Showing posts with label Lutheran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lutheran. Show all posts

Sunday, October 11, 2026

What the New Testament Writers Say About Light

 

Thanks for joining us for our third and final study on light in the Bible. If you missed the first two, please review them, as today’s study builds on both. Vol. 339: “What the Bible Says About Light in the Old Testament” and Vol. 340: “What Jesus Says About Light in the New Testament.”

To quickly recap, at creation, God’s first spoken words in Genesis were “Let there be light.” God is light, the source that brings order to the universe and stimulates growth in all living matter. Light, at creation, now, and forever, symbolizes hope, truth, and God’s presence. Moreover, numerous Messianic prophecies signaled God’s promise of “a light for the nations.”

Last week in Vol. 340, we discussed the fulfillment of God’s promise as recorded by the apostle John: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:1-9). Then, Jesus told His followers: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

God’s presence is felt through and represented by Jesus Christ, who is “the light of the world.” Today we see that “truth” is represented by Christmas lights (although some home displays are a bit excessive).

Let’s continue with the rest of the New Testament. We start with this passage from 1 John, which summarizes what it means for our lives that Jesus is light, the shortest self-help manual ever written:

“This is the message we [the apostles] have heard from Him [Jesus] and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

Let that verse sink in. By walking in the light of Jesus, we have fellowship, and through fellowship we are strengthened to do His will. As we walk in that light, the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sake cleanses us from sin.

We turn now to the book of Acts, the first after the four gospels. The Jewish leaders were “filled with jealousy” over the crowds listening to Jesus’s followers and “talked abusively against what Paul was saying”:

“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:46-47).

In their powerful retort, Paul and Barnabas played the “Isaiah card,” quoting God through Isaiah speaking about the forthcoming Servant of God who would be a “light for the Gentiles.” Isaiah was a major Hebrew Bible prophet whom Jewish leaders studied closely.

Thus, Paul and Barnabas made a brilliant move for two reasons. First, they reminded the temple leaders that the Jews had rejected Jesus’ teachings. Second, Jesus is the light for both Jews and Gentiles. (Read more about this Isaiah verse in Vol. 339, where God explains that the Servant’s mission is Messianic.)

Continuing in Acts, while in Jerusalem, Paul was taken prisoner by the Romans because his teachings about Jesus had infuriated the Jews and caused unrest. Read the whole story in Acts chapters 21-26.

Eventually, Paul appeared before King Agrippa and recounted his life-changing “road to Damascus” experience. Read Paul’s full account. He told the king what Jesus told him:

“‘I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’” (Acts 26:16-18).

Paul concludes his royal testimony harkening back to Moses and the prophets:

“I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to His own people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23).

Those Acts passages are foundational: the Messiah brings God’s light, while contrasting darkness and light in Hebrew scripture. Several of Paul’s letters reflect those concepts:

“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12). (A preview of the “Armor of God.”)

And:

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Note that at the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In Ephesians, Paul repeats the truth:

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). In the verse below, Paul puts his own spin on Isaiah:

“For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’” (Ephesians 5:14). Isaiah reads:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you, and his glory appears over you” (Isaiah 60:1-2). (See last week’s Vol. 339.)

Continuing the same theme, the apostle Peter writes to believers in Christ:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Finally, in Revelation, the apostle John conveys the visions God has shown him for the final days. The supremacy of God’s Almighty light, and His glory extends to Christ, the lamp who is the Lamb of God that lights the world:

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23).

With the Christmas season fast approaching, I hope the lights will take on new meaning after reading this three-part series. Let me know if you enjoyed the topic or learned something new about God’s light. Thanks, and blessings to all my loyal readers. Amen!

The Best of Ephesians – Paul Writes As an ‘Ambassador in Chains’

 

This week, we continue our discussion of St. Paul’s writings with “The Best of Ephesians.” Because of you, last Sunday’s “The Best of Romans” appeared on Townhall’s “Trending” list. RealClearReligion reposted it on Monday, and on Tuesday, it ranked on their “Most Read in Past 24 Hours” list.

All of this proves that St. Paul’s writings are forever beloved. His Christ-centered teachings are personally significant and take on new meaning at different stages of one’s life.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was written between AD 60 and 62, while he was under house arrest in Rome. He called himself “the prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (Eph. 3:1), yet he was not defeated but part of God’s purpose. Paul explains why one must honor God by living a rewarding Christ-centered life.

During Paul’s time, Ephesus was a vibrant and influential city in the Roman Empire, located at the crossroads of major trade routes. For that reason, Paul made it a center of Christian evangelism and lived there for about three years. Today, Ephesus is in modern-day Turkey.

Fortunately, I have visited Ephesus twice. First in 1983, when excavations were barely underway. Then, to my surprise, in 2022, the major ruins of Ephesus had been unearthed and assembled. While walking down the main street, one could feel its powerful, sophisticated ancient urban vibe. We stood in the town square where Paul preached the message of Christ, which was carried well beyond Ephesus.

Since this is a “quick” Bible study, a limited selection of verses was chosen as “best” based on my opinion. They are listed in the order they appear.

We begin with the letter’s third verse. This could stand on its own as a prayer affirming that believers have God-given gifts which, through Christ, are everlasting:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Next is an all-encompassing verse that explains why we should believe in Christ:

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8).

Believers are set free from sin by forgiveness because He died on the cross for our sake. That occurred because of God’s grace, meaning his love and kindness. Below, the passage explains that grace, as a God-given gift, cannot be earned by works:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

However, our faith drives us to do good works because of our love for God and Christ.

In chapter 3, Paul writes a magnificent “prayer for the Ephesians.” Here is a segment:

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The truth and power of those verses reflect what Jesus said about Paul (then known as Saul) after striking Saul down on the road to Damascus:

“This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15-16). Hence, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians went viral, resulting in Christian converts far and wide.

Paul begins chapter 4 by again reminding readers that he is not free, yet he recognizes a greater purpose for his captivity:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).

In his letter, Paul preached unity among followers of Christ, emphasizing the concept of one all-powerful God — a message aimed at Romans and Greeks, many of whom were pagans, given that Ephesus was a cultural and economic crossroads:

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Next, Paul addressed conflicts among Christians, but the principle applies to all relationships:

“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:25-27).

The following verse often appears in church marriage handbooks:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). And this one too:

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

One could say that Paul was the first marriage and family therapist, writing about husbands, wives, children, and parents in chapters 5 and 6, all within the context of Christ and the church.

Our brief tour of Ephesians concludes with its most famous passage, “The Armor of God,” which begins:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

God’s Own Armor For You.” Paul goes through the Roman battle gear and describes each piece in terms of how Christians will fight against the evil powers that seek to stamp out the truth of Christ’s teachings and the Word of God. Here is an excerpt:

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).

The meaning of Paul’s armor message, which I then quoted from Pastor David Kim, was that “the full armor is meant to bring strength, stability, and encouragement so you can receive all that God has for you.”

In Ephesians, Paul’s inspired teaching encouraged Christians to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” While “an ambassador in chains,” Paul strengthened and grew the early church about 30 years after Christ’s resurrection, serving as His “chosen instrument.” Amen to that!

Death in the Old Testament

 Thanks for joining today’s study. I appreciate my loyal readers and welcome newcomers. My goal is to simplify Bible topics and concepts so as not to intimidate those with little biblical knowledge or no faith. This is an interactive study where comments are encouraged to enhance the discussion, since the Bible is complex, open to interpretation, and shaped by one’s faith walk or tradition.

I am always thrilled to receive emails from readers, especially those who have returned to the Bible or are beginning to read it because of this study. Keep sending them.

Moving on, today’s topic affects us all. Regular readers know that God is my “assignment editor.” I felt “called” to write about death immediately after learning of the untimely passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham and what he said shortly before. While reportedly experiencing severe chest pain, Graham “joked”: 

“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out, and do Israeli-Saudi normalization.”

The senator’s “I can’t die now” quote was widely reported. Initially, I saw it without the second sentence. My first thought was that God’s timing is beyond our control. Graham’s “joke” confirmed my favorite saying: “How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans.”

Only God knows when our time on earth will end, and those with faith in Christ hope to spend eternity with Him. In the meantime, we must strive to glorify Him by using the gifts and talents He has given us, while also loving our neighbors and helping those less fortunate.

Now let’s review some verses that address this uncomfortable topic, starting with the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and continuing with the New Testament next week. 

The first biblical mention of death appears in the second chapter of Genesis, where God warns Adam not to eat from a certain tree in the Garden of Eden:

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). (Dig deeper in Vol. 110.)

Two chapters later, the first human death (a murder) was recorded when Cain, out of jealousy, murdered his brother, Abel (Genesis 4:1-15). Cain, a farmer, was angry that God partially accepted his harvest sacrifice but fully accepted his brother Abel’s sacrifice, which “brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flock.” The verse reads:

“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).

A few chapters later, the Bible records the first of three mass-casualty events: the death of all earthly human and animal life, except those saved on Noah’s ark. Humankind’s wickedness grieved the Lord, so He took drastic action, granting Himself a “do-over”:

“So the LORD said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:7-8).

The second event with massive death, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, was also due to wicked behavior. 

Third came the Plagues of Egypt, most notably the 10th plague, which killed all the firstborn Egyptian boys but “passed over” the firstborn of God’s people. Led by Moses, they were saved by the blood of the lamb on their doorways, as God instructed (Exodus 12:23). (See Vol. 214 for more details.)

Obviously, God determines when death will occur and spares those He chooses. His reasons are sometimes harsh and difficult to understand, especially in tragic circumstances involving children, entire families, war, and, most famously, God’s Son.

Returning to Moses, here is his death passage, which many consider unfair (in bold below) given his leadership as a faithful servant of God:

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.’  And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is” (Deuteronomy 34:4-8).  

Do you know why God forbade Moses from entering the Promised Land? (See Vol. 86.)

Next, we explore the most popular death-related Psalm, number 23. Written by King David, it offers a comforting message often read at funerals:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).

For those who believe in the Lord, no words better summarize death: it is not to be feared, and if you believe in Him, you “shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Finally, two verses from Ecclesiastes beautifully frame death (if that is possible for someone in mourning). First is a famous passage, incorporated into the classic 1960s pop song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” that I wrote about in Vol. 102. Boomers will enjoy watching The Byrds’ 1965 performance on the Ed Sullivan Show, singing:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

Second is a profound verse that explains an important concept about death for those who believe that our earthly life does not end but takes on a new form:

“…and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

To fully understand this verse, we must read the Genesis account of human creation:

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7).

God created us from dust, and to the ground we shall return, while our immortal spirit returns to the Creator. 

Due to length restrictions, this study reviews only a handful of death-related verses, but I hope you have been comforted or even enlightened by my selections.

Tune in next week for a discussion of death in the New Testament, focusing on the promise of eternal life through Jesus. Here is a preview of the most important verse:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Amen to that!

What the Bible Says About Gifts

 

First, we must always acknowledge that God is the Greatest Gift to humankind.

Second, humankind’s greatest gifts come from God. These include eternal life through Jesus, and the list continues: the gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of family, the gift of healing, good health, including all our senses, and the gift of talents.

There is also God’s gift of natural beauty, such as sunrises, oceans, rivers, babbling brooks, mountains, forests, and canyons. Additionally, animals must be included on that list, especially pets.

In our busy and challenging lives, we forget to recognize all the above as gifts from God. I suspect He would greatly appreciate our thinking that way. In fact, Thanksgiving Day began as a day to give thanks to God, not to mark the official opening of Christmas shopping. However, every day should be celebrated with thanksgiving for the gifts He has bestowed upon us.

Let’s turn to the Bible to deepen our understanding of those gifts.

In Exodus, skilled craftsmen were needed to build the tabernacle, the earthly dwelling of God. In passages 35:4-40:33, God specified the exact details. Clearly stated, the skills were given by God to certain people so the complicated and magnificent construction project could be built to honor Him: 

“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work” (Exodus 36:2).

The key point is that God-given talents are blessings from God, and He expects us to glorify Him through them. Those talents are in your hands, your voice, your body, and your brain for numerous highly skilled tasks.

For example, consider the brains and hands of surgeons. In 2016, I had a detached retina, and my surgeon restored sight to my left eye. Later, we discussed the blessed talent he had been given, which he fully credited to God. If you have an extraordinary talent blessed by God that results in a great gift to others, be sure to let God know you recognize it comes from Him.

Turning now to the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in Luke’s gospel:

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).

And in John:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

And then the gift was delivered:

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

About the Holy Spirit, Peter said:

“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33).

There are seven gifts within the gift of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, fear of the Lord, and piety. All seven embody who Jesus was, is, and taught. Read more here.

St. Paul wrote much about gifts, and famously the gift which lasts forever:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). And what follows is also powerful:

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).

The concept “gift of God” is so pleasing to my soul. It means by design, He is actively giving something He knows can make the world a better place. And because God is God, He gives humankind so many different gifts and talents:

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6-8).

Paul writes how God’s grace is a gift:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

You should feel some pressure from this verse if you are not using your gift:

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

If your gift is dormant, crank it up because:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

I saved the best gift quote for last because the gift of all gifts from God is His Son, Jesus: 

Finally, “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (Corinthians 9:15).

And what is the meaning of that inexpressible gift?

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

I pray this study has inspired you to be in tune with the gifts God has given you. Amen!

What the Bible says about Blood – Old Testament

 

Old Testament), blood symbolizes life and death. Blood is also used as a sacrifice to God for the atonement of sin in one’s life or among His people.

Blood sacrifice, the slaughter of animals, is recorded numerous times in the Old Testament. Later, in the New Testament, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, those who followed Him believed, and we believe today, that His blood was shed as atonement for our sins and for all humankind. More on the “blood of Christ” next week. Today, we read how blood in the Old Testament lays the foundation for Christ’s sacrifice.

The first mention of blood in the Old Testament appears in Genesis, after Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy because God favored Abel’s offering. (Read Genesis 4.)

When God asked, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain lied and, famously, answered, “I don’t know, am I my brother’s keeper?” And then:

“The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground’” (Genesis 4:10).

The second time blood is mentioned is in the passage my study Bible subtitles “God’s Covenant With Noah.” God says: 

“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind” (Genesis 9:3-6).

That passage is a launching pad for much discussion, especially because killing in war and against one’s enemies is frequently recorded in the Old Testament. Read the rest of God’s covenant with Noah in Genesis 9:7-17.

The book of Genesis is followed by Exodus, in which God uses blood in the first and tenth plagues. Afterward, the Pharaoh frees God’s people from Egyptian bondage. To begin the plagues, God turns the Nile River into blood:

“Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt” (Exodus 7:20-21).

The tenth plague involved the slaughter of unblemished lambs. God commanded that their blood be spread on the doors of the Israelites to save their firstborn sons from the angel of death, whom God was sending to punish the Egyptians and to free His people:

“I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you…” (Exodus 12:12-13). That “pass over” is why the annual Jewish holiday commemorating Passover is so named. (More in Vol. 107 and Vol. 214.)

This final and most powerful plague is regarded as a Messianic prophecy. When John the Baptist first saw Jesus, he declared, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Like the slaughtered Passover lamb, Jesus was without “blemish” (sin). He was sent by God to save His Jewish people and all humankind from sin and to offer eternal life. God’s plan for salvation led Jesus to the cross, where His death was followed by His resurrection.

Still in Exodus, 12 chapters later, animal blood was present at a powerful event that confirmed God’s Covenant with the people of ancient Israel:

“And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words’” (Exodus 24:6-8).

Following Exodus, the Book of Leviticus records God’s ordinances regarding the use of animal blood in sacrificial offerings and forbids human consumption. It begins in Leviticus 3, which ends with God declaring:

“It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood” (Leviticus 3:17). God repeats Himself in Leviticus 7:26-27 and again, in case His people missed it:

“For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off” (Leviticus 17:14). Next time I am tempted to order a juicy extra rare prime rib dinner, refer me back to Leviticus.

Our last passage concerns the blood ceremony for Yom Kippur, the Jewish calendar’s holiest day, known as the Day of Atonement. (See Vol. 28 and Vol. 287.) For extra credit, read Leviticus 16. For this study, the pertinent verses spoken by God to Moses:

“Then he [Chief Priest Aaron] shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites. When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat” (Leviticus 16:18-20).

Spoiler alert: That “live goat” is freed into the wilderness, “escaping” with all the sins and wickedness of the Israelites that Aaron placed on its head. Thus, the word “scapegoat” entered our lexicon (Leviticus 16:18-22). Again, see Vol. 287 since Jesus was the Passover “scapegoat,” who shed blood, was crucified on the cross for the sins of His people, and then freed us from sin for those who believe in Him.

See you next week for more about the blood of Christ. Amen!

Thursday, June 01, 2023

Men are rapidly losing their close friends, poll finds

 The decline in male friendships has been precipitous. A May 2021 poll from the Survey Center on American Life revealed the number of American men who view themselves as having “no close friends” quintupled over the last 30 years, increasing from 3 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2021. What’s more, just 15 percent of men consider themselves as having 10 or more close friends, a steep drop from the 40 percent of men who reported such bromances in 1990.

    
Men have experienced a much steeper decline in the number of close friends they have. It's dramatic. pic.twitter.com/dGiDHJtYDB
— Daniel Cox (@dcoxpolls) June 25, 2021

Although female friendships have also taken a hit over the years, their decline was less dramatic — 11 percent of women report having 10 or more close friends this year, down just 17 percent from 1990, and 10 percent say they have no close friends at all.

Oh, brother.

The May 2021 American Perspectives Survey polled 2,019 adults from May 14-May 23, 2021. Results have a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points. See more results at the Survey Center on American Life.

Monday, February 06, 2023

Life Under Communism: Hell on Earth

Communism begins from the outset with atheism. Communism, as fully developed naturalism, equals humanism.

Karl Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts.[1]

Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.
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John Adams, our second President.

Anti-Life Philosophy.

Many Soviets viewing the current chaos and nationalist unrest under Gorbachev look back almost longingly to the era of brutal order under Stalin.

Mike Wallace, on the February 11, 1990 edition of “60 Minutes.”

I think that Soviet historians are exaggerating. I thought Stalin was a good leader.

Gus Hall, chairman of the American Communist Party.[2]

Communism is inherently superior to the corruption-riddled failure of Capitalism. Unlike Capitalism, Communism does not feed like a vampire upon the blood of the masses. In order to accomplish its goals, Communism does not need to exploit the masses and oppress them by stripping them of basic human rights like the freedom of reproductive choice.

Eventually, the entire world will be a Communist paradise.

The Process of Destruction.

The whole system we live under is completely worthless, and no basic change for the better can come about until this system is overthrown.

Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party of the USA (RCP).[3]

Life Under Communism.

The more than forty newsletters and newspapers of the American Communist propaganda machine constantly churn out attacks on the “corrupt capitalist system” we live under. They say that the Communist economic system is ideally tailored to the needs of humanity. Its alleged goal is to create a worldwide “People’s Paradise” in which all people will be equal, with no race, gender, or class distinctions, and where all will “struggle” for the common good.

They craftily omit a working description of living conditions under the actual system that oppresses almost two billion people in the world today.

In the “People’s Paradise,” there is plenty of struggle but very little good. Far from dwelling in Paradise, the people who are mired in Communist nations know from long and agonizing experience that their governments are incredibly oppressive, corrupt, and inefficient. The Communist/atheist rulers and their toadies are invariably bullies, liars, cheats, and incompetents who are afraid of any opposition and who are literally terrified of free speech. Significantly, these are prominent characteristics of the atheists and Communists in the United States as well.

Basic Strategy.

Although the overall strategies employed by the Communists vary somewhat from country to country, they basically use one tried-and true master plan that is executed in three steps;

(1) “prepare the ground” by infiltration and subversion of anti-Communist organizations and churches while preaching total freedom in order to get people “hooked on entitlements;”

(2) seize power as quickly and as ruthlessly as possible; and

(3) immediately reorganize society to focus and centralize power in the hands of a very few powerful men.

These steps are briefly outlined in the following paragraphs.

Preparing the Ground.

The most important part of any Revolution or counterrevolution, for that matter is prior preparation. This preparation is based upon the vital strategy of weakening your strongest opponents by infiltrating and subverting them, while simultaneously strengthening your own forces.

The Christian Church and the family have always been the most formidable opponents of Communism, both before and after the Revolutions. The other three teachers of national morality have traditionally been the law, the schools, and the media.

The latter three have been turned against traditional morality and the Church has been effectively neutralized. All that is left is the family, which is under increasingly focused attack.

The Communists are at last beginning to realize that the Church and the family really thrive only when they are being oppressed, and that it is literally impossible to entirely stamp out belief in God and the family.

The reverse of the above, unfortunately, is also true. When the Church enjoys complete and unfettered freedom, it gets fat and undisciplined, because it becomes larded with “believers” who want to be Christians without cost. The concepts of Satan, sin, sacrifice and suffering are the first to go. Pastors forget their God-ordained mission and preach humanism instead. Eventually, the Church becomes a great social activist’s club as it has in the United States, and it gives up the saving of souls in favor of supporting such atrocities as abortion and homosexuality, all under the banner of “freedom of choice” (for further information on the disintegration of the clergy in the mainline churches, see Chapter 42 of Volume I, “Church Positions on Abortion”).

As the Master of Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, has correctly stated; “We will find our greatest success to the extent that we inculcate Marxism as a kind of religion: Religious men and women are easy to convert and win, and so will easily accept our thinking if we wrap it up in a kind of religious terminology.”[4]

During times of prosperity, the definition of the other great bulwark of democracy the family also becomes unfocused and weak. More and more people discard marriage entirely and instead “shack up.” Married couples have only one or two children if they consent to have children at all. These kids are incessantly indoctrinated in the joys of total freedom from responsibility by our schools. Homosexuals lobby for the “rights” to marry, raise children, and receive the benefits of being a family. Open marriages abound, and “sequential monogamy” erodes the sanctity of the institution.

Two quotes illustrate the above principles very clearly. The first demonstrates how thoroughly our churches have been subverted. In January of 1970, Clergy and Laity Concerned issued a “Policy Statement” that claimed;

What we are about today is not simply an end to the war in Vietnam, but a struggle against American imperialism and exploitation in just about every corner of the world … Our task is to join those who are angry and who hate the corporate power which the United States presently represents, and to attempt, in our struggle, to liberate not only black, brown, and yellow men in every corner of the world, but more importantly, to help liberate our own nation from its reactionary and exploitative policies.[5]

The second, taken from the Revolutionary Communist Party’s New Programme, shows how the Communists subvert the family in the post-Revolution environment;

The right to abortion will be guaranteed … As far as the policy toward the family, it will be recognized for what it is: Not some holy or sacred institution to be preserved for all time … not only will the family be a secondary form for determining children’s upbringing, but its influence in promoting conservatism among its members, especially the women and children, will be actively combatted. While the parents will still have significant responsibility for their children, this does not mean they are “theirs,” and there will be struggle to prevent parents from imposing old values, and conservative, non-revolutionary thinking generally on the children.[6]

Other tactics used by the Communists in the pre-Revolution environment are described in Chapter 95, “Lenin’s Rules for Revolution.”

“Cleansing” After the Revolution.

After the Reds have accomplished their bloody Revolution, the entire conquered society must be totally subjugated and transmogrified, and all institutions and entities must be forcibly crammed into an approved Socialist mold, including the Church, all levels of government and schools, and, most importantly, the family.

As soon as possible after the Revolution, the Communists jail and silence Church leaders, including bishops, priests and ministers, and leading lay people. They also immediately disband Bible-believing religious organizations or severely restrict their activities, because these entities preach morality and are the antithesis of atheism and Communism. The objective of such oppression is the total eradication of the visible Church.

Avraham Shirfrin states in his The First Guidebook to Prisons and Concentration Camps of the former Soviet Union that tens of thousands of Christians are still trapped in more than 2,000 slave labor camps for the heinous crimes of “… reading religious books, posting up notices, or demanding religious instruction for their children.” And, in Albania, making the sign of the cross is punishable by three years in prison.[7]

Although the Christian Church usually bears the brunt of post-Revolution atheist rage, it isn’t the only institution that is mercilessly dismembered. All native intellectuals and professionals are silenced, removed from their jobs, or even shot. Those indigenous turncoats who assisted the Revolution are invariably executed, because they are members of an activist class of individuals who may turn against their new masters.

Vladimir Lenin summarizes the communist’s formal program in his August 22, 1922 letter to the Politburo; “The more representatives of the reactionary bourgeoisie and the reactionary clergy that we manage to shoot the better. Now is the time to teach the public such a lesson that for many decades they will not dare even to think of any sort of resistance.”[8]

Every available tool is used if it advances the interest of the Communists; promises, lies, threats, blackmail, torture, execution, and even genocide. The Communists, in enslaving half of the world’s population, have murdered an estimated 120 million to 150 million people. The megakillers include Mao (50 million murders), Pol Pot (12 million), Lenin (6 million), Stalin (25 million), and uncounted others. The American Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) applauds this genocide and excuses it with such limp euphemisms as “unfortunate excesses of the People’s Armies” and “necessary readjustments of the social order.”

And these are the same atheists who constantly plead for peace and understanding while condemning pro-lifers for clinic bombings!

“Life” for the Masses.

To be Red is to be dead, only more slowly.
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Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn.

A Grey Existence.

The common worker behind the Iron Curtain, so relentlessly lauded by Communist propaganda, leads a grey, dirty, lifeless existence. One must stand in line for hours in order to obtain the shoddy merchandise and bland, gummy food produced by the noble workers of the “People’s Paradise.” The vast majority of quality goods and food produced by Soviet satellites is shipped directly to the Soviet Union, leaving the dregs for the workers.

If people are fortunate enough to find the items they are looking for, it may be impossible to purchase them. The average wage in Communist satellites is about $600 per year just $12 per week! This is a deliberate program of enforced and universal poverty used by the government: If penniless people must constantly stand in line, they begin to realize that they are helpless to do anything other than scrabble to survive. They are cowed and humiliated. Such persons will not be thinking of counterrevolution. They will be thinking only of satisfying their constant, gnawing hunger.

Most families have to wait for ten to twenty years for the privilege of buying a grey, dirty, rundown apartment with one bedroom, cold running water, and intermittent electricity.

While its people go hungry, the Soviet Bloc imports millions of tons of grain annually because its agricultural sector is comatose. This is partly because the Soviet Union consumes nearly half of its GNP in the manufacture of weapons for use by armies all over the world.

Remember that these same Communists are the primary instigators of the peace movement in the West.

Drugs and Drink.

Because of the intolerable grey sameness of their existence, huge numbers of workers have turned to drink and drugs. The alcoholism problem in Russia and its satellites is the worst in the world. At any given time, five to eight percent of the entire Soviet population is drunk. This is really no surprise since the State’s chief source of revenue (after military weaponry) is its 80-proof vodka.

Communism = Feudal Monarchy.

For the Communist overlords, human beings are mere barnyard animals to be bred, aborted, and worked for the benefit of the fortunate elite on top.
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Father Paul Marx of Human Life International.

Introduction.

The proliferation of Communist newspapers in America tell us that their system is vastly superior to Capitalism. They say that, under Communism, everyone will live equally, from the highest bureaucrat to the lowest farmer and from the most skilled doctor to the most inept janitor. The catchy Communist slogan is: “From each according to his abilities and to each according to his needs.”

Communism is indeed a perfect system but only for perfect human beings. Communism would function perfectly if human beings were not susceptible to any kind of temptation.

However, as long as there are imperfect people in this world, Communism even more than Capitalism will be powerless to prevent poverty and graft. As the American Communists cry out that our system is “incurably corrupt” and rife with “gross inequalities,” they totally ignore the astounding disparity in living standards behind the Iron Curtain.

Behind the Curtain, those who are fortunate enough to be in power have opportunities to pillage the wealth of the people to a degree unheard of in the West. While the Communist overlords force the masses to live under atrocious conditions, they live literally like feudal lords.

The following paragraphs give examples of how Communist leaders have pillaged the wealth of their countries while their people shiver in coldwater flats.[9]

Nicolae Ceausescu, Feudal Lord. Nicolae Ceausescu, Communist dictator of Romania for 25 years, lived in splendor that would make the Rockefellers turn a rich, deep green with envy.

While in power, Ceausescu claimed repeatedly that he lived just like an average Romanian did.

Meanwhile, he wore a different $500 suit every day. In the evening, the suit would be discarded and burned. Over the course of Ceausescu’s quarter-century reign, the cost of this indulgence alone was more than $4 million, or equivalent to 600 years of the average worker’s salary.

His primary residences were two 150-room mansions with golden walls and solid 14-karat gold furniture. His black Labradors ate imported caviar in their very own marble-lined rooms.[10]

Ceausescu squandered another five million dollars on a yacht he visited only once, and blew more than two million dollars on tens of thousands of formal photographs of himself and his family.

He loved to hunt, and in a single day shot 100 deer illegally. These deer had been driven into his sights by a company of soldiers. When he went fishing, military frogmen would be stationed at his favorite spots ahead of time so that they could attach trophy-sized perch to his line.

He built more than 80 homes for himself all over Romania, including 23 lavish, fully-equipped hunting lodges. While his people shivered during the harsh winters due to the constant shortages of coal and natural gas, he kept all 23 lodges fully heated continuously in the off-chance he felt like dropping in on a whim. He never visited most of the lodges.

Ceausescu bestowed upon his wife Elena, a fifth-grade dropout, the title of “the country’s leading chemical engineer,” and he appointed her head of the National Council for Science and Technology, although she did not even know the chemical formula for carbon dioxide (i.e., CO2).

Ceausescu had five sons, all of whom he appointed to important government posts. His youngest son Nicu was constantly accompanied by bodyguards, and on numerous occasions would drop into a restaurant for the purpose of raping a woman customer. He would select a woman, have the bodyguards clear the restaurant, and then assault her. Any hint of resistance or even a verbal protest from a husband or boyfriend would result in his being beaten almost to death and jailed for years.

When Nicu was finally arrested by police after his father’s December 25, 1989 execution, the police found all of the toilets in his house clogged with paper money, and discovered millions of dollars worth of currency stacked in boxes and bags everywhere.

Ceausescu is the dictator who outlawed abortion and contraception in his country, and who demanded that each woman bear the State five children. This is the only known case of “mandatory motherhood” known in the world today and, just like forced abortion, such atrocities against human reproduction are always committed exclusively by Communists.

The Kings of East Germany.

Until October of 1989, the 23-member East German Politburo dwelled in splendor at a lavish compound located at Wandlitz, about 15 miles north of Berlin.

While the average East German worker earned less than $8,000 a year, this compound cost $32 million annually just to maintain (and this doesn’t count paying off the capital costs of construction)!

In case you are in the market for a little piece of paradise, the following are just a few of the features of this prime piece of real estate;

    247 manicured acres, patrolled on a 24-hour basis by a 44-man platoon of the Stasi (State Security Police);
    25 mansions, each boasting a cadre of full-time butlers and maids;
    An exclusive boutique modeled after Nieman-Marcus (all items, unlike those showcased by Nieman-Marcus, are free);
    Hothouses that provide fresh vegetables of every description even during the bitter East German winters, when the masses are huddling in unheated flats. Three full-time botanists are on staff to tend to Premier Willi Stoph’s plot of tropical plants.
    Two mechanics tend Communist Party boss Erich Honecker’s seven cars, which include a customized armored $95,000 1988 Mercedes 560 SEC and a top-of-the-line customized $55,000 Jaguar 12-cylinder XJC.

After these extraordinary excesses were revealed in late 1989, Opposition leader Rolf Henrich, a lawyer with the New Forum, complained that “They told us we were sacrificing for a better future. But in reality, as the German saying goes, they were preaching water and drinking wine.”

Wine? More like fine aged whiskey kept in gold-lined barrels!

Other Examples.

Quite simply, when a small group of people is given absolute power, they will inevitably get greedy and begin to “acquire” the belongings of the people for themselves. There has never been a Communist government that was not totally corrupt on all levels, and this corruption is generally prevalent enough to literally sap the life blood of a country.

Bulgaria’s dictator Todor Zhivkov, whose academic career never went beyond the seventh grade, had ghostwriters pen more than fifty books for him. His total royalties for these volumes was 1.5 million leva, equivalent to 500 years’ salary for the average Bulgarian. He also helped himself to 80 pounds of gold coins from the national treasury, and built 33 luxurious mansions for himself all around the country. Sofia University law professor Yanko Yankov spent five and a half years in prison for failing the dictator’s ignorant son on a first-year law exam.

Hungary’s Defense Minister Lajos Czinege used army troops and government materials to construct a huge mansion and a luxurious country villa on his personal 24-square mile hunting preserve, which was surrounded by 85 miles of electrified fence.

Even the “ultimate Communists” in the former Soviet Union are not immune to such pervasive graft. Every member of Moscow’s Politburo is assigned a large personal staff, including an Army officer who headed a cadre of three cooks, three waitresses, a housemaid and a chief gardener with several assistants.

If a Politburo member wants a new suit, he is fitted for one free of charge in his own room. If he wants to give someone a lavish gift, an assistant brings him a detailed catalogue, and all he has to do is select the gift and give the assistant the name of the person to whom it will be sent all completely free of charge, of course.

Conclusion.

Such abuses are typical of the Communist overlords. Boris Yeltsin, former member of the Politburo, writes that “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. And so it is for those at the top of the Party pyramid. Their abilities, alas, are not outstanding. But their needs! Their needs are so great that so far it has only been possible to create real Communism for a couple of dozen people.”

Communism is simply not compatible with human nature. When you have the people under iron control and all resistance and speech is crushed, you can get away with literally anything you like. You can kill. You can rape. And you can force women to have babies or force them to have abortions.

And this is the system that most pro-abortionists lean towards! There is not much “freedom of choice” in anything behind the Iron or Bamboo Curtains!

Examples of Suffering Under Communism.

Freedom of conscience, that is the right to profess any religion or not to profess any religion, to perform religious rites or to conduct atheist propaganda, shall be guaranteed for all citizens of the USSR … The church in the USSR shall be separated from the state and the school from the church.
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Article 52 of The Soviet Constitution.

Poland’s Endless Martyrdom.

Theologians generally believe that the Christian Church requires oppression from outside sources in order to thrive. Proof of this theory is abundant in Poland.

The attack on the Polish Catholic Church began in 1953, when Marxists broke up Masses, killed scores of Polish priests, and imprisoned the Polish prelate, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski. The atheists then prohibited the building of all churches for thirty years and banned any church publications at all including parish bulletins![11]

In early 1981, the Communists were finally forced to back off by Lech Walesa’s Solidarity. However, Solidarity eventually gained too much strength for the Communists’ liking. On December 12, 1981, the government suddenly imposed martial law, and arrested 10,000 Solidarity members and the leadership of the Polish pro-life movement (the Communists didn’t like the Polish pro-life practice of placing lighted candles before the homes of pro-abortion officials and abortionists).[11] More than a hundred of these prisoners died from convenient so-called “tragic accidents” or “suicides.”

One of these “accidents” was inflicted upon Poland’s twentieth-century martyr, Father Jerzy Popieluszko, who inspired the nation by the way he lived and the way he died. “Jurek” was a personal friend of Solidarity boss Lech Walesa and the leader of Poland’s pro-life movement as well. The Communists tried to kill the priest three times and, on October 19, 1984, they finally succeeded.

After celebrating Mass one night, Father Jerzy was intercepted by three secret policemen, who beat him, tied him up, then tortured him to death. Suspecting foul play, Catholics all over the country rose up and demanded to know where he was.

Forced to produce his body, the grinning secret police dragged his unrecognizable corpse out of the River Vistula eleven days after he died. In spite of the government’s demand that he be buried in obscurity, he was laid to rest in a tomb surrounded by a large Rosary shaped in the outline of Poland at a funeral attended by more than two million. Since then, his grave, at the Church of St. Stanislaw Kostka, has been visited by more than ten million pilgrims, including Pope John Paul II.[11]

Jerzy was not the last to die. Many Polish priests are still murdered by the cowardly Communists. The pro-Solidarity priest, Stanislaw Suchowolek, a frequent victim of government harassment, died of suffocation in his home, which then mysteriously burned down. Father Stefan Niedzielek, 74 years old, died of a broken neck inflicted on a dark Bialystok street in January 1989. The local community believed, once again, that this was the work of the government. They are, by now, familiar with the cowardly atheist attacks on old men in the dark.

The Communists are not only cowards, they are incurably inept. In Poland, the Communists confiscated all hospitals and schools run by the Catholic Church. Today there are only three kidney dialysis machines in the entire country. Doctors are paid less than common laborers, because the Communists know that those persons with education and intelligence must be humiliated and worked like animals if they are to remain harmless. Surgeons must endure double shifts because their woefully outdated equipment is so scarce. Virtually all advanced medical equipment and medicines have to be imported from the “decadent” West.

It is wise to remain healthy behind the iron curtain.

As Christians have known for 2,000 years (and as tyrants seem incapable of learning), the Church may well be healthiest when it is persecuted. For example, despite all of her tribulations, the Polish Catholic Church currently ordains more priests than any other country in the world and more than twice as many as the United States, which possesses three times Poland’s population! Additionally, Poland is only the size of New Mexico, but has more than 3,000 centers dedicated to teaching natural family planning. This is ten times the number of NFP centers in the entire United States![11]

Standoff in the Ukraine.

In the Western Ukrainian village of Holyn, close to the Polish border, the Communist authorities told the people that they could finally open a church as long as they footed the cost themselves. The enthusiastic villagers went to work and finished their beautiful church in 1977. But the atheists, liars as always, announced that they were then going to seize the church and convert it into an “atheist museum.”

However, the villagers would not be bullied. The atheist Soviets, showing the true colors of ‘tolerant’ atheists everywhere, bulldozed more than 150 churches in the Ukraine in 1977 alone. So the villagers stood guard for more than ten years, day and night, to prevent atheist thugs from destroying the church. The atheists gangs attempted more than 100 times to gain access to the church by beating up and tear-gassing the guards, who did not yield. Finally, the atheists poisoned the water that the village men drank, and several of them died.

The church, however, was not closed.

The Spiritual Battle in Bulgaria.

The Church had been a constant thorn in the side of Bulgarian Communists for decades when the Communist Party Congress finally got fed up and passed a resolution in 1988 to “finish the Church.”[12] And they weren’t talking about completing its construction!

The Bulgarian Communist government strictly controls all printing, and the personal possession or manufacture of any religious articles or books is strictly forbidden. Many church buildings dot the Bulgarian countryside, but most have been converted into discos and ice-skating rinks. The larger cathedrals and more well-known and popular church buildings are kept permanently closed by “reconstruction” activities and cannot be entered.

But Bulgarian Christians carry on. As one of them said, “God had me born here because if I had been born in the West I would have died of temptation in one day. Here the enemy is visible.”[12]

References: Life Under Communism.

Here they [the Soviets] are, trying to emulate our system, which is collapsing.
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Ted Turner to his wife, "Hanoi Jane" Fonda.[13]

[1] Karl Marx, quoted in D.L. Cuddy. “Are Public Schools Opening the Door to Humanism?” National Federation for Decency Journal, October 1986, page 21.

[2] Gus Hall, chairman of the American Communist Party, quoted in National Review, February 5, 1990, page 14.

[3] Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party of the USA (RCP), quoted in the Revolutionary Communist Party Worker, July 10, 1989, page 2.

[4] Lenin: Selected Works. 3 volumes, 2,225 pages. Distributed in English by Progress Publishers, 21, Zubovsky Boulevard, Moscow.

[5] Cal Thomas and Wayne Stayskal. Liberals for Lunch. Westchester, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1985. Page 20.

[6] Revolutionary Communist Party’s New Programme. “The Proletariat, Upon Seizing Power, Will Immediately Take Up the Transformation of Society,” page 78.

[7] “Short Endings.” Fidelity Magazine, June 1990, page 23.

[8] Vladimir Lenin’s August 22, 1922 letter to the Politburo. Quoted in Keston News Service, National Catholic Register, July 1, 1990, page 8.

[9] Charles Parmiter. “The Red Aristocrats.” Reader’s Digest, October 1990, pages 151 to 156.

[10] Holly Danks. “Romania Tries to Claw Way Out of Pit Dug by Ceausescu.” The Oregonian, March 12, 1991, page A3.

[11] Human Life International Reports. “Poland’s Endless Martyrdom.” Number 37, November 1987, and “Inside the People’s Paradise.” Number 38, December 1987.

[12] Dennis Englemen. “Bulgaria’s Embattled Christians.” Catholic Twin Circle, April 16, 1989, page 3.

[13] Ted Turner to his wife, “Hanoi Jane” Fonda, in Moscow Square in October of 1990. Quoted in National Review, November 19, 1990, page 13.

Further Reading: Life Under Communism.

AA-1025. Memoirs of an Anti-Apostle.
109 pages. Order from Our Lady’s Book Service, Nazareth Homestead, R.D. 1, Box 258, Constable, New York 12926, telephone: 1-800-263-8160. AA stands for Anti-Apostle: a Communist agent who has agreed to enter a Catholic seminary or pastor’s training for another church and who works to destroy conservative churches from within. Lenin sponsored and encouraged this system, which is not just a figment of the imagination it is real! This book helps to explain what is happening in the Church today why it is paralyzed and seemingly incapable of effective action.

Warren H. Carroll. 70 Years of the Communist Revolution.
Paperback, hardbound. Order from Stella Maris Books, Post Office Box 11483, Fort Worth, Texas 76110, telephone: 1-800-772-5928. This book explains the nature of Communism and details its history with great clarity. An excellent basic text on the scourge of Communism.

Robert Conquest and Jon Manchip White. What To Do When the Russians Come
From the Conservative Book Club, 15 Oakland Avenue, Harrison, New York 10528. Although somewhat dated in light of recent events, this book is still generally useful. It shows how the Communists will conquer this land, how various groups are likely to fare under the new government, details on the resistance movement, famine in America, and how life in general under a Communist regime would be.

Hamish Fraser. Fatal Star.
1954, 296 pages, hardcover, softcover. Order from Our Lady’s Book Service, R.D. No. 1, Box 258, Constable, New York 12926, telephone: 1-800-263-6160. The story of a militant member of the Communist Party and how he journeyed from atheism to the Catholic Church. The author shows in detail how the Marxist system has an utter disregard for human rights and the truth, and describes the hideous threat it poses to an unsuspecting and passive Christian Church.

Father Giacomo Gardin. Banishing God in Albania.
162 pages. Order from: Ignatius Press, 15 Oakland Avenue, Harrison, New York 10528, telephone: 1-800-528-0559. Father Giacomo, who spent a decade in prison merely practicing his faith, tells the brutal story of how atheistic Communism attempts to crush the spirit of religious people everywhere. He outlines in detail the Communist methods of mock trials, labor camps, and other tortures, and tells the story of suffering, persecution, and martyrdom of his friends at the hands of the atheists.

Greenhaven Press. Communism: Opposing Viewpoints.
Greenhaven Press Opposing Viewpoints Series, Post Office Box 289009, San Diego, California 92128-9009. 1986, 216 pages. Each section includes several essays by leading authorities on both sides of each issue. The topics covered include peaceful coexistence between the USSR and the United States, Communism in the Third World, and personal freedom and life in the USSR. A catalog is available from the above address and can be obtained by calling 1-(800) 231-5163.

Vladamar Kozina. Communism as I Know It.
60 pages. Order from Our Lady’s Book Service, Nazareth Homestead, R.D. 1, Box 258, Constable, New York, 12926. Telephone: 1-800-263-8160. A true story about Communism by one who survived it while watching his mother, father, and brother murdered by the system. Gives an authentic view of living under the oppressive Communist overlords.

John Koster. The Atheist Syndrome.
This great book shows how atheists have rewritten history to show only the best side of atheism and the worst side of Christianity. It also shows just how savage and degenerate most atheist “heroes” like Lenin, Marx, Darwin, Freud, and Nietzsche really were.

Father Vincent P. Miceli. The Gods of Atheism.
485 pages. Order from Catholic Treasures, 626 Montana Street, Monrovia, California 91016, or from Keep the Faith, 810 Belmont Avenue, Post Office Box 8261, North Haledon, New Jersey 07508, telephone: (201) 423-5395. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen called this “as complete a study of atheism as exists in any language.” The author shows that, while we have been spending trillions of dollars defending against the Communist onslaught from the outside, our country has been eaten away by the atheism cancer on the inside. God is even outlawed in our schools. Father Miceli shows why Communism must be atheistic and why it is the ultimate spiritual evil; why Christian parents must firmly inculcate their children with Christian beliefs; and how atheism is the great temptation of the educated and/or intelligent. Covers the similarities between Neoliberals and Communists, the roots and virulent nature of atheism, and the proper Christian response to it.

Charles Moser, treasurer of the Free Congress Foundation. Combat On Communist Territory.
240 pages. Order from Trinity Communications, Post Office Box 3610, Manassas, Virginia 22110, telephone: (703) 369-2429. The author gives a detailed account of the struggles of the Freedom Fighters against Communists in eight countries.

Pope Pius XI. Encyclical on Atheistic Communism.
50 pages. Order from Our Lady’s Book Service, Nazareth Homestead, R.D. 1, Box 258, Constable, New York, 12926. Telephone: 1-800-263-8160. Why the Catholic Church officially and irrevocably condemns the scourge of Communism: because it is irretrievably not only atheistic, but anti-Christian.

Father James Schall. Liberation Theology.
402 pages. Order from Keep the Faith, Inc., 810 Belmont Avenue, Post Office Box 8261, North Haledon, New Jersey 07508. The author draws on important contemporary research articles to produce a thorough indictment of the basics of liberation theology.

Grazyna Sikorska. Jerzy Popieluszko: A Martyr for the Truth.
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 255 Jefferson Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503. 1985. Reviewed by Chilton Williamson, Jr. on page 50 of the June 28, 1985 issue of National Review. The life story and struggles of the Solidarity priest who was beaten to death in October of 1984 by Polish government secret police.

Although there is much to be said for liberation theology, this concept has been the perfect vehicle for left-wing groups to exploit. For information on the propagation of this theory in the Catholic Church, contact;

Catholics United Against Liberation Theology
2414 South 208th Street
Seattle, Washington 98198.

If you would like to help ease the pain of a fellow Christian trapped behind the Atheist Curtain, you can write to them to help them keep their faith. For information, contact

The Persecuted Church Commission
Box 1340
Kingston, New York 12401.

The PCC is interdenominational, and its goal is to help God’s children behind the Iron Curtain in any way possible.

Other groups that minister to oppressed Christians in Communist countries include;

Christian Rescue Efforts for the Emancipation
of Dissidents (CREED)
787 Princeton Kingston Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08540

East European Harvest
998 Dauphin Island Parkway
Mobile, Alabama 36605
Telephone: (205) 471-5761

For further information on Communism from the Christian point of view, call or write to;

The Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation
Post Office Box 11321
St. Louis, Missouri 63105
Telephone: (314) 991-2939

The Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation, founded in 1958 by a missionary expelled from China by the Communists, is a worldwide, non-profit educational organization that offers reliable and documented information on the nature, propaganda, and goals of atheistic Communism. The Foundation issues its monthly Mindszenty Report and a quarterly Red Line magazine. The Foundation is named after the late Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary. After the Communist takeover of his country in 1949, in keeping with typical Communist treatment of church leaders, he was sentenced to life imprisonment on the usual totally false charges of “treason, espionage, and currency offenses.” He was imprisoned until freed by Hungarian nationalist rebels in 1956, and then took refuge in the United States embassy in Budapest for 15 years. In 1971, he was exiled to Rome and died in Vienna in 1975.

On September 22, 1989, an official Hungarian State Commission exonerated Cardinal Mindszenty of all of these crimes posthumously, and revealed that the primate had been tortured extensively during his incarceration.

Saturday, June 18, 2022

What Jesus Says About War

 

As a history buff, I have studied various wars and hate them all — a sentiment also voiced by World War II General and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower: 

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." 

And from Machiavelli's 1513 classic book "The Prince”:

“There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.”

The sad reality that war is part of the human condition is found throughout the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible:

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven… A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). (See Vol. 102 about this passage and the famous song it inspired.)

Old Testament critics often point to the excessive amount of war and bloodshed therein. Yes, God allowed the battles and savagery to occur and determined the outcome — both victory and defeat of His people, the Israelites.

For example, in the book of Exodus, while Moses’s men led by Joshua fought the Amalekites — the Israelites' sworn enemy — Moses appealed to God by doing this: 

“Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses's hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it.” (Exodus 17: 11-12).

More astonishing in the book of Joshua is how God intervened in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land. General Joshua asked God to provide more daylight hours to help God’s people win a crucial battle: 

“And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies...The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel” (Joshua 10: 1-15).

Let’s repeat that final jaw-dropping verse: “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.”  

To recap, there will always be war. God allows wars to happen, and His hand determines the winner and loser “for every purpose under heaven.” That is harsh, but don’t question God. He is in control. God is God, and you are not.

We move from the “Warrior God” of the Hebrew Bible to the New Testament’s war against evil under the command of General Jesus. (See Vol. 89 about the connection between “General Joshua” and “General Yeshua,” a.k.a. Jesus — who both established the Kingdom of God on earth.)

Always remember that Jesus’s ministry is about His war with the devil, as the apostle John reminds us:

“The one who does what is sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).

Previously in Vol. 104, I wrote about the war between Jesus and Satan during the “Temptation of Jesus”:

“Jesus rejects the devil’s offer to worship him and have power over ‘all the kingdoms’ with their ‘authority and splendor’ without first suffering and dying on the cross. Note that Jesus does not argue or contradict the devil’s claim that he possesses power over all the kingdoms.” And Jesus told the devil:

“It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Luke 4:8).

Furthermore, in Matthew’s gospel Jesus says:

“‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell’” (Matthew 10:28).

Jesus’s war against the forces of evil was succinctly stated in a passage we discussed last week. However, that controversial passage appears contrary to the Jesus of “Peace be with you” and bears repeating:

"'Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household’" (Matthew 10:34-36).

Since Jesus’s fight against the devil is all encompassing, family relationships could be considered collateral damage.

Also, in Matthew, Jesus talks about war unlike war in the Old Testament. Here the disciples asked Him about the “sign of your coming and of the end of the age”:

“Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains’” (Matthew 24: 4-8).

Those “birth pains” are the sufferings that will precede His return. Read how that works out in Revelation 12:7-11.

Today we know that upon His Resurrection, Jesus triumphed in His war against Satan. Therefore, no matter what wars are raging in the earthly world — including personal battles with Satan over a multitude of sins, addictions, or family conflict — Jesus tells us to look to Him for comfort:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Amen!