Solomon’s Colonnade ǀ Issue #8—A Perspective on Today’s Matters with a Biblical Lens.
The Power of the Gathering-Why Church Attendance Matters, Satanic Temple to Host 'Let Us Burn' Tour, America’s New State Religion—Baal Worshiping
Disciples of Jesus--- The Power of the Gathering!
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Galatians 6: 2
During my time in the Army, I emphasized three rules for my officers: rule #1 carry your own rucksack, #2, clean your own weapon, and never violate rule #3 - "Don't Be Stupid.” Rule #3 was especially crucial, as breaking it could negatively impact the team, such as through a DUI, Adultery, Sexual Harassment, losing your temper, or someone not pulling your weight. Paul's message of sharing burdens with others is essential, as many “rule #3 violations” in our walk with Christ could be prevented if we leverage the tools and resources of the Church that God gives us!
It is essential to acknowledge our struggles and seek support from our fellow believers; this is where the Church community plays a vital role. Brother and Sisters, Satan will use any means to prevent you from attending Church. Whether it's your child's Sunday afternoon softball game or preparing for a get-together, he will stop at nothing to keep you away from the Church. Why? Because being in the company of fellow believers amplifies the power of the Holy Spirit. As a saved disciple of Christ, His Spirit resides within you, and attending Church empowers you further. When you gather with your Church family, you can share your burdens, challenges, and triumphs, and your brothers and sisters in faith can support and uplift you. We never know when the Holy Spirit of God will show up and show off! This can happen during a Sermon, a Worship song, or a Sunday school class. The Power of the gathering is real, and it’s really powerful! As the writer of Hebrews so eloquently states:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 24-25
The Hebrews writer clearly states that gathering for worship is not an optional or occasional activity but an ongoing and regular commitment. The importance of the local Church is emphasized in the Bible, which is a big deal. In fact, if the Bible doesn't convict you, something is wrong. The Bible is a living book that revolves around Jesus, and the litmus test of your love for Jesus is how much you read the Bible and how much you worship Him in His house! Sadly, many claims to love Jesus but neglect their Bible, leaving it covered in dust and unread. This makes it challenging to recognize it as the book about Jesus, which is at the heart of the Bible.
After the four gospels, almost all of the New Testament is about the local church or directed to the local church. Local congregations met, worshipped, and prayed throughout the New Testament. It is simply what believers do. They understood the incredible power of the gathering. They sometimes met in homes, the lake, the market, and in hiding. What did Jesus say? For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20
Satanic Temple to Host 'Let Us Burn' Tour
Lucien Greaves, the Satanic Temple of America co-founder, and spokesman, plans to inmate Pastor Sean Feucht's "Let Us Worship" revival capitol tour with a Satanic Theme of his own. According to ChurchLeaders.com, Greaves' band, “Satanic Planet”, will lead the tour visiting every state capital across America. Greaves recently posted on Twitter: "Special thanks to @seanfeucht and his state Capitol-wide 'Let Us Worship 'tour for paving the way for @satanicplanet's 'Let Us Burn' Capitol tour, coming soon,”
My message to the Satanic Temple of America. Bring it on!! We, as Disciples of Jesus, will fight you in every domain! Why? Because we have the power through Him!
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19
Recall in the book of Luke when Jesus sent out Seventy Disciples in twos… The disciples were granted the power to heal, cast out demons, and preach the Word, and they successfully accomplished these tasks. We have that same power today through Him, regardless of how much Satan tries to imitate Jesus!
Even when these are small victories, Jesus views them as essential to the greater war against Satan. Though Satan will ultimately face judgment when Jesus casts him into the lake of fire, believers can claim Christ's victory through faith today. However, Satan will continue to attack and attempt to destroy Christ's servants. Therefore, Jesus offered encouragement in Luke 10:19, assuring his followers that their authority remained intact, and they could safely tread upon the "old serpent" without fear.
America’s New State Religion—Baal Worshiping
If I had to summarize the current debate within the Marxist zealots, I’d describe it as a contest between liberty and fascism. To what extent should the Baal religion of the state and the Marxist movement focus on preserving individual freedoms versus expanding the state's power through Baal worshiping to advance liberal ends?
In ancient times, Baal was worshipped as a fertility god who could bring good weather, rich soil, and abundant crops. People believed that sacrificing to him could ensure a bountiful harvest. Baal was also believed to have control over the rain and was worshipped as a sun god. The prophet Elijah challenged the Baal-worshiping King Ahab by declaring that there would be no rain until he (Elijah), on behalf of God, said so. Baal is a fertility god had worship that involved sex orgies. They worshiped an idol that was in the shape of an enlarged male sex organ, an Asherah. Temple prostitutes supported the temple worship of Baal. Its worship was filled with perversion, homosexuality, immorality, and sexual promiscuity. Baal was institutionalized throughout Ahab’s Kingdom, and only Baal was worshipped, and all other religions were deemed pointless and irrelevant. Today in America, Baal has become the official State Religion. Could this be the spirit behind much promiscuity, perversion, homosexuality, and pornography in America today?
An article published by The Federalist this week highlighted how the Justice Department and Department of Education funded online workshops to teach "trade tips" on circumventing state laws that protect children from radical gender ideology. These workshops also aimed to help transgender-identifying students transition at school without parental consent. This raises concerns about whether taxpayer money is being used to promote Baal Worshiping to our children, which is not aligned with the values enshrined in our constitution.
The Daily Mail stated that the event hosted by Angel Nathan started the session by directing teachers they would study new state laws to “remedy the marginalizing effects and disrupt problematic policies.” “Some teachers said they followed the rules, but others discussed being ‘subversive,'” wrote the Daily Mail. One unnamed teacher reportedly stated that his or her “code of ethics” was above the law and discussed “how to ‘hide’ a trans student’s new name and gender from their parents.”
“The stakes are very high for trans youth,” said Shea Martin, an Ohio-based trans-identifying educator who writes a socialist, feminist, and anti-racist blog called “Radical Teacher.” Martin said, “I think that requires working subversively and quietly sometimes to ensure that trans kids have what they need.”
Kimberly Martin, the DEI coordinator of a Michigan school district, said, “We’re working with our record-keeping system so that the parents can’t see certain screens… if there’s a nickname in there, we’re trying to hide.” The Federalist would also report that the session was organized by the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP), funded by the Department of Education under Title IV.
Seriously? So I essence our taxes our tithing to Baal! Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center was given 8.5 million in federal funding. Imagine if the Federal Government gave 8.5 Million to counter negative Christian messages in the public classroom.
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Notes:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/satanic-temple-launches-nationwide-tour-to-mock-sean-feucht.html
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2023/06/20/satanic-temple-to-host-let-us-burn-events-at-state-capitols-to-promote-religious-liberty/
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/06/19/teachers-workshop-includes-tips-to-subversively-and-quietly-transition-kids-employ-own-code-of-ethics-1369949/