DANIEL: Being a Christian in Babylon wk 2 // February 14, 2021

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Sunday, February 14, 2021

Daniel:  Being A Christian in Babylon

Daniel 1

Daniel 1: 1 (NLT)

   During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Jeremiah 25: 1 (NLT)

   This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord 

during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.

Daniel 1: 2 (NLT) 

   The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia (Shinar) and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

Genesis 10: 10 & 11 (ESV) 

    The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh. 

Daniel 1: 3 (NLT)

   Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives.

Daniel 1: 4 (NLT) 

    “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.”

Daniel 1: 5 (NLT)

   The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.  

Daniel 1: 6 & 7 (NLT)

   Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

  • Daniel: God is judge; my judge is God; God has judged

Belteshazzar:  May Bel protect his life

  • Hananiah: YHWH is gracious, YHWY has been gracious

Shadrach:  command of AKU

  • Mishael: Who is He that is God, Who is what God is

Meshach:  Who is what Aku is

  • Azariah: The Lord helps, YHWH has helped

Abednego:  Servant of Nebo

Daniel 1: 8 (NLT)

    But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

Deuteronomy 8: 3 (NLT) 

   Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 10: 31 (NLT)

   So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 

Daniel 1: 9 & 10 (NLT)

    Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 

   10 But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

Daniel 1: 11 - 20 (NLT) 

   Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” 14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.  15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 

   15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

   17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

   18 When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.19 The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. 20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Acts 7: 22 (NLT)

   Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.

Daniel 1: 21 (NLT)

    Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.

DANIEL: Being a Christian in Babylon introduction // Sunday, January 31, 2021

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Sunday — January 31, 2021

Being A Christian in Babylon 

Daniel:  Introduction 

1. Israel neglected Sabbath Day & Year.

Jeremiah 24: 12 – 22 (NLT) So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt.  14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name. 16 But now you have shrugged off your oath and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again. 17 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth. 18 Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. 19 Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.  20 I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals. 21 “I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although they have left Jerusalem for a while, 22 I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.

Hebrews 9: 27 (NLT) …each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment…

2. Israel also committed Idolatry.

Jeremiah 7: 21 – 26; 30 & 31 (NLT) This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!  22 When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. 23 This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’ 24 “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. 26 But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors… 30 “The people of Judah have sinned before my very eyes,” says the Lord. “They have set up their abominable idols right in the Temple that bears my name, defiling it. 31 They have built pagan shrines at Topheth, the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they burn their sons and daughters in the fire. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing! … 34 I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.  

3. Israel’s moral apostacy.

Isaiah 1: 4 & 5 (NLT) Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever? Your head is injured, and your heart is sick.

Jeremiah 17: 9 (NLT) The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.
    Who really knows how bad it is?

Proverbs 12: 15 (NLT) Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 14: 12 (NLT) There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

 1 Peter 4: 17 (ESV) For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

The Next Time... // Sunday, December 27, 2020

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Sunday, December 27, 2020

 

The Next Time 

John 14: 1 - 3 (ESV) “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Some physical differences the Next Time?

1. His first arrival happened slowly…The Next Time he’ come suddenly.

1 Corinthians 15: 52 (ESV)  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 (ESV)  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

2. His first arrival was quiet…The Next Time will be LOUD!

1 Thessalonians 4: 16 (ESV)  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

3. His first arrival was revealed by a single star…The Next Time the entire sky will light up!

Matthew 24: 27 (ESV)  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 25: 31 (ESV)  When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

4. The first time very few people worshipped Him…The Next Time, the whole world will worship Him!

Romans 14: 11 (ESV)  For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
 and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Some purpose differences the Next Time?

1. The first time Jesus came to save world, the Next Time He’s coming to judge the world.

John 3: 16 & 17 (ESV)  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Acts 17: 31 (NLT)   For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Romans 2: 6 - 8 (NLT)  He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.

2. The first time Jesus came to die for our sins, the Next Time He’ll come to gather God’s family!

Ephesians 1: 5 (NLT)  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Matthew 24: 31 (NLT)  And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world[a]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 

3. The first time Jesus came humbly, the Next Time He’ll come as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Philippians 2: 2 - 8 (NLT)  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God  as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;  he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2: 9 - 11 (NLT)  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor  and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,  in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.

*How to ready for The Next Time…

Titus 2: 12 & 13 (NLT)  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

Christmas Worship // Sunday, December 20, 2020

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Sunday, December 20, 2020

Christmas Worship 

Worship: Declaring the worth and greatness of God

3 examples of Christmas worship:

1.  Singing  (Angels)

Luke 2: 8 - 14 (NKJV)   Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  14“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

2.  Sharing the Good News (Shepherds)

Luke 2: 15 - 20 (NKJV)  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

 3.  Giving  (Wisemen)

Matthew 2: 1 - 11 (NKJV)  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

   ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

   7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

·Gold represents Jesus’ royalty  (2 Chronicles 9:1, 9, 14, 24)

·Frankincense represents Jesus’ divinity  (Exodus 30:8; 1 Kings 9:25; 2 Chronicles 2:4; Malachi 1:11)

Myrrh represents Jesus’ humanity (John 19:39 & 4)

*The wisemen offered themselves, then they offered their gifts.

Isaiah 29: 13 (NLT)  And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

Mark 12: 30 (NLT)  …you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

  *What God wants most from me, is ME…

Christmas Wisdom // Sunday, December 13, 2020

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Sunday, December 13, 2020

Christmas Wisdom

3 Examples of people who overcame: Disillusionment, Change and Loss

  1. Trust God’s plan. (Elizabeth)

Luke 1: 5 - 7 (NLT)  When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.

 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

The story of John the Baptist – Luke: 5 - 27  &  56 – 66 

  • NEVER stop praying!

Luke 1: 13 (NLT)  …the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 

  • Be patient.

Luke 1: 20 (NLT)  …since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.

Luke 1: 24 & 25 (NLT)  …Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Elizabeth was BLESSED, because she didn’t get BITTER…She trusted God’s plan 

  1. Believe God’s Word (Mary)

Luke 1: 26 - 29 (NLT) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

The immaculate conception – Luke 1: 26 – 56 

Luke 1: 29 (NLT)  Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

Luke 1: 37 (NLT)  …the word of God will never fail. 

Luke 1: 39 (NLT)  Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Luke 1: 45 (NLT) You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.

Mary was BLESSED because she BELIEVED God’s Word and dint’ allow her fear to overwhelm her.

  1. Focus on God’s presence. (Anna)

Luke 2: 22 & 23 (NLT)  Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”

Sacred Duty- Our Founding pt 2 // Sunday, October 25, 2020

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Sunday, October 25, 2020

Sacred Duty – Our Founding (Part 2)

John Adams

   As the safety and prosperity of  nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and  blessing of almighty God; and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety without which  social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government enjoyed…  especially in seasons of difficulty of danger.

Exodus 18: 21 (ESV) Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Where did these ideas come from? 

Rev John Wise:

·  Consent of the governed

·  Taxation without representation

1926 President Calvin Coolidge

The Origins of the American Constitution:

1.   Charles Montesquieu:  Political Philosopher    8.3%

2.   William Blackstone:  Legal Scholar     7.9%

3.   John Locke:      2.9%     Two Treatises of Government

4.  The Bible:           34%

Three Branches of Government:

                       Isaiah 33: 22 (NASB) For the Lord is our judge,  (Judicial) 

The Lord is our lawgiver,   (Legislative) The Lord is our king; (Executive) He will save us—

Separation of Powers:

Jeremiah 17: 9 (NASB) The heart is more deceitful than all else  and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Tax Exemption of Churches:

Ezra 7: 24 (NASB) We also inform you that it is not allowed to Impose tax, tribute or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.

John Francis Mercer

   It is a great mistake to suppose that the paper we are to propose will  govern the United States. It is the men it will bring into government and interest (they have) in maintaining it that are to govern them. The paper will only mark out the mode and the form. Men are the substance  and must do the business.                                           

Proverbs 29: 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when wicked man rules, the people groan.                   

President James Garfield

Now,  more than ever before,  the people are responsible for the character of the congress.  If that body be ignorant,  reckless  and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation it will be because those who represent the enterprise the culture and the morality of the   nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.

John Hancock

“I urge you by all that is dear,  by all that is honorable,  by all that is sacred, not only that ye pray   but that ye act.”    

Sacred Duty- Our Founding // Sunday, October 18, 2020

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Sunday, October 18, 2020

Sacred Duty – Our Founding (Part 1)

1 Chronicles 12: 32 …men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… 

We hate Christians and Christianity. Even the best of them must be considered our worst enemies. They preach love of one’s neighbor and mercy, which is contrary to our principles. Christian love is an obstacle to the development of the Revolution. Down with love or our neighbor! What we want is hate…Only then can we conquer the  universe.        ~ Anatole Lunarcharsky, Russian Commissar of Education

Our BEHAVIOR is shaped by our VALUES…

Which are ultimately built upon the foundation of our WORLDVIEW 

Genesis 6: 5 (ESV)  The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 

Genesis 8: 21 (ESV)   …the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth…

Jeremiah 17: 9 (ESV)  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Proverbs 14: 12 (ESV)  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

John Adams

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.

The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity.

Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. . . . What a Eutopia – what a Paradise would this region be!

I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.

John Quincey Adams

The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith.   Whoever believes in the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth.   Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time.   And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made “bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”                                                (Isaiah 52:10)

Samuel Adams

I . . . [rely] upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.


The name of the Lord (says the Scripture) is a strong tower; thither the righteous flee and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). Let us secure His favor and He will lead us through the journey of this life and at length receive us to a better.

He also called on the State of Massachusetts to pray that . . .

  • The peaceful and glorious reign of our Divine Redeemer may be known and enjoyed throughout the whole family of mankind.

  • We may with one heart and voice humbly implore His gracious and free pardon through Jesus Christ, supplicating His Divine aid . . . [and] above all to cause the religion of Jesus Christ, in its true spirit, to spread far and wide till the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.

  • With true contrition of heart to confess their sins to God and implore forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Elias Boudinot

Let us enter on this important business under the idea that we are Christians on whom the eyes of the world are now turned…    [L]et us earnestly call and beseech Him,   for Christ’s sake,   to preside in our councils. . . .  We can only depend on the all powerful influence of the Spirit of God,   Whose Divine aid and assistance it becomes us as a Christian people most devoutly to implore.   Therefore I move that some minister of the Gospel be requested to attend this Congress every morning . . . in order to open the meeting with prayer.

Supreme Court Justice David Brewer

[I]n what sense can [America] be called a Christian nation?  Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or that the people are in any manner compelled to support it. On the contrary, the constitution specifically provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof.” Neither is it Christian in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or name Christians. On the contrary, all religions have free scope within our borders. Numbers of our people profess other religions, and many reject all.  

Nor is it Christian in the sense that a profession of Christianity is a condition of holding office or otherwise engaging in public service, or essentially to recognition either politically or socially.  In fact, the government as a legal organization is independent of all religions. Nevertheless, we constantly speak of this republic as a Christian nation – in fact, as the leading Christian nation of the world.

Justice Brewer:  America was “of all the nations in the world . . . most justly called a Christian nation”  because Christianity  “has so largely shaped and molded it.”

1862 Supreme Court decision in Church of The Holy Trinity vs  U.S.

“This is a Christian nation.”

Sacred Duty- Marxism pt 2 // Sunday, October 11, 2020

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Sunday, October 11, 2020

Sacred Duty - Marxism

1 Chronicles 12: 22 …men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… 

Romans 13: 1 (NLT)  Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

Common traits of prominent Marxists:

1.  Young

2.  Saw Real & Perceived Injustices.

3.  No Position of Power or Influence.

4.  Passionately Persevered in the Cause.

5.  NONE had a record of working consistently.

6.  Ruthless criticism of all that exists.

7.  ABOLISH the present state of things.

8.  FORCIBLE overthrow of all existing social conditions.

John 3: 18 - 21 (ESV)  …this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

9.  The life goals of Karl Marx: dethrone God & destroy capitalism

10.  By ACCIDENT, MAN is THE real god.

“The last vestige of a Creator external to the world has been obliterated.”    ~ Friedrich Engels

“The turning point of history will be the moment man becomes aware the only God of man is man himself.”                                     ~ Ludwig Feuerbach

Matthew 23: 12 (ESV)  Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of the heartless world, as it is the spirit of spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”              ~ Karl Marx

Isaiah 3: 14 & 15 (NLT)  The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: “You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor. 15 How dare you crush my people, grinding the faces of the poor into the dust?” demands the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

James 5: 1 (NLT)  Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.  4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay.   The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire.  You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV) Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

We hate Christians and Christianity. Even the best of them must be considered our worst enemies. They preach love of one’s neighbor and mercy, which is contrary to our principles. Christian love is an obstacle to the development of the Revolution. Down with love or our neighbor! What we want is hate…Only then can we conquer the universe.           ~ Anatole Lunarcharsky, Russian Commissar of Education