A Knight's Blog

Within seminary, the scholastic wing of the Church is contempt for the Truth. I have witnessed in both Christian College and in Churches the same contempt. Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, and Board Members are satisfied if you devour their soliloquies and dance to their drum. But as soon as you speak from Scripture and see through the veils they have erected to hide their vanity and vitriol; you become the object of vehemence. You become an enemy for speaking the Truth. St. Paul experienced this and said, " Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth ?" (Galatians 4:16). The Apostle was confronting a heresy that was spreading amongst the Church that had Christians believing that had to be circumcised to be saved and be part of the Church. What Paul discovered and what I now experience, is that the Church and its Campuses of Learning have become those Pharisees and Sadducees that condemned Christ Jesus Himself. I am finding that more and more brothers and sister

Hoarding is becoming a major problem all over the world. One particular strain of hoarding is called in Japanese, "Tsundoku" which means Book Hoarder who collects books and never reads them. Collecting books is also called Bibliophilia and the person who collects is an Bibliophile. The line between collecting and hoarding is fine. In fact, the definition of both collecting and hoarding is not reassuring. Collecting is defined as, "someone who treasures certain possessions and shows them off to others and prides themselves in their possessions." This sounds quite vain. Hoarding in contrast has fear component, which is defined as, "Someone who hoards or collects things out of fear of needing them or not wanting to let them go until the living situation becomes unmanageably cluttered." At the center of hoarding and collecting is an emptiness. For the collector there is pride and self esteem coming from their collection; a sense of identity, but as Chri

We live in the Age of Pie or Pleasure. People go to and fro seeking something to fill their stomach, stick their privates in, and to see on the numerous screens. This period of pleasure has brought forth a death to the Age of Piety or religious devotion. People prefer to eat a pie, than be pious and seek the face of the Prince of Peace. As a result the world around us' heart has grown cold (Matthew 24:12). The self seeking lifestyle has lead to a deadness and despair that has people drone on like zombies consuming chocolate and whatever other delicacy that will assuage their sense of purposelessness. My words are strong I know. Personally, what I find more petulant is that the pews are full of these same people. The Church has copied the world and offers pleasure in the form of listening to an entertainer on the stage, a pundit at the pulpit, and the promise of activities like Harvest Festivals (sanctioned Halloween celebrations) and other activities. None of this challenges a

Names have great influence and power over our lives. They are ordained by the Lord God or the devil. People pick names wither believer or unbeliever and the child tends to fulfill or at least have elements in their life that resemble the meaning of their name. Is name-ology a mysticism? No, it is merely an observation. It says, "God formed you in the womb," (Jeremiah 1:5) and so our Lord Jesus Christ knew us before we were ever born. However, words have power. An example is when God said, "let their be light and there was light." (Genesis 1:3). Another example is King Solomon's proverb, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21). There is a famous saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." What a false statement. The Apostle James proclaims in contrast, " How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a

Asceticism originates from the Greek Words  ἄσκησις or  áskēsis which translates "exercise" and has meaning "training." Asceticism in the Church has been the pursuit of spiritual goals via self denial and abstinence of the worldly pleasures. Ascetics often go beyond denial of gluttony and sexually promiscuity to fasting extensively and castrating themselves. Asceticism becomes a form of religious extremism; a hardline interpretation of "Deny yourself and pick up your cross.." (Matthew 16:24). The purpose of living a life of this level of "denying oneself" and "not loving the world," is to achieve greater inner peace, and a spiritual ecstasy or pleasure that can only be found in denying the pleasures of this world. The argument is compelling, until you reading Colossians 2, which says, " Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of good and drink, or with regard to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath. These are a s

We live in the age of Congregationalism. A period in Church history when believers are grouped into congregations or collectives of believers of a particular denomination. The problem with congregationalism is that is creates a small community rather than the large community that was once known as Christendom. Because many churches believe they are the true faith and reject all other believers, save for the Ecumenical Movement, this creates small communities or pockets of congregants. Instead of being able to go from Rhineland to Rhodes in former times, and being able to enter a church and be part of community in any country, congregants are isolated to their church in their city or rural location. A sense of isolationism stems from this and as result unity and a larger sense of belonging is lost. For Catholics and Orthodox Christians, even other larger Protestant denominations like Lutherans and Anglicans experience a sense of larger community across countries; a surviving Christ

Tradition tells that St. Francis of Assisi climbed a mountain and found Lady Poverty who had been rejected the Papal Priests in all their pomp and precious gems; and by the monks in all their money and monasteries filled with manuscripts. St. Francis of Assisi believes he essentially married Lady Poverty and brought her back to the Church. It is an interesting story, but flawed. Poverty is the not sign of true piety. While yes our Lord Jesus Christ himself said, " foxes have dens, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has not place to lay his head ," (Luke 9:58) and He told the rich young ruler, " sell everything you have and come follow me ." (Luke 18:22). The latter was actually Christ dealing with the pride in the rich young ruler, who said prior, "I have kept every law, what more must I do?" (Matthew 19:16-20). This young man was full of self righteousness and spiritual pride; and so Jesus dealt with it by addressing the one area that would unravel t

Religion and tradition teaches that we are saved by Jesus Christ's death on the cross; but it adds that we must do works and relate to Christ as if He is separated from us by curtain; by the celestial heaven where he sits on His throne. We are taught to pray and plead with the Prince of Peace as if he is apart from us. But the truth is that religion is wrong. We are not separated from the Savior; no, shockingly the Savior lives in us! We are no longer human after we are Born Again. We are hybrid of God and Us in one being. Our D.N.A. is now mixed with the Divine One! We are no longer sinners, but filled with the Savior! We have not only inherited salvation, but we have inherited the Savior and Creator of the World! St. Paul said, " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me . The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). You are no longer alone in your b

The Church is experiencing a major wave of persecution. The church is additionally experiencing a major exodus from church attendance. Cathedrals to Campuses are emptying. But why? Are many falling away from the faith? Has Christianity gone into decline? The answer is no. The reason many have fled the celestial domed cathedral and the concert staged campus churches is simple: God is not there. Religion and the pomp of piety is there, but the presence of The Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit is not there. Even if God does show up, it is timed and the teacher with all his exegeses takes over. The Church has lost a grip for seven reasons. The First is corruption. Churches are not preaching the Gospel as it is written in the Scriptures, but rather a "prosperity doctrine" that says if you follow Jesus you shall have justice and perpetual joy for the rest of your days. The verse, " I came that you may have life abundantly ," (John 10:10) is twisted into a materia

While this world is lost in the wickedness of sin, there are little pieces of paradise still left where it was lost. We can see in the seas, the shoreline, the trees, and the trials of desert a beauty that has not be fully tainted. These pieces I call Eden, what God the Creator made in those Six Days (Exodus 20:11). So often we pass by the remnant of paradise, and focus on the ruins. This world is broken and it shall be remade (Revelation 21:1). Until then, the Lord rich in his mercy has left us with some shards of the serene sanctuary as we await the Savior's Return. Paradise was lost. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve gave it up for death and taxes. We are now bound to a system of bu(sin)ess that is both formal and informal; one to gain wealth and power, the other preoccupy ourselves with diversions. We are surrounded by Creation and its beauty; the shining signs of our Savior before us in seas and the skies! And yet we build our empires and demolish paradise piece by piece. Malls

We are living in turbulent times. Many believers find themselves at a loss of how to live their faith when the dangers are growing. In Middle East ISIS/ISIL continues to kill Christians for their faith, while in United States of America Christians are censored and persecuted for disagreeing with the social norms and newly established violations of their beliefs. From East to West, believers are getting beat up, wither it is literally by the likes of ISIS, emotionally by censoring committees in US, or spiritually by the demons driving the destruction of the church on all fronts. Do you feel beat up? Does it seem that everything you do is obstructed, filled with frustration, and even seems like spell is upon you for agitation, inconvenience, and suffering? Can you feel a change in the climate spiritually? That people seem more godless and that your displays of the One True God around you neck with crucifix or cross is scrutinized or makes you a target for trial, tribulation, and ter

Last weekend was Fourth of July Weekend. For Americans it is celebration that involves grilling, water slides, drinking, and fireworks. The occasion is suppose to commemorate the US' independence form England and the Birth of the "Greatest Nation on Earth." Or so it once used to be. This country is no longer the centerpiece of freedom. The reason? Government overreach and overdependence on programs like Welfare? No. The Communist and Liberal Agenda? A little, but still no. The systematic break down of the family unit? A symptom, and part of it, but still no. The answer is Jesus Christ. This nation has fallen because it has turned against the Most High God and evicted Him from all public domains. Even churches now barely can harbor the Holy Spirit these days. It began with removing prayer from schools and has no escalated to tearing down any religious symbolism in public. Nativity displays and plays that date back hundreds and sometimes many hundreds of years are shut