Puritan Corner - Translate It

"When we come to be religious, we lose not our pleasure, but

translate it."
by Thomas Manton (1620-1677)
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

2 Corinthians 12:10

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 21 pt.1

"Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not, since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

IT IS CONTENDED that the greatest tribulation that ever befell the Jews was in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. Against this we interpose two objections: 

--Not Fulfilled in the Destruction of Jerusalem

First, it is by no means clear that the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans was the greatest tribulation the Jews ever suffered. All the scenes of horror described by historians, as occurring at that time, are by the inspired records ascribed also to the conquest of the Babylonians. See the Lamentations of Jeremiah, especially: Lamentations 4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. Also, Daniel 9:11-13 The curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us; by bringing upon us a great evil; for under the whole heaven has not been done as has been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us. 

The Gathering of the Saints Second, at the coming of Christ, as noted in Matthew 24, the elect of God, the saints of Christ, will be gathered…Matthew 24:31 ...from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

--This cannot be referred to the destruction of Jerusalem. 

Nothing occurred at that time to which it will possibly apply. 

Paul, speaking of the coming of Christ, mentions the same fact, as follows: 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him. 

Q: How did the Lord come to Jerusalem at the time of its overthrow?

A: We are answered, “It was a figurative coming.” 

Q: If it was not literal and actual, what was the nature of the figure used? 

A: It is said that He visited the Jews in judgment; that Titus, or the Roman army, really executed the judgment upon the doomed city. 

--Then the coming of Titus, or of the Roman army, is represented as the coming of Christ? Was it a fact, then, that the saints of God, the followers of Christ, from the four winds, were gathered together unto Titus, in that day? This must have been so if the coming of Titus represented the coming of Christ, or if Christ came figuratively in the person of Titus. 

It is as sure as the Scriptures are true that the saints will be gathered unto Christ in the day of His coming; which did not occur, even in a figure, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; for the saints, instead of being gathered unto Christ, or to any person or thing which came to Jerusalem as His representative; were scattered from the city, fleeing from the presence of that which represented Christ! So absurd is that theory. 

The fact of Christ’s coming, and the gathering of the saints at that time, being stated alike in Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2, proves that these chapters refer to the same time and event.

Paul cautions his brethren not to look for the coming of Christ until the man of sin is revealed. 

Q: Who, or what, is that man of sin? 

--Paul wrote this about eighteen years before Jerusalem was overthrown. 

Q: What arose within these eighteen years which filled the outline of this prophecy? 

A: Nothing at all. The, old and well-accepted view of the Protestant reformers,— that this man of sin is the “supreme pontiff” of Rome,—is every way reasonable, and to produce a harmony of the prophetic scriptures, is unavoidable. 

Notice these points: 

1. Paul wrote only eighteen years before the overthrow of Jerusalem, but he looked forward to the future for the revealing of the man of sin. The elements were then already operating, but hindering causes had to be removed. Consequently, as he said, the coming of the Lord was not “impending” in his day. 

2. It was not merely a sinful man to be revealed, there were many such then; “that man of sin”—who legalizes and enforces sin, not merely one who breaks law, but one who overrides and breaks down law—such has been the character of the Roman pontiff

3. Exalting himself above God. This he has done, not, merely by assuming the prerogatives of God, but by legislating on the law of God, which can be done only by a superior, in fact or assumed.
4. Claiming to be God. See the titles which have been given to, and assumed by, the pope; and most recently, the assumption of infallibility. These, and other specifications of prophecy, have been fulfilled by the popes of Rome, and by no other." 

A.T. Jones

Roots of those Halloween Superstitions

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Ephesians 4:14

"Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. 

It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. 

For these spirits, 

--they set places at the dinner table, 

--left treats on doorsteps 

--and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world.

We avoid crossing paths with black cats, afraid that they might bring

us bad luck. This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages, when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into black cats.

We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason. This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians, who believed that triangles were sacred." 

History

All Souls’ Day vs. Scripture

For the living know that they shall die: 

but the dead know not any thing.... 

Ecclesiastes 9:5

"In Mexico, Latin America and Spain, All Souls’ Day, which takes place on November 2, is commemorated with a three-day celebration that begins on the evening of October 31. 

The celebration is designed to honor the dead who, it is believed, return to their earthly homes on Halloween. 

Many families construct an altar to the dead in their homes to honor deceased relatives and decorate it with candy, flowers, photographs, samples of the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks, and fresh water. Candles and incense are burned to help the deceased find the way home. Relatives also tidy the gravesites of their departed family members." 

History

The many manifestations of the Reformation

And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Daniel 11:33

“One man, Martin Luther, took a stand that literally shredded the fabric of Europe. 

--It changed theology,

--it changed politics, 

--it changed society 

--and it changed political boundaries. 

It gave us a revolution in education, in literacy. 

There are  many manifestations of the Reformation.”
Tom Rassieur, curator, “Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation”

The Clothed

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6

"We shall never be clothed with the righteousness of Christ except that we first know assuredly that we have no righteousness of our own." 

Calvin

What Luther asked for

And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Daniel 11:33

Actual Portrait of Luther

"From the beginning of my Reformation 

---I have asked God to send me neither dreams, nor visions, nor angels, 

---but to give me the right understanding of His Word, the Holy Scriptures; for as long as I have God's Word, I know that I am walking in His way and that I shall not fall into any error or delusion." 

Martin Luther

Zwingli on the Gospel

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15

"This is the gospel, 

---that sins are remitted in the name of Christ, 

---and no heart ever received tidings more glad." 

Zwingli

Luther on the Bible

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. 

John 7:37

"The Bible is a remarkable fountain: 

---The more one draws and drinks of it, 

---the more it stimulates thirst." 

Martin Luther

Creation Moment 10/31/2024 - a “secular religion”

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Romans 1:21

"Michael Ruse, of Florida State University, is a rabid anti-creationist. But in his book, The Evolution-Creation Struggle (Harvard, 2005), Ruse acknowledges the religious dimension to evolution. 

A review in Science journal summed it up:
‘Michael Ruse interprets the last 200 years of conflict between

biology and religion as a struggle between evolutionism and creationism. Evolutionism is not merely an endorsement of the scientific theory of evolution. It consists of “the whole metaphysical or ideological picture built around or on evolution,” including a belief in progress and attempts to reduce cultural and ethical values to evolutionary biology. As such, it constitutes a “secular religion.” Thus, for Ruse (a philosopher of science at Florida State University), the debate over creationism is more a conflict between two religions than one between religion and science." 

CMI

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 15-20

"Matthew 24 15-20 When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whose reads, let him understand); Then let them which be

in Judea flee into the mountains; Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day. The “abomination of desolation” is called “armies” in Luke 21:20:
And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 

This desolating power is spoken of by Daniel as follows: Daniel 9:26-27 And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.  ...and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [margin, “desolator”]. 

Here is a clear prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies. The flight of the Christians of Judea to the mountains would be attended with difficulties. And their subsequent condition would be that of hardship and suffering. The Lord knew this, and gave them the instructions and warnings necessary." 

A.T. Jones

Adventists on the STATE of the DEAD SIMPLIFIED

"Adventists believe that there is no consciousness in death (Eccl. 9:5-6; Job 14:21; Psalm 146:4). 

Death is but a dreamless sleep in the grave until the resurrection; 

the saved are resurrected at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thess. 4:15-18) 

and are taken to heaven for the Millennium; 

the lost are resurrected after the millennium, when the New Jerusalem descends to the earth (Rev. 20:5-6; 3:12; 21:2-3)." Fulcrum7

For[1] the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: [2] and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [3] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

Creation Moment 10/30/2024 - Amazing Earth

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible....all things were created by Him, and for Him: Colossians 1:16

"Our own planet has many amazing features which no other planets in our solar system have. Here are just a few of them:

Right distance. The earth travels around the sun once per year and is always about 150 million km (93 million miles) from the sun. This is just right! Too close and the oceans would boil. Too far and the

oceans would freeze. But at the right distance, most water is liquid, just like we need.

Right spin. The earth spins once per day (half as fast as the hour hand of a clock!). This means we have the day and night cycle. Without this cycle, half the earth would always be unbearably hot while the other side was freezing cold. This cycle is so important that God started it on Day 1 of Creation Week, even before He made the sun (Day 4).

Right atmosphere. We need oxygen to breathe, so the air must contain it. But the atmosphere is only 21% oxygen. The rest is nitrogen (78%) and other gases. This is a good thing—much more oxygen would make it impossible to put fires out!

Right substance. Our earth is 72% covered by water. The oceans are vital for sea life—but also for life on the land. Some ocean water evaporates to form clouds, then rain on the land. The ocean also makes the earth’s temperature more even. The deepest parts of the ocean are so deep that the highest mountains could be swallowed by them. If the earth were perfectly smooth, the ocean water would cover the whole globe 3 km (2 miles) deep." 

CMI

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 14

"Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 

THIS is the first sign of the end given by our Lord in answer to the

question, 3 What shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world? 

But this verse is supposed by some to prove that all men will be converted, and that there will then follow one thousand years in which… Hebrews 8:11 ...all shall know [the Lord], from the least to the greatest. 

---But the text does not say that every individual will receive this gospel, or even that all will hear it. 

It does not state that anyone will be converted and made holy by it, and we find it far from intimating that the world will be converted, and remain so for a period of one thousand years. 

The text simply states: 

1. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world;” 

2. “for a witness unto all nations;” 

3. “and then [not one thousand years later, nor three hundred and sixty-five thousand, but then] shall the end come.” 

A.T. Jones

God's "rites" vs. man made ordained "rites"

Luke 23:56 ...according to the commandment, being…

"The keeping of the seventh day of the week, as the Lord enjoins, is said to be a Judaistic regard for mere form; and whenever it is shown that nothing but immersion is baptism, they will say that to put so much stress upon mere form savors of superstition. 

We notice, however, that those who thus deprecate form in connection with Sabbath observance and baptism, are very zealous sticklers for Sunday observance, and for sprinkling in place of baptism. 

The natural conclusion is that they have no objection to forms, so long as those forms are of their own choosing. 

Not only is this conclusion just, but it may also be shown that those who thus insist that the form is of no consequence, are indeed most superstitious in their observance of certain forms that are not commanded, and that they regard a mere ceremony much as the heathen regards a charm or an amulet. 

That this is true of the entire Catholic world, needs no proof. 

---It is only necessary to remind the reader of the “relics” which is claimed are possessed of such wonderful healing and of the sign of the cross and the Ave Marias which alone are said to ward off all evil spirits. 

An instance of this superstitious trust in a mere form recently came to our notice in Oakland. A laborer was caught in the shaft of a mill, and was fatally injured. He was carried to the hospital in an unconscious condition, from which he never recovered. A priest was summoned, who administered the “sacrament” of extreme unction to the unconscious man, who died soon after. 

If that “sacrament” had not been administered, all Catholics would have entertained at least a doubt as to that man’s future; but having received it, the priest can assure them that he is sure of Heaven!" 

E.J. Waggoner

Creation Moment 10/29/2024 - Echo of a pre-Fall world

"Instances of cross-species adoption. E.g., in the wild, a lioness adopted a baby oryx , and a leopard an infant baboon. Adoptions like these puzzle biologists. From an evolutionary perspective, what matters is how many copies of your genes make it into the next generation.

From the perspective of Biblical history, however, animal adoptions and other evolution-defying examples of suppressed carnivory are a beautiful echo of a pre-Fall world without death or pain. Also, a reminder of the biblical prophecy of such a time to come (The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf

together; and a little child shall lead them. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, says the Lord. Isaiah 11:6; 65:25)." 

CMI

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 13

 "Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

The word end, wherever used in this chapter, refers to the end of the

ages, and to nothing else. 

It is the end associated in the New Testament with the second appearing of Jesus Christ." 

A.T. Jones

ARCHAEOLOGY: Seeress found in Denmark

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isaiah 8:19

"A Norse burial site in Denmark from around the year 940 contains the remains of a woman of high status whom experts believe was a seeress or völva.

Such women held a special place in society and commanded the attention of Viking kings, warriors and even the gods. Witches, called völur, are mentioned in some of the old Norse manuscripts.
This grave contains the body of a woman who has been dubbed the Seeress of Fyrkat. She was buried with items that indicate she may have practiced seid or sorcery. Seid is an ecstasy technique, which enables the soul to travel to other worlds to seek information. The practice of seid is related to shamanism, with the seid expert’s work carried out whilst in a trance. We can in fact call the seid practioner a type of old Nordic shaman.
The völur were known to seduce men, and for this reason some deemed them dangerous. The goddess Freya was also known as a seducer, and she may have been a divine role model for sorceresses in Norse society.

At the time of burial the woman was dressed in fine blue and red clothes adorned with gold thread – which had royal status. She was buried, like the richest women, in the body of a horse-drawn carriage. She had been given ordinary female gifts, like spindle whorls and scissors. But there were also exotic goods from foreign parts, indicating that the woman must have been wealthy. She wore toe rings of silver, which have not been found elsewhere in Scandinavia. In addition, two bronze bowls were also found in the grave, which may have come all the way from Central Asia." AncientOrigins

Creation Moment 10/28/2024 - RAS

"Researchers have discovered a new type of cell within the small air-tubes (bronchioles, which branch from the larger tubes called bronchi) of human lungs. 

Named respiratory airway secretory (RAS) cells, they are now understood to be crucial in sustaining healthy lungs. “Emerging technologies have only recently allowed us to sample and identify unique cell types” said Edward Morrisey, one of the lead authors of the study.

These cells have a dual function. 

First, they help to preserve a fluid lining in the bronchioles, to hold

their structure and prevent collapse. 

Second, they are progenitor cells, i.e. cells which still retain some of stem cells’ ability to change into various other cell types. In this case, they can become alveolar type 2 cells. These are essential for the normal functioning of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, allowing efficient gas exchange.

The researchers hope that the discovery of these cells and their properties may lead to better treatments for such respiratory diseases as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Such discoveries testify to deliberate design, and should give pause to those who claim to know the details of human evolutionary changes over millions of years. 

Researchers still don’t know everything about the human body or our complicated genetics. These cells add to a still-growing list of newly discovered purposeful parts of the human body. 

The Bible is clear on what the lungs are to be used for: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6)." 

CMI

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 12

"Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

IT IS EVIDENT that both the abounding of iniquity and the waxing

cold of the love of many, are fulfilled in the professed church of Jesus Christ. 

---Men must first experience the love of God and of heavenly things before that love can grow cold. 

---Hence, common, unconverted sinners are not here referred to as apostatizing." 

A.T. Jones

Papal Notes - Dilexit Nos

"On October 24, 2024, the Vatican published Pope Francis’ latest

encyclical Dilexit Nos which explores the concept of love, both human and divine, through the symbolism of the Heart of Jesus.

Pope Francis is seeking to shape the world by embracing a type of “love” that supersedes God’s law and the Holy Scriptures. 

---This is how you get people to abandon their faith by only focusing on a superficial form of love that is devoid of truth and substance.

• “21. Everything finds its unity in the heart, which can be the dwelling-place of love in all its spiritual, psychic and even physical dimensions. In a word, if love reigns in our heart, we become, in a complete and luminous way, the persons we are meant to be, for every human being is created above all else for love. In the deepest fibre of our being, we were made to love and to be loved.” 

• “43. Although the Scriptures preserve Jesus’ words, ever alive and timely, there are moments when he speaks to us inwardly, calls us and leads us to a better place. That better place is his heart.” 

• “177. Saint Bernard, in exhorting us to union with the heart of Christ, draws upon the richness of this devotion to call for a conversion grounded in love. Bernard believed that our affections, enslaved by pleasures, may nonetheless be transformed and set free, not by blind obedience to a commandment but rather in response to the delectable love of Christ.” 

• “28. It is only by starting from the heart that our communities will

succeed in uniting and reconciling differing minds and wills, so that the Spirit can guide us in unity as brothers and sisters. Reconciliation and peace are also born of the heart.”

True love, as defined by Scripture, is inseparable from truth and righteousness—it seeks what is holy, just, and in line with God’s commands.
“If ye love Me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3." AdventMessenger

Creation Moment 10/27/2024 - Those “fuzzy” molecules

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,... Colossians 1:16

"A University of Pennsylvania news release says that entropy has its benefits. It can assemble “fuzzy” molecules into precisely distinct lattices. Physicist Randall D. Kamien’s work “adds new evidence

that entropy is far richer than the gloomy drive toward universal disorder it was once thought to be and suggests it could become a player in the world of self-assembling molecules. Entropy’s knack for driving fuzzy molecules into distinct lattices offers scientists the promise of new materials designed rationally rather than through trial and error.”

Whenever evolutionists hear evidence for self-assembly and spontaneous ordering, they get excited. 

---This announcement won’t provide much comfort, though; the order is built into the valences of the atoms and is not information. Any spontaneous ordering of the lattices is similar to snowflakes and crystals: pretty, but meaningless. 

DNA transcription, on the other hand, involves a true code and elaborate translation mechanism, including error-checking and proofreading, that has nothing to do with the valences of the molecules. 

It is the information content of the cell that baffles naturalistic origin of life, and though our understanding of entropy is growing richer, it is still a “gloomy” drive toward universal dis-information, without a Designer and Sustainer of the world." 

CEH

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 11

"Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

IN THE common use of the word, a “prophet” is one that foretells;

but the word sometimes means simply a “teacher.” True and false prophets may be known. 

The prophets of God are teachers of purity, reprovers of sin, and faithful in warning the people of coming dangers.

Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. 

Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord comes, for it is nigh at hand. 

False prophets 

---do not reprove the people for their sins, 

---and do not warn them of coming danger; 

but they proclaim peace to the sinner. Their teachings lead from God and His word, and are such as please the unconverted mind. 

Ezekiel 13:9 And my hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of my people,

Jeremiah 14:13,14 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, the prophets say unto them, You shall not see the sword, neither shall you have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them." 

A.T. Jones

Creation Moment 10/26/2024 - What do the Mouth of babes teach us?

"A fascinating article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explores the amazing ability of infants to acquire language skills, identify words, and recognize syntax. 

 

A couple of quotes from the paper are sufficient to arouse awe:

"Imagine that you are faced with the following challenge. You must discover the internal structure of a system that contains tens of

thousands of units, all generated from a small set of materials. These units, in turn, can be assembled into an infinite number of combinations. Although only a subset of those combinations is correct, the subset itself is for all practical purposes infinite. Somehow you must converge on the structure of this system to use it to communicate. And you are a very young child. This system is human language. The units are words, the materials are the small set of sounds from which they are constructed, and the combinations are the sentences into which they can be assembled. Given the complexity of this system, it seems improbable that mere children could discover its underlying structure and use it to communicate. Yet most do so with eagerness and ease, all within the first few years of life."

The researchers ran experiments with infants presented with artificial languages interspersed with subtle elements of surprise to see how they adapted to novel elements. They also investigated a Nicaraguan school for deaf children who were learning sign language. A review of the literature revealed no commonly accepted evolutionary explanation for the remarkable ability of children to acquire language. 

The authors conclude:

"These examples of language learning, processing, and creation represent just a few of the many developments between birth and

linguistic maturity. During this period, children discover the raw materials in the sounds (or gestures) of their language, learn how they are assembled into longer strings, and map these combinations onto meaning. These processes unfold simultaneously, requiring children to integrate their capacities as they learn, to crack the code of communication that surrounds them. Despite layers of complexity, each currently beyond the reach of modern computers, young children readily solve the linguistic puzzles facing them, even surpassing their input when it lacks the expected structure.

No less determined, researchers are assembling a variety of methodologies to uncover the mechanisms underlying language acquisition . . . . As these techniques and others probing the child’s mind are developed and their findings integrated, they will reveal the child’s solution to the puzzle of learning a language."

The gap between humans and animals is more than just biological.  Unlike the animals, we have the ability to communicate meaning, not just signals, and to form relationships based on mutual love and understanding.

Evolutionists strive to package humanness into a materialistic box that is too small for it. 

---King David, in Psalm 8, said, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” 

---The enemies today are the materialists who would rob God of His honor as Creator, and who would ascribe His wonders to chance. The strength He has ordained is the powerful evidence of nature. Look no farther than the feeble infant in a mother’s arms, focusing its little eyes and ears on her every gentle word." 

CEH

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 9,10

"Matthew 24:9,10 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

Here is a brief description of the afflictions and martyrdoms of the

church of Christ. 

Thousands of the faithful followers of Jesus were most cruelly put to death by Pagan Rome. 

*In these verses we are brought down over the long period of the martyrdom of the church of Jesus Christ, to near the present generation." 

A.T. Jones

Creation Moment 10/25/2024 - ‘S8’ tension exposes their "models" as nonsense

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 

1 Corinthians 3:19

"Given how unfathomably large the universe is, it is perhaps understandable that we haven’t yet cracked all its secrets. But there are actually some pretty basic features, ones we used to think we could explain, that cosmologists are increasingly struggling to make sense of.

Recent measurements of the distribution of matter in the universe (so-called large-scale structure) appear to be in conflict with the predictions of the standard model of cosmology.....But there are more radical solutions. These include rethinking the nature of dark energy (the force causing the universe’s expansion to accelerate), invoking a new force of nature or even tweaking Einstein’s theory of gravity on the largest of scales.

What has changed recently is that our measurements of large-scale

structure, particularly at very late times, have significantly improved in their precision. Various surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey and the Kilo Degree Survey have found evidence for inconsistencies between observations and the standard model.

In other words, there is a mismatch between the early time and late time fluctuations: the late-time fluctuations are not as large as expected. Cosmologists refer to this clash as the “S tension”, as S is a parameter that we use to characterize the clustering of matter in the late-time universe.

Depending on the particular data set, the chance of the tension being a statistical fluke may be as low as 0.3%. But from a statistical point of view, that is not enough to firmly rule out the standard model.
However, there are strong hints of the tension in a variety of independent observations. And attempts to explain it away due to systematic uncertainties in the measurements or modelling have simply not been successful to date.

For example, it had previously been suggested that perhaps energetic non-gravitational processes, such as winds and jets from supermassive black holes, could inject enough energy to alter the clustering of matter on large scales.
However, we have shown using state-of-the-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (called Flamingo) that such effects appear to be too small to explain the tension with the standard model of cosmology.

If the tension is indeed pointing us to a flaw in the standard model, this would imply that something in the basic ingredients of the model is not correct.

This would have huge consequences for fundamental physics. For example, the tension may be indicating that something is wrong about our understanding of gravity, or the nature of the unknown substance called dark matter or dark energy. In the case of dark matter, one possibility is that it interacts with itself via an unknown force (something beyond just gravity)." 

ZMEScience

Matthew 24 SERIES: vs. 6,7,8

"Matthew 24:6-8 And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

NO POINT has been argued in favor of the past complete fulfillment of Matthew 24, with greater show of plausibility than this. Yet it remains decidedly against that view. 

*We insist that all that he produced in regard to the dissensions among the Jews, their insurrections, etc., does not meet the demands of this text. 

The dissensions and insurrections of tribes and provinces were not sufficient to meet the prophecy.

*Wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes have occurred at

different periods since these words were spoken. Therefore, these, as they have existed, cannot be regarded as the special signs of the end. It maybe urged, however; with a good degree of consistency, that the Scriptures teach that these calamities would exist in the last days to such an extent as to constitute a sign of the approaching judgment. We wish to keep the important fact distinctly before the mind, that the Sacred Scriptures teach clearly when men may not, and when they may, look for the second appearing of Christ. 

The prophets had so uniformly associated such judgment as war, famine, pestilence, and earthquake with the last judgment, that the disciples were in danger of concluding that the end would immediately follow the first appearance of these calamities; hence the caution given:  ...these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

Here the disciples were clearly taught that they should not expect the end in their day." 

A.T. Jones

Grow up into Him

Grow up into Him in all things. Ephesians 4:15

"MANY Christians remain stunted and dwarfed in spiritual things, so as to present the same appearance year after year.

No up-springing of advanced and refined feeling is manifest in them. They exist but do not "grow up into Him in all things." 

Q: But should we rest content with being in the "green blade," when we might advance to "the ear," and eventually ripen into the "full corn in the ear?" 

Q: Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, and to say, "I am safe," without wishing to know in our own experience more of the fulness which is to be found in Him. 

---It should not be so; we should, as good traders in heaven's market, covet to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. 

It is all very well to keep other men's vineyards, but we must not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. 

Q: Why should it always be winter time in our hearts? 

We must have our seed time, it is true, but O for a spring time—yea,

a summer season, which shall give promise of an early harvest. 

If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to Jesus—in His presence—ripened by the sunshine of His smiles. 

We must hold sweet communion with Him." 

Charles Spurgeon

The Ignatius "Sunday" passage

"BEFORE we make any statements or quotations concerning Ignatius or the epistles ascribed to him, we will give the only passage in the epistles which is supposed to teach the observance of Sunday. 

It is the ninth chapter of the epistle to the Magnesians, and, as translated, reads as follows:  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—whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master—how shall we be able to live apart from him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for him as their teacher? 

And therefore he whom they rightly waited for, being come, raised them from the dead."

The writer of the article, “The Lord’s Day,” in Kitto’s Encyclopedia of Religious Literature, after mentioning several alleged testimonies in favor of Sunday, says: "We must here notice one other passage of earlier date than any of these, which has often been referred to as bearing on the subject of the Lord’s day, though it certainly contains no mention of it. It occurs in the epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians (about 100 AD). The whole passage is confessedly obscure, and the text may be corrupt….The passage is as follows:

If those who lived under the old dispensation have come to the newness of hope, no longer keeping sabbaths, but living according to our Lord’s life (in which, as it were, our life has risen again, through him, and his death which some deny),...how shall we be able to live without him? 

In this way (allowing for the involved style of the whole) the meaning seems to us simple, consistent, and grammatical, without any gratuitous introduction of words understood; and this view has been followed by many, though it is a subject on which considerable controversy has existed.

On this view the passage does not refer at all to the Lord’s day; but even on the opposite supposition it cannot be regarded as affording any positive evidence to the early use of the term “Lord’s day” (for which it is often cited), since the material word nuepa is purely conjectural."
---Thus we have the testimony of an unprejudiced witness, a scholar and critic, and an observer of the first day of the week, to the effect that the oft-quoted passage from Ignatius makes no reference whatever to the first day of the week, sometimes erroneously called “Lord’s day.” 

But the candid man who knows the truth about the writings of Ignatius would not consider the Sunday cause strengthened in the least, even if they contained the most explicit and unequivocal reference to it. 

We shall now proceed to learn what we can of Ignatius and his epistles. 

The Encyclopedia Britannica says: "The information we get in regard to Ignatius, up to the time of Eusebius, is exceedingly scanty." 

McClintock and Strong’s Encyclopedia says: "We have no trustworthy accounts of the life and ministry of Ignatius. The chief authority is the “Martyrium Ignatii,” but even those who assert the genuineness of that work admit that it is greatly interpolated."

Uhlhorn, in the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, says: "The only sources from which any information can be drawn about this celebrated

person are the epistles circulating under his name. Eusebius knows nothing more of him than what can be extracted from the epistles, with the exception of a few short notices by Irenaeus and by Origen, which he also knows. But the list which he gives of the bishops of Antioch is doubtful with respect to its chronology…. What tradition else has preserved concerning Ignatius—the story that he was the child spoken of in Matthew 18:5, and other fictions by Simeon Metaphrastes and Vincentius—is completely worthless."

And the Encyclopedia Britannica says still further: "The letters of Ignatius cause great difficulty to the critic. From the above, then, it would seem as if not very much would be known with certainty, since we get all our information from the epistles, and the epistles themselves are of somewhat doubtful authority. But although the shorter form of the Ignatian letters had been generally accepted in preference to the longer, there was still a pretty prevalent opinion among scholars, that even it could not be regarded as absolutely free from interpolations, or as of undoubted authenticity."

Thus said Lardner, in his Credibility of the Gospel History (1743): "In the seventeenth century, the seven remaining letters, in a somewhat altered form, again came forth from obscurity, and claimed to be the works of Ignatius. Again, discerning critics refused to acknowledge their pretensions; but curiosity was roused by this second apparition, and many expressed an earnest desire to obtain a sight of the real epistles. Greece, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt were ransacked in search of them, and at length three letters are found. But truth still refuses to be compromised, and sternly disowns these claimants for her approbation. The internal evidence of these three epistles abundantly attests that, like the last three books of the Sibyl, they are only the last shifts of a grave imposture."

How, then, it may be asked, do we know that such a person existed? 1. There is slight reference made to him in one or two other documents. 

2. If there had not been such a person, it is not probable that letters would have been put forth bearing his name. 

The Catholic Church has never hesitated to manufacture history or doctrine when it could not find what it wanted already written. 

These documents have always been given the name of some person of good repute, and they served the purpose of the church as well as if they were genuine. 

*Now when we remember that this same “mystery of iniquity” was working even as far back as the days of Paul, we need not be surprised that, less than a century later, writings already in existence were garbled, and that designing persons wrote epistles and signed the names of eminent men to them, in order to give them currency. 

Indeed, we find that this very thing was done in the days of Paul, and that his own name was used to give currency to false doctrine. 

In 2 Thessalonians we read his own words: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed,... 

Here we find that the Thessalonians had received letters purporting to come from Paul, which declared that the coming of Christ was imminent. 

This was contrary to his first epistle, and he himself, after telling what should take place before the coming of the Lord, says: 5 Remember you not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 

Yet, notwithstanding the instruction which Paul had given them, these letters came so seemingly direct from Paul, that the Thessalonians were greatly disturbed. Paul cautions them against being deceived, and in closing this epistle, he gives them to understand how they may know that an epistle purporting to come from him is genuine. 

---When he comes to the close, he says: 2 Thessalonians 3:17,18 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

From this we learn that although Paul usually (probably always, with the exception of the epistle to the Galatians, see Galatians 6:11) employed an amanuensis, he always wrote the benediction and signed his name with his own hand, so that none need be deceived. Any letter bearing a signature other than his might be known to be spurious." 

E.J. Waggoner