ghost, they are administered under the auspices of the State which coddles and supports them. So, I can kind of understand why Marx had the problem he had.

However, now, like then, the word of God is easily available to virtually everyone who wants it. Moreover, it really is not man that seeks after God, but God who seeks after man to bring man to the right way, and an acknowledgement of the instinctual knowledge the LORD God has put in all of us: that God is real, our Creator, and that He rules over us. It is quite plain in the Scripture that this is the case:

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:2-3)

Which is why the LORD seeks us:

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:21-23)

Of course, as I referenced above, we all do know that God is real and He exists. That is why you atheists fight so hard against God. You are trying to rid yourself of an instinctual knowledge. Let me assure you, you will never make that knowledge go away:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)

Now I know that you, like many others dismiss this and say that you cannot see any evidence of God. However, you must understand that God responds to you based upon whether you are really interested in finding out the truth of who you are, and what you are about. The Lord does work to show you who you really are, but there is a point where He will let you go. After all, the LORD God is not worried. You are of absolutely no threat to Him. In fact, you are not even a threat to the one who influences and controls you — the Devil. To put it bluntly, you are simply a pawn in the game. Unfortunately, you are on the “short end of the stick” as it were, and like your master, you also will lose. You would do well to be mindful of the following admonition about how the LORD presents Himself to man:

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury. And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. (II Samuel 22:26-28)

Again, this is based upon what is in your heart:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Now, I need not explain what the words say as I am certain your grasp of English is better than most Americans. Nor need I explain the following as pertaining to your accountability before God:

Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (Isaiah 45:20-23)

And again:

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

It doesn’t matter whether you believe this or not Vladimir, it is true. Moreover, it has always been true, and will remain true for all eternity. No one can or will change that, no matter how much they want to. What you have to look forward to is simply this — one day you will die, just like the folks you have had put to death. When you draw your last breath, all you have to look forward to is an eternity of suffering beyond your wildest imaginations. I would say that it would be unbearable, but the LORD God is able to ensure that you will bear it. If you think you will merely “wink out of existence” you are sadly mistaken.

There is one thing though: you will have a short break in your suffering: just long enough for your trial before the Lord Jesus Christ whom you have thus far rejected:

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

You know, it is sad that your allow your position in this world to stand in the way of saving your own life. No, it seems to me that your pride is such that you could not come to terms with the fact that you must repent and believe just like everyone else. There is no “other standard” existent for you and those in your position. That simply is not the way the LORD God operates. No, the standard the LORD God set for man has been the same from the Fall of man and will continue until the last man on earth dies:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Vladimir, like so many others, you are in a sad case. Repent and believe the Gospel.

Al Gore’s Flat Earth Society

There are some things that simply defy explanation — and I am not talking about the processes of nature. Rather, what I refer to is human behavior. There are some things that men do that simply defy explanation, and this post is about one of those things.

As I am certain all know by this point, that Al Gore, Jr. has been on a crusade to war against “global warming” and has spared no effort is seeking to accomplish his self-appointed task of saving the earth against the ravages of modern human habitation. From his point of view, modern, industrialized man is producing excessive pollutants, particularly carbon (a basic element) and that is driving the earth’s overall temperature up, and will result in the destruction of civilization as we know it.

Now, I (as many others also) have pointed out that we cannot reliably predict the weather 5 days in advance, so how is this possible that we will know the weather 40 years from now? Moreover, it has been proven that the number one “greenhouse gas” is actually water. Sadly, it covers 70% of the earth’s surface and there is nothing we can do about that. (Since that’s not much of a bogeyman, and we can’t do anything about it, Al Gore can’t seem to use that in his campaign. Wonder why?) It has been pointed out by many that the entire database of information Al Gore and others use to promote their scenario is flawed in the way the data is interpreted. However, that is not enough to persuade Al and friends to hold their horses and wait for better data. Instead, they charge ahead full steam and say we must change seeing that when we finally get “good data” it will be far too late. This is a wonderful bit of self-justifying logic that is used to bludgeon opponents into submission (or at least keeping their mouth shut).

It is the self-justifying logic that requires question here — along with a lot of other things the “climate change” advocates state. Where I differ with the other opponents of Al Gore and company is the basis upon which to challenge the presumptions of global warming. Where most talk about data, statistics, weather patterns, and our overall lack of understanding of the earth’s weather, I see the necessity of a different approach.

Some centuries ago, a certain highly visible religious organization held to the belief that the earth was flat, and persecuted anyone who disagreed. This was in spite of the fact that the Scripture plainly and expressly taught (and still does) that the earth was indeed round, and a ball hanging in space.

Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. (Isaiah 40:21-23)

Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. (Job 26:5-8)

Of course, those who followed the Bible back then knew the earth was round, and held in space by the commandment and power of God. Everyone else holding to the view of the Catholic Church, is today ridiculed as being a member of the “Flat Earth Society.” Due to this, it is a little on the funny side of things for Al Gore to refer to his detractors as “Flat Earthers.” Now he means to do this as he believes global warming to be a fact. However, we can believe many things to be fact, when in reality they are not. The funny part about this relates to the fact that the Catholic Church absent the Scripture to come to the conclusion that the earth was flat, and Al Gore has come to the conclusion global warming is occurring absent the Scripture, yet he calls those who question the claims of global warming “Flat Earthers”. Kind like the pot calling the kettle black. It is made more ironic by the fact of his tailoring the presentation to the particular audience of the moment:

“His slideshows are tailored to his audiences. For example, when he talks to evangelical Christians, he includes passages from the Bible.

Gore is trying to redefine this as a moral and spiritual issue. “We all share the exact same interest in doing the right thing on this. Who are we as human beings? Are we destined to destroy this place that we call home, planet earth? I can’t believe that that’s our destiny. It is not our destiny. But we have to awaken to the moral duty that we have to do the right thing and get out of this silly political game-playing about it. This is about survival,” he said.” ((CBS, 60 Minutes, Mar. 30th, 2008))

Now, I will leave our stewardship of this earth to another time and another article. What I wish to focus on is the lack of understanding that Al Gore and others have of the Creator and His ability to create an environment that is well able to withstand man’s physical endeavors. This should not be surprising as they either deny the existence of the LORD God, or they acknowledge Him only long enough to invoke His name to deceive others into believing their cause. Nonetheless, the proof of the LORD God’s understanding was once again shown in an article which was published by the BBC this week:

“Global temperatures will drop slightly this year as a result of the cooling effect of the La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.
The World Meteorological Organization’s secretary-general, Michel Jarraud, told the BBC it was likely that La Nina would continue into the summer.
This would mean global temperatures have not risen since 1998, prompting some to question climate change theory.” ((Global Temperatures ‘to decrease’))

Now, the article goes on to try to salvage global warming as a valid theory, but the evidence in the article is clear:

La Nina and El Nino are two great natural Pacific currents whose effects are so huge they resonate round the world.
El Nino warms the planet when it happens; La Nina cools it. This year, the Pacific is in the grip of a powerful La Nina.
It has contributed to torrential rains in Australia and to some of the coldest temperatures in memory in snow-bound parts of China.
Mr Jarraud told the BBC that the effect was likely to continue into the summer, depressing temperatures globally by a fraction of a degree.
This would mean that temperatures have not risen globally since 1998 when El Nino warmed the world.
Watching trends
A minority of scientists question whether this means global warming has peaked and argue the Earth has proved more resilient to greenhouse gases than predicted. ((ibid))

Well, what would one expect? After all, the Scripture is express:

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4-5)

In the LORD God’s infinite understanding it is obvious that He already knew what man would do, and already prepared a regulator, a thermostat (if you will) to control the earth’s overall temperature. After all, He knew in eternity past that man would fall, long before He ever created man, or this world:

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (I Peter 1:17-21)

Now, it would be foolish to say that man is not damaging this earth, we are. However, it is not our physical acts, and so-called global warming that is doing the damage. Instead, the damage is being done by our own wicked hearts and the sin we engage in:

The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:4-6)

No, it’s not our “technology” and “modern society” that is doing the damage, but the same wickedness that has existed in the heart of man since the Fall. This same wickedness brought about the destruction of the Flood, and will bring about the destruction of this universe by fire. Thus, it is Al Gore that is actually in the category of being a “Flat Earther” for denying and misusing Scriptural truth.

Socially Responsible?

It is a source of never ending wonderment to me that businesses cannot be about doing business, ethically and morally, and leave social agendas out of their business. After all, what is business about anyway? Businesses exist for the purpose of production and trade of goods and services. That is all. So long as it is done morally and ethically, and has a legitimate product or service, there is nothing to hinder a business from functioning.

However, the leaders of business cannot seem to understand that they would do well to abide by the purpose of business and leave social agendas out of their business. The problem here is that business is not some faceless entity. Rather, businesses consist of individuals working in concert to promote, produce and sell a product and/or service to other individuals or businesses. As such, all decisions made by a business are ultimately individual decisions. One cannot cast off the responsibility of a decision a business makes if one was involved in the decision making process. Even when a decision is spread among the members of a board or committee, everyone involved in the decision shares responsibility for that decision — even when they do not agree with it.

One can argue with that, but from a Scriptural point of view, this is very much the case as the LORD God deals with entities in very much the same way he deals with individuals. We are shown this in the incident that was caused by Achan’s taking and possession of the accursed thing:

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. (Joshua 7:1-5)

And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. (Joshua 7:10-12)

The flip side of this coin is operable as well as the Scripture demonstrates in the matter of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech:

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. (Genesis 20:1-7)

Throughout the Scripture, it is evident this is the way the LORD deals with the collective endeavors of individuals (entities), whether it is nations, churches, businesses, families, etc. If they are led by those who hate the things of God, then the LORD curses them. If they are led by those who wish to do that which is right in the sight of God, then He blesses. Even if they do that which is displeasing, as in the case of Abimelech, the LORD has mercy. However, we find that not to be the case with Israel and Achan’s sin. Moreover the really sad part is what happened to the thirty-six men who died because of Achan’s sin.

What is the difference between Abimelech and the Philistines, Achan and Israel, and how the LORD God dealt with them respectively? It is a little something called “prior knowledge.” You see, it was customary for men to take more than one wife at the time of Abimelech, and in his ignorance Abimelech took Sarah to wife unlawfully. This was not the case with Achan and Israel. All Israel was expressly instructed that no one was to touch any accursed thing in Jericho. That all spoil was to be burned with certain express materials reserved to the LORD. Failure to obey this command would bring a curse upon the individual and all Israel. Thus, all Israel had “prior knowledge” of what God required of them. This is in contrast to Abimelech and the Philistines who had no “prior knowledge,” and thus were not accursed for Abimelech’s error.

What then does this have to do with modern business and social agendas? Everything. The principles at work here are identical. It is not the purview of business to engage in social “engineering.” Rather, the concern of business is the production and trade of a product or service regardless of who benefits from it. The constraint upon business is morality and proper ethics in all their dealings. It should not concern a business whether a customer’s religion is “approved” by the majority or not. Nor should a business promote one “lifestyle” over another, and the same applies to the political views of its customers. No business should engage in promoting a particular belief over another unless that is expressly why they are in business in the first place. The requirement upon a business is to do that which is just and right in all its dealings.

So what are the consequences of not following the admonition given above? Well, it has everything to do with “prior knowledge” which is available to all in the form of the Bible. We have all already been told what is expected of us. We have all, already been warned by the word of God and history what happens when we refuse to heed the warnings. Moreover, when we refuse to heed them, we will not be treated like Abimelech and the Philistines at the time of Abraham. No, we will be treated more like Israel was in the trespass of Achan — we will be cursed.

The sad part of going against the express will of God is that whose who are not even involved in the decision-making process, will suffer. The employees of Wal-mart, McDonald’s, Cisco, AT&T, American Airlines, Merck and many others will suffer needlessly because the leadership of their companies refuse to heed the warnings given in Scripture about approving of, and supporting that which is an abomination to God. Instead, they have attempted to cover up their wickedness by the clarion call of “social responsibility.”

We should all remember that America was founded with a dependence upon God as her founding document so clearly states:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; . . .
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The leaders of certain companies in America may have forgotten this, but Almighty God has not. He will hold them accountable.

Losing the War

Everybody knows that an individual or a nation does not, or should not set about to lose a war — right? It ought to be ingrained in everyone involved in a life or death struggle; that we do not conduct ourselves in such a way as to guarantee dying. This should be reasonable, understood, accepted, and the norm. After all, why would we want to commit suicide, both individually and nationally?

Yet we are. As a nation, the United States of America is doing an excellent job of aiding and abetting its own destruction. Does America have enemies? Certainly she does, and those enemies understand more about how to fight and win wars against a nation and society than Americans do. Back in the late 1950’s a former FBI agent wrote a book titled The Naked Communist, ((This is not an endorsement of his religious views. Mr. Skousen was a Mormon and that doctrine is about as wrong as it gets. However, his personal doctrine does not invalidate what he investigated and found out.)) in which he asserted there existed a strategy by the communists for destroying America from within. In his book, he detailed 45 current goals as of the late 1950’s, and in subsequent editions those goals never changed.

Now, one would think that the goals outlined would cover such things as infrastructure, logistical support organizations, government entities, etc. However, they did not. There were some foreign policy goals, a few goals applied specifically to law enforcement, but primarily the goals addressed societal issues and mores. Some of the societal goals outlined are listed below:

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio and TV.
26. Present homo-sexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand or treat.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. ((The Naked Communist, W. Cleon Skousen, Published 1958, Eleventh Edition 1962, pp. 258-262))

Well now, that certainly doesn’t seem like much of a way to take down a nation, does it? Actually, it is very much a way to destroy a nation. It will take a while longer than shooting war would, but no nation that has walked the path America is on has ever survived. The reason for this is quite plain in Scripture — the LORD God judged them for their wickedness:

Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, ((The modern day equivalent to this is abortion. Whereas in ancient time they sacrificed to an idol, today the sacrifice is made to the god of self. The unborn child is killed for the convenience of the parents. After all, having a baby in the house severely crimps the party lifestyle and brings considerable responsibility. Moreover, neglect of a child brings child abuse charges and possibly prison. How much easier it is to kill it before it is born and the law acquiesces to the murder.)) neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. ((And they claim the Scripture doesn’t condemn homosexuality! Yeah . . . right. Whatever lie is convenient.)) Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:20-28)

Even as the LORD God judged the ancient nations, He judges nations today. If we are at all honest with ourselves, we must admit that we have either engaged in, or condoned all things the LORD condemns in both Leviticus, chapter 18 and Deuteronomy, chapter 18. Thus, without ever realizing it, America’s enemies hit upon a workable, effective strategy for the destruction of America. However, this strategy is not new, and they are not the first to use it.

In Numbers, chapters 22 through 25, the incident of Balak calling Balaam to curse Israel is recorded and the results of that event are made known. In chapter 25, we find that Israel departs from the LORD and the following is the result:

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. (Numbers 25:1-5)

However, we are not immediately told why they began to do this. It is not until chapter 31 that we find that Balaam, though he had no choice but to bless Israel, found a way to get money from Balak by telling him how to cause Israel to transgress so the LORD God would curse them.

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. (Numbers 31:15-16)

This also is repeated in a warning to the church at Pergamos in Revelation, chapter 2:

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)

So it is that the very same strategy that Balaam taught Balak and the children of Moab to use against Israel, is being used against the United States of America. But how is it that the communists would adopt a strategy that comes from the Scripture when they don’t even believe in God?

It is quite simple actually. You see, whether we believe in God or not is irrelevant to His existence. God exists no matter what. The spiritual world exists also despite what men believe. Moreover, in that spiritual world exists a creature who is opposed to all that God is and has done — Satan.

We seem not to understand that Satan hates man, as man is created in the image of God. Moreover, we also do not seem to understand that Satan is utterly deceitful and easily deceives man. In fact, this is the very thing that makes the atheist the perfect tool for the Devil. The communists do not even comprehend that they are being used of Satan, and the strategy they understand as a workable strategy for the destruction of the United States, comes straight from the Devil. After all, the Devil knows exactly what things a nation and society can engage in that are sure and certain to bring the wrath of God upon that nation.

The sad part of this is that we here in America have this information freely available to us, and we won’t even consult it to understand what is going on. We bemoan the state of our society, but cannot seem to understand why. We should, the answer has been there all along. Worse yet, when we say we understand what is happening, we still engage in, or condone the very things that bring the wrath of God upon us.

We are losing the war. Are we just to proud to repent?

What Constitutes Worship?

There are many answers to the above question. Some are correct, some have elements of truth to them, and other answers one would receive are simply in error. Of course, it is this way with every subject from Scripture one might bring up. However, we would expect the answer from the head of a theological school to be more exact, and accurate than the average person. We certainly would expect their answer to be more centered around service to God than politics. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it is certainly not restricted to the individual that came to my attention late last week. Now, to be fair, the subject at hand was not worship, but the addressing of the subject intruded into the arena of what constitutes worship, and the individual drew no distinctions.

Before getting going on this, it is only fair to give a brief background of the individual so their qualifications can be duly noted and kept in mind. The following is extracted from the brief bio posted with her column at the Newsweek/Washington Post website, Faith section:

Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite is president of Chicago Theological Seminary and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She has been a professor of theology at the seminary for 20 years and director of its graduate degree center for five years. Her area of expertise is contextual theologies of liberation, specializing in issues of violence and violation. An ordained minister of the United Church of Christ since 1974, the “On Faith” panelist is the author or editor of thirteen books and has been a translator for two translations of the Bible. ((http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_brooks_thistlethwaite/2008/03/is_nothing_sacred.html))

I won’t even get into all that is in error in the writeup. Not that it is not her history. It is. It is that her endeavors run so counter to the express commandments of God. Perhaps that is why it never impinged upon her conscience to address the issue of “note takers” during the time of the sermon somewhat differently. Some quotes of what she wrote follow:

“A member of Trinity United Church of Christ, the church once led by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright and where Senator Obama is a member, told me there are “spies” among them in the pews, strangers who take notes during the service and try to record the message.
Check it out for yourself. Go to the Trinity UCC website, select “Why The Black Church Won’t Shut Up!”, and listen to Rev. Otis Moss politely ask that there be “no recording equipment.” He repeats over and over, “We are in worship. We are in worship.” When visitors are asked to stand, you can see those with paper and pencil in hand. Are these folks members of the press or political operatives? Impossible to know if they don’t, as Rev. Moss requests, sign in.
This is what happens when politics intrudes into the sanctuary of the church, a sacred space.”

“Challenging your pastor’s freedom in the pulpit is bad. Spying on people at prayer is reprehensible.
Is this what the assaults of the past decades on the wall of separation between church and state has led us to? Is there no such thing as sacred space anymore?”

“A church is sacred space and to violate that space by engaging in “Swift-boat” type distortions and even spying is un-American. This is not us, this is not the bedrock principle of our founders and those leaders we have most respected. Our churches and our faith commitments are out of bounds in the tumult of political contests.”

“Let us pull back from this disastrous course of mixing religion and politics before we destroy something so unique and precious it has been the envy of the whole world.” ((ibid))

Notice something odd about her response to the issue at hand? In reading all the comments about her column, I noticed something missing there as well. What is it? It is the acknowledgement of a major component of worship — learning. Now, it is not necessary to take notes to learn, but it sure helps retain what was spoken. Moreover, we have the express invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ to learn of Him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

You know, when you don’t care about someone or something, you don’t bother learning about them, or it — at all. To me, it is telling that Hannah of ancient Israel knew far more of what the LORD God is about than the head of a theological school.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (I Samuel 2:3)

Somehow I don’t think the Lord Jesus Christ would have been at all upset if someone had sat in front of Him taking notes while he preached and taught. What mattered to the LORD was the heart of the person, and their desire to learn of God. After all, since He was preaching the truth, He had no concerns about what they wanted to do with His words, as He knew the effect the words would have upon them.

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. (John 7:32)

So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. (John 7:43-45)

No, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke openly because He knew the time was not yet, and He knew that it was necessary that the word be preached openly. Moreover, since the LORD God is a God of knowledge, it is essential that people learn. I don’t see the Lord being displeased with this at all.

Knowing this, we can come forward to our day and time and understand that if people have to take notes, or record the message to recall what was said later, then there ought be no problem with that. If one preaches expressly from the Scripture, then all that need be done in defense of what was said is point to chapter and verse, and show that the Bible does indeed say that.

The problem here is that worship, and what constitutes worship is not at all understood. When someone is a “fan” of an actor, or performer, they try to learn everything they can about that person. If someone is a fanatic about golf, fishing or guns, we find that they always take notes, record, or otherwise preserve a record of the things said about the subject they worship. We also find they are devoted to their particular interest, almost to the exclusion of everything else. It is like some popular television shows — there are some who can never get enough information about a particular show (Star Trek and M.A.S.H. come to mind), and they record or otherwise obtain every scrap of information they can about the series.

Funny how that is not the case when people come into the house of God. Instead, they are discouraged from taking notes and recording the preaching, and are told they need to have a “worshipful” attitude. It makes one really wonder why doesn’t it?

You know, we needn’t worry what man will do with the words spoken from the pulpit. No, we need to be concerned about what God has determined about the words spoken from the pulpit.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:34-37)

Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite misses the point.

Earth Hour?

Well, climate change is that important, is it? It is so important that everyone was asked to turn their lights off for an hour to “make a statement against climate change?”

I really have to ask: Man, who do you think you are? Do you honestly think that you have that much influence over the weather? If you do, kindly stop the tornados and severe thunderstorms that occur in the central United States. While you are at it, stop some of the hurricanes. After all, compared to “climate change,” tornados, thunderstorms, and hurricanes are little tiny events that are very short-lived and ought to be easily controlled.

Oh, you can’t do that?

Really?

Not to be flippant, but it is awfully presumptuous of those who believe that man can somehow change the earth’s overall climate, when we can’t even begin to control a little local weather event like a severe thunderstorm or a tornado. It really is the height of arrogance to suggest that we “know” what is going to happen 30, 40, 80, or 100 years from now, when the National Weather Service cannot reliably predict the weather five days in advance. (They aren’t even reliable three days in advance).

Of course, that really isn’t the issue here anyway. No, the real issue is one of control. It is also a denial of Almighty God and His sovereignty over this world.

Why? Because the whole concept of “climate change” was manufactured by socialists (really communists — calling them socialists is just being nice) in an attempt to coerce individuals to accept more governmental control over their private lives. Of course, if they came right out and said that’s what they wanted, the vast majority of individuals would tell them to shove off. Since that is the case, they lie about what they are doing and create “emergencies” that demand a solution — and the solution always involves more governmental control.

But the biggest problem here is the particular lie they are telling about man’s influence over the earth’s climate. We (all mankind collectively) do not have that much control over the weather. In fact, we really do not have any. No, the LORD God has reserved that for Himself. Moreover, He tells us so in His word.

Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. (Psalm 135:6-7)

We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things. (Jeremiah 14:20-22)

And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. (Amos 4:6-8)

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4:12-13)

So why would the advocates of “climate change” not acknowledge that God is the one who controls the weather? Because they don’t even believe that God exists. The whole concept of “climate change” is driven by communists who want nothing more than to exalt humanism above everything else and create the new communist man who is totally devoid of any acknowledgement of God.

What evidence of this is there? For starters, one of the primary NGO’s driving the “climate change” agenda is the World Wildlife Fund. Of course, their history gives us a clear indication of the political ideology of the organization:

A History of WWF: The Sixties
One of the most important figures in WWF’s early history was the renowned British biologist, Sir Julian Huxley. The first Director General of UNESCO, Huxley had also helped found a scientific research-based conservation institution, now known as IUCN-The World Conservation Union. ((http://www.panda.org/who_we_are/history/sixties/))

Who is Julian Huxley? An article written by George Watson from the Dec 31, 1995 issue of National Review, contained the following paragraph:

Hitler’s allegiance, even before such sources were known, was acknowledged by socialists outside Germany. Julian Huxley, for example, the pro-Soviet British biologist who later became director-general of UNESCO, accepted Hitler’s claim to be a socialist in the early 1930s, though without enthusiasm (indeed, with marked embarrassment). ((Never blame the left))

Thus, the driving force behind the creation of WWF, was not someone who was apolitical or religious in the sense of believing in God. Rather, the driving force was a “pro-Soviet” socialist, meaning Huxley accepted and approved of Stalin’s methods of dealing with those who disagreed with him. It also means that Huxley did not accept the LORD God’s rule over this earth. It is also no surprise that those who allied themselves with Huxley have similar views. Thus the organization known as the World Wildlife Fund is actually a socialist organization that uses its influence to exert control in governments to further implement socialism under the guise of “conservation.”

Now, we should also note that all the proponents of climate change (global warming) are actually socialists. Moreover, as one can see in the United Church of Christ, even if they claim to believe in God and Christ, it is actually a cover for the advancement of the socialist/communist agenda. Last of all, we should not forget Al Gore’s father was a socialist who sympathized with the Soviet Union. The apple really never falls far from the tree.

So what does this all mean?

It means we are being lied to — and how. The idea of climate change in as far as climates changing is true. However, to assign the cause of “global warming” to man, is very presumptuous and a denial of the fact that God has full control over the weather. Moreover, He frequently uses it to judge man for being wicked.

Of course, if you believe in global warming; I have a bridge in Brooklyn and swampland in Florida that I will gladly sell you. However, you have a much bigger problem of denying the LORD God and His control over this world. After all, global warming has nothing on either Hell or the Lake of Fire.

Upgrade to WordPress 2.5

Well, I upgraded the blog software to version 2.5. There are some issues that need to be resolved with plugins and the theme. We will see how it goes.

There are a couple of things I am not pleased about with the new version, particularly concerning the editor.

There is also still the problem of my host’s MySQL server not handling the volume. They are adding more capacity, but it will be a while.

Being Sure

In the Scripture we are told that no doctrine is of any private interpretation, which means that all valid doctrines are established by several different passages and verses that are all contextually addressing the same issue in the same way. Now, unlike other books, the Bible does not address its doctrines one after another in a list or subject fashion. Rather, the doctrines of Scripture are scattered throughout the Book of books and are found by patient study and being led of the Holy Ghost to a right understanding. Of course, this does require that one come to the Scripture without seeking to prove their own doctrine, but willing to be instructed of the LORD concerning His doctrines. When we come with certain preconceived ideas (Don’t we all have those?), we must be willing to change them when the evidence of Scripture disproves those ideas.

So when it comes to the concept that we are capable of guaranteeing our future behavior, or that we will “tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” the vast majority of “Christendom” holds to the idea that it is okay to declare that one can fulfill a future commitment, or swear that they will tell the truth, upon pain of condemnation by God. However, I never see Scripture supporting this position. What I do see from a lot of folks is an excusing away of the passage from the sermon on the mount, and no real explanation as to why the words do not say what they plainly state.

Perhaps if we examine what the Scripture does state about guaranteeing future behavior, and guaranteeing our words, we might have a better understanding of what our real condition is. Moreover, we might get a little more humble about how wonderful we think we are as individuals. We also might gain a better understanding of why it is the LORD made certain it was declared in His word:

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. (Jeremiah 17:5)

Now this is certainly one of those statements that nobody wants to hear. Moreover, when it is brought up, everybody runs the other way. Nonetheless, the LORD stated it, and we must deal with it, understand why He stated it, and what it has to do with guaranteeing our future behavior. Of course, we could begin anywhere in Scripture, but since the LORD gave us a book that is from man’s perspective, it would be good to begin there.

In Ecclesiastes everything is examined from the view of “under the sun,” which is man’s view of things. In this book, we are informed that running one’s mouth without choosing words carefully will net one trouble – particularly in the house of God:

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

If we note, the passage speaks to three things of consequence to us:

1. Being rash, or hasty with one’s words in the house of God.
2. The multitude of dreams and words will net trouble, and are vanity.
3. If you vow, pay; otherwise do not vow. It is actually wiser to not vow at all, than vow and not carry through with the promise.

The first two items shouldn’t be a problem for anyone to understand, and generally aren’t. However, the last one generates considerable controversy in certain Christian circles. In understanding why this is, we should note that a vow is the same a swearing that one will fulfill a promise, either in word or deed. Which means that people are going to look at you funny if you refuse to swear in court, or upon entrance in government service. (By the way, just how many government officials have broken their oaths of office?) Whether people consider one odd or not, is not the issue here. What is the issue is why we should, or should not swear, and what God does in response to someone swearing an oath – whether they are His child or not. However, to confirm or deny this doctrine, we need to go further, which brings us to the Gospel of Matthew and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)

Plainly, the Lord stated here that one should not swear at all – period. He gives a couple of examples of things we have no power to control, and tells us that if we have no power to control these things, we certainly ought not swear concerning future words and deeds. This is briefly confirmed in James, chapter five:

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (James 5:12)

Here, in a nutshell is the very same thing the Lord Jesus Christ stated, and is also a further confirmation of what is stated in Ecclesiastes. However, he adds a reminder of something that we ought to be doing anyway, as it should be our wont to do so: when we speak – let it be the truth and stand by it.

Now, despite all that is addressed in the books of Moses concerning vows and oaths, it is plain that the Lord Jesus Christ set that aside and confirmed the statement in Ecclesiastes which reads:

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? (Ecclesiastes 5:5-6)

Why is this, and what does this have to do with Jeremiah 17:5?

The “why” of this is bound up in who we are as individuals of the race of man. Simply put, we are fallen, sinful, wicked creatures who cannot determine what will happen five minutes from now, let alone tomorrow. Moreover, since we are in a fallen state, our minds, and thus our memories work perfectly, right?

No?

Why not?

Regardless of whether it is physical or spiritual limitation, it is entirely true that every last one of us has a faulty memory. We forget details, sequences of events, names, etc. Moreover, we have no power to control the events of the future. All we can do is determine what we want to do, and set about to accomplish that. Nevertheless, all our plans can be swept away by unforseen events over which we have no control.

Hence, to declare that we are sure and certain to the point of swearing we will say or do something in the future, even five minutes into the future, is to say that we have a measure of control that we do not have. It is to depend upon ourselves, instead of upon the LORD. We are reminded of this in James as well:

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:13-14)

Since these things are the case, we are reminded that our attitude is to be:

For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (James 4:15)

So what does this have to do with “trusting in man?”

Everything. To clarify, a couple of questions are in order:

1. Are you certain that you want to depend upon yourself for the events of the future?
2. Are you certain you want to depend upon your memory to the extent of “so help me God?”

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have seen to many things never get finished because something happened to the person who set about to accomplish the task. Events beyond our control happen all the time, and to one extent or another, they hinder or stop the things we wish to do. As pertaining to swearing to tell the truth; men may not catch the factual errors of your recall, but the LORD God does. To swear that one can tell “ . . .the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God.” is to declare that one actually knows the whole truth in the first place, and that one’s memory is perfect. Are you that sure of yourself?

If you are that sure and certain, then bring about your own salvation by your own efforts. If you are that good, you don’t need Christ.