OT Tuesday: Judging Barak

The fledgling country of Israel crossed the Jordan and continued on with taking up their claim in the promised land. The tribe of Judah lead the fight against the Canaanites and the Perizzites winning a huge battle at Bezek capturing the king Adoni-bezek. Adoni-bezek had a habit of cutting off the thumbs and big toes of the kings he conquered before he made them serve him, and Israel gave Adoni-bezek a taste of his own medicine. Adoni-bezek eventually died in Jerusalem, thumbless.

The tribe of Judah conquored the cities of Jerusalem, Zepath, Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. The tribe of Joseph attacked and took Bethel, many great battles took place. Unfortunately all wasn't going well for the Israelites, they were falling into the sinful ways of their enemies, and suddenly the Angel of the Lord appeared before them and said

“I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, ² and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? ³ And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’” (Judges 2:1-3)

Remember who I said that the Angel of the Lord was? 

Emergent Monday: Repentance in the Emergent Church (lol)

As I've mentioned before, repentance is a command from Jesus, it's not a small thing, it's found throughout the New Testament. In Luke 5:27-32 He explains exactly why he's here, to call the sinners to repent. This whole repent thing is also mentioned in Mark 1:14-15, and Matthew 3:2, and Matthew 3:8, and Luke 13:1-5, and Luke 15:10, and Luke 24:46-47, and Acts 2:38, and Acts 3:19, and Acts 11:18, and Acts 17:30 ... wow, that's eleven references in the New Testament alone, and that's not nearly all of them. So with eleven plus references to repent you may get the impression that repentance is important, and if you did get that impression you, of course, would be right. 

But what if you didn't get that impression, what if you didn't like the entire idea of repentance for the forgiveness of your sins? What if you decided to redefine the word and make it fluffy and warm and not the internal war with sin that it is? In that case you'd be Rob Bell and you'd be condemning people to hell. 

Random Bits

Jesus was Gay? Don Imus thinks so... well, he doesn't think so, but he thinks a bit second century fiction which implies Jesus was gay is accurate. That's what happens when you allow someone who knows nothing about the bible or Christianity to comment on the bible or Christianity. Unfortunately his mic was turned on.

Nothing to watch on TV? The FCC wants to insure it stays that way.

I'm not going to call your president a liar, let's just say that he accidentally uttered a prepared falsehood on purpose.

Admittedly the New York Times published their article in their Europe Section rather than the Religion Section. Neither neither section really knows much about Jesus Christ, but at least they tried.

We all know about this, and so does the media. You get 3 guesses why the media won't cover it (Hint: the words atheistic and arrogance are in the correct answer)

Bill O'Reilly is a devout practicing catholic, but he is not a Christian. He claims he is, but then he says he knows more than Jesus Christ,  so much so that he claims that where the bible says Jesus was teaching about Jonah and Noah it never actually happened. Now his new book on Jesus (which I refuse to name) promises to be just as pathetic and poorly researched as his previous books on Kennedy and Lincoln (which as a lover of history I also refuse to name). Don't blame Bill O'Reilly for being bad at history, he taught history in a public school.

Speaking of the bible, the History Channel's version of The Bobble Bible, got a couple of things right, unfortunately theology wasn't one of them. Guess the one little bitty thing they failed to mention. Personally I think they got one thing right.

Ignorance is bliss, that's why members of emergent churches are so happy.

Stranger in a Strange World

To heck with this world. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the nonsense and stupidity and sinfullness. This rock has been an accursed place since Eve shared a fresh picked picnic lunch with Adam and the way that the worlds "leaders" are now governing the world into the ground it's like they're piloting the Hindenburg but with less concern for human life. 

The world is falling apart so fast it's like Satan has been elected UN Secretary General and God is just kicking back saying "I told you this would happen, now where's those seven trumpeters, it's almost show time."

Then again, try and prove me wrong, I dare you. 

OT Tuesday: Jesus Loved The Old Testament

Many times I've heard it said that we don't need to study the Old Testament because it's Old, everything we need to know is in the New Testament. That's sort of like saying "I'm trying to emulate Sir Isaac Newton, I don't need to know anything about math or physics."

Jesus loved the Old Testament and quoted it quite often, and why not? It is the law, it is the story of God's chosen people, it is His autobiography. Throughout His ministry on Earth, Jesus quoted the Old Testament and taught from the scriptures always confirming its accuracy and authenticity. Jesus Himself stated bluntly not to ignore the Old Testament nor because the messiah is here do not think that it was replaced:

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)