Zorek Richards |
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Zorek Richards (aka, Richard L Zorek), political activist and social commentary writer/blogger, was born July 18, 1960 in Denver, Colorado. the middle child and son of Edward Leo Zorek (d. May 1970) and Lucile Marie Zorek. Zorek first came into the public realm in the early 80s as a founder/spokesman for the South Dakota Moral Action Crusade, a small organization based out of Rapid City, South Dakota. Aside from picketing South Dakota's lone abortion provider, H Benjamin Munson, SDMAC focused efforts on two "targets" during its brief existence: The Rapid City Journal and Senator Tom Daschle. A June 12, 1985 letter from Sen Daschle to Zorek stated:
In response to our recent conversation in Rapid City and your subsequent diatribe in the Rapid City Journal, I, frankly, can see no point in any further discussion with you
SDMAC's position was that Senator Daschle voted primarily for pro-abortion bills, while Daschle denied it repeatedly. In a fund raising letter, Daschle claimed the SDMAC "chased" him around the state. Which "was not true," rebutted Zorek. "We had no definite membership numbers and were only based out of Rapid City." Zorek was also Vice President of Right to Life's Rapid City chapter and briefly secretary for the South Dakota State Right to Life.
In 1986, the Rapid City Journal issued an editorial policy which banned any letter to the editors from being printed which had anything to do with abortion, claiming that the pro and con arguments were not changing anyones minds. SDMAC targeted the ban as censorship and sponsored picketing and leafleting targeting the Rapid City Journal.
Also in 1986, Zorek ran for a seat on the Rapid City City Council in Ward 1. Did not win but came in second. Zorek worked full time so did not devoted hardly any time for campaigning so he thought it was good enough and goo experience.
In 1987 SDMAC came under fire again as Tom Daschle joined with Democratic Oklahoma Senator Mike Synar and Florida Senator Larry Smith suggesting that Daschle was being stalked throughout the state by the SDMAC as Daschle campaigned against then Senator Jim Abnor. Abnor issued a statement indicating he was offended.
In 1989, Zorek attended a pro life rally with fellow Rapid City Right to Life members on the square in Washington DC, and was greeted at the congressional offices by then Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD). Zorek worked briefly on the election of Kansas Senator Bob Dole on his presidential bid before moving from the state for Colorado.
In the late 90s, Zorek had moved to Independence, Missouri. In October 2000, Zorek was invited by Nick Haines, from Public Television station KCPT to be spokesman as a "non-voter" in the upcoming state Senatorial election between Mel Carnahan and John Ashcroft which was held in Kansas City, Missouri. Zorek agreed and the event was televised. Two days later, Governor Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash near St Louis.
During the next few years Zorek turned his direction toward writing and web development, with particular attention to Two Bits Media of Kansas City, a now defunct web site, which Zorek offered his opinion on a host of subjects on a national and local Kansas City level.
In 2010, Zorek was a blogger for Haystack Commentary and resided in Wamego Kansas.
In 2012 he founder of the God 21 Project. God 21 Project mission statement on the web site states:
"To communicate the reality of God's existence into the 21st Century. To encourage and make available texts designed to encourage, aid, and give revelation to the reality of God and His relationship to you, mankind, and world events.We are reminded by Paul writing in I Cor 1:21 that "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." And there is plenty of preaching going on. The God 21 Project is dedicated to getting quality books and information at a significantly reduced cost (free, when at all possible) to people who are in need.
"It has been a great frustration for me over the years to discover that when I was in a hard spot in my life and could use some valuable information or support, that oft time it did not come without a cost. I always kinds thought that having to pay cash money for words of truth which would help in the real world of the living while having to possibly face life and death situations was just absurd. My goal was to aid in alleviating that problem."
In response to our recent conversation in Rapid City and your subsequent diatribe in the Rapid City Journal, I, frankly, can see no point in any further discussion with you
SDMAC's position was that Senator Daschle voted primarily for pro-abortion bills, while Daschle denied it repeatedly. In a fund raising letter, Daschle claimed the SDMAC "chased" him around the state. Which "was not true," rebutted Zorek. "We had no definite membership numbers and were only based out of Rapid City." Zorek was also Vice President of Right to Life's Rapid City chapter and briefly secretary for the South Dakota State Right to Life.
In 1986, the Rapid City Journal issued an editorial policy which banned any letter to the editors from being printed which had anything to do with abortion, claiming that the pro and con arguments were not changing anyones minds. SDMAC targeted the ban as censorship and sponsored picketing and leafleting targeting the Rapid City Journal.
Also in 1986, Zorek ran for a seat on the Rapid City City Council in Ward 1. Did not win but came in second. Zorek worked full time so did not devoted hardly any time for campaigning so he thought it was good enough and goo experience.
In 1987 SDMAC came under fire again as Tom Daschle joined with Democratic Oklahoma Senator Mike Synar and Florida Senator Larry Smith suggesting that Daschle was being stalked throughout the state by the SDMAC as Daschle campaigned against then Senator Jim Abnor. Abnor issued a statement indicating he was offended.
In 1989, Zorek attended a pro life rally with fellow Rapid City Right to Life members on the square in Washington DC, and was greeted at the congressional offices by then Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD). Zorek worked briefly on the election of Kansas Senator Bob Dole on his presidential bid before moving from the state for Colorado.
In the late 90s, Zorek had moved to Independence, Missouri. In October 2000, Zorek was invited by Nick Haines, from Public Television station KCPT to be spokesman as a "non-voter" in the upcoming state Senatorial election between Mel Carnahan and John Ashcroft which was held in Kansas City, Missouri. Zorek agreed and the event was televised. Two days later, Governor Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash near St Louis.
During the next few years Zorek turned his direction toward writing and web development, with particular attention to Two Bits Media of Kansas City, a now defunct web site, which Zorek offered his opinion on a host of subjects on a national and local Kansas City level.
In 2010, Zorek was a blogger for Haystack Commentary and resided in Wamego Kansas.
In 2012 he founder of the God 21 Project. God 21 Project mission statement on the web site states:
"To communicate the reality of God's existence into the 21st Century. To encourage and make available texts designed to encourage, aid, and give revelation to the reality of God and His relationship to you, mankind, and world events.We are reminded by Paul writing in I Cor 1:21 that "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." And there is plenty of preaching going on. The God 21 Project is dedicated to getting quality books and information at a significantly reduced cost (free, when at all possible) to people who are in need.
"It has been a great frustration for me over the years to discover that when I was in a hard spot in my life and could use some valuable information or support, that oft time it did not come without a cost. I always kinds thought that having to pay cash money for words of truth which would help in the real world of the living while having to possibly face life and death situations was just absurd. My goal was to aid in alleviating that problem."
Z-NOTE: December 19, 2024:
Evangelicals Again.......
Zorek Richards
So as I was paying a bill today I got into a conversation about history with the guy at the counter. He had just come back from New York City and DC. I 've been to DC so we talked about the Capital and Arlington and other places. And the Vietnam Wall. When I first saw the wall it was rather emotional...and you could just feel it from others...although it had only been their 10 years when I saw it. At some point he talked about how it just made him feel patriotic.....then he said he usually doesn't vote but he just had to now...but prefaced it by saying: "I don't know if you're Christian but I just had to vote for Donald Trump." I didn't say anything but his implication was if you are a Christian you have had to have voted for Donald Trump.
I, respectfully, did not argue the point but this kind of thought is common here in Mississippi. Sometimes I think Evangelicals are their own worst enemy.
I, respectfully, did not argue the point but this kind of thought is common here in Mississippi. Sometimes I think Evangelicals are their own worst enemy.
Z-Note: January 6, 2024:
Zorek Richards
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5)
If you let these vain imaginations grab hold of you, they become just that: powerful strongholds. And every time you rehearse that daydream it’s like laying more bricks, making the stronghold higher in your head. The more you repeat the imagination, the more powerful the hold it has on you.
This battle for your mind is not waged externally. It is, clearly, all in your head...all in your mind. But it's not so dismissive that you can just say to someone as though their imagination are vain that it's "all in your head." The imaginations in your head are powerful and destructive. Essentially it's where your head is all the before your salvation experience. A person can spend years entertaining vain imagination....but when Jesus comes he shed light on that darkness. They have become strongholds that can only be utterly torn down by rightly believing in the truth of God’s Word. Lies can imprison and defeat you only to the degree that you don’t allow God’s truth to come into your situation to liberate you. Listen closely to what Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32).
Fear is largely a vain imagination and, hence, irrational. Granted there are things we should naturally fear in this life...but you have to be certain that it's not these vain thoughts that imprison you. The word of God is truth and the truth will set you free. (John 14:6). We need to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Greek word used in that verse literally means you take thoughts prisoner. You conquer them. You bring them under control. You need to use the two weapons every believer has available to them: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The power is in Him and His word alone. Your flesh doesn't mind the torment even to its own destruction. But it's horribly wrong and can lead to other delusions and usually does. As a stronghold it is one of the most powerful you have to battle against. A person who is not saved...or has not come to realize who Jesus is and why He came, spends his life build this stronghold brick by brick. And it does become stronger and stronger. When we realize who Jesus is and why he came on that day of decision...you repent and begin to move and live and breathe in the light. the battle against that stronghold begins. Can you defeat it? No. But you can through Him and Him alone.
Ray Stedman wrote He uses in this passage (2 Corinthians 10:"3-5) the word strongholds; "we have divine power to destroy strongholds." This is the only place in the New Testament that this word in Greek occurs, but it is an easy word to understand because it is made up of root words which literally mean "a place of strength," a place which is essentially and inherently strong. That is, it is a place where evil is entrenched, where it is fortified, protected behind strong defenses. It is not out in the open easily exposed and overthrown, but it is encastled, well defended, a fortress with walls and moats and turrets, difficult to attack.
When we give into "vain imaginations," when we neglect to "bring into captivity" our [natural] thoughts, we set ourselves up for trouble.
Becky Laney clarifies:
In our imaginations we often rewrite things our own way:
We rewrite who we were, who we are, who we are going to be.
We rewrite who God is and what he is like.
We rewrite what we need, what we expect, what we DESERVE.
We rewrite relationships: how we relate to each other and how we relate to God.
We rewrite priorities. We make big things little and little things big.
We rewrite definitions and truths.
We rewrite "good" and "evil." Isaiah 5:20
We dismiss the realities we don't like and thrive upon fantasies.
So when is the right time to move against this stronghold? Yesterday. He will give you all the power you need to defeat and become victorious.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:3-5)
If you let these vain imaginations grab hold of you, they become just that: powerful strongholds. And every time you rehearse that daydream it’s like laying more bricks, making the stronghold higher in your head. The more you repeat the imagination, the more powerful the hold it has on you.
This battle for your mind is not waged externally. It is, clearly, all in your head...all in your mind. But it's not so dismissive that you can just say to someone as though their imagination are vain that it's "all in your head." The imaginations in your head are powerful and destructive. Essentially it's where your head is all the before your salvation experience. A person can spend years entertaining vain imagination....but when Jesus comes he shed light on that darkness. They have become strongholds that can only be utterly torn down by rightly believing in the truth of God’s Word. Lies can imprison and defeat you only to the degree that you don’t allow God’s truth to come into your situation to liberate you. Listen closely to what Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32).
Fear is largely a vain imagination and, hence, irrational. Granted there are things we should naturally fear in this life...but you have to be certain that it's not these vain thoughts that imprison you. The word of God is truth and the truth will set you free. (John 14:6). We need to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Greek word used in that verse literally means you take thoughts prisoner. You conquer them. You bring them under control. You need to use the two weapons every believer has available to them: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The power is in Him and His word alone. Your flesh doesn't mind the torment even to its own destruction. But it's horribly wrong and can lead to other delusions and usually does. As a stronghold it is one of the most powerful you have to battle against. A person who is not saved...or has not come to realize who Jesus is and why He came, spends his life build this stronghold brick by brick. And it does become stronger and stronger. When we realize who Jesus is and why he came on that day of decision...you repent and begin to move and live and breathe in the light. the battle against that stronghold begins. Can you defeat it? No. But you can through Him and Him alone.
Ray Stedman wrote He uses in this passage (2 Corinthians 10:"3-5) the word strongholds; "we have divine power to destroy strongholds." This is the only place in the New Testament that this word in Greek occurs, but it is an easy word to understand because it is made up of root words which literally mean "a place of strength," a place which is essentially and inherently strong. That is, it is a place where evil is entrenched, where it is fortified, protected behind strong defenses. It is not out in the open easily exposed and overthrown, but it is encastled, well defended, a fortress with walls and moats and turrets, difficult to attack.
When we give into "vain imaginations," when we neglect to "bring into captivity" our [natural] thoughts, we set ourselves up for trouble.
Becky Laney clarifies:
In our imaginations we often rewrite things our own way:
We rewrite who we were, who we are, who we are going to be.
We rewrite who God is and what he is like.
We rewrite what we need, what we expect, what we DESERVE.
We rewrite relationships: how we relate to each other and how we relate to God.
We rewrite priorities. We make big things little and little things big.
We rewrite definitions and truths.
We rewrite "good" and "evil." Isaiah 5:20
We dismiss the realities we don't like and thrive upon fantasies.
So when is the right time to move against this stronghold? Yesterday. He will give you all the power you need to defeat and become victorious.
November 13, 2023
Zorek Richards
The book of Lamentations is a book I neglected for a long time. Kind of like Job. They just didnt make any sense to me. Back in about 2005 I started reading Job and suddenly it was making sense. In fact, the whole world made more sense by reading it. Lamentation was the same. Until a few months ago. With Job it's almost like two bookends of wisdom.
Pain has a way of awakening us to our need for God’s help. It shines a spotlight on our powerlessness to control everything. We are never more aware of our frailty than when hardship comes our way. This is one of the blessings of suffering if we allow lament to lead us. The various trials of life can become a platform to reaffirm our dependence upon the Lord. The requests of lament can become the place where we celebrate our need for God’s help.
I have battled being a "control freak" most of my life. It's a real killer, BTW, for true and honest relationships. I had to learn to reach out to God as opposed to reaching out to myself for power to get through many things. It is much much better to be on the non-controlling side and learning how to complain (i.e. lament) and overcome weaknesses. Peace Through Strength? Yes...but not the nuclear military buildup kind....Peace through His strength.
Pain has a way of awakening us to our need for God’s help. It shines a spotlight on our powerlessness to control everything. We are never more aware of our frailty than when hardship comes our way. This is one of the blessings of suffering if we allow lament to lead us. The various trials of life can become a platform to reaffirm our dependence upon the Lord. The requests of lament can become the place where we celebrate our need for God’s help.
I have battled being a "control freak" most of my life. It's a real killer, BTW, for true and honest relationships. I had to learn to reach out to God as opposed to reaching out to myself for power to get through many things. It is much much better to be on the non-controlling side and learning how to complain (i.e. lament) and overcome weaknesses. Peace Through Strength? Yes...but not the nuclear military buildup kind....Peace through His strength.
Zorek Richards
December 16, 2022:
After the 2018, Santa Fe High School shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he would consult across Texas in an attempt to prevent gun violence in schools. He had a series of round-table discussions followed at the state capitol. In a speech to a NRA convention in Dallas almost two weeks later, Abbott said, "The problem is not guns, it’s hearts without God".
So, if that is the problem..what is the answer? It would be making efforts to turn hearts toward God, would it not? Or is it blaming the Christian church for not reaching those hearts? And how does an elected official deal with that when separation of church and state is a paramount issue throughout America's history?
A few days later Abbott published a Youtube video saying the shooter broke "two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders"..... It is a felony to possess a gun on school property" and "what he did on campus is capital murder. That's a crime that would have subjected him to the death penalty in Texas." So, if that is the answer..what is the problem? Are shooters concerned about committing a crime? Obviously not. The State of Texas has executed 578 people since 1982. Seems to me that if you combine both responses from Governor Abbott that the shootings resulted because they had a godless heart and ignorance of capital penalties.
Before God reaches hearts, men are subject only to or restrained by secular rules and laws of society. Don't kill people with guns. Governments can only really control the penalty phase of any legal breach of justice...though lawyers can often breach that and do quite often.
Reaching hearts is actually the most sure way. But you can't make reaching hearts a law with consequences no matter how hard you try to legislate it. And since the second amendment is applied in the way it is today which gives any gun enthusiast an orgasm there aren't much options...or maybe none at all
-Zorek Richards 12.16.22
After the 2018, Santa Fe High School shooting, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he would consult across Texas in an attempt to prevent gun violence in schools. He had a series of round-table discussions followed at the state capitol. In a speech to a NRA convention in Dallas almost two weeks later, Abbott said, "The problem is not guns, it’s hearts without God".
So, if that is the problem..what is the answer? It would be making efforts to turn hearts toward God, would it not? Or is it blaming the Christian church for not reaching those hearts? And how does an elected official deal with that when separation of church and state is a paramount issue throughout America's history?
A few days later Abbott published a Youtube video saying the shooter broke "two gun laws the day he committed the multiple murders"..... It is a felony to possess a gun on school property" and "what he did on campus is capital murder. That's a crime that would have subjected him to the death penalty in Texas." So, if that is the answer..what is the problem? Are shooters concerned about committing a crime? Obviously not. The State of Texas has executed 578 people since 1982. Seems to me that if you combine both responses from Governor Abbott that the shootings resulted because they had a godless heart and ignorance of capital penalties.
Before God reaches hearts, men are subject only to or restrained by secular rules and laws of society. Don't kill people with guns. Governments can only really control the penalty phase of any legal breach of justice...though lawyers can often breach that and do quite often.
Reaching hearts is actually the most sure way. But you can't make reaching hearts a law with consequences no matter how hard you try to legislate it. And since the second amendment is applied in the way it is today which gives any gun enthusiast an orgasm there aren't much options...or maybe none at all
-Zorek Richards 12.16.22
Christians who revered Rush Limbaugh, or the like, as a prophet of some kind best realize that he was never right about climate change. "Climate Change" is very real and the fruit of that is becoming clearer and clearer. -Zorek Richards 9.1.22
Zorek Richards
July 24, 2022:
Anne Graham Lotz recently told an audience: "On the morning of Friday, June 24, the Supreme Court took a significant step in leading our nation to turn around when it overturned Roe vs. Wade. Six courageous justices chose life. I applaud their decision as a victorious first step for the well-being of our entire nation as we turn around from the federalized legalization of choosing death."
I do see a lot of Christians imply ideas similar to hers. But I don't think the decision by SCOTUS really means what they think it means. You cannot legislate morality. You can make a law...but for a nation to turn you have to change hearts. A moral victory would mean it would be unlikely that it could be overturned. SCOTUS laws, however, can. It's the nature of a court that is partisan and not actually meting out any justice, which is what the Supreme Court has become. The right wing, with the "Christians" they dragged along are seeking justice through laws made by men. And following the fascist railings of a mad man known as Donald Trump. They say that Republicans have done a lot of changes to election rules which are not fair. And they have done it because they know that if elections are honest they can't win. A lot of Christian Nationalists have done the same with Christianity. They don't believe that by being honest that they can win..so they decided to become political and ignore good Christian morals. Change a law...you win til it changes again. Change a heart..it's forever
Anne Graham Lotz recently told an audience: "On the morning of Friday, June 24, the Supreme Court took a significant step in leading our nation to turn around when it overturned Roe vs. Wade. Six courageous justices chose life. I applaud their decision as a victorious first step for the well-being of our entire nation as we turn around from the federalized legalization of choosing death."
I do see a lot of Christians imply ideas similar to hers. But I don't think the decision by SCOTUS really means what they think it means. You cannot legislate morality. You can make a law...but for a nation to turn you have to change hearts. A moral victory would mean it would be unlikely that it could be overturned. SCOTUS laws, however, can. It's the nature of a court that is partisan and not actually meting out any justice, which is what the Supreme Court has become. The right wing, with the "Christians" they dragged along are seeking justice through laws made by men. And following the fascist railings of a mad man known as Donald Trump. They say that Republicans have done a lot of changes to election rules which are not fair. And they have done it because they know that if elections are honest they can't win. A lot of Christian Nationalists have done the same with Christianity. They don't believe that by being honest that they can win..so they decided to become political and ignore good Christian morals. Change a law...you win til it changes again. Change a heart..it's forever
Zorek Richards
June 1, 2022:
The beginning of the age of the Church is described in the Acts of the Apostles. The end of the Church age is set forth in the Epistle of Jude, which might as well be called the Acts of the Apostates. The first book which can properly be said to contain Church history describes the deeds and teachings of men of God whom Christ began to build His church. The last epistle of the New Testament relates the deeds and teaching of evil men who will be living upon the earth as the history of the professing church comes to an end. These "apostates" will be coming from the modern church...and using what I call "Christianese" which uses Christian language to seduce the weak and will likely communicate a message which implies that they have the ear of God..but they won't and don't.
Jude 3-7:
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Our response to these events: If that age is upon us..is to stay awake and "keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
Jude 20-22:
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
It is often repeated that He will come like a thief in the night. and thieves generally catch folks unaware. But we were warned. We know better. Keep praying.
Jude has been one of those books I rarely paid much attention to probably because of its size (25 verses). But, it is a very NOW book. For me: Psalms, Proverbs, Romans, Ephesians & now Jude are always at the top of my reading lists.
SideNote: Jude 7 notes that "sexual perversions" will be part of their downfall. On an average day I read dozens of daily news briefs from Christian and some secular sources. I have noticed a very big rise in pastors and church leaders falling into sexual perversion. From Hillsong to the Southern Baptist Convention and the awful news about Ravi Zacharias (which came to the surface after he died)....and beyond....
The beginning of the age of the Church is described in the Acts of the Apostles. The end of the Church age is set forth in the Epistle of Jude, which might as well be called the Acts of the Apostates. The first book which can properly be said to contain Church history describes the deeds and teachings of men of God whom Christ began to build His church. The last epistle of the New Testament relates the deeds and teaching of evil men who will be living upon the earth as the history of the professing church comes to an end. These "apostates" will be coming from the modern church...and using what I call "Christianese" which uses Christian language to seduce the weak and will likely communicate a message which implies that they have the ear of God..but they won't and don't.
Jude 3-7:
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
Our response to these events: If that age is upon us..is to stay awake and "keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
Jude 20-22:
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
It is often repeated that He will come like a thief in the night. and thieves generally catch folks unaware. But we were warned. We know better. Keep praying.
Jude has been one of those books I rarely paid much attention to probably because of its size (25 verses). But, it is a very NOW book. For me: Psalms, Proverbs, Romans, Ephesians & now Jude are always at the top of my reading lists.
SideNote: Jude 7 notes that "sexual perversions" will be part of their downfall. On an average day I read dozens of daily news briefs from Christian and some secular sources. I have noticed a very big rise in pastors and church leaders falling into sexual perversion. From Hillsong to the Southern Baptist Convention and the awful news about Ravi Zacharias (which came to the surface after he died)....and beyond....
March 5, 2022:
Pastor Cary Gordon has an article posted at "The Gatekeepers" titled "Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for how we elect our leaders." In it he lists 9 bullet points which describes how a person should be picked as President. He used Deuteronomy 17 as his framework. His first point is that the leader "Must be chosen by God (Vs. 15) through God's delegated ecclesiastical authority, not by lawless populism." and it goes on in a way any Christian Nationalist would be quite proud of. It does more than erode Democracy but destroys it completely..which may be insight as to why the GOP nationalists dont seem bothers by their anti democratic efforts. I would be curious if Trump is still the one "chosen by God" or many of the other Republican congressmen and governors who seem to be making effort to usurp America as it is and create their own government. His article ends with "American antinomianism has usurped every single one of these immutable and wise plumb-line standards for office-holders. Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for costuming our political and legal foolishness with counterfeit grace arguments to justify disobedience." Though in his mind it is clear he means something else but he is essentially a gospel of fascism.
Pastor Cary Gordon has an article posted at "The Gatekeepers" titled "Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for how we elect our leaders." In it he lists 9 bullet points which describes how a person should be picked as President. He used Deuteronomy 17 as his framework. His first point is that the leader "Must be chosen by God (Vs. 15) through God's delegated ecclesiastical authority, not by lawless populism." and it goes on in a way any Christian Nationalist would be quite proud of. It does more than erode Democracy but destroys it completely..which may be insight as to why the GOP nationalists dont seem bothers by their anti democratic efforts. I would be curious if Trump is still the one "chosen by God" or many of the other Republican congressmen and governors who seem to be making effort to usurp America as it is and create their own government. His article ends with "American antinomianism has usurped every single one of these immutable and wise plumb-line standards for office-holders. Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for costuming our political and legal foolishness with counterfeit grace arguments to justify disobedience." Though in his mind it is clear he means something else but he is essentially a gospel of fascism.
- January 28, 2022:
- Lee Strobel said the following in an announcement that he was headlining the 2022 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference: “Evangelism is even more important today, but so is apologetics, or offering reasons for why we believe what we believe...My friend J. Warner Wallace, an atheist detective who came to Christ after his investigation of the Gospels, went so far as to say, ‘evangelism in the 21st Century is spelled apologetics.’ I think he’s on the right track. We need to help people know why we believe that Jesus is the unique Son of God. That’s going to be vitally important as we face a nation and world that are skeptical and sometimes even hostile toward our faith.” I agree and disagree with this. Apologetics is good to learn.. Sharpens the Bible knowledge. But, I believe every Christian has a testimony and a need to "testify" and give witness of why he or she believes what they do. But the commission in Acts 1:7–8 states Jesus said to the disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Maybe conferences like the one Strobel mentions is helpful for some, but for the vast number of people who cannot attend such conferences...God has provided a way that keeps your testimony real that has no urgent need for conference. In 3 words: "Read Your Bible.": 2 Timothy 3:16–17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
February 27, 2022:
Pat Robertson came out of retirement to claim that Putin "is being compelled by God" to invade Ukraine .
Other "insights" from Robertson include these:
➼Robertson said the earthquake in Haiti was caused by its people's "pact with the devil,"
➼Pat Robertson had fellow televangelist Jerry Falwell on his "700 Club" program. Robertson agreed with Falwell when Falwell said God allowed the 911 attacks because of moral decay - specifically the ACLU, abortionists, feminists and gays.
➼Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005...Robertson suggested that God was angry over abortion.
Pat Robertson came out of retirement to claim that Putin "is being compelled by God" to invade Ukraine .
Other "insights" from Robertson include these:
➼Robertson said the earthquake in Haiti was caused by its people's "pact with the devil,"
➼Pat Robertson had fellow televangelist Jerry Falwell on his "700 Club" program. Robertson agreed with Falwell when Falwell said God allowed the 911 attacks because of moral decay - specifically the ACLU, abortionists, feminists and gays.
➼Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005...Robertson suggested that God was angry over abortion.
February 26, 2022:
The first church I went to eventually dived into prosperity teaching nonsense. The experience has left me somewhat discerning and I avoid those type of churches....like Joel Osteen, Paula White, Ken Copeland and a host of others. My late mother use to listen to Osteen because she said he made her "feel good." Eating cheesecake makes me feel good...I would hope to get something more out of church then the feeling that I just ate some cheesecake.
The first church I went to eventually dived into prosperity teaching nonsense. The experience has left me somewhat discerning and I avoid those type of churches....like Joel Osteen, Paula White, Ken Copeland and a host of others. My late mother use to listen to Osteen because she said he made her "feel good." Eating cheesecake makes me feel good...I would hope to get something more out of church then the feeling that I just ate some cheesecake.
December 18, 2021:
I came across this article this morning written last week by one of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn:
In the 52 years I’ve known Jesus, I’ve witnessed countless conflicts between believers. But never more than in the last year. Many have angrily left churches they once loved. Believers who formerly chose churches based on Christ-centered Bible teaching and worship now choose them based on non-essential issues, including political viewpoints and COVID protocols.
Churches are experiencing a pandemic of tribalism, blame, and unforgiveness—all fatal to the love and unity Jesus spoke of. Rampant either/or thinking leaves no room for subtlety and nuance. Acknowledging occasional truth in other viewpoints is seen as compromise rather than fairness and charitability.
Sadly, evangelicals sometimes appear as little more than another special-interest group, sharing only a narrow “unity” based on mutual outrage and disdain. This acidic, eager-to-fight negativity highlights that we have no right to expect unbelievers to be drawn to the good news when we obsess about bad news and treat brothers and sisters as enemies.
I came across this article this morning written last week by one of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn:
In the 52 years I’ve known Jesus, I’ve witnessed countless conflicts between believers. But never more than in the last year. Many have angrily left churches they once loved. Believers who formerly chose churches based on Christ-centered Bible teaching and worship now choose them based on non-essential issues, including political viewpoints and COVID protocols.
Churches are experiencing a pandemic of tribalism, blame, and unforgiveness—all fatal to the love and unity Jesus spoke of. Rampant either/or thinking leaves no room for subtlety and nuance. Acknowledging occasional truth in other viewpoints is seen as compromise rather than fairness and charitability.
Sadly, evangelicals sometimes appear as little more than another special-interest group, sharing only a narrow “unity” based on mutual outrage and disdain. This acidic, eager-to-fight negativity highlights that we have no right to expect unbelievers to be drawn to the good news when we obsess about bad news and treat brothers and sisters as enemies.
November 21, 2021:
Voddie Baucham says “Critical race theory is at odds with Christianity because it takes the problem of racism out of the individual heart and puts it out there somewhere in systems and structures.” I would agree but I dont think the application is realistic albeit could apply to a smaller demographic of the American church as a whole. And by that I mean that I know there are Christians who understand the best place to deal with racism is "in the heart." However, there is a whole movement of evangelicals now who are embracing white supremacy just through the people associated with Donald Trump. It's no mistake that white supremacists embrace Trump and Trump embraces them back. There are Maga evangelicals who push the Bible and racism all the time..particularly in social media.
Voddie Baucham says “Critical race theory is at odds with Christianity because it takes the problem of racism out of the individual heart and puts it out there somewhere in systems and structures.” I would agree but I dont think the application is realistic albeit could apply to a smaller demographic of the American church as a whole. And by that I mean that I know there are Christians who understand the best place to deal with racism is "in the heart." However, there is a whole movement of evangelicals now who are embracing white supremacy just through the people associated with Donald Trump. It's no mistake that white supremacists embrace Trump and Trump embraces them back. There are Maga evangelicals who push the Bible and racism all the time..particularly in social media.
August 14, 2021:
I have a book by Eric Metaxas that he wrote about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Probably one of the better books about him. Bonhoeffer stood up and called out the church for their lack of action against Hitler and for allowing him such a strong foothold. Bonhoeffer fought against Hitler and Fascism, and was ultimately hanged for it.
The irony of Metaxas right now is that he has spewed all kind of "prophetic" nonsense about Trump and how he was going to be re-elected and is now telling people to not take the vaccine. I am amazed at how far people fall sometimes but it's as though Metaxas never even read his own book.
I have a book by Eric Metaxas that he wrote about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Probably one of the better books about him. Bonhoeffer stood up and called out the church for their lack of action against Hitler and for allowing him such a strong foothold. Bonhoeffer fought against Hitler and Fascism, and was ultimately hanged for it.
The irony of Metaxas right now is that he has spewed all kind of "prophetic" nonsense about Trump and how he was going to be re-elected and is now telling people to not take the vaccine. I am amazed at how far people fall sometimes but it's as though Metaxas never even read his own book.
August 11, 2021
Radical right-wing preacher Joshua Feuerstein tells Christians "you don't have to wear the mask, you got Jesus. You don't need the vaccine, you got Jesus."
Feuerstein is presuming upon Gods grace, Feuerstein does not have the right or authority to tell God who he should give grace to.
Radical right-wing preacher Joshua Feuerstein tells Christians "you don't have to wear the mask, you got Jesus. You don't need the vaccine, you got Jesus."
Feuerstein is presuming upon Gods grace, Feuerstein does not have the right or authority to tell God who he should give grace to.
September 2, 2020:
👉California pastor and author John MacArthur has been steadily going off the deep end for awhile now..MacArthur has referred to Catholicism as the "Kingdom of Satan, attacking Steven Furtick and Beth Moore. .But if you read his theology about 10 years ago you could see the beginning. In a nutshell, it's a desire for power which is primary motivation over proclaiming Jesus as Lord to a state that could use the message.,
👉California pastor and author John MacArthur has been steadily going off the deep end for awhile now..MacArthur has referred to Catholicism as the "Kingdom of Satan, attacking Steven Furtick and Beth Moore. .But if you read his theology about 10 years ago you could see the beginning. In a nutshell, it's a desire for power which is primary motivation over proclaiming Jesus as Lord to a state that could use the message.,