When Once We Were a Nation

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In the year 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England carrying more than a hundred hopeful, determined, and God-fearing individuals into an unknown future. Setting their minds on the promises of God and their faith in Him, they ventured into the unfamiliar as they placed their lives and those of their children in His hands. Little did they know that despite many hardships they would build the most powerful, inventive, industrial, and free nation that had ever existed to this point in history.

For many, the nation was founded on God. The fabric that held the country together was woven with the blood, sweat, tears, fortitude, and faith of a generation who set their resolve and trust in the God of the Bible and never looked back.
America the Beautiful. The Strong. The United. The Innovative. The Independent.
America, the One Nation Under God.
So, what happened? As a godless and seemingly aimless America faces decline unparalleled to any deterioration that previous generations could have ever foreseen, many now look around in astonishment and wonder what changed.

Can America return to its glory days? If so, how?
Join Thomas Horn, Christina Peck, Robert Maginnis, Donna Howell, Sheila Zilinsky, Josh Peck, Cris Putnam, Sharon Gilbert, Allie Anderson, Joe Ardis, and Derek Gilbert as this question is explored and discussed in When Once We Were a Nation.

I contributed a chapter on the demise of American manufacturing and what it might mean for our future.

Pope Pronounces “Trump is not Christian!”

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone who is among you not to think more highly of yourself than what one ought to think, but to think sensibly, as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each one.” (Romans 12:3)

Donald Trump not only identifies as a Presbyterian, he collects Bibles as a hobby. Who is to say he is not justified, that God’s wrath over his sin is not propitiated? Sure Trump may seem irreverent and vulgar at times, but perhaps, in God’s eyes, he’s made more progress than Bergoglio?

Pope Francis Suggests Donald Trump Is ‘Not Christian’

ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRLINER — Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump “is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said when a reporter asked him about Mr. Trump on the papal airliner as he returned to Rome after his six-day visit to Mexico.

New York Times

I wonder if Pope Frank approves of Hilary Clinton and Obama’s Cocaine Use? It’s not that it’s a “special sin,” but rather the serious allegations that Bill’s election was financed by blood money.

Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport is a city owned, public use airport located about two and a half miles southeast of Mena, Arkansas. While he was damning Trump, did Petrus Romanus consider “What Was Clinton’s Role In ‘Mena Mystery!?'” Did he also neglect allegations about the murder of Iran Contra CIA Drug Smuggler Barry Seal? No matter, the Pope’s pronouncement that “Trump is not Christian” carries about as much weight as a paper airplane. The influential words of C.S. Lewis come to mind:

Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and a good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends. Can we be quite certain how we should have behaved if we had been saddled with the psychological outfit, and then with the bad upbringing, and then with the power, say, of Himmler? That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man’s choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the raw material at all, but on what he has done with it. — C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 91.

The problem with Roman Catholic theology is that, during its Medieval power-grab, it lost the Gospel. Worse yet, at the Council of Trent, Rome cursed the Gospel. It was in response to the reformation. After reading Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, Martin Luther revived Pauline theology, which was very bad for the indulgence business.

Canon 12: “If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified . . . let him be accursed” (See Council of Trent Cannons on Justification )

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:28) If they had treasured the letter Paul wrote to that city, the colossal heresy ratified at Trent would have been avoided.

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The Best Final Roman Emperor Interview to Date

vftbgraphic200It’s a lot easier when you are already friends and have an assessment of one another’s worldview. It means we can talk content:

 

Canadian UFO Document and Fallacious ET Conclusions

by Cris Putnam

UFO Document Canadian Government

This saddens me. Ridicule is biblical (Galatians 5:12) but I sincerely want to be gentle (Proverbs 15:4). It’s not easy to be nice when people are being deceived. Especially by a stupid argument. Well I’m glad I am not going to mention how stupid it is a whole lot more. I am getting better, you don’t know how many times I edited, do you?

A confidential Canadian Criminal Investigation Burea F-Division document titled: “Re UFO found in Northern Saskatchewan” is dated November 14 1968. It is being heralded as a smoking gun by ET believers. Hogwash.

Read it yourself, it describes a National Research Council of Canada meteorite expert who took a “small metal fragment” collected by a pilot from the Wollaston Lake area, 450 miles northeast of Prince Albert, near the Manitoba border. NOW THE not-so-amazing CLINCHER: “Examination revealed the exhibit had likely formed part of a vehicle that had traveled in outer space.” — Excited ET believers seeing the world through an “ancient aliens” worldview conclude this proves a government ET coverup and demand disclosure. -do you see the problem?- Ummm… does anyone ever take a course in rudimentary logic or philosophical reasoning anymore? In 1968 the Soviets and USA were sending up more spy satellites than “Carter had liver pills.” The conclusion the “vehicle from outer space” is necessarily aliens is sophomorically fallacious, indicative of ‘magical thinking’ pathology, and, at best, historically ignorant. We don’t know… but ET is way down on the list of logical possibilities.

 

Demythologizing Skeptics, Scholars, & Absolute Eschatological Systems

Papyri 115 one the most ancient examples of John's Apocalypse

Papyri 115 one the most ancient examples of John’s Apocalypse

“It seems like through out time, almost everyone has thought the end was near, what makes you think now is the time?” a famous radio host asked me.

First, I believe God has wanted every Christian in every era to believe it’s possible. In juxtaposition, I believe the devil has had a “man of lawlessness” ready in the wings, in every generation. It’s not a doctrine but I’m rather prone to it.  That said, there are unique things that characterize our current time that no other era could claim.

I was bit bewildered by the question because I had just explained that at no time in history-ever-could one man control the commerce of everyone, everywhere… But doesn’t the Bible imply as much?

“…and that no one was able to buy or to sell except the one who had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom: the one who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number, and his number is six hundred sixty-six.(Revelation 13:17-18,LEB)

Seriously, do preterists expect me to buy this applies to Nero? He had no hope of such control — sure he probably tried and it’s likely the convinced preterist has an example of a tax to present — but the text seems global -every nation and tongue- and it doesn’t seem to mention he is a miserable failure. I think it is forecasting this period we are now in… Moore’s law, the technological singularity, Noogenesis, Nirvana, Oneism, Coexist, perhaps even Together 2016? But such a control grid is about to be possible and my money is on OneWeb. I think they are a wise investment choice. I believe in them from a computer science technical perspective.

I’m not demonizing them, they want everyone to access ONE webeducation, OneWeb is amoral – it is a category error to demonize technology. People can study wicca or they can attend online seminary if they like. They have new options, including the Gospel. So does the international banking community. I’m saying it makes an idea that seemed absurd when John wrote it down around AD 90, quite plausible in a few short years. Yes, I argue it is a “technology statement” as Chuck Missler points out.

If you want to dig deeper in the biblical text, learn ancient languages. You need a minimum of a year in Hebrew and Greek to even understand the issues and questions being posed in academic journals of biblical studies. There’s a wealth of bible commentary and, my favorite, bible backgrounds  commentary, i.e. advanced historical research available to the average student. At no other time in history, could you have a seminary library at your fingertips like today.  I use Logos but there FREE versions  and online 1; online 2; online 3; too. Technology can be wonderful and God honoring!

…and it is also terrifying.


This imagery from Hiroshima framed my childhood and, thus,the apocalyptic is no mere pipe dream. Now when we get to biblical prophecies and the end times, it can get tense between saved believers. Great scholars disagree. RC Sproul is a preterist. I purchased his philosophy course. I purchased his church history course. I quote him often. I respect him deeply. He has good reasons for what he thinks. I don’t agree with him. I quote Dr. Peter Jones—a Presbyterian no less–and promote his ministry TruthXchange. Chris Rosebrough —- a dreaded Lutheran — helped me prepare to debate Russ Hocus Pocus on the Trinity. How can I partner with people who differ with my eschatology? Its not as important as false teachers, sin, relativism, same sex marriage and abortion but mainly ONE thing: we all believe the Bible, we just disagree on the exegesis. But those guys have at least done the work in Greek and Hebrew,, Even so, (I’m in trouble now) their view of the Bible is not really the final test. There are hills to stand and die on. One is the Gospel. I work wit hose fellows because they are experts, but mainly because of ONE reason:

We are still in lock step on the Gospel —all are sinful and justified by faith through grace alone – the gift of God, so no man should boast. — non negotiable.

No one has the absolute answer to the end times, I have never claimed so much.  If you want to understand the real issues — I recommend this:


It’s quite different when a naturalistic scholar demands Daniel was written “after the fact” – because the book internally claims to be by one Daniel. If they are correct, it is a farce. If they are incorrect, may God convict them, Dr Bruce Waltke has tried.

I am a premillennial dispensationalist because I feel like its basic premise is the closest to God’s intent, but I’m not married to it, nor inclined toward rapture date setting theories and debates. If you’re correct, we’ll talk in the sky, OK? I learn from people with various ideas about eschatology, especially those I disagree with.

Don’t tell me you are SURE about the end times scenario. No one is but God. I write in a genre I call speculative eschatology. I am NOT a prophet.

I believe the meaning of scripture is determined by the intent of the original author, the one God inspired, to his original readers (i.e. what was Paul telling the Thessalonians, not me in the 20th century). That said, Paul’s intent for them certainly informs how I view current events.

Even so, God used that author’s context (in this case Paul), worldview, language, and even more importantly vocabulary.  If you do not understand his perspective —a supernatural worldview informed by a divine council Deuteronomy 32:8 worldview— you often miss the point. I mean entirely. Understanding the vocabulary, means the first century meaning, the one the inspired author had in mind, because the Holy Spirit inspired the author and his words. Usually, scribes add to the text to “help” readers over time.

That’s how textual critics find the apostle’s words, they shave it down by comparing ancient papyri and determining the most likely original wording. It is established by facts that scribes tend to add, attempting to clarify—asserting their own meaning—and, as a result, the manuscripts tend to get wordier over time. With the best of intentions, monks changed the Bible.  Then, after the reformation began, it became the KJV when a Catholic Scribe Erasmus created a Greek New testament based on a handful of Greek manuscripts from the 8-9th century of the Eastern Byzantine tradition. It became Texts Receipts after the 1611 KJV Anglicans used it as their primary text along with the Latin Vulgate and Tyndale Bibles. It was great fro its time but pre- archeology.

Since then we have found 20,000 or so Greek papyri centuries older…. Archeology is now a discipline with peer review.

It means modern Bibles are very accurate and we have a great deal of certainty about the Gospel and many essential doctrines. The evidence Jesus rose from the dead is now MORE compelling—and that lends credence to the rest of biblical theology-—we stand at the first time in history when the supernatural events of Revelation have a high probability of coming to pass, WHY?

The “Chardinian Noosphere” or “AI Singularity” is about to make it possible for one man to control all who may buy and sell, I mean everyone.. even in rural India or subsaharan Africa. How can I say that — get ready (link to company website):