The Passover and its Meaning for Christians...

Me ~ What is Passover and what does it have to do with Communion?

John ~  The Communion meal is the Passover meal. It is the meal that Jesus gave the Israelites when the angel of death came to kill the first born male while they were in Egypt. It was the final plague declared by Moses to Pharaoh to let his people go.  The Israelites were instructed to put lamb's blood over their door frames so that the angel of death would pass over them. Jesus is the Lamb which protects us the lamb's blood protected the Israelites in Egypt. The Passover meal was eaten in their homes while angel of death passed over outside their doors.

Me ~ So, when we take the Communion meal together as Christians we are celebrating Passover?

John ~ Yes, we are celebrating the meal that God instituted for passing over judgement on His chosen people. The Bible says that once we are in Christ we are no longer under judgement or condemnation just as the Israelites were no longer under judgement while they were in Egypt. The Passover meal was a foreshadowing of God's church being passed over for judgement on the last day.

Me ~ Do we need to take Communion every day or every week... on the Sabbath?

John ~ Firstly, the Sabbath was made for man not the other way around. You can take it whenever you want. It is a memorial of God being our Passover Lamb our sacrifice so that we are not judged at the last judgement. Passover comes once a year (Jesus celebrated once a year) and celebrating once a year is acceptable. Jesus never gave us a rule as to how often we should celebrate Communion.  I don't have a problem celebrating it often but we don't want it to become a ritual or 'tradition'.

Me ~ Yes, I want to ask about ritual/tradition but first, does a priest or pastor have to issue the Communion meal or can anyone?

John ~ On Passover, a Jewish family would get together and have the meal and it was a family event. There was never any requirement by your family, or by yourself to have it given by a priest/pastor. The idea of a priest doing it is a Catholic tradition going back to about 300 Ad (years after Christ). It has nothing to do with the last Communion Passover meal that Jesus had with His disciples which we call the Last Supper.  This meal has always been about Jesus' sascrifice. It was a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled on that day... the last Passover meal before He was crucified. He wants us to remember about His sacrifice for us when we celebrate the Passover meal.

Me ~ Catholics have always considered that communion was necessary every Sunday and that it was a necessary sacrament; something that you were obligated to do in order to become 'savable'... The priest as you know conducts a ceremony at the alter and the blessed wafer is given to each member. They understand that the wafer is the body of Christ and the wine is His blood.
What is wrong with that whole tradition/ritual if there is anything wrong with it?

John ~ First, the wafer does not turn into flesh and the wine does not turn into blood. Jesus only wanted His disciples to understand that the meal was symbolic of His sacrifice. There is nothing mystical about it, so no there is no 'transubstantiation' going on.  There is no need for a priest to say any kind of blessing and it is not a ritual.  The idea that one must take it to be saved contradicts what Christ and Paul said about the nature of salvation... that believing on the name of Christ and being baptized in the Holy Spirit is all one needs. There is nothing in the Word of God that says you must take communion in order to be saved or any other sacrament or ritual.

Me ~ Many Catholics point to Paul as standing firm on tradition and that traditions are to be allowed or followed. But, I have not found that to be the case in view of scripture. How is that properly understood?

John ~ Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? Matthew 15:3. You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men." Mark 7:8 He went on to say, "You neatly set aside the commandment of God to maintain your own tradition. Mark 7:9 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters." Mark 7:13

So... Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ ~ Colossians 2:8.
 
1 Peter 1: 17-19. Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear during your temporary stay on earth. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.…

Me ~ What do you use for your Passover meal at home?

John ~ Dry bread usually but it can be unleavened or pita or even crackers. Its what's in your heart, mind and soul that matters when breaking bread with your family or alone and remembering what that means for us/you; His sacrifice on the cross, once and for all.

The Fall of Ai... Its Significance Today!

Ai was referred to as a place in the Bible that was full of corrupted information. Joshua was commanded by the Lord to destroy Ai which is sometimes called, Et-Tell (Intell?). 

Me ~ Do you think there is any significance with that name Ai reflecting on today's Ai- artificial intelligence? 

John ~ Well, it is very interesting considering that we are at a time when artificial intelligence is on the verge of taking over for humankind. Let us consider the commentary by Matthew Henry on Joshua 8:1 - When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may look to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian work and warfare... there are and will be people, who kept themselves from the accursed thing, and they were quickly rewarded for their obedience. The way to have the comfort of what God allows us, is, to keep away from what he forbids us. 

Me ~ Ok, so is there any significance? Will there be, given the nature of this 'reality' of this fallen world, a kind of return to Joshua 8?  If we agree that what we are experiencing an information reality corruption whereat error entered in, then don't we have to consider that today's Ai is another version of the same event. 

John ~ Read Joshua 8 - And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land....

You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.” So Joshua sent them out...Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai...

And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. Not a man was left in Ai ...

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.  

And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. And the others came out from the city against them...When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. 

What does this 'battle' have to do with man today? Will we be fighting Ai - the thing/entity of a number of people (number of the beast) and those who join in with it? Isn't that just a place, and today we are talking about a thing that has no real place. There is one thing for sure... artificial intelligence is what was being fought by Joshua. 

Me ~ What do you mean?

John ~ I mean that information that is manufactured on false pretense, on false information, on untruths that enslave man as it was in the time of Joshua! We should be asking will there be a conquest of Ai today?  Yes, and it will likely begin at the second coming of Christ. 

The Bible is the Word of God!

Me ~ If the Bible is the inerrant Word of God then that should mean that all of the universe with the heavens and earth are also inerrant = perfectly true. Shouldn't it? 

John ~ Yes and No. Yes, because the Bible as the Word of God tells us that the Word of God is true and that all of God's creation is true. Anything created by God would be created perfectly and perfectly true. However, we are told that this world is a fallen world. Which gives us a No answer as that implies the universe is not perfectly true since we are told that this is a fallen world. 

And, that would seem to imply to the word as well. But, it does not. Just because the product is broke does not mean the instructions were written improperly and imperfectly. In fact, a broken product implies that the product was once unbroken and was in perfect condition, doesn't it?

You see, we are in a fallen 'corrupted version' of the perfect world which was not by God's doing. It was by our doing because we failed in following the instructions properly. God's version where we used to be is a higher version, an HD version, from which humans are now banned until the second coming.

Me ~ Is there any truth at all in this corrupted version? 

John ~ Yes, but it is not the same HD version. Man simply does not have the ability to see and exist in the HD version. Better would be to say that man's ability has been masked by sin (failure to follow commands) and man was thus clothed in a skin 'garment' which has an expiration date in this version. An event that will collapse the old version and bring forth and or allow a permanent upgrade to the HD version.

We have been introduced to the HD version by and through Jesus Christ. He was/is the conduit or way to the Father and His 'HD' Kingdom. We are told in scripture that in/through Christ the old man 'program' is dead and a new creation exists in Him ~ Jesus Christ.

Me ~ But, still you might yet say - Wouldn't that mean that the Word of God here and now in this fallen world is not perfectly clear to us/may not be true? And, that for some it is foolishness. 

John ~ Yes, that is why the Bible is able to answer itself in most instances (3 copies of the same); also, Jesus spoke in parables so that we would not just see the word and take it as a one dimensional or one bit of information but to go deeper into what was/is the Word by hearing it in the stories He told. And, by sending His Holy Spirit we are now able to discern. 

It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we hear the Word of God and the truth of His Kingdom to come, not see it, as faith comes by hearing not by sight. Man in this fallen version always has to see it to believe it. This is due to the condition of the fallen world.

Me ~ What does the HD version of God's Kingdom look like?

John ~ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”…Revelation 21:1-4.

What will the Kingdom of God Be Like?

Me ~ Don't you think that a lot of Christians don't really know what the Kingdom will be like?

John ~ Yes, most Christians have not got a clue what it will be like to live in the Kingdom. Most of those in the world think that they will sit in the clouds playing a harp or be in church all day singing hymns. While the nominal Christian thinks it will be good but does not have clue what good is. The true Christian knows that it will be wonderful to be with Jesus and believes it will be glorious to be in His presence.

Me ~ Agree. I think its because they haven't read scripture or that they prefer their own imaginations or someone's imagination of it that they have picked up on or learned. I would add that many people 'Christians' think that heaven will be a kind of servitude to a god like entity ...something like Zeus  from Greek mythology and that the place for that servitude is some kind of fairy castle in a mystical heaven or other dimensional realm.

My question is - How do you know that what they think is incorrect and what will the Kingdom be like?

John ~ In order to understand the Kingdom, we must first describe how we will exist in it. We will be our true self - a spirit.  Of course, some will argue that is not true and its because they exist only in the flesh, what they can see. They think that once we leave this body there is nothing else. But, that is not true. We are spirit and we are life  just as Jesus said He was, we will be once again. That is what we were before the fall. A spirit is a higher physical entity. Again, too many people in and of the world think a spirit is a nebulous entity that hovers around in existence. But a spirit is a non scientific word for a higher dimensional body. A body that can exist in a higher space and time dimension.

Spirits are more real than we are and have powers far beyond our own - angels i.e.  As our true self = 'spirit' we will be more physically real, we will be doing physically real things in the new heavens and new earth which will be joined together in one place. No one longer will the earth, and this universe be separate from God and the heavens.

Me ~ How did we get in this 'fleshly fallen state'?

John ~ Well, you know Genesis and that Adam and Eve sinned against God and they hid from Him. So, God put skin on Adam and Eve, He clothed them. He did not kill an animal to do it. God simply put human skin on them. Now, clothed in the flesh they/we lost the power and access to God that they/we used to have and became trapped in this fleshly 3D world with its limitations and its fallen condition.

Me ~ Yes, I know and I agree but there must be some purpose served in this fleshly state, right?

John ~ Yes, we have to be renewed in the spirit through this fleshly state. However, the perfect state for you and me is to live in the body that Jesus had received at the resurrection. Again, we are in this world but not of it... just temporarily trapped here until God separates the tares from the wheat.

Me ~ What will we be doing in the Kingdom?

John ~ For one, we will be drinking good wine and eating really good food. Jesus says we will be doing both in the Kingdom. And, we will be doing the same things Adam and Eve were doing; maintaining and beautifying the world that God gave us, the one in the new Kingdom which will be without pain, without sin, disease, and tears.

We know that God is going to make a massive planet city called the New Jerusalem that has streets and mansions, homes with rooms ... each person will eat from his/her own tree. So, we will be gardening.  I suspect we will be doing a lot of other things too, we will be ruling and reigning with Him which implies administration. After all, His Kingdom comes to redeem which intends to replace man's government, man's way of doing things in this fallen world.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" ~ Revelation 21:1-4.

Me ~ How can we prepare for the coming Kingdom of God?
John~ "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" ~ Acts 2:38.

Gender Confusion ~ A Sign of End Times?

One cause of society collapse is due to Destratification. This happens when complex societies stratified on the basis of class, gender, race or some other salient factor become much more homogeneous or horizontally structured  as in egalitarian. 

Me ~ What is your take on this from the point of view as a Christian?

John ~ They 'the reprobate elites' want to deconstruct the established absolute and make a new one which has no absolute at all which means anything goes cause its based on how a person feels.We have a corrupt leadership in this country which is ideological in favor of collectivist. They want absolutely do not like the white Christian world view which has been in ascendance for some time.

Me ~ Agree, but from a biblical perspective, how do you see this destratification as problematic for Christianity?

John ~  Because, they 'reprobate elite who are largely feminized' are trying to de-stratify the western society which is Christian. They began by laying accusations that white men created a system that holds back everyone from being who they want to be. Thus, they demonize western civilization and philosophy in order to create a more homogeneous or horizontally structured one that will become eventually gray and phony in a 'natural' sense as well as an abomination in a godly sense.

Me ~ Why is that the elite have become reprobate and feminized?

John ~ That is a really good question? What happened at the turn of the last century that started this... I think it had to due with the end of slavery. If we gave the right to vote to all men and any race, then why shouldn't women have that right too. Civilized men were demonized.

Me ~ I can see that. So, are you saying then that somehow women as in 'Eve' have been once again the initiate of collapse - fall.  And, if yes, then why is that a problem for God's hierarchy?

John ~ Yes, they are. Why? Women who step outside of God's order initiate the collapse of God's fundamental order... God's hierarchy is the nuclear family was attacked - man/woman/kids. This nucleus is the foundation of any society. His order has reason and purpose. It does not give anyone who is at the top of the hierarchy the right to harm or hurt or put down anyone... those at the top have to answer to God.

Each one of us, men and women are part of the problem. Each then are neglecting their God given role. When you neglect your role, you then blame others for your neglect.

The first thing out of Adam's mouth - She made me do it... And, now we have women blaming Adam for their neglecting their roles as wives and mothers. We have men also neglecting their roles as husbands and fathers, we have all people neglecting their Godly design as a woman or man and it is a sign of society collapse - End Times!

Apocalypse ~ "The End of the World"?

Me ~ What is the Apocalypse exactly as we read in the Bible? And, why is it that many people don't like to discuss this subject .

John ~  They are afraid, they don't like the idea that such change 'uncovering' may mean that people will die.

Me ~ What do you mean 'uncovering'?

John ~ Take a look at the definition = An apocalypse literally means an uncovering, a disclosure of knowledge or revelation. In religious contexts, it is usually a disclosure of something hidden, a vision of heavenly secrets that can make sense of this earthly reality.  The Bible is the uncovering and revealing of Jesus as the Lord and God of the earth.

Me ~ Yes, I fully agree but for our readers who may not yet 'get it', how can uncovering and revealing Jesus make sense of this earthly reality?

John ~ Because He is the Creator of this world and everyone and everything in hit. All our being is upheld by Him and so He will restore God's original plan. Thus, it will make more sense to us - the upgraded earthly reality will make more sense than this corrupted world we have today.

Me ~ Amen to that! But, will people die in that uncovering because of that will others reject Him?

John ~  Yes, there will be a lot of death. And, yes...they will reject Him and continue to do so. In the book of Revelation (the Revelation of Jesus Christ) even after God releases the forces of darkness upon the world that are conjured up by those who want them to come and even after they cause destruction and death people still will not repent for summoning them. Their hearts are hardened and reprobate... beyond redemption.

Me ~ Why would God release forces of darkness if He knows that they will cause destruction and death?

John ~ He does so because the people want it. Even afterwards they will not repent for their sorcery which means conjuring up evil.

Me ~ Is the death and destruction God's wrath upon the earth?

John ~ Yep. He allows the evil forces to sow death and destruction. At the same, He unleashes the forces of nature against mankind. The season disappear, a volcano or asteroid impact and the earth will change its access and create global darkness. Most life will be wiped out.

Me ~ Is this prior to or after the uncovering / revealing of Christ?

John ~ It is after His revealing and the Rapture of the Saints and just before the battle of Armageddon.  The Bible calls this the 'bowl judgments'. The church of Jesus will not be on the world when this happens.

Me ~ Who is the church? We have so many churches and each one thinking it is the true church.

John ~ The church are the elect of Christ. Those that have chosen Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior... spiritually born again.

How God is Keeping Sin from Winning Until He Returns!

Me ~ How is it that we see and experience  both good and ugly/bad things and that there even seems to be a vicious cycle of this? When will it end... these cycles?

John ~ I like to think that God created cycles so that sin/evil would not win as in take over the program... so to speak.

Me ~ Ok, so then we can say this is how God deals with this fallen world in which evil exists and Satan too... keeping sin at bay until He returns.

John ~ Yes, something like that. Satan did not know Christ would not choose him over the Father. In Luke, we read where confronts and tempts Jesus; and Jesus overcomes Satan. And, Satan did not know that Christ's death was going to save man. Through Christ we are saved, overcomers of this fallen looping world.

Me ~ Evil is a destructive force, isn't it?

John ~ Yes, it is. The looping we experience is a crashing and restarting of the program over and over; thus, looping in a linear progression. Its like this because this is a fallen world and in a state of rapid decay. If I could draw an illustration, it would be a kind of shoestring line that loops and moves forward as it does... This is the looping I described. Its necessary as it allows evil to crash and restart but never ever having a lasting kingdom in this fallen world. Satan too is in this loop and his time is running out and he knows it.

Me ~ So... within that loop also exists God's Mercy and Grace which I assume makes use of the looping as it moves forward, and makes use of evil for His good 'our good' rather than Satan's... right?

John ~ Yes, God's Word (where we find His Mercy and Grace) allows us to be in the loop but not of it. "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world" ~ John 15:19.  God's Word is our hope, joy and peace and knowing that we will be delivered from this darkness... this looping. In Him, we can endure all things- "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" ~ Philippians 4:13...."Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ" ~ 1 COR 15:57.

Me ~  So, we should not love this world as it says in 1 John 2:15... or it will keep looping, right?

John ~ God has a time for its end and we should be watchful..."Be Watchful for the Day for it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:35-36.