Trump’s church photo op is the equivalent of the Abomination of Desolation

We all saw yesterday Trump’s awkward photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. I am not going to go into details but if you really don’t know about it and this is the first you are hearing about it here is a link to the one of the stories: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867705160/he-did-not-pray-fallout-grows-from-trump-s-photo-op-at-st-john-s-church

I am going to instead focus on why this photo op is our current day Abomination of Desolation. Many of you might be familiar with this story of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), the king of Syria, captured Jerusalem in 167 BC and desecrated the Temple by offering the sacrifice of a pig on an altar to Zeus (the Abomination of Desolation). In seeking to prohibit Judaism and Hellenize the Jews, Antiochus forbade their religious practices and commanded that copies of the Law be burned, all of which is related by Josephus in the Antiquities of the Jews (XII.5.4).

Pig being sacrificed in the Jewish temple

Yesterday we saw how Trump used our Christian symbols for his own gain, but the picture itself is not even the abominable part of this whole event. The abomination of this act lies in that he used violence to get from the White House to St. John’s church. Leaders from The Episcopal Church have condemned the reported use of tear gas and rubber bullets to clear clergy and protesters from the area around St. John’s Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House, so President Donald Trump could use it for an unauthorized photo op on June 1.

Trump committed the sacrilegious act of sacrificing violence (the pig) to a God of peace. He violently took over a church and hurt humans (created in the image of God) by teargassing them, aren’t we humans the image of God? Shouldn’t the protesters been treated as precious and with respect? Specially since they were protesting peacefully. Nevermind that when he got to the church he just took a picture with an upside down bible and did not quote it, pray or go into the church. Instead as the Rev. Gini Gerbasi said “They turned holy ground into a battleground,”

God hates violence. We see that especially in the prophets.

Ezekiel: “He [God] said to me, ‘Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger?’ ” (8:17).

Hosea: “Ephraim feeds on the wind; he pursues the east wind all day and multiplies lies and violence” (12:1).

Obadiah: “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever” (v. 10).

If the Bible is to be trusted, violence is cause for divine destruction of the people who practice and countenance it.

Trump promotes violence this is incompatible with the teachings of the Prince of Peace. He has co-opted Christianity for his own political gain, he constantly commits blasphemy. God is a God of peace and we must seek justice so that we can have peace.

Psalm 72:3 
May the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills bring righteousness.

1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace-- as in all the congregations of the Lord's people.

1 Peter 3:11
They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

Our churches staying closed is the Christian thing to do.

It is no secret that the worldwide pandemic has affected every single aspect of society. For the past two months life has not been the same, we know that essential businesses were allowed to stay open but with certain restrictions such as limited hours to be able to thoroughly clean and some other restrictions on the amount of shoppers allowed in at once. Other businesses such as restaurants, malls, gyms, beauty parlors were completely shut down for two months. Many events were canceled or modified: graduations, weddings, and other parties. We have no doubt that these have been painful measures for all of us in one way or another. The hardest thing for me has been wearing the mask when going into the grocery store. It is hard to breathe, and I think of those medical workers who have to wear it for several hours. But why did we do all of this? We did all of this so that we would not spread out the infamous virus. 

That’s me (Karla) in a grocery store with a mask

When I wear my mask or stay home, I do it because I do not want to be responsible for spreading an illness that might not be fatal for me but might be fatal for someone more vulnerable. As someone who is young and relatively healthy, it might be easy for me to just live my life without the concern of hurting others.  My chances of survival are pretty high. But my faith does not allow me to do this, as inconvenient as it is for me personally. You see, one of the greatest commandments of my Christian faith is as follows: 

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22: 39-40

The most fundamental command of our faith is to love God and then to love our neighbor. So it seems that Christians all over the country should be taking the necessary precautions to protect our neighbors, unfortunately some Christians (please note that I said “some”) have been complaining about their churches being closed. They have been crying that their right to worship has been taken away, and some churches were defiant and decided to open their doors for “worship.” At the same time another sector of the Church has been thriving. These Christians have decided to go online, and they have decided to step up and help.

The government can’t  stop us from being the Church. The government can’t stop us from loving. The government has not been able to stop a flood of online recorded and live messages; the government has not been able to stop the Church from organizing to make sure that the vulnerable are fed.   The government has not been able to stop a church from opening at homes, and the government has not been able to stop individuals and families from praying and reading the Bible. Pew Research found that more than half of Americans have prayed for an end of the pandemic. It seems that the Church is thriving, but not by the usual measures we use to measure church success: church attendance and financial giving. 

This makes me wonder if we have fallen into the error of thinking that going to a church building every Sunday morning singing a few songs and listening to a sermon makes us Christian? Is that the idea we have of being followers of Christ? And please don’t get me wrong; I miss my church and I miss singing corporately. I miss listening to in-person sermons. I miss hugging people after the service, and I miss having fellowship.

But the absence of this weekly activity has forced us to re-examine our faith. If our Christian faith is only delegated to a certain time of the week and to a certain building, it makes me wonder if this distorted version of Christianity is worth practicing. If we feel that when this is taken away we can’t be Christian or that we are being persecuted, when we are still free to pray and read the bible at home, when we are still free to help our neighbor and when we are free to go to a bigger platform to preach the gospel, does this mean that as individuals we need to take charge of our faith and come out of comfort zone to seek for ourselves instead of just waiting for the praise group to lead us to the Presence and for the pastor to teach us the way? 

Does this mean that our Christian activities have been superficial and we are being confronted to come out of our comfort zone and make sacrifices?  Are we willing to take responsibility for the expression of our faith? Are we willing to make these sacrifices? In my home state of Indiana we have been allowed to open our church buildings and hold services, we will not be breaking any state mandate, but by doing so might we be transgressing against God’s law? So how can I fulfill one of the greatest commandments of my Christian faith during this pandemic?  In my view the most Christ-like thing we can do is to stay home, wear a mask and practice social distancing to avoid more infections and thus more deaths.

Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.

Romans 13:8

Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Romans 13:10

The entire Law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14

Finding Christ in the Quaker Church

Presence in the midst

Finding Jesus in the Quaker Church has been an ongoing process for me because I have found Him in a variety of ways. I grew up in the Evangelical Friends Churches from EFC Southwest and EFC Eastern Region in the Hispanic churches. One of the ways that I found Jesus was as a child when in church I was told that Jesus was our Friend and that he would never let us down. Until that point I had only seen God as a faraway remote unreachable untouchable being up in heaven. It was then that I started to understand the Quaker message of Jesus coming to earth to live with us and above that to die for us and save us, and the amazing part is that He still continues to be here and wants a relationship with each and every single individual. The Quaker Church helped me understand Jesus message found in

John 15:9-17
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

It was an amazing discovery as a child to know this that Jesus chose us. It would be so amazing if all children would be able to listen to this message because as humans at an early age we discover the need of a friend for that reason many children make up an imaginary friend. My friend as a child was not imaginary it was real in my life and I could feel Him when I most needed Him I could talk to him. When my mother died I felt Jesus there with us I always felt his comfort through my father, grandparents and in the Friends’ Church that opened their arms for us helping us morally financially and in more ways that would be too long to mention, I knew that he had not abandoned us. Jesus was there with us through all the loving people we encountered during those difficult times.
Through Friends’ history I have found Jesus in the Friends Church. Years ago I had the opportunity to go England there I took a tour of the Lancaster Castle where early Friends had been imprisoned and tortured for their believes there I was able to see the tools they used to torture them. At that point Jesus words came to my mind: as I have loved you. Greater love than this no man has, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Friend’s relationship with Jesus was being tested and for this friendship they were able to give up their lives not because they were righteous or good but because they loved the One that had laid down His life for them before. They were only doing what Jesus had done for them and following His commandments. These Friends demonstrated the deep level of intimacy they had reached with Jesus that they felt that it was necessary to die in His Name before denying Him just like early Christians did. At that point I asked myself do Jesus and I have that type of relationship that I would laid down my life for His Name just like he died for me on the cross?
Friend’s testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community and equality have reminded me of Jesus words: that you should go and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain. Friends have given fruit we can see this throughout Quakerism’s history. Jesus came to this earth in a very simple way from the very beginning of his human life, he did not come like an earthly king with a gold crown and majestic clothing he came to this earth in a very humble form even though he was God. For this reason the Jews did not accept him because they could not accept that their king would lead such a simple life and the opposite of what is considered to be majestic in our human terms Friends have only learned simplicity from our Great Master. Friends have learned peace through Jesus; if Jesus reigns in our hearts we will experience inward peace because Jesus is the Prince of Peace. If we have inner peace then the desire to wage war will cease and that can only be acquired with Jesus in our hearts. Jesus commanded us to love our enemies, and to turn the other cheek this are the type of passages that Friends take literally and obeying this commands is the only way to acquire peace. Jesus wants us to live in peace with our neighbors even when those neighbors are our enemies. Friends have always valued community by loving each other and also the world. Wesley advised that Methodist should take care of one another just like the Quakers do and he observed that he never saw a raggedy Quaker. Quakers have also cared for the communities that they lived in not only their own Quaker community. One example of this was in Ireland Quakers began the soup kitchens when they were going through the great famine. Quakers fed people, just like Jesus fed the 5,000. Another example was of William Penn establishing a community based in equality and peace in Pennsylvania and Delaware. William Penn signed peace treaties with the Indians treating them equally and fairly, Penn also welcomed other people regardless of their race and religion to live in his colonies without being persecuted. Jesus gave many examples of how to care for our community Jesus said to a rich man to go and sell everything he had and to give to the poor; Jesus also told us if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Friends take Jesus commandment to love one another seriously for this reason community is very important. Jesus thought us that all humans are equal in his eyes. Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman in the well in a time that women were not considered of any value and to top things off she was a gentile. Jesus also healed the son of a Roman centurion even though this man served the empire that was oppressing his people. Jesus also ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, and Jesus also promised eternal life to a criminal that society despised. Although Jesus disciples wanted the children to leave Jesus alone Jesus said to allow them to come to Him. Jesus had no limits he loved each and every single one of us equally. From these great examples Friends have developed the testimony of Equality we have seen Friends were one of the early groups to allow women to preach in their meetings and to send them as missionaries. Friends also established Friends academies and allowed not only Quakers to get an education in their schools. Friends also pioneered causes such as the women’s suffrage movement with Lucretia Mott and the abolition of slavery that were led by John Woolman and Levy Cofin. But the Friend’s testimonies are not original to Quakerism we have only found Jesus example and followed it. I have definitely found Jesus through Friends’ testimonies since Jesus is the great example of our testimonies.
Another way that I found Jesus in the Quaker Church was ironically not in the Friends’ Church but brought me back to the Friends’ Church. This was when I was 14 years old my father was a professor at an Assembly of God Hispanic Seminary and in this town there was no Friends’ Meeting around so we attended the Assembly of God church. This church was loving and we felt the Holy Spirit there, we were very happy there. One day the pastor of the church asked us if my sister and I wanted to be involved we said yes we want to so he asked us well the only requirement is to be baptized and he asked if we had been water baptized and I said no we have not been water baptized. This conversation made me ask myself why do Friends don’t practice the rite of water baptism, all other churches do it and a small number of denominations even say that is for salvation. Have we been part of a false cult all along? At this time the only place that I could go to answer this questions was in the bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In short I found passages that said that the baptism of Jesus (Acts 2:38) was done by Jesus with the Holy Spirit not by a human being with water. Jesus is the baptizer (Mathew 3:11) and the only that can clean our sins is the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Please don’t get me wrong I understand why my brethren in Christ from other churches water baptize and I belief that is very meaningful rite. But I also understand that the early Quakers decided not to practice it because many have come to depend on a physical ritual thus replacing the real baptism of Jesus that John tells us is to be done with the Holy Spirit. This all goes back to a personal relationship with Jesus that He himself wants to baptize us with the Holy Spirit without the intervention of another human being. Jesus has prepared everything in a way that our relationship is something just between Him and us. Jesus told us that all we need to do is to ask the Father in His Name and the Holy Spirit shall be given to us. I find this to be so amazing that Friends have discovered that baptism is an affair only between Jesus and the individual. So yes I found that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, and only because we have been baptize we can give fruit but the only one that can grant us this baptism is Jesus himself.
The way that I tried to live out my Quaker values in the world with family and community is by being obedient to the Holy Spirit and trying to do what he leads me to do even when it is not easy to do. I believe that one of the great opportunities I’ve had has been helping young single mothers that have been domestically and mentally abused to get out of that situation, we have opened the doors of our home. I don’t offer counseling because I am no professional in that area the only thing I tried to do is to just be a friend to them and reassure them that we will be there. Recently I have been trying to be conscious of taking care of creation by being a more conscious consumer and becoming a vegetarian. I believe that one of our duties as Christians is to take care of the home that God has created for us and also to take care of our neighbor. I have been to my own country in Guatemala and I see that even a small contribution would help a family, for that reason I tried to shop fairly traded products from third world countries. The most important is trying to share Jesus in every opportunity I get I would like people to know I am a Quaker because of my testimony and my deeds to match my verbal testimony.
To non-Quakers I would encourage to seek Jesus, to live with and like Jesus. This is the only way to be a Quaker I have known of groups that are not at all affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends but I considered them Quakers because the only thing that they are doing is being obedient to the Holy Spirit that is the inward light that can lead us all. And that Quakerism is great community of intentional prayer and seeking of the Holy Spirit and is so great to be part of a community that intentionally seeks to have a relationship with Jesus. Quakerism is not a religion is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
What I would like more mature Quakers to know about my commitment to the Friends’ Church is that my primary commitment is with Jesus and thus this has lead me to a commitment with Friends’ Church, because I feel that it’s the best expression of Christianity that I could try to live with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I perceive Quakerism as primitive Christianity Revived!

Salvation by deeds or grace?

This subject is perharps one of the most argued in the church through out the ages and has also been a very divisive issue; since the bible seems to support both arguments. But we have to keep in mind that the bible does not contradict itself, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and to show us what it means. I would like to explore with you what the bible tells us in a prayerful spirit.

New International Version (©1984)
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6

Here the Apostle Paul was writting to a group of Jews that still wanted to earn their salvation by practicing the ceremonies, rituals of the Mosaic Law. In other words they still wanted to practice tevilah (water baptisms), circumcision, different feasts days, obstaining from pagan food among other observations of the law. Here we have Paul telling us that these observances are not necesary for salvation anymore since the Jews still wanted to practice them. Now Paul was not going to make any laws against practicing them since he himself practice a few rituals under the new covenant he circumcised a boy (Acts 16:1-3) and he also practice a ritual of purification (Acts 21:26). But then he explains why he did this in 1 Corinthians 9:20

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

So we see that practicing the law itself was not at all a sin, the problem was that they relied on their Mosaic works to be saved. And that was the mistake that Paul was trying to prevent. But then we see in James 2 something that seems to be contradicting Paul.

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is uselessd?

Here we have to take into account what the deeds are and we see in James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Then we see that earlier in chapter 2 that James was also writting against showing favoritism towards the rich. It is very clear that the deeds that James is refering to are to be compasionate towards the needy, not the rituals of the law. Here we have Paul saying that deesds are not necesary and James saying that they are. The deeds are not at all necesary for salvation neither it is a sin to practice them with the full conviction that because we practice them they will not save us. But the deeds of loving each other and turning the other cheek and helping the less fortunate are a sign that Jesus left for the world to know that we are Christians the we are His followers.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

We Christians should not do the deeds for salvation we do them because it is a consequence of our spiritual birth in Christ, this way people know that we are no longer dead in our sins, we do them because we live in the new kingdom, because we live in the light.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 John 3:14

The apostles all agreed that our salvation was not because of any Mosaic ceremonial ritual we could ever practice.

No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Romans 15:11

Thanks to our salvation is that we do good deeds so that we do not deny our Lord with our deeds.

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good Titus 1:16

Jesus clearly explained it in Matthew 7

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

There is no ceremony that we can practice, feeding the poor or even dying as a living sacrifice will not qualify as an act for salvation. But instead our goods deeds are only a consequence a testimony of our already acquired Salvation thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. So it is only natural that if we are Christians we will give Christian fruit (deeds).

Being a Friend like Abraham was!

Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 2 Chronicles 2:7
But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend Isaiah 41:8
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. James 2:23

The bible tells us in three ocasions that Abraham was considered a friend of God. But I often wondered what where the qualities that made him a Friend of God? How can we follow Abraham’s example on being a true Friend? Well Jesus tells the answer to these questions.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this,that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:13-17

Here in this passage Jesus said that one of his comands is to lay down our lifes for our friends thus loving each other. In another passage Jesus is clearer on what the commandments are:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

So the requirements to becoming a friend of Jesus is to obey His commandments and the commandments are #1 is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Then commandment #2 is to love your neighbor as yourself. We see Abraham obeying this commandments. He loved God more than anything and he also loved his neighbors as himself.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Genesis 22:2-12

This just an amazing prove of how much Abraham loved God that he was going to lay down his very own sons life to sacrifice. And if you know anything about the story of Abraham and Isaac, we know that Isaac was the son of promise. Sarah Abraham’s wife was sterile and not able to have children and Isaac was the long awaited child that was born in their old age. Abraham must’ve loved Isaac above himself and above Sarah for that reason God asked for Isaac. But Abraham proved that he did not loved his son Isaac above God, since he was willing to give him up. This is how Abraham fulfills commandment #1.

Abraham also showed that he loved his neighbor as himself when he advocated for Sodom and Gomorrah. God was fed up with the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah and was about to destroy it, but when he tells Abraham what he is about to do Abraham tries to negotiate with God to not destroy it. In Genesis 18:16-33 we find the whole story.

The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Genesis 18:22-25

Abraham starts with fifty and he comes back several times until he gets down to 10 righteous. Unfortunatly he does not find any righteous man and the city gets destroyed. But Abraham tried he took his time to try to save them.

Now do we obey Jesus commands to Love him with all our heart, souls and minds? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? Are we willing to lay down our lifes for our friends? If the answer is yes to these question than you are a FRIEND.

My first time at Western Yearly Meeting

This is my first time at Western Yearly Meeting. I am not too familiar with the yearly meeting yet but from what I can see I know that the Holy Spirit is moving. Sure the yearly meeting does have problems but who does not? I am very excited for the things that are happening here. One of the things that reasured me was that before yearly meeting sessions our clerk led a prayer service. Just the act of looking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit before engaging in business. It was a gesture of whatever we do we are doing it because of search for God and only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This has made me very optimistic.

The visit of our new FWCC section of the Americas Secretary Robin Mohr has also brought great enthusiasm for us that are going to be participating at the world conference 2012 in Kenya.

Different conversations with Kenyans are also very exciting, Visitors from other parts of the world like Belize.

I am very new to Western but I know that I have found a family that I can also sit and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 1:9-11
New International Version (NIV)

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

That of God in Everyone!

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:14-21

Jesus begins his ministry by telling us what his purpose is. His purpose is to bring freedom to everyone. Jesus did not limit his love to the best people in society. Jesus did not care about ethnicity, age, gender, social status, or anything else. He loved us all the same he made no exceptions. Jesus came to rescue something that is very valuable to him which is humanity. Jesus came to rescue a part of him. Quakers have the phrase “that of God in everyone” Which I have always tied to the creation of the Earth.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them Genesis 1:26-27

So yes even the prostitudes have that of God, the Samaritan woman too, the tax collector, the Roman centurion, the Jewish teacher of the law, the leppers, and even Saul the church persecuter. We will be looking a few examples of the ministry of Jesus.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:3-11

This woman was caught in adultery she deserved to die by law in Exodus 20:14 we find that the law said “You shall not commit adultery” but Jesus saw that this woman was valuable to him and Jesus in his great love decided to give a chance. Regardless of the crime that this woman had commited Jesus saw that in her was that of God. Another criminal that Jesus loved was the thief on the cross, eventhough the world had condemned him Jesus did not.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43

Again another person that broke the law. One of the ten commandments is “You shall not steal.” Regardless of his crime and although the world had condemned him Jesus did not. Jesus loved this man that was created by him in his image, there was that of God in him aswell. The last example we will be looking at is about a man that in our human eyes was worst than any of the two examples that we examined. He delighted in the killing of the early Christians. This man was Saul of Tarsus, the early Christians were afraid of him. Saul of Tarsus hated Christians. He made it his goal to capture, then bring Christians to public trial and execution. Saul was present when the first Christian martyr (named Stephen) was killed by an angry mob.

At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him.On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Acts 7:57-8:1

Later on we see that Saul himself testify of him persecuting the church.

I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

Acts 22:4-5

But no human being is so bad, so criminal that Jesus can not rescue her or him.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Acts 9:1-9

Jesus appeared to Saul later Paul. If Paul who was a terorizer pharisee persecutor of the early church and The Light Jesus literally overcame him. Then Osama bin Laden the man that many of us were afraid of, the man that harmed our nation, the man responsible for many deaths around the world. He also qualified for the inmense love of Jesus. For that reason we can not celebrate his assasination although he was responsible for many more deaths just like Saul was. Yet he was another person that had that of God in him and we killed him. No darkness is more powerful than The Light.

Jesus said:

“While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John 9:5

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5

As Christians our duty is to go out into the world and let them know that they are precious in Jesus’ eyes. It does not matter how unworthy and criminal their actions have been. There is one that has come to recuperate the precious treasure that had been lost and that one is Jesus. This is the foundation of Quakerism, George Fox said:

Now the Lord God opened to me by his invisible power that every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ and I saw it shine through all and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation to the light of life and became the children of it … that the manifestation of the Spirit of God was given to every man to profit withal.

George Fox

Quakers did not discover anything new, they were just going back to foundation of Christianity that had been forgotten. John Woolman also spoke of this:

Our gracious Creator cares and provides for all his creatures. His tender mercies are over all his works, and so far as his love influences our minds, so far we become interested in his workmanship and feel a desire to take hold of every opportunity to lessen the distresses of the afflicted and increase the happiness of the creation.

John Woolman

Jesus is ready to answer that of God in everyone.

Conversations with Oneness Pentecostals

For the past few months I have been exploring and having conversations with Oneness Pentecostals. I just do not understand where they come from in many of their arguments. They believe they are the only group that is going to heaven and God only limits himself to deal with them and no one else. As anyone can see this attitude is not an attitude that the real people of God can have. They are always very busy trying to convince that only they are right. From what I have research I am not the only that gets this impression of them. They are various points that I do not understand where they are coming from: here they are…

They will call the Catholic Church the Great Whore of Babylon found in the book of Revelation chapter 17 and will always argue how the rest of the Protestants are just like the Catholic Church. It is just ironic that the ones that employed the use of this term when refering to the Catholic Church were Martin Luther (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509–1564) and John Knox (1510–1572) all of them were trinitarian. On the Babylonian Captivity of the Chuch Martin Luther harshly condemns the papacy. Oneness Pentecostals will gladly say Amen to all of these reformers allegations against the Catholic Church but will condemn them in the end because they are trinitarian.

“Secondly, I would remark upon this divine Word, “Let Us Make,”–that it appertains to the mystery and confirmation of our faith: by which, we believe that there is ONE GOD, from all eternity and THREE distinct Persons in ONE Divinity or divine Essence,– the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Jews, indeed, attempt, in various ways, to elude this passage…I would demand, secondly, what the creation of man had to do with angels or angels with it?…Wherefore, God speaks here of Makers or Creators. This expression therefore could not design, or imply, angels….Wherefore, most assuredly, the Holy Trinity is here intended of God…For all the THREE Persons here concur, and speak unitedly, when they say, ‘Let Us make.'”
Martin Luther

These argument against the Catholic Church is not originally theirs and they will condemn the reformers that shaped this concept.

They will often say that they are very different from the Catholic Church and that they never had anything to do with them but two early popes had the same false doctrine (Zephyrinus and Callistus) as they do. They can trace back their history to these two early popes.

Another thing is that on the surface they seem to be so fundamentalist. For example they want to take the story of the creation in Genesis literally and they want to take most of the New Testament in the literal sense specially when it come to water baptism in Acts 2:38. But they are not really fundamentalist, a hardcore fundamentalist Christian will never admit that the bible has errors. Their argument will often be that trinitarians twisted the bible yet they want to condemn the world with a bible that they believe has errors. Their arguments can sound liberal, honestly I never expected that a Oneness Pentecostal would say that the bible was adulterated because they seemed so fundamentalist. They will say Amen to the allegations of a trinitarian where there are errors but will condemn the same trinitarian for biblically trying to explain the doctrine of the trinity. On the surface they seem fundamentalist but on a closer examination they will argue that the bible has errors and parts that are not inspired just like any liberal would, yet they want to condemn the world with a bible which they accept to have mistakes. They pick and choose the side that is convenient to them.

Supposedly they are Arminian but when speaking to them they will often say things that really sounds like the doctrine of the predestination. They will argue that God chooses whom to seal with the Holy Spirit. It is not our choice to receive the Holy Spirit it is God’s will on whom will receive it. If according to them God chooses whom to give the seal of the Holy Spirit and receiving the seal according to scripture is the guarantee of what is to come (salvation) then we could say that they are not Arminian and in fact they are Calvinist. But in trying to push their own agenda they loose their Arminian doctrine. Again they pick and choose sides when is convenient.

set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:22

They will also say things that they do not need Holidays to celebrate that for them everyday is a celebration. This sound very much like a Quaker ideal, Quakers did not celebrate holidays because they thought that everyday should be devoted to God. Although primitive Quakers did not celebrate for different reasons that Oneness Pentecostals don’t celebrate. Quakers did not celebrate because they thought that the church had become to dependent and replaced the spiritual reality with holidays and rituals. Unfortunatly Oneness Pentecostals do depend on the ritual of water baptism for salvation with the specific formula in Acts 2:38 as opposed to the formula in Matthew 28:19. They do not celebrate holidays because of its suppose pagan origin, and will side with many liberal arguments about mainstream Christians being just like pagans but they won’t agree when these same liberals make allegations of Jesus being a pagan. Again they only take sides when its convenient to push their religious agenda.

The Oneness Pentecostals will often claim anti-trinitarian historical figures such as Sabellious as a prove that they always existed but in the end they will condemn him and others because they did not fulfilled the Oneness requirements of salvation which are water baptism in the Name of Jesus and speaking in tongues as a sign of the Holy Spirit.

It is very sad that this group will only take sides when its convenient to them but they do not have an identity of their own. These are only observations of having conversations with them. I hope that the readers could take their time and do more research on this group, that their only agenda is to be anti-trinitarian. There is alot of biblical evidence exposed by many trusted scholars (that they trust when convenient) that shows their false teachings.

Are we God? Does America trust God?

Like everyone else I am procesing the news that Osama bin Laden is dead. There are different opinions out there some are celebrating, some are doubtful that he is dead wanting to see the death certificate, others feel relieved and others don’t have an opinion. One thing everyone knows is that Osama deserved to be punished. He executed evil plans and was responsible for the death of thousands of people around the world. There was no question or doubt that he was evil, it was clear that he was evil. According to the bible we are ALL evil not just Osama is evil we are all evil.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5

The only one that is not evil and is good is God:

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him Nahum 1:7

They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Psalm 145:7

Unfortunatly many of us believe that we are God and want to do God’s part but none of us are free from evil.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1

By seeking revenge and killing we are demonstrating that we either don’t trust that God is righteous or that we think He needs help in the revenge. The bible often told us that revenge and justice belongs to God and not us.

In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.This is the name by which he will be called:The Lord Our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:5

The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked. Psalm 129:4

Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments. Psalm 119:137

“O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.” Ezra 9:15

“However, You are just in all that has come upon us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. Nehemiah 9:33

Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. Daniel 9:14

As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish 1 Samuel 26:10

Therefore, this is what the LORD says: “See, I will defend your cause and avenge you; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. Jeremiah 51:36

May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice. Psalm 72:2

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’ Deuteronomy 32:35

O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! Psalm 94:1

For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” Hebrews 10:30

‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18

Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. Proverbs 20:22

Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” Proverbs 24:29

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Romans 12:17

Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 2 Timothy 4:14

We need to learn to trust God if he has promised justice he is the one that will punish our enemies it is not our duty.

(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

Not trusting God to be God can have consequences.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Proverbs 24:17-18

Because I trust that God is a righteous God and revenge is His and not mine, I trusted that God himself would strike Osama and do justice. Unfortunatly America does not trust God.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11

The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day Isaiah 2:17

Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”
Isaiah 37:20

Today America demonstrated that we do not trust God. I will close with the words of Micah Bales: Vengeance of our own denies the power of God’s justice.

Who To Believe?

Knock! knock! knock! Its the Jehovah Witness at your door to tell you that the bible you have been reading is not the correct bible and that the New World Translation Bible its the correct one. That the King James Version and the American Standard Version that you are probably using and until the 1960’s they used is not correct.

One of the members of a Unitarian Universalist Church that belongs to the Jesus seminar tells you that not all of the bible has been inspired and that Jesus words have been corrupted. He will usually quote John Dominic Crossan or Marcus J. Borg who are most interested in discovering the historical Jesus rather than Jesus the Friend. Or another member of the same church will tell you that the bible has the same authority as the Quran, Vedas, generally other sacred text. Another will tell you that any sacred texts have no authority.

A few members of a Oneness Pentecostal Church will tell you that the bible has over 2,000 errors, although they might seem fundamentalist superficially but on a closer examination they argue the same points that a liberal might argue. The church’s general view will say that the King James Version, Douay-Rheims Bible,
Webster’s Bible Translation, Young’s Literal Translation has a verse added (1 John 5:7) for that reason the New International Version, New Living Translation, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, International Standard Version, GOD’S WORD® Translation, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English, Darby Bible Translation, English Revised Version, Weymouth New Testament World English Bible don’t have it. They will generally say that it was the trinitarians specially the Catholics that adulterated the bible but ironically the New Revised Standard Version does not include the verse in question. Why would they not included in their latest version? If they were the ones that adulterated it. I am no able theologian therefore I am not able to make judgement if the verse is ispired or not. A trinitarian whose opinion is that the verse is not included in the original greek text said this:

the removal of this text does nothing to weaken the evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity, or to modify that doctrine. As it was never used to shape the early belief of the Christian world on the subject, so its rejection, and its removal from the New Testament, will do nothing to modify that doctrine. The doctrine was embraced, and held, and successfully defended without it, and it can and will be so still.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Oneness Pentecostals will only agree with this theologian on the part that the verse is not inspired and that is only found in two later manuscript but will disagree with this statement. They expect me to agree on the part that they agree with this scholar but disagree on the part that they disagree with.

Another group the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) also believe that the bible is spurious. Joseph Smith claimed, “Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.” Brigham Young said further, “… many precious things have been rejected in the compilation and translation of the Bible” Even further than this Joseph Smith suposedly had a vision that he was the one chosen to restore the true Church to the world by bringing forth the Book of Mormon.

The Muslims will also say that the bible has many errors and the Koran does not thus superior.

Now there is a common denominator between all these groups they are ANTI-trinitarian. They are often too busy trying to convince the world that the bible is spurious. When I come across people like this I often question a few things for example do I trust a scholar, theologian, a pastor a member of any of this churches to tell me what is inspired and what is not inspired? Do I trust a human being to tell me that the bible has been adulterated? Why would I believe a group over another? After all they all claim to have prove but I am no expert in the subject how can I trust them? What if I would have never crossed paths with these groups would God send me to hell for believing in a bible that was adulterated and given to me? Would God even allow the bible to be adulterated? Wouldn’t the Holy Spirit guide us to see what parts are inspired and which ones are not? It just does not sound correct when I have to trust a human to tell me what parts of the bible are inspired and should trust and which ones are not and should not believe.

Well the bible itself tells us:

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me
John 5:39

We have to remember that the bible can only be studied with the guidance of the one that inspired it, the Holy Spirit. We should trust the Holy Spirit over any teaching of any man. The bible and the Holy Spirit will never contradict each other.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13

the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:17

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

I stand behind the words of the Apologist Robert Barclay:

From the revelations of the Spirit of God to the faithful have come the scriptures of Truth, which contain: (1) a faithful historical account of the behavior of God’s people in various ages and of the many unusual and remarkable acts of God which they experienced, (2) a prophetic account of some things already past, and of others yet to come, (3) a full and adequate account of all of the chief principles of the doctrine of Christ which were spoken, or which were written, by the motions of God’s Spirit at various times in treasured declarations, exhortations, and maxims which were given to certain churches and their pastors.

The Bible is a faithful declaration of the Spirit containing all the chief doctrines of Christianity, and thus can be relied upon as an authority and a check as to whether claimed revelations of the Spirit are true revelations. The Bible can only be truly understood when we are in that Spirit which is its source.