What does the Bible say about dealing with toxic / abusive people / relationships?
Writer/Editor: Catiana N.K. 412 Teens.org
In an ideal world, we wouldn't ever have to deal with people who hurt
us, but unfortunately, we live in a fallen world full of fallen people
(including us!), so pain and hurt is going to happen at some point. We
would hope that at least our family or Christian friends would always be
an encouragement, but there's no guarantee of that either. No one is
exempt from the influence of sin. Yes, Christians will struggle against sin
too—and sometimes they allow it to get the best of them. Thus, toxic or
abusive relationships are formed, and we occasionally wind up entangled
within those terrible, unhealthy webs and cycles of behavior.
What defines a toxic or abusive relationship?
Abuse is defined as the act of mistreating or misusing just about
anything, such as drugs, technology, trust, possessions—or people.
Abusing things or people is a sin because it is, at the core, motivated
by selfishness which results in horrendous consequences. When people are
involved, the fallout can be radioactively toxic, such as damaged
relationships, destruction of self-esteem, and painful emotional trauma
that gets carried through the years. Toxic or abusive people tend to
lash out in anger when things don't go how they want them to, and the
innocent bystanders in their way suffer for it.
Whether the abuse is subtle and harder to see on the surface (e.g.
emotional or spiritual abuse) or if it is out in the open, leaving
physical evidence, all forms of abuse are just as wrong and just as
destructive. Verbal attacks, criticism, favoritism, manipulation,
deceit, threats, and withheld expressions of love are all just as
hurtful as beating, pushing, pinching, fists, and fire. No abuse is ever
OK, especially when it involves other people.
Everyone is guilty on some level of being abusive or toxic to others
at some point—no matter what age, ethnicity, gender, or whatever. The
potential to harm has to do with sin and our innate bent toward
selfishness (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9).
Those who have accepted the need for a Savior acknowledge that only
Love Himself, Jesus Christ, can tame our selfishness, transforming it
into real love (Romans 8:10). We have a responsibility to care for and love others—not cause harm (John 13:34; Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 10:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:6).
Step Back & Extend Forgiveness
If a person in your life is toxic to your mental, spiritual, or
physical health, often the wisest decision is to put some distance
between you and them. If the abuse is physical and/or you live with the
person, you must seek help from trusted friends or family members right
away for your own safety. (National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453)
In Galatians 4:7-10,
the Apostle Paul admonishes the church for listening to someone who was
spreading lies and shaking people's faith in God. He spoke pretty
harshly upon the troublesome person too (Galatians 5:12).
Paul goes on to say that love is the better option, but that distance
may be necessary for "if you bite and devour one another," you may end
up hurting each other a lot worse (Galatians 5:14-15).
Being angry and frustrated by a situation, relationship, or person is
OK and perfectly healthy; that's our mind's way of alerting us to the
fact that something is very wrong. If you're in a toxic environment, you
do not need to "get used to it" or "just get over it." It is OK to
distance yourself—even if you're still mad.
The key to making this distance work is to avoid indulging in your anger or bitterness—for
both your sakes. In distancing yourself from the toxic relationship /
person, you create space for empathy and forgiveness. When you forgive
someone, you are not only offering them the gift of forgiveness, you are
setting yourself free from holding onto a grudge. You exchange a heart of bitterness and anger for one focused on God's love. That said...
You are NOT required to be around someone who is toxic, even if they are a fellow believer!
The ability to truly forgive won't be immediate, especially when it's someone who has betrayed you in some way; forgiving those who have hurt us
(or are currently hurting us) is never an easy process. But the
distance can help your pain, hurt, anger, and frustrations calm down,
allowing compassion and mercy to take their place. Give yourself the
grace of time to heal—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Ask God to
help you see them through His eyes so your future responses will be out
of godly love rather than hate or fear.
Toxic relationships and situations can cause a lot of damage to our
mental, spiritual, and physical health. Sometimes talking to a counselor
can help sort out all the emotions you're going through and help you
gain perspective and understanding about how to move forward. Seeking
help is not a sign of weak faith or "giving up" on God's ability to heal
you. Counseling could very well be a part of God's healing process for
you.
To those who abuse others or create toxic relationships...
Abuse is never OK. Own up to the fact that you have been abusing or
creating toxic relationships or environments for others. Only taking
responsibility for your damaging behavior will break the abusive cycle
and help you recover from whatever past or present pain is feeding into
your own toxicity (Proverbs 28:13; Ephesians 4:31-32).
Seek forgiveness from God. Be honest with yourself and make no excuses. 1 John 1:8-9
says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." When you ask God to forgive you, He promises to do so
and give you a fresh start—no matter what has happened.
Seek help through pastoral or biblical counseling or through a small group of believers where loving relationships are fostered, where you can "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:1-10). God will give you the strength to do as you are called to do—love one another as He loves us (1 John 1:9).
If possible, seek reconciliation with those whom you have hurt (Hebrews 12:14),
but be aware that they may not be ready to forgive you or feel safe
around you for a long, long time. Give them space and whatever amount of
time they need. They may never want to reconcile with you, but that is
not something you can control. Their forgiveness is not required for you
to make changes in your life, be forgiven by God, or move forward with a
fresh start.
Healing from Abuse or Toxic Relationships
Psalm 147:3
tells us that God "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Only God's healing power can truly restore peace to a broken or
traumatized heart. Unfortunately, many victims of abuse spend a lot of
time waiting and hoping for the abuser to come and make amends to repair
the damage they caused. Yes, it's important for the abuser to take
responsibility for seeking reconciliation and forgiveness, but there is
no guarantee that they ever will. They may not be aware of the damage
they've done, or they may not care. But Jesus cares and promises to care
for those in pain, especially kids (Mark 10:14-16).
Rest assured that the Lord Jesus cares for His brothers and sisters.
He gave His life for you to show you how much He loves you (1 Peter 5:7). There is no way He will leave you without comfort, peace, healing—and vindication (John 10:11-15).
Some final thoughts:
GOD DID NOT PUT ME ON THIS EARTH TO TOLERATE MEN AND WOMEN OF LOW CHARACTER. IT IS NOT MY GOAL IN THIS LIFE TO HAVE EVERYONE LIKE ME. IF MY TELLING THE TRUTH RUBS YOU THE WRONG WAY, THEN MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS SOUL SEARCHING TO DO. I WILL INSTEAD DO WHAT GOD EXPECTS FROM ME AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY WILL. I REFUSE TO ASSOCIATE WITH TOXIC PEOPLE JUST TO BE ON THEIR GOOD SIDE. INSTEAD I WILL DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THEM.
The word abuse has taken many meanings over time. Immediately,
most assume abuse involves anger or some form of physical violence. This
is a simplistic and often misleading view of abuse. Anger is an emotion
God gave us to alert us to problems. Righteous anger is not sinful and
should not be associated with abuse. Anger mishandled can certainly lead
to a sinful, abusive response, but it is a sinful heart, not the
emotion of anger, that is the root cause of abuse.
The word abuse is used to describe the mistreatment or misuse of
virtually anything. We speak of abuse of trust, drugs, institutions, and
objects. These forms of abuse are sinful for the same reason that abuse
directed at people is sinful. Such mistreatment is motivated by
selfishness and results in damage and destruction. People abuse others
for a variety of reasons, but selfishness underlies all abuse. We tend
to lash out when things do not go our way.
Some abuse can be subtle. Emotional abuse can be difficult to detect
because, on the surface, there is no observable evidence of the abuse,
but that doesn’t mean the effects are any less painful or destructive.
Examples of emotional abuse include verbal attacks, criticism,
favoritism, manipulation, deceit, threats, and withheld expressions of
love.
Anyone can be an abuser, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or
background. Victims of abuse can be ensnared in a cycle that is very
difficult to break. Children have no responsibility for abuse suffered
in childhood but often carry its effects into adulthood by repeating the
patterns. Children need to be protected from abuse. Abusive parents are
cursing their children rather than blessing them as they ought (Psalm 112:2; Proverbs 20:7).
The Bible regards abuse as sin because we are called to love one another (John 13:34).
Abuse disregards others and is the opposite of this command. An abuser
desires to satisfy his natural selfishness regardless of the
consequences to himself or others. Several passages in the Bible
strongly condemn taking advantage of or abusing others (Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 10:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:6).
Everyone is guilty of abuse at some level, because everyone falls short
of God’s command to love others sacrificially. Only the love of Jesus in
us can truly love others; therefore, real love only exists in those who
have accepted Jesus as their savior (Romans 8:10).
Only Jesus can heal the wounds left by abuse (Psalm 147:3).
Sadly, many hurting people are waiting for the abuser to come repair
the damage he caused. While it is good for the abuser to take
responsibility and make amends to those he hurt, it is Jesus who grants
peace to those in pain. He is neither unaware nor apathetic to those who
suffer, especially children (Mark 10:14-16).
That should give us pause, knowing we are accountable for the suffering
we cause to others. The Lord Jesus cares for His followers and has laid
down His life to demonstrate His love for them (1 Peter 5:7). He will most assuredly comfort, vindicate, and heal them (John 10:11-15).
Believers need to own their abuse of others in order to break the cycle
while receiving help to recover from past hurts. A safe place to do that
is in pastoral or biblical counseling or in a small group of believers
where people can help bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-10). The Lord will enable us to do what He called us to do, which is love one another as He loves us.
If you want
to grasp the revolutionary philosophy of Jeet Kune Do then you’ll want
to read this article. JkD teaches its student to free from styles,
patterns or molds. Places special emphasis in mastering the four ranges
of combat. Real combat is alive and dynamic and the martial artist must
get rid of useless techniques. After reading this article you should be
able to use the Jeet Kune Do philosophy principles to grow as a martial
artist and most important as a person. These principles apply not only
to martial arts but to real life also.
Freedom from styles restrictions
Jeet Kune Do
philosophy advocates the liberation from styles, patterns or molds. It
states that the martial artist movements should be direct and simple.
Bruce Lee was a firm practitioner of the kiss principle. He believed
that the easy way is the right way. Placed special emphasis in the
economic of movement and energy.
Concepts of Jeet Kune Do Real fight philosophy
Jeet Kune Do
student should be trained in what Lee called the “Four ranges of combat”
or the four fighting distances. Kicking, punching, trapping and
grappling. One of the premises that Bruce Lee incorporated was combat
realism. Only useful techniques in real fight situations should be
learned. It is a must to get rid off the unnecessary.
Bruce Lee
believed that real fights were alive and dynamic. Real Fights don’t
follow and established pattern. Jeet Kune Do practitioner must train to
adapt to any real life situation.
Philosophy of Jeet Kune Do fighting
fundamentals
After
studying many martial arts styles and the mechanics of real combat.
Bruce Lee stated a series of principles that the Jeet Kune Do student
must follow:
The dominant
and stronger hand should be the leading hand. Place your stronger side
up front. Because the leading hand will perform a greater percentage of
the work.
The best defense is a strong offense. Combine defense and attack into one action.
Avoid telegraphing your punches. Your attack should be unexpected surprising your opponent.
JKD student
must be fluid like water. Follow Bruce Lee famous words “Empty your
mind. Be formless, shapeless. Like water. You put water into a bottle
and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the
teapot. Water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend!”
These are the
fundamental principles of Jeet Kune Do philosophy. Liberation from
styles and forms. The mastering of all the fighting distances to be a
complete martial artist. And the observation that real fights don’t
follow any established pattern. Take these principles and use them to
express like and free individual, immune to the limitations imposed from
martial arts styles.
Bruce Lee
took the world of martial arts by storm. The philosophy of Jeet Kune Do
was a revolution in its time. It was the next stepping stone in martial
arts evolution. Its’ ideas and concepts have been adopted by the
greatest martial artist of our time and gave birth to the new
generation. Lets finish with the words of the great master ” Jeet Kune
Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is
to be discarded and not to be carried on one’s back”
The following
are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these
were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to
combat success if followed. The “4 Combat Ranges”in particular are what
he felt were instrumental in becoming a “total” martial artist. This is
also the principle most related to mixed martial arts.
JKD
practitioners also subscribe to the notion that the best defence is a
strong offence, hence the principle of “Intercepting”. Lee believed that
in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards
them. This provided an opportunity to “intercept” that attack or
movement.
The principle
of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks.
Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that
an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or “intercepted” and thus
be used to one’s advantage. The “5 Ways of Attack” are attacking
categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting
repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. The concepts of
Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were
borrowed from European Fencing and Wing Chun’s theory of simultaneous
defending and attacking, and comprise the defensive portion of JKD.
These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the
JKD framework by Lee. These concepts also complement the other
principle of interception.
Be like water
Lee
believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He
often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a
desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be
seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight.
It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it
can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently
lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee
believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD
students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the
Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this
lack of flexibility. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is
forever changing, thus being extremely flexible. “Absorb what is useful;
Disregard that which is useless” is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim.
JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This
is believed to expand one’s knowledge of other fighting systems; to
both add to one’s arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such
tactics.
Economy of motion
JKD students
are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD
practitioners believe the simplest things work best. Economy of motion
is the principle by which JKD practitioners achieve “efficiency”
describe in the three parts of JKD. Utilizing this principle conserves
both energy and time. Energy and time are two crucial components in a
physical confrontation that often leads to success if employed
efficiently. In combat situations maximizing one’s energy is beneficial
in maintaining physical activity. Likewise minimizing the time to
execute techniques because of travelling less distance is beneficial in
that the opponent has less time to react.
When
confronting an incoming attack, the attack is parried or deflected and a
counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop
hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence.
This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts. Simultaneous
parrying & punching utilizes the principle of economy of motion by
combining attack and defense into two movements thus minimizing the
“time” element and maximizing the “energy” element. Efficiency is gained
by utilizing a parry rather than a block. By definition a “block” stops
an attack whereas a parry merely re-directs an attack. Redirection has
two advantages: It requires less energy to execute. It utilizes the
opponents energy against them by creating an imbalance. Efficiency is
also gained in that the opponent has less time to react to the
nullification of their attack while having to worry about defending an
incoming attack.
High kicks
JKD
practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent’s
shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to
the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend
against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is “written
in stone”. If a target of opportunity presents itself, even a target
above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without
feeling hampered by this principle. Maintaining low kicks utilizes the
principle of economy of motion by reducing the distance a kick must
travel thus minimizing the “time” element. Low kicks are also more
difficult to detect and thus guard against.
The four ranges of combat
1 Kicking
2 Punching
3 Trapping
4 Grappling
Jeet Kune Do
students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this
range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts.
Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize
in training at one or two ranges. Bruce Lee’s theories have been
especially influential and substantiated in the field of Mixed Martial
Arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as
the JKD combat ranges. As a historical note, the ranges in JKD have
evolved over time. Initially the ranges were categorized as short or
close, medium, and long range. These terms proved ambiguous and
eventually evolved into their more descriptive forms although there may
still be others who prefer the three categories.
Five Ways of Attack
Single Angle
Attack (SAA)/Single Direct Attack (SDA). Is a single motion (Punch or
Kick) which moves with no effort to conceal it, directly to the target
on the most economical route. It can also be indirect, beginning on one
line and ending on another. Such as a punch that starts to the stomach
(mid line) and ends on the chin (high line). SAA is an attack that is
launched from an unanticipated angle that is achieved by moving in such a
way as to create an open line into which to strike.
Hand
Immobilization Attack (HIA) and its counterpart Foot Immobilization
attack, which make use of trapping/parrying to limit the opponent’s
function with that appendage.
Progressive
Indirect Attack (PIA). Simulating an attack to one part of the
opponent’s body followed by attacking another part as a means of
creating an opening.
Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks, with volume of attack as a means of overcoming the opponent.
Attack By
Drawing (ABD). The goal when using attack by draw is to “draw” the
opponent into a committed attack by baiting him into what looks like an
exposed target, then intercepting his/her motion. One can execute a
motion that invites a counter, then counter attack them as he takes the
bait.
Three Parts of JKD
JKD practitioners believe that techniques should contain the following properties:
Efficiency –
An attack that reaches its mark using the maximum amount of energy and
applying it to a single point in the least amount of time.
Directness – Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.
Simplicity – Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.
Centerline
The
centerline refers to an imaginary line running down the center of one’s
body. The theory is to exploit, control and dominate your opponent’s
centerline. All attacks, defense and footwork are designed to preserve
your own centerline and open your opponent’s. Lee incorporated this
theory into JKD from Wing Chun. This notion is closely related to
maintaining control of the center squares in the strategic game chess.
The three guidelines for centerline are:
The one who controls the centerline will control the fight.
Protect and maintain your own centerline while you control and exploit your opponent’s.
Control the centerline by occupying it.
Combat realism
One of the
premises that Bruce Lee incorporated in Jeet Kune Do was “combat
realism”. He insisted that martial arts techniques should be
incorporated based upon its effectiveness in real combat situations.
This would differentiate JKD from other systems where there was an
emphasis on “flowery technique” as Lee would put it. Lee claimed that
flashy “flowery techniques” would arguably “look good” but were often
not practical or prove ineffective in street survival and self-defense
situations. This premise would also differentiate JKD from other “sport”
oriented martial arts systems that where geared towards “tournament” or
“point systems”.
Lee felt
that these systems were “artificial” and fooled its practitioners into a
false sense of true martial skill. Lee felt that because these systems
favoured a “sports” approach they incorporated too many rule sets that
would ultimately handicap a practitioner in self-defense situations. He
also felt that this approach to martial arts became a “game of tag”
which would lead to bad habits such as pulling punches and other
attacks; this would again lead to disastrous consequences in real world
situations. Because of this perspective Lee utilized safety gear from
various other contact sports to allow him to spar with opponents “full
out”. This approach to training allowed practitioners to come as close
as possible to real combat situations with a high degree of safety.
Donn
Draeger world renown martial arts pioneer was the first Westerner to
bring widespread attention to the often citedœ-do versus œ-jutsu
controversy. Historically the “do” or way arts were based on the “jutsu”
or technique arts without what was deemed “dangerous techniques”. The
“do” arts such as Judo were thus seen as a “watered down” version of
their “jutsu” counterparts such as Ju-jitsu, a combat-tested martial
art, and thus considered a sport. Lee objected to these “sport” versions
of martial arts because of this emphasis on combat realism.
Divine healing involves a supernatural act which resolves a physical,
emotional or spiritual problem. In a Christian context, the supernatural
element is God, many times through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
Non-Christian Views on Divine Healing
Most of the major world religions believe in some sort of supernatural healing. Islam uses Ruqya (incantations) to cure disease by countering black magic and casting out Jinn. Tibetan Buddhists employ Gso-wa Rig-pa, which includes elements of medicine, mantra and meditation. Those who hold to modern pantheism, such as New Age philosophy or cosmic humanism, use a wide variety of techniques from ancient religions and the occult.
The constant among all of these views of divine healing is the necessity
of ritual. Healing, in the non-Christian religion’s view, requires a
physical ritual to coerce a deity into action or to manipulate an
impersonal healing force.
New Testament Divine Healing
Approximately one fifth of the Gospel narrative is devoted to Jesus’
healing ministry. At the start of His ministry, Jesus “went throughout
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the
kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).
Later, when Jesus sent His twelve disciples out to preach the gospel, He gave them authority to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2). After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the apostles continued healing many (Acts 5:12-16). Acts records a number of healings by Peter, John, and Paul (19:12; 28:8-9).
Christian Divine Healing Today
Concerning divine healing today, there are a couple different schools of thought. Some Christians believe the gift of healing (1 Corinthians 12:9) ceased along with the sign gift of tongues. This position is called cessationism. Other Christians believe all of the sign gifts are still in use today.
We take the CONTINUATIONIST view because, we do believe that God is still “the LORD who heals” (Exodus 15:26).
He has not lost His ability to heal, and His love for His people has
not diminished. Divine healing may come through traditional medicine or
through direct intervention by God in response to prayer. Or, if God
wills, wholeness may not come until the ultimate healing in heaven. God
is the Great Physician, and all healing, physical, emotional, and
spiritual, belongs to Him.
IF YOU GIVE JONATHAN CAHN A TOP HAT WITH A MAGIG WAND, HE WILL TO YOUR AMAZEMENT CREATE AN ANCIENT MYSTERY OUT OF THIN AIR. HE IS AN ILLUSIONIST WHO HAS PERFECTED HIS CRAFT THROUGH THE
APPLICATION OF MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS OVER A PERIOD OF MANY YEARS.
JONATHAN CAHN AMERICA'S SO CALLED PROPHET WAS NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO REVEAL THE RISE OF PAGANISM IN AMERICA AND BEYOND TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AS HE CLAIMS IN HIS NEW BOOK. OTHER BIBLE SCHOLARS BEFORE HIM HAD ALREADY DISCLOSED THAT. THEREFORE HIS BOOK IS NOT AN ANCIENT MYSTERY NOR IS AMERICA PATTERNED AFTER ISRAEL AS HE FALSELY CLAIMS. IT'S A CON JOB FILLED WITH EXPLOSIVE FALLACIES!
The following is a synopsis of Jonathan Cahn's latest book
RETURN OF THE GODS
The So Called Ancient Mystery
The mystery that The Return of the Gods will open will be of an entirely other dimension, one in which lies virtually everything now taking place in our culture.
Is it possible that behind what is happening to America and the
world lies a mystery hidden in inscriptions of ancient Mesopotamia?
Could the ancient entities known to the nations as the “gods” be
more than just fiction and myth – but actually possess an independent
reality?
Is it possible that they have returned to our world? Could these
entities lie behind what we see on our television screens and computer
monitors, what our children are being taught in their classrooms,
current events, news, and the movements of our times—behind what is even
now influencing our lives without our realizing it? Could this
mystery be the explanation behind all the strange transformations
happening to our culture in our own day?
Is it possible that one of these ancient entities actually entered
the streets of New York City and started a cultural revolution that is
still transforming our world?
Could there be a mystery that lies behind the sign of the rainbow
and why it is now saturating our culture—a mystery that goes back to the
tablets of ancient Sumer?
Could the mystery of the gods actually have determined the outcome and timing of Supreme Court rulings down to their exact days?
Is it possible that the dynamics of ancient mythology have played out in our public squares in city streets in real time?
What is it all leading to? And what do we need to know in dealing with them – and in view of the future. This is the mystery The Return of the Gods will reveal.
As you continue to examine the contents which follow below; I provide compelling evidence that these are not ANCIENT MYSTERIES at all being revealed for the first time. All Jonathan Cahn has done is create a FACSIMILE, or to put it another way duplicate what other Bible Scholars have already shared with Christendom under the guise of unlocking a Biblical Mystery.
The
author digs into the ancient worship of pre-Christian gods of Baal,
Isis, and Moloch examining the faith, ambitions and aspirations of those
ancient religious cults. He then examines and contrasts the ambitions and
aspirations of the LGBTQ movement and compares their similarities. So what's so new about that? Nothing!
There are many sources cited below that show this was ALREADY DISCLOSED by several biblical scholars concerning the rise of paganism in America as well as throughout the world years ago. Actually, many Christians currently don't realize that America & Europe are post Christian nations. We already have been there for quite some time! Don't allow yourself to be blown away by all the hype talk you see and hear on these television Christian networks. It's all marketing strategies they are using to excite your curiosity in order for them to close the sale. If someone tells you they’ve
discovered something in the Scriptures that no one else in 2 thousand
years has uncovered, they’re wrong and trying to sell you something
each and every last and lousy time. And you can BANK on it.
How can marketing be deceptive?
Deceptive
marketing is the use of false and/or misleading information to capture
the attention of the consumer through the usage of fallacies to
persuade buyers into a business transaction that will not typically be
beneficial to you but “yes” beneficial to the one doing the deceptive
advertising.
ALL OF
THESE RELIGIOUS CHRISTIAN NETWORKS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. AND THAT'S TO PUSH
JONATHAN CAHN'S PRODUCTS TO THE HILT! TO THE MOST GULLIBLE HIGHEST
BIDDER. WATCH THE 4 SHORT VIDEOS BELOW EXPOSING CAHN'S TEAM OF LYING RELIGIOUS CON MEN WHILE COMPARING THEM TO HAL LINDSEYS BOOKS & FALSE PREDICTIONS ON END TIMES PROPHECY:
DONALD STAMPS IN THE LIFE STUDY BIBLE PAGE 1,995 WRITES:
"THE FALSE PROPHETS/TEACHERS WILL COMMERCIALIZE THE GOSPEL, BEING EXPERTS IN GREED AND IN GETTING MONEY FROM BELIEVERS TO ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES AND AFFLUENT LIFESTYLES. BELIEVERS MUST BE AWARE THAT ONE OF THE CHIEF METHODS OF FALSE MINISTERS IS TO USE FEIGNED WORDS TO TELL IMPRESSIVE STORIES THAT ARE NOT TRUE , OR TO GIVE EXAGGERATED STATISTICS IN ORDER TO INSPIRE GOD'S PEOPLE TO GIVE MONEY. THEY GLORIFY THEMSELVES AND ENHANCE THEIR MINISTRIES WITH THESE FABRICATED STORIES (cf 2nd Corinthians 2:17). THUS, THE UNWARY AND SINCERE CHILD OF GOD BECOMES AN OBJECT OF EXPLOITATION. BECAUSE THESE MINISTERS DEFILE GOD'S TRUTH AND PEOPLE WITH GREED AND DECEIT, THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO ETERNAL DOOM AND DESTRUCTION".
Ancient nature religions, long thought dead by many, are reemerging
across Western nations. Why is this happening? And what does it portend?
What is driving this global trend? Where is it leading? What does it mean to you?
The twenty-first century has witnessed remarkable historic events—the
rise of Russia after the demise of the USSR, the resurgence of militant
Islam, the rise of China, the fragmenting of the European Union, and
ever-deepening divisions in the United States. However, one of the most
surprising events has been the reemergence of ancient pagan ideas and traditions in Western nations once considered “Christian.”
As part of this global trend, Iceland has constructed its first
temple in over 1,000 years to worship the old Nordic gods Thor and Odin.
In England, thousands gather at Stonehenge on the summer solstice to
greet the rising sun—as ancient pagans once did. In Edinburgh, Scotland,
performers painted as red devils entertain crowds to celebrate the
ancient Celtic Fire Festivals of Beltane and Samhain, while many gather
at ancient U.K. sites to burn a wicker man—as Druids once did. In
America, thousands travel to Burning Man festivals catering to
uninhibited behavior resembling old pagan practices.
In Greece, Hellenists are promoting the worship of the ancient
deities Zeus, Apollo, and Athena, while at the Getty Museum in Los
Angeles, children write prayers to Aphrodite or Venus, the Greco-Roman
goddess of love and lust—and patron goddess of prostitutes. In Eastern
Europe, people celebrate ancient fertility rites by dancing around and
jumping over fires, customs from a pre-Christian past. In Russia, church
leaders note with concern the growing interest in pagan traditions. In
America, the fastest-growing religion is witchcraft, and statues
promoting satanism appear on public grounds. The U.S. Air Force Academy
has even constructed a pagan chapel.
The United States, though founded by individuals who were inspired by
a biblical worldview, has been drifting toward paganism for some time.
Several decades ago, noted Jewish author Don Feder wrote that America
"is no longer a Christian (or Judeo-Christian) nation… animated by the
ethical vision of the Bible, with its special emphasis on honesty, hard
work, caring and self discipline. Instead we are evolving the type of Canaanite culture
(unrestrained hedonism, ritual prostitution, child sacrifice and the
civic virtue of Sodom) that my ancestors encountered at the dawn of
moral history… A nation will have one God or many. Ours is increasingly polytheistic…
The gods of late twentieth century America include the doctrines of
radical autonomy, of absolute rights divorced from responsibilities, of
gender sameness, of self-expression which acknowledges no higher
purpose, of moral relativism and sexual indulgence" (A Jewish Conservative Looks at Pagan America, pp. 10–11). Noting that "ideas have consequences" (ibid.,
p. 12), Feder observed that the burgeoning interest in witchcraft, the
occult and neopaganism is directly related to political, philosophical
and moral trends—from radical feminism to unrestrained hedonism—which
have challenged traditional American values.
Why should the return of paganism matter to
progressive Western nations today, where tolerance, acceptance, and
diversity are promoted and celebrated? Is there a largely unrecognized significance to the dramatic changes taking place? Are we ignoring important lessons of history? If so, what consequences await us in the days ahead? Why should you be concerned?
The Pagan Worldview
To grasp the significance of what is happening, we need to understand
the ideas and practices that permeated the pagan world, and how they
differ from those of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The term pagan
was initially used to describe anyone who did not believe in the God of
the Bible or follow biblical guidelines. The thoroughly pagan
Greco-Roman world—given to idol worship and adopting gods and practices
of other religions as if they were interchangeable—provides one ancient
example. Such concepts and practices were totally at odds with
biblically influenced religion. The Greeks and Romans were a mix of
polytheists who worshiped many gods and goddesses, pantheists who
believed that “god” was everywhere in nature, and what we now call atheists, worshiping no god at all. Such pagans had no knowledge of the God of the Bible (cf. Acts 17:23). The idea of one true, personal God was generally foreign to them.
In Greco-Roman paganism, there were few fixed creeds. Truth was
relative—there was little comprehension of absolute right and wrong, and
no real concept of sin, guilt, or judgment. Each person decided his or
her own path through life. Pagans focused primarily on earthly life,
gratifying physical desires, and pursuing personal happiness. While
deceptively appealing and subtle in some of its errors, it does not take
much research to see that the whole of the pagan approach is utterly
alien to what the Bible reveals.
Unlike the God of Scripture, the gods of the Greek pantheon, for
example, were promiscuous. Myths abound with tales of their lust, envy,
murder, and other gruesome deeds. Open sexuality and debauchery
characterized many pagan ceremonies—especially the spring and midsummer
fertility festivals. The worship of Aphrodite involved visits to temple
prostitutes that generated revenue for the temple, which the Bible also
condemns (Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 23:17).
In Greco-Roman society, fornication, homosexuality, and the sexual
abuse of children—advocated by Plato and practiced by the Spartans—were
common and accepted. Art that we would term pornography was everywhere.
The Roman baths, inns, and taverns were locations for gratifying any
kind of physical desire. One reason pagans saw biblical religion as a
threat was that they feared the Bible’s teachings about sex would “turn
the lights out on that merry dance” (Steven Smith, Pagans & Christians in the City, p. xiii).
The Bible teaches that children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3–5) and that they are precious in His sight (Matthew 19:13–15).
However, in the ancient pagan world, infanticide was common. Aristotle
advocated killing children for population control and to eliminate
malformed infants. History records the case of a Roman citizen advising
his wife that if she had a child while he was away, she should keep it
if it were a boy but kill it if it were a girl (Ken Spiro, WorldPerfect,
pp. 6–7). The pagans of ancient Canaan and Carthage burned babies alive
as sacrifices to the god Baal, hoping to receive, in return, rain or
safe voyages—a practice the Scriptures clearly condemn (Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:10). The Bible also states that human beings are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27) and not to kill each other (Exodus 20:13). Yet, in the pagan world, human life had little value. Not only killing in battle, the Romans also killed for entertainment on a massive scale, and thousands of people died as crowds cheered in arenas scattered across the empire.
Take infanticide, a particularly horrific form of murder. Classical Greece, one of the most admired cultures of the ancient world, had a community that practiced infanticide as a matter of national policy. That community was Sparta, which has a far more laudatory reputation as the Greek state whose soldiers fought so heroically to the last man against the invading Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC. But in Sparta, any infant who showed the slightest physical imperfection, not to mention deformity, at birth was left out on a hillside to die of exposure. Even worse were the child-sacrifice traditions practiced by many of the pre-Israelite Semitic tribes that inhabited Canaan before the Israelis conquered the land-a practice the ancient Jews found appalling and prohibited entirely. The Phoenicians who settled Carthage engaged in many of these same religious rites of child sacrifice to their god Molech. The Carthaginians also, according to several classical sources, sacrificed their children as part of vows to their deities. The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah denounced his fellow Israelites for adopting the child -sacrifice rituals of the Semitic Canaanites whose land the invading Israelites had taken over. The Jewish horror at this practice was confirmed by the Jewish Historian Josephus (37-100 AD), who reported that the Jews totally forbade both abortion and infanticide. In the pagan Roman Empire, infanticide appears to have been almost routine until it was finally outlawed around 374 AD, by which time Rome had been essentially Christianized (The Delusion of Disbelief pages 198-199 Dr. David Aikman).
Why is an understanding of ancient pagan ideas and traditions relevant to us today?
The Return of Paganism
In recent years, there has been a growing realization that the spread
of Christian ideas in the West and general respect for the Bible did
not eliminate paganism. Many ancient ideas simply went underground and
have begun to reemerge in today’s more favorable climate. For the last
several centuries, Europe and America have become increasingly secular
as pre-Christian ideas and traditions have gained acceptance. Today, the
Western nations, once considered “Christian,” appear to be in the midst
of a “pagan revival,” as noted in a December 2018 New York Times article titled “The Return of Paganism.” Many concepts viewed as “progressive” in our modern society are actually part of the reemergence of pagan ideas that stand in total contrast to the teachings of biblical Christianity—and those ideas have consequences.
Commonly accepted ideas today—that God does not exist, that the Bible
is not divinely inspired, that all religions are equally valid, that
absolute values of right and wrong do not exist, and that there is no
such thing as sin—were all expounded by ancient pagan philosophers. Just
as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, pornography, and infanticide
were condoned and widely practiced in the ancient pagan world, these
activities are increasingly common and even celebrated today. The
“secular humanism” that dominates modern society is, in many instances, a
thinly disguised “neo-paganism” asserting itself in our twenty-first
century culture. In fact, a Google search for “modern paganism” or
“contemporary paganism” demonstrates a startling level of interest in
bringing ancient, pagan practices back into prominence. But how could
the anti-Christian values and ideas of paganism displace Judeo-Christian values that have seemed so firmly woven into the culture of Western civilization for so long?
Seeds Sown Long Ago
The fertile ground for the decline of Christian influence and the
return of paganism was actually prepared during the early centuries of
Christianity. As the Church grew and spread throughout the Mediterranean
world, it encountered many pagan ideas and practices that some did not discard, but rather adopted and absorbed
into their doctrine. These customs were popular, and apostate church
leaders reasoned that incorporating them would make it easier for pagans
to convert to this new religion. The biblical Sabbath observed by
Jesus, the apostles, and early Christians (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14, 42–44; 17:1–2)
was abandoned in favor of Sunday, a day already acknowledged by pagans
who, like Emperor Constantine, worshipped the sun. The popular winter
festival of the Saturnalia—a time of gambling, merry-making, and social
role-reversal—was renamed “Christmas” and observed as Jesus’ birthday,
despite the total lack of biblical support for the major deviation from
original Christian practice that the festival represented. (See Gerald
E. Weston’s article “Does Christmas Matter?,” on page 18 of this issue.)
The pagan springtime fertility festivals with eggs, rabbits, and
sexually-oriented activities honoring Aphrodite and Ishtar (“the queen
of heaven”) were adopted by increasingly apostate leaders and named
“Easter” under the guise of remembering Jesus’ resurrection—even though
the Scriptures condemn these practices (see, for example, Jeremiah 7:18; 44:18–23; Ezekiel 8:15–18).
It is unsurprising that some Christians begin to question their faith
when they look into the origins of these major holidays.
The historical evidence is undeniable: Professing Christians who claimed to follow the teachings of Jesus borrowed many ideas and customs from the pagan world, something the Bible clearly warned against (Deuteronomy 12:29–32; 16:21–22; 18:9–12).
Historian Will Durant has stated, “Christianity did not destroy
paganism; it adopted it… [The] Greek mysteries passed down into the
impressive mystery of the Mass… From Egypt came the ideas of the adoration of the Mother and Child… From Phrygia came the
worship of the Great Mother… Christianity was the last great creation of
the ancient pagan world” (Caesar and Christ, p. 595). Others
have documented that many non-Scriptural practices of modern, mainstream
Christianity—crosses, crucifixes, church steeples, shrines, clerical
vestments, relics, Sunday worship, and even the title Pontifex Maximus—were “lifted directly out of pagan culture in the post-apostolic period” (Frank Viola and George Barna, Pagan Christianity?, p. 6).
While many assume the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s restored true, biblical Christianity, this is simply not true.
Although some non-biblical practices were eliminated or weakened—such
as indulgences, confession to a priest, praying to saints, rosaries, the
ideas of purgatory and transubstantiation, and the role of the
pope—many other doctrines of pagan origin were retained. Although the
Reformation severed Protestantism from the ecclesiastical control of the
Roman church over doctrine and practice, the new emphasis on religious
freedom “opened the doors to wider dissent and to irreligion as well”
(Harold Lindsell, The New Paganism, p. 42). The irreligious fruits of the Reformation emerged in the centuries that followed.
Neo-Pagans of the Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that emerged in Europe in the 1700s, and it played a pivotal role
in reviving ancient pagan ideas that continue to shape our modern
world. Critical thinkers of the Enlightenment resented the corruption,
extravagance, and oppressiveness of the Roman church, and they were
driven by the winds of change the Reformation generated. Over the years
that followed, critics launched unremitting attacks on Christianity, the
Bible, and God. Their weapons included the rediscovery and
popularization of pagan Greco-Roman writings and the misunderstanding,
misinterpretation, and misuse of discoveries in the natural world.
Like their ancient pagan predecessors, the “neo-pagans” of the
Enlightenment focused on the natural world, and they rejected the idea
of one supernatural God who intervenes in human affairs. Enamored with
human reason, they mocked the idea that the Bible is a divinely inspired
book containing accurate history and universally applicable moral laws.
The rise of so-called “higher criticism” in Western academia generated
claims that many books of the Bible were spurious, that miracles are
impossible, that Jesus was not the divine Son of God—just an itinerant
preacher in Palestine—and that His resurrection was staged, invented, or
imagined.
This anti-Christian perspective was aided by scientific discoveries
and theories that appeared to contradict a religious worldview—partially
due to unfounded (and unbiblical) superstitions that had become
associated with “Christianity.” Copernicus had already demonstrated that
the earth revolved around the sun and not the reverse. Medical advances
revealed that diseases were not always caused by curses from God, but
by germs—and seemed to be preventable through new medical practices.
These and other discoveries all fell in the realm of the natural world
that the pagan philosophers focused on, and appeared to some to paint
God and the Bible as unnecessary products of human imagination. Within
an atmosphere of eagerness to reject the supernatural, Charles Darwin’s
theory of evolution—which claimed to explain the living world without
appealing to a Creator—found a ready audience.
Such cultural changes during and after the Enlightenment produced a momentousshift
in the worldview of Western nations that had functioned on a
Judeo-Christian foundation for the better part of a millennium. The
spirit of the age presumed that human reason could replace
biblical revelation as a guide to truth, that the scientific method was
more trustworthy than Scripture, and that a secular approach to
life would lead to happiness and a better world. These anti-Christian
ideas were gifts of the Enlightenment that have infiltrated our
universities and shaped the troubled world in which we live—where
paganism has returned as biblical religion has declined. However, as
Yale historian Peter Gay has noted, the critics, skeptics, and reformers
of the Enlightenment “were modern pagans” whose paganism was “directed
against their Christian inheritance” in an effort to create a world free
of moral restraints (The Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Paganism, pp. xi, 8).
A Dangerous Road Ahead
We need to ask several important questions. What is the real significance of the modern revival of ancient pagan ideas and traditions? What is driving this historic shift? Why is it happening today in the Western world? Where is it leading?
In recent decades, numerous observers have recognized that we are
slipping backward into the equivalent of a pre-Christian past. Historian
Jacques Barzun noted that, over the last 500 years, “the West offered
the world a set of ideas and institutions not found earlier or
elsewhere,” and that secular ideas and practices—largely stemming from
the Enlightenment period—“are bringing about its demise” (From Dawn to Decadence,
p. xv). British journalist Ferdinand Mount has observed that “the
society that is now emerging bears an astonishing resemblance… almost
eerily so, to the ways in which the Greeks and Romans lived,”
emphasizing physical pleasures, gratuitous violence, unlimited sexual
freedoms, multiple gods, and no sense of guilt (Full Circle, p.
1). While some have resisted these “progressive” changes, our secular
Western societies as a whole continue to jettison biblical values and
absorb thoroughly pagan ones—clearly heading down a dangerous path.
Nearly 80 years ago, social critic T. S. Eliot noted that the future
of Western societies would be determined by a contest between
Christianity and what he called “modern paganism” (Pagans & Christians in the City,
p. 8). A generation later, theologian Carl F. H. Henry warned that
neo-pagans were threatening “to undermine the foundations of Western
civilization” and that the already visible result of their ideas was
“moral and intellectual decay paralleled only by Pompeii and Sodom” (The Twilight of a Great Civilization, p. ix). Today, numerous scholars recognize that there is a powerful religious
element to the “culture war” being waged within Western civilization,
as essentially pagan and godless ideas come into conflict with long-held
Judeo-Christian values and biblical concepts.
The Bible reveals that the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4)
is Satan the devil—an entity most modern pagans do not believe even
exists. This is unsurprising, as Scripture also reveals that Satan has
deceived “the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
He is the demonic “author” of the spiritual confusion and carnal
attitudes driving the return of paganism and corrupting the
Bible-influenced foundations of Western civilization. The creatively
destructive leaders of the Enlightenment and their modern disciples are
Satan’s unwitting accomplices (see 2 Corinthians 11:3–4, 13–15).
It wouldn't surprise me if
Jonathan has been reading Michael Heiser's books and some of his other good
scholarship on the existence of the gods in Jewish and other literature
throughout time. The reason Cahn's fallacies are subtle is that a good case can
be made for their existence and for them being put in charge of the
nations, while the Lord God of Israel, chooses Israel as the nation He
will be in charge of and he will use them to reach out to other nations.
We gentiles were put in the nations with the purpose of being drawn to
the living God. At no time does the Bible say it is possible to
displace these gods/principalities over the nations by means of prayer or revival.
Daniel's prayers in chapter 9 are used by God to assist an Angelic messenger with the help of the Arc Angel Michael to
get through and reveal important truths to Daniel, but the "prince of
Persia" which today is modern day Iran is still there and still wreaking havoc in that part of the world. This death and
destruction is meant to point our hearts toward a longing for justice
and peace, which is the Kingdom of God. Our time in the nations, in this
evil age, is meant to make us long and search for the true God, to cry
"Maranatha!" for His return, to set up His Kingdom here on earth, ruling
and reigning from Jerusalem. We do not set up that Kingdom through some
massive revival in a gentile nation like America. That is no where to be found in scripture. No
where.
What does the Bible say? In the millennial age, Israel
as a nation that has experienced national conversion, will reach out to
and see the conversion of the gentile nations(see link below)
Few realize that the dramatic cultural shift we are witnessing was
actually predicted nearly 3,000 years ago in the Bible. The rise of
Western civilization was not an accident. God anciently revealed His
laws, religion, and way of life to the ancient Israelites (Exodus 20) so they could be a light and example to the world (Deuteronomy 4:6–8).
The Israelites entered into a covenant with God that promised blessings
for obedience and serious consequences for disobedience (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28)—consequences
that included going into captivity for turning away from Him. Following
their Assyrian captivity, the northern Israelite tribes migrated into different parts of the world where God’s promises to Abraham and his
descendants were fulfilled in the rise of several Western nations (see Genesis 12:1–3).
Moses thundered numerous warnings to the ancient Israelites about the consequences of forgetting God and turning to other gods (Deuteronomy 6:14; 7:16; 8:18–19; 12:29–32), and recorded a sobering prophecy
about what would happen to the modern Israelite nations as they
approached the end of the age. He was inspired to warn, “For I know that
after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 31:29).
Jeremiah also warned that “the time of Jacob’s trouble” would come upon
Jacob’s descendants—modern-day Israelites “in the latter days”
because of their embrace of ideas and behaviors that God condemns (Jeremiah 30:1–25). With the resurgence of outright and unmasked paganism in many Western nations, these ancient prophecies are coming true today.
Seeing how anti-Christian ideas and practices are spreading throughout the Western world today, it appears that many have failed to learn the lessons of history. We are repeating the mistakes of the ancient Israelites—despite the examples God recorded in the Bible for our benefit at the end of the age (1 Corinthians 10:1–11). While our modern nations may not repent of turning away from God, youcan learn from these examples and
avoid the coming consequences—if you recognize and avoid the ideas and
practices rooted in the modern return of paganism and begin sincerely
seeking the God and way of life presented in the pages of Scripture.
Some final thoughts about Jonathan Cahn's fallacies:
Advance the video above related to Mr. Cahn's interview with Daystar between time frames 3:50-4:00. Mr. Cahn asks the following question: "WHAT IF EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING TO TRANSFORM AMERICA IS AN ANCIENT MYSTERY"? Now here is the problem with that assertion:
Definition of Ancient Mysteries
Secret
rituals of pagan religions, known only to select initiates who had
qualified for higher spiritual development. Such mysteries
were kept apart from popular worship, and initiates had to take a
binding oath of secrecy, so that even today our knowledge of the
mysteries is partly conjectural. Typical mystery cults were those of
Eleusis in Greece from about 1500
B.C.E., in turn deriving from the mystery religions of ancient Egypt and the mysteries of Mithras, a Persian deity. Traces of Mithraism existed in Britain. Many secret societies in modern times have claimed that their rituals are a descent of an ancient tradition.
Dear
viewer: I did an exhaustive search to see if this term ANCIENT MYSTERY
is found in the bible. Nowhere is this term found either in the Old or
New Testaments. However I did find a list of Ancient Mystery Religions
in the book "ESSENTIALS OF BIBLE HISTORY" pages 564-567 as follows:
1)
THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES 2) THE CULT OF DIONYSUS 3) ORPHISM 4) THE CULT
OF CYBELE ATTIS 5) SYRIAN MYSTERY CULTS 6) MITHRAISM 7) THE CULT OF
ISIS AND SERAPIS 8) EPICUREANISM & STOICISM.
As you can see this term Ancient Mystery is not biblically based but has a direct correlation to Ancient pagan religions.
Go to the links below to learn more about the origins of
Ancient Mysteries and how it was applied by Mystery Religions
If you continue to advance the video to time frames 8:50-8:55 Mr. Cahn asserts that America was founded after the pattern of Israel. Is America modeled after Israel as Mr. Cahn claims in this video?
Cahn often repeats what I call our national myth—that America is somehow modeled after Israel. This myth goes back to the beginning of our American history but cannot be sustained by any biblical standard. The myth is based on the belief that man can unilaterally make a covenant and bind God to it, without God having agreed to anything. Cahn claims, “Embedded in America’s foundation is a prophetic warning. The warning was given on America’s first day as a nation. It concerns what will happen if America should ever turn away from God” (Cahn: 21). For such a warning to be valid and binding, it would have to be issued by an infallible prophet who speaks for God, in this case, beyond scripture. Who, exactly, is America’s Moses, or Jesus, or the apostles? Lacking any such person, God cannot have stated that America is modeled after Israel and has a binding covenant with her. That God does as Mr. Cahn claims above, is based on our national Judaeo-Christian myth.
The truth is that God draws out the boundaries of all nations through His providence. The truths revealed in Romans 13 and elsewhere about how Christians relate to civil governments applied to Rome when Paul wrote and all civil governments in history. Only Israel was directly established by God and had a binding covenant mediated through Moses who God chose and appointed. America has neither a Moses nor a binding covenant. We are not a nation modeled after Israel and never have been. The moral laws of God that do apply are found in the Bible and they apply to all people in all nations.
The truth of the matter is that our founding fathers were deist who had a religious view in a generic god. Watch the short video below for more details from this Christian historian who has a PHD in History:
Also in the video above Jonathan Cahn claims that the charging Market Bull located at Wall St. NYC is the GOD OF BAAL. (FAST FORWARD THE VIDEO TO TIME FRAMES 11:10 TO 11:40). That is a gross fallacious statement. It is plausible that Cahn did not do a thorough research into the history behind this sculpture. And it is possible that he is just too obsessed with Baal and will select almost anything that resembles Baal's image to prove his thesis. I believe this fallacy is just an elaborate fabrication. Below is the true history behind this sculpture written by the ELEMENT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION.
The Secret History of the Wall Street Bull
THE CREATOR OF THE CHARGING BULL
ARTURO DI MODICA PICTURED BELOW
Bulls and bears can be considered the unofficial mascots of the stock market. They represent the upward and downward movements of the stock market over a period of time and have even come to describe investor behavior (optimistic investors are said to be bullish, while investors with a pessimistic outlook are said to be bearish). In a field typically known for its confusing financial terminology and often uninspired language, the bull and bear symbols really stand out—and this is especially true in Lower Manhattan.
The Charging Bull (also referred to as the Wall Street Bull) is a massive 7,100-pound bronze sculpture located in the Financial District in New York City. At 11 feet tall and 16 feet long, the aggressive bull is an unmistakable tribute to power and prosperity. Over the years, it has been accepted as an iconic New York City monument and an international symbol of Wall Street. It draws thousands of tourists and selfie-takers daily, and parts of the statue (the snout and horns, but also some inappropriate zones) have been burnished to a bright golden bronze by visitors rubbing the statue for good luck. What many do not realize is that the iconic Charging Bull has a relatively young—and rather unusual—history.
Charging Bull has been guarding the streets of the Financial District for only a few decades. It first appeared in front of the New York Stock Exchange in December 1989, much to the surprise and confusion of New Yorkers. Why? The statue had not been commissioned by the city. It was an act of guerrilla art.
For two years, SoHo artist Arturo Di Modica had been working on his bronze and stainless steel sculpture out of his studio. The artwork was created in response to the 1987 stock market crash. According to Di Modica’s assistant at the time, it was a way for him “to encourage everybody to realize America’s economic power.”
One cold Thursday night, Di Modica and some friends rented a crane, loaded the massive sculpture onto a flatbed truck, drove it to the Financial District and installed it on the center line of Broad Street, near a festive 60-foot Christmas tree. The following morning, Di Modica handed out fliers explaining the significance of his artwork-turned-Christmas-gift to passersby. Hundreds came out to admire the work, but the police were less than amused—Charging Bull had been installed without a permit and without concern for the effect the statue would have on traffic and public safety. The bull was immediately impounded and hauled off to Queens. The resulting public outcry was so great that the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation reinstalled the statue a few days later in Bowling Green Park in the Financial District, where it remains on display to this day. New York City does not own the sculpture and so Charging Bull has technically been on temporary display since 1989.
The cultural impact of the sculpture has spread far and wide. Replicas of Di Monica’s sculpture have found homes in Amsterdam and Shanghai. Charging Bull has helped set the scene in many TV shows and movies (Mr. Robot and The Wolf of Wall Street are a couple of notable examples). It was guarded by police during the Occupy Wall Street movement and remained barricaded for three years following the protests. Most recently, it inspired an additional artistic installation—in honor of International Women’s Day 2017, a bronze statue of a defiant little girl was temporarily installed facing the iconic bull (and yes, the statue of the defiant little girl did have a permit from the city).
In case you’re wondering whether the bronze bull of Wall Street will ever be joined by his bearish counterpart, don’t count on it. When the notion was first suggested shortly after Charging Bull’s installation, Di Modica rejected it quickly—he didn’t think it would do as good a job at representing the optimism of the American people. Bull and bear markets get to share the spotlight in the stock market, but it looks like Charging Bull will continue to have Lower Manhattan all to himself.
MR. CAHN CLAIMS IN THIS VIDEO BELOW IF THE ENTIRE TEMPLE OF BAAL WOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT, IT WOULD EXTEND FROM CITY HALL TO GROUND ZERO. WELL THAT IS PURE SPECULATION BECAUSE IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE. THERE'S NO ROOM WITHIN THAT AREA TO ACCOMMODATE SUCH A PROJECT.
FURTHERMORE, LET'S JUST SAY IF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS DECIDED ONE DAY TO REBUILD THIS BAAL TEMPLE, DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THE CITY & STATE OF NY AND SURVIVORS OF 911 WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW SUCH A STRUCTURE TO BE BUILT ON GROUND ZERO WHICH IS CONSIDERED HOLLOW GROUND?
THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT IS AN ARTICLE TAKEN FROM THE WEBSITE SNOPES
Temporary reproductions of the Temple of Baal's arch (destroyed by ISIS in Syria) planned for New York City and London sparked inaccurate online rumors; the former was put on hold indefinitely.
Replicas of the arch from Syria's Temple of Baal were planned for London and New York City's World Heritage Week in April 2016; New York's project was shelved indefinitely as of early April 2016.
What's False
The structures will be full, permanent and operational houses of worship.
What's Undetermined
Whether the arch in London will be moved to New York after a period of initial display.
I find Mr. Cahn's motives for writing this book about the rise of paganism in America & around the world very controversial. He is speaking/writing about demonic entities influencing America's and the world's cultures. He makes the grand claim with regards to his latest book that what he is revealing supposedly through divine revelation is an ANCIENT MYSTERY. I have already provided evidence above that Ancient Mysteries has nothing to do with God or the Bible and everything to do with Ancient Pagan Mystery Religions! Yet in the past Mr. Cahn has resorted to a Jewish Mystical book known as the Zohar the premier text of occultist knowledge as a source for unlocking his so called biblical ancient mysteries to his congregation. In his message the "Zohar Speaks" Mr. Cahn introduces the Zohar
as a "hostile witness. But the way Cahn describes its teachings gives the
impression that he views the Zohar as being a credible source of truth. Exactly what is the Zohar?
According to the Zohar, God’s message in the Torah is meant to be
understood at four levels: literal, allegorical, Rabbinic, and
secretive. In other words, the more powerful and truthful purpose of the
Torah is, it then becomes only accessible to those with special knowledge and insight,
as per the Kabbalah. This places the Zohar and Kabbalah firmly in the sphere of
Gnosticism and Jewish mysticism.
As Christians misled by their Judaizing preachers & Popes are increasingly consulting Jewish Rabbinical sources for a purer understanding of the Old Testament, they are unknowingly consulting the occult. Judaism is the religion of the Pharisees and the patrimony of Babylon from where the Talmudic & Kabbalistic traditions of Judaism ultimately derive. Orthodox's Judaism 's other sacred book the Kabbalah(the Zohar being it's premier text of occult knowledge) is filled with astrological teachings, fortune telling, gematria, necromancy & DEMONOLOGY. Orthodox rabbis place curses, cast spells & imagine they have powers greater than God himself, all derived from their study of the Sefer Yezriah(a book of Kabbalisitic magic). Christians are trafficking in Babylonian Paganism when they defer to the Rabbis of Judaism(Michael Hoffman author of Judaism's Strange Gods).
For more details & evidence go to the following link:
Traditionalist Christians who oppose same-sex marriage and other cultural developments in the United States wonder why they are being forced to bracket their beliefs in order to participate in public life. This situation is not new, says Steven D. Smith: Christians two thousand years ago faced very similar challenges.
Picking up poet T. S. Eliot’s World War II–era thesis that the future of the West would be determined by a contest between Christianity and “modern paganism,” Smith argues in this book that today’s culture wars can be seen as a reprise of the basic antagonism that pitted pagans against Christians in the Roman Empire. Smith’s Pagans and Christians in the City looks at that historical conflict and explores how the same competing ideas continue to clash today. All of us, Smith shows, have much to learn by observing how patterns from ancient history are reemerging in today’s most controversial issues.(Published 2018)
This book describes how evangelical thinking has been infiltrated by the culture, resulting in its ineffectiveness in fighting the culture war. It provides a solution to that problem. It also recommends a strategic approach for fighting the culture war.(Published 2016)
![Counterattack: Why Evangelicals are Losing the Culture War and How They Can Win by [Paul Brownback]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51arTt22i4L._SY346_.jpg)
