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Dawkins, of course, will not admit that the inability of science to explain what really matters indicates any failure to ultimately explain everything. The truth is that every door that science opens reveals ten unopened doors on the other side. Those who say that the universe began with a “Big Bang” cannot explain how this energy originated or why it suddenly exploded at that particular moment in the distant past.

Nor can they explain how the astonishing order we see everywhere in the universe, contrary to all logic and scientific laws, was produced by the hopeless chaos that such an explosion would unquestionably have caused.

1 Corinthians:15:33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
See All... “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

Bad company always corrupts good character. Who you hang with is who you become. [A friend] and I talked a lot about that. Sometimes in life, one of the best things you will ever do is get rid of toxic friends. And, of course, one of the keys is to make sure you are not a toxic influence in other people’s lives, so they won’t want to dump you. We sure got through a lot of Scripture during those three hours. Always have your Bible handy.

—Mark Cahill (born March 16, 1962, American author, speaker, and evangelist).

Three collegiate women’s volleyball teams have forfeited games against San Jose State University, which has a trans-identifying male, Blaire Fleming, on its roster.

The University of Wyoming announced in a statement Tuesday that the women’s team will forfeit its upcoming Saturday game.

“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San José State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming,” the school stated.

Southern Utah University canceled its game at the Santa Clara Tournament the weekend of Sept. 14, and Boise State University forfeited its Sept. 28 game. Mountain West Conference policy states forfeitures must be recorded as a loss.

Now, SJSU’s women’s volleyball team has a 10-0 record for the season. But many don’t consider it a victory, pointing to concerns about the team’s male athlete. 

“These girls have devoted their entire lives to the sport they love and have reached one of the highest levels of achievement,” Payton McNabb, ambassador for Independent Women’s Forum, wrote in an email to The College Fix.

“Now, all of that is being taken away due to one man’s made-up view of reality. Why must we pretend it’s something it’s not? It’s cheating and it needs to stop,” she wrote.

Brooke Slusser, co-captain of the SJSU team, recently joined a lawsuit with 12 other female athletes against the NCAA, alleging violations of Title IX regarding fairness in women’s sports, Outkick reported.

Slusser is worried about safety and competitive balance, as the 6-foot-1 Fleming’s physical capabilities exceed her female teammates and opponents, according to the complaint.

“She really views the NCAA transgender eligibility policies as an impediment to women’s achievement in sport and as an insurmountable obstacle that closes the door of athletic opportunity to many women,” Slusser’s attorney Bill Bock said.

“The reason for that is that there are just inherent physical differences between men and women,” he said.

Slusser claims she was “forced both to compete and to share a residence with Fleming without any prior notice that the athlete was male,” Outkick reported.

https://www.thecollegefix.com/san-jose-state-womens-volleyball-with-male-player-goes-10-0-after-teams-forfeit/

[TBC: The Lord in Matthew:19:4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
See All... settled this question long ago: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female…”]

Max Planck, one of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century, considered to be the father of modern Quantum Theory, frankly admitted: “Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature.” We can’t define time, or space, or matter, or energy—much less the soul and spirit. We have names by which we refer to an atom, molecule, cell, but no real understanding of their composition, and certainly not of their origin. Nor can science tell us why the universe exists.

Wednesday - December 11

• 1:00 pm Rob Yardley - Opening Message
• 2:30 pm Dave Hunt - What Does the Bible say Will Happen in the Last Days?
• 4:00 pm Paul Wilkinson - Finding Nemo
• 5:30 pm Dave Hunt - Chosen People?

Thursday - December 12

• 1:00 pm Dave Hunt - God is Angry
• 2:30 pm Mark Cahill - Pray for B.O.B.
• 4:00 pm Dave Hunt - How Dependent Should the Church be on Psychological Theories?
• 5:30 pm Keith Gibson - Onward Christian Monarchs

Friday - December 13

• 1:00 pm Mark Cahill - Hey Stranger!
• 2:30 pm Keith Gibson - The Different Gospel of the “Boyfriend Jesus”
• 4:00 pm Dave Hunt - A Critique of Dominion Theology
• 5:30 pm Paul Wilkinson - Covenant Keeper

Saturday - December 14

• 2:30 pm Dave Hunt - The Value of Inflexibility
• 4:00 pm T. A. McMahon - Closing Message

The entire conference will be available online for free or on DVD after completion.

• Faith
• Interfaithism: Uniting Religions for One World
• Who Am I?
• Digital Addiction: What the Neuroscience Shows
• Answers to Three Key Questions about Creation and Evolution
• The Love of God
• Technology vs. Intimacy with God
• Seven Strong Arguments for a Pre-Trib Rapture
• Desert Encounters: Evolutionary Culture and the Christian Message
• Faith is Not a Four-Letter Word
• Getting from Darwin to Engineered Biology
• The Five Foundation Stones of the Early Church
• Where Are We... and Where Do We Need to Be?

This is not science but “scientism,” the worship of science in the place of God. The truth, however, is that science never will be able to explain ultimate reality. We could quickly list dozens of common phenomenon that science has not been able to explain: light, the electron, life, love, conscience, ethics, morals, etc. In contrast to the confidence fifty years ago that physical science would soon explain everything, including mind and personality, most scientists now recognize that science can never explain the most basic elements of the universe and our existence.

Question: I have a Bible question which I don't understand—would you mind teaching me? In a Zoom Bible study originating from a Hong Kong Ministry, the teacher who is teaching suggested it is permissible to worship and sacrifice to the LORD at the high places since the Temple wasn't built yet and is forbidden after the Temple was built:

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire (Deuteronomy:7:5But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
See All...); And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks…. (Deuteronomy:12:3-6 [3] And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. [4] Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. [5] But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: [6] And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
See All...)

1 Kings:3:2-3 [2] Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. [3] And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
See All... said that Solomon offered 1,000 sacrifices to the LORD at the high place at Gibeon and after that God was revealed to him and accepted him, but in 2 Chronicles:1:5Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.
See All... Solomon actually went to the Tabernacle and offered at the brazen altar. So, did he do the right thing? 

Response: 2 Chronicles:1:3So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
See All... tells us that Solomon, early in his reign and before the temple was built, worshiped at a high place. Verse 3 reads, “So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.” We know that the tabernacle was set up there. But, both Deuteronomy:7:5But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
See All... and 12:3-6 clearly tell us that all the pagan materials are to be removed from the high place prior to any worship of the Lord. A “high place” itself is not a pagan location, except if the statues and the other things used in their rituals are there.

Consequently, the reason Solomon worshiped at this particular high place was, as already noted, that the tabernacle was set up there. It was the same tabernacle that the children of Israel, according to the instructions given Moses, had constructed in the wilderness. Therefore, before the construction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the tabernacle was what God had chosen for the sacrifice and worship by Israel.

It has been pointed out that Solomon’s father King David had previously worshiped the Lord at this high place in Gibeon. First Chronicles 16:39 notes, “[David left] Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon….” The tabernacle was where the altar of burnt offering had been set up (see 1 Chronicles:21:29For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
See All...).

Again, it was not the high place itself that made it a suitable place for the sacrifices, but rather a place cleansed of all pagan paraphernalia and with the tabernacle already set up there.

*Our purpose in this section is to simply show what kind of feedback we receive. We may respond to some of them in private whether or not we agree with their views. 

Dear TBC,

I recently came out of a Dominionist church. You covered the points very well: they're not looking for the Rapture of the church, they're not looking for the second Coming of Christ, the seven-year Tribulation, the global kingdom of the Antichrist, or the Battle of Armageddon when Christ returns to destroy Antichrist and his armies and establish his 1,000 year Kingdom on earth, sitting on the Throne of His earthly father, David, in Jerusalem. They turn the Book of Revelation on its head, and claim Israel has no special role in God’s end times program, and have no right to the Land of Israel ("God is not a racist," I heard one of their teachers say). The Holy Spirit warned me to GET OUT of that church, which I did. The church, btw, is a member of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) denomination. The top echelon of the leadership of the Church of God in Cleveland, TN was contacted about the doctrines the local church was teaching. They had NO problem at all with the Dominionist teaching, and basically said, "Mind your own business." The great apostasy is here. Whole denominations are falling away. EW (email)

Dear TBC,

Thank you so much for taking the time to research the mockery and heresy of The Chosen  [see—www.bit.ly/3UcYlZK]. I meet a lot of people that think The Chosen is the greatest and now I can recommend this video to share what it really is. Well done research, and thank you for sharing with your fellow believers. We need to be aware of this kind of stuff that is leading believers away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, thank you for exposing The Chosen. SM (email)

Dear TBC,

[Concerning the video “The Promised Land Series—Mocking God and Moses”, see—www.bit.ly/4dSew5N] This is more idolatrous "Christian" entertainment. It was hard for me to watch the whole thing. It's so dangerous what they're doing. What's crazy is how many people are flocking, "following" this worldly group. They are being used by Satan, not God. Yet people will take up for it because it gratifies their need for entertainment. Sad. JF (email)

Dear TBC,

I think it is more difficult with The Promised Land than with The Chosen. They claim to represent the life of Jesus but add a lot of their own imagination. I agree that is a big problem. But with this it is obvious it is not a literal depiction of how it would have been. Should we then be so Berean about it? Personally I like some parts with humor and some I really don’t but that’s a matter of taste. Personally, I think we should be careful to dismiss or accept anything.

But ask questions like, “For what purpose is something? Is it educational or entertainment, or is it a strange mix?” And then judge the matter accordingly to its intention. But to be fair with all the interpretations of the Bible, it is hard to find any entertainment that is in line with the Bible. So I have one simple rule: If it is entertainment, it is NOT education. And learning about His ways comes with reading or hearing His Word (Romans:10:17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
See All...). But it is a fact you have immersed yourself with the Word of God. CJ (email)

Dear TBC,

[Concerning the video “Is the Universe Billions of Years Old? Part 2” with Jay Seegert, see—www.bit.ly/40bzrxr] Thank you for another excellent presentation of the truth of the six literal days of creation. Mark:10:6But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
See All... is an important reference. Also, a very important point was made: dead fossils, which the imaginary geologic column shows predate humans, conflict with the first human Adam's transgression bringing death into a perfect creation. The evolution heresy conflicts with the truth of death and salvation in Romans:5:12-21 [12] Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: [13] (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. [15] But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. [16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. [17] For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
See All.... Anon. (email)

Dear TBC,

[Concerning the video “Why Does World Opinion Go Against Israel?”, see—www.bit.ly/40tuxML] I can only think that it is the people who truly seek God by the reading of His Word, that their eyes are opened and understand this message. They are in a fight against evil. The world is watching hoping for an excuse to annihilate them. That’s what it seems like. But what choices do they have right now? I pray for them because I know God loves them and He is waiting for them to call on Him. Many of them are turning to Jesus and it’s so amazing. God reuniting with His people! And we are His adoption! Anon. (email) 

THE OUTCOME OF 2024 USA ELECTION IS HISTORY

Has the outcome changed your HOPE? 

T. A. McMahon

President

Keep Thou me ever hungry, Lord,

Until I famish for Thy Word—

Thy Word, which is my meat, my bread,

Thy Word, which feeds whenever read.

Keep Thou me ever thirsty, Lord,

Stay not Thy hand till Thou hast poured

Thy living water in my cup

Which I am humbly holding up.

Keep me dissatisfied, dear Lord;

Use thou Thy Spirit’s shining sword

To pierce my foolish self-esteem

And rouse me from my empty dream.

Keep me awake, that I may hear

Thy bugles calling, loud and clear.

Stir Thou my sluggish soul to fight

For Thee beneath Thy banner bright.

Yea, this my prayer, that I may be

Hungry and thirsty, Lord, for Thee,

Dissatisfied with self, awake!

And this I ask for Jesus’ sake.

— Martha Snell Nicholson, “Until He Comes”

Hizbullah’s Stronghold in the U.S.

Memri.org, 10/22/24, “Dearborn, Michigan—Hizbullah’s Stronghold in the U.S.” [Excerpts]:The local community in Dearborn, Michigan shows visible support for the U.S. government-designated terrorist Iranian proxy in Lebanon, Hizbullah, regularly mourning its slain fighters and referring to them as “martyrs.” Memorials and commemorations for slain Hizbullah fighters, and other Hizbullah-related events, are often held locally, including at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in the city, named for the Bint Jbeil area, one of Hizbullah’s strongholds in Southern Lebanon where members of the community have family ties.

These very public memorials and commemorations are regularly covered by a local news outlet which publishes articles, photos, graphics, and videos about funerals for these “martyrs” in southern Lebanon and about memorial services that are held for them in Dearborn. Other Hizbullah fighters’ funerals are extensively covered by local news outlets….

Even though these public commemorations of Hizbullah fighters are held regularly, they are not reported on by outlets affiliated with major news agencies.

https://bit.ly/4fiwKyI

How Do We Solve the West’s Fertility Crisis?

IntellectualTakeout.org, 8/27/24, “How Do We Solve the West’s Fertility Crisis?” [Excerpts]: It’s no secret that birth rates are dropping across the Western world. A recent OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) report found that the fertility rate among the group’s 38 member nations dropped from 3.3 children per woman in 1960 to just 1.5 children in 2022—well below the replacement level of 2.1 children required to keep populations constant.

To be sure, this is not just an economic challenge but an existential one. A civilization that has lost the will to reproduce is a civilization that has lost the will to live.

According to the latest research, we have indeed lost the will to reproduce. In a study published earlier this month, the Pew Research Center found:

The share of U.S. adults younger than 50 without children who say they are unlikely to ever have children rose 10 percentage points over five years, from 37% in 2018 to 47% in 2023.

https://bit.ly/4gZqIEv

Mixed Land and Marine Fossils in Wales

ICR.org, 8/26/24, “More Mixed Land and Marine Fossils in Wales” [Excerpts]: Flood geologists expect to find marine fossils mixed in the same layers as land animal and land plant fossils. We see it all over the world. Scientists can directly observe the results of massive waves, created by tectonic activity, that crashed across the continents. The global Flood caused many animals and plants to be transported both onto the land and offshore, too.

A recent discovery in Wales brings the land and marine mixing issue to the forefront again.  Conventional scientists from the University of Bristol and The Natural History Museum in London discovered dinosaur bones mixed in the same bone beds with fossils of countless marine fish (and at least one coelacanth), sharks, and swimming reptiles, including ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs.

Lead author Owain Evans said: “The bone bed paints the picture of a tropical archipelago, subjected to frequent storms that washed material from both land and sea into a tidal zone. This means that from just one fossil horizon, we can reconstruct a complex ecological system, with a diverse array of marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and placodonts [extinct marine reptiles] in the water, and dinosaurs on land.”

With this evidence, it is surprising that conventional geologists still don’t seem to get it. They see the mixed assemblages and the flooding but interpret it in their deep-time worldview, ignoring the possibility that there was a global flood. Their many “storms” over vast time amount to many floods, just never the one Flood.

Unsurprisingly, a better explanation for these recent Welsh discoveries is the global Flood. It explains the transport of the marine fossils inland, the abrasion, the mixing with land animals, and even the rapid burial. It also makes sense of the dinosaur footprints in freshly deposited marine sediments. Those dinosaurs were likely scrambling to find any remaining dry ground at that point in the Flood, leaving their footprints before being washed away themselves by the next wave.

https://bit.ly/3U47ofF

I recently received a newsletter from a ministry which contained the exhortation: “The Bible says there is a season for everything. This is our season to fight hard—to battle back—to win." 

The timeliness of their statement could not have been better fitting with the main point of this TBC article. We without doubt are in the “last days” (possibly even the last hours) battle before Jesus returns. Scripture warns us that Satan knows his time is short (Revelation:12:12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
See All...) and he's unleashing every wrathful and wicked device he has upon "the inhabiters of the earth."                

Therefore, we need every insight we can find in God's Word that sheds light on how we are to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy:6:12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
See All...). In this article, we're featuring a man of God who embodies the qualities sorely needed in the church today. His name is Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah, who wrote most of the Book named after him. He certainly made himself aware of the times, and the Holy Spirit gave him tremendous insights in what the children of Israel ought to do regarding a variety of very difficult conditions. 

For example, when Nehemiah first became aware of the dire circumstances "concerning the Jews that had escaped" and were living in Jerusalem, his reaction was: he "sat down and wept... and prayed before the God of heaven…." Furthermore, he humbly confessed "the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned" (Nehemiah:1:2-6 [2] That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. [3] And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. [4] And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, [5] And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: [6] Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
See All...).

Nehemiah was a Jew born in Babylon during the 70-year captivity. He was highly regarded by the Persian ruler Artaxerxes whom he served as cupbearer and wine steward. It was a significant position of tasting the king's drink and food in order to keep the king out of harm's way. Yet his duty for the "king of kings" (perhaps the world's most powerful ruler at the time) did not lessen his concern for his Jewish kinsmen and their struggles in Jerusalem.

Artaxerxes the king took notice: “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart” (Nehemiah:2:2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
See All...). 

Nehemiah explained: “Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire? Then the king said to [him], What do you request? So, I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it” (vv 3-5).

Nehemiah's request of the king tells us a lot about his character. First of all, he immediately "prayed to the God of heaven." Secondly, his request would have him give up an extremely comfortable and honorable position to do work that amounted to hard labor with those who were the poor and struggling returned captives. Not exactly the life he was experiencing among the elite Persian crowd!

I believe Nehemiah's qualities as a leader are sorely missing in today's church leadership. In other words, there are a great many things we can learn about leadership from one whose name means "the Lord comforts." It's not by chance that the Holy Spirit is referred to as "the Comforter." "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things..." (John:14:26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
See All...). There's little doubt that Nehemiah was used by the Lord to comfort and teach His people, as you will read.

Nehemiah's first request of Artaxerxes was to give him what was needed to help his people. One of the marks of a godly leader is selflessness,that is, one who is completely other-directed.His request included not only building supplies, but also protection from those whose intention it was to thwart the work of God. This he did, but not without first seeking the Lord in prayer, which He graciously answered: "Then I told them [the Jews in Jerusalem] of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So, they [by God's grace] strengthened their hands for this good work" (Nehemiah:2:18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
See All...).

Even so, the opposition to the "good work" intensified. "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it (Nehemiah:4:7-8 [7] But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, [8] And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
See All...)." 

Nehemiah's response: "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them" (v 9).

Again, one of the marks of the Comforter is "He shall teach you all things..." (John:14:26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
See All...). 

The Holy Spirit then gave Nehemiah a gameplan of how to engage God's enemies. Certainly, prayer first, then a strategy to enable the work to continue. "And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded" (Nehemiah:4:16-18 [16] And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. [17] They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. [18] For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
See All...).

For those who don't see an application for our day, I suggest the sword they might think of is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians:6:17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
See All...). Too often among today's leadership, looking to God's Word is not a priority. It's considered as “impractical.” 

As often happens in times of great struggles, it brings out the best and worst in folks. Nehemiah's leadership qualities not only helped him react and recognize the problem—he "was very angry" at how the Jewish rulers were treating their brethren. It's called usury.Basically, their kinsmen were being put in financial bondage by their kinsmen.His solution was a stiff rebuke: "Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them" (Nehemiah:5:7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
See All...). The end result of his uncompromising stance (which is rare in church leadership today) was thus: "Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest" (v 12).

Doing what's right is always the right thing to do, but it can create other problems. Not surprising, it has a way of cranking up the opposition of God's enemies, as well as a never-ending diversity of attacks such as false accusations, distractions, continual harassments, outright lies, intimidation, false prophets, ad hominem attacks, etc.

Finally, through prayer and obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and His grace, "the wall was finished… in [an amazing] fifty and two days" (Nehemiah:6:15So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
See All...). Adding to that good news, while under Nehemiah's administration, the Lord had Ezra teach the people the Scriptures [the Sword of the Spirit!], laying a critical foundation that they might learn and obey God's laws. And as they did, the people and the land prospered.

However, for the brief time period when Nehemiah returned to Babylon from Jerusalem, many of the people drifted away from his governorship and God's laws. How Nehemiah handled their disobedience, I believe, is a lesson in general for every pastor who believes he has been called to shepherd God's flock. Granted, what Nehemiah did in some cases may seem harsh, even outrageous by today's so-called standards, but two words speak loudly to me regarding his approach. They are: No compromise.

Today's word for compromise can best be termed ecumenism, which is an attempt to reconcile all professing Christian religions, even those which clearly contradict each other. Rick Warren, who is the executive director of Finishing the Task mission coalition, is today's best-known advocate of ecumenism that fosters the belief that "can't we all just get along?" is the key to religious unity (see TBC video At Home in Rome on page 8, or online—www.bit.ly/HomeInRome). He's simply following the historic compromise of Billy Graham with the Catholic Church.

Here's what Nehemiah faced when he returned from Babylon, especially in light of those in Jerusalem who had turned back to "wicked works": "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God" (Nehemiah:13:7And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
See All...). That's reflective of Acts:20:29-30 [29] For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. [30] Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
See All...: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." 

That's just part of today's apostasy that is rampant within professing Christianity.Nehemiah's solution: "And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber" (Nehemiah:13:8And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
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For decades those of us who have recognized the completely antichrist content of Christian psychology and psychotherapy have pleaded with church leadership to fill dumpsters with their pseudo-scientific lies. Tragically, all to no avail. Psychotherapy is the most popular career choice among today's "Christian" university students. Anyone remember the teaching that God's Word is sufficient and God-breathed? Therefore, adding to it or subtracting from it consists of man's lies (Proverbs:30:5-6 [5] Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. [6] Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
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That which led to the Babylonian captivity had to do with the breaking the sabbath. Not that we're advocating sabbath keeping (it was required for Israel under the old covenant), yet Nehemiah saw the irony: "Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath” (Nehemiah:13:18Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
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Nehemiah had a solution for those selling things on the sabbath: "Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall [to do business on the Sabbath]? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath" (v 21). Obviously, Nehemiah's "laying on of hands" differed from the popular charismatic technique, yet it was quite effective.

The evil of religious intermarriage returned during Nehemiah's absence in Babylon: "In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people" (vv 23-24).

Nehemiah's solution: "And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves" (v 25). On the one hand, Nehemiah's solution, especially in our day, may possibly result in spending time in jail or at least a psychiatric ward. On the other hand, the long-term grief resulting from a husband and wife whose beliefs are diametrically opposed, will end up being a far more tragic and long-term condition.

Nehemiah reminds us of Solomon's intermarriage with Pharaoh's daughter and issues a warning. "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless, even himdid outlandish women cause to sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?" (vv 26-27). Nehemiah's addressing the "great evil" of religious intermarriage were sometimes of a very simple and practical solution—although not heeded. One involved Joiada, who was "the son of Eliashib the high priest, [who] was son in law to [the wicked] Sanballat the Horonite" (v 28). What wisdom did Nehemiah issue forth: "I chased him from me."Simple yes, but it's part of the battle of faith that needs to be heeded. 

Although these things took place at the time of the Babylonian Captivity, they were indicated by Jesus that the same and worse would occur at the time of His second coming: "And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you" (Matthew:24:3-4 [3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
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What we know regarding the strategy of Satan, his overall goal as the father of lies is to deceive humanity—which he started with Eve, convincing her of the ultimate lie, "ye shall be as gods" (Genesis:3:5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
See All...). There is no greater deception that robs us of our true hope, the hope that only Jesus, who alone is the Truth, can fulfill. 

Our prayer is that the Lord will raise up leaders and fathers in the church similar to Nehemiah, who was a bold, prayer-first, selfless, uncompromising man of God. They will need the Lord’s help to guide them through the perilous times of unprecedented deception ahead (2 Timothy:3:1-2 [1] This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
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"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." (Psalm:31:24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
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TBC

• Question: Do Christians still commit sin?
• Question: Should Paul's Epistles be part of Scripture?

Question: Our church is teaching that Christians will not commit sins if they are truly saved. So, are scriptures such as 1 Peter:4:15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
See All... talking about unbelievers?

Response: Concerning your question, 1 Peter:4:15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
See All... tells us: “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”

Peter is writing “…to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied” (1 Pet:1:1-2 [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
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It is to these believers that Jesus warns, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief…[etc.]” (1 Pet:4:15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
See All...). It is to believers that John writes in 1 John:1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
See All...: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Consequently, Peter wouldn’t warn those who cannot sin, nor would John have written of a remedy for those who haven’t sinned. Though the saved (still living in the “old man,” i.e., the flesh) can still say, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph:2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
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Yet, Peter still warns the church in 1 Peter:4:15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
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Question: What can you tell us about a group who say they are Christians, but tell us that Paul’s epistles should not be in the New Testament? Also, they say that we must learn the Scriptures through Hebrew eyes and culture. Finally, the names “Hebrews,” “Israel,” “Israelites,” and “Jews” have different meanings in today’s context and that “Israel” and “Jews” don’t mean the same people.

Response: From what you have said, you very likely have met a cultist who is presenting himself as the authority when it comes to learning Scripture. The intent to help Christians understand better the Scriptures through Hebrew eyes and culture is not in itself “bad.” But, if any group places emphasis upon these aspects, such as how someone is saved, we’re only seeing through their eyes and their assumed culture.

To them the Bible “must” be in error, because it contradicts what they teach. Yet, if they won’t include Paul as a part of the New Testament, consider what Peter said in 2 Peter:3:16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
See All...: “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they doalso the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (emphasis added).

Further, the Lord has promised to preserve His Word, as in Psalm:12:6-7 [6] The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. [7] Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
See All...: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.”

Regarding your question about the meaning of “Hebrews,” “Israel,” “Israelites,” and “Jews,” all speak of the descendants of Jacob (Israel). The Lord distinctly said that “...though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jer:30:11For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.
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As to their importance as “signs of the times,” the prophet Joel recorded that “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Jl 3:2; see also Zechariah 7, 8, 12, 14, etc.). Finally, the apostle Paul also noted that God was far from finished with the nation of Israel (Rom:11:1-25 [1] I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, [3] Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. [4] But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. [5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. [6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. [7] What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. [8] (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. [9] And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: [10] Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. [11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. [15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? [16] For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. [17] And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; [18] Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. [19] Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. [20] Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: [21] For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. [22] Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. [23] And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. [24] For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? [25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
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