George Offerman
If this past year is any indication of things to come, 2011 is going to be a wild ride in many different aspects. Over the past few days, there have been reviews of 2010 and the major events as the MSM sees them. It is many of the events that seem important in the larger context that seemed to have been given the short end of coverage, but this is not unexpected, given the nature of things as they stand now. Given that it seems we have not learned much in the past year concerning preparation and understanding the nature of these times, I fully expect an escalation of both graces by God, as well as curses by the evil one. Battle lines will continue to be drawn, and it seems like we will be tested in areas we may not like or be prepared for.
Pro lifers saw the passage of the most vile legislation in the hell care bill (law) which will not only result in taxpayer funded abortion, but will bring about rationing of care, and yes, the dreaded death panels that the Demovamps vehemently denied during the debate. We will start to see the exodus of the top health care providers as they are run out of business due to reduced payouts, overburdening requirements and other unintended consequences of this law, or just decide to get out for sanity’s sake. We also saw another Supreme Court justice sworn to the bench who is no friend of the pro lifers in Kagan, and there was barely a fight from our side. We saw the significant change in the Legislative branch in the past November elections, but this tidal wave of change was primarily instigated by the Tea party, which focused on financial responsibility, smaller government, and saving the Republic and not the ‘social issues’ the pro lifers would like to believe.
We witnessed some of the largest financial meltdowns in the history of the world, and coverage was minimized and downplayed. We witnessed one of the most devastating environmental disasters and few in the MSM pressed Obama on his lack of response for the first 50 + days of this. Deadly chemicals were used in ‘containing’ this mess and the news of many of the clean up crews getting sick and dying made no headlines and was nominally covered in the few stories that did make it out. We saw many of our rights taken away in the name of ‘national security’ and there is now talk of doing similar searches and impositions by government on subways trains and busses in the near future. With little resistance given in these measures, it will be very likely this intrusive and freedom hating government will continue to stomp on the Constitution and Bill of Rights over the next year.
What could be in store for 2011? Ultimately, the answer resides in our response to these matters listed above. If we continue to hold to our fractured and liberal beliefs about our faith, and do little to nothing, it will be way worse. If the Church continues on in its muzzled silence, evil will continue to progress at a stunning rate. If there are enough true warriors out there, willing to be inconvenienced and persecuted, we may have a great revival in our time and send the dark powers back to hell where they belong. It seems we truly are at a crossroads in historical terms, seeing events that have never occurred in world history, and at magnitudes not imagined just a generation ago. Whichever way we go, huge changes are coming next year.
If we continue on in the current pattern of inertia, we will see a huge earthquake in the financial world. The U.S. Treasury bubble is getting close to explosion, and if this occurs, the outcome could not even be made into a movie that anyone would believe at this time. It will set off a chain reaction of disasters that will effectively end the way of life as we know it in these good ol ‘Untied States’. All that we have come to depend on, and all the things that have clouded our relationship with God will be wiped away, and we will have to contend with our maker, and relearn dependency on him for survival. I will not get more specific than that in this posting, but I will give one specific concern/fear/warning I have for people. There is talk of the Government taking over all 401 k and other retirement plans, and substituting them for ‘guaranteed annuities’ backed by U.S. Treasury bonds. This is the last bastion of wealth this spendthrift group of thugs can land to sustain this ponzi scheme they have unleashed, and the door may be closing quickly for one to withdrawal these funds and get into commodities (especially silver).
If we do pull it together and go before the Lord with humble and contrite hearts, we may see a massive defeat of the money powers, as well as getting our Republic back. With the money powers defeated, along with their hellish gospel of scarcity (which includes legalized child killing) we will truly see a renaissance here, with a much more prosperous, healthy and God fearing nation than what we may have known in our lives. This requires action, guts and a plan that spells out total victory versus the cursed incrementalism that is embraced at this time. It can be done, because God says it is so, when men are willing to act in his will and act in faith, not by sight. Do we have what it takes to make it happen? The next 12 months will give us that answer.
BUY SILVER, LOTS OF IT.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
COMPARTMENTALIZATION
George Offerman
First off, a heartfelt thank you for those who have been wondering why there has been an inconsistency in the postings over the past month or so. Many things have occurred which needed my attention plus I also wanted a mental break from all of this. This is much more time consuming than one might think, and it takes a significant amount of preparation time to put this together. The good news is, since this is a free site, there are not a lot of ticked off subscribers and so forth, but I still want to be consistent in the postings in the future. It has been enjoyable writing these postings, and the hope is that it has helped some out there.
If incrementalism is the pro life movement’s sin, then compartmentalization is the average Christian’s sin. This has been apparent for too long and compartmentalization has bled into all areas and aspects of the modern man’s life, which also includes Christianity. It never ceases to amaze me when people of good moral character, don’t want to look at the larger picture, or want to deny the very real manifestations of evil in this world. It especially frustrates me when those that do acknowledge the evil, do not take it to its conclusion and believe somehow that we are exempt from judgment or wrath of God.
I have always had a teleological approach to life and want to know where we are going. I want to know how my actions today are going to affect my tomorrows, my next year, and the rest of my life. On a larger scale, I want to know where we are going as a people, nation, and world, and how we go about making the decisions we do. So when I come across people (which is nearly everyone) who want to ‘debunk’ things like judgment, so called conspiracies, economic rumblings and likely collapse, I cannot understand how they can see what is in front of them, and not get the underlying causes, or what the end results of this will be. Too many people respond in a Polly Anna sort of fashion by believing ‘things will get better’ in some magical way, and without effort on their part. They in effect, compartmentalize themselves, and believe life is made up of small, unrelated pieces that can be put together in any fashion of their choosing.
I’ve experienced much of this from pro lifers who have been bothered by my writing about prophecy, the money powers and their institutions, the silver markets and such. I have attempted to make the case they are all intimately related, and to take one without the other pieces is like trying to see the tree by looking at each individual leaf one at a time. The problem is that many of the pro lifers, once they finish their pro life activity, go back to their ‘normal’ lives thinking things will continue on in the same fashion no matter what. There is not that connectedness with the other aspects of their lives and existence and in many cases, not even a curiosity in wanting to know about the forces that exist around them. If there is a Just God, and legalized child killing is truly the gravest of sins, then there does necessarily, have to be an effect upon the rest of our existence and we need to be aware of it, and act on this knowledge.
These children that are being slaughtered have as much right to exist as we do. Because we are knowingly and willingly allowing this slaughter of the innocent to continue, God is not simply sitting back and playing the ‘victim’ by doing nothing. God is very active in this war, and He is attempting to get our attention by sending warnings first then judgments that will become larger until He has our full and undivided attention. If one understands and accepts this premise, then it is rather easy to see what will ‘go’ as sin progresses. We worship money, fame, wealth, consumerism, status, comfort and convenience. These things will be taken away from us if we do not become contrite and humble, and ask for forgiveness and change the laws and end this holocaust.
God wants these children to be born, and to complete their missions as God has deemed. When we deliberately interfere with His Divine will by indiscriminately murdering these innocent ones, it is at our peril and there will be consequences that are commensurate with the crime. This is not a matter of opinion; this is a matter of sowing and reaping and the full cup principle, and there are no exceptions to it. We may have been socialized into believing life is made up of unrelated parts that are independent of each other, but reality spells out something very different. We cannot live in a nation that endorses the wholesale slaughter of the most innocent and be blessed by God. All of these things we chase and see as important will be gone, and most likely sooner than later. We are in deep trouble as a nation and this next year will pose many great challenges that we may find out we are not ready for.
So, I will continue writing about these very relevant topics and can only hope that readers begin to understand their relevance in the larger scheme of things. Denial of these problems will not stop these problems from manifesting themselves and we need to be clear with ourselves and those we love that warnings and/or judgments are on their way. Most likely we can expect economic earthquakes in the next 12 months, as this will get most people’s attention. From there, it could be anything from food and water riots to breakdown in social structure. We can hope this will not happen, but by the virtue there is little urgency in attending to these matters, the likelihood of catastrophe becomes greater as complacency rolls on.
First off, a heartfelt thank you for those who have been wondering why there has been an inconsistency in the postings over the past month or so. Many things have occurred which needed my attention plus I also wanted a mental break from all of this. This is much more time consuming than one might think, and it takes a significant amount of preparation time to put this together. The good news is, since this is a free site, there are not a lot of ticked off subscribers and so forth, but I still want to be consistent in the postings in the future. It has been enjoyable writing these postings, and the hope is that it has helped some out there.
If incrementalism is the pro life movement’s sin, then compartmentalization is the average Christian’s sin. This has been apparent for too long and compartmentalization has bled into all areas and aspects of the modern man’s life, which also includes Christianity. It never ceases to amaze me when people of good moral character, don’t want to look at the larger picture, or want to deny the very real manifestations of evil in this world. It especially frustrates me when those that do acknowledge the evil, do not take it to its conclusion and believe somehow that we are exempt from judgment or wrath of God.
I have always had a teleological approach to life and want to know where we are going. I want to know how my actions today are going to affect my tomorrows, my next year, and the rest of my life. On a larger scale, I want to know where we are going as a people, nation, and world, and how we go about making the decisions we do. So when I come across people (which is nearly everyone) who want to ‘debunk’ things like judgment, so called conspiracies, economic rumblings and likely collapse, I cannot understand how they can see what is in front of them, and not get the underlying causes, or what the end results of this will be. Too many people respond in a Polly Anna sort of fashion by believing ‘things will get better’ in some magical way, and without effort on their part. They in effect, compartmentalize themselves, and believe life is made up of small, unrelated pieces that can be put together in any fashion of their choosing.
I’ve experienced much of this from pro lifers who have been bothered by my writing about prophecy, the money powers and their institutions, the silver markets and such. I have attempted to make the case they are all intimately related, and to take one without the other pieces is like trying to see the tree by looking at each individual leaf one at a time. The problem is that many of the pro lifers, once they finish their pro life activity, go back to their ‘normal’ lives thinking things will continue on in the same fashion no matter what. There is not that connectedness with the other aspects of their lives and existence and in many cases, not even a curiosity in wanting to know about the forces that exist around them. If there is a Just God, and legalized child killing is truly the gravest of sins, then there does necessarily, have to be an effect upon the rest of our existence and we need to be aware of it, and act on this knowledge.
These children that are being slaughtered have as much right to exist as we do. Because we are knowingly and willingly allowing this slaughter of the innocent to continue, God is not simply sitting back and playing the ‘victim’ by doing nothing. God is very active in this war, and He is attempting to get our attention by sending warnings first then judgments that will become larger until He has our full and undivided attention. If one understands and accepts this premise, then it is rather easy to see what will ‘go’ as sin progresses. We worship money, fame, wealth, consumerism, status, comfort and convenience. These things will be taken away from us if we do not become contrite and humble, and ask for forgiveness and change the laws and end this holocaust.
God wants these children to be born, and to complete their missions as God has deemed. When we deliberately interfere with His Divine will by indiscriminately murdering these innocent ones, it is at our peril and there will be consequences that are commensurate with the crime. This is not a matter of opinion; this is a matter of sowing and reaping and the full cup principle, and there are no exceptions to it. We may have been socialized into believing life is made up of unrelated parts that are independent of each other, but reality spells out something very different. We cannot live in a nation that endorses the wholesale slaughter of the most innocent and be blessed by God. All of these things we chase and see as important will be gone, and most likely sooner than later. We are in deep trouble as a nation and this next year will pose many great challenges that we may find out we are not ready for.
So, I will continue writing about these very relevant topics and can only hope that readers begin to understand their relevance in the larger scheme of things. Denial of these problems will not stop these problems from manifesting themselves and we need to be clear with ourselves and those we love that warnings and/or judgments are on their way. Most likely we can expect economic earthquakes in the next 12 months, as this will get most people’s attention. From there, it could be anything from food and water riots to breakdown in social structure. We can hope this will not happen, but by the virtue there is little urgency in attending to these matters, the likelihood of catastrophe becomes greater as complacency rolls on.
Friday, December 24, 2010
CHRISTMAS 2010
George Offerman
This is the time of the year that one gets a chance to contemplate their relationships with the Lord, if they understand the nature of this time. Unfortunately, there are too many distractions and concerns getting in the way of remembering that God, through His infinite love, manifested Himself in human form for the sake of our salvation. This message is so lost in our times and it seems it is only remembered when one goes to Church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. What a sad testimony towards our faith and our creator.
As Christians first and Americans second, what do we want to accomplish in the upcoming year? Will we be too focused on the economy and our pocketbooks, or will it focus more on the fundamentals of our faith, such as guaranteeing life for all, bringing the Word of God to a lost world, or simply just being loving and caring towards our fellow man? Unfortunately, this season tends to bring out good will, only to end when the tree is put away, and the Visa bills come in, because the true meaning of Christmas is misunderstood and cast aside like some used electronic gizmo that has outlived its usefulness.
Without question, this past year has brought many challenges to our country and way of life. How many have thought that it was brought on by our way of life? Many want to complain about what has happened, but want to do little about it, and will even do less when considering we all have a part to play in this. We have such a sense of entitlement in this country, and are very quick to blame others when things don’t go the way we want them to. This is the antithesis of Christmas, in which the Son of God took the form of a human, and ultimately died a brutal death for sins he did not commit in order to save those who don’t deserve it.
The sense of giving and charity should not revolve around a certain part of the year when people dress up in red suits ringing bells, and nice music is played on the radio, and all sorts of things are advertised for half price. What if God gave to us in the same fashion that we show giving and charity? We would only have a few weeks at the most each year that we could count on blessings, and it would be during the times of the rest of the year we would find out how helpless we really are. We would find that God’s protection and blessings are not a part time endeavor, and we would be really upset if we ended up with less than a full time God.
I am grateful there is a God out there who can deliver much more than I can ever imagine, and that it is not dependent upon my efforts to make it happen. We just have to be willing to accept this free gift and then carry it to the world. It definitely requires us to be open to discomfort and inconvenience, but this is such a small price to pay when considering eternity and what awaits us there. That is what the real message of Christmas is. Without the birth of the God man, all would be lost, and the amount of agony and suffering would be magnitudes higher than what we see today. This is the lesson we need to take from this Christmas. And no matter what happens next year concerning our country and world, we have a God that loves us to the point of death and will not abandon us in our hour of need.
This is the time of the year that one gets a chance to contemplate their relationships with the Lord, if they understand the nature of this time. Unfortunately, there are too many distractions and concerns getting in the way of remembering that God, through His infinite love, manifested Himself in human form for the sake of our salvation. This message is so lost in our times and it seems it is only remembered when one goes to Church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. What a sad testimony towards our faith and our creator.
As Christians first and Americans second, what do we want to accomplish in the upcoming year? Will we be too focused on the economy and our pocketbooks, or will it focus more on the fundamentals of our faith, such as guaranteeing life for all, bringing the Word of God to a lost world, or simply just being loving and caring towards our fellow man? Unfortunately, this season tends to bring out good will, only to end when the tree is put away, and the Visa bills come in, because the true meaning of Christmas is misunderstood and cast aside like some used electronic gizmo that has outlived its usefulness.
Without question, this past year has brought many challenges to our country and way of life. How many have thought that it was brought on by our way of life? Many want to complain about what has happened, but want to do little about it, and will even do less when considering we all have a part to play in this. We have such a sense of entitlement in this country, and are very quick to blame others when things don’t go the way we want them to. This is the antithesis of Christmas, in which the Son of God took the form of a human, and ultimately died a brutal death for sins he did not commit in order to save those who don’t deserve it.
The sense of giving and charity should not revolve around a certain part of the year when people dress up in red suits ringing bells, and nice music is played on the radio, and all sorts of things are advertised for half price. What if God gave to us in the same fashion that we show giving and charity? We would only have a few weeks at the most each year that we could count on blessings, and it would be during the times of the rest of the year we would find out how helpless we really are. We would find that God’s protection and blessings are not a part time endeavor, and we would be really upset if we ended up with less than a full time God.
I am grateful there is a God out there who can deliver much more than I can ever imagine, and that it is not dependent upon my efforts to make it happen. We just have to be willing to accept this free gift and then carry it to the world. It definitely requires us to be open to discomfort and inconvenience, but this is such a small price to pay when considering eternity and what awaits us there. That is what the real message of Christmas is. Without the birth of the God man, all would be lost, and the amount of agony and suffering would be magnitudes higher than what we see today. This is the lesson we need to take from this Christmas. And no matter what happens next year concerning our country and world, we have a God that loves us to the point of death and will not abandon us in our hour of need.
Monday, December 13, 2010
IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID
George Offerman
The above phrase ushered Bill Clinton into office in 1992, as it resonated with the general public. No matter what one thinks about Bill Clinton, he definitely is a master at reading the ‘tea leaves’ and exploiting the situation to his advantage. Bill Clinton is also the master at ‘redefining reality’ or in terms of antiquity, lying. But the only way to consistently lie and sell this to most people, is to first understand the truth of the reality one is in, and twist it enough, to sound credible. Unfortunately, too many of the pro life organizations have lost the ability to see the truth of the current reality, and are thus ‘fooled’ by this group that was elected, and who supposedly made promises to them pertaining to pro life issues.
This point has been brought up in many previous postings on this site, as well as by others, but it has largely fallen on deaf ears. The mainstream pro life movement, lead by many of the 501 c 3 organizations, has sold many on the idea that it was actually them, and not the tea party, that swung the elections the way that they went. If this were true, the pro life issue would be front and center, instead of something that is being cast aside without much thought or fanfare by the ‘new’ congress and its leaders. What is front and center is the economy. For anyone to argue against this would look very foolish and would be outside of the current reality by miles.
That is why it is so disheartening to see many of these organizations now ‘whining’ about many of the politicians making bold statements about keeping the ‘social issues’ in the background, and focusing on the economic realities. I truly have to wonder if these organizations witnessed what I saw, and what seemed to be so obvious to the average American. The tea party arose from the out of control nature of the government spending way too much money, running up debt that has no chance in hell of ever being repaid, taking over too much of the economy, and taking away too many rights, while giving many of the criminals in white collars and nice suits, free passes on our dime.
This is what was on the average American’s mind during the run up and subsequent election. Many in the pro life movement have been too busy hob knobbing with the enemy, and playing by their rules to have had much effect in stirring up the much needed passion to make legalized child killing front and center. Those who did have the courage to ‘stir the pot’ such as Missy Smith, were labeled ‘extremists’ and disregarded by the majority of the pro life groups. The problem is, legalized child killing is out of sight of the average American and as such, is normally a non issue when it is time to cast a ballot. The economy was, and still is, front and center, and affects the common man deeply. The common man will respond to what is in front of him, and truth be told, outside of Missy Smith and a few others, legalized child killing as an issue was MIA in this election cycle. No amount of revision of recent history by many of these pro life organizations will change this reality.
So, while these various pro life organizations continue to peddle the idea that they were the ones responsible for the outcomes of the elections, the reality surrounding these claims will continue to fall apart. Of course, these organizations will be the first to gripe, or worse yet be ‘surprised’ when those in office ignore the ‘social’ issues these groups claimed to have elected them for. The truth of the matter is that the politicians will stay true to those who got them in, and it is those whose pocket books were hurt the most. It is the poor economic conditions of this country that ‘pissed’ people off and motivated them into action.
The recklessness of the Demovamps and the Republicants has hit home, and has affected the average American personally. So, they mobilized into the tea party movement and basically cleaned house. The pro life issue was nowhere to be seen and as such, played little into this election. Because the pro lifers were stifled enough by the muzzle of the IRS, this issue was nearly invisible and did not get the attention of the average American. The vilification of the tea party movement by the mainstream press and the establishment proved they were a threat and a force to be reckoned with. The pro life movement, outside of Missy Smith, made no such waves and was not seen as any threat by the MSM or the establishment. So the fruits are being borne as we watch, and we are seeing how barren the front is.
Yet, too many of the pro life organizations are trying to paint a different picture than this. They are trying to convince the pro life community that they were something they were not, and will have to find some incredible explanations for themselves when failure occurs legislatively, as it must for the pro life agenda. As sad as it is, the law of sowing and reaping is in effect. We sanitized our message for the sake of ‘getting along’ and now those elected will ‘sanitize’ their efforts in the pro life arena. We ‘toned down’ the rhetoric in order to get many elected, now they are ‘scaling back’ the social issues in order to deal with the economic issues. We got what we deserved in these candidates.
So, regardless of what the various pro life organizations want to claim, they need to take a good hard look at the reality of the situation and admit that they did not come with their ‘A’ game. Mediocre efforts never result in spectacular outcomes, and this most recent election is no exception to this rule. For those of you who still do not get it, Bill Clinton has the answer for you: it’s the economy, stupid.
The above phrase ushered Bill Clinton into office in 1992, as it resonated with the general public. No matter what one thinks about Bill Clinton, he definitely is a master at reading the ‘tea leaves’ and exploiting the situation to his advantage. Bill Clinton is also the master at ‘redefining reality’ or in terms of antiquity, lying. But the only way to consistently lie and sell this to most people, is to first understand the truth of the reality one is in, and twist it enough, to sound credible. Unfortunately, too many of the pro life organizations have lost the ability to see the truth of the current reality, and are thus ‘fooled’ by this group that was elected, and who supposedly made promises to them pertaining to pro life issues.
This point has been brought up in many previous postings on this site, as well as by others, but it has largely fallen on deaf ears. The mainstream pro life movement, lead by many of the 501 c 3 organizations, has sold many on the idea that it was actually them, and not the tea party, that swung the elections the way that they went. If this were true, the pro life issue would be front and center, instead of something that is being cast aside without much thought or fanfare by the ‘new’ congress and its leaders. What is front and center is the economy. For anyone to argue against this would look very foolish and would be outside of the current reality by miles.
That is why it is so disheartening to see many of these organizations now ‘whining’ about many of the politicians making bold statements about keeping the ‘social issues’ in the background, and focusing on the economic realities. I truly have to wonder if these organizations witnessed what I saw, and what seemed to be so obvious to the average American. The tea party arose from the out of control nature of the government spending way too much money, running up debt that has no chance in hell of ever being repaid, taking over too much of the economy, and taking away too many rights, while giving many of the criminals in white collars and nice suits, free passes on our dime.
This is what was on the average American’s mind during the run up and subsequent election. Many in the pro life movement have been too busy hob knobbing with the enemy, and playing by their rules to have had much effect in stirring up the much needed passion to make legalized child killing front and center. Those who did have the courage to ‘stir the pot’ such as Missy Smith, were labeled ‘extremists’ and disregarded by the majority of the pro life groups. The problem is, legalized child killing is out of sight of the average American and as such, is normally a non issue when it is time to cast a ballot. The economy was, and still is, front and center, and affects the common man deeply. The common man will respond to what is in front of him, and truth be told, outside of Missy Smith and a few others, legalized child killing as an issue was MIA in this election cycle. No amount of revision of recent history by many of these pro life organizations will change this reality.
So, while these various pro life organizations continue to peddle the idea that they were the ones responsible for the outcomes of the elections, the reality surrounding these claims will continue to fall apart. Of course, these organizations will be the first to gripe, or worse yet be ‘surprised’ when those in office ignore the ‘social’ issues these groups claimed to have elected them for. The truth of the matter is that the politicians will stay true to those who got them in, and it is those whose pocket books were hurt the most. It is the poor economic conditions of this country that ‘pissed’ people off and motivated them into action.
The recklessness of the Demovamps and the Republicants has hit home, and has affected the average American personally. So, they mobilized into the tea party movement and basically cleaned house. The pro life issue was nowhere to be seen and as such, played little into this election. Because the pro lifers were stifled enough by the muzzle of the IRS, this issue was nearly invisible and did not get the attention of the average American. The vilification of the tea party movement by the mainstream press and the establishment proved they were a threat and a force to be reckoned with. The pro life movement, outside of Missy Smith, made no such waves and was not seen as any threat by the MSM or the establishment. So the fruits are being borne as we watch, and we are seeing how barren the front is.
Yet, too many of the pro life organizations are trying to paint a different picture than this. They are trying to convince the pro life community that they were something they were not, and will have to find some incredible explanations for themselves when failure occurs legislatively, as it must for the pro life agenda. As sad as it is, the law of sowing and reaping is in effect. We sanitized our message for the sake of ‘getting along’ and now those elected will ‘sanitize’ their efforts in the pro life arena. We ‘toned down’ the rhetoric in order to get many elected, now they are ‘scaling back’ the social issues in order to deal with the economic issues. We got what we deserved in these candidates.
So, regardless of what the various pro life organizations want to claim, they need to take a good hard look at the reality of the situation and admit that they did not come with their ‘A’ game. Mediocre efforts never result in spectacular outcomes, and this most recent election is no exception to this rule. For those of you who still do not get it, Bill Clinton has the answer for you: it’s the economy, stupid.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: DOES GOD CHANGE OR MODIFY PROPHECY?
George Offerman
There seems to be a major increase in people claiming to have visions, locutions or various revelations by God, Jesus, Mary, various saints and angels that pertains to the future. While there is no doubt that God can do what He pleases, and can reveal information as He chooses, are there boundaries that even God Himself will not cross? This question is very relevant in today’s world, as there are multiple numbers of people, along with several ‘apparition’ sites that have popped up, and messages about the future abound. If there is not a methodological way in which to assess these happenings, it can cultivate a crisis of faith and cause doubts about what is real versus illusion.
As covered in the previous hermeneutics posting, the answer and backdrop must be Scripture. Since God is unchanging the messages He passes on must fit into the substance of his being and will for us as revealed through Scriptures. If this was not the case, confusion would reign, and His word would be in doubt. Now, there are those who have argued that God, in fact, has changed or modified prophecy in the Bible. While on the surface, this could be seen as truth in the few occasions in which this point is brought up. But if one does a diligent study of these passages, this assertion is proved to be untrue.
Case Study: Jonah and Nineveh
Many have attempted to use the story of Jonah and Nineveh as an example of God changing, or modifying prophecy. In the book of Jonah, the main proponent, Jonah, is commissioned by God to preach to Nineveh that total destruction of Nineveh will occur in 40 days. Upon the people’s repentance, God “changed his mind’ and called off the imminent judgment on Nineveh. On the surface, this seems to be a clear cut case of God changing or modifying prophecy and this has spurred on others to take it upon themselves to look for exceptions to Biblical principles. When this is done, it then places the expositor in a position of having ‘special knowledge’ and he becomes the sole arbiter of what is taught or what message is conveyed by God to the masses. The Bible does not covey or teach this.
The story of Jonah and Nineveh has two significant lessons. The first being Jonah’s reluctance and distain for the people of Nineveh, and by extension, his mission given by God. The second piece of this story, which is much more important, is the role of forgiveness and repentance, and the power it has. When taken in its full context, the book of Jonah paints a very complete picture of the nature of God, and how He views fallen man, and how we are given every opportunity and benefit of the doubt when it comes to the finality of Judgment.
Jonah was commanded by God to preach to the Ninevites that Nineveh and its inhabitants were to be destroyed in 40 days. Because the Ninevites were hostile to the Jews, and were a sinful lot, Jonah wanted to see them destroyed. Jonah as a Jew was not following the percepts of Judaism in presenting salvation to the gentiles. He was too busy condemning them, and not looking at his own behavior which was just as despicable in the eyes of God. Jonah took a human, not a divine look at the Ninevites, and it was not the message God wanted to convey to these people. This is why God was so harsh on Jonah, as he did everything humanly possible to disobey God’s command and not bring God’s message to Nineveh.
After spending time in the belly of the fish, Jonah ‘got it’ and followed through with his mission. What Jonah did not expect was the people in Nineveh, from the king on down, to put on ashes and sackcloth and repent of their evil. From this perspective, it looked like God ‘changed his mind’ when postponing judgment, and making Jonah look like a ‘liar’ However, had Jonah been more in touch with his own faith and understood the message of salvation, he would have rejoiced in seeing the Mercy of God being exercised on these sinful people. Instead Jonah could not get past his very human hatred of these people, and asked God for death, despite just experiencing the greatest evangelization ever recorded in the Bible.
Because Jonah was not plugged in to the Divine will of God, he was very confused and angry at God for not following through on his judgment of destroying Nineveh. What Jonah failed to realize is, that God was actually very consistent in keeping his word, that those who have a contrite heart will be renewed and forgiven. That is how God reacts to those who call on him for forgiveness. This judgment was not ‘changed, nor modified: it was postponed. The sad truth is Nineveh was destroyed as God prophesized about a century later due to the Ninevites falling back into the same pattern of sin.
So, it is God who stays consistent, and keeps perfect accountability with his words and actions. Being a prophet is a great privilege; but also carries great responsibility in that the one bringing the message must be working within the context of God’s will. But within this context also lies the premise that God is unchangeable and would not deceive the elect with contradictory statements or messages. Discernment is necessary and even Jesus taught that we are to test the spirits. And one way to know whether the message is from God is the consistency it has with the Word. There cannot be contradictions, and there are always accompanying signs that go along with prophecy.
It is possible for God to postpone judgment if man repents and is contrite. So when people have asked me whether I believe Revelation can be stopped, it is only on these grounds, that we repent and are contrite. But if we get to the point of filling our cup of iniquity, the great clock of Revelation will start, and we will go through all of the 14 events prophesized and in the order written. Revelation will not be modified nor changed as proven in the Bible, but can be postponed.
So, for those who have made claims that “God told me’ that parts of Revelation have been cancelled, or that certain events are trumpets outside of the revealed order, you are making false claims and need to cease and desist in your error. There are those who make these claims, and some have also claimed it came to them in a supernatural fashion, by spirit beings, dreams or locutions. Despite the supernatural means, which is very powerful and convincing, it still contradicts Scripture, and sows doubts about the Nature and integrity of God. These are the tools of the enemy, and when the enemy utilizes them, he causes chaos and confusion among the faithful. We’ve been warned that in the end times, delusions will be sent that would even deceive the elect if that were possible. Be on guard against these prophecies and teachings, test them, and do not be afraid to either challenge those making these claims, or just simply outright reject them. However, those that pass the Scripture test ought to be weighed with great gravity and acted upon.
There seems to be a major increase in people claiming to have visions, locutions or various revelations by God, Jesus, Mary, various saints and angels that pertains to the future. While there is no doubt that God can do what He pleases, and can reveal information as He chooses, are there boundaries that even God Himself will not cross? This question is very relevant in today’s world, as there are multiple numbers of people, along with several ‘apparition’ sites that have popped up, and messages about the future abound. If there is not a methodological way in which to assess these happenings, it can cultivate a crisis of faith and cause doubts about what is real versus illusion.
As covered in the previous hermeneutics posting, the answer and backdrop must be Scripture. Since God is unchanging the messages He passes on must fit into the substance of his being and will for us as revealed through Scriptures. If this was not the case, confusion would reign, and His word would be in doubt. Now, there are those who have argued that God, in fact, has changed or modified prophecy in the Bible. While on the surface, this could be seen as truth in the few occasions in which this point is brought up. But if one does a diligent study of these passages, this assertion is proved to be untrue.
Case Study: Jonah and Nineveh
Many have attempted to use the story of Jonah and Nineveh as an example of God changing, or modifying prophecy. In the book of Jonah, the main proponent, Jonah, is commissioned by God to preach to Nineveh that total destruction of Nineveh will occur in 40 days. Upon the people’s repentance, God “changed his mind’ and called off the imminent judgment on Nineveh. On the surface, this seems to be a clear cut case of God changing or modifying prophecy and this has spurred on others to take it upon themselves to look for exceptions to Biblical principles. When this is done, it then places the expositor in a position of having ‘special knowledge’ and he becomes the sole arbiter of what is taught or what message is conveyed by God to the masses. The Bible does not covey or teach this.
The story of Jonah and Nineveh has two significant lessons. The first being Jonah’s reluctance and distain for the people of Nineveh, and by extension, his mission given by God. The second piece of this story, which is much more important, is the role of forgiveness and repentance, and the power it has. When taken in its full context, the book of Jonah paints a very complete picture of the nature of God, and how He views fallen man, and how we are given every opportunity and benefit of the doubt when it comes to the finality of Judgment.
Jonah was commanded by God to preach to the Ninevites that Nineveh and its inhabitants were to be destroyed in 40 days. Because the Ninevites were hostile to the Jews, and were a sinful lot, Jonah wanted to see them destroyed. Jonah as a Jew was not following the percepts of Judaism in presenting salvation to the gentiles. He was too busy condemning them, and not looking at his own behavior which was just as despicable in the eyes of God. Jonah took a human, not a divine look at the Ninevites, and it was not the message God wanted to convey to these people. This is why God was so harsh on Jonah, as he did everything humanly possible to disobey God’s command and not bring God’s message to Nineveh.
After spending time in the belly of the fish, Jonah ‘got it’ and followed through with his mission. What Jonah did not expect was the people in Nineveh, from the king on down, to put on ashes and sackcloth and repent of their evil. From this perspective, it looked like God ‘changed his mind’ when postponing judgment, and making Jonah look like a ‘liar’ However, had Jonah been more in touch with his own faith and understood the message of salvation, he would have rejoiced in seeing the Mercy of God being exercised on these sinful people. Instead Jonah could not get past his very human hatred of these people, and asked God for death, despite just experiencing the greatest evangelization ever recorded in the Bible.
Because Jonah was not plugged in to the Divine will of God, he was very confused and angry at God for not following through on his judgment of destroying Nineveh. What Jonah failed to realize is, that God was actually very consistent in keeping his word, that those who have a contrite heart will be renewed and forgiven. That is how God reacts to those who call on him for forgiveness. This judgment was not ‘changed, nor modified: it was postponed. The sad truth is Nineveh was destroyed as God prophesized about a century later due to the Ninevites falling back into the same pattern of sin.
So, it is God who stays consistent, and keeps perfect accountability with his words and actions. Being a prophet is a great privilege; but also carries great responsibility in that the one bringing the message must be working within the context of God’s will. But within this context also lies the premise that God is unchangeable and would not deceive the elect with contradictory statements or messages. Discernment is necessary and even Jesus taught that we are to test the spirits. And one way to know whether the message is from God is the consistency it has with the Word. There cannot be contradictions, and there are always accompanying signs that go along with prophecy.
It is possible for God to postpone judgment if man repents and is contrite. So when people have asked me whether I believe Revelation can be stopped, it is only on these grounds, that we repent and are contrite. But if we get to the point of filling our cup of iniquity, the great clock of Revelation will start, and we will go through all of the 14 events prophesized and in the order written. Revelation will not be modified nor changed as proven in the Bible, but can be postponed.
So, for those who have made claims that “God told me’ that parts of Revelation have been cancelled, or that certain events are trumpets outside of the revealed order, you are making false claims and need to cease and desist in your error. There are those who make these claims, and some have also claimed it came to them in a supernatural fashion, by spirit beings, dreams or locutions. Despite the supernatural means, which is very powerful and convincing, it still contradicts Scripture, and sows doubts about the Nature and integrity of God. These are the tools of the enemy, and when the enemy utilizes them, he causes chaos and confusion among the faithful. We’ve been warned that in the end times, delusions will be sent that would even deceive the elect if that were possible. Be on guard against these prophecies and teachings, test them, and do not be afraid to either challenge those making these claims, or just simply outright reject them. However, those that pass the Scripture test ought to be weighed with great gravity and acted upon.
Monday, December 6, 2010
THE FUND RAISING NERVE
George Offerman
It seems now that the elections are a ‘distant memory’ (meaning heavy revision of what actually happened) many of the 501 c 3 organizations are in high gear in their fund raising efforts, and making very trumped up claims that they swung the elections for the pro life side. It seems now that the challenge has been thrown out to these groups, some are rather ‘miffed’ they have been called out on this, and in their “Christian Charity’ are being uncharitable and unchristian in their response. It seems that calling these people out and showing how their 501 c 3 status disallowed them to name names has hit a nerve, as it clearly points out their contradictory claims they were very influential in the outcome of the election.
I want to be clear that I have never condemned fund raising for any organization in general, as long as the money is used for the intended purposes of the nature of the organization as well as following through on the mission of the organization. However, when an organization is ‘hamstrung’ by the ‘law’ and thus, is unable to complete said mission, it seems to be fraudulent when it makes claims it is going to ‘change and influence’ the outcome of events such as the recently concluded elections. As stated before, we have clearly documented those organizations that did not want to participate in Missy Smith’s campaign, but we also have in this documentation their resistance in going outside of the letter of the law that the IRS uses as a muzzle.
Most of these organization, if one simply looks at the rhetoric used during the campaign and even in the current fundraising letters, does not even use the word abortion, child killing, holocaust or any such allusion to what they supposedly exist for. It seems very apparent the IRS and ‘political correctness’ have taken over any sensibilities in the very real need to bring out the truth of legalized child killing. These organizations have gone along with the liberal, socialists agenda to sanitize their language, and in effect, make themselves ineffective. Unfortunately, it seems too many of those who contribute to these organizations also see this as viable, and continue to give blindly.
It seems many have either lost their ability to conduct critical thinking exercises, or maybe they have never been able to in the first place. It seems shocking to me that many simply accept any claims made by many of these organizations, and do not take a critical look, or think about what they just saw. Already, many of the ‘newly elected’ are backpedaling on many of these issues, and they haven’t even been seated or sworn in to office! How is it that this information is in plain view, but not seen nor interpreted by many out there? These organizations are not effective in they are not allowed to name names, and do peripheral activities, yet sell this as effective and ‘issue changing’ work. It is very mystifying and frustrating to watch this.
We have a limited window of opportunity to overturn this horrific holocaust, and it is already being squandered. I wonder how Christ centered these organizations really can be when they are muzzled by an evil human organization with contradictory laws, along with raising funds in a minimally shaded way by making claims they cannot back up with documented efforts. God is not going to wait forever, as these mediocre efforts that result in little fruit continue to propagate the massive daily slaughter of God’s most innocent beings. Our cup is getting close to being full, and we better have our eyes on the prize or we will eventually have our eyes on the judgments to come and will have great regrets we didn’t do more when we had the opportunity.
It seems now that the elections are a ‘distant memory’ (meaning heavy revision of what actually happened) many of the 501 c 3 organizations are in high gear in their fund raising efforts, and making very trumped up claims that they swung the elections for the pro life side. It seems now that the challenge has been thrown out to these groups, some are rather ‘miffed’ they have been called out on this, and in their “Christian Charity’ are being uncharitable and unchristian in their response. It seems that calling these people out and showing how their 501 c 3 status disallowed them to name names has hit a nerve, as it clearly points out their contradictory claims they were very influential in the outcome of the election.
I want to be clear that I have never condemned fund raising for any organization in general, as long as the money is used for the intended purposes of the nature of the organization as well as following through on the mission of the organization. However, when an organization is ‘hamstrung’ by the ‘law’ and thus, is unable to complete said mission, it seems to be fraudulent when it makes claims it is going to ‘change and influence’ the outcome of events such as the recently concluded elections. As stated before, we have clearly documented those organizations that did not want to participate in Missy Smith’s campaign, but we also have in this documentation their resistance in going outside of the letter of the law that the IRS uses as a muzzle.
Most of these organization, if one simply looks at the rhetoric used during the campaign and even in the current fundraising letters, does not even use the word abortion, child killing, holocaust or any such allusion to what they supposedly exist for. It seems very apparent the IRS and ‘political correctness’ have taken over any sensibilities in the very real need to bring out the truth of legalized child killing. These organizations have gone along with the liberal, socialists agenda to sanitize their language, and in effect, make themselves ineffective. Unfortunately, it seems too many of those who contribute to these organizations also see this as viable, and continue to give blindly.
It seems many have either lost their ability to conduct critical thinking exercises, or maybe they have never been able to in the first place. It seems shocking to me that many simply accept any claims made by many of these organizations, and do not take a critical look, or think about what they just saw. Already, many of the ‘newly elected’ are backpedaling on many of these issues, and they haven’t even been seated or sworn in to office! How is it that this information is in plain view, but not seen nor interpreted by many out there? These organizations are not effective in they are not allowed to name names, and do peripheral activities, yet sell this as effective and ‘issue changing’ work. It is very mystifying and frustrating to watch this.
We have a limited window of opportunity to overturn this horrific holocaust, and it is already being squandered. I wonder how Christ centered these organizations really can be when they are muzzled by an evil human organization with contradictory laws, along with raising funds in a minimally shaded way by making claims they cannot back up with documented efforts. God is not going to wait forever, as these mediocre efforts that result in little fruit continue to propagate the massive daily slaughter of God’s most innocent beings. Our cup is getting close to being full, and we better have our eyes on the prize or we will eventually have our eyes on the judgments to come and will have great regrets we didn’t do more when we had the opportunity.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: TELEOLOGY
George Offerman
Teleology is one of those weird terms one will hear if they study enough philosophy and/or Theology. Teleology refers to what would be considered a ‘final cause’ or an end result. Teleology is utilized in explaining why we act versus not acting, and it presupposes for the most part that we act for our own good, or the good of others. Since the vast majority of actions are not done in a vacuum, they have some purpose or meaning to the actor, which then motivates him to do what he does, with the idea that the action will cultivate in a predetermined outcome of his liking. Teleology presupposes an order in nature and natural law that can be manipulated and predicted so that an outcome occurs given the right amount of effort and direction of activity.
Teleology can be broken down into two final causes, that of intrinsic finality and extrinsic finality. Extrinsic finality refers to the end result of actions that lies outside of the individual. For instance, a farmer will go through a great deal of hardship to plow, plant and cultivate a crop for the end purpose of eating, and thus, sustaining his life. Without a perceived reward for the effort instilled, the farmer would not bother himself to begin such an endeavor, thus determining for himself the effort is not worth the outcome, or end of the process. Understanding the need to eat is essential for continued existence; the farmer will put in the efforts, regardless of the real or perceived level of resistance, which is seen to be less than the cost of staying alive. In this, there is a cost/benefit ratio worth the effort, and despite the work being of great output, is done without much deliberation.
Intrinsic finality refers to the end result of action that lies within the individual. This would be evident in many parents wanting their children to ‘be happy’, and thus, giving themselves satisfaction, or happiness. Intrinsic finality can also relate to a cause, such as honesty, integrity, truth telling, ect. It is in the pursuit of these matters of ‘higher good’ that motivates the individual to action, regardless of the negative consequences or outcomes. It is more important for that individual to keep the integrity of his internal well being intact than for whatever outcome may occur and it is highly motivational for him to follow through on this.
It is in this, that one most likely finds or has a ‘God experience’. In order for the individual to act on such strong conviction, this person must have a certain level of knowledge through experience that he is able to act on ‘faith’ and not sight that his actions will ultimately culminate in his obtaining his goal. In simple terms, it is similar to an individual getting into their car and fully expecting to reach their destiny without mishap. There is absolutely no guarantee a positive outcome, but it is in the action of doing that ultimately results in a completion of the action. If there was significant doubt about the outcome of the action being anything other than the intended outcome, one would not act, and nothing would become of the intention.
It is in this, that many lack ‘faith’ in acting on their beliefs, due to the fact they are not sure there will be a positive outcome. So there is hesitation, procrastination, or simply no effort put into an activity that may result in a negative outcome. This is why many Christians make statements such as: “I know what I should do, but it seems to never work out, or it will not work out for me”. Since the end result is in question, or the individual attempting to do the action is too unsure, it will result in inertia, and the status quo will remain intact. This is why Jesus is so emphatic that we “Walk by faith, and not by sight”. We cannot possibly know the outcome of events, given we are finite human beings, and we do not know the beginning from the end.
In this world of science and empiricism, if we cannot measure or predict with accuracy any event, we no longer want to engage in an activity. God requires faith, which is the opposite of science and empiricism, and it goes totally against what our modern society practices and preaches. This is why many that claim to be of great faith, do not demonstrate their faith, as they are too busy anticipating the outcome, which is truly unknowable to the mortal man. This is the arrogance of doing the opposite of what God instructs us to do, by ‘walking by sight and not by faith”.
Teleology requires we do the opposite of what the world is telling us to do. When we live by faith, we truly are in the realm of discovery and possibility, as the outcome cannot be predicted, but God does assure us that if we are in his will, that the efforts put forth will not be in vain. Simply look around at many of modern man’s efforts, and see for yourself whether most are in vain or not. Given how poorly we are doing, the answer seems self-evident.
Teleology is one of those weird terms one will hear if they study enough philosophy and/or Theology. Teleology refers to what would be considered a ‘final cause’ or an end result. Teleology is utilized in explaining why we act versus not acting, and it presupposes for the most part that we act for our own good, or the good of others. Since the vast majority of actions are not done in a vacuum, they have some purpose or meaning to the actor, which then motivates him to do what he does, with the idea that the action will cultivate in a predetermined outcome of his liking. Teleology presupposes an order in nature and natural law that can be manipulated and predicted so that an outcome occurs given the right amount of effort and direction of activity.
Teleology can be broken down into two final causes, that of intrinsic finality and extrinsic finality. Extrinsic finality refers to the end result of actions that lies outside of the individual. For instance, a farmer will go through a great deal of hardship to plow, plant and cultivate a crop for the end purpose of eating, and thus, sustaining his life. Without a perceived reward for the effort instilled, the farmer would not bother himself to begin such an endeavor, thus determining for himself the effort is not worth the outcome, or end of the process. Understanding the need to eat is essential for continued existence; the farmer will put in the efforts, regardless of the real or perceived level of resistance, which is seen to be less than the cost of staying alive. In this, there is a cost/benefit ratio worth the effort, and despite the work being of great output, is done without much deliberation.
Intrinsic finality refers to the end result of action that lies within the individual. This would be evident in many parents wanting their children to ‘be happy’, and thus, giving themselves satisfaction, or happiness. Intrinsic finality can also relate to a cause, such as honesty, integrity, truth telling, ect. It is in the pursuit of these matters of ‘higher good’ that motivates the individual to action, regardless of the negative consequences or outcomes. It is more important for that individual to keep the integrity of his internal well being intact than for whatever outcome may occur and it is highly motivational for him to follow through on this.
It is in this, that one most likely finds or has a ‘God experience’. In order for the individual to act on such strong conviction, this person must have a certain level of knowledge through experience that he is able to act on ‘faith’ and not sight that his actions will ultimately culminate in his obtaining his goal. In simple terms, it is similar to an individual getting into their car and fully expecting to reach their destiny without mishap. There is absolutely no guarantee a positive outcome, but it is in the action of doing that ultimately results in a completion of the action. If there was significant doubt about the outcome of the action being anything other than the intended outcome, one would not act, and nothing would become of the intention.
It is in this, that many lack ‘faith’ in acting on their beliefs, due to the fact they are not sure there will be a positive outcome. So there is hesitation, procrastination, or simply no effort put into an activity that may result in a negative outcome. This is why many Christians make statements such as: “I know what I should do, but it seems to never work out, or it will not work out for me”. Since the end result is in question, or the individual attempting to do the action is too unsure, it will result in inertia, and the status quo will remain intact. This is why Jesus is so emphatic that we “Walk by faith, and not by sight”. We cannot possibly know the outcome of events, given we are finite human beings, and we do not know the beginning from the end.
In this world of science and empiricism, if we cannot measure or predict with accuracy any event, we no longer want to engage in an activity. God requires faith, which is the opposite of science and empiricism, and it goes totally against what our modern society practices and preaches. This is why many that claim to be of great faith, do not demonstrate their faith, as they are too busy anticipating the outcome, which is truly unknowable to the mortal man. This is the arrogance of doing the opposite of what God instructs us to do, by ‘walking by sight and not by faith”.
Teleology requires we do the opposite of what the world is telling us to do. When we live by faith, we truly are in the realm of discovery and possibility, as the outcome cannot be predicted, but God does assure us that if we are in his will, that the efforts put forth will not be in vain. Simply look around at many of modern man’s efforts, and see for yourself whether most are in vain or not. Given how poorly we are doing, the answer seems self-evident.
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