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Total Depravity
TOTAL DEPRAVITY == UTTER DEPRAVITY
Original sin means that people by nature are hostile to God, utterly unable to obey God out of their old corrupted heart, and therefore they are unable to do anything that truly acknowledges God’s truth (Rom. 8:7-8). All of Adam’s offspring are born naturally depraved and with a bent toward sin and rebellion. Without God’s divine grace, without being the Holy Spirit, it is utterly impossible that an individual can ever live or obey as God desires. Apart from the Holy Spirit, sinners will utterly fail to penetrate and transform their own hearts through their free will.
Only the Holy Spirit can show us spiritual truth. Being born again is to replace the old heart with a new heart. It is the Spirit of God with eternal truth to convict sinners’ hearts and convert their souls with a new heart. God searches our hearts. As Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Mt. 12:34). We may not understand our own hearts, but God does. He “knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21; see also 1 Corinthians 14:25). Because of the fall of man, every part of God’s creation was subjected to a curse (Romans 8:20). We are spiritually dead. Slaves to sin with corrupted hearts.“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 17:9English journalist and satirist Malcolm Muggeridge famously observed that “the depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.” On the face of it, this observation rings true. And yet, we often hear expressions of absolute disgust at humanity alongside affirmations that “he’s basically a good person.” Why do we resist what seems so self-evident?
“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
Romans 1:29–32“What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.’ ‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’ ‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”
Romans 3:9–18We are “desperately wicked.” Romans 8:8 says, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In the flesh in context refers to the natural person who has not been regenerated by the Spirit of God. The “illness” is terminal and incurable—so much so that Paul describes the unregenerate as “dead in sins” (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).
The only hope for the sinful human heart is to be supernaturally changed. Jeremiah 31:33 gives the solution. Where sin was once inscribed on the hearts of His people, God provides a new inscription: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Jesus came to inaugurate a New Covenant so that sins could be forgiven and sinners could be born again (John 3:5). As “desperately wicked” people, we cannot reform our hearts by our own effort. The only solution is for God to make our hearts new, washed clean from sin, and fundamentally reoriented toward pleasing Him.
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The 21 Martyrs
The 21 Coptic martyrs mere minutes before they were executed. I was really moved by the story of the 21 Coptic martyrs. They were 21 Christian men who were kidnapped in Libya by ISIS (the Islamic State). On Feb. 15, 2015, the Islamic State released a video online, showing masked fighters beheading the men as they knelt on a Libyan beach wearing prison-style orange jumpsuits. The Egyptian government and the Coptic Orthodox Church later confirmed the video’s authenticity.
Many don’t know, but even though they are called the 21 Coptic martyrs, one of them was not Coptic, yet he showed solidarity as the lone non-Egyptian, Matthew Ayariga, who chose to be killed rather than abandon his friends. Though Matthew was not a Coptic Christian, and the jihadists told him he would be freed if he rejected Christ, he reportedly responded by saying, “Their God is my God.”
What faith and courage these 21 men had! I am Reformed which is very far from Coptic Orthodox (they reject the Council of Chalcedon), yet I recognize these 21 men as my fellow brothers in Christ. They made the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus.
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:33These men did not deny Jesus. They could have saved their lives by renouncing their faith in Christ. Yet they chose to die for Christ! This incident reminds me of the many Christian martyrs of the early church at the hands of the Romans. The blood of the martyrs is truly the seed of the Church!
This incident also highlights the persecution and danger Christians in the Middle East, Africa, Indonesia, and other places are under due to Islam. Islam is the number one persecutor of Christians. Islam’s rise was done by the sword, through the brutal military conquest of Christian nations that had been Christian for 600 years! Many don’t realize that the Islamic Middle East used to be the Christian Middle East! I pray for the day we have once again a Christian Middle East and Satanic Islam is relegated to the dustbin of history. Muslims murdered and raped tens of millions of Christians, Jews, and Hindus in their rise to power.
Coptic Orthodox icon of the 21 Coptic martyrs Today, millions of Christians living in Muslim-majority countries face horrible persecution for their faith. The source of radical Islam is the Islamic texts! These radical Muslims like the Islamic State follow the texts the most closely. The Quran and the Hadith all explicitly call for violence against non-Muslims. They teach Muslims that they should subjugate and dominate Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims. These texts call for Muslims to not befriend or trust Christians. And the Quran demands Christians and Jews pay a tax (the jizya) if they want to not be harassed. It establishes Christians as second-class citizens with few rights compared to Muslims. Muslims refer to us non-Muslims pejoratively as kafir.
We must unite as Christians and Jews and others and oppose radical Islam at every chance we have. Radical Islam is a barbaric religion that is predicated on hatred, violence, and discrimination. It establishes a 7th-century mindset that is incompatible with Western civilization.
Let us remember these 21 martyrs, and let their deaths not have been in vain. We must utterly annihilate every single radical Muslim who poses a threat. We must root out this terrorist scum and bulldoze the madras (religious schools) and mosques where radical Islam is preached and radicalizes Muslims. We must deter radical Muslim immigration. And impose harsh economic sanctions on radical Muslim-majority countries which persecute Christians. We must unite in the West and East to defeat radical Islam and ensure peace for ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids.
Every 5 minutes, around the world, a Christian is killed for their faith.
Here is a very moving short film about the martyrdom of the 21 Christians in Libya by ISIS.
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God’s Wrath
“It is sad to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or at least they wish there were no such thing. While some would not go so far as to openly admit that they consider it a blemish on the Divine character, yet they are far from regarding it with delight, they like not to think about it, and they rarely hear it mentioned without a secret resentment rising up in their hearts against it.”
Arthur Pink, “The Attributes of God”This quote by A.W. Pink really resonated with me. So many Christians I’ve met seem to be either outright ashamed of the wrath of God, or they seek to dismiss it such as insisting on apokatastasis (universal salvation). Both positions are problematic.
If we understand who God is, we will delight in all of His attributes. To stress and preach the love of God, yet not mention His righteous wrath is a serious error.
In my view, the Gospel is incomplete unless you preach what Christ has saved us from by His sacrifice and His penal substitutionary atonement for our sins. It is a deficient and false Gospel to just say that Jesus loves you and wants you to have a better life. No! Let us preach the full unadulterated Gospel! This alone is truly the Good News.
John 3:36 explains that whoever rejects the Son of God will be under God’s wrath. But this verse also explains that whoever believes and follows the Son will have eternal life and experience God’s grace. Luke 16:19–31 is a perfect example of how a person who does not follow God’s commands and rejects His message will experience the Lord’s wrath. A person will not suffer from God’s wrath if he believes in the message of Christ taking our place on the cross (Romans 5:6–11). Romans 2:5–6 says that those who do not receive Christ as their Savior store up wrath for themselves on the day of God’s judgment.
Man’s wrath is quite different from God’s wrath. While God’s wrath is holy and justified, man’s wrath is warned against in the Bible. Ephesians 4:26–27 says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Man is told to leave vengeance to the wrath of God (Romans 12:19), and to put away all “anger, wrath, malice, [and] slander” (see Colossians 3:8–10). Because God is the only being with perfect judgment, only He can express wrath without sin. Wrath is not akin to our new spiritual selves, which we inherit from our salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit was given to us to cleanse our hearts, so now we can experience freedom from the domination of wrath (Romans 8:1–39). The mind-controlled by the Spirit is not controlled by anger or wrath, but by peace (Philippians 4:4–9).
Romans 5:9 says, “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” We can experience comfort instead of fear in regards to God’s wrath because when we are saved, we are free from His judgment. Only those who put their faith in Christ and trust His death on the cross as atonement for sin and believe in His resurrection are saved from the wrath of God. Hallelujah!
In Jonathan Edwards famous sermon, “SINNERS IN THE HANDS
OF AN ANGRY GOD”, he preached explicitly and vividly on the great wrath of God that would befall unrepentant sinners.During the 20th century with the rise of theological liberalism, and a new emphasis on positive thinking guiding preaching a la Dale Carnegie and Norman Vincent Peale. Many pastors no longer preached on God’s wrath. This was a serious error.
Here are 5 truths about God’s wrath by John Piper’s ministry Desiring God.
1. God’s wrath is just.
It has become common for many to argue that the God of the Old Testament is a moral monster that is by no means worthy of worship.
However, biblical authors have no such problem. In fact, God’s wrath is said to be in perfect accord with God’s justice. Paul writes, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). God’s wrath, then, is in proportion to human sinfulness.
“God’s wrath is his love in action against sin.”
Similarly, Proverbs 24:12 says, “If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?”
J.I. Packer summarizes: “God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil” (Knowing God, 151).
2. God’s wrath is to be feared.
God’s wrath is to be feared because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God’s wrath is to be feared because we are justly condemned sinners apart from Christ (Romans 5:1). God’s wrath is to be feared because he is powerful enough to do what he promises (Jeremiah 32:17). God’s wrath is to be feared because God promises eternal punishment apart from Christ (Matthew 25:46).
3. God’s wrath is consistent in the Old and New Testaments.
It is common to think of the Old Testament God as mean, harsh, and wrath-filled, and the God of the New Testament as kind, patient, and loving. Neither of these portraits are representative of Scripture’s teaching on the wrath of God.
We find immensely fearful descriptions of the wrath of God in both the Old and the New Testament. Here are just a few examples:
“God must act justly and judge sin, otherwise God would not be God.”
Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 30:23)
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. (Nahum 1:2)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15)
4. God’s wrath is his love in action against sin.
This is counter-intuitive, but hear me out.
God is love, and God does all things for his glory (1 John 4:8; Romans 11:36). He loves his glory above all (and that is a good thing!). Therefore, God rules the world in such a way that brings himself maximum glory. This means that God must act justly and judge sin (i.e. respond with wrath), otherwise God would not be God. God’s love for his glory motivates his wrath against sin.
Admittedly, God’s love for his own glory is a most sobering reality for many and not good news for sinners. It is after all, “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
5. God’s wrath is satisfied in Christ.
“In saving us from his own wrath, God has done what we could not do, and he has done what we didn’t deserve.”
Here we have the ultimate good news: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Because of Christ, God can rightly call sinners justified (Romans 3:26). God has done what we could not do, and he has done what we didn’t deserve. Charles Wesley rightly exulted in this good news:
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain!
For me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?Here are some relevant Scriptures on the wrath of God:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Romans 1:18Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:36Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”
Ezekiel 25:17For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.
Isaiah 26:21God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
Psalm 7:11But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:5And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. …
Revelation 19:11-21For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
2 Peter 2:9And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Romans 5:9For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” …
Hebrews 10:26-31If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
John 15:6For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Thessalonians 5:9Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:6Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Romans 12:19And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 1:10Calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Revelation 6:16-17From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Revelation 19:15For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, …
Romans 1:18-32But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Romans 5:8-9On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
Colossians 3:6But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Matthew 3:7When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, …
Revelation 6:12-17For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
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Reformed Without Covenant Theology
I’m Reformed, but I’m also dispensational in my eschatology. After intense and rigorous study, I came to the pretribulational and premillennial position. I believe this is the most faithful to Scripture. I’ve noticed since I’ve been in many Reformed Facebook groups and some internet forums, that many Reformed (Presbyterians mainly) are very vocal about the fact that they believe you are not truly Reformed unless you also hold to Covenant Theology (CT) as an interpretive lens. I strongly disagree with the notion that you can’t be Reformed unless you adopt Covenant Theology (CT). I believe the 7 classical dispensations are a better interpretive grid for making sense of God’s dealings with man throughout history.
All the core Reformed distinctives had nothing to do with covenant theology. Covenant theology is a meta-interpretive grid put onto the Scriptures. You could swap it out with dispensations and affect none of the core Reformed distinctives. Reformed who say CT is essential to being Reformed are projecting their own theological-egotistic predilections to exclude brothers and sisters who are thoroughly Reformed and have 90%+ the same theology except for CT. It’s a modern old boys club and an uncharitable form of bigotry!
I highly recommend Dr. John MacArthur’s 6-part series: Why Every Calvinist Should Be a Premillennialist. You can listen to the audio and download it (MP3), and if you click on each message, you will find a link to download the PDF transcript of the message. Dr. MacArthur has been very brave and courageous in challenging a certain shibboleth, such as the essential nature of CT to being Reformed. He has gotten ridiculed and mocked for taking this stand. I believe his position (and mine) is the most truly Reformed since it’s the most faithful to Scripture itself, which most always be our prime source of truth. If you listen to or read this series, you’ll see Dr. MacArthur carefully exegete the relevant Scriptures and make a compelling case for why the premillennial position is the correct one.
It’s regrettable that some of the magisterial Reformers didn’t go far enough in shedding the bankrupt theology they inherited from the Roman Catholic church. One aspect is the amillennial position of eschatology. The early church had a majority premillennial position and this can be found in the Patristics. But, during the early 5th century, Augustine had written the influential book The City of God. This book taught amillennialism. It quickly became the accepted position of the Catholic church. The Reformers inherited this theology. Had they been even more thorough in challenging the assumptions and presuppositions of the Catholic church, they would have reformed their eschatology and returned to the early church position of premillennialism.
So what it boils down to is this: CT is a framework of biblical theology. Dispensationalism is also a framework of biblical theology. One can be thoroughly Reformed, holding to Reformed soteriology (the Doctrines of Grace) and the 5 Solas, and be premillennial in eschatology. I hope we see an end to this ignorance, bigotry, ridiculing, and arrogance of those Reformed who believe that you cannot be Reformed if you reject CT.
Reformed who say CT is essential to being Reformed are projecting their own theological-egotistic predilections to exclude brothers and sisters who are thoroughly Reformed and have 90%+ the same theology except for CT. It’s a modern old boys club and an uncharitable form of bigotry!
By the way, in case you are unfamiliar with dispensationalism here are some key points.
By saying I am a dispensationalism, I mean the following:
(1) I see a distinction between the church and the nation of Israel.
(2) I see a future for the nation of Israel.
(3) I employ a consistent literal historical-grammatical approach to Bible interpretation as my hermeneutic.
(4) The major theme in the Scriptures is the glory of God.
Also, by saying I am a dispensationalist I also believe the following:
(1) I do not see multiple ways of salvation in the Bible, sinners are saved by grace through faith (whether Paul or Abraham, cf. Rom. 4:1-5).
(2) I do not believe that some parts of the New Testament are not for us today (i.e. the Sermon on the Mount).
(3) I do not believe that Jesus may be our Savior without being our Lord.
Some prominent and well known Reformed who hold to dispensationalism include:
John MacArthur, James Montgomery Boice, Erwin Lutzer, Steve Lawson, Thomas Ice, John Hannah, Robert Saucy, and S. Lewis JohnsonSemper Reformanda!
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Americans aren’t reading
According to Pew Research Center, about a quarter of American adults don’t read books at all. In 2018, Pew released figures suggesting that 24 percent of American adults say they have not read a book — in part or whole, in print or electronically or audibly — in the past year. That is a shocking and abysmal percentage.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that readers ages 15 to 44 read for personal interest for an average of just 10 minutes or less per day! From there, time reading increases with age, with those in the 75 and over group averaging 51 minutes.
The average time reading per day is roughly 16 minutes. Despite the benefits of reading, statistics show we’re reading less and less every year. From 2004 to 2017, the average reading time of Americans dropped by six minutes. And yet a landmark report released today by Common Sense Media finds that teenagers (ages 13-18) use an average of nine hours of entertainment media per day and that tweens (ages 8-12) use an average of six hours a day, not including time spent using media for school or homework.
This sad reality is the result of bad parenting coupled with failed public schools. Research from the American Psychological Association shows 80% of teenagers don’t read for pleasure on a daily basis. According to World Atlas, in terms of literacy rate, the USA ranks 125th out of 194 nations. That is horrible for a first-world nation!
This is shocking and disturbing to me because my parents instilled a love of reading in us from a very young age. I remember how thrilled I was to get my first library card at the library in Brentwood when I was 6 years old. As a tween, I read 1 book per day. and as a teen, I read 2 books per day! I am disabled now and so I have a great deal of time to read. I usually read 4-6 hours per day!
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Rapture vs Second Coming
I am convinced that Scripture teaches that the Rapture of the Church (pretribulational) and Christ’s Second Coming to earth are two distinct events.
Taking It to the Bedrock
My belief that there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church stands on the bedrock of the following foundational tenets:
A) The Bible is the Word of God
The 66-book canon called the Bible is God’s inerrant, infallible message to mankind, explaining His purposes and plans for the ages (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). No other document can be reliably trusted, nor remotely reach the bar for the requirements of authentication that the Bible attains to so easily.B) The Bible is to be Interpreted Literally
God means what He says and says what He means. God wants His creations to know His will plainly. While God does indulge in picturesque descriptions and parables, an explanation almost always follows or context is provided for explanation. Spiritualization of text, therefore, has no proper place in interpreting Scriptures. Any eschatological viewpoint must then be thrown out if it is based on the reader’s desire to spiritualize the Bible into whatever ethereal meaning they desire. Take the Bible for its plain sense meaning.C) The Church and Israel Are Separate Entities
Israel is not the Church and the Church is not Israel. A believer in Christ becomes a member of the Church, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 1:16), but a member of the Church does not become a form of spiritual Israel. God’s promises to Israel as a people and nation (see next tenet) are not the same as for the Bride of Christ, the Church.D) A Literal 1000-Year Millennium
The Bible describes a future, literal 1000-year time period. The Greek word “chilias” for “one thousand” appears six times in Revelation 20, clearly marking the time period as having 1000 literal years. The purpose of this time period is for Jesus Christ to have an earthly kingdom from which to base His rule and to fulfill His promises (Gen. 13:14-17; 15:5,18-21; 2 Sam. 7:16-19; Isa. 10:21-22; 11:1-2; Jer. 23:5-8; 30:22; 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:18-20; 34:24; 36:24-28; Mic. 7:19-20; Hos. 3:5; Rom. 11:26-29).E) A Literal 7-Year Tribulation
An upcoming time period has been set aside for God to pour out His wrath upon the evil of the world, to regather Israel back into its land, to force Israel to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, and for the Messiah to return and fight for His believing remnant (Deut. 4:26-31; Isa. 13:6-13; 17:4-11; Jer. 30:4-11; Ezek. 20:33-38; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 24:9-31). This time period begins with a covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). The length of the Tribulation is seven years long, described in a variety of ways as “one seven” year block (Dan. 9:27), consisting of two “times, time and half a time” (two years + 1 year + half a year; Rev. 12:14), or two “1260 days” periods (Rev. 11:3), or two “42-month” periods (Rev. 11:2; 13:5).F) Jesus Will Return Again to Earth
The Bible says Jesus will physically return again to earth (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19). Jesus returns is to defeat His enemies, set up His throne, restore Israel, rule with “a rod of iron” and share His authority with those who overcame in Him (Mat. 19:28; 25:31; Acts 1:3-6; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21).G) The Bible Teaches About a Rapture
1 Thessalonians 4:17 speaks of an event called “the Rapture”, Latin “rapio,” Greek “harpazo,” which means “to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out.” “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Paul states that the concept of the Rapture is meant to encourage believers during this Age (1 Thes. 4:18). Other New Testament references on the Rapture are Jn. 14:1-4; I Cor. 15:51-58; and 1 Thes. 4:13-18.These bedrock statements about the Bible and its interpretation provide the foundation in which to analyze the following reasons for why I believe the Bible teaches a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.
1) The Bible describes the Rapture and Second Coming as different events.
The Bible must see the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-4; I Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thes. 4:13-18) and the Second Coming (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19) as separate events, because when the verses are compared they describe two very different scenarios:
- Rapture — believers meet Christ in the air
Second Coming — Christ returns to the Mount of Olives to meet the believers on earth - Rapture — Mount of Olives is unchanged
Second Coming — Mount of Olives is divided, forming a valley east of Jerusalem - Rapture — living believers obtain glorified bodies
Second Coming — living believers remain in same bodies - Rapture — believers go to heaven
Second Coming — glorified believers come from heaven, earthly believers stay on earth - Rapture — world left unjudged and living in sin
Second Coming — world is judged and righteousness is established - Rapture — depicts deliverance of the Church from wrath
Second Coming — depicts deliverance of believers who endured wrath - Rapture — no signs precede it
Second Coming — many signs precede it - Rapture — revealed only in New Testament
Second Coming — revealed in both Old and New Testaments - Rapture — deals with only the saved
Second Coming — deals with both the saved and unsaved - Rapture — Satan remains free
Second Coming — Satan is bound and thrown into the Abyss
Since the Rapture and Second Coming clearly are different events that do not occur at the same time, this would rule out a Post-Tribulation Rapture scenario.
2) The Rapture is described as occurring at any time without warning.
Jesus stated in Matthew 24:42,44 to “Therefore keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come… So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Not only do believers in Christ not know when to expect Him, but the Father Himself seems to have left Jesus out on the exact time His Son is to return. As Jesus stated in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” These and other verses (Mat. 24:36,42,44,50; 25:13; 1 Thes. 4:18; Tit. 2:13; 1 Jn. 2:28; 3:2-3) indicate that Jesus’ arrival will come when nobody expects it.
The Second Coming, on the other hand, is preceded by many events, such as the rise of the Antichrist (Rev. 12:13-17; Zech; 13:7-9), a treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27), the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple (Mat. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2), as well as plagues and judgments and persecutions destroying most of the world’s population (Rev. 6-18). The Book of Revelation reports these events as occurring during the 7-year Tribulation, which Revelation reveals precede the Second Coming.
Because the Rapture could happen at any moment and without warning and the Second Coming is preceded by so many signs, then the Rapture and Second Coming must be different events. The Rapture has to occur before the seven years’ worth of signs because Christians are called to look for the Lord’s return rather than signs such as the Antichrist’s arrival. Once the signs begin, then the seven-year countdown begins towards its end with Christ’s return at the Second Coming.
Jesus’ imminent return dismisses any of the other viewpoints related to a rapture that occurs within or at the end of the Tribulation.
3) The Rapture and the removal of the “Restrainer” occur at the same time.
In 2 Thessalonians, the church at Thessalonica was afraid due to a false report that they had entered the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) and had somehow missed the Rapture. The Apostle Paul assured them that the Antichrist would not be revealed until a restraining force would be taken away so that the Man of Lawlessness could be revealed.
Because the revealing of the Antichrist coincides with the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation starting with his peace treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27), then the Restrainer has to be removed before the Tribulation. As the Holy Spirit also works in salvation (Jn. 16:8-11; 1 Jn. 5:7) during the Tribulation, then it is the Church that must be the Restrainer that is removed. Therefore, the Rapture and the removal of the Church must coincide, and at the beginning of the seven years.
4) The Tribulation is for Israel’s redemption.
Jeremiah 30:7 describes the Tribulation as the “time of Jacob’s trouble” — “How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.”
In the Book of Matthew, whose primary audience is the Jews, Jesus explains to his Jewish followers what life will be like during the Tribulation. Also, Revelation 12 describes picturesquely a woman who gives birth and has to flee due to persecution during the Tribulation. The context shows the woman is Israel. And again, the Battle of Armageddon is the world against Israel. Two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed from these battles. These texts and others show that the Tribulation is meant for the redemption of the Jewish people.
Why are the Jews the object of persecution during the Tribulation? For one, Satan hates the Jewish people for giving the world the Scriptures and the Messiah, as well as he wishes to thwart God’s promises to the Jews (see Bedrock #4). Secondly, the Jews have to be so desperately brought low that they finally call out to their Messiah “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Mat. 23:39; Lk. 13:35). The Tribulation, then, is used for Israel’s redemption which also results in the punishment of the wicked. The Church does not fit into this scenario and are left out of the purposes of the Tribulation. They would need to be removed — caught up — before the Tribulation begins.
5) The Tribulation is not for the Church.
The Tribulation is God’s wrath upon the unbelieving world, and not for those who are saved from Christ’s resurrection to the Rapture — called the Church. Yes, believers have suffered all throughout human history, but there is a special time (just like the Flood) set apart called the Day of the Lord for God’s wrath. Christians suffering and the Tribulation/Day of the Lord is different.
True believers in Christ during the Church Age, represented by the Church of Philadelphia, are promised in Revelation 3:10, “Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” He also states in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:9 states, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Ephesians 5:6 states, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” Colossians 3:4 states, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Again and again, Scripture states the Church is not meant to endure God’s wrath.
6) God’s wrath involves the whole 7-Year Tribulation.
The view that the Rapture will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation is based upon 1 Corinthians 15:52 which states that the Rapture will occur at the blowing of “the last trumpet.” This Mid-Tribulation Rapture view then declares this trumpet to be the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation 11 that is blown at the mid-point of the Tribulation. Why of the 114 references to trumpets in the Bible these two are identified as one and the same only defies sound Bible study. The context clearly shows the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15 is blown for believers whereas the seven trumpets of Revelation 8, 9, and 11 are sounded for unbelievers. The Revelation trumpets therefore can have no relevance for the Church.
Proponents of the Pre-Wrath Rapture view believe the Rapture will occur about three-quarters of the way through the Tribulation, about five years or shortly thereafter, with up to four comings of Christ. According to Dr. David Reagan in his article The Pre-Wrath Rapture:
“Those who espouse this viewpoint believe that the Seal Judgments are the wrath of Man and Satan and that they continue throughout the first half of the Tribulation and into the second half, right up to the three-quarters point, or shortly thereafter. They place the Trumpet Judgments in the last quarter of the Tribulation and the Bowl Judgments in the first 30 days following the end of Daniel’s 70th Week of Years.”
But, isn’t it Jesus Himself who breaks the seals that launch each of the Revelation 6 seal judgments which occur at the beginning of the Tribulation? Also, the seven angels who blow the trumpets that initiate each of the trumpet judgments are given their trumpets at the throne of God (Revelation 8:2). And, Revelation 15:1 states that the bowl judgments at the end of the Tribulation finish the wrath of God, not begin His wrath.
Because these judgments are initiated by Jesus Himself at the beginning of the Tribulation, the whole Tribulation must be God’s wrath, which the Church is exempt from.
7) The Old Testament and Revelation leave the Church out of the Tribulation.
The focus of the Tribulation — to pour out God’s wrath on the earth just like the Flood (Isa. 24:22; Zeph. 3:8; 1 Thes. 5:3; 2 Thes. 2:12) and to bring the Jewish people to accept Jesus as Messiah (Mat. 23:39; Lk. 13:35) — is addressed by the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation to the unbelievers and the Jewish people. In any biblical content concerning the Tribulation/Day of the Lord, the Church cannot be found.
The whole concept of the Church was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets. They focused on the nation of Israel. The Book of Matthew is written to the Jewish people, whom Jesus is addressing in Matthew 24. In the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 cover the Church Age, but then there is no mention of the Church until after the Tribulation/Day of the Lord chapters 6-18. In Chapter 19, the Church returns to the texts and can be found, not suffering, but celebrating with Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and preparing to return with Jesus to earth.
8) The Church is busy elsewhere during the Tribulation.
While the 7-year Tribulation is occurring, the Bible records the Church will be busy with three events. None of the three have to do with suffering on a world being destroyed.
The first event the raptured Church will participate in is a judgment by God — the Judgment of the Just. This judgment on works is not to determine eternal destiny, but to determine degrees of reward (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:6-9).
The second event is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This feast celebrates the spiritual marriage of Christ’s Bride — the Church — to her Savior. Revelation 19:7-9 shares this wonderful celebration, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’”
The third event follows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and is the Church’s preparation to follow the King of Kings into the Battle of Armageddon at the conclusion of the Tribulation. This event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19:11-21). Revelation 19:14 identifies the Church in their “fine linen, white and clean,” which was given to them during the first event — the Judgment of the Just. The Church and angelic forces follow the King of Kings into His Second Coming to the earth, but only Jesus Himself will engage in battle and with mere words defeat the nations in the siege against Jerusalem.
9) There needs to be sheep to separate from the goats.
If the Church is raptured at the end of the Tribulation, receives their glorified bodies, and then immediately u-turns back with Christ for the Second Coming as the Post-Tribulation Rapture view holds, then what believer in Christ will be available for the Sheep and Goats Judgment of Matthew 25? The only people left on earth would be unbelievers, called goats. No believer — sheep — would be available for God to put into the sheep category.
Since those who are in glorified bodies will be like the angels in that they aren’t given in marriage or reproduce (Matt. 22:30; Mk. 12:25), then a believing, unglorified, human remnant must make it into the sheep category and go on to produce the nations during the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 43:13-27; Isa. 19:21; Isa. 65:20-22; Rev. 20:7-10). This would mean that people would need to come to Christ during the Tribulation yet after the Rapture to produce this Millennial population.
10) The Bible shows God rescues the righteous from His wrath.
Being a Christian means having to endure suffering and trials at the hand of man (Jn. 16:33; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thes. 3:3; 1 Pet. 4:12-13). But, the Bible has many examples of those who put their faith in God are exempt from God’s wrath. Noah and his family were removed from the Flood waters that in God’s wrath were used to judge and cleanse the earth. Lot and his wife and two daughters were made to leave Sodom and Gomorrah before God burned the towns up with fire and sulfur. Rahab’s family was set apart when Joshua’s army invaded Jericho.
Could believers be miraculously protected during the Tribulation, like the Israelites were during the plagues on Egypt? Yes, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from Revelation 7 and 14, for instance, will be divinely protected. But, the slaughter of believers during the Tribulation will be so massive that they are certainly not under any special protection (Rev. 7:9-17; 20:4).
11) The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is not too new to discount.
Some will argue that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is just “too new” to be considered viable. Critics will point to the origin of the modern Pre-Tribulation view and credit John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) with its founding. But, is that assessment historically accurate? Indeed, it is not.
The Early Church fathers’ such as Barnabas (ca.100-105), Papias (ca. 60-130), Justin Martyr (110-195), Irenaeus (120-202), Tertullian (145-220), Hippolytus (ca. 185-236), Cyprian (200-250), and Lactantius (260-330) wrote on the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the central argument for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view.
Biblical truth is determined by Scripture, and not how that teaching has been perceived at different times during history. When Augustine began spiritualizing the Bible, his view of a non-literal interpretation took hold of the church until the Renaissance, obliterating the Premillennial and Pre-Tribulation Rapture views in favor of Amillennialism. But, some Medieval writers such as Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373), Abbot Ceolfrid’s Latin Codex Amiatinus (ca. 690-716), and Brother Dolcino wrote statements that distinguish the Rapture from the Second Coming.
When the chains of allegorical interpretation began to fall off beginning with the Reformation in the 1400 and 1500s, writers such as Joseph Mede (1586-1638), Increase Mather (1639-1723), Peter Jurieu (1687), Philip Doddridge (1738), John Gill (1748), James Macknight (1763), Thomas Scott (1792) and Morgan Edwards (1722-1795) all wrote concerning the Rapture occurring separately from the Second Coming. Even in the more modern church, those like William Witherby (1818) were precursors to John Darby in support of the view. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is indeed then not only biblical but supported throughout Church history.
Here is a wonderful table showing further differences in the Rapture vs the Second Coming by my brother in Christ Kyle Hornsey.
Rapture 2nd Advent Promise… to the Church to Israel Prophesied in OT? a mystery as Day of the Lord Focus is… the true Church Israel Announced? no warning! expected Christ comes… to redeem to judge then reign Christ comes as… the Bridegroom King of kings, man of war Christ comes to… rescue His bride present His bride Christ comes to… meet us in the air! the Mount of Olives Christ comes… for His saints with His saints Timing before Tribulation end of Tribulation Trumpet calls… all believers from Earth all ‘elect’ to Earth Who calls? Jesus Christ – Himself! the angels Private or public? private – in the clouds ‘every eye shall see Him’ Who is gathered? the true Church Israel & the nations Cause for… hope, joy, comfort much mourning Effect 1st Resurrection death of wicked Result believers transformed Creation restored Saints taken… to the Father’s house to Earth Relevance to Israel a sign to Israel rescue of Israel Shock factor greatest miracle since Creation greatest earthquake in Middle East Effect on Satan in a great rage bound for 1000 years Leaves the nations… under wrath judged Dispensational end of Grace era beginning of Millennium - Rapture — believers meet Christ in the air
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Irish ballad – Carrickfergus
Here is a beautiful Irish song about a woman lamenting the loss of her lover. It is a sad and mournful song, but packs a lot of emotion and warmth.
This performance uses Irish Gaelic mixed in with English.
The very capable British choral group Voces8 performs featuring soprano Sibéal. She delivers a tender and poignant performance, perfectly in balance with the choir. The harmonization achieved in this performance is fantastic! Tenebrae and Voces8 are my two favorite contemporary choral groups, both British. I should mention that the space they are singing in has amazing, reverberant acoustics ideally suited for this type of performance.
Traditional: Carrickfergus (Arr. Pacey)
Lyrics:
CHORUS: I wish I was in Carrickfergus
I wish I was in Carrickfergus
Is fada ón áit seo go Baile Uí Chuain
Sailing over the deep blue waters
I ndiaidh mo ghrá geal is í ag ealó uaim.
For the seas are deep, love, and I can’t swim over
And neither have I wings to fly,
I wish I met with a handy boatman,
Who’d ferry over my love and I.[Chorus]
Tá an fuacht ag teacht is an teas ag tréigint
An tart ní féidir liom féin é do chlaoi,
Is go bhfuil an leabhar orm ó Shamhain go Fébur
Is ní bheidh sí reidh liom go Féil’ Mhichíl;
I’m seldom drunk though I’m never sober!
A handsome rover from town to town.
But now I am dead and my days are over
Come Molly, a stóirín, now lay me down![Chorus]
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Allegri’s Miserere mei, Deus
Here is Renaissance composer Gregorio Allegri’s masterpiece of vocal harmony and polyphony Miserere mei, Deus. This chant is performed by the British group, the Tenebrae Choir – conducted by Nigel Short. Chants are performed acapella – only the human voice is used, no instruments. Tenebrae gives a breathtaking performance with amazing pitch, clarity of voices, balance, and harmonization! This is Renaissance polyphony at its very best. This work was composed in the 1630s, during the papacy of Pope Urban VIII, at the tail end of the Renaissance. Pay special attention to the high C note the outstanding soprano hits at mark 1:34 through mark 1:38 of the video! Such purity of tone, and crystal clear articulation!
By the way, it’s very fascinating that this high C note which is so famous in this piece actually was the result of a musicological error in what is known as falsobordone. Below, Italian musicologist, Elam Rotem goes into detail explaining precisely how this pleasant ‘error’ arose! Another interesting note about this piece: originally the parts now sung by sopranos would have been sung by boys, or adult castrati (men castrated before puberty so they could still sing very high notes).
The piece was written for use in the Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday of Holy Week. Pope Urban VIII loved the piece so much, that he forbid it to be performed elsewhere outside of the Sistine Chapel. For over 100 years, Allegri’s ‘Miserere mei, Deus’ was performed exclusively in the church. Anyone caught with a transcription of the piece outside of the chapel could be immediately excommunicated from the church. (In 1770, a 14-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was present at one of the performances while touring Italy with his father. After hearing the piece, Mozart transcribed the work entirely from memory and even made corrections. He attended one more performance to make his final adjustments. The following year, after meeting with music historian and biographer, Dr. Charles Burney, Mozart gave him the sheet music. Burney took the score to London and published it, which resulted in the papacy lifting its ban.)
https://www.liveabout.com/miserere-mei-deus-lyrics-and-english-translation-723977The lyrics, sung in Latin, are from Psalm 51. One of the 7 penitential psalms. The first three words in the Latin text of this psalm are Miserere mei, Deus (“Have mercy on me, O God”), and musical settings of the psalm — of which there have been many — are often referred to simply as Miserere.
This performance was filmed at St. Bartholomew the Great, London. The church has phenomenal acoustics which are ideally suited for this type of music!
‘Miserere mei, Deus’ Original Latin Lyrics
Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
Asperges me hysopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Ne proiicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.
Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum, et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut aedificentur muri Ierusalem.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.‘Miserere mei, Deus’ English Translation
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.
According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies remove my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin.
I knowingly confess my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned, and done evil before Thee: that they may be justified in Thy sayings, and might they overcome when I am judged.
But behold, I was formed in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, Thou desirest truth in my innermost being: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Open my ears and make me hear of joy and gladness: and my bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
Turn away Thy face from my sins: and remember not all my misdeeds.
Create in me a clean heart, O God: and make anew a righteous spirit within my body.
Do not cast me away from Thy presence: and take not Thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
I will teach those that are unjust Thy ways: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips: and my mouth shall spring forth Thy praise.
For Thou desirest no sacrifice, where others would: with burnt offerings Thou wilt not be delighted.
Sacrifices of God are broken spirits: dejected and contrite hearts, O God, Thou wilt not despise.
Deal favorably, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with small and large burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon your altar. -
Modern Parenting
Most kids today are so spoiled, coddled, catered to. It’s disgusting. The way I hear kids in the supermarket talk back to their parents is disheartening. That was NOT tolerated in our home. My father made it very clear what would happen if we disrespected our mother.
And I see Moms cooking 10 different dinners to satisfy their picky kids! When I was a child you ate what you were served, and you didn’t leave your seat until you ate EVERYTHING! And whining and complaining were not tolerated.
In my entire life, I have never cursed or swore at my parents or talked to them in a disrespectful manner.
Most kids today are glued to their smartphones. Why does a 10 or 12-year-old need their own phone?! That is madness and sheer negligence by their parents. I didn’t have my first smartphone until I was 42 years old! And if they’re not sitting inside on the phones, they are playing computer games. I must admit I’m an avid gamer, but that is only because I’m an adult. Kids should not be gaming. And if they’re not playing games, they are watching TV!!
Parents: let your children play unsupervised outside. When I was 7 years old I had free reign of the neighborhood. So did my sisters. In the summertime, we left home after breakfast around 9am and didn’t come home until 7pm for dinner. That was 10 hours of unsupervised time playing games with our friends, exploring the woods, visiting neighbors, and generally having active fun. We were healthy, slim, fit, active kids! I see what a huge issue childhood obesity is now in America. This is 100% the parents’ fault! It’s child abuse!!
Overprotective anxiety-riddled parents drive their kids EVERYWHERE! Let them walk and get some exercise! And my parents made it very clear to us kids that our education was a very top priority. We did homework during the summertime and prepared for the coming school year. We could not play until we had finished our homework and studying. Looking back now as a 46 year old man, I realize what a true blessing my parents are. They raised us to love and fear God and to respect other people, and ourselves, and to treat each other right.
Here’s a great meme I found on Facebook!
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