Zach Uram's Blog

  • The Holidays

    It’s that special time of year
    Which brings holiday cheer

    Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year too
    All of these festive holidays are for you

    Baked ham, roast turkey and goose
    Are sure to let your taste buds loose

    Don’t forget the eggnog and pumpkin pie
    Gramma serves it as Christmas comes nigh

    Don’t loose sight of our Savior Christ
    Who came one Christmas Eve night

    by Zachary Uram
    (c) 2023

  • The Gospel

    Sigh no more
    Ye good Christian man
    Christ reigns
    We all follow His plan

    We were created
    Out of the earth’s dust
    ex nihilo
    From the planet’s crust

    The Messiah was foretold
    Long ago you see
    He would save the Jews
    Then the Gentiles like me

    Born in a humble stable
    In Bethlehem city
    The incarnation of the God Man
    Jesus full of divinity

    He was the sinless sacrifice
    Who died for you and me
    When He said “It is finished!”
    It guaranteed our victory

    On the third day Christ rose again
    He overcame death
    The God Man lives
    See Him take a breath

    So dear soul
    You must repent
    And believe the Gospel
    Before your life is spent

    by Zachary Uram
    (c) 2023

  • The End of America

    God gave me a vision
    I told my friends
    And I received much derision

    America’s fate is sealed
    It is in fact doomed
    A nuclear holocaust is promised

    On America like rain
    ICBM nukes will fall
    This vision drove me insane

    Fifty million dead from abortion
    Cried out to God for justice
    Now comes retribution

    by Zachary Uram
    (c) 2023

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  • The Myth of Palestine

    Last Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Islamic terrorist group Hamas (funded and armed by Iran) launched a brutal and wicked coordinated attack into Israel, over 1,400 innocent Jews were murdered by Hamas! This is their 9/11. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (a combat veteran) is waging all out war in retaliation for these heinous murders, and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) will annihilate Hamas forces.

    I thought it would be a good time to discuss the so-called state of Palestine and the so-called Palestinian people. The date of the attack was deliberately chosen. About 50 years ago, on October 6, 1973, several Arab nations attacked on Yom Kippur—called the Yom Kippur War. Israel eventually won that conflict but sustained significant casualties. Saturday’s attack happened on Shabbat when many in Israel were gathered in synagogues and believing assemblies. It was also a special Shabbat—Simchat Torah, marking the conclusion of the fall Jewish holidays.

    I have full confidence in Prime Minister Netanyahu (himself a combat veteran) and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to win this war with Hamas. The Palestinian governing bodies were taken over by Hamas several years ago. Their charter calls for the death of all Jews and the complete Palestinian takeover of Israel. They don’t want to have peace, they want jihad and conquest. It should not be a surprise since this is exactly what Islam is all about, and how it spread, by violent conquest of Christian and Jewish lands.

    “There was no such thing as Palestinians“

    This quote by former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir is absolutely correct. For over 2,000 years the land of Israel was known as Judea/Israel. Israel was founded 4,000 years ago, not 64 years ago!!! The Romans came after 2,000 years and conquered the region and changed the name of the region from Judea/Israel to Palestine. This name change was totally arbitrary and ad hoc. There was no historic group of people living there who were known as Palestinians. Everyone knew this was the land of the Jews. The Romans eventually kicked the Jews out of the land and so they went abroad to many countries, and became known as the Diaspora. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain received a mandate to run what was still called Palestine. At no time was there a County called Palestine. No international bodies have recognized the legitimacy of this country.

    As I said, the land of Israel has been populated by the Jewish people since 2000 BC. You must realize, it is their homeland, as designated by God. So for 4,000 years Israel/Judea has been the home of the Jewish people. God gave it to them, and that trumps ANY human power or authority.

    Every Christian should support Israel and recognize the Jews right to the land. It was God given and no human authority may take the land away from the Jews!

    By the way don’t listen to so-called Palestinian lies that they “just want peace”. The current Palestinian leadership is Hamas who is committed to the total takeover of Israeli by so-called Palestinians and the murder of every single Jew! You cannot have peace or reason with people whose minds are clouded by such Satanic hatred!

    Here’s the timeline that proves for over 4,000 years Israel has belonged to the Jewish people and only the Jewish people:

    1900 BC: Abraham chosen by God as the Father of the Jewish Nation.
    1900 BC: Isaac, Abraham’s son, rules over Israel.
    1850 BC: Jacob, son of Issac, rules over Israel.
    1400 BC: Moses leads the people out of Egypt and back to Israel.
    1010 BC: King David unites the 12 tribes into one nation.
    970 BC: King Solomon, son of David, builds the first temple structure in Jerusalem
    930 BC: Israel is divided into two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah.
    800s BC: The rise of the prophets, God’s messengers.
    722 BC: Kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyrians.
    605 BC: Kingdom Judah is conquered by the Babylonians.
    586 BC: Solomon’s Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians.
    539 BC: Persians conquer the Babylonians and take control of Israel.
    538 BC: The Jews return to Israel from exile.
    520 BC: The Temple is rebuilt.
    450 BC: Reforms made by Ezra and Nehemiah.
    433 BC: Malachi is the end of the prophetic age.
    432 BC: The last group of Jews return from exile.
    333 BC: The Greeks conquer the Persian empire.
    323 BC: The Egyptian and Syrian empire take over Israel.
    167 BC: Hasmonean’s recapture Israel, and the Jews are ruled independently.
    70 BC: Romans conquer Israel.
    20 BC: King Herod builds the “third” temple
    6 BC: Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem
    70 AD: Romans destroy the temple


    After that, the people were captives to the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Crusaders. Through all of these events, the Jewish people continued to live in Israel. There were more or less of them, depending on the centuries, but there was never a time when the Jews didn’t live in the land. They stayed, they built their communities, they raised their families, practiced their faith and they suffered at the hands of many outside rulers, but they always kept their faith. It is what sustains them, even now.
    In 1948, the UN established the State of Israel, the nation of Jews. Don’t buy the Palestinian lies that they are entitled to the land. It simply is not true. Yahweh will also provide a way for His chosen people to live in Israel, as He has for thousands of years. Pray for the people of Israel.

    A BOOK FROM 1714 BRINGS PROOF THAT PALESTINE WAS NEVER ARAB

    The author spoke Hebrew, Arabic and Ancient Greek perfectly and European languages. The book was written in Latin In 1695 it was sent to Israel, at that time known as Palestine. During his travels, he researched about 2,500 places where people who were mentioned in the Bible or Michna lived. Then he identified each of the places mentioned in the Michna or Talmud with its original source. If the source was Jewish, he listed it in the Holy Scriptures. If the source was Roman or Greek, it indicated the connection in Greek or Latin. Next, he conducted a demographic survey and a census of each community. His conclusions:

    1. No settlement in the Land of Israel has a name of Arab origin.
      Most colonial names come from Hebrew, Greek, Latin or Roman languages.. In fact, until today except for Ramlah, no Arab settlement has an original Arabic name.. So far, most settlement names are of Hebrew or Greek origin, names sometimes distorted into Arabic name meaningless. There is no Arabic meaning in names like Acco (Acre), Haifa, Jaffa, Naplusa, Gaza or Jenin and the cities called Ramallah, El Halil and El-Kuds (Jerusalem) lack Arabic historical roots or philology. In 1696, the year Relaand returned the country, Ramallah, for example, was called Bet’allah (Hebrew name Beit El) and Hebron was called Hebron (Hevron) and the Arabs called Mearat HaMachpelah El Chalil, his name for the ancestor Abraham.
    2. Most of the lands were empty, sorry.
      Most of the lands were empty, desolate and few inhabited and concentrated mostly in the cities of Jerusalem, Acco, Tzfat, Jaffa, Tiberius and Gaza. Most of the population were Jews and some were Christians. Few Muslims, mostly Bedouin nomads. Naplusa, known as Shchem, was the exception, as there lived about 120 people, members of the Muslim Natsha family, and about 70 Shomronites.
      In the capital of Galilee, Nazareth, lived about 700 Christians and in Jerusalem about 5000 people, mostly Jews and some Christians.
      Interesting thing is that Reland mentioned Muslims as Bedouin nomads who came to the area as reinforcement of the building and farming manpower. In other words seasonal workers.
      For example, in Gaza there were about 500 people, 55% of Jews and the rest mainly Christians. Jews grew up and worked in their flowering vineyards, olive orchards and wheat fields. Christians worked in the trade and transportation of goods and goods.
      Tiberius and Tzfat were mostly Jews and with the exception of mention of fishermen who fished on Lake Kinneret – the Lake of Galilee – a traditional occupation of Tiberius, there is no mention of their occupations. A city like Um el-Phahem was a village where ten families lived, around people, all of them Christians. There was also a small Maroonite church in the village (Shehadah family).
    3. No Palestinian heritage or Palestinian nation.
      The book completely contradicts any postmodern theory that claims a “Palestinian legacy” or a Palestinian nation. The book confirms the bond, relevance, kinship of the Land of Israel with Jews, and complete lack of belonging to Arabs, who stole the Palestinian Latin name and took it for themselves.
      Conclusion. — This extensive study concludes that Israel is at its absolute right to defend, claim and protect what has always been theirs for more than 3,500 years ago. When before Abraham got promise of the promised land to ISRAEL NOT PALESTINE.
      It is the land of a promise that was made to Abran by changing his name to Abraham and is registered in
      Genesis 17:4,5 (Kadosh Israelite Messianic Bible)
    4. ‘As for me, this is my Covenant with you:………
    5. Your name will no longer be Avram [exalted father], but your name will be Abraham [father of many], for I have made you father of many nations.
      The same promise was repeated to his son Isaac,
      the same promise was repeated to Jacob the youngest son of Isaac the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.
    6. Older documents have NO MENTION OF PALESTINIANS OR ARABS.
      Mention the Israeli children descendants of Avram whose name was changed to Abraham.
      Note. – Adrian Reland (1676-1718), Dutch orientalist, was born in Ryp, studied in Utrecht and Leiden and was a teacher of oriental languages successively in Harderwijk (1699) and Utrecht (1701). His most important works are Palestine ex monumentis veteribus illustrata (Utrecht, 1714) and Antigüitates sacrae vetum Hebraeorum.
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  • Mary Deconstructed: Mariology or Mariolatry?

    I’ve seen numerous times on Facebook, Catholics and Orthodox more vigorously and passionately defend their Marian beliefs than they do Christ’s divinity. The emphasis is always on Mary!

    There are Marian processions with thousands of people carrying a statue of Mary through the streets, there are numerous statues of Mary that people bow to and even kiss while crying hysterically, there are many icons of Mary which are kissed and revered, and I could go on and on. None of this is rooted in Scripture! It is idolatry! And let us not forget to mention the rosary which billions of Catholics use to pray to Mary every day.

    Catholics will be shocked when they enter Heaven and see that Mary isn’t the Queen of Heaven, Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, New Eve, or New Ark of the Covenant. They will see she is a simple sinner saved by grace like the rest of us saints. She doesn’t have an elevated or exalted special status!!!

    There are 4 Marian beliefs, recognized as dogma by the Roman Catholic church, which a Catholic must agree to in order to be in communion with the Roman church and a member in good standing. If one disagrees with a dogma of the church, any dogma, they are excommunicated and cut off from the church.

    Here are the Marian dogmas:

    • Ever Virgin (perpetual virginity). The Roman church teaches that Mary was a virgin before the birth of Christ, but also after the birth of Christ for the duration of her life. They teach that Mary’s hymen was in tact and not ruptured by the birth of Jesus which would classify the event as a miracle. The truth is that Scripture says nothing of the sort. The truth is that Mary’s hymen was ruptured as Jesus was being born and delivered through the vaginal canal. Mary’s hymen bled. We also know from Scripture that Mary and Joseph had children after Jesus was born. Scripture even says Joseph knew her not (know meaning having sex) until after Jesus’ birth. The names of Jesus’s brothers are mentioned and Scripture also makes reference to certain sisters. The plain and proper reading of Scripture gives these facts. Mary was not a consecrated lifelong virgin. That spurious story comes from the fraudulent so-called the Protoevangelium of James. It dates to the mid-second century. It was obviously not written by Jesus’ brother James.
    • Immaculate. The Roman church teaches that Mary was preserved from all sin at her conception. Further, it teaches that she lived her entire life without committing even one single sin. This is an affront to Christ’s unique status in Scripture as the only person to live out their natural life on earth sinless. Once again there is no biblical support for this dogma. Catholics are obligated to believe this dogma.
    • Theotokos. The title Theotokos literally means “God bearer”. Since Jesus is 100% man as well as 100% divine and Mary gave birth to the God Man it is proper to say she was the God bearer or Theotokos. This does not mean that Mary was responsible for Jesus’ divinity, or that His divinity started upon birth. I have no problem with this dogma. Sadly some Protestants fall into the heresy of Nestorianism when asserting Mary did not give birth to the God Man.
    • Assumption. The final Marian dogma is the assumption. It teaches that Mary was assumed body and soul into Heaven. There is disagreement in Catholicism as to whether she was assumed while still alive (like the prophet Elijah), or whether she was assumed after she died. Once again, there is no support in Scripture for this dogma.

    As you can see the vast majority of the Marian dogmas are without any biblical support. Thus, it is proper to label these dogmas as Mariolatry not Mariology.

    The real biblical Mary was a devout Jewish teenager who bore the Messiah. God knew beforehand that Mary would agree to do this task. She wants all the focus on her Son Jesus. The real Mary would eschew every single lofty title that man has heaped on her. She would tell the billions of people praying to her every day to stop it and pray to the Father in Jesus’ Name as He taught us. I deleted the post, but many people voiced disapproval and launched into denigrations and ad hominem insults at me have only proven my point that your relationship with Mary is both unhealthy and unbiblical. Scripture is clear that Joseph and Mary had relations after Jesus is born. Scripture even explicitly says they did “until”! And it is logical to assume they had relations if they had produced other siblings to Jesus. Don’t be mad at me, your issue is with Scripture!

    Roman Catholics and Orthodox elevate their man made fallible traditions above the infallible and inerrant Word of God! Thank God for Sola Scriptura!!!

    How many prayers does the average Catholic say to Mary, including the rosary, and how many to Christ? The True Church of the New Testament never venerated Mary in any way whatsoever. The Catholic and Orthodox focus is definitely on Mary, not Christ, and Satan is tremendously pleased with that. He knows that Mary can’t save you, hear and answer your billions of prayers in thousands of languages simultaneously, or mediate or intercede on behalf of believers, only Christ can do all those things. Satan will tell Catholics and Orthodox any lies necessary to keep them praying to Mary so they have a personal relationship with Mary and not her Son Christ the Lord!

    FACT: Mary was not immaculate (sinless). She was conceived like every other normal human and inherited a sin nature vis a vis original sin. She committed sins in her natural life. Christ alone was immaculate from conception till death!

    FACT: Jesus’ earthly mother Mary was NOT assumed into Heaven! She is buried somewhere in either Ephesus or Jerusalem!

    FACT: Jesus’ earthly mother Mary was NOT a lifelong virgin! Mary and her lawful husband Joseph had lots of sex after Jesus was born and had other children!

    According to Roman Catholic theology Jesus’s earthly mother Mary’s womb was intact and her hymen was not torn even AFTER Jesus’ birth?!

    Mary is an important figure in the life of Christ, she gets her importance solely from Jesus’ stature and status as the God Man. She is barely mentioned in Scripture, when she is mentioned it’s always in relation to Christ. At one point in Jesus’ life the crowd says blessed is the woman whose breasts you suckled as an infant, and Jesus rebukes them sharply and takes any importance away from Mary and says rather blessed are those who obey God for they are truly his family! The exalted nearly super-human or quasi-divine being that the Orthodox and Catholic churches have constructed of Mary is deeply in error and utterly unbiblical.

    August 22nd is the feast day, on the Catholic calendar, of the “Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary” in the Roman Catholic church calendar. Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954.

    This image above is as blasphemous as you can get. It basically elevates Mary to the 4th Person of the Godhead. Christ and God the Father and the Holy Spirit are all crowning Mary as the “Queen of Heaven”!! This is appalling and a gross distortion and eisegesis of Scripture.

    THE BIBLE HAS VERY LITTLE TO SAY ABOUT MARY! She is not some quasi-divine being that is “Queen of Heaven”!! She is not mentioned at all in Scripture after Pentecost in Acts. More is written about King David or even minor prophets than is written about Mary. We’re barely told anything about her. Catholics take the few scraps of Marian passages in Scripture and build a complex new system of theology and devotion and cultus surrounding her. If Mary could talk to Catholics she’d chastise them for worshiping her with what Catholics call hyperdulia (extreme worship), and giving her devotion, and tell them they should instead direct their worship and devotion and prayer to her Son Christ the Lord!

    Catholics spend more time, energy, devotion and money on Marian devotion than they do with Christ Jesus! Everyone who is not blinded by Catholic theology can see the HUGE emphasis on Mary in Catholicism and we see how unbiblical and unhealthy and extreme it is. Mary was a poor, undistinguished, pious Jewish teenager who God chose to bring about His Son’s incarnation. Her role in Scripture was to birth the Christ child. After she fulfilled that role we’re told almost NOTHING MORE about her! Scripture is silent on her. Her importance has been tremendously exaggerated. Some Catholic “saints” even say it’s impossible for a person to be saved without having a relationship with Mary. She is not some super human sinless ever-virgin. She is just an ordinary common sinner saved by grace alone through faith alone! If I see one more post by Catholics lauding Mary and offering devotion to her I’ll scream! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! REPENT CATHOLICS FOR HAVING AN UNBIBLICAL VIEW OF MARY!!

    Just because Christ is King of Kings doesn’t make His sinful and non-virgin (after Christ was born) mother some lofty and exalted Queen of Heaven.
    This is part of the heretical cultus of Mary which finds such massive support in the Catholic church. Mary’s sole titles which really matter are: Mother of Christ and Sinner saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone in her Son alone!

    We Reformed must forcefully and oppose these Marian feast days which heaps scorn on the truths of Scripture. The real Mary was a humble and devout Jewish girl who God chose knowing beforehand that she would say yes to His fiat. God could have chosen from thousands or even millions of girls.

    Mary is not God’s greatest creation or the most perfect human besides Christ.
    She was a sinner in need of a Savior like you and me. She was not ever virgin either. After Jesus was born Mary and Joseph (who was not an old man as the spurious Protoevangelium of James from the mid-2nd century- not written by James either – asserts) had several sons and daughters which are referenced explicitly several times in Scripture.

    Only someone blinded by a cult-like devotion to fallible traditions of man could not see the plain truths of Scripture and the hard facts concerning Mary. It’s extremely sad to see this worship of a mere created creature. Mary is not divine!!!

    All these blasphemous titles detract from Christ’s glory and His sole role as mediator between God the Father and mankind. Let us pray for our Marian worshiping Catholic friends and pray God would open their eyes and grant them repentance!!!

    Well-known Roman Catholic prayer to Mary:

    MOST holy Mary, I know the graces which thou hast obtained for me, and I know the ingratitude which I have shown thee. The ungrateful man is unworthy of favors, and yet for all this I will not distrust in thy mercy. O my great Advocate, have pity on me.

    Thou, Mary, art the stewardess of every grace which God vouchsafes to give us sinners, and therefore did He make thee so mightily rich and kind, that thou might succor us. I will that I may be saved: in thy hands I place my eternal salvation, to thee I consign my soul. I will to be associated with those who are thy special servants; reject me not. Thou art always seeking the wretched to console them. Cast not away, then a wretched sinner who has recourse to thee. Speak for me, Mary; thy Son will grant what thou shalt ask Him. Take me under thy protection, and it is enough for me; for with thee to guard me I fear no ill – no, not even my sins, because thou wilt obtain God’s pardon for them; neither evil spirits, because thou art far mightier than hell; nor my Judge Jesus Christ, for at thy prayer He will lay aside His wrath.

    Protect me, then, my Mother; obtain for me pardon of my sins, love of Jesus, holy perseverance, a good death, and heaven. It is true, I merit not these graces; yet do thou only ask them of our God and I shall obtain them. Pray, then, to Jesus for me. Mary, my Queen, in thee I trust; in this I trust, I rest, I live; and with this hope I wish to die. Amen.

    The Glories Of Mary by ALPHONSUS LIGUORI
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  • Babylon the Harlot

    Here is a free verse poem I’ve written based on Revelation 17. It identifies a great nation Babylon the Harlot who will be utterly destroyed by God. It is my assertion that in fact America is this same Babylon prophesied in Holy Scripture. Below is my poem. ALL IS DESTROYED AND LOST IN THE NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST!

    America has fallen
    How I weep for you
    You used to be
    A shining city
    Upon a hill
    But the seed for your destruction
    Was written in the Constitution
    A multi-cultural, pluralistic
    Multi-religious society
    Is destined for dysfunction
    We should have been
    A strict Christian theocracy
    With no separation
    Between church and state
    50 million aborted babies
    Has sealed our doom
    American will not repent
    A nuclear holocaust awaits
    May God’s holy wrath
    Come swiftly
    And crush America
    Totally and completely

    by Zachary Uram
    (c) 2023

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  • Imputation & Atonement

    Our wicked sins were imputed to Christ on the Cross, and when we are regenerated by God we receive Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to us. This righteousness is utterly alien to ourselves! It is external. We can do NOTHING to merit this perfect righteousness. This is known as double imputation which is part of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement. This is the only biblical model of atonement. Anyone who preaches against this double imputation, or who preaches a different model of atonement must be marked out as a false teacher, they should be publicly rebuked, and all Christians should avoid them and their followers!

    It should be noted that this process of imputation, which makes us righteous in our standing before God, that it is not merely nominalistic. God in a real ontological sense makes us righteous as we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. When God declares something with His Word it is absolutely true and real.

    Question 60 of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) asks, “How are you righteous before God?” It then responds: “Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.”

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  • The Reformers Didn’t Go Far Enough

    The magisterial Reformers of the Protestant Reformation, men like Calvin, Luther, and Knox, were used mightily by God to restore the preeminence of Scripture and to declare every precept and doctrine taken directly from the Word of God which itself stands as the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith, morality, and praxis.

    But many don’t realize, particularly today’s Reformed, that the Reformers, as important as they were, had a fatal flaw whose effects have carried down through the centuries to the present day.

    That fatal flaw is that they didn’t fully heed their own motto of Semper Reformanda (Always Reforming). Specifically they failed to reform three areas of theology which they inherited from the Apostate Roman church. The Reformers should have rejected every last doctrine associated with Rome which could not be derived purely from studying the Scriptures!

    Tragically, the Reformers erred in 3 main ways:

    1. They kept infant baptism which they inherited from Rome. Infant baptism has sent more souls to Hell than any other tool of Satan! It is truly a Satanic and diabolical man made doctrine. There is absolutely ZERO support for infant baptism in Scripture. The biblical position on baptism is credobaptism (believer’s baptism).
    2. Eschatology. The Reformers adopted and carried on with the amillennial and postmillennial eschatological positions. Rather than the biblical position which dominated the Early Church era – premillennialism.
    3. Covenant Theology – This was developed in the late 16th century. It was based largely on Roman Catholic theology. There is no covenant theology taught in Scripture. The Church Fathers didn’t affirm it either. I think it makes some good points, but I believe dispensationalism does a better job of weaving one cohesive narrative from Scripture. Looking at Scripture from a position of meta-analysis the favored hermeneutic of mine of contextual literalism (a historical grammatical hermeneutic that interprets Scripture in the real and literal sense, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise) produces a system of interpretation which divides the events of Scripture into 7 main dispensations. This works far better than covenant theology, which I find too limited, and which employs things like New Testament priority that are clearly ad hoc additions of man and not derived natively from Scripture. The promises to Israel in the OT have not been cancelled or overridden and replaced by the Church. God made unconditional covenant with Israel and He will fulfill every single promise which He made. Sadly also one can connect the deplorable rise in antisemitism with covenant theology and particularly amillennial eschatology. Dispensationalism doesn’t have those problems. By the way dispensationalism (in its full fledged modern form) is less than 100 years younger than Reformed covenant theology. But you can find many of the dispensational doctrinal distinctives present in the Early Church. So dispensationalism is actually much older than covenant theology.

    We must remember that the Reformers were not perfect. They did not leave us an infallible magisterium, there is no such thing as an infallible confession of faith. The confessions such as the Westminster and the Second London Baptist were very useful documents. I applaud them for containing and defending much theological truth. But if one locks onto them and turns off their mind, and believes every jot and tittle of their preferred confession is the apotheosis and summit of purified theology then they err greatly.

    Some Reformed will latch onto the teachings of the Puritans as their gold standard. The Puritans wrote much that is edifying, but it’s unhealthy to only view theology through Puritan colored glasses! Much has developed since the time of the Puritans. To reject it all summarily because it doesn’t conform to Puritan theology is a fatal mistake.

    I’ve named 3 main areas where the Reformed confessions simply did not reflect biblical truth. That doesn’t mean we should discard the entire confession. But it does mean we should always be Bereans, searching, studying, and ever reforming and comparing a given doctrine with Scripture with Sola Scriptura as our guide.

    Sadly, in my nearly 50 years of life experience (40 years of that being a born again Christian), I’ve noticed most Christians, the Reformed included, are not very good at critical thinking. They do not possess the capacity for originality of thought. They want to be spoon feed theology. And once they master the Reformed confession of choice, they are locked into that one static set of doctrinal positions for the rest of their entire lives! It’s shocking and truly sad. This is not what Christ wants from His children. We are commanded to be Bereans. Interestingly I notice the similarity with the vast majority of Reformed and Roman Catholics. Catholics have locked onto the combined opinions of the Early Church Fathers and don’t deviate or change doctrine. And most Reformed lock into the Reformers’ beliefs and one of the Reformed confessions, and they don’t deviate or change doctrine in their lifetimes! This is very sad and unacceptable. God wants us to use our minds and think for ourselves for His glory! Scripture exhorts us to “study to show thyself approved”! Study is an active and ongoing lifelong process.

    I’ve also noticed in numerous discussions and debates with most Reformed: I will make a logical, reasoned argument fully rooted in Scripture and their counter-argument will invariably be, “Well that’s not what the Reformers taught.” or “That’s not what the Westminster confession states.” I feel like facepalming when this happens. I actually don’t believe it’s even dawned on most Reformed that the Reformers could have gotten an area of theology wrong, and that God might have risen up people who give us even better theology. I also think this applies to Reformed confessions. Most Reformed view their confessions in a very unhealthy and unbiblical way as if it was the last and final word, the penultimate gospel truth! This is shocking and it’s actually a cult-like behavior. And no, I’m not saying most of my fellow Reformed are in cults! But it’s very apparent and very disturbing.

    I have also noticed that many Reformed will get angry and extremely aggressive, hostile, and their tone will become acerbic and confrontational, if you challenge even one single area of theology that the Reformers held to, or that the Reformed confessions contain. It’s apparent, from a psychological analysis, their identity has become so wrapped up with the confessions they cannot imagine how any Reformed could think differently. In other words, they are highly emotionally invested in their confessions. This behavior is unhealthy and unbiblical.

    Another thing I’ve noticed and experienced first hand numerous times is that if you challenge one single point of theology in a confession (in my case it would be the 1689 Second London Baptist confession of faith) they will denigrate you and assert you are not a true Reformed Baptist. Even if the point of doctrine in contention has nothing to do with baptism, they still feel confident in making such obnoxious and false assertions.

    I urge my fellow Reformed to keep reforming and reject these 3 erroneous theological positions inherited from Rome! SEMPER REFORMANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Belly Smacking Forever

    I smack my belly at night

    It is such a delight

    I smack it during the day

    As I yell hip-hip-hooray

    Smacking my belly is the way to go

    I smack it fast and I smack it slow

    Smacking my belly will never go out of style

    I’ll smack it the extra mile

    Smacking my belly fills me with glee

    It makes me truly happy

    I smack my belly during all types of weather

    I smack it hard and I smack it light as a feather

    I’ll smack my belly in Heaven for all eternity

    Won’t you come and smack your belly with me

    by Zachary Uram

    (c) 2023

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  • The Supreme & Critical Importance of Sola Scriptura

    The more I carefully and closely examine Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologies, the more problems and outright error I find. These theologies were 100% man made. Reformed theology alone is derived directly and solely from Scripture. The Roman Catholics and Orthodox are the blind leading the blind, tossing and drifting alone on the sea by every wave of error. They have nothing to anchor them. Thank God for Sola Scriptura!

    We can learn a great lesson by examining the sad cases of Roman Catholic and Orthodox theologies. They have elevated man made philosophies, doctrines, and so-called traditions to the same level of authority as Scripture. This is a diabolical and fatal error. Scripture alone is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It alone carries the supreme gravitas and authority. It has the authority structure which is preeminent. It is not only the highest of all possible authorities, but it’s also the final authority. If tradition, even what Roman Catholics and Orthodox call so-called Sacred Tradition, is in conflict with Scripture, the former must be jettisoned and quickly abandoned. But that is not what these sacramental and institutional churches do. They love their man made doctrines and traditions which they will defend more robustly than even Scripture! This is sickening. As an adherent of Sola Scriptura it pains me greatly to see this Satanic deception at work. Sola Scriptura (and the other 4 Solas) alone acts as a protective mechanism; a bulwark against error creeping into out doctrine. Once that firm anchor is abandoned any type of blasphemous and heretical doctrine can be accepted.

    You may be wondering about magisteriums of the various churches. A magisterium is the teaching authority of the church. The Roman Catholic magisterium is comprised of the various pronouncements of the popes, the results of councils, and the teaching of the bishops. In Roman Catholic theology their magisterium is both infallible as well as equal in authority with Scripture. Clearly it is wrong on both these points. There is no such thing as an infallible magisterium. It is simply a man made figment of the imagination. The arrogance to put a fallible magisterium made up of the opinions of man on equal authority with Scripture is a great blasphemy. The Orthodox church’s magisterium is comprised of the various writings of their saints, the results of ecumenical councils, and the traditions which they believe have been passed down from the Apostles. The Reformed church, which I belong to, also has a magisterium. It consists of doctrine which comes directly from Scripture, the teachings of various learned Reformed theologians, the results of the first 6 ecumenical councils, and the various creeds and confessions. However it should be noted that, unlike the Roman Catholic and Orthodox magisteriums, our Reformed magisterium is strictly guided by the principle of Sola Scriptura. We would never elevate the opinion of a magisterium to the same level of authority of Scripture.

    Let’s look at the Arian controversy. In the early 4th century, a terrible debate ensued between which Christological model was correct. Was Jesus 100% divine, or was He merely human. This controversy raged for decades. The debate began between two learned men: Arius (who asserted Christ was not divine) and a great scholar and holy man Athanasius of Alexandria. At the time Alexandria was the foremost center of learning and housed the Great Library which was later sadly destroyed. Athanasius boldly and eloquently defended Christ’s divinity. It was said that at one point over 90% of the Church’s bishops were Arian and Athanasius was fighting against the general consensus of the whole Christian world. Why didn’t he give up? How was he so sure Christ was really divine as well as human? It was the anchor of Sola Scriptura which allowed Athanasius to boldly defend Christ’s divinity!! He knew that God’s Word was 100% true and infallible and that it alone had supreme authority, not Arius’ opinion. With indefatigable assurance Arius defended Christ’s divinity. Finally, in 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea was convened to settle the controversy. The council condemned Arius as a heretic and issued a creed to safeguard orthodox Christian belief. This was a great victory for Sola Scriptura!

    By the way, a few days ago, I made a post on my timeline on Facebook saying that basically the more I study Catholic and Orthodox doctrine, the more I find it to be erroneous. This should not have come as a shocking statement, nor did it warrant the level of anger I saw in the comments. It’s perfectly natural for a Protestant to find Orthodox and Catholic doctrine to be false. And it’s likewise perfectly natural for a Catholic or Orthodox to find Protestant doctrine to be erroneous. I see it day in day out in this group very strong criticisms of the Protestant faith, and numerous assertions as to the erroneous nature of Protestant theology. Some group members accused me of being cold hearted and a bigot for simply stating my position on doctrine. I did not state my position in a nasty or hateful way, nor was it obnoxious as one lady asserted. I just stated it in a matter of fact way. Once again, sadly, I see the double standard at work which I’ve written about before. Catholics and Orthodox cry foul when you mirror their criticism of the Protestant faith back at them. Really this is quite shameful. Some people need to examine their own hearts and repent for so viciously and callously condemning me and insulting me personally.

    My treatment is no great matter. Christ suffered infinitely more for my wicked and heinous sins. So if I have to suffer for defending the authority of Scripture and the truth it is a small price to pay.

    This latest incident only adds support and confirms my earlier suspicions that the Roman Catholics and Orthodox actually have very thin skin. In other words, they can dish it out (the continual criticisms and attacks upon Reformed theology), but they can’t take it. When criticism and critical examination occurs on their theologies they became instantly hyper-defensive, reactionary, react in a uncharitable way by screaming personal insults, hurling ad hominems, and failing to deal with the criticisms. They will respond to strawmen which they erect and then tear down. In all my years of debating and discussing theology online I’ve only seen 3 Catholic gentlemen who didn’t respond with rancor or anger to challenges to Catholic theology.

    Such is the supreme and critical importance of the principle of Sola Scriptura in the life of a church, that I can confidently assert that any church which is without this foundational principle is defective and dysfunctional.

    All of this only confirms in my mind the absolute truth which I follow thanks to the Holy Spirit leading me, excellent Reformed theologians and teachers who I’ve learned so much from, committed Reformed pastors and elders who have fed me good manna, and the anchor of Sola Scriptura and the other 5 Solas! May you open my detractors eyes and hearts Lord, grant them repentance and sincere belief in the Gospel. Let them experience the New Birth and be born again to eternal life in Christ! Amen!

    For your edification here is an outstanding video by the late and dearly missed Dr. R.C. Sproul (founder of Ligonier Ministries) explaining Reformed theology. In this video he discusses Sola Scriptura.

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