America--The Modern Romans

While I was in Maine I finished a large book-length "article" titled "America--The Modern Romans" (about 66 pages long, but each chapter averages a short 12 pages long, so a chapter a day makes it an easy read).  It details American history from 1941 to the present, showing who started the Cold War, and details why Vladimir Putin is doing what he is doing, which has deep Russian-historic origins we as Americans have not taken into consideration.  And due to this historic oversight on our part, Vladimir Putin out of sincere security concerns for Russia, is trying to destabilize and neutralize NATO as a military bloc.  Vladimir views America as Russia's number one enemy, and historically speaking, this is our, America's fault, not Vlad's.  But what Vladimir is doing to destabilize NATO will have a lot to do with the formation of the prophetic "Beast Empire" in the form of some kind of United States of Europe, a coming military superpower which will threaten world peace and ultimately bring on World War III.  This is a long article, and well documented, but for the stated reasons here, well worth the read.  For in the final analysis, it is we Americans, through out short-sighted foreign policy toward first the Soviet Union, and now the Russian Federation, which will ultimately be responsible for the formation of this coming military superpower in Europe which will end up threatening all life on the planet.  To read this "article" log onto:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/topical%20studies/America-ModernRomans1.htm

Considering how Vladimir and the Russian Federation are all over the Middle East right now, with both "boots on the ground" in the form of airbases, T-90 tanks, and powerful naval hardware off the coast of Syria, this article explaining Vlad's and Russia's motives is extremely timely.

New Section Just Went Up:  Psalms---Deepen Your Relationship With God

I have just created a new section for Psalms, and it's growing fast, I have already put up Psalms 1 through through Psalm 32.  Anything a believer could be going through, all the emotional ups and downs of life are powerfully expressed in the Psalms.  This new section will enhance your relationship and prayer-life with God.  I find myself praying these Psalms as they apply to my life, and it has deepened my relationship with God greatly.  To log onto the Psalms section, see:

     http://www.unityinchrist.com/Psalms/Psalm%201%201.html

Also I just updated the "Does God Exist?" section to include a scientific explanation for why we believe what we believe based on a March 2015 National Geographic article titled "War On Science."  My article explains why the human brain will hold onto religious beliefs, be they true of false, even of atheism and unproven theories like evolution, in the face of real hard-core scientific evidence to the contrary.  It's an interesting explanation, and it is scientific, going into the neuroscience of the human brain.  To see this one, go to:

     http://www.unityinchrist.com/Does/waronscience.htm

New Testament Section Finished: 

Epistle Section and Two New Sections to Check Out:

I finished up all the Epistles expository transcripts in mid October, and just got them up on the site.  This finishes up all the New Testament for this site.  Next I will go on to cover Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon next as my long-term goal.

See, http://www.unityinchrist.com/epistles.html

I finished a Faith section for the site.

See http://www.unityinchrist.com/faith/whatis.htm

I also created a new section titled "Does God Exist?"  Most people don't want to know God exists, so they're just fine with their beliefs in evolutionary theory.  But for those who truly have genuine and honest questions about God's existence, you will find in the accompanying articles, that evolutionary theory doesn't have a leg to stand on.  You can always prove God's existence, he doesn't want blind faith.  But do you want to know God exists?  That is the all-important question.  Do you want a loving God in your life, lovingly directing your steps through life, and offering you eternal life at the end of it all?  If the answer to those two questions is yes, then check out the articles linked below.

see http://www.unityinchrist.com/Does/Does%20God%20Exist.html

(to be added to this section shortly will be this article, at this link:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/dinosaurs/molecularmachines.htm  )

Pastoral Epistles Finished, Now Working On The General Epistles

The last of the pastoral Epistles have been uploaded going through Timothy, Titus and Philemon.  We are now working on the General Epistles and have gone as far as through all of 1st Peter   see,

http://www.unityinchrist.com/epistles.html

Hopefully, I will be done with the General Epistles by mid-Fall or a little sooner.  Working quietly offline in a nice house on the beach in southern Maine, no internet connection, peace and quiet, just me and my computer and the occasional mouse poking his head out from behind a book in the bookcase.

Article on Unity for the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God

Oh, for the Sabbath-keeping Church of God side of the Body of Christ I just put up an interesting article about achieving an attitude that promotes unity and spiritual maturity within this side of the Body of Christ.  To read it, log onto:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/wwcofg/unity.htm

Important Sermon by Victor Kubik along with Time Magazine quote show where Vladimir Putin is headed, and what this means in end-time prophecy

Also a really good sermon by Victor Kubic has just gone up, describing what's going on in the Ukraine and Middle East in that same section, and an incredible sermon by Gary Petty on the "fruits of the Spirit."  As reported in the 4th August 2014 issue of Time Magazine, on page 28, these two sentences say it all about the Ukraine and show you what motivating force is now acting to inspire Europe to unite and become a superpower militarily and economically, a powerful United States of Europe.  I quote, "So Putin presses ahead.  His increasingly overt goal is to splinter Europe, rip up the NATO umbrella and restore Russian influence around the world."  So click on that "unity" link above, and scroll to the right for the link going to Victor Kubik's sermon about what's going on in the Ukraine.  Coupled to that Time Magazine quote, you will see what is going to end up driving Europe to unify into a world superpower which will leave the world gasping in wonder, and ultimately bring on World War III.  (The link to his sermon is titled "Crisis in Ukraine")

The Pastoral Epistles: Paul's Instructions For Local Pastors

In 1st Timothy the apostle Paul instructs Timothy about the requirements for ordination of local teaching-pastors, deacons and deaconesses, how a pastor is to treat an "elder" (not another pastor, by context and grammar, but a man over 60), young men, older women, younger women, older widows, younger widows, slaves and masters (don't forget the Roman Empire was 50 percent slave in population).  Also in 1st Timothy the apostle Paul instructs Timothy (who is his emissary, representative to the local pastors at Ephesus) about what is important for a pastor to teach, the major doctrines of the faith, and reading through the Word of God, not to focus on twiggy issues.  And that is just a short summation of what's in the first Pastoral Epistle, 1st Timothy.  Transcripts of the three Pastoral Epistles will be coming along, about one Epistle a month up till June, so keep a lookout here for updates and links to these important instructions from Paul to local pastors.  It's important to remember, the Pastoral Epistles can be applied to everyone, but most importantly, they are the personal instructions from the apostle Paul which should govern how pastors are to behave and act toward those under them in the congregation, not like authotarian goose-stepping Nazi's, but treating everyone like you would members of your own family, and it is, the family of God you've been entrusted the care of, as loving elder brothers over the flock of God (see 1st Timothy 5:1-2 for that particular instruction in this series).  These are the Bible's instructions on how pastors should act, what they should and shouldn't teach and major in, the whole nine yards of instructions from the apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus, overseers of the pastors under them.  Lately, the question has been asked on Christianity Today's CT-Today online news letter, "how should a pastor be dealt with if he has a moral failing?"  "Should he remain in ministry?" they asked, and after several major recent moral failings of pastors, several articles on CT-Today got wide coverage and multiple comments after their articles.  All ask the question, "Can the pastor be restored, and return to office?"  As you will read in the transcripts below covering 1st and 2nd Timothy, yes, the person can be restored.  But can he be restored to the office of an elder, teaching-pastor?  Paul says a resounding "no way."  When we get to his instructions to Titus, the same message comes through loud and clear.  There are certain "qualifiers" given by the apostle Paul for pastors, elders, which must not be violated.  These Pastoral Epistles are also very nourishing spiritually for ordinary believers as well.  There is no reason a local member of a church can't be just as spiritually pure as a pastor, meet the same standards.  Thus these Epistles are beautiful for spiritual growth.  Enjoy.  Titus and Philemon are coming next, probably in early July.

For the connective expository series on 1st Timothy and the first half of 2nd Timothy,  see:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/1stTim/1st%20Timothy%201%201-17.htm

http://www.unityinchrist.com/2ndTim/2ndTimothy1-1-12.htm

Book of Hebrews section expands through Hebrews chapter 8

My webhost has just put up the files going from Hebrews chapters 5-8, so we're a little over 2/3 the way through the Book of Hebrews.  Enjoy.  The new files are at:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/hebrews/Hebrews5-1-14.htm

http://www.unityinchrist.com/hebrews/Hebrews6-1-20.htm

http://www.unityinchrist.com/hebrews/Hebrews%207%201-28.htm

http://www.unityinchrist.com/hebrews/Hebrews%208%201-13.htm

Also got a new article about how evangelism walks on two legs, can be found in the Worldwide Church of God section at:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/wwcofg/Questions.htm

And one more on Family Prayer-groups at:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/wwcofg/FamilyPrayer-group%20guideline.htm


I finished through 2nd Thessalonians and am currently working on 1st Timothy.  My short-term goal is to have Paul's epistles finished by June 2014, 1st and  2nd Peter and Jude finished by the Fall Holy Days.

Pastor Joe gives some pretty sound arguments for a pre-Trib Rapture/1st Resurrection of the saints in the 1st Thessalonians 2:16-18 transcript.  The whole subject of differing interpretations for 2nd Coming prophecies is discussed as an addendum to the end of the Matthew 24:1-31 study, as well as on the title page of the Prophecy section, where I challenge theologians and denominational leaders to get their act together on the proper interpretation of 2nd Coming prophecies.  To read this challenge, see:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/Prophets_Prophecy.html

Fall Holy Days 2013 Are Upon Us

Each year those of us who observe God's Holy Days rehearse in the Fall Holy Days the end-time Plan of God, his Plan of Salvation for greater mankind.  It would appear by even a glance at the history of mankind, the vast majority of mankind has never been called into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. For one, over two-thirds of man's written history, going back 6,000 years, was before Jesus Christ paid for the sins of mankind, and thus it would be pretty hard to ask Jesus Christ into your life before he was born.  Basically, the knowledge of God had only been given to the 12 tribes of Israel, and the Jews, Judah, before the time of Christ, from Moses until the birth of Christ.  The Spring Holy Days, Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, all point to individual salvation we have through Christ, and the birth of the Church, and the Church Age.  But at the return of Jesus Christ, a new age begins, the Kingdom Age, the age when the Kingdom of God will dwell on this earth, as Jesus Christ and the resurrected, immortal saints will rule over the whole world.  Current events do show us we're not far from these earth-shaking events.  It would be wise to read about these events before they come upon us unawares.    Several sections on this site rehearse these events.   For a quick run-down on the Fall Holy days, see:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/E-Mails/June%2014/FallHolyDays-short.htm

For a glimpse into this Kingdom Age, see:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/kingdomofgod/mkg1.htm

By the Hebrew calculated calendar which the Jews go by, the Feast of Trumpets falls on the 5th September, 2013, and the Day of Atonement falls on the 14th of September, and the Feast of Tabernacles runs from the 19th through the 26th of September.  For a look at the Hebrew Calendar the Jews use, and why it is accurate, see:

http://www.unityinchrist.com/calendar/HebrewCalendar.htm