Search This Blog

Translate This Page

Total Pageviews

Thursday, March 8, 2012

What They Think of Us: Will Your Pet Be Cared For After the Rapture?

I believe that we must love and care for our animals.  I believe that the Bible teaches that the Church will one day (though we do not know when and are told not to speculate as to when) be taken up into the air to be with the Lord before the time of the Tribulation begins.  I had never before put these two ideas together. It appears that others have.  See the very partial list below of websites discussing this very idea.











Several companies have sprung up promising, for a fee, to care for the the animals left behind by Christians after the Rapture.  Some of the companies say they have been organized by Christians, others by atheists.  All say that the people who will care for the animals are animal lovers and confirmed atheists.  We “will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward”

Some Christians are using the services. The Eternal Earth Bound Pets company says that they have 259 subscribers who have paid $135.00 each for the service.

This sounds like a sarcastic swipe at Christians, but the people at the British company Post Rapture Pet Care say that "This is not a joke. We feel very strongly about pet care and want to offer the best possible services to British pet owners. Feel free to get in touch at pets@postrapturepetcare.com  for more info."

The fact that some atheists do take this to be a joke is evidenced by the statement of someone going by the name of Flange Wogskit Bardgeholly at the RawStory.com site.  "Dint yo momma tell you not to make fun of the cripples?"

If the atheists involved with these companies really are serious about this, I would have two things to say to them:
1. Be sure to honor your committment.
2. Realize that when this happens, you will know the truth and you will have a momentous decision to make.







Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Film Comment: Green Lantern

Green Lantern (2011) is a superhero movie based on the on the long time comic book series produced by DC Comics.  The film was long considered to be unfilmable until computer generated imagery was perfected.

The plot of the film is well known to long time comic book readers.  After an alien spacecraft crash lands on Earth, the ring worn by Abin Sur, the dying alien pilot, searches the planet for a worthy successor to its prior owner.  The ring is not supernatural, but is instead, the product of a greatly advanced technology.  It chooses a seemingly undeserving recipient, Hal Jordan, an immature and self-absorbed daredevil test pilot.

Jordan discovers that he is now the Green Lantern of his sector of outer space, even if he does not wish to be.  He is told that the ring does not make errors and that he is now a member of the Green Lantern Corps, one of the 3600 super-powered beings who serve as a sort of intergalactic police force.  Of course, he must confront a being who has misused the ring technology and, as a result of his adventures, Hal Jordan becomes the greatest of the Green Lanterns.  This is standard epic fantasy/science fiction.

Many viewers of Green Lantern have noticed the heavy occultic symbolism in this film.  A Green Lantern's power ring converts his/her thoughts into material reality.  As students of comparative religion will know, the essence and the aim of "magick" is the ability of the will to alter and control reality.

The symbolism in this film is quite heavy.  When they are using their power, a Green Lantern's eyes glow green.  Images of the Masonic symbol known as the All Seeing Eye , an eye within a pyramid, occur repeatedly within the film.

The Green Lanterns take their oath of service on their Power Lanterns, from which they recharge their power rings.  The lantern symbols on the rings and on the superheroes chests are identical to the Masonic symbol 101 (the point within the circle ) turned on its side.

There is a strong undercurrent in the film of a secret government involvement in some sort of conspiracy.  One commenter notes that a sign in a bar scene includes the word "harp" and relates this to the HAARP project, a real life scientific research station in Alaska which many conspiracy theorists believe is being developed as a secret government weapon to cause earthquakes and control the weather.

The Green Lantern Corps is, in effect a secret society.  The Corp has initiation ceremonies, secret knowledge, and its existence is not revealed to the public at large.

Tomar Re , the bird-like Xudarian alien Green Lantern who is the first mentor to Hal Jordan, has what one commenter calls "Baphomet legs."  Baphomet is an occult symbol of Satan represented as a human-goat hybrid with legs whose knees bend backwards.

The green "uniform" of the Lanterns is not actually clothing.  It is an integral part of their being, it is who they really are, like their skin.  This is consistent with the occult/New Age idea that our true inner being is divine (our True Self, our Inner Christ) and that enlightenment comes when we realize that we are God.

One commenter claims that when Hal Jordan transforms from his human self to his Green Lantern self that there is a brief burst of light from his wrists and ankles, reminiscent of Christ's wounds.  This occurs at 2:05 of the first official trailer for the film.  What actually occurs at this point is that Jordan's power ring begins to glow, making the back of his hand appear to glow.

Most people who watch this film will not notice or understand the heavy symbolism and many who do, will not care.  That the symbolism is there is so obvious that it must be intentional on the part of the film's makers.  Without falling into the trap of becoming totally paranoid conspiracy theorists, Christians must be alert to the messages being sent out by the world's media.  We really are at war.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Book Comment: How Would Jesus Vote?

How Would Jesus Vote? A Christian Perspective on the Issues (2008) by D James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe is premised on the following insight, quoted from the book: ""We will give an account for every aspect of our lives, including how we vote.  May the Lord give us wisdom to obey Him in this as well as in all areas of our lives."

Dr. Kennedy was a conservative evangelical who was often involved in political controversies and was closely associated with what is known in America as the Christian Right.  In How Would Jesus Vote?, Kennedy discusses abortion, embryonic stem cell research, suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, just war theory, public education, economics, health-care, environmental change, immigration, racism, marriage, and judicial activism.  This is not a scripture-heavy book but is firmly based on a Christian world view.

He quotes his friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who said, "Without a vibrant and vital Christianity, America is doomed, and without America, the West is doomed. ... you must replace your timidity with nerve and your diffidence with daring and determination."

Dr. Kennedy calls on us to think before we vote.  He doesn't actually say it but what he is calling for is that we think with the Mind of Christ before we vote.

Monday, March 5, 2012

I Don't Want to Go Today

"It's time to go to church,' a mother told her son, "You know today is Sunday."


"I don't want to go," he replied.  "I don't have any friends there. The music is awful. And the sermons are boring!"


"But you have to go," the mother insisted.  "You're the pastor!"


“From The Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Sunday, March 4, 2012

A Joke Credited to the Roman Emperor Augustus

The Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus (b. 63BC/BCE - d. 14 AD/CE)  is only mentioned once in the New Testament.


"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." Luke 2:1


Emperor Augustus is credited with the eighth oldest known joke in recorded history:  "Augustus was touring his Empire and noticed a man in the crowd who bore a striking resemblance to himself.  Intrigued he asked, "Was your mother at one time in service at the Palace?" "No your Highness," he replied, "but my father was."

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Film Comment: Be Human

Betty Boop is a cartoon character created by the near-legendary animation pioneer, Max Fleischer (1883-1972) who brought numerous well known characters to the screen (Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Grampy, Popeye, and Superman). Betty is often incorrectly said to have been based on the "It" girl, Clara Bow but she was actually based on the singer, dancer, and television and film actress Helen Kane.  The Fleischer Betty Boop cartoons were voiced by actress Mae Questel (who portrayed Betty, Olive Oyl, Aunt Bluebell, the Sea Hag, Swee'Pea, Little Lulu, Little Audrey, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and the hilariously senile "Aunt Bethany " in the comedic film Christmas Vacation.)

Most of the Betty Boop cartoons are acceptable for children to view, but a few were actually banned.  Betty was recognized by adults almost immediately as a sexual character and a few of her cartoons have elements which are seen as objectionable today.  Be Human (1936) is such a cartoon.  Once you see it you will know why children must not see it.

In response to severe animal cruelty by an ill-tempered farmer , Betty and Grampy decide to take matters into their own hands and inflict severe cruelty on the farmer, in a sort of "eye for an eye" justice.  While torturing the man, they laugh and obviously enjoy themselves.




The first video seems to have been deleted. Try this one instead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWoNsOWhbXQ

Justice in the Bible means "setting things right."  God, whose motives are always pure, reserves to Himself the right to exact vengeance.

"To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Deuteronomy 32:35
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19

The Bible is very clear that we must not mistreat animals and we also should not allow others to do so.  The desire to inflict physical pain or harm on abusers, though, and especially the desire to enjoy doing it, is as evil as the animal abuse itself.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Jesus, the Suffering Servant

Yacov Rambsel, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, claims to have found the name Yeshua (Jesus) embedded in every major Old Testament messianic prophecy.  No matter what you think about the possibility of the reality of the Bible Codes, this is very interesting.  I am still very undecided on this.

Rabbi Rambsel says that in the "Suffering Servant" passage in Isaiah 53, counting every twelfth letter, the following is spelled out, "Jesus is my name."