...AND THEY WONDER WHY FEW TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY

George Offerman

“How should modern readers interpret the creation-flood story in Gn 2: 11? The stories are neither history nor myth. “Myth” is an unsuitable term, for it has several different meanings and connotes untruth in popular English. “History” is equally misleading, for it suggests that the events actually took place. The best term is creation-flood story.”

USCCB website, Introduction to the book of Genesis

38 For as in those days before the flood they  were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not [a]understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 

Matt 24:38-39

26 And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:26-27

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, [a]in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 7:11

20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the [a]water.

1 Peter 3:20

5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a [a]preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 Peter 2:5

There will be a new version of the Bible to be released with the imprimatur of the USCCB.  The above quote taken from the USCCB website on the creation and flood story, and as can be seen, the USCCB takes the position that the story of the flood is considered allegorical and not literal.  The USCCB wants to claim that the author of Genesis “borrowed” the flood story from an earlier tale spun from accounts and myths from the Mesopotamia era.  In fact, the USCCB goes on to make this following statement concerning many of the stories in Genesis:   

 “There is unfortunately no direct extra-biblical evidence confirming (or disproving) the stories.”

Unfortunately and sadly, the USCCB is wrong on this note, and it will be covered in a later post the significant amount of evidence by geologists and archaeologists of a flood that covered the whole world.  It is also rather sad that the USCCB calls into question the accounts in the Bible and it does nothing other than creating doubts in the believer.  For if the stories in Genesis are false, or allegorical, then what about the rest of the Bible?  How does one determine which is true and which is myth, or allegory?

What is truly at issue here is the soul of our Church.  We have a band of Bishops that are making a claim these events never happened, and none of these men were alive at the time of these events.  They are juxtaposed by the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who was not only present at the time of the flood, He acknowledged the flood taking place, and clarified that it was Noah and his family that was in the ark.  Now, if the USCCB wants to make the claim that the Cannon of Scripture is inaccurate, or that Jesus really didn’t mean what he said concerning Noah, then they are bordering on heresy.  To try to sell to the laity their ideas that most of genesis did not happen, they then call into question how much of the Bible didn’t happen, and thus, how can it be an inspired book, and who and what determines which story is literal and which is allegorical.

I am glad the USCCB does not speak with magisterial authority.  Since they do not, we are not obligated to follow questionable teachings such as this.  Their statements fall in line with others the USCCB has either put out, such as their voting guide faithful citizenship, and their silence concerning many of the state votes on homosexual marriage.  The USCCB has been very consistent in their watering down of the faith, and hanging much of the laity and some faithful priests out to dry, theologically speaking.  It leaves one to wonder if the USCCB is in a crisis of faith, or if they simply don’t believe what the Church they are supposedly representing actually teaches.  Either way, their statements concerning Genesis is nothing short of scandalous, and will do nothing other than to sow more doubt about the faith of the True Church of Jesus Christ.

The most interesting part of the USCCB is they will attempt to sell this to the American Church with magisterial authority, and will have no tolerance for anyone disagreeing with their position.  This very weak and cowardly band that has let down those fighting against legalized child killing and homosexual marriages really has lost their moral authority to teach in a fashion that will inspire laity or faithful priests.  It is actually creating division and discord by calling into question very basic and clear tenets of the faith, and buying into social relativism that appeases those in the same camp as Nancy Pelosi, the late Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry, Sotomayor and all of the other so called Catholics who make and follow their own rules concerning these social issues, and receiving communion when they should be denied it.  

This is going to accomplish nothing more than creating confusion in the ranks, and pushing many into complacency.  The USCCB would have been better off making no comments on this than what they did.  If it is true that most of the Bishops on the USCCB backs this interpretation, then maybe they ought to go on a long retreat that focuses on prayer and reflection concerning their vocation, and sit in on some basic scripture and patristic theology classes.  Or maybe just outright resign and hand out smiley stickers at Wal-Mart where they can’t do any damage.

Cross references: Luke 17:26 : Luke 17:26-27: Matt 24:37-39Luke 17:26 : Gen 6:5-8; 7

Cross references: Matthew 24:38 : Matt 22:30Matthew 24:38 : Gen 7:7

PONTIUS PILATE: ONE OF THE MOST MALIGNED CHARACTERS IN SCRIPTURE

George Offerman


For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.

Mark 15:10



One may marvel at the title of this posting and wonder how anyone could look upon Pilate as anything but cruel and unjust. While the writings of antiquity prove beyond a shadow of a doubt Pilate was quick tempered, and over utilized force in quelling any uprising (ultimately it was an overreaction and gross misuse of force that had him dismissed as procurator), scripture paints a different picture of Pilate as he interacts with Jesus in the trial. I have often wondered about this man and how he must have interacted with Jesus, upon finally meeting a man he had heard many things about.

One must first take time in understanding the historical context in order to fully appreciate the differing dynamics at play during this time. Despite the Jews outright rejection of Jesus being the Christ, they were fully aware of the eschatological timeframe in which they lived. So, many ‘rabble rousers’ and thugs making claims they were the messiah was quite common, and unfortunately, these counterfeit christs were using force as a means of ‘bringing about the kingdom’ of God. Hence, there was a need to use overwhelming force to quell the trouble makers, and history shows, it was illegal for more than 50 Jewish men to band together in any place other than Temple.

Pilate was very aware of any uprising and any gathering, and without a doubt, would have had soldiers located in strategic places at all times. Pilate was very aware of Jesus feeding of 5,000 men on an open hill top very visible in Jerusalem and to Pilate. Because Jesus spoke of peace and practiced non violence, Pilate never interfered with Jesus’ gatherings and large crowds that would have been very obvious for anyone to know about. (Janet Napolitano and her ilk could learn a lot from Pilate). Because Pilate was a politician, and not a religious figure, he had no concern over the religious message preached, and had enough political savvy to leave well enough alone when it did not interfere with his goal of keeping the peace.

Pilate’s first introduction to Jesus is at Jesus’ trial, and it seems that all the Gospels seem to be consistent in that Pilate showed some deference to Jesus, unlike the Jewish Sanhedrin and the chief priest. Jesus responds to Pilate’s questions in a different manner than the Jews, and very differently than Herod, in which Jesus did not respond at all. In the dialogue, it seems that Pilate made an honest and forthright effort to understand the issues and charges brought before him, and Jesus, the King of Kings returned that respect shown him.

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
John 18:33-38

After initial questioning, Pilate boldly declared Jesus’ innocence, despite the fact the Jews made accusations that Jesus claimed to be a King. Pilate, who many historians claimed was paranoid, not only has a conversation in which he asks whether Jesus is a king, Jesus boldly tells the truth and states unequivocally that he is a king, he then attempts to set Jesus free. This would seem to be counterintuitive and went against the character that had been demonstrated by Pilate up to this point. However, if one takes in the whole context of this trial, one could make a solid case that Pilate was very aware this matter was very unlike any he had encountered before.

Upon learning Jesus was a Galilean, Pilate was more than pleased to be able to ‘punt’ this situation. However, despite Herod having horrible personal qualities, he neither found any wrongdoing with Jesus and had Him sent back to Pilate. Pilate was not at all pleased with this situation and now had to deal with the idea of political tight walking: do the right thing morally, and let an innocent man go, or do the right thing politically, and let the mob have their ‘pound of flesh’. In many ways, Pilate was on trial, and like many of us, denied Christ when the moment of truth presented itself.

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.’

Luke 23:13-17

It is also very interesting to note that in the dialogues, Pilate, a very secular ruler, happened to demonstrate more belief in Jesus and who he was, than did the Jews, who were the keepers of the faith, and were supposed to be the ones passing on matters of faith to a fallen world. Pilate, through knowing about the miracles and Jesus preaching of peace and non violence, knew Jesus had the credibility to claim this kingship. However, since Pilate was not religious, did not understand the nature of Jesus Kingship, as Pilate ultimately would not have condemned this innocent man to the brutal death that he did.

"While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ asked the governor. ‘Barabbas,’ they answered. ‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?’ Pilate asked. They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’ ‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ "
"When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified."
(Matthew 27:15-26)


In these verses, we see Pilate going against what must have been so innate in his character: admitting someone else is the ruler of the Jews. We can also see Pilate’s attempts at removing himself from any responsibility of this atrocity. Pilate has Jesus scourged to attempt to appease this blood thirsty crowd.


"Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’ The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace”

Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ‘Do you refuse to speak to me?’ Pilate said. ‘Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’ "


Pilate condemns himself with the above verse, by admitting he HAS the authority to set Jesus free or condemn Him. Pilate however succumbs to cowardice and in the end does what cowards do. However, Pilate continues to demonstrate his belief that Jesus does have some sort of supernatural place, and is willing to acknowledge Jesus kingship over the Jews.


"From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.’ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.

‘Here is your king,’ Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus."



Pilate was on trial that fateful Friday, and found he was not prepared to defend an innocent man. Like today with many politicians and church leaders, Pilate used a gimmick; by washing his hands with water he believed he absolved himself from this grisly murder. Despite all of this, Pilate, a man known for his cruelty, seemed to be moved by his interaction with the King of Kings and at least understood the nature of these matters way better than the Jews of the time.


PROLOGUE

Pilate was abruptly removed from power a few years later when using excessive force on an uprising, and was called to Rome by Tiberius Caesar. However, Tiberius died prior to Pilate’s arrival, and the successor to Tiberius, Gaius, and relieved Pilate of his duties.

It has been reported in some historical books that the disenfranchised Pilate settled in the North Africa area. According to legends of the early Christian churches there, Pilate became a Christian, and advocated so heavily for Christianity that he is considered a saint. Unfortunately for Pilate, he ultimately took his own life penniless and alone.

THE DISHONEST STEWARD

George Offerman

I’m taking a one day detour from the major topic at hand to go into one of the most intriguing parables Jesus has given us. It is very rich in dealing with both this life and the afterlife, and how worldly goods connect both realities. It also discusses how many in the world ‘outdo’ those who are in the light, and gives the reasons why this is so. Its lessons are very relevant for our current situation and it would bode well for Christians to take stock in the words of our Savior.

The parable is found in Luke 16:1-13, and incorporates three significant and somewhat distinct aspects. 1) The dishonest steward squanders his master’s goods, and is terminated after a measure of time. 2) the dishonest steward acts quickly within the world to assure himself of a position after termination, and 3) A general statement by Jesus stating the world is better at taking care of its own that those who are ‘saved’ and that no one can love two masters, and must choose between them.

The dishonest steward abuses his position within the household. This individual acted as if there would be no accounting of any type whatsoever, and thus, like today, believed things were to go on ‘as normal’. The steward was caught off guard when the master unexpectedly called him on his behavior, and he realized he would soon be unemployed. Life as the steward had known it, was over, and a new reality was about to set in on him, as he filled his measure, or cup, and had to make the necessary adjustments. What is a little different in this parable is the fact the steward assessed his situation honestly, and did not ‘grovel’ to his master for any more chances.

This man then interacts with the world, by offering to reduce the debt of those who owed a considerable amount to his master. The steward understood enough about the world that if he did favors for those who owed much, then he in his need would find ‘grateful benefactors’ when he needed their help. Jesus throws the Pharisees a curve ball by making the statement “the master commended the steward for his shrewdness” despite the fact the steward gave away his master’s goods and not his own. Jesus also seemed to make clear that despite the commendation; the steward was still terminated, thus having filled his cup of iniquity.

Jesus then goes on to teach those in the audience that the world knows how to play the game better than those who are saved. When someone believes there is no god, the individual is clear he needs to ‘make his own breaks’. This assures actions, and if the drive is strong enough, this person will do whatever he needs to do to accomplish his goals. Unfortunately, those who are ‘saved’ or Christians, want to depend on God to do all things for them, and often become very complacent in the ‘action’ mode. Too often, the Christian wants to ‘pray’ about the situation, but does not follow up with action, believing God will do it himself, or raise up ‘someone else’ to do the dirty work.



It is the INACTION of the Christian, not the evil activities of unbelievers that advance sin in this world. We already know what the truth is, and the truth always wins out against the lie. The problem is that few do much about the lie and few ACT ON WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE TRUE. Evil advances ONLY when those who know the truth do nothing. Comfort is a form of mammon, as is convenience. Jesus is very authorative in his discourses that following him is carrying a cross, and that one ‘dies to self’ on a regular basis. This is a message of discomfort and inconvenience, and it is a clear ‘call to arms’ for the Christian to be the light of the world as Jesus mandates for his followers.

The dishonest steward took a calculated risk by giving his master’s goods away, that he would sow some good will amongst his fellow man. God gives us 100% assurance we will be well rewarded for giving His word and message of salvation away, yet few want to ‘risk it’. The only way to build that eternal treasure that can never be taken away is to be an ACTIVE witness for the Faith. One cannot serve the master of comfort and convenience and simultaneously be a warrior for Christ. The line is clear and becoming clearer by the day. Which master will you choose to follow?

COURAGE

George Offerman

I have had several readers comment on what they perceive as my ‘courage’ concerning my exploits in the pro life movement. Sure, it is flattering to be thought of as courageous, but it also gives the opportunity to ponder this word courage and what it entails. I don’t see myself as particularly courageous, as I know exactly what I’m thinking and feeling when I do these things. I just feel extremely driven to do them, due mainly to strong convictions about my belief systems, and the fact that I really believe the Gospel tells us as believers, that we do not have the luxury of watching those around us go to hell without a fight from us. If we do not speak up we are derelict in duty, and we are actually Anti Christian because we then excuse and justify our non action as ‘the right thing to do’.

As I have written in past postings, conviction is cultivated through vast amounts of praying and fasting. Jesus started his ministry with a 40 day fast and prayer session, and we have clear records of what he was able to do. Intensive praying and fasting, when done properly, will access the ‘deep thoughts’ of God, and they come across as life changing convictions. That is why I warn people about this, because entering the spiritual realm, whether good or evil, brings about major changes in life. One cannot go to the ‘foot of the cross’ in intensive praying and fasting, and not expect to be told to ‘pick up your cross daily and follow me”. Jesus clearly warned us that we are to expect persecution, mockery and other derogatory words and behaviors targeted at us, and from the amount of work I have done, I can personally confirm Jesus statement as being exact and accurate.

The problem is that most people look at this through negative lenses, and become fixated on what appears to be rejection through worldly eyes, instead of understanding or accepting the fact that ANY worthwhile cause will bring about dissention within any group. Yes, there are nasty things that happen, but real joy cannot be experienced until one is willing to pay the price for what is right, and then goes about doing it. It doesn’t mean that one cannot be afraid while acting on what is right, it means that despite the fear, one does what is right anyway.

I had my father as a role model, in both matters of faith, as well as pro life. I watched someone with guts do things that I thought were crazy until I began to pray and fast in earnest, and then I began to understand what ‘drove’ him. Then I moved into the action phase, and began to get even more understandings and insights into the Gospel, and realized how ‘alive’ our faith really is. The best way I can describe this strong conviction to people who have not yet developed it is that “I cannot not do it’. To not act on what I know is way harder than working through the fear and doing what I need to do.

Since my arrest at Notre Dame is a matter of public record, I feel free to discuss it. I have told most people who ask me about it, I was fairly scared walking up to the campus, and remember saying to myself “I hope we don’t get arrested today”. But I also remember being prepared to do and go with whatever was going to happen. Praying at Notre Dame was the right thing to do, and for those who did (and do) not understand and let their fear get the best of them made many comments pertaining to my ‘foolishness’ and attempted to justify their non action as being superior to what I did. To me that is fine, because I was not motivated by the promise of accolades, speaking gigs, or fame. I did it because the spirit convicted me to do it, and I was not going to sleep well until I acted on what I knew what was right. (Virtually all of the now known ND 88 has said about the same thing).

Notre Dame brought out a crisis of consciousness, not only for Obama, but for the Church and believers in general. There were 88 people willing to risk imprisonment, humiliation and significant risk, but it exposed the ‘nakedness and impoverishment’ of the pro life movement in general, as it greatly overshadowed the efforts of all the other groups combined, who did major fund raisers and sold their efforts as ‘effectively creating tension’. By most of these groups either distancing themselves, or outright condemning us as ‘show hogs’, the pro life movement missed a golden opportunity to build upon momentum created by these arrests. But in truth, it exposed them for what they really are: and that is a group who seems more interested in safety, comfort and convenience, and playing ‘nice’ with the enemy instead of getting the job done in the most effective non violent way possible.

For some, these may seem to be strong words, and they are. I also know firsthand what it is like to have handcuffs put on, and to be charged with ‘trumped up’ charges, and spending time in jail for political reasons. I know firsthand the pressure in dealing with a court system and a University that is giving us the run around. I know firsthand the inconvenience of driving all night to get to South Bend for a 15 second appearance in front of a judge, only to turn around and make the long drive back in near total exhaustion. I know firsthand the possible negative ramifications of a conviction and jail time would do to my career and livelihood. I know firsthand of friends I have lost, religious leaders, many so called pro lifers and even some priests who will not talk or associate with me. But I know firsthand the peace and joy of picking up the cross and following my master, knowing with 100% CERTAINTY that I followed his will, and that no matter what happens, only good will come of it. That, no one can take away, nor minimize with any word or deed, and I know firsthand that this will follow me into eternity.

So, for those who worry about having courage and then doing something, I am here to tell you that do something, and courage will come. It seems the vast majority of the time our worst fears never come to fruition, but we let them paralyze us. It seems that if God sees us reach out in faith, He will not abandon, nor disappoint us. In my own life it seems to be that when I’m willing to pay the price and then act, I normally don’t pay the price. When I allow fear to take over and do nothing is when many of my fears are realized. As I stated before, I am not concerned about the outcome of Notre Dame because it is out of my hands (It is also out of Fr. Jenkins hands, but he does not realize it). I just know that I did what I was supposed to do, and the God who knows all and sees all and who asked me to go will not let me down. That I am certain of.

HERMENEUTICS 101: LUCIFER'S FALL AND THE FALL OF MAN

George Offerman

Now that we have gone over many of the nuances and background information on reading the Bible, it is time to take a look at the overall purpose of this Story. Using the four methods of interpretation will allow one to do an exegesis on the verses, and place particular stories, teachings, dogmas and allegories into a larger frame of reference. The parameters have to be put in place prior to any reading and exegesis of verses. So we need to start with the large picture of what the Bible is about, to understand the particular nuances of it.

The Bible in short, is the story of an Eternal God who through an act of love, created beings, both spirit and physical, with the intent of showering them with unending bliss, and ever revealing to His creation, his holiness and love, which in and of itself is an eternal process. But God instilled something called free will into both the spiritual and physical beings, which meant they needed to choose to worship God out of a free act of will, and would not be forced to do this. There was no knowledge of sin or death or destruction, except by God, and it has been God’s desire all along that this ‘knowledge’ not be accessed. But free will mandated this as a possibility, and unfortunately, the highest created being Lucifer, chose to go this route.

Because Lucifer does not have the attributes of God, his efforts to convince 1/3 of the angels to rebel most likely took a considerable amount of time. Even with his efforts and doubts about God, Lucifer still had not committed that ‘unpardonable’ sin, until the rebellion, and the attempts by the heavenly hosts to convince him otherwise went unheeded. God gave Lucifer an ‘age’ in which to settle this issue, and when Lucifer filled his cup, his ‘last call’ so to speak, the rebellion ensued. Lucifer, who is now Satan, can never be forgiven, as sin did not exist, and Lucifer existed in the perfect environment with perfect love, and no temptation from other beings. Thus, the cosmic age of sin began with the rebellion and first war in heaven

God continued with his plan to create physical beings that are described as being ‘slightly lower than the angels’. As with the angels, man Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect environment, and given all the tools necessary to have a blissful existence, with absolutely no threats of any kind and no concept or reality of death. Also, as with the angels, Adam and Eve were instructed to tend the garden, and be fruitful and multiply, but to not eat of the apple of the tree of good and evil. Lucifer’s main gripe with God is that God is a dictator, and was ‘holding back’ knowledge, and thus, disallowing beings beneath God the ability to make their own decisions and do what they want.

Satan, with God’s permission, was given one opportunity to ‘tempt’ man, and had man passed this test, Satan’s ‘age of sin’ would have ended, and he and his angels would have entered his eternal destiny immediately. So Satan took his time in studying Adam and Eve, and found their weaknesses (Satan still does this today) and exploited it through the use of word play, Curiosity, by getting Eve to think about the forbidden knowledge, and doubts about what God had actually said and instructed them to do.

Adam, as a created being, was given dominion over the whole earth. It was Adam’s territory and his decisions would supersede any other beings, provided he continued in the will of God. Adam’s choice of taking the apple, even after Eve partook of it was his free will in giving this dominion away. The recipient of this decision was Satan. Satan now had ‘rights’ over the earth, but also all of mankind as well. Satan was now prince of the earth, and as such, again had access to heaven, as the angelic realm regularly gave reports on the areas they were assigned to. (This is evidenced in the book of Job, and Jude, as well as Jesus own testimony)

Then something very unexpected occurred. God the Father stood ready to ‘execute’ Adam and Eve, when the Second person of the trinity, stepped forward to ‘offer himself’ as a sacrifice for the ‘atonement’ of this sin. The love of this Second Person of the Trinity was such that he was willing to give up much of his substance as God for the rest of eternity to save these two initially, and the rest of mankind as they came into existence. God the Father accepted this offer by the Second Person of the Trinity, and the plan of salvation, and redemption of man commenced. The Second Person of the Trinity could not stand for the prospect that man, who was exposed to evil, should suffer the same fate as a being who knew no sin when he first sinned, and was willing to redeem these fallen beings. This demonstrated to Satan, God’s ever pervasive mercy and justice, but true love for those he creates.

Satan was furious with this decision, now understanding these ‘inferior worms’ will get an opportunity totally lost to him, and hatred, rage and jealousy took over and has ruled Satan’s heart ever since. Satan was told in the garden that he would ‘bruise’ his heel, but that man would ‘crush his head’. Satan’s defeat would come through a man, who is greatly inferior to the ‘highest created being’ and this was, and is more than this egotistical murderer and slanderer can handle. The great clock then commenced, and Satan was very clear that: 1) He has limited time in which to defeat God and work on condemning as many of man’s offspring as possible and that 2) at the end of this time, Satan would be subjected to the exact punishment he has meted out to God’s created beings. Thus began the age of sin in the world.

To counter this, Satan masterminded and planted into existence, the pursuit of forbidden knowledge and the mystery religions that were (and are still) pervasive prior to the incarnation of Christ. It is in this that Satan uses (stole) images that are similar to Christianity in order to deceive the weak minded that Christianity ‘stole’ images and myths from these earlier religions, when in reality it is the other way around. Satan’s purpose in this is to get those unwilling to investigate for themselves, that it is Christianity that is counterfeiting the ‘real’ religions of old, and it takes root in novels such as Dan Brown’s series on the “Da Vinci Codes’.

By having ‘advanced’ knowledge of the salvation story and methodology, Satan has been busy making up several different ‘religions’ that twist the plan of salvation in subtle and different ways, so by the time of the incarnation, there were multiple varieties of beliefs, and Christianity looked like another offshoot of any number of mystery religions, and what appeared to be legitimate religions. There are ultimately only two religions: that of God and that of Satan. Satan has so many that people have to ‘choose’, and it is just the way he planned it. Most will fall into false religions, and thus through lack of knowledge, they perish.

THAT PESKY LITTLE MATTER CALLED BLOOD GUILT

George Offerman

While the debates rage on about how to deal with the present situations in the pro life movement, very little attention seems to be paid to the theology behind the thought processes and philosophy of the pro life movement. This is most evident in the idea of glossing over the debate about blood guilt, and the fact that God has given very clear laws pertaining to the slaughtering of the innocent, and the idea that shed innocent blood does cry from the ground, and needs to be avenged.

This theology is at best, minimized, and at worst, denied. The idea of blood guilt and the justice of God goes very contrary to what is being taught by most mainstream Christian Churches, and essentially leaves many very uncomfortable if challenged in their lukewarm ideologies, and comfortable lifestyles. If we take a simple and honest look at scripture, we will begin to see a pattern in which God is the originator of law, and the ultimate judge of the law. Throughout scripture, God has intervened in history to stop the spread of sin, when the church, his representative on earth, fails to do its job.

One often hears how God would not judge us, and the Old Testament times are ancient history. This is a great mischaracterization of God’s nature, as He is unchanging, and knows the beginning from the end, unlike us. It is taught from the pulpits and embraced by our comfort and convenience oriented culture, and is quite woven into its fabric. It is too inconvenient to think about God’s Judgment, and most would rather believe that in the end, we all make it into heaven, and essentially, can pretty much do what we want until then.

This is a grave error. Yes, God is merciful, as has been demonstrated by our 37 year track record of failure and compromise, but this is not a permanent condition. God also balances mercy with judgment, which is essential if God is truly pure love. Love dictates the defense of the weak and infirmed, and the innocent. This love can and does include the destruction of the guilty, as is demonstrated in the Old Testament, and in Revelation in the New Testament.

Scripture is very clear that when God’s patience wears out with mankind, He breaks into history and judges. Judgment can take many different forms, but usually, death is involved, and it is targeted at the perpetrators. The problem is that we no longer see ourselves as perpetrators, but rather as sophisticated, caring, non judgmental people, and believe that a loving God will not do anything against us. Again, this is a mischaracterization of God’s nature, and one that very well may be experienced very soon. It is shameful that the church no longer teaches these truths, and would rather allow the majority of Christians to live a life of ignorance and mediocrity than to be loving, and teach the truth.

Those who want to hold to the ‘fact’ that Jesus abolished the law upon his death and resurrection are gravely mistaken. Jesus himself stated “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Matt 5:17-18. As we can see, there is still an earth, and the end has not yet come, so all is not fulfilled. This is apparent in the many warnings in Revelation pertaining to Babylon and the mark, and culminates in Jesus slaughter (capital punishment) of all the evil people at the time of the second coming. So for people to make the statement that Jesus is all love, and without a sense of justice, and would and does not judge is in great error.

Blood guilt is a difficult and sobering topic, and too often gets in the way of convenience and comfort, and is dismissed too quickly by the mainstream Christian churches and pro life movement. It is very evident in the fact that incrementalism reigns supreme, and the majority see it as acceptable that the Church and pro life movement does not go for the total defeat of legalized child killing in one fell swoop. This is a lack of faith, but more importantly, it demonstrates the poverty of thought in these organizations, and when the consequences of these actions occur, neither will be ready for them.

Blood Guilt requires expiation, and although it is true that one can be forgiven for sinful behavior, that individual or group must still deal with the consequences of the sin. The consequences and debt of 52 million deaths is still outstanding, and like it or not, we will have to pay this price. By refusing to change the laws and end legalized child killing, we make ourselves co conspirators with the killers, and will be held accountable for the lack of actions on our part. Every day that we do little, we heap more coals on our heads, and increase the price of the consequences. This is theology that is not taught in the mainstream churches, and it may be a very common topic of conversation very soon if we don’t repent and change our ways.

THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPETS

George Offerman

Following up with the previous article about Revelation, is a more detailed description than given in the first article. Babylon will be covered in its own posting as there needs to be a great deal of attention paid to this fierce one world government as it arises out of great judgment and suffering.

The period of Revelation opens up with a severe earthquake that is unlike any other experienced in history. It will be extremely severe, and not follow any geological pattern, and affect the whole earth either at once, or move from place to place. There will be accompanying signs in the heavens of a supernatural nature, as well as thunder and lightening. The duration of this earthquake could be a number of hours to a couple of days, and most likely will target very sinful cities and places needing cleansing. This event begins the great countdown of time, and Daniel tells us the number of days will be 1335.

The first trumpet will be a vast meteor shower mixed with fire, and affect all of the grass and 1/3 of the green vegetation. This will cause intense heat, coupled with smoke and soot, which will begin to block out light and cause oxygen problems for the living.

The second trumpet will be an asteroid plunging into an ocean. It is estimated that an asteroid one mile across could be traveling at close to 55,000 MPH, or basically 12 miles a second. It would definitely ‘light up’ as it passed through the atmosphere, and become a burning mountain. Scientists have predicted in models, that the tsunami could be as high as 5,000 feet and moving several thousand MPH as it strikes land. An Atlantic strike could send a wave in as far as Ohio before it would stop. This would also fulfill Jesus statement in Luke 21:25 There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.”

The third trumpet will be a comet hitting a land mass and contaminating the inland springs and lakes, and killing those who drink the water. Whether this trumpet will add to the already growing fires and earthquakes due to the impacts will be seen.

The fourth trumpet will be a band of darkness caused by fires, and the possibility of huge volcanic eruptions from the earthquake and asteroid strike. Scientists have been discussing a ‘super’ volcano located in Yellowstone National park, and mentioned just that particular volcano going off would cover most of the plain states in 3-6 feet of ash, and it would take years fro the ash to settle out of the atmosphere. Either way, there will be a lot of darkness during this time.

It is a huge understatement to say that mankind will be dazed and overwhelmed by these trumpets, which will occur in quick succession, and one day will be cut off from the next, meaning the lifestyle as we know it is over, and we now enter survival mode. With one fourth of the population dead and really no way to take care of any of it, we will all be thinking about God and his judgments. Survival, as well as getting the judgments to stop will be first and foremost on everyone’s mind that is alive at that time. No one will be questioning who sent this, but there will be much confusion about how to deal with this, and questions as to why the religious leaders did not see this coming.

There will be a response, and it will be created by the dark powers who have been preparing for this moment. Man’s response to God and the judgment will be Babylon, or the beast rising out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns. This beast is to rule for 42 months, and will be unlike anything ever seen before, or ever again, and will go directly against what God wants from us, and what the 144,000 will be preaching.