tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79637652178983643562024-03-12T21:06:40.046-05:00!The Last RobinThe Last Robin's thoughts, musings and storiesThe Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.comBlogger1056125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-85286553252444955272015-06-09T08:22:00.000-05:002015-06-09T08:22:00.140-05:00Chitty Chitty Bang Bang<p>A day after my wife died, I went to the store to get some food. I was stunned with grief. I had watched her dying from cancer, and I needed to recover and think of something else.</p>
<p>The store had a display of DVD's. One of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" caught my attention. I had heard of it as a whimsical fantasy, and this is just what I needed for escape from my sorrow.</p>
<p>Dick Van Dyke, a hopelessly impractical inventor and visionary, comes to meet Sally Ann Howes, daughter of a wealthy candy factory owner. Such escape, and nothing to do with my problems. I watched it several times in weeks to come.</p>
<p>When Miss Howes sings the song, "The Sad and Lonely Man", you realize there is a deeper story being shown. The inventor is a loving man and deeply sincere. But he is misunderstood by all, except his children, who return his love. When this man and woman unite in love, he is no longer alone, and no longer to be misunderstood.</p>
<p>It was the story of my wife and myself. I was the misunderstood man. She was firmly rooted in reality. I pursued impractical dreams. She tolerated my often outrageous ideas. Half my life I spent married to her, until death took her away.</p>
<p>The schemes are gone. Like my Janie, I will soon die. Neither of feared death. As Christians, we looked forward to going to be with the Lord when we received the news of our soon demise--leaving earth, going to heaven.</p>
<p>Oh, the message of this movie, starting out as a comedy, and ending with mutual love and understanding.</p>
<p>See <a target="_" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpFgoyqxDSI">Lovely Lonely Man(from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)</a>.</p>
<center>* * * * *</center>
<p><b>Note:</b> This is the final post written by The Last Robin. For an explanation and a tribute, see <a target="_" href="http://www.thelastrobin.blogspot.com/2014/10/he-being-dead-yet-speaketh.html">"...He Being Dead Yet Speaketh"</a>.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-19451463827797239862015-06-08T08:05:00.000-05:002015-06-08T08:05:00.591-05:00An Absolute Dictator, Open to Suggestions<p>This is how Danny Thomas defined the role of a father. Though it was meant semi-humorously, I appreciated the insight. There is, of course, a balance here between being dictatorial, and suggesting and bargaining. A parent may cajole a child to try a new food with gentle persuasion. But when this child wanders into a heavily trafficked street the parent's warning must be obeyed instantly and without equivocation.</p>
<p>Is this true of our relationship with God? Can we, should we, try to bargain with Him? In my early studies I was surprised at those who did just that. I knew a lady who was childless. She prayed to God, "You have a son. Can't I have one also?" Soon she was pregnant with twin boys. Whether this came about through divine intervention I do not know, but we have Bible examples of just such pleas.</p>
<p>In Genesis, Abraham asks God about sparing Sodom if fifty righteous men are found in it. The fifty is replaced by forty, thirty, twenty and so on, in a most peculiar bargaining session (Genesis 18:24-32).</p>
<p>In Numbers 27:1-7 we have an example of women asking for inheritance rights from God through Moses as mediator. What follows is a modification of the law in their favor. <b>And the LORD spake unto Moses saying, The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren;</b> (Numbers 27:6-7). It pays to ask.</p>
<p>In Ezekiel 4:12 God tells him to prepare food using human dung for baking. Ezekiel objects and God allows him to use animal dung.</p>
<p>There are other examples. Hannah begging for Samuel, for example. But the word is plain upon this point. Ask of God. He is open to your requests.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-18948377408865459082015-06-07T08:26:00.000-05:002015-06-07T08:26:00.042-05:00Want to Start a Fight?<p>Purely a rhetorical question, of course. The Bible speaks against "brawlers", so I am warning against any such evil practices.</p>
<p>But, purely on hypothetical grounds, let's just say that a person would wish to start a fight. It would be a scientific experiment under carefully controlled circumstances, and all profits attendant to such activity would be donated to charity.</p>
<p>This statement was insisted upon by my legal department.</p>
<p>There are a couple of methods which are guaranteed to start fights. In these cases, not physical ones; but as in the academic world, career-ending brawls occur.</p>
<p>The first one is well established through experiment. If anyone associated with the medical profession would question the efficacy of vaccines, they would be slain, their bodies cut into pieces and thrown into a municipal land fill.</p>
<p>Now I realize that this would never take place. Never. This is a theoretical question only. The reason it would not occur is that no one would question vaccines. I don't know why I even brought this up.</p>
<p>Yet there are daring souls who read highly controversial books and articles that do question vaccines. One is even a Harvard grad who should qualify as one of the elite.</p>
<p>Maybe he is just deranged? In this once-free land anyone who questions orthodoxy must be deranged. Martin Luther (you know, the "soul sleeper") started a terrible train of events when he questioned Authority.</p>
<p>Such awful events could be avoided if we would all just shut up. My motto is, "the experts know, and are never wrong." Say this at least 100 times a day. "There are no legitimate disagreements in medicine or religion."</p>
<p>I once read of a trouble-making rebel who caused a lot of trouble because he ignored this simple formula. His name was <a target="_" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis">Ignaz Semmelweiss</a>. I really don't want to mention such a rebel and the problems he caused. In fact, I wash my hands of the whole affair!<p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-67506832365768793822015-06-06T08:27:00.000-05:002015-06-06T08:27:00.612-05:00Personification of the Planets<p><b>And they called Barnabus, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.</b> Acts 14:12</p>
<p><b>And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.</b> Acts 28:11</p>
<p>Jupiter, Mercurious, and the sign of Gemini--why are they even mentioned in the Bible? Perhaps to show us how deeply the planets were imbedded in the lives of the contemporaries of Paul? And there are more such references, such as Stephen's telling, in Acts chapter seven, of the true worship of Israel while forty years in the wilderness.</p>
<p>In the worship of materialistic science as the end all of knowledge, we have neglected many deep events that have shaped civilization. This was revealed to me as I read my first book by Velikovsky way back in the fifties. His psychological interpretation of historical events was a revelation. For he believed that myths originated in actual physical events that were put into forms more endurable to the traumatized minds of the ancients.</p>
<p>He put forth ideas on the nature of planets that were laughed at until he was vindicated by space probes years later. He was a multi-disciplinary genius who proved that the book of Exodus relates true events. He used parallel Egyptian texts from the Ipuwer papyrus in Leiden.</p>
<p>Why all my ado over mythology?</p>
<p>First, I believe Christians should know about everything. Knowledge is a wonderful tool for witnessing. If we establish credibility in fields other than the Bible, when we do speak of God's Word, unbelievers are far more liable to listen to us.</p>
<p>Second, knowledge of pagan truths strengthens our own beliefs. So many Christians will not touch much of truth because they feel it is "worldly". But Christians should never fear any knowledge. We are the only ones who can put it into proper perspective.</p>
<p>See the following.</p>
<ul><li><a target="_" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipuwer_Papyrus">Ipuwer Papyrus</a>, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</li>
<li><a target="_" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7EAlTcZFwY">Symbols of an Alien Sky - Official Movie</a></li></ul>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-77939755266428913712015-06-05T08:25:00.000-05:002015-06-05T08:25:00.416-05:00When Scientists Become Foolish Children<p>Who am I to make such a broad indictment? Certainly scientists are making wonderful discoveries as they gather more data and specialize in their individual fields.</p>
<p>Let me give you my reason for saying this. While they become "more expert", they are leaving out God. Have I conducted a poll of scientists world wide? Of course not. But name a scientist who is known as a Christian. Once they all were.</p>
<p>A great change in the field of Geology came when catastrophists became uniformatarians. Now every kid knows the earth is billions of years old and the evolutionary rise of man from inert matter took millions of years. Imagine trying to get an advanced degree in the earth sciences while proclaiming that mankind was created by God about 6,000 years ago.</p>
<p>I know there are scientist who are believers, but name one. Dr. Henry Morris was one and published extensively, but he did so after he saw the light.</p>
<p>When I took a course (one little course) in geology, my professor told us that the men in this field can no longer communicate with one another. They have become way too specialized for that.</p>
<p>Let me say, that regardless of their learning or their faith, most are slaves to their employers. In the early years of science, scientists were independent of such constraints and were educated in universities where the Christian faith was promoted or at least tolerated.</p>
<p>In crude terms, most scientist are non-believers or believers who are "job scared" into silence. Anyone can look into the history of science and see the change. We have gone from Baron Cuvier to Darwin.</p>
<p>Do I lament this? Not at all. Let the world go its wayward way. I care the same about the world as it cares about me.</p>
<p>Christians who believe the experts, who know more and more about less and less (and this includes "leaders" of churches), are themselves fulfilling Bible prophecy in their cowardice and unbelief.</p>
<p>Am I anti-science? No, I love it.</p>
<p>But the world view of science in general leads nowhere. It describes a course that it is seeing unfold, yet are unable to comprehend or alter. The Bible's truth will prevail. It is unfolding now, and so blatantly that the doomed world has begun using the term "apocalyptic". Such an unscientific term!</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-82961960106381468192015-06-04T08:14:00.000-05:002015-06-04T08:14:00.063-05:00Wedding Cakes<p>Many people may be kept away from reading prophecy by the style of its writing. A theme is laid out, sometimes in one sentence. We may then expect a nice linear sequence of events from beginning to end. While this is true of a novel or a detective story, it is not the way prophecy is often written.</p>
<p>Isaiah is a good illustration. Like a wedding cake it has many layers. And like the Detective Columbo, the author keeps saying, "One more thing." A point is made, then repeated again in different ways. If we are patient, we keep learning new themes.</p>
<p>I have been listening to the book of Isaiah in the New Living Version. It really is so clear that way. When the author speaks of a poor harvest, instead of using old English terms, this version speaks of acres of land and gallons of wine.</p>
<p>My mother was invited to attend the symphony a number of times. But she described classical music as repetitious--the same theme over and over. Truly it is the layer cake of music. But its richness comes from subtle variations.</p>
<p>Prophecy, nowhere more than in Isaiah, keeps adding new themes and leaps from the 700's B.C. to the millennium in what can be the most confusing fashion. Local prophecies can suddenly be world wide ideas in a flash. But it is so rich that being patient can be infinitely rewarding. From ladies' fashions to the wrath and mercy of God, it is all there.</p>
<p>If you have yet to, please read or listen to Isaiah, and in a modern translation or paraphrase. Be ready to take notes. It is like going to Bible college while yet in your home.</p>
<p>A very excellent way to look at its multitude of themes is to pass over things that you do not understand at the moment, and keep moving. Though an Old Testament book, it will help you understand the book of Revelation.</p>
<p>Layers of cake and icing--the book of Isaiah--how sweet they are.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-2388885562618903622015-06-03T07:57:00.000-05:002015-06-03T07:57:00.183-05:00Are We There Yet Daddy?<p><b>Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?</b> Genesis 18:23, NIV</p>
<p>Some Christians are wondering when the last events leading to the rapture will take place. I am. My best friend is. Surely the world is ripe for harvest.</p>
<p>So why does Jesus not come and take us away? A student of the Last Day can say, "Because the Apostasy of the church is not complete, and the Man of Sin has not been revealed."</p>
<p>But then we may ask, "Why are these things not yet fulfilled?"</p>
<p>One of the greatest problems of being human is the difference in the perception of time we have, compared to that of God. "How long, oh Lord?" asks the prophet. Though it is not yet time for destruction, the time for judgement is drawing near. So, Lord, why do you delay?</p>
<p>The story of Sodom may help us here. The schedule of Acts 15, may also tell the story. Here, we are told that God is presently calling out a people for his name. Since the days of the church in Antioch, they are called Christians. Many people, but one body, called the Bride. We may accurately say that the Bride is not yet complete.</p>
<p>Many then will say, "We need more missionaries to go to the far reaches of the earth to find the remaining members of the Bride."</p>
<p>Now, this idea leaves out the idea of the unreached in the country where we live. This neglects people in our own households who do not believe. Strange, is it not, that the unsaved are often thought to be in some remote region of Borneo. The farther away the mission field the "holier" it becomes.</p>
<p>But there are unreached people quite nearby. The last person to complete the Bride may be in your neighborhood, or even your own household. As if everyone in (my case) the USA was not as lost as the most remote person.</p>
<p>I was. My mother and sister were. Yet they were long time church attendees. My mother in law was caught up in a legalistic cult that taught salvation by keeping the law of Moses. Who reached out to her?</p>
<p>Am I blaming the churches? Yes indeed I am! Their presentation of the Gospel, of Christ Himself, is so horribly warped that many of the elect must be reached by other means than by corporate churches. It could be a radio broadcast, by a book (as in my case), or a Gospel pamphlet.</p>
<p>It could be by talking with an unsaved friend. I had the privilege of reaching my best friend at the time in this way. In his kitchen.</p>
<p>As cynical as I am, let me say that many, many people shun the corporate church and its self serving blather. Churches can really be repulsive, repulsive, repulsive. The lost lose their identity and become part of a program. Phony friendliness just doesn't make it. Many feel they are not "good enough" to associate with such wonderful, perfect people. They may even smoke and drink!</p>
<p>Personally, I feel churches are competitive branch offices seeking funding for wonderful business enterprises.</p>
<p>So why the title? The Bride has not been completed. She is not ready to be taken to heaven. Only God knows how many are yet to be called out.</p>
<p>But even a lowly clod such as I am knows that we must be better at witnessing. And one of the greatest obstacles to this is the business model of the church. We dress up, we expand our huge churches, and we overlook individuals. The Bible, personally applied, reaches people. I know. I have done it.</p>
<p>Are we there yet Abba?</p>
<p>Let us not put obstacles in peoples' way.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-66688819387197835892015-06-02T08:24:00.000-05:002015-06-02T08:24:00.482-05:00Doing Our Part<p>We all know about doing our part. God gets us started, gives us the responsibility to complete His will, then it's up to us.</p>
<p>It is a huge honor to be needed to fulfill His plan. So big that a lot of people fail to do it. They may not listen to His call. They shrug it off, eventually die, and go to hell.</p>
<p>Many, many, are in hell now. I hear it's in the billions. And it's all their fault because they failed to do their part.</p>
<p>As for those who never hear of God's offer to do their part, somehow it is still their fault. Maybe He looked ahead and saw that they would not do their part, even if they heard about it.</p>
<p>But anyway, its up to us to help get ourselves born, and to stay born.</p>
<p>Of course, the above is total **** shit. If it were necessary for us to cooperate in our salvation, we would all fail to do it.</p>
<p>Parents are 100% necessary to get a baby born. Even an unfertilized ovum can't become a baby (or a fetus if aborted) by using his or her free will.</p>
<p>I heard a radio personality tell of bringing in a fireplace log one snowy day. His tiny child asked if he could help. "No thanks," he said. "I can get a log without you very well."</p>
<p>Then he remembered the song of a similar title. Maybe we should too?</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-73720052568164231282015-06-01T08:15:00.000-05:002015-06-01T08:15:00.410-05:00Full of it Churches<p>And I don't mean the Holy Spirit. Wouldn't that be refreshing?</p>
<p>This is not an idle criticism, but is based on doctrinal statements and my own experience. A whole bunch of Christians claim that since there is no record of their origin, that they have existed since the beginning of the Christian era. It is the argument based on a total lack of evidence as proof. Kind of like me proclaiming that I am a direct lineal descendant of Charlemagne, because there is no record that I am! Must have been lost in a courthouse fire.</p>
<p>These people also claim that, although they are not Catholics (though they share major doctrines with them), neither are they Protestants. We have all heard about the early bird that gets the worm. Well, these people got there before the early bird. After all, Protestantism is so recent. In fact a major division of these people say they started with John the Baptist.</p>
<p>When the church began is actually a matter of argument. Many, like me, say that it began at Pentecost. Others, that it began with the Disciples. But, as far as I can find, only this group claims the church began with John.</p>
<p>I am not writing this to expose the obvious error of this group. Rather, I feel that they are in danger of over-inflation of the ego--a serious condition.</p>
<p>Instead of more deacons, I suggest they appoint professional truck drivers to straighten them out. These savvy drivers would have them pull to the side of the road, come to a complete stop, and check their pressure. Those who are over-inflated should let some of the air out.</p>
<p>These are not evil people. They are very good people. But they hurt their witness by claiming false ideas of their origin, and by following preachers instead of the Bible and the historical record.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-8645703556650094902015-05-31T08:12:00.000-05:002015-05-31T08:12:00.060-05:00Resurrection<p><b>I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.</b> Acts. 23:6, NIV</p>
<p>When Paul used a "divide and conquer" strategy in one of his trials, it is often treated almost humorously. As if Paul was only arguing about an incidental difference of opinion. But the doctrine of bodily resurrection is at the heart of the Gospel. A very quick search of the term in a concordance is startling, and here the NIV shines.</p>
<p>If I, personally, were on trial concerning this doctrine, I would ask, "What motive could I have for proclaiming resurrection as opposed to the totally pagan concept of an immortal soul?" I am winding up my days on earth. Now of all times is the time for honesty. I could say that resurrection is illustrated from Genesis to Revelation, while an immortal soul is nowhere in scripture. That should do it. But I am no longer so naive.</p>
<p>The Word of God loses out to superstition every day and night. Nothing I can write will alter a belief built in to human nature. But it is the witness of a (happily) dying man that we do die completely, just as we will be resurrected and given new immortal bodies. I have no illusion whatsoever that people will give up their pagan beliefs. Yet I still say it.</p>
<p>The Roman Catholic Church did not invent immortal souls or hell, they just passed them on from far older sources. The Protestants have retained them.</p>
<p>Yet the Reformation is still alive. It is even gaining strength as I lose mine. Not in mainline, corporate churches, which are lining up to kiss the Pope's Most Holy Ass, but in individuals who believe in the Bible alone as the source of truth. You can read their beliefs and arguments online. I draw great joy and comfort in their brave stand.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-39856615204674519372015-05-30T08:25:00.000-05:002015-05-30T08:25:00.032-05:00Struggling Against the Inevitable<p><b>the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.</b> Daniel 2:45</p>
<p>Been watching a series of videos about what some think could be the future. One video purports to show the earth 1,000,000 years in the future. The general theme of them all is a call for us to engage in some activity to prevent what seems to be an inevitable future.</p>
<p>My particular joy is to study the parts of the Bible showing what will take place, regardless of any human (or Satanic) activity.</p>
<p>For those who are determined to help save the world--that is, the people of the world--let me urge them to begin with their own families. Being a Calvinist, I am quite certain that any effort spent trying to make a sheep out of a goat is 100% wasted time.</p>
<p>The same is true of trying to prevent the dissolution of this crumbling world. To many, this may be considered the attitude of a "quitter", even of a negative point of view. As far as trying to go against the revealed word of God, this is certainly true. To strive against what will surely be, is not only folly, it is Satanic.</p>
<p>I can hear the voices that say, "But it would not be inevitable if we all tried real hard to prevent it." This is the cry of those who have not read Daniel chapter 2, or Romans chapter 9. It is so relaxing to understand that God has made plans that will be fulfilled, no matter what.</p>
<p>We have been educated in a system that teaches things take place through human effort. The Bible tells us of the will of God that brings things about despite human effort. For those who believe that human will is supreme, let me ask, is the world getting better because of it? Are people better now?</p>
<p>How ironic that, long ago, Nebuchadnezzar knew the future of the world and its destruction. He was given, and believed, what most today are in complete ignorance of. The world listens to the lies of Satan, rather than to the revealed truth of God.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-75194942055712293722015-05-29T08:24:00.000-05:002015-05-29T08:24:00.231-05:00Celebrity Chefs--2<p>I was reading a list of the characteristics of empires in their last stages. What caught my attention was that from long ago until today, they all elevated chefs to a high status.</p>
<p>Just my opinion, of course, but when the preparation and taste of food becomes a big deal in a person's life, that person is in trouble. Not that good food is "evil", but that there is no great interest in a person's life that takes its place. It is the vacuum in someone's life that interests me.</p>
<p>I saw an article with pictures of a young married couple that featured their fantastic kitchen. The lead photo showed the pretty young lady working in her kitchen. Its caption read, "We believe in living the good life." Wowee, this is the good life? Had I been invited to their home, I'm sure I would have enjoyed a meal there.</p>
<p>But, having enjoyed the hospitality of such nice people, I do tire of talking about the asparagus and other items. Such a grouch am I that, to me, food is for eating, not talking about. I could really enjoy a toasted cheese sandwich and good conversation a whole lot more.</p>
<p>Since cook books are always favorites, let me propose a title. <i>The Finest Gourmet Meal That Jesus Ever Had, and How to Prepare it</i>. Think it would sell?</p>
<p>I am a defender of Martha, the one who was so busy. The story of Lazarus tells us she had very good theology. I am certain that Jesus had good food and wonderful conversation in her household. But the Bible emphasizes the deepest truths, not the joys of a so called "good life".</p>
<p>I see around me a multitude who do not even try to live the way Jesus showed us. They do succeed in eating better than He did.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-46533039583661772862015-05-28T08:04:00.000-05:002015-06-02T11:03:52.848-05:00Mr. Smarty Pants Called a "Know-nothing"<p>Dear Know-nothing Smarty Pants,<br>
I just read your piece, pretentiously titled, <a target="_" href="http://www.thelastrobin.blogspot.com/2015/05/truth.html">"Truth"</a>. As if you have it and others do not.</p>
<p>After rambling comments about "original texts", you start into your favorite rant on "hell". For some reason hell means a lot to you. Then you finish by talking about "Easter". Can you keep your wandering mind on a topic at all?</p>
<p>You recommend a good study Bible, then finish with a quotation from the NIV! Is this your idea of a good study Bible?</p>
<p>Answer: "Hell" would not enter my mind at all if it were not continuously promoted by others. When they stop promoting it, and quoting Jesus as using the term, then I will gladly drop it.</p>
<p>As for the NIV, I never said it was a study Bible; but it does correctly use the term "Passover" in Acts 12:4, which all accurate Bibles do. I am optimistic about the new translations and those who use them.</p>
<p>The Reformation is not over, and I try to help in my blog by pointing out errors that we have not yet eliminated. "Hell" and "Easter" are two of them.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-28187536325245070502015-05-27T08:14:00.000-05:002015-05-27T08:14:00.482-05:00Truth<p><b>Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?</b> John 18:38</p>
<p>Truth has become an open question to many. Within my lifetime I have seen it become no question at all, as it is considered a purely personal matter. 6-1/2 billion people = 6-1/2 billion truths.</p>
<p>But the Bible shows that truth is a person. He became a baby to be born among us, grow to manhood, then give His life for us. His Word is truth.</p>
<p>So why the confusion, or pretended confusion?</p>
<p>Not only does the Father of Lies attempt to distract us from reading or even thinking about it, but he is aided by the various churches, his favorite target.</p>
<p>I do not believe in the infallibility of any Bible translation. But I do believe in getting as close to our original sources as possible. We can do that because a group of translators used manuscripts to create a New Testament in the Greek language. Its accuracy is so great that Jesus quoted from this translation. Good enough for Jesus, good enough for me.</p>
<p>There are more than two thousand manuscripts of the original documents. There are minor differences, but no doctrine is violated or changed by them. Anyone can buy an accurate Bible. Major bookstores sell them. Yet the church continues to promote false doctrines based on faulty translations.</p>
<p>To say these things makes you hated by many. I no longer care as I plan to leave this world soon. The only One I will answer to is God. To those who believe that any English translation is the most accurate reading of the Bible, let me say that some day their beliefs will be judged at the judgement seat of Christ.</p>
<p>If anyone promotes the false doctrine of hell, inherited from the Roman Catholic church, their works will be judged by Christ Himself. Any study Bible will reveal this error in its notes. How can you call yourself a Protestant when you teach errors from the Catholics?</p>
<p>May I recommend that you stay as close to the original teachings of Jesus as you can. Men died to bring this truth to us. Don't refer to church theology when doctrines are questioned. One study Bible will reveal the truth--the words of Jesus, not the differing translations and beliefs of the organized churches.</p>
<p>The ones who promote these differences will not be able to help you when Christ judges our works. They themselves will have their works judged.</p>
<p>A simple example of the insertion of false doctrine: where "Easter" is deliberately substituted for the word "Passover", which Luke wrote.</p>
<p><b>And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.</b> Acts 12:4, King James translation.</p>
<p><b>After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.</b> Acts 12:4, NIV</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-41187054727085577102015-05-26T08:27:00.000-05:002015-05-26T08:27:00.467-05:00Why the Vatican is Not the Whore of Babylon<p>If you are interested in Bible prophecy at all and realize how literal most of it is, you see how foolish is this idea. But people will read into prophecy their own pet ideas.</p>
<p>On the Protestant side there is the idea that Roman Catholicism embodies all the evil in the world. This is ironic, since the fiercest opponents to Rome hold on to, and promote, many pagan ideas and unscriptural practices that they share with it. The idea of a pope is imitated by a slavish following of a man's ideas, whether preacher or bishop, instead of thinking independently.</p>
<p>Yes, Protestants have their popes too. The claim to be "the original church" is shared by Catholics and Baptists. In the case of some baptists, they believe in a pre-apostolic church centered around John the Baptist. Not even Catholics go that far.</p>
<p>Yet Catholics are so caught up in their church that they believe it will become the Whore of Babylon, raising self reference to a new extreme.</p>
<p>In the book of Revelation it is said of the whore that "all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Revelation 18:3). I am aware that this statement may refer only to the end times and is not presently true. Ask any Muslim if they are part of the Catholic church.</p>
<p>Perhaps Rome will someday dominate all the kings of the earth. They certainly are enlarging their scope.</p>
<p>But I would suggest that a Universal Pagan religion which has reigned since the days of Genesis will be reorganized and moved to the physical location of ancient Babylon. It will not be in Italy, but between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It will be a seaport once again, after a sea level rise. My reference is Zechariah 5:5-11.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-44443278020389397012015-05-25T08:24:00.000-05:002015-05-25T08:24:00.292-05:00A Crime Never Committed<p>What kind of crime is never committed? It is to give too much credit to God.</p>
<p>Why do I label this as a crime? Because people have a horror of doing it. They scrupulously avoid it. Human nature fights to retain its "right" to claim its part in salvation--its rebirth.</p>
<p>I have great awe for the dedication and faithful obedience of dogs to their masters. They seek to please their masters and will sacrifice their lives for them. Nothing makes them so happy as to be with them all the time.</p>
<p>Just like people do for God, right?</p>
<p>There are some humans who possess the dedication and love towards God that a dog does for his master, but they are the material for legends. How many people do you know who feel and act this way?</p>
<p>Many believe that the higher the standing of a creature, the more horrible they become when they fall or miss the mark. They even maintain that women are of a finer nature than men. Thus false religion is known as an evil woman. She is called, in her most extreme form, the whore of Babylon.</p>
<p>Has any angel fallen so low or become so evil as Lucifer, once the covering angel over the throne of God?</p>
<p>So man, the finest of creation of all earthly beings, has fallen lower than the rest of creatures. While we boast of "cooperating with God", of having God as our "copilot", and thus refusing to give Him all the glory, let me make a "modest proposal". Let all of us try to be as loving and sacrificial towards God as dogs are to us. Wouldn't that be wonderful to see?</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-23137012460644317892015-05-24T08:08:00.000-05:002015-05-24T08:08:00.159-05:00Bible Doctrine is Anti Human Nature<p><b>Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be</b>. Romans 8:7, KJV</p>
<p><b>The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.</b> Romans 8:7, NIV</p>
<p>A lady I knew paid $1,000 to take the Famous Writers course. When I asked her how it was coming, she complained, "They're trying to change the way I write!" She could have continued to write as she had and saved the money.</p>
<p>Wonder how many people attend a church and then complain that its teaching is contrary to what seems right to them. Anyone who can study good Christian theology and not be offended by it is a rare bird indeed.</p>
<p>I thought that I had a basic understanding of salvation, until I read a little booklet entitled <i>For Whom Did Christ Die?</i> I had been relying on what "every body knows", or collective deception. How long did it take me to learn that I had been completely wrong? One eight hour shift, alone in a Christian book warehouse.</p>
<p>The author anticipated all my objections to the doctrine of Limited Atonement, which the booklet skillfully presented. I was in my thirties, but very much a willful child. During that shift I had an ego-ectomy. I came to work an Arminian and left as a Calvinist. Amazing what can happen in a matter of hours.</p>
<p>In a number of doctrines, the truth is plainly laid out, in the Old Testament and the New. Yet men will treat it as heresy and claim it was the invention of a rogue theologian, now roasting in hell. Why? Because a doctrine offends their precious fallen nature.</p>
<p>Let me cite a very clear example: Predestination. Human nature blusters angrily that it makes God greater than man! It violates "free will". Nothing may be allowed to do that.</p>
<p>A concordance search will give 4 places where the predestination of the saints is specifically described. The King James uses "predestinated". They are Romans 8:29, Romans 8:30, Ephesians 1:5, and Ephesians 1:11.</p>
<p>The concept of predestination ranges from the children of Eve to the chosen of the book of Revelation. Yet predestination is considered a "hot issue", one where a preacher can lose his job if he even discusses it. Human nature rules! Fallen natures led by Satan will prevail.</p>
<p>We have had over a thousand years to get it right, but we will not bend or yield to the plain Word of God. I separate myself from such willful people.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-88470418225791538142015-05-23T07:49:00.000-05:002015-05-23T07:49:00.436-05:00Sentimental Christianity<p><b>For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.</b> Isaiah 55:9</p>
<p>There is a growing trend to interpret God as an extension of ourselves. Emotion is the guide that is used. Haven't you heard the expression, "I refuse to believe in a God who would consign anyone to death"? Don't even try to tell them about God creating people who are meant to be destroyed, as in Romans chapter nine.</p>
<p>A good case can be made that God is now imagined as an extension of our earthly fathers. Dr. Clyde Narrimore proved this in a very scientifically designed experiment in Los Angeles County. As you think of your father, so you think of God. For those who do not know their fathers or who hate their fathers, this still applies. This, of course, is no way to understand God. It is 100% subjective.</p>
<p>The escape from this self centered way of thinking or imagining is to read the Bible. All of it would help, but as simple an effort as reading the Gospel of John or the book of Romans will give you a good understanding.</p>
<p>In her book <i>The Death of the Grown-Up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization</i>, Diana West addresses this mental state. There is no cure for this problem. I'm certain it will continue and even get worse.</p>
<p>There are no Bible prophecies about the church getting better in the latter days. It is as if the second law of thermodynamics applies even to the church.</p>
<p>Yet there is hope for individuals who grow up and stop thinking sentimentally, or hatefully. We can stop thinking of our way of looking at things, and see them through the eyes of God, as expressed in His Word.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-18129013857754685192015-05-22T08:30:00.000-05:002015-05-22T08:30:00.391-05:00False Doctrines Please Our Human Natures<p>Not a very pleasant topic, is it? But neither are our fleshly natures.</p>
<p>A mother said that when a child walks around a puddle on the sidewalk instead of splashing in it, they are growing up.</p>
<p>I believe that much of the appeal of compromised religion is that it appeals to our old nature. People will cling to that which pleases the flesh.</p>
<p>G.B. Shaw said that marriage is the most licentious institution of all. That is the secret of its popularity. Sometimes we can learn from such cynics.</p>
<p>Churches that contain true doctrine also include the classic false doctrines that people seem to want.</p>
<p>"But surely such an idea as hell does not appeal to our natures," you may say. But hell does affect our fears and thus is a primo control device. Protestants, rightly assured of salvation, may believe that by their proper use of their (fallen) wills they have escaped hell. "Oh, what a good boy am I!"</p>
<p>They would be shocked if accused of feeling better than others who they feel have rejected Christ and are on their way to everlasting suffering. But as long as you maintain that salvation is a result of your action, the fiction of superiority is there. An image of "I" is being worshiped. Self and one's superior denomination are everywhere lifted up.</p>
<p>Whoops, I forgot. Baptists say that they are not a denomination, since they are the original church. Keep these people away from encyclopedias! Even keep them from Baptist historians. The shock of truth might be too much for them.</p>
<p>I love Baptists, but if some of the air were let out of their egos, I would love them even more.</p>
<p>A little challenge. Show me a false doctrine that does not appeal to pride. Put another way, show me a doctrine that appeals to pride which is not false.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-14353468823159927352015-05-21T07:49:00.000-05:002015-05-21T07:49:00.609-05:00Tribulation Town and Rapture City<p>He found himself on a speeding train. Not certain of how he got there, he questioned a fellow passenger. "Do you know where we are going? I don't even know how I got here," he said.</p>
<p>"Oh, you are on the train that goes to Tribulation Town and Rapture City," was the reply. "These are the only destinations, and believe me, you don't want to go to Tribulation Town."</p>
<p>He had heard about Tribulation Town. All the reports were terrible. How could he be certain he would not end up there? Apparently the train was speeding towards this terrible place.</p>
<p>He turned towards another passenger. "Is there a way to keep from ending up in Tribulation Town?" he asked.</p>
<p>"I'm afraid not," was the reply.</p>
<p>At that moment an older woman with a serene expression turned to him. "If you have the right ticket, you'll be getting off at Rapture City," she assured him.</p>
<p>He thought about this. Seems like he had heard of some special ticket, but it was considered just wishful thinking. People laughed at the whole idea. "We all will go to Tribulation Town," they had said. "Rapture City comes after that horrible place."</p>
<p>While he mused over this idea, he saw the Conductor coming near. "I'll ask him, he's sure to know."</p>
<p>He looked up at the kindly face of the Conductor who was collecting ticket stubs. "Can you tell me if there is a special ticket that assures me I'll get off at Rapture City?" he asked.</p>
<p>Just then the Conductor lifted his ticket and looked at it. "Don't worry," he said. "You have one of the tickets that guarantees you will not have to go to Trib Town. See what it says right here?" He pointed to the letters <i>elect</i>. "This is your clue."</p>
<p>The man felt a sense of relief at this good news. He had one more question. "I'm kind of tired. What if I go to sleep and miss Rapture City?" he asked anxiously.</p>
<p>The Conductor smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry," he told the man. "If you should fall asleep, I'll wake you. You'll go to Rapture city, awake or asleep."</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-207222140647159352015-05-20T08:16:00.000-05:002015-05-20T08:16:00.299-05:00O Sola Scriptura<p>Forgive me for mixing Latin and Italian, but this doctrine is something to sing about. And who could put it more plainly than Luther. And who could sing it better than Italians? This wonderful doctrine of "Scripture Alone" has freed people from religious oppression like none other.</p>
<p>Now let me say that the Catholic church never burned anyone! They just had the secular authorities burn people by threatening them with hell if they did not. Supposedly this absolves them from guilt in the matter. For no one hates the Protestant doctrine of <i>Sola Scriptura</i> more than the Roman Catholic Church. It is worse than the Declaration of Independence was to the British Empire. Imagine, bypassing the authority of the church hierarchy, even the Pope himself!</p>
<p>I saw an article online, "Invitation to Anarchy", that describes how some look at this blessed declaration of freedom. Two views are at war here--Tradition, and Rebellion Against Tradition. So far, numerically,
Tradition is ahead, and I am sure will remain so. But I know which horse I am betting on, comes time for the Judgement Seat of Christ. We are free in the Word, yet we still allow ourselves to be bound with the cords of our own making.</p>
<p>Returning to my horse analogy, kick off the traces. Rely only on the Word for doctrine. It will never let you down.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-51440274817530304192015-05-19T08:35:00.000-05:002015-05-19T08:35:00.749-05:00The Great Escape from God<p>I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;<br>
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;<br>
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways<br>
Of my own mind;<br>
- The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thomson</p>
<p>Humanist propaganda would have us believe that Man has been searching for God, any god. Their spiel goes like this: "Man, evolving in a cold heartless universe has long sought the meaning of life. Where did we come from? What is the meaning to it all? He has created many religions and still continues his search, a brave but lonely pioneer in a vain search for the ultimate truth."</p>
<p>This, of course, is Satanic ****shit. The elect of God and those created to be destroyed, all have a built-in fear and hatred of their creator. It is only through the powerful intervention of God's Holy Spirit that His people are rounded up, separated from the herd and saved. We all are wild horses, seeking to be free.</p>
<p>"But," anthropologists tell us, "mankind is inherently religious!" So true. Religious, even pious, in every way except towards the one true God. In the pantheon of Babylon and Egypt, almost everything in this evil world is a subject of worship, from the scarab beetle to the sky god. But the God of the third heaven is excluded. Satan, present mayor of the world, will not have it.</p>
<p>So what does God's invasion of so-called autonomous man look like? We need look no further than the Book of Genesis to see it. Genesis could well be called "the book of God contacting His people. No theory here, no speculation. Jacob is the perfect example. He wrestles all night with an "angel". The "angel" renames him Israel, "one who strives with God".</p>
<p>Forget man's "noble search". Forget man's free will. When God wants you, oh wild horse, He will pursue you and struggle with you. The children of Cain will never find Him. The elect cannot escape Him.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-5539592296662815342015-05-18T08:16:00.000-05:002015-05-18T08:16:00.256-05:00Where Did Matter Come From?<p><b>By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.</b> Psalm 33:6</p>
<p>Now I'm not going to try to get profound. This is a very simple question, with a very simple answer, and only one--God. The Bible plainly says that God is a spirit, and so while matter cannot create spirit, spirit can and did create matter.</p>
<p>A little on-line research gives you such a mishmash of ideas on this that you wouldn't believe it! From Hindu theology to the infinitely all-wise Joseph Smith, everybody takes a swing at it. Smith believed (or said) that matter always existed, and those who teach otherwise are "unlearned". Eternal matter, zowee! What a concept!</p>
<p>But even unbelieving scientist have stated that matter has an expiration date. The death of matter? What a tragedy for materialists. So old Ger is convinced that matter, unlike God, had a beginning and will have an end.</p>
<p>A birthday party for matter?</p>
<p>"Happy birthday to you,<br>
Happy birthday to you.<br>
Happy birthday dear molecules, atoms, electrons, protons, and subatomic particles,<br>
Happy birthday to you."</p>
<p>It looks like you could spend all your life studying the reasoning of those who argue the question of <i>ex nihilo</i> creation. But maybe we should remember that this is the way many make their livings. To take endless debate away from them would be to deprive them of their bread and margarine.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-57900772551951924942015-05-17T08:32:00.000-05:002015-05-17T08:32:00.048-05:00497 Little Inspirational Tips on How to Be a Better Person, or the Plan of a Loving God - Which Will it Be?<p>Good as we are, we can still be better! Move into the biggest room in the world, the "room for improvement".</p>
<p>Self improvement is very popular among some crowds because it contains the magic word "self". Anything to do with self sells. Many do not want to hear that God sent his son to suffer and die in order to make us Perfect. This can sure make the self-improvers feel inadequate.</p>
<p>But we can do it! If we all get together, we can change the world. Maybe even make it like it was before the fall. That terrible event in Eden was just a temporary setback. Next time we'll get it right.</p>
<p>So, more sermons on how to be better! Who needs to be washed in the blood of the Lamb? We can do it by ourselves.</p>
<p>Isn't it awful how the beautiful people keep on dying though? Guess it's because they haven't reached sinless perfection yet?</p>
<p>A LOT of people go to church to hear "inspirational" sermons. They make you feel so good. Perhaps a little reality leaks into the paralyzed brains of these passive listeners, but that's ok. Next week you can get another positive fix.</p>
<p>And you'll need it, because even the secular news media doesn't keep you from the awful fact that the world is falling apart. Terms such as "Armageddon" are beginning to pop up, mostly from Bible fanatics, of course, but it is depressing--so NEGATIVE. What do these people know anyway? They keep reading the Bible. No wonder they think things are not going to end well.</p>
<p>Enough depressing talk! There will be another inspiring sermon next week, plenty of room too. It will be delivered in the biggest room in the world.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7963765217898364356.post-70269063152756246622015-05-16T08:03:00.000-05:002015-05-16T08:03:00.136-05:00Scholarship<p>Be ready to fall on your face in worshipful adoration. You are so fortunate to be on the same planet with scholars. Genuine scholars are very useful. Every home should have at least several of them.</p>
<p>But worship them and their elevated positions? What for?</p>
<p>Tell you a little secret. The best of them died a long time ago. The new guys are really going over things that have been covered many times and long ago. It's a living for them though.</p>
<p>Bob Hope told about a man who had a car painted red on one side and blue on the other. He said that if he ever was involved in an accident, he wanted to hear the witnesses argue about what color his car was.</p>
<p>That's how I feel about modern Bible scholarship. A new theory can make your career. You might even get a book contract out of it.</p>
<p>For Pete's sake, it has all been done, long ago and far away. After almost two thousand years, I figure that the time for scholarship is long over. We are in the time of application, and just plain reading the results of such men as Luther, who unlocked the Bible and translated it into common language.</p>
<p>Once in college I was looking at a set of books on biology. I found two contradictory ideas presented. One book said that large brain size indicates intelligence. The other said that is not brain size but brain organization that was the real indicator of intelligence. This obviously was written for kids just out of high school.</p>
<p>A teacher of logic, a very nice lady, listened as I pointed this out. It was recreation for me. She thought I had spent a lot of time with these books to have found such a gem of senseless logic. I told her it was about as hard as finding sand at Miami Beach.</p>
<p>In the study of a pastor of a Presbyterian church, I mentioned that Calvin's Institutes were a perfect guide to some major doctrines. He lamented that he was no longer certain of this. Later, he said he was a reader of Kierkegaard. Now that is worldly wisdom.</p>
<p>I really feel that those who are uncertain of their faith often take refuge in "scholarship". They reason their way out, but can't reason back in.</p>
<p>The results of the learning of languages are readily available in study Bibles, in the Septuagint, and concordances. Besides these efforts lies the realm of endless speculation and contradiction. Once we have the Word, in our own language, we do not need so-called scholars.</p>
The Last Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08578767740880177298noreply@blogger.com0