December 30, 2018 Notes

1. People act when they feel, not necessarily when they know. But when people act when they "know", it is to either prohibit or promote a feeling, whether the feeling is physical, emotional or spiritual.

2. News is bad for you – and giving up reading it will make you happier

The Guardian

“The point is: the consumption of news is irrelevant to you. But people find it very difficult to recognise what's relevant. It's much easier to recognise what's new. The relevant versus the new is the fundamental battle of the current age. Media organisations want you to believe that news offers you some sort of a competitive advantage. Many fall for that.”

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/apr/12/news-is-bad-rolf-dobelli

3. I’ve notice that philosophers don’t usually philosophize but rather categorize. They identify a thought and its influences and give it a proper placement under a pre-existing philosophical category. Philosophy isn’t really teaching us something new. It’s just enlightening some, with the ideas and thoughts of others, (but rarely vice-versa).

4. I was at Staples and saw stacks of paper labeled, “Multi-Purpose Paper”.

What other purpose does paper have besides being paper?

5. The “once saved, always saved” belief shifts the emphasis from faith to an act. It is the belief that in doing something, heaven is permanently guaranteed.

Faith can be gained or lost, but a deed can never be undone. Once saved, always saved is the idea that an action has saved the individual. It’s a deed done, never to be undone so therefore the individual is forever saved.

If once saved, always saved were true then no one could apostatize. The concept of apostasy would not exist or even be possible. If the act of baptism or making a verbal commitment to Jesus Christ is the act that saves, then with the once saved, always saved belief, there is no way to rescind or offend that act.

It’s not true. Apostasy does exist.

6. If once saved, always saved were true then apostasy would not, could not exist.

Bill Hitchcock

Rebel

It is one thing to rebel against an oppressive authority or government. It is quite another to rebel against an authority or government because you didn’t get what you want or believe you are not required to respect and obey the laws of the land.

The British theologian Adam Clarke writes, “To be jealous of our civil rights and privileges, and most strenuously to preserve them, is highly praiseworthy; but to raise a public tumult to avoid merited chastisement, under pretense that our civil privileges are in danger, is not the part of patriots but insurgents”.

Clarke wrote about rebellion under the guise of fighting for civil rights. He didn’t call them protestors or rioters but more accurately describes them as insurgents. He pegged perfectly the problem we have here in America with those attempting to benefit by declaring infringement upon their civil rights and liberties. What is most interesting is that Adam Clarke wrote the above quote some 200 years ago. Did this theologian and Bible scholar have insights into the future? No; just insights into man and sin.

Our inalienable rights are rooted and founded in righteousness. Righteousness is sown in peace (James 3:18) and is an outgrowth of love. The backbone tenet of the Christian religion is love. “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

People do not kill, harm or destroy what they love. A man will do anything he can to preserve and protect that which is in his heart, including offering up his own life. But “An evil man seeketh only rebellion” (Proverbs 17:11).

The foundations in which laws and government are built upon are of God, designed by God and given to man so as to be able to live civilly amongst all peoples and societies. The civil laws, principles and precepts of God are a framework in which man is able to function, live and have interpersonal relationships.

God’s moral laws are strict commands as they relate to mankind, leading with righteousness to eternity through Jesus Christ.

“The moral law, then (to begin with it), being contained under two heads, the one of which simply enjoins us to worship God with pure faith and piety, the other to embrace men with sincere affection, is the true and eternal rule of righteousness prescribed to the men of all nations and of all times, who would frame their life agreeably to the will of God. For his eternal and immutable will is, that we are all to worship him and mutually love one another.” (John Calvin).

To simplify Calvin’s description of the moral law we’ll use the words of Jesus Christ.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Laws are based on love and steered by justice, equity and righteousness. Law with love but with none of the ascribed attributes is shipwrecked. It is sin unleashed. Unguided love excuses and permits all for it feels all and cannot bear pain.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Romans 13:1-2).

There is, “No power but of God”. Everyone is to obey the laws of the land for they are of God. He is the author and strength of this power.

When we understand the origin of principalities and powers, it then becomes clear what rebellion is. It is insurgency against those powers, against the righteousness behind that power and a direct assault upon God. The true underlying cause of rebellion and civil unrest is the author of all unrest himself, the devil.

The Apostle Paul reminded Titus in his letter to inform the people of Crete to, “be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men” (Titus 3:1-2).

The above is in direct contrast in what we are seeing today.

”To speak evil of no man” comes from the Greek word, “blasphemeo” and is where we get the word blasphemed. All of our protests have blasphemers, people who accuse and slander and speak reproachfully. Some such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson make a living at it.

“To be no brawlers”-We have fights, beatings, shootings, murders, fire bombings, larceny, etc. at almost every protest we see today.

“but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men” Dr. Martin Luther King understood this. Over 50 years later King is still the most effective civil rights leader. Why hasn’t anyone else assumed this role? Why are our leaders, including the President perpetuating the problem and not solving the problem? Why is violence the default position? The answer is simple. All of these protests are acts of rebellion flamed by the spirit of antichrist instigated and perpetuated by the devil.

It is important to note that God is not giving a free pass to any government to do as they please. The Bible is nothing but a fight against oppression in all its various forms, both spiritual and physical. Oppression is rooted in the devil. It is a downward force seeking first to obtain, then contain and finally control. It can manifest itself in government, religion, industry, education, any economy of people and resources! But above all oppression is an act aimed at God.

Rebellion is rooted in the devil too. It is an uprising against God. Rebellion and oppression have the same cause and the same goal; to kill, steal and destroy everything of God. The protests we are witnessing today are not about black and white, police and civilian, gay and straight, women and men, etc. although the devil uses these groups as his medium to accomplish his goal.

Also understand that the devil is not attacking evil. He is only after God and all things Godly. As Jesus pointed out, “If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Matthew 12:25).

The devil is attempting to make war with all things Holy and Divine.

These are the dots that our society must connect together. The battle isn’t about racism, sexism, homophobia, money, class disparity, liberalism and conservatism etc. These things are just the vehicle in which the devil utilizes to further his ground assault. Every generation will see a different manifestation of the devil at work. But the root cause never changes. It is the work of the “great dragon” that “old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Revelations 12:9).

We must live life awake, aware and attentive to the world around us and realize that the devil and evil do exist and it is pushing hard against God. Evil cannot exist where there is righteousness and Godliness. Only when we depart from the Lord and His way does the devil have access to us.

“When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked (Proverbs 11:10-11).

Righteousness exalteth a nation (Proverbs 14:34). In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death (Proverbs 12:28).

Our laws come from God, founded in love and steered by justice, equity and righteousness. The lawless are none of these things and are rooted in the devil. So what are we to do?

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15).

Bill Hitchcock

Which Bible Version To Read And Why

How do you decide what version of the Bible to read? Is ease and comfort your determining factor? Or is authenticity and accuracy of what you are reading your goal?

To one degree or another, meaning and context will get lost in the wash with any translation and revision. So, instead of the trying to get the Bible to reach us at our level, maybe we should try to rise to the Bible’s level. We must conform to the word of God, not the other way around.

Different Bible versions translate scripture differently. How differently greatly depends upon who translated it, why and when the translation occurred. Unfortunately, some translations build upon prior translations, further augmenting the original writings. For example, the King James Version of the Bible is built upon, and in protest of, the Geneva Bible.

By the way, the Bible doesn’t know things such as gender, race, nationality or age. Avoid Bible’s like a woman’s Bible or a teenager’s Bible.

Christianity has always had the problem of people trying to conform God’s word to them, when it is we who must conform to it.

Although some Bible versions afford greater ease of reading and comprehension, we must stop and think about what it is we are reading and understanding. Ease isn’t necessarily concerned with accuracy, ease only cares about ease. Erroneous learning is dangerous.

So what should we do? In my opinion, and I stress, my opinion, the King James Version (KJV) is the best to work with, although I prefer the Geneva Bible. Why the KJV? You will find that just about all helps will be geared towards the KJV. Concordances, encyclopedias, dictionaries, study guides, expositions, commentaries, etc., all most all of them reference the KJV. The Geneva Bible was written before the KJV and in somewhat of a different English.

John Wycliffe is credited with first translating the Bible from the Latin Vulgate in the 14th century. But the English has changed so much since then that many would find it difficult if not impossible to read. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the bulk of research materials and study guides are made for the KJV.

And what will all of these helps do? Mainly take the language back to its original Greek, Hebrew, Chaldean, Aramaic and such and not only give its original meaning but the word origins as well.

The hermeneutical approach of studying the Bible seeks to understand beyond mere word definitions, but to learn of the who, what, where, when, why and how of the message and messenger.

In short, to understand God’s word requires work and effort. But Jesus was clear, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

As much as possible reach back to the original and authoritative scripture. Employ the many helps available to you in searching out God’s word. God will make known his message to those that seek Him out.

The purpose here is not to dispel, discredit or even discourage reading any particular Bible version. The purpose is truth and to inspire the pursuit of it. To do so, we as fallen man must rise to the task and not bring down His word through a millennium or two of interpretations and translations.

Bill Hitchcock

Your Rights, the Declaration, Constitution, Government and God.

What are your rights as an American? They are spelled out in the Declaration of Independence. You have three rights. They are, "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". These rights are unalienable, which means they cannot be taken away or transferred to another. Our constitution was designed to protect and ensure those three rights. Government is designed to carry out the edicts of the Constitution.

The role of our government is NOT to create, manage and distribute entitlements. Entitlements are NOT rights they are benefits created by legislators. Any benefit offered over time becomes accepted as a right, but they are not.

Civil rights stem from natural rights. Natural rights come from God.

Bill Hitchcock

Muslim War Over Jerusalem and US Embassy

For those who are afraid of war in Israel because President Trump has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is moving the US Embassy there. Let me ask you one question. Who is going to start a war? Who is going to throw the first punch? Who is going to attack? The answer isn’t a country. The answer as to who the aggressor will be are the followers of Islam, Aka, Muslims.

What just war cause is evoked that would justify an attack? Answer: None! Why would Muslims attack? One reason. Because they are mad. So what? Muslims are always mad, even at each other. What do you think is the cause for all of the war and violence in the Middle East and Northern Africa? It is primarily Muslim infighting. The same war that has been going on for over 1,400 years. The war between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Let that sink in. The destruction in the Middle East is due to two warring Muslim factions with one exception and that’s when Muslims seek to eradicate Christians.

The Muslim stated goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the planet. There is nothing positive relating to Israel that Muslims will endorse.

So, let’s put our big boy pants on because Muslims never will. Their greatest power is pitching a fit to get what they want. The US has just spent 25 years letting the tail wag the dog.

If there is blood in Israel then it will be by the Muslim hand. It doesn’t matter how mad or offended they may be over the US recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the US moving its Embassy there, it gives zero just cause for the Muslims to evoke war and attack. ZERO CAUSE!

Bill Hitchcock

Please Explain

Please explain to me why you think big business is bad but big government is good?

Please explain to me how rising corporate profits are bad but raising government tax revenues are good?

Please explain to me why you think that a corporation is a closed door monolithic entity controlled by only a few at the top but government is not the same?

Please explain to me your belief that the government has the right to access, regulate and take possession of a private corporations profits for no other reason than the fact the corporation made a profit?

Please explain to me your belief that taxing a corporation simply because you can is for public benefit?

Please explain to me why you think government helps people with the money they tax away from a corporation but a corporation doesn’t help people with the monies they earned?

Please tell me what part you don’t understand about raising corporate taxes, making it fiscally impossible for a corporation to do business in the US and forcing them to move to another country, taking the jobs with them.

Why do you not understand that the purpose of a business is to make a profit? Why do you think profit is a bad thing?

Why do you think tax deductions are a “loophole” or some nefarious tactic to reduce a tax burden? Do you understand that it is the IRS that offers/allows tax deductions?

Do you understand that there is a correlation between taxes and deductions? The more the taxes, the more the deductions?

Do you understand that it is you and I that pay the corporate taxes the government levies? Do you understand the more it costs to produce something the more the corporation must charge for that goods or service? Do you understand that unions drive the cost up of goods and services too?

Do you understand that separation of church and state was to keep government out of God, not God out of government?

Did you know that the first legal document written in 1620 which bound our founding fathers together stated the reason for America was for the, “Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith”? (Mayflower Compact)

Please explain to me what you think a “right” is and what “rights” you think you have under the US Constitution?

Please explain to me what you think liberty is?

Do you understand that true justice is truly blind, but also deaf to your desires? Do you understand that justice is not revenge, but righteousness?

Bill Hitchcock

There Is No Point In Engaging

There is no point in engaging the left in any meaningful dialogue. Why? Because they can not engage in any meaningful dialogue.

Take for example this tweet from Jim Carrey from November 29. Carrey tweets, “The GOP and WH have become sinister conclaves of souless traitors, liars and thieves - a gangrene we must remove so democracy can live.”

The only response to something like this is a no-response because Carrey’s tweet contains no substance, no meat, no bone, just rancid, putrid, fat. There is no intellect or sensibility in which to engage in with Mr. Carrey.

Or how about this article written by Evan Hurst, also from November 29.

 “Go F*** Yourself, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, You Debased Redneck Motherf****er”

Yes, the above sputum is the actual headline of a real and published article, (except I inserted the “*” in appropriate places.)

Last summer the Huffington Post published, then retracted a story written by Jason Fuller that called for not the impeachment of President Trump, but for the execution of him. Yes, you read that right. And how was this criminal act justified? The Huffington Post and Fuller believed that murdering the president was necessary “to fully restore the moral compass of the U.S.”

Let that sick logic sink in. Fuller and the Huffington Post wanted to murder the president so we could restore America’s moral compass. Wow!

As I said before, there is no intellect or sensibility in which to engage the left, and might I add morality to the mix as well. Anger is the captain of their substantively empty ship.

To put it plainly as possible, the Left has nothing but emotion. More to the point, the Left has nothing but anger. The only thing that differentiates and segregates those on the left are degrees of anger and degrees of control over it.

I make it a personal rule to only engage in someone’s intellect and experience and to never engage with their anger or raw emotions. This of course leaves me conversation-less with liberals.

More than anything I would love to discuss ideology, philosophy and the politics of man and nature. I know I have history on my side. I also know that I am on the side of God, the creator and originator of all things. I can’t lose, only be divinely corrected.

Play the game to win. The devil knows that he has lost on the playing field of truth, liberty and freedom, so he doesn’t bother going there. But the devil knows he can entrap and entangle each of us in a web of emotion. That’s the devil’s stomping grounds.

Do not engage in someone’s anger or emotion. If there is no meat in which to bite into, simply walk away.

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings” (Proverbs 4:14-20).

Bill Hitchcock

What Would You Do?

A black man owns a corner grocery store. This black man hates all white people and bans them from his store. What would you do? Would you get offended? Picket his establish? Sue him? Get state and federal government involved?

Politically, legally and socially I would do nothing. It’s his store. In my opinion he is entitled to own and operate his store as he sees fit. In fact, I might even thank the man for his honesty, for it kept me, a white man, out of a place I was not welcomed. The marketplace will dictate the fate of the black store owner and his enterprise.

I would pray for him. Hatred in any form such as racism, bigotry, prejudices, etc., are not attributes of God so therefore should not be attributes of any man. I would pray for God’s light to shine on such a dark soul.

If I needed a heart transplant, I would request the store owner’s heart when he died. Obviously he doesn’t use it so his heart should be in great condition.

The best thing to do (outside of praying for him) would be to lead by example. What Jesus did was a manifestation of who he was. Jesus didn’t practice what he preached. Jesus was what he preached. There was no plurality or dualism with Jesus. His actions were a result of his being. We are to be that too.

This is where man runs into problems. Unlike Jesus, the inner man and the outer man often conflict with each other. The impulse today is to let the carnal man have control. As a result we see protests, riots, physical attacks and acts of brutality upon any thought, practice or moral that is not in line with our own.

It has become justified in today’s society to force a will (and to will a force) over another for the sole reason of disagreement. Brute strength then becomes the determinant of rights and liberty, not God or truth.

Be Jesus. Speak and do nothing but that which comes from God the Father. This means we need to be in God’s word and in His house. To know God means two things. First, it means that we are cognizant of God and acknowledge Him as such. Second, it means we have a developing, growing relationship with Him. The latter cannot be fully realized with a closed Bible standing on the wrong side of the church doors.

Let the black grocery store owner be and do as he sees fit. If you want to see him change, make sure you are in fact that change he needs to be.

Who obtains mercy? Those who are merciful. Who sees God? The pure of heart. Who are the children of God? The peacemakers. Who is blessed? The merciful, pure of heart and the peacemakers.

Stop and think about this for a moment. Have you ever drawn anything closer to you by pushing it away? Nope, not ever, never. All things are repelled by opposing forces. Attacking or confronting this black man in attempt to make him change will do nothing but push him from you and deepen his hatred towards you. Confrontation tends to create allies for the opposition. You may win the legal battle, but you’ve lost the war of truth, justice and liberty. In other words, you’ve lost the Godly battle and you’ve encased this man’s heart in spiritual Hell.

Never force your will. Force doesn’t change, only hardens. Lead by example. One person will read the Bible, but one hundred people will read the Christian. Be the change.

Bill Hitchcock

If A Man Say

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

True love has God and man intermixed. They are inseparable. Love is rooted in God and made manifest in our relationships with our fellow man.

God is not a singular entity. He is multifaceted. To love God is to love all aspects that is God. Man in particular who was made in the image of God is but just one facet of the Creator. To love God is to love all of His creation which is all of His known being.

Too many people think of God as a person. They think of God as a singular entity when in fact God is in everything and is everything.

It is impossible to love God and to hate man. Man is an extension of God. More than likely it is the sin in the imperfect man that causes the disdain. But God loves us unconditionally so we should do the same with our fellow man. We were made in the image of God. We are to be God like. Love is the demonstration of that God attribute.

Bill Hitchcock

Hopefully this isn’t too heavy for a Monday morning.

"God preordained a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation." - John Calvin

"The elect are whosoever will, and the non-elect, whosoever won't." - Henry Ward Beecher

It is God who moves upon the spirit of man that influences him in his decision. Do you really believe in free will? Do you really believe that God would leave anything to chance or in the charge of fallen, carnal man? What utter chaos would result if He did?

Man has free will to the extent that he is free to act as he sees fit. But it is God who moves upon the spirit of man and influences his state of being. It is God’s spirit acting upon our spirit that tunes us in to His will and wishes.

“Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” (Psalm 17:4-5)

Bill Hitchcock

Global Warming To Set Off Ice Apocalypse?

Well this is certainly covering all of your bases.  Global warming is said to set off an ice apocalypse.

“Liberal writer and climate scientist Eric Holthaus claimed manmade global warming would set off the “ice apocalypse” at a pace “too quickly for humanity to adapt.” H/T The Daily Caller

Here is the only climate change phenomenon that will happen “too quickly for humanity to adapt”. It’s going to be global warming alright.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

Bill Hitchcock

Use and Expand

I was thinking of our coast and commercial fishing when I wrote the following, although the application is universal.

“We are to make use of, but never spoil or destroy. Maintaining is playing catch up, staving off an impending demise. We are to enjoy and benefit as we improve and expand.” – Me.

And here is the end result: “For he that leaves as much as another can make use of, does as good as take nothing at all” from John Locke’s, “Two Treatises of Government”, first published December, 1689.

Bill Hitchcock

Constantly Amazed

I am constantly amazed by those who have made their decisions about God, heaven, what is good and bad, sin and righteousness by those who have never read the Bible cover to cover. Is the Bible “required” reading to become a Christian? No, of course not. Besides, requirements are usually a product of man’s religion, not be some Divine edict.

God made it simple with 10 commandments. Jesus stressed the “first commandment”, which was actually a composition of three things. The Apostle Paul made salvation a matter of heart and confession.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say we must read the Bible cover to cover to be saved.

But the Bible, like Jesus and salvation or Satan and sin, is a choice. Your choices define your path. Your path brings you to your destination. God has chosen you and your path. But it isn’t automatic, you must choose.

So, are you going to build your pathway with the righteous gold bricks of God’s word? That’s with all of His word. Or are you going to set your course with the broken branches of bramble that are your thoughts, opinion, and man’s philosophy and sprinkled it with a few golden pebbles of truth here and there?

It’s your choice. Just understand that depending on what you choose will determine where you arrive, heaven or hell.

I am also amazed by those who are angry at the United States and want to change, or rather overthrow our government, who have not read the constitution, declaration of Independence and with virtually, if not literally, zero knowledge of US or world history.

The most belligerent and misguided of our citizens tend to be those that are History and Bible illiterate. Or, they have had somewhat of a deep exposure, just not a very wide one.

Bill Hitchcock

Liberty

Liberty is not a license, but rather an inherent gift of God’s grace. Liberty is mutual amongst all men. You can’t legislate liberty. It ‘is” and “is” naturally. Liberty exists independent of man. Man, the instrument of sin, attempts to control, dictate and parcel it out. You can’t regulate liberty but you can (and must) regulate man. Any attempted infringement upon liberty generates chaos. Liberty is not a license, permission or right. It is every bit the nature and characteristic of God as righteousness or love are.

Bill Hitchcock

For judgment I am come

"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." (John 9:39)

Jesus’s judgement was not an order of condemnation (See John 3:17 & John 12:44-50), but rather to awaken the saint to sin.

The judgment was the righteousness of Jesus alongside the sin of man and man’s resulting awareness of the difference between the two. Jesus was the light of day that shone on the darkness of sin. Man needed Jesus to be able to see. Once sight was restored to man, sin and salvation became a choice. 

The saints chose salvation. The reprobate chose sin.

Bill Hitchcock

How To Defeat Fascism

Dear Antifa-Do you know what the best way to defeat fascism is? Be an American. Believe in God and His word. Support and defend the constitution. 

Understand and live the Declaration of Independence. Focus particularly on the second paragraph. You know, the one that says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

Support and participate in capitalism and the free enterprise system. Vote! Engage in debate, not as a precursor for physical violence. But discuss, exchange ideas, understand. Think! Lead with your intellect, not with your anger.

Don’t think only in bits and pieces and the here and now. Pay attention. Look 360 degrees. Know history.

Understand that government is a function of God. Government is a divine grace when God is the authority. It is Hell on earth when man thinks he is the ultimate sovereign.

Principles and morals are not relative. They do not bend and cannot be exchanged or changed at will or convenience. Principles and morals are guideposts of truth, not stepping stones to personal gain and profit.

Finally, love. It is God’s greatest command. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. This last one is the toughest. We live in a selfie society where it is all about me. In God’s order of things, me is number three, not number one.

Do these things and fascism will never be a threat.

Bill Hitchcock

Why Do The Heathen Rage

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psalm 2:1)

Why is the nation in a tumult? Why are the people conspiring and contemplating some fruitless thing? This was the reaction of the unbelieving Jewish people over the arrival of Jesus Christ. It was an entire nation, a peoples, a religion in complete upheaval, not joy, over the arrival of the Messiah.

The heathen still rages today. Except now, the heathen is not identified by any particular religion, nation or people. The heathen knows no specific culture or locale. The heathen is defined by a more contemporary standard of being without the trinity, without the one true God, His Son and Holy Ghost. The heathen is not only without, but in denial and often revolt over the truth.

“Never were the notions of any sect of philosophers, though ever so absurd, nor the powers of any prince or state, though ever so tyrannical, opposed with so much violence as the doctrine and government of Christ--a sign that it was from heaven, for the opposition was plainly from hell originally.” – Matthew Henry

But the question still begs to be answered. Why are the people imagining a vain thing?

“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:2-3).

We know that the “gates of hell shall not prevail against” (Matthew 16:18) Jesus Christ, His spirit and His church. So why does the heathen continue to rage and the people, 2,000 years later, continue to imagine a vain thing?

“When the ungodly have mustered their forces, and when, depending on their vast numbers, their riches, and their means of defense, they not only pour forth their proud blasphemies, but furiously assault heaven itself, we may safely laugh them to scorn, relying on this one consideration, that he whom they are assailing is the God who is in heaven. When we see Christ well nigh overwhelmed with the number and strength of his enemies, let us remember that they are making war against God over whom they shall not prevail, and therefore their attempts, whatever they may be, and however increasing, will come to naught, and be utterly ineffectual.” – John Calvin

Humility

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6)

The further away someone is from God, the more difficult this passage becomes. It deals with humility and submission, two things carnal man so ardently resists and is his main “dysfunction” with the one infinitely Supreme God.

“submit yourselves unto the elder”. This is a voluntary act of yielding will and authority.

“Submit” and “subject” are derived from the same Greek word, “hypotasso”. It means to subordinate to another.

“…be clothed with humility”. The word “clothed” means to knot or tie two things together. Slaves would tie a white scarf to their belt to designate themself as a bondmen. Likewise, humility is the Christian scarf of subornation to their fellow Christian.

“for God resisteth the proud”. “Resisteth” really does not convey the strength or magnitude of the message. The word comes from the Greek, “antitasso” and means to battle against. In other words, God battles against the proud. It is not a position poised for victory in any sense.

“and giveth grace to the humble.” Grace, that unmerited favor of unlimited Godliness.

“…under the mighty hand of God”. All things are by the help or agency of God. A humble person will know and understand this and will accredit himself of naught.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

“…that he may exalt you in due time.” Due time, is God’s perfect time and timing.

There is an interesting and somewhat confusing verse in the Book of Acts. “And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:14).

Why would anyone cease to say the Lord’s will be done? Simple. A truly humble spirit knows that under all situations and circumstances that God’s will is and shall be done. Neither we nor any other power, force, principality, creation, or entity can alter, stop, or affect God’s will.

Bill Hitchcock

To Kaepernick And All Of His Nefarious Knee Kneeling Acolytes

God gave you talent and ability.

America gave you protected liberty and rights.

Your employer gave you the opportunity and the job.

Instead of rebelling, how about demonstrating some gratitude for all of the things that have been given to you.

Praise and gratitude unify and heal. Rebellion divides and destroys. Gratitude is a far greater attribute for our youth to aspire to over your current insubordinate and contumacious display of self-absorbed defiance.

“The beginning of men’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.”

(Francis Schaeffer)

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Bill Hitchcock

The Broken Spirit

The cause of a broken spirit for a child of God is the realization and subsequent admission of sin. We become aware of two things once we acknowledge our own transgressions. First, we realize that we are in a perpetually sinful condition. Second, we discover that our sins aren’t just an offense to God, but rather acts directed against God!

Part of the discovery of our own sin is the revelation that we cannot defeat sin on our own.  We need a Savior. One that can, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Only through the lovingkindness and mercy of God was that Savior offered to us in Jesus Christ. God’s mercy, not our efforts, will, heritage or “goodness” afforded us this salvation.

Our salvation comes through the belief, faith and acceptation of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Christ must be received in whole, not in part, for there is no partial life, partial death or partial salvation.

Jesus said, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelations 3:15-16)

Choose to commit to Jesus Christ today! Choose to commit to life!

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Bill Hitchcock

That I May Walk Before God

“For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:13).

Look how miraculous this one verse is!

1. God knows His children and has rescued us from certain death through Jesus Christ our Savior. Physically? No, for the body is temporal. It shall die and return back to the earth. God has saved our spirit, our eternal being.

2. God not only snatches us from death and destruction, but He hedges our path, keeping us headed towards Him!

Why has He done all of this? So we can be in His presence, in righteousness, with all of God’s elect!

“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:10-11).

Bill Hitchcock 

Looking At The Wrong Thing

Most folks are looking at the wrong thing. When reading end times prophesy, they pay attention to the scary events that will happen and totally miss the point.

“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” (Joel 2:30-32).

It is not the “terrible day” that you should be focusing on. What should have your attention is that in the last day, the Lord will only call a “remnant”, not everyone. God will call His chosen and elect people.

“Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered”. That unction inside of you is the Holy Spirit mingling with your spirit. It is God in you. Everyone will not have this experience. You are a chosen child of God. Respond! Call upon the Lord and be saved!

Bill Hitchcock 

One Vessel Unto Honour, And Another Unto Dishonour

The following passage addresses one of the most controversial and misunderstood concepts from the Bible; election and predestination. Here the Apostle Paul makes clear that the elect and reprobate are chosen by God. Paul uses Pharaoh as an example of a reprobate God chose. Election is not left solely in man’s hands. It is not left to he who “willeth” (desire, wish, intend) or “runneth” (strive, exert, attempt to attain).  

“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” (Romans 9:15-21).

Have you heard the gospel call? Then you are chosen. Has Jesus Christ touched your heart? You are of the elect. Are you drawn to God above? Then you are predestined to Him. You are a “vessel unto honour”.

If God and His word is foolishness to you. If none of it penetrates your heart and spirit. If you are stoic, and untouched by the truth. If you don’t care for or don’t believe in God, then either the Holy Spirit has yet to awaken your spirit or you’ve been made a “vessel onto dishonor”.

It’s a cold hard fact. God is the potter. He takes the clay and forms the lump, not us.

Bill Hitchcock

But If Our Gospel Be Hid

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Notice who is blinded. It is he who does not believe in God. It is not that the person is blinded so he does not believe and becomes an apostate. Satan, the god of this world, darkens the mind and spiritual eye of those who do not believe in the good news of Jesus Christ.

The unbeliever, now susceptible to the influences of Satan, becomes encrusted in doubt and despair, angry at truth and bitter about circumstance. In other words, unbelief positions you where Satan wants you, in a life of Hell. In fact, the phrase “that are lost” comes from the Greek word, “apollymi” which means to utterly destroy and give over to an eternity in Hell.

Unbelief affords the devil opportunity to work on your mind and spirit. The door of unbelief can swing wide and be very difficult to shut. But all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us.

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:46-48).

Believe, open your eyes and live!

Bill Hitchcock

Present

“These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you” (John 14:25).

Present. Jesus was always present when he did miracles, healed people, cast out devils and taught the word of God. Unlike Mohammad who had “visions” while isolated in a cave.

Everything Jesus Christ did, he did in the presence of other people over a period of several years. Even the Holy Ghost made His first “public” appearance with a crowd of people.

Jesus Christ is still very present today. All you have to do is believe in Him.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Bill Hitchcock

Making Godly Sense Out Of Disaster

There has been a lot of chatter lately, mainly by the reprobate, that God is punishing certain people with these recent hurricane events. Evil will always try to convict, confuse, stir up feelings of guilt and punish the saints. Don’t buy into their vile attempts.

God does however, allow adversity to happen. Why? Simple. Man left to his own devices will always retreat into himself. He will worship the works of his own hands, credit himself, and worship self. God gets forgotten and sin and unrighteousness flourishes. The end of sin is always death. God wants us to live!

“But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:23-24)

Man must be constantly reminded of the following:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

God reminds us of His power and omnipotence through adversity. Is it punishment for sin? No, it’s a wake-up call to depart from sin and a reminder of his amazing grace and mercy.

“When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (Ezekiel 18:26-28)

If God only punished and never corrected us for our sin and disobedience, then everyone on earth would be dead and gone. It’s as simple as that.

“The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.” (Psalm 46:6)

But, the Lord is righteous and forgiving to His saints!

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17). The kingdom of God is in righteousness and we are to seek it. Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).

Through adversity, we are reminded of our departure from the pursuit of righteousness, God’s kingdom and from our dependence on Him. We discover our rebellion of self-reliance and entrance into sin. God loves us and wants all to live. Man has to be constantly reminded of this. Unfortunately, man can only learn through adversity.

God made it crystal clear, “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” (Ezekiel 18:31-32).

Adversity is our wake-up call to turn back to God and righteousness and live!

Bill Hitchcock 

Carnality

Carnality produces pride which begets contention and strife.

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” (Proverbs 13:10)

“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3)

I freely admit that I am guilty of the sin of pride. We all are. I am aware of pride that produces contention, I have repented of it and have given it to the Lord to absolve me from it. But, the carnal me seems to occasionally want to take it back from the Lord and play with it a while, just long enough that either myself or someone else gets hurt.

Stay in the Spirit and not in the carnal self. Give pride to the Lord and let it go. And don’t go and take it back, either!

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10)

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

Bill Hitchcock

Heaven Requires Holiness

If we were to go to the moon, then we would have to conform to its environment. The moon has an exosphere which is 100 trillion times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere. If we wanted to go there, we would have to adjust and conform to its conditions.

It’s the same with heaven. It is a different environment than on earth. It is spiritual, not restricted to the physical. It is righteous and holy, not sinful, hateful and hurtful.

To be able to go to heaven, then man must adjust and conform to it. Heaven will not adjust and conform to man. The worldly cannot live in the heavenly. This must be understood.

Some folks labor under the misapprehension that God has created some arbitrary set of rules for us to follow so as to gain entrance into heaven. When in reality God is showing us a change in environment and preparing us for that change. Those who hear God’s message, and willing to accept the reality of it, will conform. Those who do not, will be like a man on the moon, without the support of air nor protection from a spacesuit.

God said, “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44).

We must repent, turn from our carnal, sinful and worldly ways. We are to be “conformed to the image of his Son”, (Romans 8:29) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is our pattern of truth, holiness and righteousness in which to model ourselves after. Where we have failed and will continue to fail, Christ died on the cross for those sins. He is our atonement.

We must be holy, not just because God is holy or due to some whimsical set of rules God concocted. The environment of heaven, the realm of eternity requires it! Holiness, righteousness and truth cannot and will not intermingle with anything other than itself. This is why God requires that each of His children be holy.

God has elected His children, predestinated us, called and prepared a place for each of us. All we have to do is respond to God in obedience.

Bill Hitchcock 

Did God Punish Texas With Hurricane Harvey?

The Boston Globe newspaper headline read, “A professor said Harvey was ‘karma’ because Texas voted Republican”

The headline from the Daily Mail, a British publication read, “God drowned all the neo-Nazis of Texas': French magazine Charlie Hebdo prints controversial cover depicting Harvey victims as white supremacists”

These are just a few examples of the hateful accusations from across the country and the world over Hurricane Harvey making landfall in the conservative, Republican, President Trump supporting state of Texas. The claim is that the wrath of God is punishing Texans for their vote, politics and their beliefs.

The entire accusation is built upon two false premises. First, that Republicans, our President and Texans are evil. Secondly, these publications purport that God attacks and punishes evil people for their sins.

Does God work this way? Would God create a natural disaster just to punish “evil” people for their vote, politics or misdeeds?

Let’s see what Jesus has to say about it.

“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

Pilate invaded the Galilean’s and caused their blood to mingle with the sacrificial blood. A tower fell on 18 people, killing them all. Jesus asks, “think ye that they were sinners above all men” because these horrible events happened to them? He then answers His own question with, “Nay”!

But Jesus does give a warning to everyone, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.

Jesus gives us another great example of how sin and adverse situations don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from birth. And His disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath the man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1-3).

We have the wisdom of Solomon who teaches the same thing.

“For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath…I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them” (Ecclesiastes 9:1-2,11-12).

We have an entire book in the Bible dedicated to how horrible things happen to good people. In the Book of Job, God describes Job as, “none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil”.

Everything was taken away from this “perfect” and “upright” man. Job’s family, his possessions, his wealth and his health. Even Job’s friends turned on him.

So why do bad things happen? Simple, because we live in an imperfect world due to sin. No one is insulated from tragedy. As Solomon said, “All things come alike to all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

Albert Barnes, the 19^th century theologian makes clear that, “This is not a world of retribution. Good and evil are mingled; the good and the bad suffer, and all are exposed here to calamity.”

John Calvin, the 16^th century theologian, hits the nail on the head when he said if, “God gave a display of his judgment, no more would others, though they might be spared for a time, escape his hand.”

Adequate punishment for sin cannot be handed out in this world. That comes in the next.

The true evil is the propaganda being spread about our country, president and the people of Texas. Always consider the source. Who is spreading these horrible, unbiblical and ungodly lies. It can only come from a horrible, unbiblical and ungodly person.

Bill Hitchcock

He increaseth the nations

“He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.” (Job 12:23)

It is best that as a nation, if we put all of our trust in God. After all, He is the one and only at the helm. We may think we are in control of our destiny, but God’s will, will be done. And what is His will? It can be boiled down to one word. Love. Love of God. Love of each other. True love is holy and righteous, and that’s what God wants us to be.

“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1;15-16).

“…God is in the generation of the righteous” (Psalm 14:5).

God will course correct His children back to the way, the truth and the life, no matter how much we yell, kick or scream.

Bill Hitchcock

So Might Grace Reign

“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21).

Remember LSD. It is an acronym for Lust, Sin, Death. James talks a lot about this in the first chapter of his epistle. We first have the lust or the desire to sin. We then act upon that desire, which is sin. Eventually, we pay the ultimate price and suffer the consequence for our actions through death.

Man, on his own accord, cannot escape this vicious LSD cycle.

Fortunately for mankind, God loves us. It is because of this love that God offers His grace freely. But what is grace”

B.B. Warfield, a professor of theology at Princeton in 19^th & 20^th centuries, defines grace as a, “free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.”

Grace is administered through the direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon us. It is the influence of the Spirit upon our souls that leads us to Christ, solidifies our faith and keeps us in the way of righteousness and truth. Belief in Christ allows for the blood of Christ to be our sacrifice and atonement for sins. All of this is due to God’s grace. It is not required or obligated. We did not deserve it, aren’t owed it nor can we earn it.

Grace is freely given by God. Salvation comes through the grace of God and no other way.

Bill Hitchcock

 Justified By Faith

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

We have been rendered righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ. No longer are we at odds with God. Wrath has been transitioned into peace, the seas of inner turmoil have been calmed. Our wretched world is now our righteous world. And because of our faith, we now have complete access to the full power and mercy of God. How amazing!

Bill Hitchcock

Cause and Affect

Some believe that the cause is our election to holiness and good deeds with the affect being our entrance into heaven.

That is backwards.

The cause is God’s election of us into heaven which has the effect on our holiness and desire for good deeds.

Bill Hitchcock

To Make our Calling and Election Sure

To make our calling and election in Christ sure and to prevent us from falling out of the way, Peter in his second epistle tells us to add seven things to our faith.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11)

Let’s examine these seven qualities in a little more depth.

1. Virtue: A virtuous course of thought, feeling and action. Virtue, moral goodness. Any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity

2. Knowledge: General and deeper understanding of Christianity, a continuous process of learning.

3. Temperance: self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites)

4. Patience: Time, endurance and steadfastness. A man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings

5. Godliness: Piety towards God. The doctrine that promotes God.

6. Brotherly kindness: (Philadelphia) Cherish for each other as brethren

7. Charity: (Agape) Godly love.

(Sources referenced: Thayer & Vine)

Adding the above seven qualities to our faith will enable us to stand secure and assured in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It will empower us so as to never be barren or unfruitful. Virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are seven posts in our fence of faith. Our faith fence keeps sin out and keeps us in the way of salvation.

It is very important to highlight one key phrase from the above passage. Peter said to “give diligence” in making your calling and election sure. To “give diligence” means to put forth effort, to exert oneself. Adding these seven attributes to our faith is work. It requires mental acuity, a conscious effort and a desire so strong to become these Godly attributes that any conflicting fleshy desires will be defeated. Our desire to overcome the flesh is rooted in our love for Christ.

There will always be a price to be paid for something of value. In other words, there is no value in something that is free. This is why David insisted on paying Araunah for the threshingfloor, after it was offered to David for free, when he was looking for a place to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord (See 2 Samuel 24:24). No price, no value, then no worth.

One may argue that if there is no value in free, and God’s grace is freely given, then there must be no value in His grace. That’s absurd. Although God’s grace is freely given, there is a tremendous price in receiving it. To accept God’s grace, we must accept God. This requires that we give our all to Him; heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. Christ gave His life for us. We are to do the same for Him.

Faith and these seven attributes are of immeasurable value and worth. This is why the devil will present what appears to be insurmountable problems in attaining them. Overcoming worldly problems and the flesh is a great price we must pay while here on earth. God’s grace is sufficient to overcome any obstacle, no matter what we may confront.

The price we must pay for faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity is our diligence in obtaining them. It is our responsibility to pass them along to others.

Bill Hitchcock

Attack Ideas, Not People

In a 2008 interview, Justice Antonin Scalia said, “I attack ideas. I don't attack people. And some very good people have some very bad ideas. And if you can't separate the two, you gotta get another day job. You don't want to be a judge. At least not a judge on a multi-member panel.

Whether Justice Scalia knew it or not, or intended it or not, his statement was rooted in the Bible. Never are we to attack the person and never are we to be the judge.

Peter tells us of angels that dealt with sinful people who walked, “after the flesh”, and how the angels did not speak adversely to them or about them.

“Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. ” (2 Peter 2:11-10).

The archangel Michael treated the devil in similar fashion.

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 9)

There are several things we can learn from Michael and the angels

.

1. There is never a cause to bring a “railing accusation” against anyone. Even if you come from a position of superior strength or righteousness, even if you are right and they are wrong, and even if you are good and they are bad, never is justification for personal attacks.

2. We are to be like Christ, imitators of Him in every way. Never should we act in opposition to His Spirit that fills us. Abusive, reproachful, critical, cynical, disparaging language is not Christ like. Never should we bring such a thing “before the Lord”

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:24-27, 29)

3. Turn it all over to the Lord. Let God rebuke the evil doer in His time and in His manner. God said, “To me belongeth vengeance and recompence” (Deuteronomy 32:35).

The Apostle Paul made it clear: “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:14, 17-19).

Regardless of right, might, or offense, always remember the following:

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).

Bill Hitchcock

Fewer Prophets Of Prophesy

We need fewer prophets of prophesy. We need to move away from the ministries of personal profit and gain. We need to stop trying to force the Shekinah cloud to fill the sanctuary every Sunday morning and stop trying to force the Holy Ghost to take over our bodies. We also need to remember that God’s grace and gifts are given according to God’s pleasure and will and are not “on demand” according to our wishes.

We need to rediscover that Church services were never intended to be entertainment, concerts, theatre productions or multi-media presentations.

We definitely don’t need more Preachers of church protocol and reciters of religious rites and rituals.

What we do need now more than ever are for Preachers to be more like Ezra and Nehemiah. We need more Bible exposition and less self-expression from the pulpit.

“So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8).

Preach and teach the word of God. Increase people’s understanding and sense of scriptures. Teach how to learn and the process of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Selah! Then will you have planted the seeds of God within the hearts of the saints, plus, enabled them to plant, water and grow God’s seed on their own. This will create a much happier and healthier congregation, one that is growing both in numbers and direction towards God.

“And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” (Nehemiah 8:12)

Money, politics, publicity, self, sententiousness and power; are any of these bricks of your ministry? Are any of them cornerstones? If so, then you are not assembling a welcoming Church built on the word of God, but rather fabricating the middle wall of partition, founded on pride and contention.

The weight of this great responsibility of learning does not fall on the Ministers shoulders only. The congregation must put forth the effort to understand as well. We as congregants need to be like the Bereans in that “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Preachers, throw your religion, ministry and self out the window. Then open your Bible and read God’s word without prejudice, faithfully and “distinctly”. Read so as to cause your congregants “to understand the reading”. Teach how to learn and understand scripture. Cause the Bible to be the power source that everyone can plug into.

If we do not teach how to learn, then the Bible will remain locked to the very ones it was written for.

Bill Hitchcock

The Qualifiers

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The first qualifier. Jesus is not addressing everyone in the above passage. Jesus is not addressing the non-believers or the unregenerate. He is speaking only to those who believe on Him.

The second qualifier. Jesus makes it very clear that belief in Him alone does not automatically make someone His disciple. Jesus gives a conditional statement in the form of “if-then”. Some call this deductive reasoning.

Jesus says, “IF ye continue in my word, THEN are ye my disciples indeed”.

We must not only believe in Jesus, but abide in Him and His word. This is what separates us from the devils, for the devils surely believe in Jesus as well, but do not continue in His will or ways. See James 2:19.

Once we believe in Jesus and abide in Him explicitly and implicitly, then and only then shall we know the truth. Then and only then can we break the bondage of sin and the shackles of this mortal coil and be free from this earthly, temporal domain.

Believe and abide in Jesus. Then comes knowledge of truth which allows for true liberty.

But why did Jesus only address those who believed in Him? Because the others can’t hear or comprehend what he said, or would be so offended by the truth that they would want to kill Him.

“But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.” (John 8:40)

“Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.” (John 8:43).

“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” (John 8:45)

“He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47).

Watch how people react to Jesus and His word. Does it fall on deaf ears? Does the truth agitate and infuriate?

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18).

Only a devil could be offended by the truth. The Child of God seeks it out.

Bill Hitchcock

Look Unto Me

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

(Isaiah 45:22)

All that is required of us to be saved is to simply look upon God.  We are to affix our gaze and attention on Him. Notice that God does not require us to necessarily see or to even understand, but simply to look unto Him.

To look at God we must first turn away from our ways and our own direction. We will always head towards what we look at. It is impossible to go to God whilst looking elsewhere.

Looking at anything other than God is looking at sin and destruction. Line of sight of our Lord is the straight and narrow path. Wide is the gate to destruction and Hell and does not require our attention. We can stumble through the broad gates of Hell with our eyes closed. In fact, most do.

We are to look upon Him. Never will we fall out of the way when we ever look directly unto Him. This straight line to God is the way to holiness, it is righteousness, and it is the way to God.

Bill Hitchcock