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eli-kittim · 2 years

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🔎 What Does the Phrase καιροῖς ἰδίοις Mean in 1 Timothy 2.6❓🔍

By Bible Researcher Eli Kittim 📚🎓

There is a mysterious phrase in the Greek New Testament which seems to suggest that the evidence for Christ’s death has not yet been demonstrated. If one considers Christ’s historicity and death as a foregone conclusion, then this terse phrase certainly questions this assumption. Let’s go a little deeper and look at some of the details. The Greek text of First Timothy 2.5-6 (SBLGNT) declares:

εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ

ἀνθρώπων ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ὁ

δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων, τὸ

μαρτύριον καιροῖς ἰδίοις ·

The last clause literally means: the martyrdom/testimony [given] in its own times.

We must first understand what the Greek term μᾰρτῠ́ρῐον (martúrion) means. It actually has several meanings:

1. testimony, evidence, proof

2. martyrdom

3. shrine of a martyr

Since 1 Timothy 2.5-6 is explicitly referring to Christ’s death as a ransom (ἀντίλυτρον), it is therefore appropriate to regard the term μαρτύριον (martúrion) in this particular context both as a testimony and as a martyrdom. Let’s look at the translation of 1 Timothy 2.5-6 (KJV):

“For there is one God, and one mediator

between God and men, the man Christ

Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to

be testified in due time.”

There is something deeply perplexing about the last clause. If the testimony took place in Christ’s own time, then why will the evidence or proof be put forth “in due time”❓

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the phrase “in due time” means “eventually at an appropriate time,” as in the sentence “I will answer all of your questions in due time.” Therefore, the KJV seems to suggest that the evidence establishing these facts will come at some future time period. The text is referring specifically to Christ’s death as “a ransom for all.” So, the KJV suggests that the evidence for Christ’s death will be demonstrated “in due time.” Bear in mind that this is the same English Bible translation which says elsewhere that Christ will die “ONCE IN THE END OF THE WORLD” (Hebrews 9.26b italics mine)❗️Let’s look at a cross-reference in 1 Timothy 6.14-15 (the same letter), which has the exact same phrase (καιροῖς ἰδίοις):

τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον

ἀνεπίλημπτον μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ

κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν καιροῖς

ἰδίοις δείξει ὁ μακάριος καὶ μόνος

δυνάστης, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων

καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων.

Translation (NASB):

“keep the commandment without fault or

reproach until the appearing of our Lord

Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at

the proper time—He who is the blessed and

only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord

of lords.”

First Tim. 6.15 has the exact same phrase that we find in 1 Tim. 2.6, namely, καιροῖς ἰδίοις, and in this particular context it is a reference to “the appearing of our Lord Jesus,” which elsewhere is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1.7; 1 Pet. 1.7, 13; Rev. 1.1)❗️Here, the Greek phrase καιροῖς ἰδίοις means “at the proper time” or, more accurately, “in its own times” (YLT). And it refers to the future revelation of Jesus in his own time❗️

But if 1 Timothy was written at the end of the first century——and the evidence for Christ’s death had already, presumably, been demonstrated in the New Testament books——why would the author insist that the proof of Christ’s death comes “in its own times”❓It doesn’t make any sense. If Jesus died ca. 30 AD, and the writer of 1 Timothy is writing at around 100 AD, 70 years later, then why would the testimony of Jesus’ death be given at the proper time, or in Christ’s own time❓The author doesn’t say that the testimony was already given but rather suggests that it will be given in due time❗️In other words, why isn’t the testimony given right then and there❓Or, why isn’t the testimony considered as something that was already given in the past about the occurrence of a previous event❓

Readers often read 1 Timothy 2.6 and ignore the last clause, or they skip it as if it doesn’t really mean anything. But it does❗️In fact, it is the 🔑 key to understanding the passage. First Timothy 2.5-6 (NASB) reads:

“For there is one God, and one mediator also

between God and mankind, the man Christ

Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for

all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

Notice how the last clause is translated in modern Bible versions. Most versions translate it correctly, without committing the clause to a past reference point, thereby suggesting that the evidence for Christ’s death is given in Christ’s own time (whenever that is…).

The New International Version gets it horribly wrong. The editors are clearly basing their translations on their theological bias. Nowhere does the Greek text say that the testimony “has now been witnessed.” Yet that’s what the NIV says at 1 Tim. 2.6:

“This has now been witnessed to at the

proper time.”

Unfortunately, that is unsubstantiated by the Greek text, which reads:

τὸ μαρτύριον καιροῖς ἰδίοις ·

However, most of the modern Bible translations actually get it right:

ESV - “which is the testimony given at the

proper time.”

KJV - “to be testified in due time.”

ASV - “the testimony to be borne in its own

times.”

DRB - “a testimony in due times.”

YLT - “the testimony in its own times.”

Conclusion

Hebrews 9.26b (KJV) says that Jesus will die “once in the end of the world.” First Peter 1.20 (NJB) says that Christ is “revealed at the final point of time.” Revelation 12.5 says that the Messiah is born in the end times. Acts 3.19-21 says that the Messiah cannot come “until the period of restoration of all things.” Galatians 4.4 says that Christ is born in “the fullness of the time,” which Eph. 1.9-10 defines as the consummation of the ages❗️Moreover, the auditory and visual impressions of the transfiguration narrative in 2 Peter 1.16-18 constitute an apocalyptic *prophecy,* which is revealed in verse 19:

“so we have the prophetic word made more

sure, to which you do well to pay attention

as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

What is more, 1 Timothy 2.6 (written at ca. 100 AD) says that Christ’s death is meant “to be testified in due time.” The author is certainly NOT referring to 70 years prior to the time that he penned this letter (i.e. ca. 30 AD)! Therefore, it's perplexing why this mysterious phrase “to be testified in due time” is inserted in the text, and what is its temporal implication. That’s because it implies that the testimony of Christ’s death seems to be forthcoming rather than being already available❗️

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hell-ama-official · 6 months

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why are satan and lucifer different people

Great question! In fact, I've answered similar ones before, but this one just has something to it. Maybe it's lack of punctuation and capitalization, maybe it's just that I don't get as much traction on here as I do on my blog. Which is what I hoped for, as this is only a backup in case the main thing suddenly ceases to exist after an unexplained financial cut, but what I didn't expect is that Tumblr is much more convenient (despite the fact that I'm not being paid for running this one).

To answer this question, we first need to define "people".

Marriam-Webster brings us two relevant definitions among many:

1. human beings making up a group or assembly or linked by a common interest 4. the mass of a community as distinguished from a special class

Now, the first one fails to apply to Fallen, as it specifies human beings as the subject of "people".

The other definition also does not apply, as Lucifer and Satan both belong to the special class in demonic culture - namely, the original Fallen.

So they aren't people. They're different "demons", though:

a: an evil spirit b: a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin

Jokes aside, this is a very interesting question theologically. Why are they often conflated when they are so different? Let us turn to the Bible.

The way judging of humans works is similar to a human court. Satan is "the opposing one", and was the one to create obstacles in the way of humans so that they may decide between righteous and sinful behavior. She is the tempter and the prosecutor, provoking people with dark souls to either show their true colors so that they don't get into Heaven undeservedly, or prove their loyalty to God in spite of their nature.

The word devil translated to "the accuser", and was historically the role of the archangel who judged humans before Christ came and restored human's right to go to Heaven.

The name Lucifer is attributable to the word "lightbringer", relating to Venus. That is easily proven by the fact that all archangels bear names ending in -el, meaning "of God", just as the original Hebrew word Haylel which was mistranslated into Lucifer in the Latin version. Though originally meant as a metaphor for the king of Babylon unrelated to the Devil, Lucifer liked the name a lot due to the words "Star of the Morning" having been used by Jesus to describe himself (Revelation 22:16), although to citizens of Hell I would recommend referring to Tindall's translation of "True Last Will of a God to his Errant sons" (known as well as the Second Epistle of Judas, or "that book of the Bible Judas hoarded until 1500s when he gave it to Lucifer- who hoarded it in his private library until 1670s, when he decided its time to finally translate it) as an earlier and more reliable source (more on the credibility of Revelation later). Thus Lucifer, in a way, establishes himself as an antithesis to Jesus: as Jesus is the guiding light of a star, Lucifer is the anger of the burning, destructive object that gives off that light.

Since Paradise Lost many a people have believed that the Devil "snuck" into the Garden of Eden to tempt Eve, implying Lucifer must have already fallen by that point. On the contrary, Genesis clearly states that a regular snake was "smarter than other animals", and the narrative of Satan, the Devil or Lucifer sneaking into Eden is based in the conflation of snakes as symbolic for the Devil. Whether the snake was controlled, taught or otherwise influenced by Satan we may as well never know without asking her, but it's not likely, as God punished the snake for tempting Eve and not Satan.

It only adds to the confusion that Lucifer served in Hell before his Fall; in fact, as the judge of souls, it was his job to oversee Hell and determine if the punishment is just. After Christ-coming, to that was added another responsibility: determining if the punishment was served and the soul may go to Heaven. Satan's main occupation at that point was roaming the Earth and testing the strength of character of notable individuals, such as Christ himself, as well as his disciples Ananias and Judas. Notice that there aren't many documented biblical temptations after Christ-coming, as Satan was assigned to help with judgement of souls in Hell. That is when Lucifer and Satan became close as siblings as they labored in Hell, despite many of their differences and disagreements. They are often considered to share a "mother", but in this case Satan was mentored by the same angel who is believed to be Lucifer's mother. I'm not explaining angel hierarchies and procreation here, mostly because I don't get it myself; the "mother"-"sibling"-"cousins" concept comes from the words of Lucifer over the centuries rather than factual evidence. I misattributed it one of my blog posts as fact, for which I apologize. The post was taken down after it was pointed out to me.

As such, the time of the first Fall can be narrowed down to the time period between the judging of Job, whose faith was tested with Satan still at God's side, and the date of Revelation being written (90-95 contemporary age), as it mentions the Fall; unless the vision of the fall is part of revelations to the future granted upon John, who is not the Apostle John. Revelation 12:9 states "the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who deceives the whole world", or, in KJ version, "called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world". It seems to be merely a mistranslation of "the ancient serpent <who is> called the Devil and Satan <who is> the deciever and all of his <Lucifer's> angels", although it is also entirely possible that not-Apostle-John was conflating the word Devil with Satan instead of Lucifer, as Satan is referred to as "diabolos" (a word of the same root meaning "slanderer", mirroring the role of an accuser who righteously brings people's nature into question into someone who does so unjustly) multiple times throughout the New Testament, which means John of Revelation was working off of a backlog of every other canonical book of the Bible, possibly based on prophetic visions out of his scale of understanding.

So there. Satan and Lucifer are simply different beings whom religious books happened to confuse with each other in some aspects based on mistranslation, misunderstanding of source text and conflation of concepts. I hope this explanation was very boring and tedious.

#hell ama

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tylertheevangelist · 11 months

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Is Karma Biblical?

“She’s going to get what she deserves.”

“What goes around comes around.”

“Oh man! Instant karma!”

These are some popular adages in American culture, repeated by nonbelievers and Christians alike. Indeed, I have heard such things said by Christians in the church, sometimes rationalized through scripture. Our pop culture conception of karma lacks an understanding of what it actually means or its origins. There is a widespread misunderstanding that equates karma to the biblical law of sowing and reaping.

So what exactly is karma? Where did it come from? And does it have anything to do with biblical teaching?

What karma is.

The word “karma” is derived from Sanskrit and literally translated means “action” or “fate.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines karma as “the force produced by a person's actions in one life that influences what happens to them in future lives.” The Oxford Dictionary refers to it as “the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” Merriam Webster describes it as “the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence.”

At its core, karma is a view about the afterlife – or rather afterlives, plural. The doctrine of karma, properly understood, is inextricably linked to reincarnation. A belief in karma requires a belief in past and future lives. Karma is concerned with death and deliverance: it is the force by which the actions of your present life propel you towards your eternal fate.

In both Buddhism and Hinduism, karma is a means to achieve spiritual liberation; that is, to end the cycle of death and rebirth. When you reach this spiritually enlightened state, you transcend time, discard your sense of self, and merge with – or realize you are – the universal consciousness. Buddhism calls it nirvana; Hinduism calls it moksha (or oneness with Brahman). One of the paths to spiritual enlightenment in Hinduism is karma yoga, the path of taking “right action.” An adherent of karma yoga works toward their deliverance by acting unselfishly – that is, fulfilling their dharma (duty) without concern for the outcome of their actions.

As you can see, the American pop culture bastardization of karma – where it’s thought of as “getting what you deserve” or that the good or bad things you do come back around to you – fundamentally misunderstands the concept. Sometimes people will casually refer to an immediate realization of consequences as instant karma, without appreciating that the phrase is an oxymoron.

Karma isn’t about realizing the consequences of your actions, at least not in the present life. If you fail to reach enlightenment by the end of this life, your karma impacts what kind of life you receive in the next incarnation. But the ultimate goal on the path of karma is to transcend your individual desires and separate yourself from the realm of earthly consequences. Karma is work done to prepare for the next life, not to get what you want from this life.

Why karma isn't biblical.

There are a number of reasons why the concept of karma is at odds with biblical teaching. First of all, it is inherently and inseparably tied to an unbiblical doctrine of death and the afterlife. The Bible teaches – notwithstanding the people Jesus raised from the dead who may have died twice – that man only dies once (Hebrews 9:7). According to the Bible, man doesn’t die over and over again, nor does he come back in different incarnations.

Second, its soteriology – or view of what saves you – is unbiblical. Karma puts forth a works-based view of salvation whereby you earn your way to nirvana or moksha by doing enough good things and suffering through enough bad things. On the other hand, the Bible teaches that you cannot earn salvation (or get to heaven or achieve oneness with God) through works. Biblical salvation is an unmerited and free gift of God’s favor (Titus 3:4-7, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Philippians 3:9).

Third, not only does karma have a false soteriology, but – as hinted at above – it has a false savior. In karmic doctrine, you are ultimately your own savior. This, however, doesn’t work because no matter how many lives you live, you are not able to be your own sacrifice; imperfect sacrifices offered repeatedly cannot save (Hebrews 10:1-3). Imperfect lives, no matter how close to perfection they come, cannot deliver. Even with an infinite number of retries, you would fall short every single time (Romans 3:23).

The christ of karma is a false messiah. What we need is a sacrifice without blemish (1 Peter 1:19) – one who can live a singularly perfect life; one who can pay for our sins. We are blemished lambs, by our sinful nature unfit for that purpose. Jesus is the unblemished lamb who has no sins of His own to atone for and can therefore atone for ours (Hebrews 7:27). Only He can be the savior, not us. The contrast between karma and the Bible has been summarized well: “Karma is you getting what you deserve; the Gospel is Jesus getting what you deserve.”

Finally, karma demands that we take active measures to achieve our salvation. But the Bible reveals that we are transferred by God into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13.) It tells us that we are the passive—not the active—participant in our salvation and our rescue from the kingdom of darkness is wholly the product of God’s grace.

The difference between karma and the law of sowing and reaping

Is the law of sowing and reaping a biblical nod towards karma? There are multiple references in the New Testament to a person reaping consequences for what they sow (1 Corinthians 3:6, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:7-8). Despite the superficial similarity, this is not at all similar to karma, for the following reasons:

The law of sowing and reaping has nothing to do with reincarnation and is primarily concerned with rewards for the present life.

The law of sowing and reaping is for the salvation of others, not your own salvation.

The law of sowing and reaping is not for earning salvation, getting into heaven, or attaining oneness with God.

The Bible says that we reap without sowing and that we reap up to 100 times that which we do sow; this is not equal reward for equal action.

Let’s go through each point:

The law of sowing and reaping has nothing to do with reincarnation and is primarily concerned with rewards for the present life.

In the Bible, sowing and reaping is never tied to reincarnation, and it is often used to describe the reaping of rewards in the present life as opposed to the afterlife. The apostles both sowed the word of God and reaped its harvest within their lifetimes (1 Corinthians 3:6). The Corinthians were told that if they sow generously (2 Corinthians 9:6), they will reap in this life (2 Corinthians 9:8,11). God abundantly blesses and provides for the needs of these “cheerful givers,” and their generosity enlarges the harvest of righteousness in the form of souls being saved. While these effects do endure in eternity (v. 9), nevertheless the souls are saved – the harvest is reaped – during their earthly lives.

The law of sowing and reaping is for the salvation of others, not your own salvation.

It is noteworthy that, in reference to salvation, the aim of sowing and reaping in 2 Corinthians 9 is the salvation of others and not your own salvation. The idea that you would sow for somebody else’s salvation rather than your own is diametrically opposed to the doctrine of karma. This is because sowing to the poor, when done by those who adhere to karma, isn't about the salvation of the poor but their own salvation. Giving selflessly without thought or desire of return aids in their advancement to nirvana or moksha. And some sects discourage giving to the poor because it prevents the poor from paying off their karmic debt and thus prolongs their process of samsara.

Both of these are very different from the biblical concept of sowing and reaping. Biblical sowing and reaping encourages caring for the poor for the sake of the poor’s physical and spiritual needs. Taking care of the poor for the sake of one’s own enlightenment under the guise of selfless detachment is antithetical to biblical teaching, as is neglecting them so they can pay off their karmic debts.

The law of sowing and reaping is not for earning salvation, getting into heaven, or attaining oneness with God.

Galatians 6:7-8 says, "if you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption, but if you sow to the Spirit you will reap eternal life." Does this contradict the idea that sowing and reaping is not about working for your personal salvation, given the phrase "you will reap eternal life"?

On the contrary, similar to 2 Corinthians 9, these verses also refer to the salvation of others. They specifically speak of ministering to others and not of personal salvation. This is made clear by reading the passage in context. The preceding verses say “But let each one test his own work” (v. 4) and “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (v. 6). Teaching and sharing the word are references to ministry work. Sowing to the Spirit means that through your ministry, others will receive eternal life by believing. We are personally saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by the acts of sowing and reaping themselves.

The Bible says that we reap without sowing and that we reap up to 100 times that which we do sow.

In stark contrast to karmic philosophy, God provides for us out of grace without us having sowed anything (Luke 12:24). Because of God’s grace, we reap in much greater proportion to what we sow: “a crop thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown” (Matthew 13:8). Not karma – grace.

Doesn’t God give people what they deserve on judgment day?

For the unbeliever who rejects God, they absolutely will receive from God what they deserve according to their sins (Hebrews 10:29-30, Revelation 16:6, Revelation 2:23, 2 Timothy 4:14, 2 Thessalonians 1:6, Romans 12:19, Revelation 18:6). But believers will be judged not for what they deserve – they deserve death and hell – but rather for what they have done (Revelation 22:12, Matthew 16:27). In His grace, God accepts the believers’ service and rewards them for their deeds performed in service to Him.

Doesn’t it say that believers will receive their due for the good and the bad they did?

2 Corinthians 5:10 states that all believers must stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive their due for what was done in the body – whether good or bad. However, “whether good or bad” does not mean that the believer will be punished on judgment day for their bad deeds; rather, they “suffer loss” for them (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Bad deeds are compared to wood, hay, and stubble; good deeds are compared to gold. The analogy concludes with fire thrown onto all their works, where the bad is burnt up and only the good remains. But, because the wood, hay, and stubble could have been gold – i.e. the bad could have been good – they suffer loss. As such, they are rewarded according to their good works, but not at all punished for their bad ones.

Bad karma does not accumulate and carry over to a terrible next life: Jesus already took the punishment. The gospel is that Jesus gets what you deserve for bad deeds; you get rewarded for the good. Perhaps (per Matthew 13:8) you will receive much more for the good you’ve done than you even deserve – 30, 60, or 100 times more.

What about the proverbs?

Sometimes proverbs are invoked by way of describing karma biblically. The problem is that proverbs are general principles, not laws without exception. For example, the proverbs stress that working hard leads to wealth, while sloth and laziness lead to poverty. These concepts are true generally, but not always. Certainly there are very lazy people who are rich and very hard working people who have basically nothing based on extenuating circumstances. This is why we must approach the book of Proverbs with consideration for nuances and exceptions. These are not hard and fast rules from which doctrinal claims should be carelessly extracted.

That being said, let’s consider two verses from the book of Proverbs: Proverbs 22:8 and Proverbs 11:8. The first says that “whoever sows injustice will reap calamity;” the second, “the one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.” Are these the biblical equivalents to karma? No, and for a few reasons.

Firstly, as aforementioned, these are not to be taken as dogma, unlike karma which is a dogmatic principle. Some people who sow injustice do not reap calamity because they place their faith in God; God’s mercy delivers them from calamity. The grace and mercy of God isn’t a consideration in karmic philosophy.

Secondly, the calamity and rewards reaped are not for the next life, multiple lives, or reincarnation. That cannot possibly be what is intended here, given the total absence of such concepts from the Bible.

Lastly, it is possible or even likely that – as with 2 Corinthians 9 and Galatians 6 – Proverbs 11:8 refers to sowing for the righteousness of others and not your own righteousness. As explained above, this notion is contrary to karmic philosophy.

Karma is thoroughly unbiblical. It posits a false view of the afterlife, a false view of salvation, and a false savior.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” -Galatians 1:6-9

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gatekeeper-watchman · 1 year

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What the Bible Says about Capital Punishment Regardless of Your Political Opinions and Divisiveness

Capital punishment is a difficult subject to discuss as there are many different opinions that all contain some truth about this issue. Some believe it is fair and just to administer the death penalty when criminals take a life or lives, while others think that it is cruel and unusual punishment for civilized societies. Many Christians are divided on this issue as well, with some following the Old Testament law of capital punishment and others choosing the seemingly gentler side of the Bible–the New Testament–as the basis for their opposition to this law. Are these two Testaments in opposition to each other? Since God does not contradict Himself, perhaps we need a deeper understanding of the Bible as a whole.

The Origin of Capital Punishment

Where did the idea of capital punishment come from? The first definition in Webster’s New World Dictionary for the word “capital” is: 1) Involving or punishable by death (originally by decapitation) (a capital offense). Decapitation was the beheading of those who were convicted of any crime deserving the death penalty (thus Capital comes from the Latin word “capitalism” which means “of the head”). Murder, treason, and other high crimes were punishable by death. Usually, the state or government sets the standards for carrying out this punishment. However, before governments established this practice, the idea of capital punishment was first instigated by God in the Old Testament in the Bible.

And surely the blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:5-6

And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. And if a man causes a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; Breach for breach, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own countries: for I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 24:17-22

Why Did God Institute Capital Punishment?

Why would a loving God who is supposed to love all of mankind issue these edicts? To answer this question, we must understand the overall purpose of God. In the first scripture, we can see that God’s command was based on the dignity of man, as he is made in the image of God. God created the first man, Adam, gave him Eve and told them to be fruitful and multiply. God desired not only to have fellowship with them but with all subsequent generations. However, to be able to have real communion with man, God created him with a will. Men were given the right to choose if they wanted to commune with, love, and obey God or if they would rather choose to live apart from God and reject and disobey Him.

God knew when He created men with free wills that not all would follow and obey Him. However, He also knew that many would want to love and serve Him. In giving men free will, He also had to establish laws for men to live by. When we look at the Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20:1-17, we can see that these laws were given for the good of mankind. One of these laws is in verse 13: “Thou shalt not kill.” You may wonder if God said “Do not kill,” why He would then decree that a murderer should be put to death. The reason is that the Hebrew meaning of the word translated as “kill” actually means “murder” or “to slay someone violently unjustly.” So, in the Ten Commandments God is saying, “Thou shalt not murder.”

God Sanctioned Government Authorities to Enforce Laws

God set boundaries for mankind by establishing ruling authorities that would make and enforce the laws He gave. The purpose for this was because He knew unregenerate society, without any restraints, would seek to destroy good men. God desires that all men would come to Him and live by His laws. However, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and broke His law, sin entered into the world and was passed down to all of mankind through Adam’s seed. God, in His love for mankind, made a way for men to come back to Him, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. Because Jesus lived free of sin and obeyed the law of God perfectly, He became the sin offering and died upon the cross, thus paying the price for all men’s sins. He then rose from the dead on the third day showing that He indeed was the son of God. Now those who accept what Jesus did and repent of their sins can find their way through faith to be reconciled to God. This sacrifice covers and cleanses men even from the worst of sins including murder. Now, through Christ, even murderers can be forgiven and restored to a relationship with God so they can live forever with Him.

Where we find most of our problems with the two sides of capital punishment is that both sides hold a truth of God. God’s law of justice for the taking of life demands that life be taken; yet, God’s spiritual law of mercy and forgiveness grants that a murderer can be forgiven and restored. How can we reconcile this? We must understand that God instituted civil authorities to maintain order on the earth. God uses them to restrain evil and they should be obeyed for this purpose. In the New Testament, we see that even Jesus surrendered to the governing authorities because He was submitted to God.

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it was given thee from above… John 19:11

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 he who 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 him 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; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (RSV)

From these verses, we see that governments can elect to practice capital punishment, the harshest form of punishment. It is enforced in the United States today and each year there are about 250 people added to death row and 35 executed. Once a jury has agreed on convicting a person of a criminal offense, they then proceed to the second part of the trial, which is to then set the proper amount of punishment for the severity of the crime. This is the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees that it is just, then the criminal will face some form of execution. Lethal injection is the most common form used today. The choices of execution vary from state to state but are as follows: hanging, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and lethal injection. Some guidelines are followed before a prisoner is sentenced to death. Of those, one of the most important reads: Capital punishment may be imposed only when guilt is determined by clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the fact (Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch 5-25-84).

Numerous Laws in the USA are Founded on Biblical Principles

Some may not be aware that even the specific laws here in the United States that determine guilt or innocence, are also found in the Bible. They were established by our forefathers, many of whom were godly Christian men who read and obeyed the Word of God. Many of these laws are listed in chapters 21, 22, and 23 in the book of Exodus and Numbers 35:15-34. In reading these chapters, you will note that God made a distinction between the penalties for manslaughter (usually killing in self-defense or by accident without malice) and murder (premeditated vengeful killing or violent killing with anger and malice). Our courts require that a murderer can only be convicted if there is sufficient evidence and witnesses to the crime. This too, comes from the Bible.

Under our government mandates, the use of the death penalty, as intended by law, was to reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders; thus, it is being used as a system of justice, not just a method of deterrence. Opponents of the death penalty will argue that although it is said to exist as a crime deterrent, it isn’t. Some modern supporters of capital punishment no longer view the death penalty as a deterrent but as a just punishment for the crime. This is a shift from the attitudes of past generations. Supporters of the death penalty say it would be a deterrent to crime if the punishment was done more speedily (this of course, immediately after conviction).

Some believe that one of the many problems with the death penalty is that it is anything but swift and sure. They contend that more timely enforcement of the death penalty would help to reduce the crime problem by instilling a sense of respect for the law. Our society should realize that crimes carry consequences. The long and drawn-out process of appeals in our court system has allowed many convicted criminals to remain in jail at an enormous cost to society. As in the case of Ted Bundy, the system seemed flawed when it allowed him to remain on death row for 10 years after murdering more than 50 women. One issue that stood out at this execution to me was the fact that a whole crowd of spectators came to the prison and shouted and rejoiced as he was being executed. The Bible says that God never rejoices at the death of the wicked and we are not to do that either.

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die … Ezekiel 33:11

Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. Numbers 35:30-31

God Desires Justice & Fairness

The latest person (at this writing) to receive the death penalty was a Texas death row inmate, Gary Graham, who was executed on June 22, 2000, for a 1981 murder. He always protested his innocence, expressing confidence he would one day become a free man and help lead the fight against the death penalty. Graham, who was a black man from a poor Houston neighborhood, contended that his path to death row was paved by poor representation from his court-appointed lawyer and a legal system that he said discriminated against minorities and the underprivileged. Because Graham was black, some people believed this was a racist issue.

Graham’s case aroused international controversy due to allegations that he received incompetent counsel at his trial for the murder of Bobby Lambert outside a Houston supermarket, and also the fact that his conviction largely rested on the testimony of a lone eyewitness. Graham insisted he did not commit the murder and went to his death screaming and resisting. The Lambert slaying occurred during a two-week crime spree in 1981 by Graham, then in his late teens, who admitted to ten armed robberies, including two shootings and the rape of a 57-year-old woman.

Though man may make judgments that are biased according to race, and/or societal status, God does not. He never condones a judgment based on anything other than truth or justice. God is no respecter of persons and He desires that all receive a fair and just trial no matter what their social status may be.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:34-35

Is the Judicial System Flawed or Fair?

Even though our justice system is flawed in ways, due to sinful and imperfect men who are in it, there are still many checks and balances to keep innocent people from being executed wrongly:

1. The criminal trial itself, by a jury of 12 impartial people.

2. Evidence must be produced to show guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.

3. The judge must agree that the trial was fair and can order a new trial if he finds irregularities.

4. A new blood testing system (DNA Genetic Testing) to determine guilt or innocence in murder cases, when applicable, is now available.

DNA testing is a rather recent development in the death penalty issue. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is called the genetic building block of life. Everyone has a unique DNA pattern except for identical twins. The scientific community has now discovered a way to test blood to determine if that blood came from that particular individual; or actually could not have been from them, because of the DNA genetic coding. This has helped determine guilt or innocence, when evidence has been kept with blood stains on it. Even if the blood is old, the DNA code is still present. Other body fluids carry the same DNA coding and can be tested also. This testing is an additional deterrent to executing the wrong person in cases where an innocent man or woman is charged with murder.

As Christians, we must pray that honest, fair, and godly men and women will be selected to serve as judges, wardens, and other positions that operate our judicial and penal systems. This is one of the greatest deterrents for people being wrongly charged with all crimes. Even though the possibility exists for the innocent to be executed unjustly, the alternative is far worse. If evil men are allowed to go unpunished, evil would eventually take over. If we want a fair judicial system, we must work at changing it through prayer, involvement, serving, voting, etc. Complaining about the system will never change it. Change must begin in us.

The Issue of Forgiveness Versus Punishment

As Christians, how do we then deal with this issue of capital punishment, especially if we are involved or know someone personally on death row that we feel is innocent? Or perhaps the person was someone like Karla Faye Tucker, who, although guilty of the crime, was changed and had lived a righteous and rehabilitated life in prison for 15 years. Karla, with an accomplice, had committed two horrible murders with a pick ax when she was 23 and high on drugs. Right after she went to jail a pastor visited her and led her to the saving knowledge of Jesus. From that time on she led an exemplary life and demonstrated a changed life and her Christian faith in prison. Many prayed for her as her execution date was set for February 3, 1998. However, the State of Texas carried out its law to execute murderers and Karla was not granted clemency. We are asked in the Bible to forgive Karla no matter what she has done.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

Her last words were as follows:

To the families of those she murdered: “I am so sorry. I hope God will give you peace with this.”

To her family: “Baby, I love you. Ron, give Peggy a hug for me. Everybody has been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I’m going to be face-to-face with Jesus now.”

To the Warden: “Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. You have been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I will see you all when you get there. I will wait for you.”

KARLA: “I asked God to forgive me and I knew I needed forgiveness. And I knew I had done something horrible. But I think right at that moment what mostly hit me was His Love. His Love. It just surrounded me. He just put me in His arms and said, “I Love You”…(My purpose for this interview) is that lives would be saved, that lives would be touched that people would just come to know that no matter where they were He could touch them. He could change their life.”

Should not Karla have been granted clemency since she was no longer a threat to society (in fact, just the opposite was true)? She touched many peoples’ lives in prison and they too were changed for the better. We know God is a forgiving God and we as His children must be forgiving also. Does God’s Word address cases such as Karla Faye’s? Yes, we find God’s attitude toward her plight in this scripture:

Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right, and he shall surely live. “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just’; when it is their way that is not just. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does what is lawful and right, he shall live by it. Ezekiel 33:14-19

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Because Karla repented of her sins and accepted Christ as her savior, she could face death unafraid. She knew that only her body would die–and that her spirit would go to heaven and live forever with God. Karla paid her debt to society. However, Jesus paid her debt of sin and she did not have to go to hell. This shows the love of God for sinners. No matter how depraved we might become, the blood of Jesus can wash us as white as snow. Karla wanted others to know this truth.

Law Versus Grace

One cannot simply say that capital punishment is immoral on Biblical grounds as God gave us both law and grace. The truth is society would fail and crumble if we fail to keep the law and also if we fail to uphold it. The law tells us what we can and cannot do. It tells us how far we can or cannot go and God tells us to obey the law of the land. Man is a free moral agent and he is capable of choosing good or bad behavior. He must also be responsible to accept the consequences of that behavior. (Of course, the punishment for crime should fit the crime.) One may be influenced by his environment, but he is not ultimately controlled by it, as we have many testimonies of people who have risen above their poverty and evil surroundings. It makes sense to reward evil with punishment just as we reward those that have done good deeds. If we are not responsible for our choices, neither blame nor praise makes any sense.

As Christians, the Lord writes His law upon our hearts and we no longer have to be slaves to sin. He gives us the Holy Spirit which enables us to not only keep the law but to go beyond what the law requires in doing good. We are told not only to forgive our enemies but to do good to them. This takes God’s grace because we cannot love them without calling on the love of God. Jesus did not abolish the law. Scripture says He fulfilled it.

Think not that I come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17

God’s Reign Will End Capital Punishment

If we desire to see fair trials and justice done and see capital punishment end and yes, even the end of all forms of killing, violence, and death–we must realize that this can only come about through the kingdom of God coming to this world. God’s kingdom can only come about as all men yield to God and His laws. That time is coming when Jesus returns to this earth. At His second coming, He will then rule with a rod of iron and the devil will be chained and his followers destroyed. Satan can no longer tempt men with evil, so there will be no more murder and evil on the earth. We shall enter the Millennial Reign of Christ when the earth shall rest from its tribulations. However, until that time, God has instructed us, as His children, to allow and pray for His Kingdom to be manifested in our individual lives and communities. We can change the world by allowing Christ to rule in our lives and thus affect those around us with His love and grace.

For those who refuse to allow His reign in their lives, God has set government authorities on the earth to restrain evil by enforcing the laws of the land. Granted, they are imperfect and some are even evil. However, the alternative would be that evil would overcome those that were good if there were no laws. We can change the bad laws by allowing God to use us in our spheres of influence. We must do our part to pray, witness and become involved in the world to change it for the better. That is the way the kingdom of God will be established in our world through allowing God to reign in our everyday lives.

After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom comes. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

By "God's Grace" we are renewed

Steven P. Miller

@ParkermillerQ,

CEO and Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.

Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956,

Twitter: @GatekeeperWatchman1, @ParkermillerQ,

https://twitter.com/StevenPMiller6

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenParkerMillerQ

#GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller,#Eldermiller1981

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net2ubiz · 1 year

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Subject: The Origin of “Amen”

Reference: Number 5:22

Introduction: The Origin of Amen is an affirmation of truth first seen in the Old Testament and later in the New Testament.

The first mention of the word “amen” in the Bible is found in Numbers 5:22.

The term Amen meaning “so be it,” as found in the early scriptures of the Bible, is a word of Hebrew origin. It originated in the Hebrew Scriptures as a reply of confirmation and is found in Deuteronomy as an Affirmative Response made by the people.

Furthermore, in the Books of Chronicles, it is designated that near 1000 BC, the word is used in its religious meaning, with the people responding with "Amen”to receiving the blessing: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from now and unto all eternity."

Amen Meaning and Definition:

Standard English translations of the term amen include "surely," "truly," and “so be it.”

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary , current usage, the term "amen" has become little more than a ritualized conclusion to prayers. Yet the Hebrew and Greek words for amen appear hundreds of times in the Bible and have several uses.

Amen is a transliteration of the Hebrew word amen. The verb form occurs more than one hundred times in the Old Testament and means to take care, to be faithful, reliable, or established, or to believe someone or something.

The idea of something that is faithful, reliable, or believable seems to lie behind the use of amen as an exclamation on twenty-five solemn occasions in the Old Testament.

Israel said "amen" to join in the praises of God (1 Chronicles 16:36; Nehemiah 8:6) and at the end of each of (the first four books of Psalms).

Modern dictionaries define Amen as "used to express solemn ratification (as of an expression of faith) or hearty approval (as of an assertion)" (Merriam-Webster).

In Jesus' Name, Amen:

Well, we're told in John 14:16, Jesus says, whatever you ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be Glorified in the Son. So from that, we realized that there's an explicit passage about praying in Jesus' Name.

But more importantly, the truth that points to is is the larger truth found in the New Testament that we have access to God the Father through Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, the veil of the temple was split in two from top to bottom. And Hebrews tells us that, that we then have access to God through the Veil that is his Flesh.

So that Veil, that several inches thick of material that separated the Holy of Holies, where the Presence of God was manifest there, over the Arc of the Covenant, Only The High Priest Could Go In Only He Once A Year After A Weeks Preparation, That Now Through The Death Of Jesus, Anybody Has Access To God, But They Must Come Through The Veil Of The Flesh Of Jesus Through The Death Of Jesus Christ.

So our access to God is in coming through Christ and his righteousness. Hebrews says that we come in his blood. So it is through the death of Jesus who we have access to God and praying in “Jesus' Name”is a Theological Shorthand for expressing that, that we have no Righteousness of our own, that God will receive us as it were Covered In The Blood Of Christ.

God will receive us having been United with Christ. And so to Pray our Prayer in Jesus' Name is to recognize that we're coming in the Righteousness of Christ, not our own.

We don't deserve to be heard by God, but Jesus does. And We Come In His Name, We Come Presenting Him And All That He Is.

It also means I think that we are coming and asking what we believe Jesus would ask if he were in our situation. So that's true. That's a lesser truth to the Greater Truth that We Come In And Through The Righteousness Of Christ.

God hears us because of Jesus. So we'd come. Father, did you Hear this Prayer? It's Not Because I Deserve It, But I Come In Jesus' Name.

Amen in the Bible:

To our God and Father be Glory Forever and Ever. Amen. (Philippians 4:20) ESV

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To Him be Glory Forever.

Amen. (Roman 11:36) ESV

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) ESV

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13) KJV

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20) KJV

WORD

Servant DCarlos Phipps

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gregheeres · 1 year

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Help Wanted: High Performing Sales Behaviors

Until recently, the American economy was chugging along, improving, and growing. Sadly, the current administration’s ideologies and policies have really injured the economy, businesses, and families too. If you are out driving around, you will notice everywhere “help wanted” signs and advertisements asking (okay, maybe begging) people to apply for a job and get back to work.

It wasn’t too long ago that the national unemployment rate was under 4 percent, making it tough to find workers. Now we have people at home not working and waiting for their government check to continue to subsidize their not working.

The number one job held by the wealthiest people in America is a sales job. Many believe that to be good in sales you must have these three traits:

Good conversationalist

Aggressive sales tactics

Charisma personality

I propose one of the top traits to be good in sales is (drum roll please): A willingness to help others.

Early in my speaking and writing career, I coined the pretend word: Shellping (a combination of the words “selling” and “helping”). If we ponder that made-up word, it really is quite fitting, despite that face that it can’t be found in Webster’s dictionary. Sales is helping someone with a need or a want—providing them a product or service that helps them.

What isn’t good for sales success?

Aggressively waiting for the phone to ring

An unwillingness to roll up your sleeves and help someone

Hiding behind emails and voicemails

Many books have been written on servant leadership, and many keynote speakers like to talk about servant leadership. We could give a pretty accurate definition servant leadership by saying: A servant leader places the interests and needs of others ahead of their own self interest. They value others instead of trying to accrue power or take control.

If you are a sales director, I would definitely encourage you to add a servant leadership element to your interviewing and hiring of sales professionals.

In the Bible, Jesus shows us the ultimate example of servant leadership—He washed all of His disciples sandal-sore and dusty feet. If Jesus can do this, we as sales leaders (figuratively) can do that too. It’s an attitude of the heart.

A number of years ago I gave a customer service training for a client. In the presentation I roll played with an attendee. I pretended to be the customer calling. As manufacturers’ reps, they get phone calls and inquiries all the time. I hinted that a customer may be calling with a specific question such as, “Do you have such-and-such metal?” or “Do you have a stronger cleaning solution for our equipment?”

My translation: “Can you help me?”

That’s really all the caller is doing: Asking for help. Hence, this is where I coined the phrase Shellping.

Here is my sales leadership challenge for you. As you go about your sales day, put your servant leader’s hat on and help your customer or prospect. That’s what they are looking for and that’s also the purest definition of a high performing sales professional.

If you go to my website (www.maximizeleadership.com), you can download my free ebook entitled Are Your Customers Doing The Rave?

#Greg Heeres #sales leadership #Sales Success #sales #customer service #ebook

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mrlnsfrt · 1 year

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God With Us 2022 Part 3

In God With Us part 1, I explored the evidence for God’s desire to be with us found in the creation account.

In God With Us part 2, I explored the birth of Jesus and what it reveals to us regarding the heart of God. This is the third and final post of this series and I will explore Jesus’ promise to come again to be with us and to take us to be with Him.

" “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. " -- John 14:1-3 NKJV

Jesus was very clear. He will come again to receive us to Himself so that where He is we can be also. Jesus wants to be with us and this understanding helps keep my heart from being troubled.

The Apocalypse

Many associate the apocalypse with scary events causing them to be afraid of the second coming of Jesus. The Greek word Apokalypsis (ἀποκάλυψις) means disclosure:—appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation. (Strong’s definition) In Portuguese and Spenish and perhaps other languages as well the last book of the Bible is referred to by the Greek word or its transliteration. In English, we have the translation of the Greek so we call the last book of the Bible Revelation, which is less scary than calling it the book of Apocalypse!

There’s a whole genre of post-apocalyptic writing, movies, and games. Meriam Webster defines postapocalyptic as existing or occurring after a catastrophically destructive disaster or apocalypse.

As a student of the Bible, I find this fascinating. Here is a secular term that cannot be understood without a reference to the book of Revelation. The problem I see in this is that the entire book of Revelation is summarized as essentially a catastrophic destruction of life on planet earth. If you never read the book of Revelation you would think it describes a nuclear holocaust or maybe zombies. Yes, Zombie Apocalypse literally means a zombie revelation or uncovering, but in our cultural context, it means the collapse of society due to an overwhelming swarm of zombies.

So we avoid the book of Revelation, we are afraid of it. We don’t talk much about the second coming of Jesus because that’s going to happen at the end of time and that will be terrible and scary right? Except that the followers of Jesus seem to look forward to that day. Paul refers to it as the blessed hope of the glorious appearing of Jesus!

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14 NKJV (bold mine)

I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist faith and I have heard my share of scary end time sermons. However, the more I study the Bible for myself the more I am convinced that the second coming of Jesus is an event we ought to look forward to! Jesus wants to be with me and I want to be with Him, why would I not want Him to come soon?

If I am not looking for the soon coming of Jesus what am I going to look forward to?

I Will Come Again

In John 14:3 Jesus clearly states that He will come again to receive us to Himself that where He is there we may be also. It is clear that Jesus desires to be with us. Not only did He create us, but He also came and was born as one of us, lived for over 30 years as a human, and died so that we might live with Him. If we believe this to be true how could we doubt that He will come again?

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” - Acts 1:9-11 NKJV

When Jesus went up into heaven two men in white apparel, I believe they were angels, told Jesus’ followers that He would come again like He went up. That is, Jesus would not be born again as a baby, but rather He would come in the clouds. I would argue that the second coming of Jesus is what motivates the efforts of the apostles to proclaim Jesus to the whole world.

25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” - Luke 21:25-28 NKJV (bold mine)

Luke 21:27 records Jesus making this same point. His second coming will not be like His birth, that most people missed. It will be a glorious event!

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. - Revelation 1:7 NKJV

John describes the second coming of Jesus using similar words and adds that this time every eye shall see Him. He also adds an interesting line, “And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.”

John is the last living disciple and he is writing from the island of Patmos, where he was exiled. He writes to the early church who is being persecuted and he encourages them, that even though people are putting their lives on the line when they choose to follow Jesus it is worth it because He is coming again and there will be a reversal. When Jesus comes, it is those who are in power, those who are persecuting the followers of Jesus who will mourn.

The description of Jesus coming in the clouds probably also brought up in the mind of Jesus’ followers the prophecy found in Daniel 7.

13 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. - Daniel 7:13-14 NKJV (bold mine)

Matthew 24 records Jesus using similar language while describing His second coming to His disciples.

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. - Matthew 24:30-31NKJV (bold mine)

Jesus’ assertion that He would come again in the clouds with great power contributed to Him being sentenced to death.

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.” - Matthew 26:64-66 NKJV (bold mine)

The second coming of Jesus is not a new teaching. It is not a small detail, it is the culmination of the plan of salvation! If I share with you how God created the world (God with us part 1), and about how God became flesh and dwelt among us and died for us and was raised again from the dead (God with us part 2), I should not avoid talking about the second coming of Jesus in the clouds with great power and glory.

Judgment

As a Christ follower living in the United States, I must admit it is quite comfortable to be a Christian. Sure there are inconveniences, but nobody is trying to kill me. Following Jesus does not mean putting my life on the line. And I wonder if this is the reason why so many, at least in the western world, seem to avoid talking about the second coming of Jesus. When you are being persecuted and have to rely on God to provide for you every day of your life you long for Him to come soon. But what happens when you’re living comfortably and it feels like you don’t need God all that much?

What happens when you have a comfortable place to live, access to plenty of food and quality health care? Suddenly the second coming of Jesus is not as important. Sure He will come someday in the future, around the time of the end of the world, but we don’t have to worry about it now. So the second coming of Jesus, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, coming in the clouds with great power and glory becomes the apocalypse, a scary event in the distant future that we do not talk about.

We read the gospels but skip the parts like Matthew 24-25, and especially portions like Matthew 25:31-32.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. - Matthew 25:31-32 NKJV

We become comfortable with baby Jesus born in a manger. We like Jesus meek and mild. We weep at the thought of Him dying on the cross for our sins. But why do we shy away from talking about Jesus coming in His glory to judge the nations? Does it make us uncomfortable? Why would the second coming of Jesus make us uncomfortable?

Jesus gives us salvation as a gift. We do not have to earn it or work for it. We should not be afraid of His judgment. But life looks different in light of the second coming does it not? The imminence of the second coming of Jesus readjusts our priorities.

Let me put it a little differently. When you look at your life, what you consider a success and a failure change depending on your views regarding the second coming of Jesus. When you plan for the future, what you emphasize and where you invest your time and effort change depending on your views regarding the second coming of Jesus.

I want to be very clear about this. Please read carefully. I am not saying “panic and head for the hills.” I am not saying “become a monk and move to the mountains.” I am not saying do more good deeds because Santa Clause is coming to town and you don’t want to receive a lump of coal instead of the gift from your wishlist.

What I am saying is that Jesus is coming soon, and you should organize your life accordingly. This means being intentional about being about the Master’s business. (For more see my series on the Parable of the Talents)

I am not telling you to focus on yourself. Attempts to save yourself will fail because they spring from a selfish heart. Salvation is not about just saying the name of Jesus. Spiritual abuse is a real thing. Much harm has been done by those in power who claimed to be doing so in the name of Jesus.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ - Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV

What I am telling you is to live your life focused on those you can help. Minister to others not out of a desire to save yourself, but out of love for the other.

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus illustrates the final judgment as Him separating the sheep from the goats. At first glance, it seems like the judgment is based on actions or behavior. The difference between the sheep and the goats seems to be based on how they treated those in need. This would indicate that salvation is based on works and good deeds earn you eternal life. But a more careful reading of the text reveals that salvation is not based on the actions but rather on the heart. The behavior only revealed the condition of the heart.

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ - Matthew 25:37-40 NKJV

Based on these verses, the righteous are surprised by Jesus’ claim regarding how they lived their lives. This means that the righteous were not aware they were “doing the things” they needed to do in order to be saved. If salvation was by works, the doers of the work would have been doing good deeds intentionally hoping to receive a reward. But when they are surprised by the reward it reveals they were simply living their lives, not expecting a reward, but simply doing what they felt like doing. They fed the hungry because their hearts had been softened by the presence of Jesus. They gave drinks to the thirsty because it gave them joy to be able to do something for someone else who was in need. They helped strangers and clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited those in prison because it felt like the right thing to do. The righteous did good deeds not to earn their salvation, but because they were saved. They lived as Jesus lived. Helping those in need felt right, it was worthwhile for them.

Priorities

I don’t want you to live your life afraid of the judgment. I don’t want you to have nightmares about the apocalypse. I want you to live a life of adventure and service because when you realize what God has done for you you experience a desire to discover what you can do for others. I want you to live an exciting and challenging life shaped by mission, by a desire to serve, to share the good news, and to introduce others to the God who has loved them all along.

What is God calling you to do?

This is not about earning your salvation, but about living out your life as one who is saved. Life is about living out of the overflow of what God does for you. Life is about receiving blessings from God and becoming a blessing to others.

Service begins in the home, to those closest to you, and from the home, it spreads outward to those around you. We serve those closest to us, then our neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and on and on serving and helping as many as God calls us to serve.

None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something.

What is God calling you to do?

Who will you serve this week? This Month? This year?

Prayerfully consider this, and put it into action. Jesus is coming soon, and there is a world that is dying in desperate need of the gospel, and of help, and of love.

#second coming #priorities

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 7 months

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God is Love

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, is from God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not from God. And this is that [spirit] of antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore they speak from the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is from God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify, that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love: and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 In this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man sayeth, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also. — 1 John 4 | Webster's Bible Translation (WBT) The Webster Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 22:2; Leviticus 19:18; 1 Kings 13:18; Jeremiah 14:14; Matthew 5:43; Matthew 9:34; Matthew 10:15; Matthew 24:5; John 1:14; John 1:18; John 3:16; John 3:31; John 6:51; John 6:56; John 6:69; John 8:23; John 8:32; John 8:47; John 9:3; John 15:27; John 12:31; John 12:34; John 13:35; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:15; Romans 8:31; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 8:3; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 1:1-2; 1 John 2:3; 1 John 2:5; 1 John 2:7; 1 John 3:1; 1 John 3:10-11; 2 John 1:5

#testing (spirits)#believers #knowledge #God #love #Spirit of Truth #1 John 4 #The Epistle of First John #New Testament #WBT #Webster's Bible Translation

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nahaslegal · 2 years

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Ellen white estate audiobooks

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS FOR MAC

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS INSTALL

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS ANDROID

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS SOFTWARE

* Quick direct access to an EGW book/page or paragraph using search (e.g. * New Bookshelf layout with customizable display * Sync reading and listening history with EGW Cloud * Read or search either online or offline * 1828 Noah Webster’s American Dictionary * Complete Published Writings title list: White is also credited as the co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her best known most translated work is Steps to Christ, followed by the 5 conflict of the ages series: Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Desire of Ages, Acts of the Apostles, and The Great Controversy. Ellen White wrote on a wide variety of spiritual and practical topics, from spiritual, to health, education, ministry, financial and marital advice. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis of one’s faith. Her works having been published in more than 160 languages. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated American author. search in collections: All Collections, Compilations, Lifetime Works Įllen G. Syncing of Study Center data and user history through EGW Cloud EGW Writings is the newest version of our successful EGW Free iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch application developed by the Ellen G. White, the King James Version of the Bible and Noah Webster’s American Dictionary. Need help or Can't find what you need? Kindly contact us here →ĮGW Writings application enables you to read and search the complete published writings of Ellen G.

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS INSTALL

All you need to do is install the Nox Application Emulator or Bluestack on your Macintosh.

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS FOR MAC

The steps to use EGW Writings 2 for Mac are exactly like the ones for Windows OS above. Click on it and start using the application. Now we are all done.Ĭlick on it and it will take you to a page containing all your installed applications.

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS ANDROID

Now, press the Install button and like on an iPhone or Android device, your application will start downloading. A window of EGW Writings 2 on the Play Store or the app store will open and it will display the Store in your emulator application. Once you found it, type EGW Writings 2 in the search bar and press Search. Now, open the Emulator application you have installed and look for its search bar. If you do the above correctly, the Emulator app will be successfully installed. Now click Next to accept the license agreement.įollow the on screen directives in order to install the application properly. Once you have found it, click it to install the application or exe on your PC or Mac computer. Now that you have downloaded the emulator of your choice, go to the Downloads folder on your computer to locate the emulator or Bluestacks application. Step 2: Install the emulator on your PC or Mac

ELLEN WHITE ESTATE AUDIOBOOKS SOFTWARE

You can download the Bluestacks Pc or Mac software Here >. Most of the tutorials on the web recommends the Bluestacks app and I might be tempted to recommend it too, because you are more likely to easily find solutions online if you have trouble using the Bluestacks application on your computer. If you want to use the application on your computer, first visit the Mac store or Windows AppStore and search for either the Bluestacks app or the Nox App >. Step 1: Download an Android emulator for PC and Mac

#Ellen white estate audiobooks

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saraloveliness-blog · 2 years

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2 C’s, a Pi, & an S

You know how you look up a basic word in any language in a dictionary or lexicon, and said reference spits up more basic words for you to chew over and look up. I am a quarter bum dumb dumb and this story literally starts with a lexicon of New Testament Greek written by a Grimm brother or relation, or rather a translation of said accommodation written by a dude named Thayer. Enough schizophrenic word salad. Time to get to the basic words I looked up.

Pisteuo begins with the Greek letter pi and the glosses translators use are “believe” and “faith.” But what in the world does it mean to believe or have faith? I didn’t have a clue which is why I looked up this word in the first place. The first definition reads, “to think to be true; to be persuaded of, to credit, to place confidence in.” The second definition reads, “the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by certain inner and higher prerogative and law in his soul.”

I looked up three basic words in those definitions: confidence, conviction, and soul. Godvoice told me to look up confidence in Urban Dictionary. The first definition said something along the lines of, “The ability to walk alone down a hallway full of people and not care what any of them think of you.” What does this have to do with faith? A lot.

I asked Eric Pfeffer what he thought of justification by faith. He said that BECAUSE HE KNEW GOD APPROVED OF HIM, he was not thirsty for the approval of others or worried about their opinion of him. But Thayer didn’t say confidence in self. He said to place confidence in...

What does in mean? It means contained in a cocoon. It means inside of. We are made IN the image of God. Who is the image of the invisible God? The bible makes it clear that He is Jesus. We are not just formed and cloistered in the womb. We are formed and cloistered and made and remade inside Jesus. What is the correct response?

To put our confidence inside of Him the way we are made inside Him. The Bible said to put on Jesus. The carol says, “Don we now our gay apparel.” Both require confidence. In the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” a fashion executive said that fashion is the best and finest art form because people live their lives in it. If I were a confident person, I WOULD be able to walk down that hall knowing that I was wearing Jesus, that he covered my nastiness and flaws, that He was the gay apparel that made me colorful, vibrant, and beautiful.

When you have confidence in Jesus, you don’t care that people think Christianity is idiocy, you are angry that people say that He was merely homeless and mentally ill and that it is all a lie. You have confidence in Him. You defend Him from the attacks of the ignorant and malicious because you know that He has you covered and you are His. You don’t bend under attacks on His being and character; you transcend them.

Godvoice told me to look up conviction in Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. One of the main definitions is being charged as guilty of a crime. In order for us to realize that we are “simul justus et peccator” or however the pretentious Latin goes, we have to realize that we are guilty of crimes against God and that our “peccator” is not a bunch of mere peccadilloes. True faith requires true repentance. Within recent years, I have only experienced it once. I looked upon women with lust. I looked at dear friends as if they were yummy hunks. Godvoice blessed me out. He said that my friends were deserving of deep respect. He said that they did not deserve to be looked at in a disrespectful, demeaning, objectifying, lecherous way. He said I should look on them with reverence and respect, not lust. If anyone were to have told me that the one and only sin which I would repent of was my own sickening version of lesbianism, I would say they were homophobic and crazy. Of all the vile and foul things I have done, said, and thought, of all the good duties I have failed to perform, failed to do the basic minimum, lesbianism would have been least of my worries. It would be at the bottom of my priority list. Honestly, I never even though to confess it to a priest; I was so oblivious that I did not realize that the way I looked at women was a problem. But Godvoice was so furious I bawled like a moe. I went crying to my Mama, literally. The crazy thing was, as terrible as it felt, after it was over it felt good. If there was more repentance in the world, there would be more tears, and there would be the calm, clean feeling you get when you know you have felt the pain of His judgment and now it is past --- the sin is in the past, the pain is in the past, and now you are forgiven and can move forward without habitually committing that sin in the future. I don’t know why God gave me the gift when it came to my disrespectful eyeballing but not the other scads of sins I commit; but He will give the gift more in the future.

Godvoice told me to look up the word soul in my favorite dictionary. One of the definitions said that a person’s soul determines their thoughts and behavior. I thought my id, my sin, my flesh determined my thoughts and behavior, not my soul. But I know, Godvoice will give His gift, His blessing of blessing out judgment; and I shall bawl like a moe; I shall cry like a little girl; and I shan’t be under the tyranny of mine own idiocy my whole life.

#faith

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creativeenquiryjennywebster · 2 years

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Critical Review Bibliography

Bibliography

- Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Thesaurus. (n.d.). vessel. Cambridge Dictionary | English Dictionary, Translations & Thesaurus. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/vessel

- Cartwright, M. (2016). Women in Ancient Greece. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/927/women-in-ancient-greece/

- Earth Mothers. (2008). TheFreeDictionary.com. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/earth+mothers

- Feminist Views on the Role of Religions. (2021). tutor2u. https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/reference/sociology-feminist-views-on-the-role-of-religions

- Jitna. (n.d.). Overcoming patriarchal cultural norms and traditions. she will survive. https://shewillsurvive.com/2020/01/26/overcoming-patriarchal-cultural-norms-and-traditions/

- McCluney, C. (2018). For the Bible Tells Me So: Justifying Gender Discrimination Based on Biblical Text. medium.com. https://medium.com/national-center-for-institutional-diversity/for-the-bible-tells-me-so-justifying-gender-discrimination-based-on-biblical-text-83c61dd4e639

- Thompson, K. (2018). Simone de Beauvoir: Religion and the Second Sex. ReviseSociology. https://revisesociology.com/2018/07/20/simone-beauvoir-religion-second-sex/

- Webster, J. (2022). 1. Earth Mother (research); https://www.tumblr.com/blog/creativeenquiryjennywebster

- Webster, J. (2022). 2. Ordering Leaflets (Artist Statement). https://www.tumblr.com/blog/promotionjennywebster

- Webster, J. (2022). 3. Cornucopia symbolism relating to my own concept. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/creativeenquiryjennywebster

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shammah8 · 2 years

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Cured from the Incurable

“What man cannot cure, I shall heal. The incurable heart, mind, and body is to be cured in those who will trust and believe in the supernatural power of Jesus’ Name!”

Prophetic Scripture

And Jesus was going about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the reign, and healing every disease, and every malady among the people (Matthew 4:23 YLT).

Notice the word malady in the

verse above, according to Young’s Literal Translation. Webster’s dictionary defines the word malady as some form of incurable disease or chronic and lingering disorder. Jesus was known for healing lepers, those with palsy, the blind and lame, all of which were incurable conditions. There was no medical solution for healing any of these particular conditions. Therefore,people flocked to Jesus because He had the answer to heal the incurable. Through individual examples in the Bible, we often see that those healed expressed faith in His healing power specifically for themselves. Today, we believe in Jesus’ healing power for us specifically through the power of His spoken Name. His Name represents His abiding authority in the earth, and when we speak it with the same expression of faith those in the Bible had, healing from incurable conditions is still available. Countless modern-day testimonies attest to this truth.

In the areas where you need healing in your heart, mind, or body today, the power of Jesus’ Name is available. Jesus’ Name heals because it is a supernatural name! Begin to see His Name driving incurable conditions from your life and from the lives of those you love today.

Prayer

Lord, I thank You that Jesus’ Name heals every incurable condition today. I declare my heart, soul, and body healed. I say thatthe power of Jesus’ Name heals me! Amen!☕️Brenda Kunneman

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pugzman3 · 2 years

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This is a great website to have as a tool when reading the Bible if you do not have an actual Strong's Concordance book. Because it includes Strong's Concordance, as well as multiple dictionaries, you can find just about word in the Bible, the verse it was used in as well as its Hebrew or Greek translation. It was down for a little while but is working again so I thought I would share it. Below is some screen shots for example, and yes, I used the word Easter for a reason.

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gatekeeper-watchman · 1 year

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Capital Punishment 04/11/2023

Breach for Breach, Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth: What the Bible Says about Capital Punishment

The Origin of Capital Punishment

And surely the blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man, shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:5-6

Why Did God Institute Capital Punishment?

God Sanctioned Government Authorities to Enforce Laws

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it was given thee from above… John 19:11

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, he who 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 him 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; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13:1-5 (RSV)

From these verses, we see that governments can elect to practice capital punishment, the harshest form of punishment. It is enforced in the United States today and each year there are about 250 people are added to death row and 35 are executed. Once a jury has agreed on convicting a person of a criminal offense, they then proceed to the second part of the trial, which is to then set the proper amount of punishment for the severity of the crime. This is the punishment phase. If the jury recommends the death penalty and the judge agrees that it is just, then the criminal will face some form of execution. Lethal injection is the most common form used today. The choices of execution vary from state to state but are as follows: hanging, electrocution, gas chamber, firing squad, and lethal injection. Some guidelines are followed before a prisoner is sentenced to death. Of those, one of the most important reads: Capital punishment may be imposed only when guilt is determined by clear and convincing evidence leaving no room for an alternative explanation of the fact (Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch 5-25-84).

Numerous Laws in the USA are Founded on Biblical Principles

Under our government mandates, the use of the death penalty, as intended by law, was to reduce the number of violent murders by eliminating some of the repeat offenders; thus, it is being used as a system of justice, not just a method of deterrence. Opponents of the death penalty will argue that although it is said to exist as a crime deterrent, it isn’t. Some modern supporters of capital punishment no longer view the death penalty as a deterrent, but as a just punishment for the crime. This is a shift from the attitudes of past generations. Supporters of the death penalty say it would be a deterrent to crime if the punishment was done more speedily (this of course, immediately after conviction).

God Desires Justice & Fairness

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:34-35

Is the Judicial System Flawed or Fair?

Even though our justice system is flawed in ways, due to sinful and imperfect men who are in it, there are still many checks and balances to keep innocent people from being executed wrongly:

The criminal trial itself, by a jury of 12 impartial people.

Evidence must be produced to show guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The judge must agree that the trial was fair and can order a new trial if he finds irregularities.

A relatively new blood testing system (DNA Genetic Testing) to determine guilt or innocence in murder cases, when applicable, is now available.

As Christians, we must pray that honest, fair, and godly men and women will be selected to serve as judges, wardens, and other positions that operate our judicial and penal systems. This is one of the greatest deterrents for people being wrongly charged with all crimes. Even though the possibility exists for the innocent to be executed unjustly, the alternative is far worse. If evil men are allowed to go unpunished, evil would eventually take over. If we want a fair judicial system we must work at changing it through prayer, involvement, serving, voting, etc. Complaining about the system will never change it. Change must begin in us.

The Issue of Forgiveness Versus Punishment

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

Her last words were as follows: ¹

To the families of those she murdered: “I am so sorry. I hope God will give you peace with this.”

To her family: “Baby, I love you. Ron, give Peggy a hug for me. Everybody has been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I’m going to be face-to-face with Jesus now.”

To the Warden: “Warden Baggett, thank all of you so much. You have been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I will see you all when you get there. I will wait for you.”

Excerpts from a 700 Club Interview with Karla:

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Law Versus Grace

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17

God’s Reign Will End Capital Punishment

If we desire to see fair trials and justice done and see capital punishment end and yes, even the end of all forms of killing, violence, and death–we must realize that this can only come about through the kingdom of God coming to this world. God’s kingdom can only come about as all men yield to God and His laws. That time is coming when Jesus returns to this earth. At His second coming, He will then rule with a rod of iron and the devil will be chained and his followers destroyed. Satan can no longer tempt men with evil, so there will be no more murder and evil on Earth. We shall enter the Millennial Reign of Christ when the earth shall rest from its tribulations. However, until that time, God has instructed us, as His children, to allow and pray for His Kingdom to be manifested in our individual lives and communities. We can change the world by allowing Christ to rule in our lives and thus affect those around us with His love and grace.

After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom comes. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

From: Elder Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ, Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA. Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956, Twitter: @GatekeeperWatchman1, @ParkermillerQ, https://twitter.com/StevenPMiller6 Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gatekeeperwatchman, https://www.tumblr.com/gatekeeper-watchman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElderStevenMiller https://www.facebook.com/StevenParkerMillerQ #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO, #Ephraim1, #IAM, #Sparkermiller,#Eldermiller1981

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