An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Greek influence in Christianity. This follows this post about opinions. This follows this post about the likelihood of a war in Asia. . For a free magazine subscription or to get the book recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!

Book Review - Plato's Shadow: The Hellenizing of Christianity

United Church of God minister Gary Petty has compiled a concise overview of the tragic transformation of Christianity from its Hebraic roots to a syncretic religion laced with pagan doctrines and Greek philosophical concepts that are still present in traditional Christianity today. It’s a timely contribution in light of a growing interest in understanding and returning to “the faith once delivered to the saints,” as well as a valuable resource for every pastor..

Book Information

Author
Gary Petty

Publisher
Little Frog Publishing

Publication Date
2013-11-26

ISBN
0615917135

Recommendation

Larry Walker recommends this.

Paperback, 208 pages
Find it on Amazon

I discovered and obtained a copy of this book during a discussion with Mr. Petty at a recent meeting planning conference.
After reading it on the plane flight back home, I was impressed with how well it was written and its relevance for true, biblical, doctrinal understanding—especially for the increasing number of people who are becoming disgruntled with the weakened state of traditional Christianity, and for those involved in the recent trend of Christians seeking to rediscover what is often referred to as “the Jewish roots” or “Hebrew roots” of Christianity that characterized the teachings and practices of the first century Church.
Interestingly, while reading the book on my return flight, I overheard a conversation between two women in the row behind me discussing that very topic. One lady from Central Oregon was telling the lady next to her how much learning about the Jewish roots of Christianity has enriched her understanding of the truths of the Bible.
Plato’s Shadow begins with a brief introduction, which concludes with Gary’s explanation of his purpose for writing the book:
“This book is an attempt to discover elements of what is commonly called Primitive Christianity. In it we will explore a brief overview of the Jewish and Roman world of the early Christians and what the earliest followers of Jesus believed about the afterlife, the Ten Commandments, the Passover, baptism and idolatry. We will explore Christianity’s Jewish roots and the manner in which early Christian groups became influenced by Greek philosophy. The story is…important to examine if we are to understand the future of Christianity. It is important for anyone who desires to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ” (page 3).
A summary of the content on the back cover begins by asking, “If Jesus’ apostles walked the earth today, would they recognize Christianity?”

Continuing with the summary:

“Plato’s Shadow looks at some foundational teachings of the earliest Christians, exploring how Greek and Roman society later shaped their message. The early church used the Old Testament as Scripture and believed in Jesus as the prophesied Messiah. It also taught that baptism and laying on of hands are necessary for converts. Early Christians shunned the use of any images in their worship, observing the Ten Commandments as the foundation of Christian conduct.
“The forces of Gnosticism and Hellenistic society reshaped these teachings. As a result, some of today’s most cherished Christian teachings are remarkably different from what the early church taught.
“Today, millions of Christians are searching for a deeper understanding of God’s purpose in their lives. The answers can be found in the teachings and customs of the earliest followers of Jesus Christ. Discover for yourself the importance of ‘primitive Christianity’ through Plato’s shadow.”

Chapter headings:

1. A Jewish Sect in the Outpost of an Empire
2. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
3. Pythagoras, Plato, Philo and Philosophy
4. The Legacy of Romulus and Remus
5. A Rabbi Named Jesus
6. The Jewish Messiah
7. Growth of the Jesus Sect
8. Simon, Samaritans and Syncretism
9. Turning the World Upside Down
10. The Wisdom of the World
11. A Deranged Emperor and the Destruction of the Jewish Temple
12. Why Become a Christian?
13. Persecution, Forgeries and Gnostics
14. The Eighth Day and Quartodecimans
15. Hellenized Orthodoxy
16. Hellenized Christianity Triumphant
As the back cover of the book mentions: Gary Petty “is a regular contributor to The Good News magazine and a host of the Beyond Today television program.”
Because the target audience is the general public, the book is written with an approach and terminology that will resonate well. It is an easy read, even for those who are not familiar with New Testament Church history or technical theological terms.
I highly recommend the book for those seeking a more accurate view of Christianity.
Plato’s Shadow (published in 2013 by Little Frog Publishing, ISBN #9780615917139) is available in softcover, 204 pages, footnoted with reference sources and abundant scriptural references, and can be purchased from Amazon.com .

Is 2012 the End of the World?

A very interesting analysis from www.wnponline.org about the movie 2012. You can subscribe to this blog here for more interesting commentary!!
See here for who WASN"T destroyed in the movie!!!

Is 2012 the End of the World?
An ancient Mayan calendar mysteriously ends at the winter solstice in the year 2012. Is this a sign that the Mayans knew that December 2012 is the end of human history? The History Channel, Newsweek magazine, major movie studios, booksellers and dozens of Web sites are fanning the 2012 craze. Should you be building a shelter and stowing away food for the coming disaster?
by Gary Petty

The predictions are of total devastation! According to some forecasts, entire cities will be destroyed by enormous tsunamis, earthquakes and Category 5 hurricanes; meteors will rain down fiery death from heaven; and human history will come to a violent end.
The hype is based on a mixture of speculation about Mayan calendars, the book The Bible Code, some ancient Eastern prophecies, the writings of Nostradamus and passages from the biblical book of Revelation.
Other 2012 scenarios picture a wonderful change in human consciousness and the ushering in of the New Age of Aquarius. John Major Jenkins, author of Maya Cosmogenesis, describes the coming New Age this way: "Around the year we call 2012 a large chapter in human history will be coming to an end. All the values and assumptions of the previous World Age will expire, and a new phase of human growth will commence."
While movie special effects of a tsunami crashing into the Himalayas can be visually spectacular, the answers to your future can't be found in speculations about Mayan calendars, or in the writings of Nostradamus or a New Age guru. The real answers to the questions about the end of the world are found in the only true source of prophecy—the Bible.
Many people believe that the Bible, specifically the book of Revelation, predicts a fiery destruction of humanity. A close study of the book shows that, although Revelation does contain descriptions of terrible future events, it is ultimately a book about hope.
Could you use some hope in your life?
If you are like the rest of us, you could probably use more hope in your life. You might be worried about the mortgage, the kids and the job. And with all the hype, you now have to worry that the end of the world is just around the corner. The book of Revelation shows us that there are reasons life is so hard, and there are keys to help you discover hope in your future.
Many 2012 scenarios predict the total destruction of humanity and leave you with no hope for your personal future. The book of Revelation is more than gloom and doom and predictions of the violent end of the world. Underneath all the graphic images of death and destruction is a message of hope for the future of humanity and for you personally.
A central theme of hope runs through the entire Bible and culminates in the book of Revelation. The message is why human societies fail and how the problems will eventually be solved. This message of hope centers around seven basic concepts that apply to you personally:
1. You have a special purpose in life, and there are solutions to your problems. You can keep applying the same old solutions to the same old problems, and you will keep arriving at the same old problems. You must turn to the Creator of life as the source of the solutions to life's problems.
2. God created you in His image, but is His purpose being fulfilled in your life? Most people today are not fully aware of God's plan and are not actively participating in it. This is why humanity suffers from anguish, war, hatred, greed, inequality and disease.
3. You can experience a relationship with God and live your purpose. God can heal you spiritually, emotionally and physically.
4. This change can only take place when you accept your need to change and believe change is possible through God's involvement in your life.
5. You must seek God's way of life that is outlined in the Bible. The Bible isn't just an ancient book of stories. It is relevant to your life as God's instruction book for how life works.
6. Jesus Christ is coming to save the world, and you need to be preparing for that day by becoming a disciple. Jesus Christ is coming to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. It will be a Kingdom based on God's universal values and laws. His government will create a new agricultural system, pollution-free manufacturing, a universal educational system, one world religion and peace and prosperity.
7. Your ultimate destiny is to become a child of God, and you can have a child/Father relationship with Him now.
Nothing can bring more happiness, hope, love and power into your life than living by this basic biblical theme.
The end of the world?
So what does the book of Revelation reveal about the end of the world?
Revelation was written toward the end of the first century by the apostle John, apparently the last of Jesus' original 12 disciples. It is a divinely inspired prophecy predominantly concerned with the events preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ.
John's visions reveal that before Christ returns humanity will suffer devastating wars, disease pandemics, religious strife and famine on a global scale. Many of these happenings are trends we see announced in daily headlines and newscasts today.
Watching your world teeter on economic chaos can leave you anxious. Nightly news reports of possible pandemics, the ongoing crisis between Israelis and Palestinians, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, religious and racial tensions, and predictions of environmental disasters can make you want to crawl into a hole and hide from all the bad news.
Don't despair! In the Olivet Prophecy Jesus declared that He will return to save humanity from total destruction (Matthew 24:22). Revelation tells us about the time of deliverance Jesus predicted.
In Revelation 19 John gives us a description of the return of Jesus Christ: "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
"And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
"Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.'
"And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
"And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:11-21).
John describes a terrible time when governments unite to fight what they see as an invasion from outer space. Many people believe that this is the end of the story, but this is not the scenario revealed by God to John. He writes that Jesus will establish God's Kingdom on the earth for a thousand years, bringing peace and prosperity (Revelation 20:1-7).
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah was inspired to predict what the earth will be like during the reign of Jesus Christ. One passage, in Isaiah 2:2-4, states: "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.
"Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
"He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."
What should you do?
Humanity is not going to be annihilated in a great fireball caused by asteroids or exploding atomic weapons. The Bible clearly shows that humanity is not going to experience extinction in 2012. Sometime in the future, Jesus Christ will return to save humanity from destruction. Between now and then you can live in hopeful anticipation of that day by turning the control of your life over to your Creator.
Are you willing to give up your own ideas about how life works and turn to your Creator for the solutions? God wants more than a profession of faith from you. He wants you to become His child, live by His standards, accept His values as the Creator of the universe and serve with Jesus Christ at His return. The hope is in the believing—the hope is in the doing—and the hope is in living daily God's purpose for your life.
While humanity will not be destroyed in 2012, the Bible also reveals that the New Age scenario is not your destiny. The solutions to human problems will not come from mysticism but from the Creator of life.
Through the advanced newscast of Revelation, God tells us that there are some very bad times ahead; but this book also tells us that there is coming a unique and total change of society. Jesus Christ is returning, not as a baby in a barn, but as Lord of Lords and King of Kings to establish God's Kingdom on the earth. He is coming to save the world.
It will be the beginning of real life and prosperity without war, crime, disease epidemics and hopeless poverty. It will be a time when all people will know the Creator and live His ways. There is a fantastic future waiting for humanity.
Christians live in anticipation of that day. It is the foundation of our hope. WNP

Subscribe to World News and Prophecy here

Redefining Hate Speech

An article about our right to speak up from www.wponline.org!

Redefining Hate Speech
Hate speech—it can incite racism, prejudices and even violence. But is it hate speech to disagree with others in the public arena on important moral issues? The debate over what is and is not hate speech is much more important than you may realize. There may come a time in the near future when it may be illegal to promote biblical standards concerning abortion, homosexuality or marriage.
by Gary Petty

Do you remember this childhood comeback? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That old saying just is not true. Anyone who has suffered ridicule, slander or verbal attacks knows that words are powerful and can be used as weapons to hurt others.
Tell a child long enough that she is stupid or that he is ugly, and eventually he or she will begin to believe you. Parents and children, husbands and wives, the dearest of friends have been separated for a lifetime because of hurtful words spat out in a time of anger.
Words have been used to incite riots and wars, promote racism and ruin the reputations of good people. Hate speech is a term used for words used to denigrate and hurt others.

Christian hate speech?
Sometimes Christians are accused of hate speech because of their positions on abortion and gay rights. Some opponents claim that Jesus said that we should not judge one another. This becomes an excuse to accept almost any behavior as Christian. In reality, not only nonreligious people but also most religious people would be terribly offended if they read the Bible and knew what Jesus really taught.
Here is the heart of the problem. A person, if he or she is to be a true Christian, must not only accept Jesus as Savior, but also accept the teachings of Jesus and live by them. The hard truth is that many professing Christians don't know or have outright rejected the teachings of Jesus. It is these teachings that provide a moral compass, a direction finder on how to deal with life's problems. Without this moral compass, a set of rules that define right and wrong for everyone, people simply make up their own definitions of morality.
Christ expects Christians to influence society through example. He told His disciples that you cannot hide the light of a city on a hill. True Christianity isn't meant to be lived in the shadows. When one takes a stand for the good of family values, sexual morality and the human dignity of a fetus, one will draw the criticism of detractors.
However, how can Christianity have a positive impact on society when so many of those who claim to follow Christ do not live by what He taught? Christianity is losing the public battle because we are losing the private battles inside our own lives. All too many Christians would rather "trust their hearts" than actually follow the teachings of the Founder of their religion.
The result is that in many churches what passes for the teachings of Jesus is based more on postmodernism or New Age thought than the Bible.
Then there is the inevitable accusation, "Christians just want to force their ways on others, and they're a bunch of hypocrites who don't live by what they preach." We need to face these detractors and admit that there are no perfect Christians, but there is a perfect way of life taught by the Creator of life. That way of life is worth striving to achieve because it is the only way to universal peace and happiness.

The positive message
Christians who understand the teachings of Jesus do not use words to incite violence, but they must speak out against issues like racism, abortion, dishonesty and injustice.
Because Christians are sometimes noted for what we stand against, it is easy to forget what Christians support—family, the basic value and dignity of every human life, the message of the Creator's desire to change our lives for the better, the eternal meaning found in suffering and death, and the promise of an afterlife. What good is it to claim that something is wrong without presenting solutions to the problems?
True Christianity is about change—change at the very core of who you are. Human beings naturally want to live a way of get—"get what is mine," "defend my rights," "blame my problems on someone else." Jesus Christ taught a way of give, personal responsibility and dedication to standards of behavior established by the Creator.
Be honest with yourself. How different would everything around you be if you, and everyone else, approached every situation with the simple idea of, "What can I do that is good for the other person?" Don't use the excuse, "No one else will live that way, so why should I?" The world changes one person at a time. Let it start with you.
The way of life taught by Jesus isn't easy. It is the only way that will bring real happiness, meaning and peace into your life.

The message of Jesus
Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth walked the dusty roads of Judea promoting a message of God's love. His entire message hinged on two main ideas of how human beings should respond to God: love toward God and love toward neighbor. The way of give. It's really a simple concept—treat your neighbor as you wish to be treated and commit your life to loving, obeying and worshipping the Creator.
You might wonder why such a simple message would get the Messenger killed. You see, Jesus also was quick to point out the moral weaknesses of society. He openly denounced religious practices that were not acceptable to the worship of the Creator. He avoided political entanglements and criticized leaders who were unjust. He told people that they had to take responsibility for their lives and be willing to admit when they were wrong.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that it's not just immoral to commit murder, a truly moral person learns to control anger. He even condemned real hate speech. Jesus also taught that a truly moral person not only avoids sexual relationships outside of marriage, but avoids sexual thoughts about someone who isn't his or her spouse.
This may seem like an impossible standard, but Jesus taught that it is one worth striving to achieve. It is time for Christians to stop being intimidated by those who attack the teachings of Jesus and the Bible as hate speech. In the arena of debate about the meaning of human life, the only workable answers come from the Creator of life. WNP