The Religion That Started in a Hat

Prayers for Deliverance by Jack Kettler

“Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;” (Psalm 140:1)

“Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;” (Proverbs 2:11-12)

“Hear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” (Micah 3:9-12)

What can be done when governed by a wicked ruler?

“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings…” (Daniel 2:21)

God sets up kings and removes them by His sovereign power. God will even raise up an evil king to bring judgement upon, and ultimately bringing repentance to His people. O Lord, help us to acknowledge our evil as a nation. Help us to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

National repentance and true reformation are required for God to hear our collective prayers. God’s people must humble themselves, and pray earnestly for the removal of God’s judgment, and seek him for deliverance. Most importantly, we must turn from our wicked ways. O Lord, be merciful and give us leaders who will govern in fear of You and who will love Your law.

What about a ruler who break God’s laws or goes beyond his jurisdiction? Gary DeMar from American Vision writes:

“A civil ruler only operates legitimately in those things over which he has jurisdictional authority. He can’t claim that because he’s a king that whatever he does is the result of his office. An elected official that lies, cheats, steals, and murders is not doing God’s will in his civil capacity. He can and should be called to account.” *

“Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You.” (Psalms 5:10)

Like the Psalmist we can pray, “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man…” (Psalm 140:1) I maintain that as Christians, we have to right to privately pray for the removal of ungodly leaders. Many believers have prayed for the president’s salvation. There comes a time when prayers for a wicked leader to be removed from office is appropriate. Now is the time.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few,
And let another take his office.” (Psalms 109:7-8)

With these thoughts on repentance in mind, I pray the following prayers:

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who was mentored by the Communist organizer, Frank Marshal Davis, and who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro. In your presence O’ Lord and with his hand on your printed Word, he swore to uphold faithfully the laws of this land, many of which are based upon principles in Your Word. With a haughty look and bold arrogance, he now proclaims he is above the rule of law and can make his own laws. We beseech Thee for deliverance from this lawlessness.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and by his action or inaction is in violation of the sixth commandment, supporting those that are involved in taking the human life in the womb. O Lord, give a ruler who loves life and will defend those unable to defend themselves.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who was mentored by the Communist organizer Frank Marshal Davis and by his support for laws contrary to your Word and is leading the nation astray into envy and jealously, creating class warfare where many are now coveting their neighbors goods. O Lord, Your law is the way of wisdom!

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro, and who has repeatedly called the idolatrous pagan book known as the Koran, “Holy” and has said that we must not slander Muhammad, the false prophet of this depraved religion of backward medieval Arab culture. O Lord, give us a ruler who honors you only!

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and on a daily basis: makes arrogant prideful untrue representations, speaks falsely, and willfully misrepresents and misleads the nation in violation of the ninth commandment. O Lord, Give us a ruler who can say: “O how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalms 119:97)

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who was mentored by the Communist organizer Frank Marshal Davis and by his administration’s lies to hide the truth, and by his action or inaction is in violation of the sixth commandment and at a very minimum is guilty of criminal negligence in the deaths of four U.S. Citizens, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, Libya.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and by his actions are in violation of the eighth commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” by using the power and force of government to take income and property from one group of citizens and giving the stolen goods to others. O Lord, give us a ruler who will respect the property of others. O Lord, you have said: “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and exhibits signs of malignant narcissism manifesting itself as prideful arrogance and by his support of the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda, sworn enemies of Your Church, and of your ancient covenant people, is in violation of his oath of office.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro, and by his confession that the “Muslim Call to Prayer One of the Prettiest Sounds on Earth,” and even wears a ring inscribed in Arabic saying “there is no God but Allah” which are shocking violations of the First Commandment “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7)

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro, who bows down to misogynist kings and befriends the Islamic supremacist, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who admires Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, and believes the Jews are the descendants of Apes and Pigs.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who was mentored by the Communist organizer Frank Marshal Davis and by his support of and his endorsement of homosexual practices, is calling evil good. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). O Lord, give us a ruler who loves your law.

Dear God; please deliver us from our present wicked ruler who at one time was known as Barry Soetoro and by his statement “I will stand with the Muslims…” indicates that his allegiance is to a false god and a pagan religion. O Lord, give a a ruler who does not deceive us and attempt to lead the nation astray into idolatry.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil.” (Matthew 6:13)

“Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.” (Psalms 6:10)

“His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.” (Psalms 7:16)

“Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.” (Psalms 10:15)

“O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.” (Psalms 58:6-8)

“Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!” (Psalms 104:35)

King Solomon said: “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2)

Examples of Church leaders dealing with tyranny:

“Although I never lack the presence and plain image of my own wretched infirmity, yet seeing sin so manifestly abounds in all estates, I am compelled to thunder out the threatenings of God against the obstinate rebels.” – John Knox

Would John Knox have remained silent in the face of public wickedness being promoted by our current leader who was known at one time as Barry Soetoro? Is a king higher than God’s law?

In Lex Rex, (law is king) Samuel Rutherford argued that the law is above the king because it is founded on the Law of God. If the king disobeyed God’s law then the king was to be disobeyed. Rutherford argued that the civil authorities are fiduciary figures, that is they hold authority in trust for the people. If they violate that trust the people have a legitimate recourse to resistance.

Rutherford recommended increasing the levels of resistance for the individuals:

1. by self defense by protest or legal action;
2. by flight where possible; then only
3. by use of force in self defense.

Because God’s law is above civil rulers, we have the right to say: “The emperor has no clothes.”

John Knox said: “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”

Consider: The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women by John Kox. The First Blast published in 1558 was prompted by the murderous activities of Mary Tudor, a Roman Catholic who succeeded to the throne of England.

Mary Queen of Scots told him that God expected subjects to obey their ruler. Knox replied that subjects did not have to obey a ruler who was ‘ungodly.’

Was Knox right that we do not have to obey an ungodly ruler? Would he have thundered out the threatenings of God against our obstinate covenant law breaker rebel bottom feeders, who pass themselves off as political leaders?

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.” (Romans 13:1-7)

Does submission to the governing authorities mean that believers and the church must keep silent in the face of public evil by these same governing authorities? Or, is keeping silent in the face of evil part of the definition of submission?

“If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such, it has been put in the place of the living God.” – Francis A. Schaeffer, A Christian Manifesto

Consider the thoughts of one New England pastor from a time when public office holders, acknowledged the God of the Bible:

“It is blasphemy to call tyrants and oppressors, God’s ministers. They are more properly the messengers of Satan to buffet us. No rulers are properly God’s ministers, but such as are just, ruling in the fear of God. When once magistrates act contrary to their office, and the end of their institution; when they rob and ruin the public, instead of being guardians of its peace and welfare; they immediately cease to be the ordinance and ministers of God; and no more deserve that glorious character than common pirates and highwaymen. So that whenever that argument for submission, fails, which is grounded upon the usefulness of magistracy to civil society, (as it always does when magistrates do hurt to society instead of good) the other argument, which is taken from their being the ordinance of God, must necessarily fail also; to person of a civil character being God’s minister, in the sense of the apostle, any farther than he performs God’s will, by exercising a just and reasonable authority; and ruling for the good of the subject.…. When magistrates rob and ruin the people, instead of being guardians of its peace and welfare, they immediately cease to be the ordinance and ministers of God, and no more deserve that glorious character than common pirates and highwaymen.” – Jonathan Mayhew (1720 – 1766), Congregational minister at West Church in Boston

Submission to governing authorities cannot possibly mean the Church and individual Christians must remain silent in the face of public wickedness.

For example, evangelical leader, James Dobson, calls the president out on his radical support for baby killing at the national prayer event. http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/dobson-obama-is-abortion-president/

Some of Dobson’s comments: “I believe in the rule of law,” he said, but “I will not pay the surcharge for abortion services. … To pay one cent for the killing of babies is egregious to me, and I will do all I can to correct a government that lies to me about its intentions and then tries to coerce my acquiescence with extortion.” So, he concluded, “come and get me if you must, Mr. President. I will not bow before your wicked regulation.”

“…tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.” Ayaan Hirsi Ali

What about the passage in 1 Peter where we are instructed to submit to every authority. Are there qualifications or limits in this passage?

Some have argued yes. For example, the American colonists read 1 Peter 2:13, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority . . .,” and saw the phrase “for the Lord’s sake” as a condition for obedience. The reasoning ran thus: if the authority was unrighteous and passed unrighteous laws, then following them could not be a righteous thing. In other words, one cannot obey a wicked law “for the Lord’s sake.”

Check out the following article links that give direction to God’s people in their resistance to wicked leaders:

* Is It Unbiblical to Protest Against Unrighteous Governments? By Gary DeMar
http://americanvision.org/4079/is-it-unbiblical-to-protest-against-unrighteous-governments/#sthash.x5joZd0V.dpbs

The American Right to Revolt Against Tyranny: Part A—Ancient Roots by a Reformed pastor in Ireland.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/57005

Resistance to Tyrants
http://www.forerunner.com/blog/resistance-to-tyrants

A Christian Against the State by Laurence M. Vance

A Christian Against the State

We Can’t Afford to Ignore the Tyranny that Exists

We Can’t Afford to Ignore the Tyranny that Exists

Obama Breaks Nearly All Ten Commandments

Obama Breaks Nearly All Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments of Obama
http://www.forerunner.com/blog/the-ten-commandments-of-obama

“When government engages in the involuntary transfer of wealth, that’s nothing more than legalized plunder. There is nothing noble or laudatory about it. It is contemptible, evil and profoundly wrong.” – Frederic Bastiat

“The moral absolutes rest upon God’s character. The moral commands He has given to men are an expression of His character. Men as created in His image are to live by choice on the basis of what God is. The standards of morality are determined by what conforms to His character, while those things which do not conform are immoral.” – Francis A. Schaeffer

“Be not intimidated… nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.” – John Adams

“That government is best which governs least, the people are entitled to a government that stays within the confines of the Constitution, the Constitution was written to keep the government off the people’s backs.” – Judge Andrew Napolitano

In conclusion, I say that is time to pray for God to remove corrupt leaders and to raise up good ones that are “God fearing.”

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Did the Roman Catholic Pope change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday worship?

Let’s consider the claims of two Roman Catholic leaders:

What does the Roman church say is the sign of its authority? On January 18, 1563, “the Archbishop of Reggio made a speech in which he openly declared that tradition stood above the Scriptures because the church had changed the Sabbath into Sunday—not by a command of Christ, but by its own authority” (Canon and Tradition, p. 263). http://biblelight.net/bssb-1443-1444.htm

Additionally, the Catholic Mirror of Baltimore, Maryland, published a series of four editorials, which appeared in that paper September, 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893 as the expression of the Papacy to Protestantism, and the demand of the Papacy that Protestants shall render to the Papacy an account of why they keep Sunday and also of how they keep it. (Rome’s Challenge: Why Do Protestants Keep Sunday?) http://biblelight.net/chalng.htm

Are these two claims true? Did the Roman Papacy change the day from Saturday to Sunday? First off, not only is this claim dubious, it is a historical impossibility in light of the fact that the Papacy did not exist until sometime after the First Council of Nicaea, which was convened by the Roman emperor Constantine in AD 325.

It should be noted that; just because the Roman Catholics claim they changed the Sabbath to Sunday does not prove anything. This claim has to be evaluated Scripturally and historically. The Roman Church likes to make claims of this nature because they think that this proves that their so-called “sacred tradition” is superior or on an equal authority with Scripture.

There are others who claim that the Papacy made this change, such as the Seventh Day Adventists. Contrary to those who claim Sunday worship was a Roman Catholic invention, the early church in the East met on Sunday as the day of worship.

The Eastern Orthodox Churches have observed Sunday worship from the very beginning.

For example, consider the Eastern Orthodox Worship by Rev. Alciviadis C. Calivas, Th.D.

Rev. Alciviadis says the following:

The Day which the Lord has made

The most important day for the Christian community was and continues to be the First day of the Jewish week. For the people of the Old Covenant the First Day was a memorial of the first day of creation, when God separated the light from the darkness. For the people of the New Covenant the first day includes this and much more. The first was the day when the empty tomb was first discovered and the risen Lord made His first appearances to His followers. The first was the day of the Resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the new creation brought about by His victory over death. By the end of the first century the Church gave to this special day of Christ’s resurrection a distinctly Christian name: the Lord’s Day (Kyriake hemera) (Rev. 1: 10).

The Lord’s Day (Sunday) is a Christian institution. It is the Christian festival, founded upon Christ’s resurrection. It is “the day which the Lord has made” (Ps. 117:24). It is a day of rejoicing and holy convocation, when no one is permitted to fast or kneel in sorrow or in penance. In 321 A.D. St. Constantine, the first Christian Emperor, declared it a day of rest. Long before him, however, Christians were already known to observe the day with special solemnity, treating it as a holy day devoted to spiritual things. As a day of rest, the Lord’s Day is not to be abused as a day of idleness and inactivity. For the faithful it is always a day for participation in the communal worship of the Church, for Christian fellowship, for the service of God through works of charity, for personal quiet and meditation, and for the discovery and enjoyment of God’s presence in us, and in the people and the world that surround and touch our lives. (underlining emphasis mine)

Not only do the Eastern Orthodox Christians worship on Sunday, the Armenian, and Coptic Christians also worship on Sunday. The Roman Church has never had much influence in the East. In fact, the Eastern Churches have always opposed the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, separated in 1054 AD in what is know as the “Great Schism.”The Eastern Orthodox Churches first acted on a basic principle of Protestantism by breaking with the Roman Church in 1054 over the filoque controversy. The filoque controversy is where a Roman Catholic Pope, outside of a church council changed the Nicene Creed.

Justin Martyr, who lived at approximately 100 to 165 AD, wrote on the issue of Sunday worship:

And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration. Justin Martyr, The First Apology of Justin, Chap. 67, pp. 354, 355.

The writings of the early church Fathers all point to the celebration of the Lord’s Day on the first day of the week (Sunday; Revelation 1:10):

Didache:

Christian Assembly on the Lord’s Day: 1. But every Lord’s day do ye gather yourselves together, and break bread.

The Didascalia:

The apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation, because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week he arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week he ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week he will appear at last with the angels of heaven” (Didascalia 2).

St. Ignatius:

If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death (Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians, Chapter IX).

Note: The Didache (/ˈdɪdəkiː/; Koine Greek: Διδαχή) or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (Didachē means “Teaching”) is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century

Note: Didascalia Apostolorum (or just Didascalia) is a Christian treatise which belongs to the genre of the Church Orders. It presents itself as being written by the Twelve Apostles at the time of the Council of Jerusalem; however, scholars agree that it was actually a composition of the 3rd century,

As an aside, what about the Emperor Constantine? Did he change the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday as some Seventh Day Adventists claim? As noted from the above quote, this claim does not hold up since Christians were already meeting on Sunday, since the time of the Apostles. Constantine did make a decree regarding worship on Sunday.

It should be noted that; Constantine’s decree simply recognized the three hundred year Christian practice and expanded Christian freedom by allowing to keep their shops closed:

On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. (Constantine, March 7, 321. Codex Justinianus lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; translated in Philip Schaff’s, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3, p. 380, note 1)

This decree by Constantine simply protected, and guaranteed the civil freedom of Christians.

Where did the Protestant Reformers stand on the Saturday Sabbath and Sunday worship?

During the Reformation, the Protestant theologians did not blindly import theology and practices from the Roman Church. They reformed the church by looking at Scripture and binding themselves to the Scriptures as the final court of appeal. During the counter reformation Counsel of Trent, the Roman Church made many false assertions attempting to undermine Protestant theology. This has done when Roman leaders as seen above, claimed that it was the Papacy that changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. The Roman Church has always tried to undermine Sola Scriptura by elevating tradition to an equal footing with Scripture.

The Reformers on the other hand, looked at continuities and discontinuities in Scripture and concluded that the practice of the early Christians meeting on the first day of week, (Sunday) was a case of a real discontinuity in Scripture.

The Scriptural basis for discontinuity and continuity and its relevancy to the issue at hand:

In the Old Testament, we have certain ordinances and covenants that are said to be perceptual or everlasting. For example, “the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.” Why did the Protestant Reformers call the faithful to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday, when the Scriptures seem to make Saturday the permanent day?

To start, we should note that the Hebrew word “forever,” “olam” can be translated in different ways. Some examples being: forever, perpetual, everlasting, eternal, permanent. The word “forever” does not necessarily mean never ending in scripture, but can also be understood to mean as lasting only as long as a time period or age.

Upon closer examination of the Hebrew word ‘olam, we can raise the question; does this mean that a practice commanded in Scripture will last forever? First, we can admit that it’s possible when dealing with the usage of ‘olam, that a practice mentioned may last forever. However, the context of a passage is important when making this determination. Admitting that ‘olam may literally mean forever does not invalidate the fact the there are numerous indicators that ‘olam can also be used to describe a practice that will end or change forms going from the Older Covenant into the New.

In particular, ‘olam is used regarding ordinances in the Older Covenant which were to be kept by the people of Israel and not carried over into the New Covenant Church practice in their Older Covenant forms. It should be noted that there are significant discontinuities and continuities in redemptive history when moving from the Older Covenant into the New Covenant era.

Examples of the time limitations of ‘olam:

Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever. (Exodus 21:6)

In this passage ‘olam stresses permanence and that the man would be a servant forever. This verse is explicit in conveying the idea of a limitation of time. The prima facie limitation in this verse is the life-span of the servant.

Another example is the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. (Exodus 12:17)

The discontinuity is that the New Covenant Church no longer celebrates the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The continuity is that this Feast is fulfilled in Christ.

Consider the Passover:

Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. (Exodus 12:14)

The discontinuity is that the New Covenant Church no longer celebrates the Passover feast. The continuity is that all of the Older Covenant feasts including the Passover find fulfillment in the the Lord’s Supper.

Then there is the example of circumcision:

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:7-10)
The discontinuity is that circumcision is no longer required in the New Covenant. The continuity is that circumcision is replaced by baptism in the New Covenant era as the mark of the covenant.

The Sabbath Day to be kept on the seventh day:

Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ‘It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:16-17)

The discontinuity is that the day has been changed to the First Day of the week in celebration of the resurrection of Christ. The continuity is that God’s people are to still honor Him by resting for our labors after six days of work Hebrews 4:9. In the Greek text, the word for “rest” in Hebrews 4:9 is sabbatismos. It means “a Sabbath rest.” Young’s Literal Translation captures this well when we read: “There doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest to the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9)

As seen in these examples of the translation of ‘olam as forever, perceptual, everlasting, eternal and permanent, we can conclude that there are qualifiers attached that guides our understanding of these passages. In each of these passages, the substance remained, yet the outward form changed moving from the Older Covenant into the New Covenant. The Reformed hermeneutic presumes that unless the New Testament sets aside an Old Testament practice as in the case of the dietary laws, we presume the Scriptural command to still be in force, taking into consideration, legitimate discontinuities as seen above.

Back to the issue at hand:

In light of what has been said above, the first day of the week came to be known as the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), and has been the day on which the church gathered with the blessing of the Apostles (Acts 20:7).

On the day in which Jesus had been raised from the dead, the risen Lord Himself, chose the first day of the week on which to manifest himself to his disciples when they were gathered together (John 20:19, 26).

A quick summary of Scriptural reasons for the day change:

1. The Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 25:1; and John 20:1,19, 26.
2. In the book of Acts we learn more about Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” (Acts 20:7)
3. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul tells us that not only in Corinth but all the churches of Galatia met upon the first day of the week. And, the apostles commanded the observation of this day rather than any other day for Sabbath services.
4. Regarding Sunday, the first day of the week, it can be said: this day is sanctified to be holy to the Lord above any other day, and therefore it has the Lord’s name upon it, and consequently is called the Lord’s day, as is manifest from Revelation1:10.

The astute reader will do well to consult:

From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation
by D. A. Carson

In particular, look at R. J. Bauckham, “Lord’s Day”, in From Sabbath to Lord’s Day, ed. D. A. Carson, pages 221-250:

1. The early church met on the Lord’s Day to commemorate Jesus’ Resurrection (Bauckham, 232-245): All four gospels emphasize Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week. Though it cannot be proven that this was the reason established for Sunday worship, early Christians did connect gathering on the first day of the week with the Lord’s resurrection (Bauckham, 236, 240).

2. By the end of the first century, “Lord’s Day” is seen to be a technical term already in use in reference to the first day of the week/Sunday, the Christian gathering day (Revelation 1:10; see Bauckham, “Lord’s Day,” 222-232).

3. By the middle of second century, Lord’s Day worship gatherings are the universal practice of the church (Bauckham, “Lord’s Day,” 230).

We can conclude that:

The Roman Catholic assertion that the Papacy changed the Saturday Sabbath to Sunday worship does not hold up Scripturally, nor historically.

Additional Resources on the change of the day from Saturday to Sunday:

Honoring Jesus as Sabbath King: Historical-redemptive arguments for a Sunday-Sabbath
by Richard A. Ostella

Defining the Debate
by R.C. Sproul

Roman Catholicism
by Matt Slick

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

The Scriptural Case for Life by Jack Kettler

The pro-abort, baby killers are embarrassed and in a tizzy-fit because one of their favorite arguments has recently disintegrated:

ftp://undergroundnotes.com@undergroundnotes.com/public/ValerieGatto.jpg
Image credit: prettylivingpr.com

The newly crowned Miss Pennsylvania, Valerie Gatto, found out when she was in the third grade that she had been conceived when her mother was raped at knife point. Gatto’s mother was only 19 years old when she was raped.

Hopefully the case of the beautiful Valerie Gatto will cause everyone to stop and reflect upon life.

For those claiming allegiance to Scripture, prayerfully the following passages will be helpful in counseling people to choose life.

God knows the distinct personalities of the unborn:

“The children struggled together within her, and she said, If it is thus, why is this happening to me? So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger. When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.” (Genesis 25:22-26)

The death penalty is required for the killing of an unborn baby:

“If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined…. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life….” (Exodus 21:22,23)

A Psalm of David:

“Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.” (Psalms 22:9,10)

David in the Psalms says:

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5)

God knew David before he was born:

“”You did form my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother’s womb…you knew me right well; my frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret…” (Psalm 139:13-15)

What the Scriptures say regarding humanity before birth:

“Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name… And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength.” (Isaiah 49:1,5)

God speaks to Jeremiah showing that the child in the womb is a person:

“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah1:4,5)

Just as the Scripture say, the babe in the womb is a baby:

“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke1:41-44)

God says the following concerning John the Baptist:

“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.” (Luke 1:15)

The apostle Paul writes:

“But when He had set me apart before I was born…and had called me through His grace.” (Galatians 1:15)

A response to popular pro-abort argument:

The most common pro-choice or pro-abort argument is that a woman has the right to choose and make decisions about her own body. It goes without saying, everyone should have a certain amount of control over what happens to their bodies. For example, contrary to “Mooch,” Michelle Obama, we do not want the fed gov telling us what to eat. However, the idea of absolute control over one’s body has clear limits. A case in point, there are laws limiting a woman’s rights over her body, such as: Biblically speaking, a woman is not permitted to commit suicide, and she is forbidden to prostitute her body.

An even greater difficulty with the absolute rights argument is the scientific fact that the unborn baby is not part of the mother’s body. Rather, the baby in many cases has a different blood type, and the baby’s DNA is not identical to the mother’s. Since the baby is a separate entity from the mother’s body, the baby has legal protection as well. We have laws that limit a person’s exercise of freedom in order to protect the rights of others, like not screaming fire in a crowded theater. In other words, the right to choose ceases at the point in time where the rights of others begin.

“We fed the public a line of deceit, dishonesty, a fabrication of statistics and figures. We succeeded because the time was right and the news media cooperated. We sensationalized the effects of illegal abortions, and fabricated polls which indicated that 85 percent of the public favored unrestricted abortion, when we knew it was only 5 percent. We unashamedly lied, and yet our statements were quoted [by the media] as though they had been written in law.” – Dr. Bernard Nathanson, Co-founder of National Assn. for Repeal of Abortion Laws, now called National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League. Today, Dr. Nathanson is a pro-life author and activist.

“I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born.” – Ronald Regan

Abortion survivor, Gianna Jessen

Gianna Jessen

The Survivors: Aborted Babies Who Lived to Tell About It
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/item/14277-the-survivors

National Right to Life

1Home

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Sharia Versus Freedom: The Legacy of Islamic Totalitarianism A review by Jack Kettler
Publisher: Prometheus Books
by Andrew G. Bostom

In addition to the title under review, Andrew G. Bostom is the author of The Legacy of Jihad and The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism. He has also published articles and commentary on Islam in numerous on-line publications. Andrew G. Bostom (MD, MS) is Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University Medical School. More on Dr. Bostom’s work can be found at http://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/.

With the precision of a skilled surgeon, Dr. Bostom meticulously backs up and documents his assertions throughout this highly informative work. Our current CIA chief, John Brennan’s naive notion about the meaning of Jihad (p. 271) is thoroughly exposed as folly. Brennan and many others are not alone in this inexcusable foolishness.

Much of this nonsense about the so-called glorious religion of peace is perpetuated by John Louis Esposito, professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. On (p. 408) Bostom documents how Saudis lavishly reward and fund Esposito’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding to the tune of $20 million in 2005.

Karen Armstrong is a British author and another notorious apologist for Islam (p. 33). In an introduction to her work it has been said: No religion in the modern world is as feared and misunderstood as Islam. It haunts the popular Western imagination as an extreme faith that promotes authoritarian government, female oppression, civil war, and terrorism. Karen Armstrong’s short history offers a vital corrective to this narrow view. In 1999, she received the Muslim Public Affairs Council Media Award.

In this re-viewer’s assessment, both Esposito and Armstrong are bought and paid for literary prestitutes for the Muslim faith. They are willing and useful dhimmis. More on dhimmitude later.

My thoughts on Islam after reading Dr. Bostom’s book:

“It is important to note: that the religion of backward depraved Arab culture, if it were not for Western technology and oil money, the adherents of this shocking regressive culture would still be using camels and horses for transportation. This unmodernized Arab culture, like socialism (which fails when running out of other people’s money) continually attempts to conquer other cultures in order to cannibalize them into non-existence much like a pestilence of grasshoppers.”

“Islam is a religious, political, genocidal ideology characterized by centuries of Jihadist warfare and brutal oppressive totalitarianism of those enslaved. This 7th Century malignant ideology provides cover for unfathomable discrimination against non-Muslims, sadistic torture and unthinkable misogyny, even encouraging the rape of non-Muslim women and slavery that is practiced and sanctioned to this present day.”

The status of Non-Muslims or Dhimmis who were not slaughtered by the Muhammadans who raided and stole their land:

“The vile and ignorant dhimmis (non-Muslims in an Islamic country) must be humiliated, belittled and rendered abominable and able to be distinguished by their appearance.” For example, “different colored shoes, one white the other black:” for males badges such as an “ape for a Jew and a pig for a Christian: for women yellow veils.” The distinctive dress shows the Muslim that the dhimmi is to be treated as an inferior – not to stand up for her or shake his hand, not to give them Muslim charity. He is to expect respect and deference from the dhimmi who shall not join a group of Muslims or raise his voice in their presence. The non-Muslim is to stand aside if the pathway is narrow. It is haram (unlawful) for him to slaughter animals; reserved for him is the cleaning of lavatories and sewers, and carrying away rubbish and refuse. His house should be painted a dull color and be no larger than that of a Muslim neighbor. (dhimmis, pp. 34, 36, 37, 41-42, 70-72, 73, 74-75, 77, 78, 86, 89-91, 96, 105, 111, 123, 134, 141, 152, 157, 170, 174, 175, 176-177, 178-88, 192, 204, 206, 212, 213, 216-218, 219-220, 223,226, 227, 229, 245, 246, 272, 274-275, 276, 277, 284-285, 287-93, 303, 308, 309, 321, 373-74, 385, 388, 388-89, 422-423, 426, 428, 435, 436, 446-47, 461, 578-79n33, 589n7, 621-22n2, 633-34n12)

After reading Dr. Bosom’s work on dhimmis in Muslim conquered lands, one may be inclined to agree with the following provocative hyperbole:

“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren’t punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That’s war. And this is war.” – Ann Coulter

“The minarets are our bayonets, the domes our helmets, the mosques our barracks and the faithful our army” (p. 488). After reading sayings like this from Muslims, one wonders why Islamic Mosques have tax exempt status. One thing is clear regarding Isalm, a religion of peace, it is not!

“…tolerance of intolerance is cowardice.” Ayaan Hirsi Ali

“People that tell you Islam is a religion of peace are only announcing their ignorance.” – Brigitte Gabriel

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” Galatians 5:22

In contrast, Islam is political, genocidal ideology responsible for the death and enslavement of millions.

It has been said best by Jesus: “You shall know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16

It is beyond dispute, the fruits of Mohammadism are rotten to the core!

Dr. Bostom’s work is a must read for those concerned about this religious, political, genocidal ideology which has exterminated millions of people over the last 1400 years. The totality of Bostom’s book makes the case irrefutably that Sharia law is a complete and total anathema to the American “Bill Of Rights” and more importantly, to freedom of expression for the Judeo-Christian world-view.

Anyone who defends this so-called religion of peace, which is characterized by the most vile Jew-hatred ever witnessed, should be ashamed of themselves.

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Does God Exist? Helpful links and Quotes Compiled by Jack Kettler

“If there is no God, why bother to tell the truth? Why not steal?” – Ben Stein

“The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good.” Psalms 14:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalms 19:1

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Proverbs 26:4,5

“Imagine a person who comes in here tonight and argues ‘no air exists’ but continues to breathe air while he argues. Now intellectually, atheists continue to breathe – they continue to use reason and draw scientific conclusions [which assumes an orderly universe], to make moral judgments [which assumes absolute values] – but the atheistic view of things would in theory make such ‘breathing’ impossible. They are breathing God’s air all the time they are arguing against him.” – Greg Bahnsen

“The transcendental proof for God’s existence is that without Him it is impossible to prove anything. The atheist world view is irrational and cannot consistently provide the preconditions of intelligible experience, science, logic, or morality.” Greg Bahnsen

The Great Debate: Christian philosopher Greg Bahnsen debates atheist Gordon Stein at:http://vimeo.com/34998731

“When we go to look at the different world views that atheists and theists have, I suggest we can prove the existence of God from the impossibility of the contrary. The transcendental proof for God’s existence is that without Him it is impossible to prove anything. The atheist world view is irrational and cannot consistently provide the preconditions of intelligible experience, science, logic, or morality. The atheist world view cannot allow for laws of logic, the uniformity of nature, the ability for the mind to understand the world, and moral absolutes. In that sense the atheist world view cannot account for our debate tonight.” – Greg Bahnsen from “The Great Debate”

Greg Bahnsen popularized the Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God (TAG) when he debated Gordon Stein in 1985. A transcript of the debate can be found here: http://www.bellevuechristian.org/faculty/dribera/htdocs/PDFs/Apol_Bahnsen_Stein_Debate_Transcript.pdf

The Richard Dawkins – Rowan Williams Debate
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/feb/01/richard-dawkins-rowan-williams-debate

Richard Dawkins faced defeat in yesterday’s Cambridge Union debate against Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and current new Master of Magdalene College, as Cambridge students voted 324 versus 138 against the motion of ‘This House Believes Religion has no place in the 21st Century’ in the most high-profile debate staged at the Union so far this term.

The Dawkins – Williams debate on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVxciEFyBT0

Epic Christian vs Atheist debate, best ever!

The Christian William Lane Craig and Atheist Alex Rosenberg debate can be found in Videos at: http://www.shockawenow.net

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?… Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if i did that, then my argument against God collapsed too–for the argument depended on saying the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies. Thus, in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist – in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless – I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality – namely my idea of justice – was full of sense. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never have known it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.” – C.S. Lewis

Atheist Austin Dacey destroyed in debate by wise Christian:

“Suppose the word mountain meant metaphor, and dog, and Bible, and the United States. Clearly, if a word meant everything, it would mean nothing. If, now, the law of contradiction is an arbitrary convention, and if our linguistic theorists choose some other convention, I challenge them to write a book in conformity with their principles. As a matter of fact it will not be hard for them to do so. Nothing more is necessary than to write the word metaphor sixty thousand times: Metaphor metaphor metaphor metaphor…. This means the dog ran up the mountain, for the word metaphor means dog, ran, and mountain. Unfortunately, the sentence “metaphor metaphor metaphor” also means, Next Christmas is Thanksgiving, for the word metaphor has these meanings as well.” – Gordon H. Clark, God’s Hammer: The Bible and Its Critics

The Atheist Experience OWNED and HUMILIATED:

William Lane Craig demolishes atheism:

Full debate available here: http://youtu.be/tMBVlOFc8Go

“All the scheming, craftiness, and efforts of unbelievers turn against themselves as the judgment of God is revealed to them. This inherent futility is shown to the non-Christian by the believer as he points to the internal inconsistencies within the unbelieving system of thought. In this capacity the apologist becomes a messenger of judgment revealing to his opponent the hopelessness and futility of his rejection of Christ.” – Richard L. Pratt Jr. from Every Thought Captive

William Lane Craig’s web site at: http://www.reasonablefaith.org

“If there is no God, then all that exists is time and chance acting on matter. If this is true then the difference between your thoughts and mine correspond to the difference between shaking up a bottle of Mountain Dew and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. You simply fizz atheistically and I fizz theistically. This means that you do not hold to atheism because it is true , but rather because of a series of chemical reactions… Morality, tragedy, and sorrow are equally evanescent. They are all empty sensations created by the chemical reactions of the brain, in turn created by too much pizza the night before. If there is no God, then all abstractions are chemical epiphenomena, like swamp gas over fetid water. This means that we have no reason for assigning truth and falsity to the chemical fizz we call reasoning or right and wrong to the irrational reaction we call morality. If no God, mankind is a set of bi-pedal carbon units of mostly water. And nothing else.” – Douglas Wilson

Conversations with Atheists by Alan Myatt, Ph.D.
http://www.myatts.net/articles/atheists1.html

“Once the biblical defense has been given it is necessary to expose the fact that the non-Christian rejects the Christian evidence because of his commitment to independence. Every thought contrary to Christianity which the unbeliever has results from his desire to set himself up as the independent judge of truth. We live in a day when many non-Christians think they are neutral and objective. So, their basic commitment must be exposed. This can be done by a series of questions. If the Christian wishes to show the non-Christian that he has committed himself to independence he may simply assert that it is the case and then ask, “Why do you believe that?” or “How do you know that?” again and again until the point becomes obvious. The unbeliever thinks and believes as he does because he has determined it to be correct independently. For instance, the unbeliever may argue that the Christian God does not exist. When asked “Why?” he may say, ‘You have shown me no convincing evidence.” When asked why he thinks the evidence is unconvincing, he will have to admit that the evidence does not meet with his independent criterion of truth. When asked why he accepts his criterion of truth he can be shown that it is the result of his own independent decision to look at things without submission to the Bible and to God. By exposing the commitment of the unbeliever, the Christian reveals the truth that all men have either chosen for Christ or against Him. The line of division is clearly drawn and the door is opened for demonstrating the hopelessness of the non-Christian way of thinking.” – Richard L. Pratt Jr. from “Every Thought Captive”

The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God by Matt Slick:
http://carm.org/transcendental-argument
Be sure to watch the video embedded at this web page on TAG at the above link!!!

“To sustain the belief that there is no God, atheism has to demonstrate infinite knowledge, which is tantamount to saying, I have infinite knowledge that there is no being in existence with infinite knowledge.” – Ravi Zacharias

Response to Wiki Criticism of the CARM Transcendental Argument by Matt Slick:
http://carm.org/response-wiki-transcendental-argument

“The only proof for the existence of God is that without God you couldn’t prove anything.” – Cornelius Van Til

See Matt Slick’s series on atheism at:
http://carm.org/atheism

Proof That God Exists:
http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/index.php

Van Til and Presuppositionalism 101
http://presupp101.wordpress.com/

Van Til Diagrammed
http://www.christianciv.com/VT_Diagrammed.html

“God is thus the principle of definition, of law, and of all things. He is the premise of all thinking, and the necessary presupposition for every sphere of thought. It is blasphemy therefore to attempt to “prove” God; God is the necessary presupposition of all proof. To ground any sphere of thought, life, or action, or any sphere of being, on anything other than the triune God is thus blasphemy. Education without God as its premise, law which does not presuppose God and rest on His law, a civil order which does not derive all authority from God, or a family whose foundation is not God’s word, is blasphemous.” – R.J. Rushdoony from The Institutes of Biblical Law

“For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything.” – G. K. Chesterton

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:18–32

Pagan Philosophy, Unbelief, and Irrationalism by Jack Kettler

Click to access jk_pagan.pdf

The Importance and Necessity of Special Revelation by Jack Kettler

Click to access jk_pagan2.pdf

Some thoughts on the Church 2014 by Jack Kettler

It is important to note that the Church is the Object of Christ’s love:

“… as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” Ephesians 5:25. “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” Ephesians 5: 27.

He will present the Church to himself in the presence of the Father as the fruit of His obedience to the Father’s will, for the elect on whose behalf He obeyed the law, (active obedience) and again for the elect whose sins He shed His blood, and died upon the cross (passive obedience) to the satisfaction of the Father.

The word church in the New Testament is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia and is synonymous with the Hebrew kahal in the Old Testament. Kahal is translated Ecclesia in the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament. Both words simply mean an assembly in their most basic meaning, and do not necessarily have anything to do with public worship. The context determines the meaning.

Ecclesia is used in the following ways in the New Testament:

1.Ecclesia is translated “assembly” in the basic ordinary way in Acts 19:32,39,41. In this case, you had Demetrius and fellow craftsmen assembled against Paul with the town clerk appeasing the people and keeping order.

2.It is the whole body of the redeemed, or all those whom the Father has given to Christ, the invisible catholic or universal Church in Ephesians 5:23,25,27,29 and Hebrews 12:23.

3.It can be used for a few Christians associated together, in Romans 16:5 and Colossians 4:15.

4.It can be used for Christians in a particular city, regardless if they are assembled together in one place or in several places for worship, and are thus an ecclesia. The disciples in Antioch, forming several congregations, were one Church in Acts 13:1, in addition, we see the “Church of God at Corinth” 1 Corinthians 1:2, also the “Church at Jerusalem” in Acts 8:1 and the “Church of Ephesus” in Revelation 2:1.

5.Ecclesia can also be used for the whole body of professing Christians throughout the world as seen in 1 Corinthians 15:9, Galatians 1:13, and Matthew 16:18 are the Church of Christ.

Christ’s Church is both “visible” and “invisible.”

Chapter 25 Of the Church in the Westminster Confession explains how the Church “visible” is comprised of all those throughout the world that profess the true faith, together with their children. It is called “visible” because its members are known and its assemblies are public. In the visible Church, there is a mixture of “wheat and chaff,” or of saints and unconverted sinners. God has commanded His people to organize themselves into visible assemblies, with constitutions, officers, ordinances governing worship, and discipline for the purpose of making known the gospel of His kingdom, and of gathering in all of the elect from the uttermost parts of the earth, Mark 13:27.

Each one of these organized assemblies that pledges fidelity to Christ, is part of the visible Church, and together with their children constitute the universal visible Church. A credible profession of faith involving membership vows is required for an adult to be a member of the visible Church. This Church is also called “the kingdom of heaven,” whose characteristics can be seen in the parables found in Matthew 13:24-52.

In comparison, the Church “invisible” consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one universal body under Christ, the head thereof. The Church is the body of Christ. It is called “invisible” because the greater part of those who are members in it are already in heaven or are yet unborn, and also because it’s members still on earth cannot with certainly be distinguished this side of heaven because of the mixture of “wheat and chaff.”

The Church is universal and is perpetual. Christ’s Church is pictured as the stone in Daniel 2:35. This stone becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth. This is the kingdom that can never be destroyed and is Christ’s Church, Daniel 2:44. In the parable of the mustard seed, we see the Church and how it will become a great tree is seen in (Matthew 13:31-32). Christ’s Church will advance in History and the “Gates of Hell” shall never prevail against Her, Matthew 16:17.

For additional research:

The Church Of Christ
A Treatise on the Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of the Christian Church
James Bannerman

“James Bannerman’s ‘The Church of Christ’ is the most extensive, standard, solid, Reformed treatment of the doctrine of the church that has ever been written. It is indisputably the classic in its field. Every minister and elder should own a copy, and church members would also be much better informed if they perused it carefully. How many church problems would be alleviated if churches used Bannerman as their primary textbook for their understanding of what the church is and for their modus operandi!” – Joel R. Beeke

You can down load a PDF copy of Bannerman’s Two Volume The Church Of Christ at: https://archive.org/details/churchofchristtr02bann

In every thing we do, we should strive to bring honor to Christ and to advance His Kingdom on earth! Amen!

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Revelation and the First Century: Preterist Interpretations of the Apocalypse in Early Christianity

by Francis X. Gumerlock
Publisher: American Vision

A review by Jack Kettler

Francis X. Gumerlock (Ph. D., in historical theology) teaches Latin and theology in Colorado. His other books on eschatology include The Day and the Hour (2000), The Early Church and the End of the World co-authored with Gary DeMar (2006), and the The Seven Seals of the Apocalypse (2009).

With this new work, Dr. Gumerlock continues to distinguish himself as an expert in eschatological studies, and in particular, the eschatology of the “Early Church.” Dr. Gumerlock is uniquely qualified for this in depth eschatological study because of his doctorate in “historical theology” and his ability as a professional Latin translator and teacher.

In this highly educational and fascinating study of “Early Church,” and preterist interpretations, Dr. Gumerlock sets down the gold standard in a number of important ways for this type of research. First, Dr. Gumerlock provides an exemplary example of Christian scholarly charity when interacting with differing points of view. Second, his handling of ancient texts and various possible interpretations are thoroughgoing and satisfying. Third, Dr. Gumerlock’s own Latin translation of the “Early Church” texts, sets this work apart from the vast majority of titles dealing with eschatology.

Solutions to Important Eschatological Questions Found in the Book:

1.When did John write the book of Revelation?
2.Evidence for a fulfillment of John’s Apocalypse in the 1st Century.
3.Was Nero the beast of Revelation?
4.Does Nero’s name calculate out to 666?
5.Does “the hour of testing” in Revelation 3:10 occur after Nero’s death?

For those in transition out of dispensational eschatology, this work will be invaluable. Chiefly, because it provides overwhelming evidence from the “Early Church,” that preterism* was well known, respected and held by many important early church leaders. This important work by Dr. Gumerlock firmly establishes, that those who have asserted that preterism is an invention appearing later in church history do not have a leg to stand on.

* Preterism is a eschatological perspective that interprets many end of age prophecies in Scripture as events that have already happened. The term preterism comes from the Latin word “praeter,” which is a prefix denoting that something is “past.” Preterists argue that many prophecies found in Daniel, Mathew 24 and John’s Revelation were fulfilled in the 1st Century.

This book by Dr. Gumerlock most certainly deserves a wide hearing and circulation. It is an invaluable resource that should be on the shelf of every serious student of Biblical eschatology.

Mr. Kettler is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Raising a Jihadi Generation: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in America

By John Guandolo

Kepanto Publishing, Vienna, Virginia

http://www.understandingthethreat.com/

A Review by Jack Kettler

Who is John Guandolo?

John Guandolo is the author of the important book, Raising a Jihadi Generation: Understanding the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in America. He is also the founder of UnderstandingTheThreat.com

In 1996, Mr. Guandolo left the Marines to join the FBI’s Washington Field Office, focusing mostly on narcotics investigations until 2000. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, he began an assignment to the Counter-terrorism Division.

In 2006, Guandolo created and implemented the FBI’s first Counter-terrorism Training/Education Program focusing on the Muslim Brotherhood. He was designated a “Subject Matter Expert” by the FBI and his program was praised by the FBI Executive Assistant Director in a brief to the Vice President’s National Security Staff.

Contrary to Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers, John Guandolo’s work has not been discredited. Consider what others are saying about Guandolo’s book:

“Raising a Jihadi Generation, designed for government agents and analysts is a real achievement. It is desperately needed, extremely well organized, and easy to read — an agent who spent an hour with it would know more, and more that is accurate, than anything that is taught in weeks at today’s government seminars.”

Andrew C. McCarthy III

Former Assistant United States Attorney, Southern District of New York

Prosecuted Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman (“The Blind Sheikh”) & Al Qaeda operatives responsible for the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa

Author of Willful Blindness and Grand Jihad

“Everyone who takes the oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” should read John Guandolo’s handbook, Raising a Jihadi Generation.”

The Honorable Joseph E. Schmitz

Inspector General of the Department of Defense (2002-05)

Author of The Inspector General Handbook: Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Other Constitutional ‘Enemies, Foreign and Domestic’ (2013)

“John Guandolo is a national treasure.  He is courageously crisscrossing America sounding the alarm about the realities of the most significant threat to the nation today – the comprehensive threat from the Global Islamic. Every citizen in this country should read Raising a Jihadi Generation and understand the security implications for all of us. The facts speak for themselves and require no commentary.  For local and state law enforcement and intelligence officials, this information is critical to identifying, understanding and thwarting threats in your locale.”

Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, U.S. Army (retired)

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (2003-2007)

Founder/Former Commander, U.S. Army Delta Force

In Guandolo’s own words, his book is:

“A Handbook for Law Enforcement, Intelligence and Military Professionals.”In this book, Guandolo thoroughly documents the Muslim Brotherhood’s strategic plan to overthrow the United States. He does this through the Muslim Brotherhood’s own documents.

For example, on page 24 of Guandolo’s book we see the extensive network of groups under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood:

From a copied portion of “Explanatory Memorandum”:

“A list of our organizations and the organizations of our friends [Imagine if they all march according to one plan!!!]”

1. Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
2. Muslim Students Association
3. Muslim Communities Association
4. Association of Muslim Social Scientists
5. Association of Muslim Social Scientists and Engineers
6. Islamic Medical Association
7. Islamic Teaching Center
8. North American Islamic Trust
9. Foundation for International Development
10. Islamic Housing Cooperative
11. Islamic Centers Division
12. American Trust Publications
13. Audio-Visual Center
14. Islamic Book Service
15. Muslim Businessmen Association
16. Muslim Youth of North American
17. ISNA Fiqh Committee
18. ISNA Political Awareness Committee
19. Islamic Education Department
20. Muslim Arab Youth Association
21. Malaysian Islamic Study Group
22. Islamic Association for Palestine
23. United Association for Studies and Research
24. Occupied Land Fund
25. Mercy International Association
26. Islamic Circle of North America
27. Baitul Mal Inc.
28. International Institute of Islamic Thought
29. Islamic Information Center (page 24)

By using extensive front groups, the Muslim Brotherhood imitates tactics used by communists who used interlacing front groups to confuse its opposition and make it more difficult to fight.

What is the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan for America?

Several important points of evidence entered at the Holy Land Foundation trial Dallas, Texas, 2008, revealed 1. there is an “Islamic Movement” in the United States led by the Muslim Brotherhood with the objective of waging “Civilization Jihad” to overthrow our government and replace it with an Islamic government. (35)

2. the Muslim Brotherhood’s published doctrine states they will wage jihad to achieve their objectives. 3. the Muslim Brotherhood’s Special Section – military wing – is here in the United States. 4. the Muslim Brotherhood has dozens of jihadi training camps in the U.S. and has has had them here since at least 1981. (40)

We should not fool ourselves, consider the concept of abrogation in Islam:

The 114 Suras (Chapters) in the Koran are arranged by size from largest to smallest (not chronologically), with the exception of the first Sura which is introductory Sura 2 is the largest and Sura 114 is the smallest. This is critical to understanding the Koran because peaceful verses revealed to Muhammad in Mecca were abrogated (overruled) by the verses commanding warfare which came chronologically later in Medina.” (41)

This idea of abrogation is crucial to understand jihad in Islam. This means that the so-called peaceful passages of the Koran have been abrogated by later passages that call for jihad. There is no disagreement among Islamic scholars that jihad is obligatory for all Muslims until the entire world is subordinated to Islamic law (sharia).

The Koranic Basis for Jihad:

“Jihad means to war against non-Muslims…signifying warfare to establish Islam” and is “obligatory for every Muslim.” [Umdat al Salik, Classic Manual of Islamic Law (Shafi), Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, d. 1368.]

“War…is obligatory on men who are free, have attained puberty, who find the means for going to war, are of sound health, and are neither ill nor suffer from a chronic disease…the jurists agreed, with respect to the people who are to be fought, that they are all of the polytheists, because of the words of the Exalted, ‘And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah.” [The Distinguished Jurist’s Primer (Maliki), Ibn Rushd, d. 1198]

“Fight the unbeliever wherever you find them and lie and wait for them in every strategem of war…’I have been commended to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah…’ This honorable Ayah (verse) 9:5 (Qur’an) was called the Ayah of the Sword, about which Ad-Kahhak bin Muzahim said, ‘It abrogated every agreement of peace between the Prophet and any idolator, every treaty, and every term.’” [Tafsir of ibn Kathir, d. 1373]

The Muslim Brotherhood Mission in America:

“The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within, and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by the hands of the believers, so that it is eliminated and Allah’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” (19)

Islamic Centers:

The Brotherhood builds Islamic Centers across America to be the “axis” of their Movement to “supply (their ) battalions.” These Centers are not simply places of worship. On the contrary their own documents say it is a place for all activity surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood’s mission here and the place from which they will launch their military assault at “Zero Hour.” (21)

The Brotherhood specifically states:

“Meaning that the ‘center’s’ role should be the same as the ‘mosques’s’ role in the time of Allah’s prophet….when he marched to ‘settle’ the Dawa in its first generation in Madina.” (sic) (21) Today there are over 2,100 Islamic Centers in America – in all 50 states. (21)

Guandolo’s book has a very important appendix listing websites and organizations that document subversive Islamic activities around the world and here in America. In addition, there is a good list of must read books and documentaries detailing the Jihadist threat we are facing. For law enforcement, Guandolo provides critical information on how to recognize Jihadist activity and how to combat it and how to prepare to the slanderous accusations that will be thrown at them by Islamic subversives and their collaborators in the media along with corrupted and compromised business entities.

A Course of Action to Save America:

The federal government at many levels has already been subverted. For example, on February 9, 2013, on Tom Trento’s radio show, Guandolo revealed that Obama’s nominee for CIA director, John Brennan converted to Islam while in Saudi Arabia. It is also well known that the Obama White House has an open door policy for the Muslim Brotherhood members and their operatives that are being placed strategically in many key advisory positions throughout federal intelligence agencies.

In addition, an Egyptian Newspaper’s Explosive Allegation: President Obama Is a Secret Muslim Brotherhood Member

There are additional links between the Muslim Brotherhood and Obama administration

In light of this subversion at the federal level, we must approach local law enforcement and local media outlets. The nation is indeed indebted to John Guandolo and his courageous work in area of educating  law enforcement personnel and doing media interviews. I recommend that every individual reading this brief review of Guandolo’s book do their part by ordering at least five copies and distributing them to  news outlets, radio talk show hosts, law enforcement, church leaders and other opinion movers and shakers.

Mr. Kettler is the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Top 20 Global Business Builder Award Winner!

Bible Study Resources

Whole Bible Commentaries (38 total)

Historic Biblical Christianity Articles

The Library of Calvinism and the Reformed Faith

In Defense of Calvinism

Notable Quotes:

“Agnosticism is epistemologically self-contradictory on its own assumptions because its claim to make no assertion about ultimate reality rests upon a most comprehensive assertion about ultimate reality.” – Cornelius Van Til

“A theologian’s epistemology controls his interpretation of the Bible. If his epistemology is not Christian, his exegesis will be systematically distorted. If he has no epistemology at all, his exegesis will be unsystematically distorted.” – Gordon H. Clark

“I hold that belief in God is not merely as reasonable as other belief, or even a little or infinitely more probably true than other belief; I hold rather that unless you believe in God you can logically believe in nothing else” – Cornelius Van Til

“Anti-theism presupposes Theism” – Cornelius Van Til

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, “Mine!” – Abraham Kuyper

“The question is not if the candidate’s heart is favorable to Christianity, but if he has Christ as his starting point even for politics, and will speak out His name!” – Abraham Kuyper

“Suppose the word mountain meant metaphor, and dog, and Bible, and the United States. Clearly, if a word meant everything, it would mean nothing. If, now, the law of contradiction is an arbitrary convention, and if our linguistic theorists choose some other convention, I challenge them to write a book in conformity with their principles. As a matter of fact it will not be hard for them to do so. Nothing more is necessary than to write the word metaphor sixty thousand times: Metaphor metaphor metaphor metaphor…. This means the dog ran up the mountain, for the word metaphor means dog, ran, and mountain. Unfortunately, the sentence “metaphor metaphor metaphor” also means, Next Christmas is Thanksgiving, for the word metaphor has these meanings as well.” – Gordon H. Clark

“If Christianity goes, the whole of our culture goes. Then you must start painfully again, and you cannot put on a new culture ready-made. You must wait for the grass to grow to feed the sheep to give the wool out of which your new coat will be made. You must pass through many centuries of barbarism. We should not live to see the new culture, nor would our great-great-great-grandchildren: and if we did, not one of us would be happy in it.” – T. S. Eliot

“The moral absolutes rest upon God’s character. The moral commands He has given to men are an expression of His character. Men as created in His image are to live by choice on the basis of what God is. The standards of morality are determined by what conforms to His character, while those things which do not conform are immoral.” – Francis A. Schaeffer

Mr. Kettler is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and the owner of http://www.Undergroundnotes.com where his theological, philosophical and political articles can be read.

Jack Kettler Top Twenty Business Builder Award Winner! Curious, Click on either link: http://www.YourgoldenKey.com or http://www.KettlerWellness.com These urls will redirect you to a couple of my educational marketing sites.