Monday, December 28, 2020

The Introduction to (17)







An Introduction to Q

Who is Q? What is Q? And, perhaps most importantly, why is Q?  Q and the ever-growing worldwide movement it’s inspired have been the objects of fascination, mockery and hatred, but of surprisingly little serious analysis.

Q first appeared in October 2017 on an anonymous online forum called 4Chan, posting messages that implied top-clearance knowledge of upcoming events. More than 3,000 messages later, Q has created a disturbing, multi-faceted portrait of a global crime syndicate that operates with impunity. Q’s followers in the QAnon community faithfully analyze every detail of Q’s drops, which are compiled here and here.


The mainstream media has published hundreds of articles attacking Q as an insane rightwing conspiracy, particularly after President Trump seemed to publicly confirm his connection to it.  At a North Carolina rally in 2019, Trump made a point of drawing attention to a baby wearing a onesie with a big Q.

In recent weeks, the tempo of Trump’s spotlighting of Q has accelerated, with the President retweeting Q followers twenty times in one day. Trump has featured Q fans in his ads and deployed one of Q’s signature phrases (“These people are sick”) at his rallies. The President’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has also retweeted Q followers.

Q has noted that the media never asks Trump the obvious question: What do you think of Q? To Q followers, the reason they don’t ask is obvious. They’re afraid of the answer.

In the meantime, Q’s influence continues to spread. Protestors in Hong Kong, Iran, and France have held up Q signs and chanted Q quotes. Q’s revelations are uniting people all over the world who want freedom.

If you’re unfamiliar with Q or only know it through the media’s attacks, I’d like to provide a brief introduction to this extraordinary phenomenon. I’ve followed Q since the first drop, and I’ve grown increasingly impressed by the accuracy, breadth and depth of Q’s messages. Q followers were prepared long in advance for the easing of hostilities with North Korea, the deflation of the mullahs of Iran, and the discovery of Ukraine as a hotbed of corruption for American politicians. They knew a great deal about Jeffrey Epstein’s activities before the public did and anticipate even more shocking revelations to come. As Q likes to say, “Future proves past.” As Q’s predictions come true, they lend retroactive credibility to the entire enterprise.

Q’s followers believe that Q is a military intelligence operation, the first of its kind, whose goal is to provide the public with secret information. Many Q followers think the Q team was founded by Admiral Michael Rogers, the former Director of the National Security Agency and former Commander of US Cyber Command.  Some suspect that Dan Scavino, White House Director of Social Media, is part of the team, because the high quality of Q’s writing has the luster of a communications expert.

Q is a new weapon in the game of information warfare, bypassing a hostile media and corrupt government to communicate directly with the public. Think of Q as a companion to Trump’s twitter. Whereas Trump communicates bluntly and directly, Q is cryptic, sly and subtle, offering only clues that beg for context and connection.

Here’s the way it works: Q posts messages (also known as “drops” or “crumbs”) on an anonymous online forum, which are discussed, analyzed, and critiqued by the board’s inhabitants. (The forum has changed a few times after massive online attacks.) Hundreds of social media accounts then spread Q’s latest posting to worldwide followers who share their research, analysis, and interpretations of Q’s latest information.

I’ve compiled a list of Q’s most famous catch phrases and tried to put them into context.

The Great Awakening: We’re living in a unique time in which ordinary citizens around the world are collaborating to understand and expose the corrupt system that rules us. The system thrives on deception, and the overwhelming task of The Great Awakening is to penetrate its lies and reveal the truth.

The first phase of The Great Awakening is heightened awareness of the Deep State – the interlocking governmental entities that operate outside the law to expand their own power. Elections and popular opinion don’t impact the ability of the Deep State to enforce its agenda.

The second phase of The Great Awakening investigates the Deep State’s alliance with other powerful sectors: the media, Hollywood, charities and non-profits, public schools and universities, religious organizations, medical, scientific and financial institutions, and multinational corporations. This phase can be painful, as you discover that “those you trust the most” (in Q’s phrase) are deceiving you. Beloved celebrities, religious leaders, doctors, educators, innovators, and do-gooders are all in on the hoax.

The third phase of The Great Awakening is perhaps the most painful of all. The people who rule us are not merely amoral creatures who view us as collateral damage in their drive for money and power. It’s scarier than that. The potentates we serve are actively trying to harm us. That’s their goal. We’re under coordinated attack.

Dark To Light: Q tells us that what our rulers fear the most is exposure. Bringing their crimes out of protected darkness into the light of public scrutiny destroys their power to deceive. And as their power fades, the darkness of our divided, violent world will yield to the light of freedom, cooperation, and peace.

Where We Go One We Go All (WWG1WGA): Q’s most famous phrase expresses the worldwide egalitarian nature of the movement.  Every country is suffering from the system’s oppression, and the whole world will benefit from a rebirth of freedom. In this unique movement, anonymous citizens work in collaboration with the highest-ranking military leaders and the president, and everyone’s contributions are valued. When commenters on the board have thanked Q for his service, Q has replied that no one is above and no one is below. “We work for you.”

These people are sick. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of The Great Awakening is coming to terms with the depravity of our rulers, whom Q has called The Cult. Jeffrey Epstein’s story has helped to awaken people to some of the elite’s crimes. The mysterious temple on Epstein’s island hints at possible future revelations that are frightening in their scope. Q followers believe that The Cult engages in ritual practices that enshrine the shedding of blood and which prey on the innocence of children. The sickness in their souls thrives on brutality, war, and terror. These disclosures will be tough for the public to take.

Trust the plan. The presumed military leaders who created Q and who protected Trump throughout the election and presidency have created a precise path to victory. Despite the seeming chaos of daily events, a steady progression of victories is taking place. The plan includes offensive maneuvers against the Cult’s financial power, legal standing, human supply chains, and military capacity. And, of crucial importance, the plan attacks the Cult’s ability to control the narrative that shapes what the public believes. In this high-stakes game of information warfare, Q plays a vital role by empowering ordinary citizens (like me) to spread the truth.

They want you divided. The hatred that’s growing between races, classes, age groups, religions, and political parties is purposely fomented by the Cult. The more we’re divided and focused on attacking each other, the weaker we become. Q urges us to stay together and to fight the Cult, not each other.

They think you’re sheep. The Cult believes, as Q says, “you’ll follow the stars” – the celebrities in media, Hollywood, and academia who tell you, in coordinated fashion, what you’re supposed to think. Their contempt for you makes them confident they can control you and ensure your surrender to any agenda. Q, on the other hand, offers only clues and can only be understood by high-grade critical thinking, spurred by constant crowd-sourced criticism and reassessment. The essence of the Q movement is to think for yourself.

Bigger than you can imagine. Expand your thinking. Q encourages us to reevaluate everything we think we know.  The Cult may date back to ancient times, and through its powerful families, it might have manipulated historical events in ways that we haven’t suspected. The Cult may also possess advanced technology and medical cures that have not been released to the public. One aspect that may be “bigger than you can imagine” is the unfathomable scale of theft from our national coffers, as funds for foreign aid and wars wind up in the Cult’s pockets.

Track resignations. Beneath the surface, a broad and deep cleansing of corrupt players is taking place. Q asked us to track resignations to understand the scope of activity. (Here’s a website that took him up on his request: www.resignation.info) Resignations, retirements, and unexpected deaths from major players in politics, media, charities, and corporations all point to possible deals being made quietly without the public fanfare of arrests. For me, a notable resignation is Eric Schmidt’s abrupt exit from Google, which received little media attention. Schmidt resigned on December 21st, 2017, the same day that President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency related to “serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.” Further context for Schmidt’s resignation may be inferred from this photo of him in North Korea, apparently in an advisory role. Standing next to him is Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico, the state in which Epstein had a secret ranch. Richardson has been accused by one of Epstein’s victims.

Their need for symbols will be their downfall.  The Cult uses certain symbols over and over again, which may serve some ritualistic need, but makes them vulnerable to detection. Q followers are familiar with Y-shaped horns that mimic those of the goat deity Baphomet, owls, pyramids, one eye encased within a pyramid, red shoes, bandaged fingers, and other repeating symbols, including the mysterious black eye that afflicts so many famous people. The Q Army also knows the coded pedophile symbols listed by the FBI. When Q drew attention to the design of Epstein’s temple, alert Q followers noticed how similar it is to the set design of a famous talk show. And the red ring on the hand of dead terrorist Qassam Soleimani prompted Q followers to compile images of similar rings on the hands of powerful people.  An excellent source for understanding how these symbols are incorporated into pop culture targeting the young through music videos, TV shows and movies can be found at vigilantcitizen.com.

Nothing can stop what is coming. Nothing. Now comes the pain.  The headlines on any given day may sound discouraging for those who want justice to prevail. But these setbacks are temporary, as a juggernaut of justice heads our way. As Q likes to say: We have it all. Massive amounts of irrefutable evidence await the criminals who try to evade their reckoning in court. For those who worry about Trump’s ability to overcome impeachment, election fraud, and assassination attempts, Q assures us: Patriots in control. And no legal tricks can help the criminals escape the ultimate judgment of public disgust.  Q promises us that the day is coming when they can’t walk down the street.

You are the news now.  The “fake news” decried by President Trump is losing credibility and audience by the day. Q has exposed the 4 A.M. drops that provide the daily talking points to media personnel, so they can all parrot the same propaganda. Q has also named various journalists whom he says take bribes. The media is concentrated within six powerful companies; on the other hand, the Q army is vast, voluntary, and anonymous. Q assures us that our efforts to disseminate the truth through social media and conversations with family and friends are having a huge impact. We are the news now.

We know what happens in the end. God wins. Many times, Q has asked us to pray. He’s quoted the famous Biblical lines of Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We’re living through monumental times. It’s comforting that Q believes that if we work together, God wins.

Graphic credit: Pixabay

Q sources for further research: qmap.pub   qanon.pub  qproofs.com

#qanon #thegreatawakening #WWG1WGA #darktolight #QArmy #sheepnomore

YouTube:

Q: The Plan to Save the World

Q for Beginners Part 1: Who is Q

Deborah Franklin is the pen name of a writer who fears professional retribution.

Article posted on AmericanThinker

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

I Have Fought A Good Fight

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
 The beautiful National World War II Memorial in the nation’s capital was dedicated in 2004, honoring the more than 400,000 who gave their lives in that conflict (including the writer’s younger brother). This particular holiday, of course, originally known as Armistice Day, had been established many years before to commemorate the end of World War I and to honor the veterans of that war.

There have been many other wars in our nation’s history and many who have served and many who have died. They all “have fought a good fight” and “kept the faith” of our nation’s commitment to establish “liberty and justice for all” and to maintain this ideal in every generation. They fully merit our honor and heartfelt gratitude.

There is another good fight going on, of course, every day in the life of each believing Christian. The apostle Paul never served as a soldier in any human army, but he was often called on to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3). As a matter of fact, each of us must remember that “unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29).

That suffering may be actual persecution, or even injury or death on a battlefield, but it could also be poverty or sickness or some other “messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7) sent to test us and alienate us from the Lord. But then we can hear the Lord say, as with Paul: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Whatever comes, may God help us to be able to say in that day: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Go To The Mountain Top!


He took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray, and as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering... they saw his glory Luke 9:29-32

If I have found grace in thy sight, show me thy glory.
Exodus 33:13

When Jesus took these three disciples up into that high mountain apart, He brought them into close communion with Himself. They saw no man but Jesus only. And it was good to be there.

Heaven is not far from those who tarry on the mount with their Lord. Who has not in moments of meditation and prayer caught a glimpse of opening gates? Who has not in the secret place of holy communion felt the rush of some white surging wave of emotion-a foretaste of the joy of the blessed?

The Lord had times and places for quiet converse with His disciples, once on the peak of Hermon, but often on the sacred slopes of Olivet. Every Christian should have his Olivet.

Most of us, especially in the cities and towns, live at high pressure. From early morning until bedtime we are exposed to the whirl. Amid all this commotion, how little chance for quiet thought, for God's Word, for prayer and heart-to-heart fellowship!

Daniel needed to have an Olivet in his chamber amid Babylon's roar and idolatries. Peter found his on a housetop in Joppa. And Martin Luther found his in the "upper room" at Wittenberg, which is still held sacred.

If we do not get back to visions, peeps into heaven, consciousness of the higher glory and the larger life, we shall lose our religion. Our altar will become a bare stone, unblessed by visiting from Heaven. Here is the world's need today-"men who have seen their Lord."

Come close to Him! He may take you today up into the mountain top, for where He took Peter with his blundering, and James and John, those sons of thunder who again and again so utterly misunderstood their Father and His mission, there is no reason why He should not take you. 

So don't shut yourself out of it and say, "Oh, these wonderful visions and revelations of the Lord are for chosen spirits!" They may be for you!
Go to the mountain top!!

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

My Prayer For You


Lord Jesus, I ask in Your Name, a request to keep my friends and family safe in this struggle to bring to light the dark forces of evil. As they open their eyes to the truth, let not their hearts be troubled, but give them understanding that You have told us these things must happen.

Help us to see the Enemy when he attacks so that we can recognize when he does. Give us the wisdom to know that we fight an invisible foe who is stronger than we are and we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness and the rulers of evil, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers in the present age. Let us understand that we are fighting against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Thank You, God, for providing the armor we will need today and everyday, including the breastplate of righteousness You provided, the belt of truth, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word.

In the Mighty Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

He Is Risen!


The Glory of Easter lives on. The tomb where they laid His body is empty. The stone has been rolled away. The Son of Man has ascended and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. This we know. This we believe. It is to this great truth that we bear witness.

We can believe this truth. This truth is the most important of all truths. Our mission will not be completed until Jesus Himself returns and reigns in righteousness and justice. Yet we undertake this mission with a sense of that same invincible hope that inspired those who peered with amazement into an empty tomb, saw the risen Savior face to face, and then proceeded to turn their world upright. We pray that you and your family will be especially blessed this resurrection Sunday. We thank you for your prayers for us. And we say: He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

Saturday, March 31, 2018

The Final Cry



We will never be able to fully comprehend the spiritual aspect of Christ’s suffering and shame, but medical studies have shed glimpses of light on the physical agony and all the horror that Jesus endured on the cross.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:3

Sweating Drops of Blood
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:44

The Scourging
Jesus, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and exhausted from a sleepless night, is taken across Jerusalem. It was there, in response to the cries of the mob, that Pilate ordered the condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion. Preparations for the scourging are carried out. Jesus is stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum in his hand. This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back, and legs.

Nailed to the Cross
The beam is placed on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The beam is then lifted in place at the top of the posts and the titulus reading “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” is nailed in place.

The Agony
As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by His arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen.

Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then another agony begins. A deep crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues—the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasps, “I thirst.”

Final Cry
He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. With one last surge of strength, He once again presses His torn feet against the nail, straightens His legs, takes a deeper breath, and utters His seventh and last cry, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.”

Monday, February 5, 2018

Angel Food

As much as we worry of an economic collaspe, may I remind you, build your Ark, but also remember...

Psalm 78:25
Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

AngelFood

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Draining The Swamp


By Shorty Dawkins, Oathkeeper
44? Would this have anything to do with BO#44? I’ll have to go ask the writer, Mr. Dawkins......

Saturday, December 23, 2017

The Ending of 2017

 
2017 was a year ruled by politics. Every single fact and issue has become political. This year’s news was monopolized by people on both sides of a widening and divisive gap covering their ears and shouting about how they’re right and good – and how the other side is wrong and evil. Although there is nothing wrong with getting involved in politics, obsessing about social constructs can lead one to ignore universal truths.
The Vigilant Citizen was never about politics. Its scope goes way beyond trying to have a politician elected. It is about the unseen impact of culture and symbolism on the human psyche and realizing that our current environment is toxic and detrimental to the mind and soul.
Since 2008, I’ve been highlighting the many ways popular culture is toxic and how it constantly caters to our darkest impulses. In 2018, we are seeing consequences of such a culture: A generation excessively prone to anxiety, depression, and suicide. People are so keen on numbing themselves from the world that they are dying by the tens of thousands (in the US alone) of opioid abuse – drugs created by pharmaceutical companies to numb pain. As celebrities sing about “popping pills”, people are numbing themselves to death. The opioid crisis is symbolic in itself, in a dark and troubling way. It is symptomatic of a palpable mal-de-vivre, a profound malaise of the soul. Several factors are causing this climate and our constant exposure to media and its distorted messages is a big part of the equation. As we’ve seen this year, the messages keep reaching new lows of depravity while attempting to reach children as young as possible.
This past June, I published an article titled “Something is Terribly Wrong With Many “Kids” Videos on YouTube” which exposed the disturbing content found in “children videos” on YouTube. The video platform has been flooded with thousands of videos aimed at toddlers filled with content that is either shocking, terrifying, sexual or all-out traumatizing. Even worse, some videos are targeted by child predators. Dubbed “Elsagate” by some online communities (because they often feature popular children’s characters such as Elsa), these videos garner billions of views and expose babies and toddlers to a steady regiment disturbing media.
Fortunately, some good has come from our collective vigilance. In response to the outrage, YouTube “terminated more than 270 accounts and removed over 150,000 videos” from their platform. YouTube also “removed ads from nearly 2 million videos and over 50,000 channels masquerading as family-friendly content” and “turned off comments on over 625,000 videos targeted by child predators”.
While this might be a step in the right direction, the same underbelly is still bubbling not so far below the surface, constantly churning out videos from stars and idols promoting self-destruction. This year alone, we’ve seen Katy Perry being eaten by elite cannibalsSelena Gomez torturing herself and calling it a fetish, and Lil Uzi Vert spinning around in a bloody, pill-induced Satanic haze.
The symbolism that is pointed out on The Vigilant Citizen is the outward, easily perceptible manifestation of a dark undercurrent, an underground philosophy that guides the actions of those in power. Understanding this mindset – as foul and disturbing as it can be – allows one to navigate the world with eyes truly open.
There is a process in motion and every year it is more visible. Indeed, there is a conscious and deliberate effort to distance the masses from what is true and authentic in order to move them into an artificially created environment, custom-made to stifle the human spirit. The further away we are from truth, health, balance, and harmony, the easier we are to control.
For this reason, it is essential, more than ever, to stay grounded and connected to what life is truly about. We must reconnect with Life with a capital L. What is Life with a capital L might you ask? Well, like you, I am still finding out. However, I do know that, since the dawn of time, it has been represented by a simple yet powerful symbol: A tree.
Picture a great big tree, with its massive roots firmly gripping the soil that is full of nutrients and its tall branches reaching for the rays of the sun. Across all ages and across all cultures, the symbol of the tree represents Life … with a capital L.

Tree of Life

The Tree of Life can be found in the canons of countless religions and mythologies. It is an age-old archetype that symbolizes the connection between Earth and the heavens.
It is found in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The tree of life is also part of Egyptian, Persian, Chinese, Germanic, Celtic, Aztek, and Iroquois mythologies. In nearly every case, the tree is associated with knowledge of life and a described as a key to immortality.
For instance, at the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, the tree of life is in Eden, guarded by two cherubims. Separated from the tree, Adam and Eve found themselves subject to physical and spiritual death.

A 19th-century painting depicting the tree of life in Eden guarded by two cherubims.

At the very end of the Bible, in Revelation, the same tree is mentioned again: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God”.

17th-century depiction of the Tree of Life in Palace of Shaki Khans, Azerbaijan.
An 1847 depiction of the Norse Yggdrasil – the tree of life.

Although each culture has its own elaborate story surrounding their version of the Tree of Life, the core message is the same: It is through the essence of this tree, which is rooted in the true source of life, that one can truly flourish.
Today, most of us are completely disconnected from that tree. And those in power are doing their best to push us as far away from it as possible. Through a debasing and abhorrent agenda, they seek to disconnect us from the core of that tree and its wise, life-giving essence. They want us to be like dried up leaves, detached from the tree, and floating aimlessly at the mercy of the winds they choose to blow at us.
Instead, like a tree, we must be firmly rooted in grounds made of strong values, solid knowledge, and patient wisdom. Like a tree, we must reach for the heavens and allow our fruits to be ripened by the sun.
While the spiritual meaning of the Tree of Life is something that few of us can fully grasp, all of us can take simple steps in the right direction to connect with it. Disconnect from the hypnotic light of screens and the nauseating sounds of media. Reconnect with nature, with the elements, and with life on earth. Breathe fresh air, gaze at the stars, and admire the miraculous force that animates all living things. Step back from the dizzying torment of society and resynch with the balancing rhythm of nature. Take the time to truly connect with your loved ones, with your neighbors and, of course, with yourself.
Because, although being aware of the evils of this world is all-important, we must not allow ourselves to be consumed by it. We must use this knowledge to identify what is toxic, not to obsess over it, but to clearly focus on what is healthy. Although we all want to change the world for the better, the true challenge of our lives is to change ourselves for the better. And this is what being a Vigilant Citizen is all about.
Thank you for reading my articles, for sharing them throughout the web, and for contributing your own thoughts through comments and messages. Today, more than ever, we need independent thinkers that rely on a solid moral compass – not a predetermined agenda – to understand the world, to speak up, and to fight for what is right.
Our work is far from done. See you in 2018!
Sincerely,
VC

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Paradoxes of Scripture

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
Proverbs 11:24

“To get, we must give.” This is not the world’s method for attaining prosperity, but it is the paradoxical message of today’s verse, as well as that of Christianity in general.

Note some of the many other paradoxes in the Bible related to this basic truth.

To really live, we must die. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Galatians 2:20

To save one’s life, he or she must lose it. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
Luke 17:33

To be wise, we must become fools. “If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."
1 Corinthians 3:18

To reign, we must serve. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." Matthew 25:21

To be exalted, we must become humble. “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12

To be first, we must be last. “So the last shall be first, and the first last." Matthew 20:16

Finally, note the ninefold paradox of a truly Christian ministry:
“In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God. . . . By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
2 Corinthians 6:4, 8-10

Institute for Creation Research

Monday, December 18, 2017

Present Yourself Approved

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth.

Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. 

But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words-I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. 

Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else. Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. 

The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Justified By Faith


Something to Ponder...
There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer. - John Wooden

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:1-5

Monday, December 11, 2017

Without "Love"

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.” Romans 1:31
 
The phrase “without natural affection” is the translation of one Greek word, astergeo. It was a characteristic of many pagans of the ancient world. Significantly, it is also prophesied to be a characteristic of the humanistic pagans of the end-times. “In the last days . . . men shall be . . . without natural affection” 2 Timothy 3:1-3These are the only two occurrences of this word in the New Testament.
 
The word stergeo (“natural affection”) is one of four Greek words for “love,” but it is never used at all in the New Testament. It refers to the natural love that members of the same family have for each other. It is such a common characteristic of all peoples that there was apparently no occasion to refer to it at all—except when it is not present, when people lose their instinctive love for their own parents and children and thus are “without natural affection.” One thinks of the widespread abortion of these last days, as well as the modern breakdown of the family in general.
 
Another Greek word for “love” is eros, referring to romantic love, or passion. Like stergeoeros also is never used in the New Testament. The other two words, however, are used frequently. Phileo, referring to “brotherly love,” occurs over 30 times. It indicates fondness, based on a community of interest with the person or persons so loved.
 
The fourth “love” word, of course, is agape, which is used over 300 times. This is the type of love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved, the love that impels one to sacrifice his own interests for the benefit of the person loved. This is the love of Christ, who “loved me, and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20. And this is the love generated by the Holy Spirit in the believer, for “the fruit of the Spirit is love” Galatians 5:22.