The Other Flood of Genesis

The Other Flood: Genesis 1:1-1:2

Genesis starts out in the following manner (translated literally):

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the land. 2And the land became chaotic and a mess. And darkness is upon the faces of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim brooded over the faces of the waters. 3And Elohim said, “Be, light!” And light was.

This simple beginning gives information that requires much thought. Please consider this with me as I express thoughts that I had. (Feel free to challenge all or any part of those thoughts.)

Beginning

The term beginning is unspecified. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t specific. Its timing is most certainly specific, but Yehovah did not give that information in this text. The reader therefore must consider the question, “What beginning is this?” It was the beginning of the heavens and the land, of course. The Bible refers to land as one of two types: a specific area of habitable (or inhabitable) soil not including any seas or oceans (like the Land of Israel), or the entirety of habitable (or inhabitable) soil on the planet. Thus, land doesn’t include what is on Mars or the moon. Planet earth is in mind.

While the heavens and the land began at this time, that still doesn’t explain the beginning, because a beginning describes a series of events, not a series of objects. I have thus far concluded that this was the beginning of the plan of Yehovah for humans; I haven’t yet found evidence to change this perspective.

Creation

I next considered creation. This word means to cause something to come into existence. It can including making and forming things, but it normally indicates a finished product’s new existence. (Texts would specify if anything created were unfinished.) Thus, Elohim caused the heavens and the land to exist where they previously did not.

Was and Became

The next verse starts, “And the land became chaotic and a mess.” The verb I rendered became normally means to be (including was, will be, is, are, am, etc.). Lot’s wife was not a pillar of salt before she peered after her; she became a pillar of salt (the text uses the same verb). I therefore saw that this verb can indicate a change of state. That doesn’t prove that it does. I needed more evidence before arriving at that conclusion.

The same word translated chaotic (Tohu) is used in a related text:

Isaiah 45:18 For so said Yehovah Creator of the heavens─He is the Gods, and the Former of the land and her Maker. And He ‘foundationed’ her. He didn’t create her chaotic. He formed her to dwell.

I knew from this that Yehovah didn’t create her (the land) chaotic. Thus, I knew that Genesis 1:2 was not describing the form of the land at the beginning, but something that it became. Thus, I had what was proof for me. My connections with Isaiah 45:18 were the following:

Both spoke of the Creator creating.
Both spoke of the creation of the heavens.
Both spoke of the land.
Both spoke using chaotic—the very same word.

Thus, I had four points of reference, and I knew that both texts referred to the same event.

Darkness

I thus considered the darkness. I did not disregard verse 3 and the only event that Yehovah did on Day 1: He caused the light to be. (Verse 4 states that He saw the light; it does not mention the heavens and the land. Thus, I knew that the creation of the heavens and the land were not on Day 1.) I therefore concluded that He did not appreciate that darkness that was upon the faces of the deep. I now had three negatives: chaos, mess, and darkness. I could tell that Elohim was not pleased with the situation in verse 2.

Brooding

I now encountered a fourth negative: “The Spirit of Elohim brooded over the faces of the waters.” I was curious about the meaning and flavour of this term. According to William Gesenius, the brilliant (and rarely incorrect) lexicographer, the word mrakhefet “is used of birds which brood over their young; of a mother cherishing her infant; of Elisha cherishing the dead body of the child; also of a voice descending from heaven and hovering in the air; also to pity.” I thus saw emotion in this word, not merely a positioning (as in hovering). Elohim reacted to what He saw, and His reaction was listed in the rest of the chapter. He determined to change what He saw into something else: something alive.

No Land

I also noted that no land was visible. (I looked ahead to verses 9 and 10.) Only later did land appear. Yet, land had been there in verse 1. I therefore concluded that verse 2 described a flood.

Violence

Since I knew about another flood (in Genesis 6), I began connecting both together to obtain a reason for this first flood. Yehovah hates violence, and He reacts to rampant violence. He killed every land animal and human in Noah’s flood. I noted that He killed every land animal (except those that went into the Ark). He didn’t kill the animals because they sinned, but to instruct man.

I saw fossilized bones of extinct animals. (I also saw reconstructions of bones, skin, hair, etc. that were from man’s imaginations.) I could not ignore the fossilized bones. Yehovah left them there for a record and for a warning. (The stars also are a record and a warning, and the firmament will also be.) Archaeologists found victim’s bones inside the jaws of larger creatures in some of their digs. Those records show a type of violence that seems like what one would expect from a wolf that attacks a sheep, but that isn’t the case. There is a difference between killing and obtaining food, and just killing. I could not prove this, but I noticed it.

Extinction

I also noted that many animals became extinct. They were extinct before the flood of Genesis 1:2. (They would have had to survive that flood had they been alive afterward, or they would have had to be created in one of the days listed in the rest of Genesis 1.) Elohim makes things right. Why were they extinct? The only way all of the land animals would be extinct at one time, while the sea life was not extinct, would be Yehovah doing what He did in Genesis 6.

Some have held that all the land dinosaurs were represented on Noah’s Ark along with the other species present today. They obviously did not do the measurements. The Ark was three stories tall. Some dinosaurs have been at least that tall. Some of those same persons have held that babies of all the animals were on the ark. Babies eat quite a bit, some more than their parents while they grow, and the animals were on the Ark for a little over one year. The volume of animal matter would far exceed the Ark’s volume if prehistoric species are included. Then those who hold such ideas would have to have a mass extinction after the animals left the Ark. This would show Yehovah as having little sense, since humans would not bring the extinction of most species, but would instead use them for various work animals.

No Fish Extinction

As I noted above, no fish were harmed in the flood in Noah’s day. Scientists found fossils of sea creatures, and they studied them for their ancient designs. Then a man caught one of these extinct sea creatures (the coelacanth) off of Africa; it was enjoying life, quite alive: “The coelacanths, which are related to lungfishes and tetrapods, were believed to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period, until the first Latimeria specimen was found off the east coast of South Africa, off the Chalumna River in 1938.” (Wikipedia) Yehovah made a distinction between sea life and land life in Noah’s flood, and I was now convinced that the same was true in the Genesis 1:2 flood.

Time

I therefore considered the amount of time that elapsed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. If Genesis 1:2 described a flood and its destruction, I knew Yehovah would wait to do this since He always waited in Biblically described destructions. Time would also be required for His peaceful creation to become entirely violent (since entire violence alone is enough for Yehovah to destroy a place). I had no way to tell how long this would be. I do not believe in Carbon Dating, since that assumes a certain initial quantity of radioactive carbon, and I don’t care for data drawn using assumptions. Since fossil records can be plentiful, I considered that many years would have passed. When scientists speak of multiple millions of years, I don’t have reason to argue. I know that the stars, sun, moon, humans and other things created in the six days of Genesis 1 are only about 6,000 years old, and that Yehovah created the stars’ lights already arriving to the earth. (Otherwise, we would not be able to see stars that are more than 6,000 light years away.)

Evolution

Some equate dinosaurs with evolution. In their views, if one believes in dinosaurs, one espouses evolution; and if one believes in evolution, naturally that person believes in dinosaurs. I am not of these perspectives. I know there were dinosaurs. I know that scientific evolution that involves species turning into completely different species is not true. Species can adapt to new environments.

I hope these considerations have been helpful. Yehovah has always given man warnings, and has sometimes used animals for that very purpose. Wise humans will study animals (living and extinct) to obtain these warnings.

February 20, 2009July 5, 2017

About the Ark of the Covenant

About the Ark (of the Covenant)

The Ark originally was in the heavens before it was made on earth. Yehovah told Moshe to make all the items pertinent to the Tabernacle (which I will now call the Tent of Appointment according to the Hebrew literal meaning) after the pattern that Yehovah showed him:

Exodus 25:9 According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the Tent and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make.

Moshe oversaw the construction of copies, not of originals. Both the Temple and the Tent were already in the heavens. Moshe oversaw the Tent, and Solomon later oversaw the construction of the Temple. Both are types (show-and-tell pictures of things that are more important than the types, and real). All the utensils are types.

The Ark is also a type (if what I am saying is true).

Hebrews 8:1 Now this is the sum of the things that we have spoken: We have such a High Priest Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ²a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tent that Yehovah pitched, and not man. ³For every High Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is of necessity that this man has somewhat also to offer. ⁴For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the Torah ⁵who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tent. For, “See,” He says, “that thou make all things according to the type showed to thee in the mountain.”

The Ark was completed, and certain items were placed inside of it: Aaron’s rod that budded, flowered, and fruited, a gold urn with manna, and the two stone writing-slates (tablets) with the Ten Statements (the ‘ten commandments’).

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the Tent of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Hebrews 9:4 …that had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant…

That earthly Ark was later captured by the Palestinians when Israel wasn’t doing right. The Palestinians looked into it, and Yehovah struck the Palestinians with terrible hemorrhoids and an outbreak of rats. Their occult practitioners explained why: that is, that Yehovah wasn’t pleased, and they determined to return the Ark back to Israel to stop this terrible scourge.

The top of the Ark was made of pure gold. This is not a known item at our present time, since pure gold is clear as crystal:

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

The lid of the Ark was made of one piece of gold uncut in its making, and turned so that it was the shape of the lid and two cherubim (a particular type of angel) facing each other with their wings toward each other. The cherubim faced downward, and thus through the lid to the items in the box. The box itself was made of wood covered with pure gold, so that the wood could be seen as if behind glass. Inset into the box were telescoping carrying rods that could be retracted into the box. All these things are types—every detail.

The Ark later was without several of its items, those items probably having been taken when the Ark was captured.

While the Israelis had a death sentence for handling the Ark (unless they were the specific priests in a specific order that had the responsibility to handle it), no such death penalty was placed on folks from the other races who might touch it when capturing it. Yehovah didn’t appreciate the Palestinians and their attitude, and He struck them as mentioned, so that they feared.

Once the Ark was constructed, Yehovah commanded that a cover be made, and that cover always be used when transporting the Ark. Thus, the Israelis never saw the Ark again once it was finished and sanctified by blood. This is also a type. They saw a covered object being carried, but the Ark was not seen. It was kept in the Tent except for a time when it was kept in a person’s home, covered, no one touching it.

One Israeli was struck dead by Yehovah when he reached to steady it when it was being improperly transported on an oxcart. This Israeli had become lax, the Ark having been in his father’s home. He was not a priest, and he had no right touching it for any reason. The oxen stumbled, but that did not mean that the cart was in danger.

When the Babylonian captivity occurred, all things in the Temple (including the Ark with a much larger set of Cherubim) were captured. As far as I know, this is the last time the Ark was in Israel, though Jewish tradition claims that it was also in the Temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D.

Many fables of the Ark have circulated. Even in the Millennium, I have found no indication of an Ark in the Millennial Temple, since what it typifies will be present. It cannot directly be used for instruction, since no one will be permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Millennium any more than at previous times. Since its description is in good detail, teaching what it typifies will be far more important and useful.

The original Ark not made by human hands is where it always was: in the heavens.

Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of His Covenant.

It is called by various names:

Ark of the Testimony

Ark of the Covenant of Yehovah

Ark of the Covenant

Ark of Yehovah

Ark of God

Ark of the God of Israel

Ark of the Lord Yehovah

Ark of His Testament (Covenant)

February 20, 2009June 14, 2017

Who Killed Yeshua?

Who Killed the Messiah?

By K. Fry

Was it—

Pontius Pilate-Gentile Roman Governor?

  A-Matt 27:2 through 58
  B-Mark 15:1 through 15
  C-Luke 23:1 through 24
  D-John 19:1 through 31
“I am innocent of this man’s blood.” He had the Messiah whipped and flogged (Scourged)

The Israelis?

  A-Matt 27:16 through 26
  B-Mark 15:7 through 15
  C-Luke 23:18
  D-John 18:40
“Give us Barabbas, not the Messiah!” These were the Israelis. John 18:31 “Then said Pilate unto them, ‘Take ye him, and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews therefore said unto him, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.”

The Soldiers of the Governor (Not Roman Soldiers)?

A-Matt 27:27
B-Mark 15:15 They led Him away to be crucified.
C-Luke 23:36 They mocked Him.
D-John 19:2 They put the crown of thorns and a Purple Robe on the Messiah.
E-John 19:23 They crucified the Messiah and parted the Messiah’s robe.
F-John 19:34 They pierced His side, and blood and water came out.

The Gentiles?

A-Matt 20:19

Yehovah?

A-Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it pleased Yehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yehovah shall prosper in his hand.”
B-Matthew 26:39 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’”
1-Luke 22:44 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
C-Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’— that is to say, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”
Mark 15:34 “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”
D-John 3:16 “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.”

Yeshua?

A-John 10:15 “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
B-John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, ‘My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’”
C-John 12:27 “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.”

All Humanity?

A-Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

The High Priest?

A-Matthew 26:57 “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”
B-Matthew 26:58 “But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest‘s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.”
C-Matthew 26:62 “And the high priest arose, and said unto him, ‘Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?’”
D-Matthew 26:63 ‘But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, ‘I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.’”
E-Matthew 26:65 “Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, ‘He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy!” (Blasphemy was punishable only by death).
F-The only person who was legally authorized to approve a sacrifice that Yehovah would accept was the High Priest.
G-John 18:31 “Then said Pilate unto them, ‘Take ye him, and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews therefore said unto him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.’”

Yeshua-The High Priest?

A– John 10-17 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
B-Yeshua had the authority as High Priest to cause Himself to be the final sacrifice.

Who Killed the Messiah?

Who didn’t?

February 19, 2009June 12, 2017

How to Answer Theological Questions

How to Answer Someone’s Theological Questions

* DO NOT tell him what the text says (unless you have no Bible handy, and you are driving him somewhere; then you can do this; it is better than nothing in that case).
* Take him to the texts that are pertinent to his questions.
* Have him read the texts.
* Have him explain them to you.
* Correct him if he is wrong, explaining to him how to properly understand the text.
* Congratulate him for being able to properly read and understand the texts.
* Teach him about pronouns and timings.
* Teach him to use a dictionary.
* Be very patient with him; don’t begin thinking, “I must quickly answer his question.” Instead, think, “I must teach him what he needs to independently answer his own questions; I will not be around him to answer questions for most of his life.”

These will give him what he needs to be independent in the Scriptures. These will give him what he needs to properly hearken. He then can obtain a proper faith.

Always take his questions very literally (even if you know that he doesn’t mean what he literally asked). This is vital for him. That way, he will learn to ask what he really means. I have found that asking the wrong question will lead to no answer, while asking the right question will sometimes cause the answer to be obvious without even looking in the Bible! Taking questions literally is a vital part of his learning.

February 19, 2009August 26, 2016

Blood and Sin

A Brief Look at Blood and Sin

Blood is where the life of the flesh is found.
Sin cannot go unpaid. Justice (a non-being) must be satisfied for every sin that occurs in the universe.
Sin can only be covered and/or removed by the blood of one of equal or greater value who has no sin. (Thus, no animal can cover or remove the sin of a human.)
No human born from Adam has come into the world untainted by sin. Thus, no human can die, shedding his/her blood, to cover or remove the sin of another.
Even a perfect human from birth could only cover or remove the sin of one other human, if that were possible. Since there are no humans born perfect in this way, and since all sin (if they live for any reasonable length of time), humans cannot cover others for sin. They can die so that others will live; that is heroism.
Yehovah cannot sin and has never been tainted by sin.
Yehovah’s value is infinitely greater than the value of all humans combined.
Yehovah is able to shed His own blood to cover the sin of the entire world. But… God cannot die.
Yehovah sent part of Himself, made mortal (that is, capable of dying) and in the form of a human (and thus, with blood) in order to die for the sin of the world.
That part of Yehovah is Yeshua (meaning salvation). He was born as a child without sin, lived without sin, voluntarily shed His own blood for the sin of the world, and rose from the dead.
Only those who have a truly Biblical faith (based on direct knowledge of what the Bible or some other infallible form of communication from the God of Bible says, not on what someone said about the Bible) in His blood have access to that Salvation (being saved) from sin.
Yehovah gave instructions for animal sacrifices so that adults and children could learn about such sacrifices through show-and-tell means. Animal sacrifices are therefore very important learning tools. They will be restored and active again before and during the Millennium.

February 19, 2009August 26, 2016

Church Attendance

I have always had a very great respect and interest in the biblically described churches (the Ephesian Church, the Corinthian Church, the Church of Israel in the Wilderness, etc.). The benefit of Saints working together toward a Godly, common goal cannot be overestimated. It will be life-saving during the Tribulation (such that many will physically survive), and it has been the example from the beginning, when Saints gathered for beneficial purposes.

I have also recognized two distinct types of churches. The first is the One Church, being of the Body of Messiah with Yeshua at the head and Israel at the core (even while Israel is in an unsaved condition!). This is described in Ephesians 5:25-32. (The text must be taken literally in order for this to be seen.) The other type of churches are local assemblies, local bodies consisting of Saints (perhaps a few non-saints managing to appear part of these bodies). These local assemblies consist of folks very fervent in Godliness, righteousness, justice, the fear of God, delight in the Word of Truth, active in doing vital good works and in benefiting.

Folks in our present time who approach the Bible literally tend to see mostly contrast between the Bible and what is commonly taught in churches (fundamental, conservative and liberal), hearing a mixture of truth and error. This tends to grieve them, especially as they see obvious, glaring disagreements between sermon contents and biblical teachings.

My purposes for approaching the texts literally do not include convincing folks to abandon their congregations. I desire them to see the good and high standard of the Word of God, and to recognize the difference between truth and error so that they can live according to the Truth. I also desire them to learn the plans of God and to believe them so that their hope will be a right hope rather than an erroneous one. I am persuaded that some can benefit others in their local churches if they know the Truth (but I am also convinced that they can be viewed as troublemakers by some who are more interested in unity than in sound doctrine and practice). Leaving their churches is an act of ultimate protest and often an expression of hurt and frustration. No recourse usually exists for approaching church leadership about unsound doctrine. The only means of protest for some is to leave. The only means of stopping the frustration for others is to leave. Yet I am no advocate of leaving. I am also no advocate of being grieved every Sunday if the Word of God is being left out and the opinions of preachers is the only ‘food’.

The Word of God and the meeting in a congregation or an assembly must always be for benefit. If that meeting is not beneficial, and if one who desires to both benefit and be benefited from that church meeting is unable to find either after attempting to do both, I know of no other recourse except sitting in silence. This is fine if it is an adult. An adult with children, however, has a greater frustration, since children absorb what they hear. A parent can carefully teach children, “This is true!” and “This is false; do not believe that” during a Sunday School meeting or a church service, but that will affect the children also, and will frustrate others who are in attendance. If I knew of a good alternative, I would definitely consider it.

Some will suggest, “Well, nobody is perfect, and no church is perfect; if it were perfect, as soon as you attended, it would no longer be perfect!” That might sound good, but it is avoiding the problem. Others will suggest, “Well, why not just go find a church where the Truth is being taught?” That sounds very reasonable. It is also reasonable to purchase many rolls of pennies looking for that very rare one of great value. Finding a church where only truth is taught isn’t so easy. Our country values opinions, and one person’s ‘truth’ is another person’s error. The Bible cannot be approached that way; it is the absolute Word of God.

The best way to know the identity of Truth is to look directly into the Word of God. Commentators on the Bible are very common, and they hold very different views. Yehovah alone has the right of Biblical interpretation, but He has given understanding to some. The Scriptures are the best interpreters of Scriptures.

Finding a good church requires that one first gets to know the Word of God lest the person first goes to a church and is persuaded of doctrines that are not Biblical! If the purpose of the local church is to benefit in Godliness, righteousness, justice, Grace, etc., no person should be allowed to ‘join’ that congregation (in membership) who does not understand and believe and live according to the Word of God in the first place. Yet this has been reversed as if the local church is some type of assembly of ungodly folks whom pastors are trying to lead to righteousness. That is not a Biblically described local Church that is in ‘Jesus Christ.’

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Messiah, he is none of His.

The standards of participation in the Body of Christ (and therefore the standards of participation in a Biblical local Church) are very high, very simple, very plain in Scriptures, and very much ignored in modern ‘church’ practice.

Again, I have no investment in anyone leaving any church. I have much investment in individuals becoming part of the Body of Messiah in Truth, and in their living Godly in every way. If folks leave, it isn’t because I recommended it, because I don’t recommend that. It is rather because either they were driven out directly (by being asked to leave) or they were driven out by their consciences because they discerned right from wrong doctrine. Children (and adults) should not be subjected to voluntarily hearkening to erroneous doctrines and to unsubstantiated spiritualized opinions even if they are given by the theologically trained.

If a group of Saints determined to meet together for benefit and learning the Word of God, this would not be considered ‘church.’ It would be considered a ‘home group’ or a ‘home study.’ ‘Church’ must consist of a formal meeting by a theologically trained and ordained minister, according to the views of almost all. This is akin to the Jewish view that a Jew who believes in Jesus is no longer Jewish. What is believed does not make it true in the eyes of the God of the Bible.

‘Church’ attendance is considered vital for ‘Christian fellowship’. The Bible describes fellowship as folks working together, not as socializing together. That working together was often to save lives from physical death. It also was to gather funds for poverty-stricken Saints who were under persecution. Every fellowship form in the Bible was a very serious undertaking, and any socialization occurring was only secondary. The modern view of fellowship strikes no resemblance to Biblically described events that I have seen. I have heard of folks going and building a church building in a poor area, and this is called an act of fellowship. This is closer than all the other usages of which I am aware; they are working together for a common goal.

Church attendance has social consequences not unlike joining the Rotary Club (though some Rotarians are far more serious about their club’s activities and benefits than I have seen in almost every local church). Seriousness about field trips, praying around poles, and Christmas parties can be very great, but seriousness about righteousness is almost non-existent.

If I cannot see benefit occurring in a local church, should I assume that it is of God? Should I take stock of myself because I cannot see it? Does this mean that I have a problem if the local church is not actively gaining a reputation for Good Works and for demonstrations of the faith of God and of the power of God? If the problem with the local church is ‘I’, it is totally without power. If I participate, and I still see no good works or demonstrations of the power of God, and if I desire that, if the problem is because I am participating, the local church is less powerful than my presence, and it is nothing.

The wise person will spend Sunday morning in Kroger; that will be far more profitable.

If you think that your local church is unique, really stressing Biblical righteousness, the fear of Yehovah, the centrality of Israel, the determination that no person will become part of this group without first truly getting to know the Word of God and demonstrating a belief in it unto righteousness, let me know. I would like to communicate with the pastor.