This is literally everything I hate about church. Like, just this superficial authority, that sits there clothed in flannel, and shames someone for having an outburst of authentic emotions about something for all intents and purposes, we all should be a little worked up about. Israel and Iran are at war, America is getting ready to persecute the Saints. She wasn't demonically possessed. Or a lunatic. She's probably sick by heartbreak, and a Pastor's job is to balm the sick, not cast them out of their church. Literally, have you seen the world today? She's crying out about how evil the world is. Does a demon shout, "Every knee shall bow," obviously speaking about Jesus? Honestly, she's probably a woman who sees the state of the world, and this was her reaction. Just good old fashioned emotions getting the better of someone. Not Satan. If this pastor were mature, he wouldn't broadcast it to the whole world, he wouldn't try to say she's a demoniac because she's obviously not. He'd preach a sermon on the state of the world, and how we have to be vigilant for Christ, and accept that trials and persecutions may come in our lifetimes, and to be prepared for martyrdom, even if it doesn't happen.

Literally, we need more wailing and crying for the sins of these people, not to sit around and gossip about a woman who's distraught over the state of the world, and we ought not do that weird thing Christians do, that I hate. This is Pharisaicalism, not Christianity. You need to be worked up about this. Those at ease in Zion are sinning. Perhaps the LORD will repent, and show mercy to this generation.

He's even lying about her. She's not demonic. She said, and I quote, "Every knee shall bow. Liar." Because Jordan is allied with Israel. We need to be preparing ourselves for hard times, not waiting to go up in a blaze. The rapture may actually happen, but we need to be vigilant, and understand Christians can get persecuted. That's a fact. And Jordan is doing the right thing, but we need to understand, that if trials come, we need not have our roots in the rocky soil. We should be reading and preparing ourselves by studying the martyrs. Not blindly living on, eating and drinking, [marrying and giving into marriage] like nothing is going to happen to us at all. It may not turn out that way. Many in that church may fall. Maybe they won't. We need to repent, and not shame someone for crying out in anguish at the world we live in today. Because she may be trying to tell you, that hard times are a coming. Maybe they aren't, but she's worked up, that much is for sure. And a pastor's job is not to shame the woman for crying out for her LORD. Maybe she's overzealous? Maybe not? But this is not the way to handle this.

Is someone who's demon possessed, shout, "Every knee shall bow." She sounds like she's hurting over the world, and all its pain. I don't know if she's demon possessed, but probably someone who doesn't believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. You shouldn't go casting demons out of people, where there aren't any. Like honestly, I wish more people were this distraught over the current world. She's not demon possessed at all, just wailing over the evil in the world, and probably believes she's living through the tribulation. Is she? I don't think it's that time yet, but she's angry at the pastor's ease, when we shouldn't have such ease about us. We should be vigilant and prepared. And equally disturbed in our own way, about the current sin in the world.

and the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

One of my favorite quotes from Men in Black is when he quotes an alien saying, "Some across in the other galaxies, find human language to be a disease." I feel that way when I listen to philosophy. It just turns my head in so many different directions, and I'm just like---none of that is why I believe in God. Although Soren Kierkegaard probably gave the best philosophical answer, that's still not why I believe. But it's getting closer.

I think Frank Herbert's Dune is why I believe. But it's an entirely different world of philosophy that people never encountered before. The Universal of the Ethics--which people know, don't kid yourself--seems to need substantiated on something. As without it, it becomes supplanted by the Moral Necessity, and that leads to suffering, chaos and malaise. And only Jesus seemed to teach an Ethics that parallels what actually describes human flourishing. I find Jesus--being a homeless poor carpenter, who never had an education---remarkable, that he could shut up men who were severely more educated than even our finest scholars today. These Pharisees knew a cross discipline of probably 12 different fields, ranging from the sciences, to language arts and the liberal arts, both Roman and Hebraic law, and Jesus would shut them up in a few phrases. Not only that, He was a master story teller. I see that as divine intelligence. And it's evidence for me He is truly the Son of God. Because we know He existed, and the Gospels are accurate accounts of His life and ministry. We have surviving records of who wrote them. It's just a matter of coming to reckon with Jesus, and that's the whole of why I believe. And no other reason.

Like, His philosophy is universally sound, and has strong echoes in Stoicism, Confucianism, Epicureanism, Pythagoreanism, Mozism, Daoism, Platonism, Aristotelianism, even American philosophies made by the Natives, Jesus seemed to have found parallels and universal truths. It's just the dynamic nature of His teachings, and the universality of it, and He by no wise was educated. He was very poor, and could barely have a place to rest his head. He probably slept on the floor of his little house there in Galilee. They've unearthed homes there, they were the size of a small living room. And He was quite a thinker, for not ever being educated. There's no way they could have afforded it back then, and He was also so isolated.

Even with a materialistic world, you can derive concrete values and morality. That's the scary part.

God's not this ultimate being, that gives everything definition, that without we cannot have it. 

It's like, you either know Him or you don't. Obviously, God exists because there is Good. Like, you can say "Good" doesn't exist apart from God. But, that's not to say that you can't qualify "Good" as "Beneficial" as in something that supplies emotional and physical needs. And when science does quantify that, it's going to be dangerous. Because obviously, what produces the most sound and beneficial society is the Old Testament. It's going to be confronted with the absolute depravity of man, and then possibly go one of two directions, or maybe both. It's going to understand that humans are depraved, and cannot sustain that perfect system, therefore it will make lawlessness. Or it will take it upon itself to force us into that Law. Which, either would be catastrophic, and probably hellish to live in.

Morality is very real. You can justify it with science. Because obviously love hormones create better looking and stronger people, and what creates love hormones is general piety and conservative values. That's just a fact, you can see it as plainly in Horace as you can Confucius. It's the fact that the argument is so stupid, that it's left Atheists dazzled by it, and Christians seem like they only know right from wrong because God tells them so.

Which, man has a conscience, and inherently understands God's law innately. That's what separates us from the beast. And if God exists, that conscience ought to be satisfied by evidence in the real world. And when they find that evidence, that's going to be a game changer, and it's going to create havoc. Because man won't know what to do with it, apart from God.

The word there is "Will" not "Desire". You're using a bad translation. Which, if you desire the LORD, and desire to fear His name, you'll be saved. Which, that desire is for righteousness, which God foreknew those Who'd desire His law, and predestined them with Grace.

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

Generally, most deconversions come from despising the Law. Which God foreknew who'd cherish it and who wouldn't. But, Jesus says, "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied." If you hunger and thirst, that's not according to your will, is it? It's a bodily function, saying you hunger and thirst. Those who have hunger for righteousness and desire to be fed, will be. Those who have no hunger or thirst for righteousness will not be. They'll starve. Whom God foreknew these objects, and bore with them patiently.

"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?"

Paul there is speaking of the desire for righteousness, which comes not from man's will or effort. Which you lost, that's why you deconverted. You hadn't the hunger or thirst. And I'm sorry for that, I truly am, but so many will perish for that reason. For a lack of desire for the LORD's commandments or true righteousness.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

G2309 means that you can't be saved by an active will, but rather a passive will only. That is Grace, is to rest on God's law. To have passive hunger for righteousness, rather than feigned hunger, where you force yourself to have it, like a Pharisee. It has to be real, and genuine from the heart, not like a hypocrite who only acts.

G2309 and G5143

I love that verse. God's going to repay those who broke Israel. Part of a healthy psychology is integrating the Shadow. The Bible does that, with verses like these. You have to understand the context to that verse. Like HAMAS is putting babies in ovens right now? Like, don't they deserve to be punished? God's not a wimp. And He fights dirty if you're a person who fears Him, He'll fight on your behalf. Like I said, the innate desire in a man to Fear and Honor God, and have righteousness, that is what saves him, and God foreknows who that will be, so He seals them with Grace. And we forfeit Judgment to God. It's not saying we should dash the babies on the rocks, only that the heathen nation who comes upon Babylon and does so, will be happy. In this case Medo Persia.

Why not think that way? There is evil in the world. And it needs to be dealt with some way or another. The fact is, war is sometimes necessary, and people do have to kill children. It's a hard message, but it's the truth. Otherwise, if you let it fester, it would metastasize and make everyone suffer.

{...}I now understand [Brandon Robertson's] argument. Yes, Canaan and sometimes Egypt--not always--had allowed homosexual sex. But, the God of the Bible isn't the God of the Hittites, and Egyptians.

The Bible's authority is not derived from its inerrancy. It's derived from God and God alone. To interpret the Bible, you need God's help and guidance. As with anything else. It's clear Homosexuality is censured by both Testaments. And even by Jesus, and it's clear through the apostolic succession that was the tradition handed down by Christ to His Saints.

Basically, Christ goes over that through most of the book of John, that the Spirit will interpret and help remind you of the Word entrusted to the saints. What God speaks to you, through the scripture, will be entrusted in your heart, and the Spirit will make a due diligence of reminder. Christians are to have a living God. The Bible is an idol to many Christians, but there is a clear interpretation, that only gets skewed the more you try to legalistically interpret it. Just like the Pharisees were doing.

With that said, Homosexuality is against nature, and is a corruption of the body of man, and that's explicitly taught by Paul, and Moses, and also Jesus Who affirmed Heterosexual Norms and also a Patriarchal structure. As the Lineage of Christ came through a Patriarchal line, not a Matriarchal, as did the line of Kings in succession.

Oh yes. I do all the time. Job did too. But, remember to honor Him and bless Him in all your prayers, and be very specific with your needs.

The thing about God is that He’s good, and He won’t give you something that will hurt you. Say you want to be a millionaire? Right? Well, God knows you’re liable to forget Him if you get all that money. So, you need to allow yourself to be shepherded and walk with Him always.

But, it’s not a sin to be exasperated with life. Jesus, Himself, sweat blood before the crucifixion. It’s okay to be overwhelmed by the burdens of life, just make sure you continue steadfast in your faith, and you don’t waiver in it. Rather, seek the LORD at your lowest moments, and triumph. Then, you’ll be like Joshua and Caleb, and ready to enter into the promised land. You’ll see Giants and many Phoenicians like Grasshoppers in the land, but you’ll be encouraged about the battle, not discouraged.

And also remember, sometimes the enemy has chariots of Iron. Like, that happens too. Sometimes the enemy’s so strong, that no earthly force can deliver you, and sometimes God wants you to be in a position of weakness, so the world has a chance to do what’s right. Will it? Well, it could. But, in terms of those victim souls—that’s what they call them—some like Jeremiah spent his whole life preaching, he saw the glory days of Josiah, and the heap of ruin that was Jehoiakim and Zedekiah’s reign. And at the end, when he finally could have peace—after being thrown in prison—the Jews forced him down to Egypt, where God explicitly told them not to go. It wasn’t Jeremiah’s fault he went to Egypt, they just wouldn’t take no for an answer. And then you have John the Baptist beheaded, and Jesus Himself crucified.

But, with evil’s earthly victory, God always prevails. With Jeremiah, he left a beautiful testament about how there will be an afterlife—as how would God prosper Jeremiah, unless it were in the next life? And also a rich testament, that John the Baptist paved the way for Christ and a new religion, and Jesus was crucified and crushed Satan’s head. And He raised in triumph.

That’s how God works. And there’s prosperous saints, too, but in an age where people are lawless, it’s more likely the righteous are going to be martyred and persecuted. And that’s something you have to be ready for in this world.

So, I know that’s a hard message. But, it’s the one you need right now. You’re not the only Godly servant who was exasperated. Many of the chosen by God lived horrible lives. Some of them didn’t. But, it’s Christ in the end, and a promised Land that you’re going to, so this life is simply a testing ground, to see where you’re at with your faith, and whether you’ll stay with God to the end.

And I believe there will be prosperity for God’s servants, even in this life. You’ll be fed the finest grains, is what God says, you’ll feed on Milk and Honey—you’ll have love in your life at all times, and in your soul—you’ll have blessing and flourishing in times of drought, and seasons of lack. God will provide for you what you need, in seasons of darkness, and even if the sun blackens over the land, you’ll have God as a light. As will I, if each of us perseveres with Him. It will hail in one place, and death and decay and destruction, but it won’t come near your tent. And that’s something God promises. That though it’s hard, you’ll be protected from the ruin that encompasses the world around you. And that’s why you need to stay yoked to God, otherwise Satan’s kingdom will have its reign over you, and that’s eternal torment.