Touch The Mountain

1) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 2) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  [Revelations 14:1-3].

When reading this passage, one should wonder, "How can I touch the mountain of God?"  I say this because touching the mountain is not a trivial thing.  In the old testament Israel was commanded that if a man or even a beast touch the mountain of God, that it should be killed. {12) And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13) There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. [Exodus 19:12-13]}  Paul clarifies what it means to be shot through in Hebrews 12 by saying that they should be stoned or thrust through with a spear.

You may be wondering, but how can I touch the mountain or how can a lamb stand on mount Zion without being killed?  Well, this isn't a typical lamb, this is the Lamb of God; Jesus Christ, who took away the sins of the world.  This lamb was thrust though with a spear and raised from the dead on the third day by Jehovah God.  Also, let's not forget that the people of Jerusalem attempted to stone Jesus at one point [John 8:59].  So the people attempted to stone Jesus before they finally thrust him through; wow, look how the scriptures are fulfilled in Christ.  We have the opportunity today to touch the mountain if we accept the sacrifice the lamb made for us.  Paul spells out how to accept the gift of God in Romans 10.  You must first hear the word of God and accept the truth of it, that everlasting life is gifted by the Father through Jesus Christ [John 6:40].  Don't be like Israel was; when they heard the word of salvation, they asked that it not be spoken unto them .  This is the type of person that cannot touch the mountain  of God. [Hebrews 12:19]

My goal here is not to argue whether or not we are part of the 144,000; my goal here is to tell you that nothing unclean or profane can touch the mountain of God.  The blood of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can usher you into the presence of God; you must be saved and covered with the blood of Christ if you hope to touch the mountain.  Jesus said, no man cometh to the father but by me [John 14:6]; he is the only way to God, you must go through him.  Through the veil of his flesh [Hebrews 10:20].  We must come to God, not of our flesh, but as spirits, after we have given up our lives; after we have sacrificed the physical life for a spiritual one.  [John 4:24].  The lamb has set the example for us.  

Come touch the mountain:

22) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23) To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24) And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.  25) See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: [Hebrews 12:22-25].

Cremation

I am writing this post because I have heard people, that I care deeply for say something over the years, that has occupied my mind during some sleepless nights; I am not sure that everyone will ever agree upon the correctness of cremation.  I say this because the bible clearly uses it as a form of punishment, however few can make the correct distinction between how someone was killed for violating the law, and why the manner in which they were killed affected their remains.  Simply put, they were killed in specific ways for a reason.

Again, I do not agree with cremation, because in the bible it was used as a form of punishment.  In Leviticus 20:14 the law requires that a man be put to death by burning with fire if he has sex with a mother and her daughter.  Now, because in the bible, each form of capitol punishment used had a specific purpose and meaning, it is significant that the violator's body is destroyed by fire.  In Leviticus 21:9 again burning by fire is used as a form of punishment for whoredoms committed by a priest's daughter.  Now I am sure that someone will argue that burning by fire was used as a means of killing the violators, and that it has nothing to do with dishonoring their dead bodies.  Well, let's look at another example.   

Now in Joshua 7:15-26 a man named Achan, his family, and all his animals are stoned to death first, then their bodies are burned with fire, and lastly they are buried, because Achan has violated the commands of God.  Here the violators are clearly dead already before their bodies are burned/cremated.  So they are killed, cremated, and then buried.  Clearly here the destruction of their dead bodies by fire is part of the punishment.  These examples lead me to question why anyone would want their bodies purposefully cremated as a means of burial?  I am against cremation even if it is only a symbolic form of punishment.

Let's look at another example; In I Samuel 31, Saul and his sons' bodies were desecrated by the philistines after their death, which caused their friends to cremate their bodies (probably to prevent the philistines from further desecration).  Now does this support my argument against cremation?  I think so.  Remember God took the kingdom from Saul's house and turned his back on Saul (I Samuel 15), so in many ways he was similar to Achan as discussed earlier in Joshua 7:15-26. A man that has been refused by God could be considered accursed. Both Achan and Saul's house had to be cremated; even if you say that Saul's cremation was by coincidinece, I will remind you that the holy spirit works through what men percieve to be conincidence (John 11:49-52), but in truth, God is over all and controls all.  I will simply ask this question in closing.  Why suffer dishonor or worse by allowing yourself to be cremated?

Saving a Soul

I have heard this biblical saying used many times; [the saving of a soul covers a multitude of sins.]  Now, men normally refer to this saying in this regard, [if you save a man's soul you will be forgiven for your sin, the act will cover your own sins.]  I submit to you that this saying should not be used in that manner when referring to the flock of Christ.  Now I would like to state here that Jesus Christ is the central figure in resolving all questions concerning the bible, because he is the central theme of it, and fulfilled the scriptures.  Let's examine the scripture...

(My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins).   [James 5:19-20]

(1)  The passage is a bit perplexing because it starts out by using the term "strays from the way" suggesting to readers today, that the person is saved but backsliding.  In referencing Ezekiel 3:20, I am only using this as a reference because Ezekiel is old testament...the person discussed was blameless concerning the law but unsaved, because salvation comes through Christ, who had not been sacrificed at that time.  Therefore James is referring to an unsaved person; sinner and unsaved are one in the same in James 5:19-20.  We are descended from God and need to be brought back to our creator, or turned back to the truth.  Let's look at the passage in another way...

(My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and a saved person in the person of Christ turns him back, let him know that Jesus Christ will save his soul from death and salvation will cover his multitude of sins)[edited mpg remix]

Now by using Christ as the central theme of the bible and only path to salvation, we see that the saved person is acting in the person of Christ, only Christ can lead a sinner to salvation.  We also know that it is Jesus Christ saving the sinner's soul from death and this gift of salvation covers a multitude of sins.  It is Christ covering all of the repentant person's sin.  Now we know that this verse is referring completely to the sinner because the saved person(acting in the person of Christ), which led the sinner to Jesus, is already covered from sin and needs no additional covering; he is already covered by the blood of Jesus.  Peter agrees that this substitution is correct because he wrote that love covers a multitude of sins [1Peter 4:8] and Jesus is love.  


Now, we know that this passage, James 5, is referring to the benefits a sinner receives when accepting Christ as Lord & Savior.  Now I will say that if this passage is used when referring to a minister as the person leading the sinner to Christ, it should be seen in a totally different light; if referring to a minister it means quite the reverse.  Explain you say, explain indeed!

Idol Worship in Video Games

There has been an alarming trend in the video game industry that has gone unnoticed for the most part by christian parents. Well, video games in general have never been seen as productive ways to spend time by parents, however adults have always looked at them as just games, you know harmless.

I have noticed a trend in the video game industry lately. Several of the top games today have made it mandatory to pay homage to greek/roman gods in order to progress in a game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EvP4NWW0T0

One in particular came out this week, Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, (called the greatest Zelda game ever!!) nintendo has made it mandatory for your character to pray to a goddess in order to save your progress. This is idolatry, and it is alarming to me that children are required to join, be indoctrinated, and be actively involved in a religion in order to participate in a game with most of this going on unbeknownst to parents.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoOd6Li-gaE

 I had been looking forward to playing the game, but when I saw that my character had to pray to a so called goddess just to save my progress, I turned the game off.  Now how many people will be willing to do that after paying $50?  At the very least we need a new rating category for religious references! Let me give a list of games, just the ones I briefly played, that follow this same scheme.  

God of War I, II, III (playstation 3)

Devil May Cry I, II, III, IV(playstation 3, xbox 360)

Dantes Inferno (playstation 3, xbox 360)

Darksiders (playstation 3, xbox 360)

Viking (playstation 3, xbox 360)

Skyrim (playstation 3, xbox 360)

Assassins Creed 1-7  (playstation 3, xbox 360)

This is just a small sampling of the games. I have not included games where you summon demons to do your bidding like YuGiOh and Pokemon or games that involve witchcraft like Harry Potter, and Bayonetta. Please understand that this type of warfare has reached epic proportions. Where is the Southern Baptist Convention or other religious organizations?

Keep in mind that the average game is considered successful when it sells around 4 million copies, this is considered a great selling, successful game. The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is expected to sell well over 20 million copies. Wow! And how many of those copies are going to unsuspecting christian adolescents? What's your opinion, let me know...

http://wii.ign.com/articles/121/1212220p1.html

Present Day Ride of The Four Horsemen

This is more for discussion than anything, but there could be a case made for a present-day ride of the four horseman of the apocalypse. Let's examine Revelation 6.

Revelation 6

1And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

2And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. [(Did anyone notice how the whole of Europe united under one currency, the Euro, without any battle, without parliamentary debate, without anyone taking great notice? Could the first Horseman be at work here?)]

3And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

4And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  [(Anyone notice the fall of Russia (Communism is referred to as the "Red Army")and all the waring states which emerged from the ashes of it? How many wars is this country currently fighting, (Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iran/Pakistan)? Four? That's just the wars we are fighting, this is not counting the continuous wars in Africa and Israel(Middle East).]

5And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of BALANCES in his hand. [(Who isn't feeling the pinch right now, caused by high prices? The wealthy, that's who! The stock market crash caused a massive redistribution of wealth, that has affected the global economy. How many times do we hear daily that we are going into uncharted territory; this has never happened before. And what advice do we get from the Wallstreet pros? They all suggest a BALANCED approach to investing. I'm just saying, what I'm saying)]

6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. [(There are two things unaffected by this whole global collapse; the price of oil never drops and gold has shot through the roof! "The oil and the wine", is also another term for the wealthy.  I submit to you that an argument could be made that three of the four horseman have already ridden and the fourth well, that's up for debate, just like everything else!!)]

7And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

8And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.