This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 4 of Acts chapter 7

The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

[Acts chapter 7, verses 51-60; chapter 8, verses 1-3]

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Last week when we left off at verse 50 of Acts chapter 7, Stephen was continuing to give his testimony regarding the phony charges against him. Stephen had just finished reminding his accusers that God didn't need their big, fancy temple at Jerusalem, or any of the smaller ones elsewhere either (see last week's post here in case you missed it). Today as we close out chapter 7 of the Book of Acts, Steven makes his concluding remarks which would soon cost him his life. But it's the way Steven went about doing this that made him such a remarkable individual. So let's take up where we stopped last week beginning at verse 51.

“'You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him – you who have received the Law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.' When they heard this, they were furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look', he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (Acts 7, verses 51-58)

Stephen's calling out of the Sanhedrin, in response to his being called out first, had now escalated to calling his accusers “stiff-necked people”. This was not merely out-of-date, old-fashioned 1st-century name calling; that phrase actually comes from the same Bible the Sanhedrin claimed as their own. That phrase comes from Exodus 34: 9 in the Old Testament, where Moses called the entire nation of Israel “a stiff-necked people” who could not or would not obey the God who had previously led them out of 400 years of slavery in ancient Egypt. Yet these Pharisees, Sadducee's and teachers of the law claimed to teach and follow Moses! So Steven is telling the Sanhedrin they had no right to accuse him when the temple leadership was guilty of far worse. And they most certainly were, as we all know by now!

“Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him....” “Him”, of course, meant Jesus Christ, who they had nailed to the cross, together with their Roman accomplices. Steven made them all guilty by association with the deaths of Christ and the prophets of old: from Samson to Jeremiah and Isaiah. “When they heard this, they were furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 'Look', he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'” This bears some serious consideration on our part. How many of us have ever been so filled with the Risen Spirit of Christ that we could visually see Christ in heaven? I have never had any such experience myself, nor have I ever met anyone who has. This just goes to show all of us how much further we have to go to get our walk with Christ up to the level Stephen was operating on. Yes, that includes myself, as life has long since taught me.

Stephen's accusation against his own accusers, which was followed by Stephen's vision of Christ at God's right hand, made them all completely livid. “'Look', he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him....” When Stephen uttered those words, that was the breaking point for the Sanhedrin. Stephen's stunningly brilliant defense of himself, basically acting as his own attorney, had frustrated the Sanhedrin's efforts to prove their case against him, a case that had been bogus right from the start. By now you can see many parallels between Stephen being tried before the Sanhedrin and Jesus being tried before Pilate. Both were falsely accused of blasphemy against the temple and against God, and both received the death penalty unjustly. Moreover Stephen, like Christ, went to his death voluntarily and without complaint, even though any such complaints about mistreatment would have been true. And then we see Saul enter into the picture for the first time in verses 59 and 60.

“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell on his knees and cried out, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except for the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen, and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 7, verses 59-60; Acts 8, verses 1-3)

Just like Jesus on the cross, who, shortly before taking his last breath, said, “Forgive them Father, they don't know what they are doing” (see Luke 23: 34), so it was with Stephen when he said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Forgiveness, you see, is one of the basic tenets of genuine Christianity. Christ forgave us first when he died on the cross, and then he erased our sins by rising again on the morning of the third day. As his followers and aspiring disciples, we emulate Christ by forgiving one another (“forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”), with the understanding that our forgiveness towards each other is followed by God's forgiveness for all our sins past, present and future. Moreover, we cannot expect God to forgive us unless we willingly forgive each other first. This can be extremely difficult in the worst cases. It's hard to forgive the valet who just burned rubber with your car, for example. But it's even harder to say, 'Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing”, while you watch 3 carjackers driving your car, which they just stole right out from under you, down the street at full throttle. Still more than that if they just shot you in the process! What's the hardest type of forgiveness? Forgiving those who abused us as children, and I'm speaking from experience.

“And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except for the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” Stephen's illegal execution was the catalyst for the tremendous persecution of the early church that followed for many years afterward. People were fleeing every which way they could to get out of the way – and out of reach – of the ever-menacing Roman soldiers and their associates who collaborated with Rome. Saul of Tarsus is mentioned here for the first time, but we will get to his story in Acts chapter 10.

“....all except for the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen, and mourned deeply for him.” Plainly many believers and followers of the Word, while quite sincere, were not as far along in their faith as Steven was. Steven willingly died, but the rest were scattered out of a sense of self-preservation, which is perfectly understandable. I don't think those who fled the persecution were cowards, nor do I think they sinned when they fled. I strongly suspect that many who fled the persecution of the early Church had families, and they fled for the children's sake. But those who stayed behind “mourned deeply” for his loss. After the apostles, as the apostles came after Christ, Steven stands tall in the annals of Christendom as well as the chronicles of the early Church as a case study in maintaining one's faith even to the point of death. It is entirely possible that many Christians will die for their faith here in the 21^st century. It's already happening in the Middle East, Russia, China and North Korea, among other places.

“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” This is exactly why people were fleeing. It was like a police SWAT team, or like the Storm Troopers in Hitler's Germany or the KGB in Soviet Russia (owing to the fact that they're all very similar). Either open the door and let them in, or they will knock down the door and shoot you to death. It was like that, except that swords and spears were substituted for firearms back then. So now you know that the Roman Empire was small potatoes compared to the American Empire of today, and that the threat we face is far greater today than what the early Christians ever faced back then. Next week we will begin a verse-by-verse examination of Acts chapter 8. See you then!

Memorial Day and the National Anthem: Some observations About Patriotism

The 'National Anthem' and This Past Week's Football Owners Meeting: Why I'll Be Taking a Knee With “Kap” This Coming Football Season

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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The United States of America hasn't been winning very many popularity contests overseas as of late. The last two presidents – particularly Donald Trump – have stepped up military drone strikes against Islamic extremists, but also those countries that have numerous oil fields who are working to undermine the US dollar. Countries such as Iran, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria are currently in negotiations to collaborate using an alternative currency to the US dollar, such as the Euro, the Chinese Yuan or the Russian ruble, but these oil-producing countries are also using gold as a form of currency. Resorting to such tactics by any of the above countries constitutes a direct threat to US interests, which has provoked the strong military response we are seeing in today's headlines.

Here on the home front, our cities are deteriorating due to a glut of boarded up houses, long-dormant industrial sites and abandoned shopping centers. Much the same has happened to many small rural towns for the same reasons. The least common denominator to why this is occurring is the lack of jobs that pay a fair minimum wage of, say, $15.00 an hour. And then there's our police forces, who are supposed to be protecting and serving the public. Instead, they have mutated into a paramilitary apparatus equipped with military-grade weapons they don't need, and many if not most of those police are a lot more trigger-happy than they would care to admit. As of this writing, the FBI, BATFE, NSA, DEA and the DHS have ordered a total of over 3.5 billion rounds of hollow-point ammunition. That's enough to kill everyone in America 10 times over. So why did law enforcement purchase such an enormous amount of ammunition knowing that it was more than they would ever use? The purpose is evidently to deny American gun owners access to ammunition by buying up the entire supply. This enormous amount of ammunition has been purchased for the same reason the police departments are acquiring military grade assault weapons and armored vehicles. They are preparing for a mass assault on the American people as an anticipated reaction to the protests and possible rioting over food and fuel shortages that will occur when martial law is declared. This could even mushroom into another US civil war if things get out of hand.

It has been my observation that there are far more clandestine reasons that are carefully hidden underneath the surface for these things to be occurring. The forces and enforcers of the status quo are the same individuals who stand to lose everything when the US dollar inevitably crashes and the Western world's capitalist debt-based economic bubble finally bursts for good, as it eventually must. For those who don't already know, this may occur even sooner than expected. But it was Jesus who said. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where it will rust or be eaten by moths, or that thieves break in and steal. But instead, store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moths don't eat up your clothes, where nothing ever rusts, and where thievery is nonexistent.” (Matthew 6: 19-21) When that collapse finally does occur, it will bring the American, Canadian, European, Japanese and Russian economies down along with it. Even China's booming economy would come to a screeching halt in such a case as that!

Here in the USA, there are presently numerous individuals or entire families who are engaged in activities known as “prepping”. Prepping can generally be defined as making advance preparations for an expected disaster, or for the declaration of martial law. I have begun to do this very thing myself, mainly by storing plenty of nonperishable food and lots of extra 1-gallon milk jugs of water. In a worst-case scenario, I got a passport last winter, and it's good for 10 years. What does this say about our country and the state of its people? It looks to me like there are many saying, “We've had enough of all this crap. The entire American political and economic systems are a disaster area, and the government is also broken beyond repair. So it's up to us to fix it ourselves.”

For a long time now I have maintained that we need to reinvent government as we know it. One replacement idea would be a Web-based paperless government. Thanks to the global proliferation of the Internet, hierarchical governments and other similar organizations ruled from the top down will soon find themselves replaced with a Web-based democracy featuring a horizontally administered command and organizational structure. In effect, it would be a kind of laterally managed organization that runs peer-to-peer, similar to a beehive, or maybe like an ant colony, as the Bible describes it: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (Proverbs 6: 6-8). The main thing will be organizing the peer-to-peer economic system that would accompany such a lateral management structure. But this would not be difficult to achieve due to the decentralized nature of lateral management systems.

One thing is certain; America is a hollowed out shell of what it used to be. The job market is absolutely decimated – never mind all of the propaganda that comes from the mainstream media about gaining 200,000 new jobs every month. They are almost entirely part time jobs everywhere I look. It makes me glad I had to retire from the work force, and even grateful for my small disability check. At first when I became disabled I complained about how small my monthly check was. But, having the time to sit back and watch the implosion of the American job market from 2011 up until now, I stopped complaining a long time ago. In fact, it was sinful of me to have done that, and so I confessed that sin to the Lord and begged His forgiveness and he fully restored me (hallelujah!). He wants to restore us all, so confess your sins and Jesus will forgive you too. It doesn't matter how bad you have been, or what you did and when,or what your past has been like. The blood of Jesus washes it all away.

This past week, the 32 billionaire owners, or their designated representatives, met right here in Atlanta to discuss what to do about players who 'take a knee' when the National Anthem is played just before games begin. Sports Illustrated had this to say about the meeting:

“ATLANTA — The owners had been locked in discussion for almost three hours, and momentum was starting to build toward a resolution to be voted on. This, in certain circumstances, would be when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would take command of the room. But not this time. The national anthem has been the most sensitive issue the league has dealt with over the past two years; so instead, Goodell stopped the open forum and called for the owners to go around the room and, one by one, make their points. This is where the league’s anthem policy was born, amid two common themes consistent among the 32 takes.

1) The NFL needed an enforceable policy on the anthem.
2) The NFL needed to respect players who weren’t comfortable standing for it.

Everything would have to fall around those two things, as the owners saw it. And as that consensus became clear, NFL EVP Jeff Pash was scribbling out a five-point plan, which Goodell read to the room after the “All 32” exercise was complete to cap the meeting. Another privileged session (primary owners and family only....)” You can read the entire article here.

Everyone knows by now the source of this entire controversy. Depending on who you believe, it was started by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kapernick as a public statement against police violence, or by law enforcement due to their seemingly indiscriminate killing of unarmed Black men. As could be expected, this form of public dissent has been met with a mix of confusion, consternation and contempt. Wasn’t this just another example of our traditional values being trampled by the unrelenting march of political correctness? What sort of ingrates object to our nation’s anthem, anyway? Fluffy-headed campus philosophers? Lazy latte-sipping liberals? It also caused widespread concern and confusion among the supporters and, yes, donors - many of whom felt like playing the anthem compromised Christian values. 

 

Instead of compromising their core convictions about racism and violence at the hands of the police, I foresee hundreds or even thousands of conscientious men and women this coming football season who will choose to adhere to their conscience. Moreover, I have resolved to join “Kap” and other like-minded individuals, even though we may find ourselves mocked by 'friends' and neighbors, beaten down by angry mobs or waterboarded by rednecks. It is also entirely possible that all the high school kids who are fed up with gun violence will join Colin Kapernick and his contemporaries in 'taking a knee' this football season. Although there certainly are diverse viewpoints among equally diverse individuals today, all continue to advocate for an end to gun violence. That’s because we recognize only one nation that is bound together by a living Constitution and a faith in a living Savior rather than by man-made, blood-soaked prejudices of the past.

Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies and he loved his enemies all the way to the cross and beyond. Following Jesus and the martyrs before us, we testify with our lives that freedom is not a right that is granted or defended with rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air. True freedom is given by God, and it is indeed not free. It comes with a cost, and that cost looks just like a cross, not a flag. How do we plug ourselves into the unlimited power of the cross of Calvary? First, it is imperative that we all believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. For me at least, this is non-negotiable. Next, we must all repent of our evil ways and dispense with our bad habits, for the world cannot know of its brokenness and hopelessness without a Savior to show them a superlative way of life. There needs to be more people practicing the ways of peace while putting away their childish arguments. The world cannot know that there is an alternative to violence and war without a people of peace making peace. The world cannot know that the weak and the vulnerable are cared for by God without a people practicing an economy centered on sharing and mutual aid, not individual gain. Let us ask ourselves this basic question – if I die in my sleep tonight, what kind of legacy will I leave? However you ask yourself this question, let's all make sure the answer will be a thoughtful one. The only way to peace is to worship the Prince of Peace.

The world cannot know the immeasurable worth of a human life without a people who consistently work to protect it – in the unborn, in the convict, in the immigrant, in the homeless, in the soldier, in the retirement homes, in the mental hospitals, and on the streets of America. These protests against police violence do not reflect ingratitude or hatred for our country, or toward those who enforce its laws. Rather, they reflect a deep love for justice and peace. After all, it is written: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God.” I love my country, but I sing my loyalty and pledge my allegiance to the Prince of Peace and him alone. This is because our souls and our Savior are all that's going to be left.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 3 of Acts chapter 7

Steven Concludes His Testimony

[Acts chapter 7, verses 39-50]

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When we last left off at verse 38 of Acts chapter 7, in our ongoing studies of the writings of the apostle Luke, Steven was still vigorously defending himself against the trumped-up charges of the flotilla of false witnesses that had been launched against him in a hearing before the full Jewish governing body known as the Sanhedrin. Steven had spoken at length about the chronicles of the life of Abraham and his descendants, and the achievements of Moses, and Steven's comparing him to Christ. Just as a condemned man led ancient Israel out of Egypt, Steven argued, so had Jesus, another condemned man, led all of humankind out of the pits of hell and into eternal glory. Steven was pointing out the egregious error of the Sanhedrin, who had handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified. Needless to say, this wasn't setting well at all with Steven's accusers. And so let's rejoin the proceedings of that fateful day, beginning at verse 39.

“But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt – we don't know what has happened to him!' That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands have made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the Book of the Prophets” 'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Raphan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.'” (Acts 7, verses 39-43)

Our ancestors, Stephen argued, were a really disobedient bunch of people who would rather worship an inanimate object than a living God. Steven was also making the observation that the Jewish people hadn't really changed very much in all that time, which at the time of Steven's impassioned defense was well over a thousand years! So now we can see that this was the crux of Steven's defense – that the Jewish nation, which the Sanhedrin purportedly represented the best and brightest of, was far more disobedient to the tenets of God than Steven had ever dreamed about being! (For the back story on the events Steven was testifying about, see Exodus chapters 19-20) “That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands have made. But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies.” In this passage, Steven was referring partly to astrology, and partly to the lunar calendar used by the Jews. God is the God of light, wrote the apostle John, and there is no darkness in him. But Steven was referring to the story of Aaron and the golden calf I mentioned above. While Moses was bringing the 10 commandments (actually, there are many more than that) down from Mt. Sinai, Aaron's golden calf was already being actively worshiped. So Steven was telling the court that the Jewish people had insufficient discernment to correctly evaluate the things of God, which made their charges against him baseless.

Next, Steven quotes from Amos chapter 5, verses 25-27 to use against his accusers: “This agrees with what is written in the Book of the Prophets” 'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech....” 'Molech' was an idol from ancient Israel to whom live babies and young children were sacrificed, a very distasteful business to say the least. So now we know that Steven was comparing the Sanhedrin to a bunch of idols who were undeserving of worship. He was comparing them to baby murderers! In that same verse Steven mentions 'the star of Raphan', a form of worship having its origins in ancient Arabia, in what is part of Iran today. (The Americanized version is known today as the Order of the Eastern Star, a branch of Freemasonry) “Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.” Here Steven is referring to the subsequent exile of the entire nation of Israel, which you can read about in the link I provided. In so doing, Steven was implying that the entire Sanhedrin deserved the same fate. And now let's move on to part 2 of today's lesson.

“Our forefathers had the Tabernacle of Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. Having received the Tabernacle, our forefathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might become a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house for him. However, the Most High does not live in houses built by men. As the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?, says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?'” (Acts 7, verses 44-50)

The 'Tabernacle of Testimony' Steven was referring to was the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments, and which Moses had carried down from from Mt. Sinai after his meeting with the Lord. For an exact description of the Ark, please refer to Exodus chapter 25, verses 10-22. “.... our forefathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.” With just that one sentence we can see the conflict in the Middle East goes back to long, long before Israel's modern-day founding by the United Nations back in 1948. Sometimes I think all those Jews and Arabs don't even remember what they were originally fighting over. That being the case, it's time to call it quits over there in Israel, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries in close proximity. All their governments want is war, while all the people want is some personal safety, peace and quiet. “It remained in the land until the time of David....”, refers to the Ark of the Covenant being kept in a tent until David conquered Jerusalem a few years later. But it was David's son, Solomon, who built the first Temple in Jerusalem.

However, Steven was careful to point out, “....the Most High does not live in houses built by men. As the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?', says the Lord.” Indeed, this was and remains a teachable moment for all humankind, whether they attend church or not. Who are we, in all our collective arrogance, that we presume to build 'houses of worship' so that God can descend to be with us? It is we, the human race, who have this whole thing backward! It is ourselves who should be reaching up to God, not waiting in our often enormous churches for Him to come on down and visit with us. Moreover, too many people have forgotten that Jesus is our intercessor. He is like a defense attorney who is our advocate before the Father, and only through Jesus Christ can any of us approach God. “Has not my hand made all these things?'”

Sadly, the modern church still has the same problem, but now things are much worse. The churches of Steven's time would be dwarfed by modern mega-churches, where millions are spent on their construction while children in the surrounding neighborhoods go to bed hungry. In that respect, I would say God would be far more indignant with the materialistic modern churches in the Western world than he was with the Temple of Solomon's time. Next week, when we conclude chapter 7 of the Book of Acts, we will read Steven's closing arguments, which will be brief but very powerful, and we will visualize his martyrdom on the twin altars of hubris and sanctimony. Until then let's all pray for the wisdom, the bravery and the willingness to sacrifice ourselves just as Jesus submitted himself on the cross. Until then....

Free book excerpt #24 from Author & Web Pastor Paul J. Bern

“The Apostles In Plain English Vol. 1: the Apostle Paul” by Rev. Paul J. Bern

An in-depth analysis of the writings of the apostle Paul in their order of appearance in the Bible. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/N4RXD3iOnxI

Contributing To One Another

[Romans chapter 12]

Today in our continuing series of studies of the book of Romans, we move on to chapter 12. In this chapter, the apostle Paul talks about how we can initiate fundamental change for the better from within ourselves. He then explains how this renewal of self can affect our place within the community of believers as well as for the good of everyone else. He then goes on to outline how this personal renewal in Christ for the sake of our relationship with Christ applies to our everyday lives and what we as responsible Christians can do to cause this personal renewal manifest itself. I will begin with verse one.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12: 1-2)

We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God in the same way that Christ offered Himself up on the cross of Calvary. Furthermore, we are to be living in the world while remaining separate from it. We can live here as usual but not be caught up in the materialistic and vain trappings of the world as it currently exists. We can accomplish this by what Paul calls “mind renewal”. This means being a modern Christian requires a new and different way of thinking that sets us apart from the rest of humanity. It is only when we do this that we can find out for ourselves what God's will is for our lives. And His will is always perfect for us whether we realize it or not. And if we don't yet do so, we can still accomplish this by the renewal of our minds in Christ Jesus.

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith that God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it to the proportion of his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Romans 12: 3-8)

The first point Paul makes is that there is no room for big egos in God's family. Everyone has a place in God's family “in accordance with the measure of faith that God has given you”. Everyone has a function within God's family, and Paul names these functions without any particular order of importance. Notice that he mentions money only briefly (“if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously”). This is in stark contrast to the erroneous teachings of the modern church, which emphasizes tithing 10% of one's income. This is a teaching that goes all the way back to the Old Testament, well before the time of Christ. As I said in one of my recent Sunday commentaries, we should definitely contribute to churches and other charities as we see fit. However, the harsh economic realities of the modern world in which we live make giving 10% a prohibitively expensive proposition, especially for the poor and middle class. Let the rich give 15% to their churches in our place. Besides, when Jesus died on the cross, the old law was sacrificed with Him and He became the new law. Paul then goes on from there.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those that mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12: 9-16)

The timely advice that is in these few verses is just as relevant now as it was nearly 2,000 years ago when it was first written. Love must be genuine, and never abusive. Stand up to evil and oppose it at every turn. Be a truly selfless person who thinks of themselves last, who puts others first, rarely complaining. Now comes the hardest part, because it's a quote from Christ himself. “Bless those who curse you...”, be kind to those who oppose you or who have personal vendettas. You will be surprised (based on my own experience) at how quickly this tactic can disarm those who oppose you. Be willing to associate with people of low position, such as the homeless. I was once homeless myself for about four months, and I didn't think such a thing could happen to me back then until it did. I'm retired from IT after over 20 years in the computer business. But when you're self-employed and the demand for your product dries up, your income dries up too. Never be conceited, and be wary of all the class warfare that's going on in America. And how do we accomplish this and other similar things, such as our relationship with Christ? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds”. Paul then continues on with these closing verses.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written. 'it is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord'. (Deuteronomy 32:35) On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12: 17-21)

As far as it is possible, live at peace with everyone. If any of your enemies refuses to act peaceably toward you, avoid them and don't associate with them. Take it to the Lord in prayer and let God deal with them, and you can be sure that He will. God will deal with your enemies in His good and perfect will according to His perfect timing. That is the way of the Lord, and we are to emulate Him every chance we get. And the peace of God which is beyond all human understanding will be with you all. Let's start putting these teachings into practice on a daily basis. You will be surprised at how much your quality of life will improve, as well as how many doors of opportunity this will open for you. Living God's way through Jesus Christ really is the best way to live our lives. Try it and see for yourself, you will be pleased with the outcome. Enjoy your day! 

Get the print edition on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=the+apostles+in+plain+english+vol+1%3A+the+apostle+paul&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Ck%3Athe+apostles+in+plain+english+vol+1%3A+the+apostle+paul

Get the digital edition on Kindle ($9.99) at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=the+apostles+in+plain+english+1%3A+the+apostle+Paul

Get it in audio format on Amazon Audible at https://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Plain-English-Vol-Appearance/dp/B0746TTGBN/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503076680&sr=1-1&keywords=the+apostles+in+plain+english+vol.+1%3A+the+apostle+Paul

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/N4RXD3iOnxI 

Another False Prediction Disproved, More Phony Prophets Humiliated

Israel's 70^th Anniversary Passes Without the

Predicted Happenings of Biblical Proportions

By Pastor Paul J. Bern

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Here we go, people, another predicted date of great import and spiritual significance, not to mention a big event for Judaism as well as Christianity, has come and gone, almost without incident. I write 'almost' out of a sense of shame and regret towards my Jewish brothers and sisters, whose country Israel sent armed forces to shoot dozens of Palestinian protesters just for protesting. Israel seems to have forgotten that theirs is the only democracy in the Middle Eastern region, and that one of the basic tenets of democracy is the right to freedom of expression. The Israeli Defense Force is actively preventing the Palestinian people from exercising this fundamental human right while forcefully exercising it themselves. The whole world sees this glaring double standard, and it is no coincidence that the American people are experiencing this same set of circumstances here at home. I have predicted in the past that this entire situation is unsustainable, and I continue to predict this will result in civil unrest globally (not just here in the US). But I digress....

This 70^th anniversary of the founding of Israel as a nation was alleged to be accompanied by the arrival of Christ for the “rapture” of the Church, and this is based on Scripture, which I will get to in just a minute. But for right now, the most harmful consequences of such false predictions is that it discourages people from making the necessary preparations for the real event when it actually occurs. At least some will join the chorus of cynics whom the Bible predicts will mockingly say, “Where is the promise of Christ’s coming?” (2 Peter 3: 3-4). Let's not forget that it was Jesus himself who said to his apostles that no one knows when he is coming back to the earth, not even himself, but only his heavenly Father.

Let's pause and look up what He said about that. “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. 'Tell us', they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?' Jesus answered, 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come, claiming, 'I am the Christ', and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” [Matthew chapter 24, verses 3-8]

I'm sure you noticed the very first sentence of Christ's response, “Watch out that no one deceives you”. At this point it is easy to see that Jesus was talking about the times in which we are currently living. There are and will be a lot of “false Christs” who will deceive an awful lot of people. Jesus wasn't only talking about people claiming to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, he was talking about entire churches or even denominations. 'Ours is the true way', one church might say, and yet another different from the first may say the same thing. Jesus was talking about divisions within the body of believers, as well as phony con artists operating from without. Or on television. The increased number of earthquakes that have been recorded over the last decade or more are also in the news almost on a daily basis. When it comes to famines, humankind has them in spades, starting with a 2014 United Nations report saying that 50,000 children per day, ages 5 and under, die from starvation globally. Pause and reflect on that for a minute. Moreover, 1 in every 5 American school children will experience homelessness at least once before they turn eighteen. But these things, our Lord said, are “the beginning of birth pains”.

At this point, I really should add some additional background to add more clarity to this week's message. I'm going to mention 2 things here – the Great Tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. Whatever anyone has read or heard elsewhere, get ready to be warned about the truth about the world's future as the Bible tells it. Most everybody knows about the 7-year Great Tribulation that is prophesied elsewhere in the Bible, mainly in the books of Daniel and Revelation, but which were written many hundreds of years apart. This 7-year period will be the final time period leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, who will proceed to rule the world from its new capital in Jerusalem for 1,000 years.

The main argument revolves around the timing of this 7-year period. Some say it hasn't started yet, others insist we 're already in it. There are many details I could delve into regarding this matter, but it all boils down to what Jesus told his apostles: “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father”. [Matthew 24: 32-36]

Many Biblical scholars and pastors, unfortunately, take the phrase, “this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened”, and try to add something that isn't there. You probably know that the nation of Israel was founded on May 14, 1948. You likely also know that a 'generation' in the Bible was considered to be 40 years when those words were originally written. For all you long-time Christians like myself, it was widely prophesied on the then-relatively-new Christian TV stations that Jesus would return one generation after Israel's founding, or May 14, 1988. Much to the discredit of certain elements within main stream Christianity, we all know what happened back then, and one of the purposes of this week's posting is to try and prevent this from happening a second time during these last days. I am sick and tired of bogus ministers who give a bad reputation to the name of Christ! But if 40 years isn't what Jesus meant, many Christians were saying, and the average life expectancy here in the 'end times' is a little over 70 for men, then 1948 plus 70 years equals 2018. Aha!! So that's when our Lord will return! Got it, now let's get ready!

Nope, hold on a minute. Wait, wait – stop. Just like May of 1988, May 14, 2018 just came and went unceremoniously (excluding all the Palestinian unrest I mentioned at the top of this posting). Let's all think back to what the Bible says: “No one knows the day or the hour”. Isn't that what the Lord said? Not even himself, He stated. OK, now let's look at this from another angle. If May 14^th, 2018 was the day of Christ's return, and since the Great Tribulation is of 7 years duration, then the 'tribulation' should have started back in the Spring of 2011, and the Antichrist should have come to power about the same time. Clearly, since none of these has occurred, all those other “predictions” won't come true either.

So, now let me move on to the second topic, and that is the coming of the Antichrist, who will come upon the world scene according to the prophet Daniel (see Daniel chapter 12 in the Old Testament), as well as the book of Revelation chapter 13. As before, without having you all plunge headfirst into the murky pool of end times prophecy, let me make a generalization or two. In the first place, World War Three and the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 in the Old Testament are one and the same. Moreover, the Antichrist will not come to power until just after this war's conclusion. While I would be quick to agree that the stage for WW3 is currently being set, we aren't there just yet – but, continue to watch events unfold in the Middle East very closely, because that's where it's going to start. 

 

t will not be until the conclusion of that war that the Antichrist will come to power to enforce his own brand of peace. Three and a half years later he will break his own peace treaty, and that is when the countdown to the final 3.5 years will commence before Christ's return. The final event before our Savior's return in this context is the Battle of Armageddon, which is not the same as the God-Magog war of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. So, to dispel another myth or false teaching (take your pick), World War Three and Armageddon are two different battles set approximately seven years apart.

So you can pretty much disregard all the predictions on “Christian TV”, as well as all the cult churches, some of which are operating right here in the US, regarding the return of our Lord and Savior. Once again, Jesus has proven them all wrong while proving himself absolutely right. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” Jesus told his apostles he had no idea when his return would occur. That return and its timing are on a need-to-know basis, and frankly we don't need to know. Still, the stage is being set and the players are taking their places for the Ezekiel 38-39 war as I write this. Therefore we must all remain vigilant. Remember what else Jesus mentioned about this in another part of the gospels: “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” That statement still holds true because it comes from the Son of God.

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 7

St. Steven Continues With His Response to the Court

Acts chapter 7, verses 20-38

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Last week when we concluded part 1 of Acts chapter 7, St. Steven had been asked for a response to the charges that had been leveled against him by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Namely, that Steven was guilty of blasphemy and inciting unrest and sowing discontent among the people, charges that were patently false. The real underlying issue was that the teachings of the apostles and the early church they founded were being perceived as being authentic, and rightly so. On the other hand, the temple leadership of that time were a bunch of hypocritical snobs who enriched themselves from the temple offerings of the people. People could readily see the difference between the two. They could easily tell the real from the phony, and the Pharisees and Sadducee's were deeply offended to no end because of it. So now let's continue Steven's ongoing testimony from last week beginning at verse 20.

“At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelite's He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelite's who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you want to hurt each other?' But the man who was mistreating the other man pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.'” (Acts 7, verses 20-29)

Those of you who read last week's posting (click here if you missed it) will recall the high priest asking Steven if the charges against him were true. Instead of a simple yes or no, Steven starts his reply by giving the court a quick history of the Jewish people, which is intertwined with Jewish religious beliefs, and to a lesser extent Jewish ideology. What he's actually doing is telling the court why he is innocent of the charges against him, while also telling them why they are wrong to have charged him in the first place! He uses the story of Moses an an example, although it is a highly condensed version so Steven could come to the point as quickly as possible. Although the court did not yet realize it, Steven was using the story of Moses to compare his being adopted by royalty with Steven's own salvation in Christ, which had brought him into the Family of God. Jesus was born of royalty – Godly royalty – while Moses was adopted by royalty (the house of Pharaoh). Moses and Jesus were both ultimately rejected by, and in Jesus' case was sacrificed by, those in power here on earth. But Steven isn't finished with this portion of his response to the court just yet. In fact, he's just getting started. So now let's move on to the 2^nd half of this week's study, taking up at verse 30.

“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mt. Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. This is that Moses who told the Israelite's, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mt. Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.'” (Acts 7, verses 30-38)

So we can clearly see here that Steven is comparing Moses with Christ, but only insomuch as Moses was Christ's predecessor. Steven also made a point out of Moses' extreme reverence for God Almighty, even to the point of trembling with fear. It is entirely possible that the apostle Paul later referred to this when he wrote to the Philippians' church that they should “....work out your own salvation with fear and trembling....” (Phil. 2: 12). Then Steven relates to the court how “the God.... of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” sent Moses back to Egypt to save his people Israel, just as he later sent his Son to save Israel as well as all humankind. Since this was the same Sanhedrin who had handed Christ over to Pilate, you can be sure these words were not being well received at all by the court.

In the same way as Pharaoh rejected Moses, Steven continued, so you all rejected Jesus as the One who was sent by that same Almighty God as the Savior of us all. “This is that Moses who told the Israelite's, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.” Moses was referring to Christ, and he prophesied about Christ by making that statement so long ago. Moreover, Steven identified himself as being a latter-day prophet of that very same Jesus Christ, as well as one whop extols his teachings. Keep in mind, too, that Jesus had only been crucified and resurrected just some months before Steven's apprehension by the authorities of 1^st century Jerusalem.

But as I wrote above, Stephen, is still replying at length to the original question, which was, 'Are you guilty of these charges?' He has already compared Jesus, whom that very court had crucified, with Moses, whom they all revered. This must have generated a good amount of cognitive dissonance among the members of the Sanhedrin, and this was undoubtedly intentional on Steven's part. Moses, Steven continued, “....received living words to pass on to us.” Those “living words” Steven spoke of are what we now call the Old Testament, which was the Bible as it was known back then. So this was tantamount to using the same Scriptures taught by the “scribes and teachers of the Law”, as Jesus had called them (see Matthew 25, verses 13-36), against the very teachers who purported to be divine instructors. That would be something like calling a university professor an idiot, but Steven was careful not to provoke them out of a sense of self-preservation.

But, as we will see next week, Steven's brilliant defense of himself (there were no court-appointed lawyers in those days, and for long after too), and the diplomatic way in which he went about it – despite what Steven was accusing the court of – would not prevent him from becoming Christendom's first martyr. So, I'll see you all back next week for part 3 of Acts chapter 7, where Steven concludes his defense. To find out the verdict and how it came to be, we'll move on to part 3 of Acts chapter 7. Everybody take good care!

If President Trump Really Wants to "Drain the Swamp" He's Going to Need a Bigger Pump

The Ongoing Christian Hypocrisy In Washington D.C.

by Pastor Paul J. Bern

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Remember when we were kids in school? We used to recite the 'pledge of allegiance' to the flag every day. Among other things, the pledge calls us “one nation under God”. Judging from the way things are proceeding in Washington and the Middle East these days, America has become anything but that. We are faced with endless wars overseas with no end in sight, and these wars on multiple fronts have bankrupted our country. Meanwhile here at home, it is the American people who are faced with bankruptcy and even homelessness due to either long-term unemployment, or because of declining wages and rising costs for those who are working. Citizens everywhere continue to lose their houses to foreclosure under circumstances that are questionable at best or outright financial fraud at worst. The rapidly growing population of homeless people is already in the process of turning into a human tidal wave of misery and hopelessness. Here in Atlanta where I live, the homeless population on any given day averages around 5,000 or so, of which half are children! This is a gross social injustice, particularly considering that it is happening in the richest country in the world! Even the cave men lived in caves tens of thousands of years ago. So it is accurate to say that they had it better than the homeless folks do today. It is a basic human right to have a roof over your head. Shelter is not a privilege! Throwing men, women and children out into the elements for mere financial reasons is nothing short of barbaric!

As all this outrageous injustice continues, we see and hear our nation's leaders in Washington invoking the name of God and quoting the Bible (out of context!) as a justification for waging immoral and illegal wars all over the globe, with many being of the clandestine variety. Meaning, the US taxpayers who are unknowingly funding their illegal activities have been clueless as to what is going on. But thanks to the Internet, people are rapidly waking up to what's been going on, and this is happening on a global scale. Here at home, our nation's lawmakers debate whether gay persons should serve openly in the military or not, and various individuals in our country's leadership take a stand on whether they are pro-life or pro-choice. These side-issues are being debated while our country grapples with record deficits that threaten to swallow up what is left of the US economy, just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned. They pontificate about “family values” and their religious faith. In the meantime, one in every four American children doesn't have enough to eat, and one in every five American school kids will be homeless at least once before they turn 18.

Moreover, “conservatives” in Congress threaten to do away with the American social safety net at a time of 1970's era wages and rampant homelessness, just when it is needed the most! If these neoconservatives succeed in taking away, or even succeed in reducing, the social safety net that millions are currently depending upon because they can't find work or enough of it (and often because they can't even feed their kids), you can be sure there will be rioting in the streets at best, or another US civil war like in Syria or Yemen at worst. These current events line up with much of what I have been saying on my web site (or blog) since day one about what is wrong with the world in which we live, and how we should proceed to make it better. Anyone can be religious, but I choose to take it to the next level. I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make a real difference. I can be super-spiritual all day long, but if I'm too stingy to buy a homeless lady and her two little kids a $10.00 or $12.00 box of fried chicken with some 'sides', what good am I?

My own faith is a blend of leftist Christian (yes, there is such a thing; think “social gospel” minus the emphasis on 'social salvation' from that era), plus Teddy-Roosevelt-style Populism and Bernie Sanders-style progressiveness (hence my website name Progressive Christian Ministries). So now you know why I particularly enjoy going after big government and main-stream denominations at all levels, taking them all to task not just because of their sometimes-misguided leadership, but challenging their thinking and their values. For example, many Republicans in Washington keep talking about God and politics as if they are interchangeable. They like to make it look like they are on the side of God, as if God were a political conservative like themselves. And they love to make it seem like the Democrats and “liberals” are a party of loose morality, favoring abortion and gay marriage, and hanging around with terrorists both domestic and foreign. They are experts at crafting and delivering their message – good enough to inspire many middle-class white folks to vote against their own best interests in the 2016 presidential elections. Their message works because it appeals to people's base emotions, not their intellects. And reacting is so much easier than critical thinking, especially when we're so emotionally drained from these years of unemployment, or working multiple part time jobs, or home foreclosures. They are so effective with their message that they don't think twice before selling the idea that God wanted George W. Bush to attack Iraq, God favors Republicans, and God wanted Sarah Palin to be President. Or maybe Mike Huckabee.

Our lawmakers completely ignore the First Amendment's separation of church and state. The first amendment to the US Constitution begins by saying, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.......” To me, this means anyone who wishes to engineer a merger of government and organized religion either knows nothing about the Constitution or they openly wish to break it. Either way, that means they would be committing treason if these neocons and right-wing extremists were to actually pull off such a political stunt as that. They publicly thump the Bibles on which they were sworn into office. They brag about giving 10% of their incomes to the churches they belong to, even though many don't attend church at all. And they make sure they're seen praying, whether it be in church, in public, or on TV. Jesus had something to say about that, and those serene words of wisdom are just as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago when they were first spoken. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew chapter 6, verses 5-6) 

 

As we set aside today's ideological hysteria and look at the facts, Jesus was part liberal and part socialist by today's standards (hence the inspiration for the “social gospel” of 1,900 years later), and much of the New Testament condemns the attitude of the so-called religious right (which is neither as far as I am concerned). For example, Jesus condemned the greedy rich, saying, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." [Matthew 19:24] He denounced the money changers in the temple at Jerusalem as He threw them out, saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” [Matthew 21:13] And Jesus stood up for the poor and underprivileged, saying, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." [Matthew 25:40]

So then, how can our nation's leadership, especially the conservative right-wingers, call themselves Christian? How does one call oneself a follower of Jesus Christ – and allegedly He alone – as they hold the unemployed, the disabled and retired pensioners hostage while fighting for more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires? They don't care about us, and they don't care if we know that or not. We the people, America's middle and working classes, need not tolerate what amounts to being openly insulted. We can and should fight back! Who is with me today? I'm just one disabled man, all I can do is write from here in my apartment. So I need all you able-bodied people to please, please, get out in the streets and protest, or do something more if you can. Our situation here in America has become intolerable!

Jesus acknowledged the need for government as well as tax-supported government services, saying, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's." [Matthew 22:21] So then how can these war hawks of Washington call themselves 'Christians' as they rail against paying their fair share of taxes? Never mind the fact that this is the same bunch of people who vehemently oppose national health care and food programs for poor kids! Never mind that these same people (and their financial backers) are the ones voting in favor of increasing funding of the largest and most formidable military in world history. Last year the US government spent more money on military expenditures than all the rest of the world combined. Then again, there is the fact that the United States has more people in prison than all the rest of the world's countries – again, combined. There is something very, very wrong with this picture, that's for sure. When faced with all these facts, I am forced to come to the conclusion that America isn't the world's greatest country anymore, if it ever really was. The American people have woken up to the fact that we've all been bamboozled for generations. It's on us to correct this glaring problem, everybody. It's up to us, the American people, to turn this around.

Jesus healed the sick – even lepers – for free. He didn't ask them for an insurance card first, nor did he have any legal forms for anyone to sign. Jesus just healed people because it was the right thing to do, but more importantly because that's one of the things he came here to do (let's not forget Jesus' main reason; his blood which He shed on a cross for each of us!). Jesus was the original "socialized medicine" personified. So then, how can certain conservatives call themselves 'Christian' (that is, followers of Jesus Christ in Spirit and in truth) as they condemn the infinitely more profitable (and woefully insufficient) "Obamacare"? The truth of the matter is that much of the effectiveness of any government is directly proportional to how well it cares for its people. (By the way, it was Thomas Jefferson who first said that.) The United States is the last developed country in the world that does not have national health insurance for its citizens. Every other developed country – and many developing ones – has national health insurance, except for us. As I wrote above about shelter being a basic human right, so it is with health care.

Proper medical care is not a privilege available only to those who can afford to pay! Good quality health care is a basic human right that must be available to everyone without qualification, including preexisting conditions. The money to implement such a plan is already available with plenty to spare. All the government has to do is call off all the illegal wars and occupations overseas and bring our troops home. Whatever money is left over can be used for giant public works projects to put all the long-term unemployed back to work, or to send them back to school to learn a trade. Is there sufficient money to accomplish and finance this worthy goal? Absolutely, and all without adding to the federal deficit. Here's an example: If the US military set aside one day's expenses for the twin occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq (Again? Wasn't once enough?) and put those funds in an interest-bearing account, there would be enough money to send every single American school kid to four years of college – fully paid for. We'd get all that from just one days military expenditures! So don't tell me we can't afford quality education without qualification! Oh yes we can!!

As he stood and delivered his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of the living God." [Matthew 5:9] Still, the conservatives call themselves 'Christian' as they continue to call for endless war, be it legally and morally justified or not. At the same time, they expound on how pro-life or anti-abortion they are. So, let me get this straight. In order to be a good Christian, one must be pro-war and pro-life simultaneously? Or, one must be pro-life but opposed to putting the entire country on Medicare, then? And then our military and “intelligence” establishment tries to justify torture by saying so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” saves lives? So I ask them as I ask you all; in the words of the popular button and bumper sticker: Who would Jesus torture?

In the end, I see many neoconservatives, Republicans and other right-wing extremists paying much homage to the Bible while ignoring what is in between its covers. As for myself, I could not stand to live like that, being a Washington hypocrite or a modern-day Pharisee. My conscience simply would not allow me to do such a thing, and especially without taking it to the Lord in prayer beforehand! Let's vote these right wing-nuts out of office during this year's midterm elections first, and we'll see what happens. But if nothing changes and our plight continues to slowly worsen, it's going to be time to start all over again on a clean sheet of paper in 2020. If our country is still here, that is. It's the only way we can peacefully force things in Washington to change. But if things don't start changing, and soon, the civil wars of Syria and Yemen will be mushrooming from within America's heartland, and with maximum vengeance! If governing power cannot be returned to the American people peacefully, then things will deteriorate to the point where we will simply have to retake it by force. Get ready, everybody. And, if you're not already praying, please start. It's the least you can do.