We look at the beatitude in Matthew 5:6 in context. We then move on from the "all things" of Romans 8:28 and look at the supposed promise of protection for believers today in Jeremiah and then compare the threats of no protection and ask how Christians can just pick one and not the other. Finally we review yet another false (unbiblical) concept of Satan's methods.

Romans 8:28 is yet another verse too often ripped from its context and willy-nilly applied to every believer in every age for any purpose. The great doctrine of the undoing of the curse in resurrection is once again missed.

A dangerous result of the false hope derived from this verse wrongly divided trumpeted from the pulpits of Christendom is the loss of faith of countless seekers. Just as believers are thrust into doubting either their own salvation or the faithfulness of God when they don't see God providing them the "future and hope" robbed from Israel in Jeremiah 29, so too is it with the misapplication of Romans 8:28.

The good, my brothers and sisters, is the hope of the resurrection. And there is nothing that can stop the redemption of the body of the believer or the redemption of the very heavens and earth. All things are marching towards that end.

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
    we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”

We explore the fact that I'm a loud-mouthed schnook and contemplate the ramifications at my future assessment of works. We then realize that no matter what anyone thinks about my doctrines or my biblical interpretations, each will still answer for his own faith. We must not be content to simply oppose, we must be able to defend. We must all examine ourselves to see where we are in the faith. We must test our doctrines regularly against the whole counsel of God.

More Olympics talks! Go USA! We turn to the topic of faux outrage and its growing popularity in religion, politics, and culture. People just LOVE to be outraged! Gives a sense of self-righteous indignation when there is really nothing at stake. We can lash out at shadows with no downside.

We revisit Christians still demanding the pagans in Paris pretend they're not pagans and then continue to rip Galatians 6:7 from its context. 

We revisit the importance of reading scripture in context (lest we end up in confusion). We note and review how the vast majority of warnings in Paul's epistles are warnings for believers. Those warnings take one of two tacks, both rooted in the flesh: acts of selfish carnality and acts of self-deluded ritual and religion.

Somewhere along the line I list my rooting preferences for the Olympics.
USA! USA! USA!

Unbelievers mock God at their own risk, but God does not warn believers about drag queens. Nobody is confused as to whether drag queens posing as DaVinci's "Last Supper" is truth from God. If that's Satan's plan to deceive, it's pretty stupid. What Paul warned believers about that which is Satan's tactic. Satan presents himself as an Angel of Light and his ministers are the ministers of righteousness. Paul warns Satan's ministers "disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness." The drag queens at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris weren't disguised at all.

We also take another look at all those Bible promises Christians have been ripping from their contexts and claiming for themselves and for Donald Trump. This time we look at them in light of the tragic plane crash and death of three members of the Nelons Family Gospel Group.

It's no wonder so many Christians are confused or even disillusioned about the faith. We must stop ripping verses from their contexts and start seeking to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

We jump off our look at Mark and over to a parallel passage Matthew 16. We compare and contrast the calls to go on to maturity in the Gospels wherein "disciples" are called to "lose [their] souls." We cannot understand this command to believers if we adopt the tradition view of the soul, when we become immortal, or the very idea of "losing" one's "soul" (which we are called to do).

We take a look at an of-quoted verse of scripture involving gaining the world and losing one's "soul." We look at verse 36 in light of the context of the Lord telling his disciples he will soon be put to death. Mark uses the same word translated "life" and "soul" four times. In context of the Lord laying down his life, he is asking his followers at that time to be prepared to lay down theirs.

If you plug in "soul" for "life" in verse 35, applying how many generally use the idea of a "lost soul," it should jar us from theological complacency and make us reexamine our assumptions.

The horrifying events from Saturday have churned up the worst in Christendom. Donald Trump is being called "the Chosen One" (the Messiah, the Christ). His followers are claiming some sort of divine protection (including protection from his deceased wide, Ivanka). Professed believers are pulling verses from anywhere in the Bible without regard to context to claim some eternal calling on Donald Trump. It's as heretical as it is frightening.

We continue to look at commonly "claimed" hopes and promises from scripture (eight total) that your pastor probably spoke on today but which no direct place in the current age.

• You will be blessed like Abraham
• You will be wealthy if you follow the biblical pattern
• You no longer have a heart of stone
• God has a wonderful plan for your life (here and now)
• All things work together for good (with good assumed)
• You can do what Jesus and the Apostles did
• Jesus was always talking to you
• There is no difference in anyone's eternal fate

There are two reasons I believe that there is no great spiritual awakening coming, nor will one come before the next events on the prophetic time clock. The professing church right now is so confused and contradictory all it can offer are false promises and the trappings or holiness. We'll take a closer look at the state of faith in these last days.