Pharisees Anonymous

  This testimony begins with the earliest memory I have. I don’t claim that it’s necessarily true. I remember it. But it could be a false memory. I know that those are possible and I don’t pretend that I’m above it.   My father worked in the courts as a court reporter for longer than I’ve been alive and he’s made it clear that there could be ten witnesses of one event, all have different versions of the event, and all believe their version is true. The “glasses” you wear color everything you see.  The glasses I wear are spiritual. From the time I was a small child I remember having strange spiritual occurrences.  I have the gift of spiritual discernment.  It’s a gift    - or a curse - like so many things it depends on what glasses you wear.  It’s not like what you’d think. I see things. I sense things. Things most people can’t see hear or sense. Or if they do they don’t usually admit it. It’s uncomfortable. It’s made me different. Stand-offish. I ...

  Just because something makes you happy doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for you.   Take Twinkies. Twinkies are high in sugar and fat. They’re also full of chemicals to extend their shelf life.  Twinkies are obviously not good for you.  Yet some people eat them. And In moderation a Twinkie or two won’t kill you. Not in the long run anyway.  But what might happen if you start craving Twinkies? What might happen if you start buying them in larger quantities? If you start eating one every day? What if you start to crave them more snd more until you begin eating them after each meal? What if you started eating them AS your meal and eventually never ate anything else? You know what would happen. You would get sick snd fat. Eventually you would become malnourished. You might even go to a doctor who would tell you to stop eating Twinkies and eat some vegetables for heavens sake! But if you refuse and keep going down that path you will wind up dead.  This isn’t ...

  Democracy isn’t from God.   Democracy is a man-made institution. It was first created as far as we know in Ancient Greece. There are arguments that it goes back as far as ancient Mesopotamia - Babylon.  Democracy is government “Of the people by the people and for the people.” This, at its core, is humanism. The elevation of man to be his own ruler.  When man is on the throne and not God, the Bible tells us there is wickedness and every evil thing.  Ancient Israel was supposed to be Gods’ chosen people. They were to be run by representatives that God chose. Prophets and later, judges. Because the people were wicked in heart the people, as people tend to do, rebelled.  The people of Israel demanded a king. And though the ruling prophet Samuel was grieved by this, God told him to anoint them a king. And do Samuel did.  The king God chose was Saul. (see  1 Samuel 8) Saul was handsome and a head taller than everyone else. He “looked like” a king. He ...

...And why true believers shouldn’t either “Fear not.”    Jesus said this at least nine times. It’s in many other places in the Word as well, both old and New Testament, in over a hundred places. When angels approached men in the Bible they were often told to fear not.  Not fearing is a command in the word. It’s not a question. It’s not a “maybe”. It’s a command.  Fear in both Hebrew and Greek is the same word for reverence. It’s used to explain how we should treat God. With fear and reverence.  In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us to “fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear He who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell.” Jesus himself said that. And who do you suppose he was talking about? I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t Dr. Fauci.  The word for fear here in both places by the way is phobios. Greek for fear and reverence. We are commanded here not to reverence men but instead to reverence God.  God...