Issued: 11/1/20 Updated: 6/13/21 Revised: 11/7/23

  

PLEASE NOTE:  Because Bible versions sometimes differ from each other in crucial ways, the version quoted here will be the one that best clarifies the point being made.  For a quick comparison between versions, please go to: http://www.biblehub.com.

   All bracketed material may be authorial comments, attempts at proper syntax, or minimal rewordings of Scripture for the sake of clarity and continuity.  These emendations will not be italicized.

   The “/” will be used to signify “and/or.”  The symbol “↔” is used to connect verses corroborating each other and so establishing doctrinal truths (Matthew 18:16↔2Corinthians 13:1).

   In differentiating between Yahweh Son [Jesus] and Yahweh Father [the Most High God], lower case letters have been used when discussing the former; upper case letters are reserved for the Only and Most High God.  Since Jesus was at pains to differentiate himself from Father, we have followed his lead here.

   The term neo-Christians will be used to differentiate between false Christians and Jesus’ true followers.

“Let no one in any way deceive you, for that day cannot come without the coming of the apostasy first, and the appearing of the man of sin, the son of perdition, who sets himself against, and exalts himself above every so-called ‘god’ or object of worship (↔Daniel 7:25, 8:23-25↔Revelation 13:6-7, 18:2-8) and goes the length of taking his seat in the very temple of God, pretending that he himself is God (↔Ezekiel 28:1-10).”

2Thessalonians 2:3-4

   Simply put, apostasy is a falling away from faith; in terms of Scripture, a falling away from the Judeo-Christian faith.  The religious eclecticism/tolerance much championed and in vogue today should not be a stumbling block for us who worship the Father challenging the comforting bromide that all religions lead to Him:  “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways” (Isaiah 55:8).  He is to be worshipped the way He demands and only through the exclusive mediator appointed for that purpose:  Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1Timothy 2:5).

   In an attempt to pre-empt the religious free-for-all humanity would embrace, Jesus declared an end to human-mediated, spiritual guidance by proclaiming himself the only Heaven-based  teacher and sender of the Spirit of Truth (Luke 16:16; Matthew 23:8; John 16:7,13).  This role had been casually hinted at in Psalm 146:3:  “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help,” where “princes,” in Old Testament parlance, refer to human beings in position of power and authority (Numbers 7:2; Ezekiel 22:6)—amongst them priests (Acts 23:5); but where the phrase “not in son of man” exclusively refers to Jesus, who did not carry Joseph’s and Mary’s DNA.  Therefore, let us not be like Peter who, being able to walk over raging waters while his gaze was focused on Jesus, began drowning once he paid attention to the chaos around him (Matthew 14:28-30).

  Starting with Enoch (Genesis 5: 22-24; Jude 14-15), Noah (Genesis 6:13; 2Peter 2:5), and Abraham (Genesis 18:17),¹ Father has forewarned His people what to expect through historical narratives that act as shadows to spiritual counterparts [substance], narratives that are rife with allegories, parables and symbolisms He has “hidden” from interpreters of Scripture (Deuteronomy 29:29; Jeremiah 33:3; Isaiah 29:10-14; 1Corinthians 1:20-21) but revealed to believers on merit of faith (Mark 4:11-12; John 16:13; Romans 1:17; 1Corinthians 2:7; James 1:5; 2Peter 1:19-21; 1John 2:27).  Hence the value and paramount importance of the Old Testament, which Satan’s human vectors past and present have tried to devalue and/or suppress.  By focusing on Israel prior to the crossing of the Red Sea, and later still on the split between Israel and Judah, the trajectories toward apostasy for both Jews and Christians were foretold and charted.

  For the sake of illustration, let us analyze the shadow/substance components of the Red Sea narrative.  A mediator between God and men, Moses,² who is also lawgiver and judge of his people, frees Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh [unnamed, though presumed to be Ramses II] and effects Israel’s crossing over a divide—the Red Sea—to enter the Promised Land.  Jesus is likewise such a mediator:  Giver of Father’s laws during his earthly ministry (John 12:48, 14:10); appointed Judge of all flesh by Father Who judges no one (John 5:22; Acts 17:31); Deliverer of his people from the bondage of Satan, [symbolized as Pharaoh king of Egypt/dragon in Ezekiel 29:3 and Revelation 12:9, 13:2] (Isaiah 43:3; Hebrews 2:15); and who transports the redeemed following the First Resurrection to a realm across the divide between earth and Heaven (Luke 17:34-37; 1Corinthians15:50-54; 1Thessalonians 4:15). Need we say more?

   Christianity was never expected to succeed:  Psalms 2:1-3; Matthew 24:11-12, 22-24; Luke 18:8; 2Thessalonians 2:3-4; 2Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3-4; Revelation 9:20-21, amongst others, attest to this.  As we head into the “night when no one can work” (John 9:4), when Satan will be triumphant and the world put entirely into his hands by Father, it behooves us to trace the trajectory of Judeo-Christianity’s apostasy in hopes of reminding ourselves—forewarned is forearmed—who led them astray and how they ensured their downfall.  We need to start looking at the Old Testament as a window into future events, for as we know, there is nothing new under the sun, and human nature—not history—repeats itself (Ecclesiastes 1:9-11).  And this happens because Satan and his angelic minions live on from age to age re-enacting old-tried/time-tested ploys and devising new ones to entrap unwary souls (Ecclesiastes 8:11, 9:3).  If it were not for their human enablers and abettors, hell’s legions could do nothing against mankind.

   We also need to start thinking of Father‘s plan of redemption as a done deal rather than a work in progress, which though surely now unfolding in the context of time (Isaiah 37:26), had a beginning and a conclusion foreknown before the start of human history (Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; 1Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8).  “Sheep and goats” on Judgment Day, for example, will be separated according to names/deeds already recorded in books pre-dating the foundation of the world (Romans 9:22-23), books whose existence is acknowledged throughout Scripture (Exodus 32:32; Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:12).  Thus, the object of prophecy and the principal commission of the Holy Spirit are these:  To tell us what Heaven knows is going to happen (John 16:13) through prophetic writings in the Old Testament.

  The apostasy of the Judeo-Christian family was foreknown before destruction intervened:  The ancient Israelites’ before entering Canaan [shadow (Deuteronomy 31:16-21)], and Christians’ before their introduction into God’s Kingdom [substance (Matthew 24:10-12, 22-24; 2Timothy 3:1-13)]; the first for violating their oath of morality and obedience to the Mosaic Covenant [which included future Father worshippers (Deuteronomy 29:14-15; Jeremiah 31:32)], and the latter for failing to live up to the vow of morality and obedience implicit in their acceptance of Jesus’ Gospel.

  To put it idiomatically, Father always ‘got our number,’ regardless of how fond we are of ‘reinventing’ ourselves, or professing to enjoy ‘personal relationships with the Lord,’ or of trumpeting our bona fides by embracing social causes that have nothing to do with salvation and more often than not heap discredit upon Father.  Remember Saul?  He wanted reassurances from Yahweh and consulted a witch to get it, certainly very pious of him but in a way inimical to Yahweh.  The result?  Rejection and subsequent damnation through suicide (1Samuel 28:3-18, 31:4).

Did Jesus become involved in the social causes of his time?  Did the Apostles or Paul?  Are there any instructions anywhere in the Bible advocating participation in men’s causes, however ostensibly moral and righteous?  No.  The message has always been one:  Be patient and wait on Father to sort out mankind’s mess (Job 13:15; 2Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 30:7,15; Luke 21:19; 1Peter 5:6-7).  Faith is the ultimate criterion for salvation, but obedience to Father’s will is the scalpel that excises the pigheadedness of wanting to do things our way.  Succinctly put, “Has Yahweh [Son] as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh [Father]? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry” (1Samuel 16:22-23).

ISRAEL’S APOSTASY

  So in the Biblical narrative, who conspired to bring Israel’s downfall?  Secular rulers, religious leaders, and God’s people at large.  “They have set up kings, but not by me. They have made princes, and I didn’t approve” (Hosea 2:8↔Jeremiah 5:30-31; Zephaniah 3:3-4).  Instead of relying on Yahweh to appointment righteous rulers (Proverb 8:15), Israel chose to copy the political template of other nations:  To choose kings even if warned of possible exploitation and civil rights abuses by them (1Samuel 8:1-22); hence the stream of godless tyrants ruling over them until driven into captivity.  Thus corruption at the highest levels of power became the norm:  “A ruler who listens to lies will have corrupt officials” (Proverb 29:12); “as a roaring lion or a charging bear [Daniel’s imagery, 7:4-5], so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.  A tyrannical ruler practices extortion” (Proverb 28:15-16)—precepts not only entrenched in human history but pandemic in all systems of government to this day.

   Most culpable were the priestly classes.  “The priests didn’t say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’ and those who handle the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal [Satan], and walked after things that do not profit…How do you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us?’  But, behold, the false pen of the scribes [interpreters of Scripture] has worked falsely” (Jeremiah 2:8; 8:8). “The priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they [God’s people] should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of hosts [the Most High’s Spokesperson].  But you have turned aside out of the way. You have caused many to stumble in the law [see Matthew 18:6-7, 23:13].You have corrupted the covenant of Levi” (Malachi 2:5,7-8).  “Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions [emblematic of Satan’s human minions—2Timothy 4:17; 1Peter 5:8].  “Her judges are evening wolves [↔Acts 20:29-30].  They leave nothing until the next day.  Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people.  Her priests have profaned the sanctuary [God’s house]; they give perverse interpretations of the Law” (Zephaniah 3:3-4). 

   But none of this could have happened without the enabling, abetting, and steadfast support of their followers.  “As for my people, children [spiritually unenlightened men (Isaiah 8:20; 1Corinthians 3:1-2; Hebrews 5:12-14)] are their oppressors and women [synagogues, churches—see Proverb 6:26, 23:27-28; Jeremiah 5:7] rule over them.  My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12).  “Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions; they have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captivity, but have seen for you false oracles and causes of banishment” (Lamentations 2:14).  “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:31).  What indeed but tears and unprecedented suffering during the fall to Babylon, or in future, during the Great Tribulation?

CHRISTIANITY’S APOSTASY

   In the Biblical narrative, just where the so called ten lost tribes” Israel disappear from the record and the focus shifts to Judah [Jesus’ tribe (Hebrews 7:14)] and Jerusalem, that is the nexus where prophecies charting Christianity’s trajectory towards apostasy begins. Moses, of course, had predicted the fate awaiting Jews and Christians during the ‘times’ allotted to either nation (Deuteronomy 31:29↔Luke 21:24).

   Apostasy per se had had its beginnings in the Golden Calf affair.  Despairing of the hardships and bland diet of manna Yahweh had chosen for them (Numbers 21:5), the Israelites yearned for the savory goodies they had enjoyed under the enslaving, idolatrous Egyptians (Exodus 16:3); so they petitioned Aaron, their high priest, for the very thing Yahweh abominated:  Idols.  But the ultimate responsibility lay with Aaron (Exodus 32:25):  Without putting up a fight, [while later trying to pass the buck (Exodus 32:21-22)], he asked for all available gold and fashioned an idol he must have felt was OK with Yahweh, for whom the next-day sacrifice and offers of peace were intended (Exodus 32:1-6).  [Aaron too may have believed all modes of worship lead to Father]. 

   Aaron was the prototype but his initiative continues to resonate with today’s religious leaders.  Like Aaron, they have found that pleasing congregations is more profitable and prestigious than honoring their responsibilities to Father.  Hence the recrimination directed against congregants wanting to be fed religious bromides:  “For [you are] a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of Yahweh; who tell the seers, ‘Don’t see!’ and to the prophets, ‘Don’t prophesy to us [truths].  Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits’“ (Isaiah 30:9-10)—exactly the opiate that today’s mega-churches dispense.  These ‘feel-good’ prescriptions are the legacy of modern evangelists, scholars, and interpreters of Scripture invested in preaching gospels laden with human concerns and priorities rather than Father’s justice. A legacy they imported from Israel (Romans 10:3), but an evolving legacy:  Whatever their specific ‘faith’ [or lack thereof], Scripture is continuously corrupted, amended, emended, edited, falsified, misused, misinterpreted, and what is worse, conscripted, to justify false dogmas, un-Christian social policies, and the type of partisan divisiveness that spells doom to Father’s and Jesus’ unifying agenda (Matthew 12:25; Ephesians 1:10, 4:3-6).

   No wonder Jesus had to come.  “For the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams.  They comfort in vain. Therefore they [God’s people] go their way like [oppressed] sheep, because there is no [true] shepherd.  My anger is kindled against the [false] shepherds, and I will punish the male goats [false ministers (Matthew 7:22-23, 25:33)]; for Yahweh of hosts [the proxy God incarnated as Jesus] has visited his flock, the house of Judah [Christendom]’”(Zechariah 10:2-3).  And of course crucified:  He was making waves, exposing the con, and challenging the comfy lifestyles of hypocritical priests (Matthew 23:4-36).  Solomon had said that “the words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11); and the Jewish priests must have thought that one ‘nailing’ called for another, so they literally nailed Jesus to the cross.

   Not for these ‘stewards of faith’—and us—the self-obliteration needed to labor in Jesus’ shadow to ensure Father’s will is implemented down to the proverbial “iota” or “dot.”  Jesus may have given us an example to follow (John 13:15); but worldly glory-seekers had other ideas/versions of what/how ‘glory’ was about/should be accomplished.  Thus from the get-go, there have always been those who find Jesus’ words too ‘fun’ dampening (John 6:60); or too ‘socialist’ in their aim to re-distribute wealth for the sake of equality (Mark 10:20-22; Acts 4:32-35; 2Corinthians 8:14).   With Jesus out of sight, it was time to return to business as usual:  Wolves clad in designer‘s clothing would split from and feed off the flock (Acts 20:29-30; 2Corinthians 11:13-14; 1John 2:19); promising deliverance while ensuring damnation (Galatians 6:12-13; 2Peter 2:18-20); persecuting and opposing Father’s true ministers (Matthew 23:35,37; 3John 9-10); and devising counter-gospels that fell short of His righteousness.  Priestly orders again became the trend; and in 313-323 AD Roman Catholicism hit the jackpot when it became the official religion of the Roman Empire.  From then on, to paraphrase a popular saying, the rest was prophecy:  Daniel’s and well as Revelation’s.

   But to hear modern-day religious leaders tell it, everything is honky-dory as far as Christian spirituality is concerned:  Judging by their claims, more souls for the Lord have been garnered through evangelism than grains of sand lying on the seashore.  Jesus, however, begs to disagree, “for many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14) and few find the path to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). During his pre-existence as the Father‘s proxy God, bitter experience had taught Jesus that the righteous of any given generation were always exponentially outnumbered by the unrighteous he had rejected.

   Or so Biblical ‘statistics’ argue. Out of the antediluvian world, only eight persons were saved.  Of the 2.4 million Israelites [scholarly estimate, since the two censuses in Sinai only counted men on foot and male warriors, respectively (Exodus 12:37; Numbers 1:45-46)] who left Egypt during the Exodus, only Joshua and Caleb, plus everybody under the age of twenty, entered the Canaan (Numbers 14:29-30).  In the time of Elijah seven thousand “were reserved” who did not bow to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).  And in our times, bearing out Solomon’s observation that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), out the almost 8 billion+ people in the planet, only 144,000 will be without blemish before God’s throne (Revelation 14:3-5)—≈0.18%!  While countless millions having gone through their personal ordeals will be saved along with them (Revelation 7:9, 13-14)—though not as shining exemplars of faith as these 144,000 are, the reality we must face is that regardless of how ‘Jesus-ready’ we may think we are, “anyone who thinks himself to be somebody when he is nobody” [is only]deluding himself (Galatians 6:3)—especially the self-anointed, ‘holier-than-thous’ (Job 9:20; Psalm 143:2; Proverbs 14:12, 16:25; Matthew 7:22-23; Luke 16:15).

   So, as far as self-delusions go we are all toast:  Since no one is good but Father (Mark 10:18),³ we have all fallen short of His standards (Romans 3:23); and if we are saved, it is due to grace as a gift from Him and not based on personal merits (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Like the ancient Israelites, we think that good deeds will score us brownie points; first ignoring that such deeds, where salvation is concerned (Romans 4:4), are viewed as debt payments rather than salaries; and most importantly that what doomed the Jews was their misguided belief reconciliation with Father was possible through rote obedience rather than faith (Romans 9:30-32).  In short, if one clothes and feeds the hungry, it is his/her repayment to Father for the grace He bestowed upon him/her, the “eye for an eye” exchange which is egregiously misapplied to acts of violence and vengeance.  Humanitarian actions, however many times repeated, do not make anyone righteous.  What counts with Father is the joy, sense of duty, and love, people express in their willingness to ‘channel’ His designs—the very attitude that exalted both Mary and Jesus (Luke 2:28 38; Philippians 2:5-11: Hebrews 10:5-9).

   Why did it have to be this way?  First, because “the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3); and because death is inevitable, people want to enjoy life to the max before kicking the bucket (Isaiah 22:13).  Whereas Father expected His people to show heart-felt repentance, “to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth” (Isaiah 22:12↔James 4:9); while Jesus bequeathed us not a rose garden but its thorns, “You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:17), and “in the world you will have affliction” (John 16:33); while the Apostles preached that the Christian life was fraught with persecutions (2Timothy 3:12) and the necessity to suffer as Jesus did in order to inherit with him (Romans 8:17; 1Peter 4:12-13), all the time enduring Father’s discipline to be recognized as legitimate sons (Hebrews 12:8), we have turned instead to the comforting twaddle our religious leaders concoct to match our expectations.  Therefore, let us not be too hard on the ancient Israelites:  These religious leaders collectively are ‘our Aarons’, and their breezy, rosy gospels our golden calves.  We literally offer our gold—in the form of tithes/contributions/funding—to subsidize their idolatrous, lavish, un-Christian lifestyles and millionaire bank accounts (Matthew 8:20).

    Scripture goes as far as charting men’s spiritual backsliding. In the beginning, unity and Gospel-checking (Exodus 35:20-29; Judges 20:1,8; Ezra 2:64, 3:1,9; Nehemiah 8:1,8; Acts 2:1,42-47, 17:11), or what Jesus calls “first love” (Revelation 2:4); when orthodoxy becomes an obstacle to easy living, second thoughts/defections take place (Exodus 16:3; Matthew 19:22; John 6:60; 2Timothy 4:10); during hard times, stumbling and betrayals become the norm  (Matthew 24:9-11); and once the apostasy is in full force, Balaam-like preachers will betray the flock (Ezekiel 34:2-5,8-10; Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29-30; 2Peter 2:12-16; 1John 2:18-19).

   Somewhere amidst all this science, Satan’s gospel, plays a role, for while the faith that pleases Father demands that we believe in unseen, not yet manifested promises (Hebrews 11:1,6,13,39), science is about undermining faith by glutting human perception with things seen, touched, and empirically corroborated—the reason why in 1 Timothy 6:20-21, Paul called it, “the falsely called science, which some professing have erred concerning the faith.”  For some neo-Christians, fossilized evidence has to be included in the Gospel to show the world all Christians are not bereft of common sense: A ‘rational’ angle is needed in to balance the ‘irrationality’ of faith.  One problem with that approach, though:  “For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

   But the betrayal of Father does not exclusively involve false religious prophets and their congregations:  Governments and their rulers also play a vital role.  Thus to the great evil of embracing gospels of our own devising for self-serving purposes, we have added the greater evil of entering into unholy alliances with the state: A historically proven vector for satanic proclivities like lying (John 8:44), killing (Isaiah 14:6,20; Daniel 8:24), imprisoning (Isaiah 17:17), enslaving (Hebrews 2:15) and suppressing all forms of exposure to their evil deeds (John 3:20, 8:44).  How could it be otherwise, given that all worldly governments have been given over to Satan and he hand-picks their most egregious leaders (Luke 4:6)? ⁴

   Hence rulers’ ploys to deceive people (Proverbs 4:16; Micah 2:1); to foster disunity (Psalm 140:2; Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10-11; Jude 18-10); to oppress the poor to give to the rich (Proverbs 22:16; Micah 7:3) and thus concentrate power in the hands of the few (James 2:6; 5:4-6); to operate in secrecy to escape accountability (John 3:20); and to shamelessly betray their God-given mandate to execute justice (Romans 13:3; 1Peter 2:13-14).  It is these, featured in our daily newscasts, who behave contemptuous of divine reckoning, because there are no immediate consequences for their evil deeds (Ecclesiastes 8:11); and if no repercussions are forthcoming, why fear a God who apparently turns a blind eye to evildoing (Isaiah 29:15) and will not take a stand one way or another (Zephaniah 1:12)?  Does He care at all? (Ezekiel 8:12).  Why not instead conscript this God and put Him at the service of the state to hoodwink and manipulate His followers in order to achieve self-serving interests?

   Which may be potentially destructive to believers and non-believers alike:  In matters of destruction, Satan is not a respecter of persons.  Consider the pastor who in support of the science-denying politician he ‘advises spiritually,’ regards fears of rising oceans due to climate change overblown.  Time has proven him wrong:  Glaciers are melting at faster rates than estimated and gigantic icebergs are calving off Antarctica in record numbers, all contributing to rising sea-levels.  The pastor’s ‘evidence’: Yahweh promised Noah no more worldwide floods (Genesis 9:11).

   Mindlessly missing the forest for the thorn-bush, this ‘pastoral advisor’ overlooked the Biblical prophecy foreshadowing global warming and its consequences:  The great heat following the fourth angel’s pouring of his bowl over the Sun (Revelation 16:8-9).  While the symbolism may be hard to pin down, the overall message is not:  Climate-related disasters due to global warming courtesy of the ‘pastorally-advised’ leader’s policies being will overwhelm us all.

   What was it that Jesus said?  “There will be great suffering, the kind that hasn’t happened from the beginning of the world until now and certainly won’t ever happen again” (Matthew 24:21), and “on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves” (Luke 21:25).  Here we have a presumed ‘man of God’ beholden to a ‘Satan appointee’ (Luke 4:6), contradicting the testimony of the Holy Spirit 2Peter 1:20-21), at the service of the state, yet complicit in the endangerment of the whole of humanity in name of self-serving shenanigans.

   So where rests our collective guilt?  In allowing appeals to our baser instincts to stifle the best in us; whether by embracing nationalistic fervor; falling prey to xenophobia; abetting the disunity that tears nations and Judeo-Christianity apart (Mark 3:25); and willfully heeding/acting upon the truly ‘fake’ rhetoric of people seeking to gain something at our expense.  Our spiritual enemies are hard at work pursuing agendas that negate Father‘s own:  Loyalty to Him; love for one’s neighbor; and unity by all in Him (Mark 12:30-31; Ephesians 4:1-6, 13-14) overflowing with all the perks and benefits He has in store for us (1Corinthians 2:9; Revelation 21:4).  In choosing to abet and be complicit with our enemies, we become their unwitting puppets—and by extension bereft of God—for condemnation (Romans 6:16).

   All of which brings us to the crux of Christians’ spiritual conundrum:  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot” (Matthew 5:13). Which is the reason why in the past and in the tribulations to come, Father’s judgments begin with the most culpable: His own people (Ezekiel 9:6; 1Peter 4:17; Revelation 9:4).  How does the warning go?  “That servant who has been told his Master’s will and yet made no preparation and did not obey His will, will receive many lashes.  For to whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked” (Luke 12:47-48).  We truly deserve whatever is coming to us.  And doubt it not, it will come.

   Because forgetting that there is no fellowship between light and darkness (2Corinthians 6:14); forgetting that Jesus’ rejection of political power (John 6:15) set an example for us to stay clear of complicity with the state; forgetting to obtain Father’s guidance directly from Him rather than from spiritual leaders usurping that privilege (Jeremiah 33:3; James 1:5; 1John 2:27); forgetting that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) and that we cannot prevail where he failed (John 15:18-19); forgetting that defeat lies in prioritizing earthly existence at the expense of immortality (Matthew 16:25); forgetting that neither lasting peace nor happiness is possible in this world, and that those promising us safety and ‘greatness’ are not empowered by Heaven to do so, we still cling to this existence and to this world for dear life, just on the off-chance that Scripture might not be all that it is cracked up to be.

  And so the final rejection of Revelation 3:16:  “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”

  

¹ Where Yahweh of hosts informed Abraham of the decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah— the ‘dress-rehearsal’ for our world’s destruction (2Peter 2:6).

² Here is a second link:  “Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

³ Why then all those meaningless diatribes as to why ‘good’ people suffer?  In Jesus’ estimation, there is no such breed.

⁴ And Who has given Satan this power?  Incontestably, Father (Daniel 4:17,26, 5:21; John 19:11; Romans 13:1).  But why?  Because by transgressing the terms of the Divine Covenant, Father is under no obligation to keep His side of the bargain: Protecting men from all forms of evil deployed against them by Satan (Jeremiah 11:1-17).  But the fact that Father allows Satan to act does not mean that He has instructed Satan how to act, anymore than Satan’s torments against Job were ordained by Yahweh of hosts:  Satan chose and executed them all! (see Job chapters 1 and 2).  But Father does accept responsibility for the evil that unfolds, unlike Adam/Aaron-like, hypocritical secular and religious leaders who shift the blame elsewhere for their own failures.