Wherever there is truth, there will be Satan's attempts to pervert obfuscate and obliterate it. And he wins when the corruption grows so great that no one can see the truth because the acts of evil by the men who should be promoting it, become acts that abandon it.

What's happening with SOME very prominent leaders (we can't condemn those who aren't part of it) in the Russian Church today (and has been happening for a while) reminds me, albeit in a much different context, for why many Christians in the 3rd century, left the places where the Church was growing in influence, to go live in the desert. They didn't want to be corrupted by the corruption that comes when Christianity is involved with politics, and those in positions of leadership begin to allow their love for Christ to be be transferred to love of money.

No one is worthy of leading or representing Christians who isn't willing to abandon all, even if it means being martyred, to know Jesus. And that's easy for me to say, I realize. I hope if it ever becomes necessary to do, that my actions will make my words prove I wasn't a hypocrite. God have mercy on any of us, if we ever are faced with a circumstance that might require such a stand ourselves.

(On a personal note, if nothing else, it just makes me more determined never to desire a position of leadership. I know I'm weak. But I don't want to have to find out how weak. And if I ever do need to encounter it, then my hope is that I will allow God's strength to overcome my weakness)

Back to the reason for this post: If many of the current leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church don't want to forever be judged with harsh condemnation they now deserve to be judged with, then they need to repent, condemn and denounce Putin, in the same way men born 100 years earlier in Russia dealt with another similar type of man, when they stood against Stalin.

But power and prestige corrupt. They always have and always will--both in the world, and sadly (as always when it is so apparent) in the Church.

How Putin Uses Russian Orthodoxy to Grow His Empire

This also serves as a good reason to avoid having some type of nationalistic belief that God has some kind of special relationship with, or prefers some countries over others, based on its forefathers having established that country with Godly intent.

But no country is a light on a hill. Only Christians are lights, and they need to do whatever is necessary not to hide the light. And of course, those in darkness will attempt to extinguish the light (and lives of those who allow it to shine through them). But Jesus said not to expect anything different.

Throughout history being a Christian in some parts of the world, meant being willing to die for your faith. It means it today in places a lot of us don't know about, or if we do, don't routinely think about. Do most of us pray daily for fellow Christians being persecuted? Do most of us give from our own need (when we fear we might not have enough to retire, so we need to save more), not to some televangelist who claims it will bring us prosperity in this life, but to people who are truly suffering?

Is our turn coming again (I say again only in reference to those who lived it and didn't want to have to any more than we might want to) to face a real choice of having to say we believe our faith won't allow us to support things that our culture says are good; but that we know God does not condone--AND be willing to face whatever consequences this leads to? A loss of a job? A loss of property? A loss of freedom? A loss of life?

Are the majority of Christians today, in the United States willing to take stands, that might mean mean their deaths to things they hold dear (whether it's their body or something else)? Sadly I don't think it looks that way. Am I wrong?

Sadly, instead it looks like many aren't willing to make a stand that could cost them their money, no less their lives.

But, perhaps that's the problem? Perhaps, for many of us, our money (status and recognition in our jobs/community, desire for being entertained, or whatever other idols keep us ensnared) is our life--instead of Christ being our life (and not just with words claiming it, but with actions proving it)? If so, may God have mercy on all of us (myself included because I'm certain that I'm the most needful for it, of anyone else who might be reading this).

I was watching the classic 1956 version 10 Commandments with my family over Easter and I was discussing with them how similar American Christians are to the Hebrews in the exodus. (and the Hebrew/Jews that left Babylon after the 70 years as well)

When the Hebrews came out of Egypt, they kept grumbling about how they missed the comforts, foods and other aspects of their lives in Egypt and kept turning to idols and the golden calf. They believed in God and saw all these miracles and the parting of the red sea, yet they remained attached to that old life in Egypt, even though they were slaves. It angered God so much that He decided they could not enter the Holy Land until that whole generation had died off, so they remained in the wilderness for 40 years.

Fast forward 1000 years and when it came time to leave Babylon and return to Judea and Jerusalem, many of the Jews decided to just stay in Babylon because they had fallen into love with their lives in Babylon. Even the ones that did return had broken the law and married and had kids with the Babylonians. But most of the Jews never returned at all.

Nearly all Christians in America are very much the same, they believe in God but have fallen prey to the devices of Satan. Whether its the smart phones, the movies, the music, the lifestyle, etc. We are all too entrenched in our culture and most do not want to let go of the things they are used to in this country.

As I often say, a lot of Christians in America are more excited at the thought of meeting "aliens" than Jesus. You ask them about the return of Christ and they have very little to say, but you ask them about aliens or their favorite team or show and they get all excited and have a million words.

(03-13-2022 11:50 AM)G-Man Wrote:  Wherever there is truth, there will be Satan's attempts to pervert obfuscate and obliterate it. And he wins when the corruption grows so great that no one can see the truth because the acts of evil by the men who should be promoting it, become acts that abandon it.

What's happening with SOME very prominent leaders (we can't condemn those who aren't part of it) in the Russian Church today (and has been happening for a while) reminds me, albeit in a much different context, for why many Christians in the 3rd century, left the places where the Church was growing in influence, to go live in the desert. They didn't want to be corrupted by the corruption that comes when Christianity is involved with politics, and those in positions of leadership begin to allow their love for Christ to be be transferred to love of money.

No one is worthy of leading or representing Christians who isn't willing to abandon all, even if it means being martyred, to know Jesus. And that's easy for me to say, I realize. I hope if it ever becomes necessary to do, that my actions will make my words prove I wasn't a hypocrite. God have mercy on any of us, if we ever are faced with a circumstance that might require such a stand ourselves.

(On a personal note, if nothing else, it just makes me more determined never to desire a position of leadership. I know I'm weak. But I don't want to have to find out how weak. And if I ever do need to encounter it, then my hope is that I will allow God's strength to overcome my weakness)

Back to the reason for this post: If many of the current leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church don't want to forever be judged with harsh condemnation they now deserve to be judged with, then they need to repent, condemn and denounce Putin, in the same way men born 100 years earlier in Russia dealt with another similar type of man, when they stood against Stalin.

But power and prestige corrupt. They always have and always will--both in the world, and sadly (as always when it is so apparent) in the Church.

How Putin Uses Russian Orthodoxy to Grow His Empire

Fairytale.

(04-19-2022 12:50 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  I was watching the classic 1956 version 10 Commandments with my family over Easter and I was discussing with them how similar American Christians are to the Hebrews in the exodus. (and the Hebrew/Jews that left Babylon after the 70 years as well)

When the Hebrews came out of Egypt, they kept grumbling about how they missed the comforts, foods and other aspects of their lives in Egypt and kept turning to idols and the golden calf. They believed in God and saw all these miracles and the parting of the red sea, yet they remained attached to that old life in Egypt, even though they were slaves. It angered God so much that He decided they could not enter the Holy Land until that whole generation had died off, so they remained in the wilderness for 40 years.

Fast forward 1000 years and when it came time to leave Babylon and return to Judea and Jerusalem, many of the Jews decided to just stay in Babylon because they had fallen into love with their lives in Babylon. Even the ones that did return had broken the law and married and had kids with the Babylonians. But most of the Jews never returned at all.

Nearly all Christians in America are very much the same, they believe in God but have fallen prey to the devices of Satan. Whether its the smart phones, the movies, the music, the lifestyle, etc. We are all too entrenched in our culture and most do not want to let go of the things they are used to in this country.

As I often say, a lot of Christians in America are more excited at the thought of meeting "aliens" than Jesus. You ask them about the return of Christ and they have very little to say, but you ask them about aliens or their favorite team or show and they get all excited and have a million words.

How long must one wait for the "return" of this Christ guy? I mean it's only been a couple of thousand years. You can only hold an audience captive but for so long.

(05-29-2022 10:29 PM)Old Blue Wrote:  How long must one wait for the "return" of this Christ guy? I mean it's only been a couple of thousand years. You can only hold an audience captive but for so long.

As always, the mockers and scoffers literally fulfill the words of the scripture. And they are totally oblivious to the irony of their own words.


"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 2 Peter 3:3-4



You obvious are not much for reading the Bible but I wonder if you are aware that many of the early church fathers of the first 3 centuries all wrote the Bible pointed to a 2000 year church age, then the return of Christ. And of course here we are right at the 2000 year mark. From Adam to Abraham was about 2000 years, from Abraham to Christ was about 2000 years and the first coming to the 2nd coming is about 2000 years. After that is the 1000 year reign of Christ and the Saints on the earth. That completes the 7000 year pattern set down in scripture.

Its hard to believe anyone could live in the year 2022 and not see the words of Revelation happening right before their very eyes. Even the blind can see the globalist movement and agenda seeping across the global among the elites. Even the blind can see the purposeful destruction of America taking palce to hand power over to a globalist elite.

Revelation tells us at the end there will be a one world government and leader again for the first time since antiquity. We would all be marked and tracked by that global government, they would have control over all the food, the ability to buy and sell, what we could say and do and rule with an iron fist.

Even many non Christians can clearly see these events lining up just as written in this generation.

As scripture says, the foolish will act foolishly, and the wise will walk in wisdom and faith.