Archive for July, 2026

What If Light Is One of the Bible’s Greatest Themes? -Mark Wilson

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Mark Wilson with tags , , , , , , , , , on July 29, 2026 by paulthepoke

Mark provides outstanding Biblical content on X @ https://x.com/Mark_Wilson_25/

The Bible begins in darkness.

Not with sin.

Not with death.

Not with rebellion.

Darkness.

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.” (Genesis 1:2)

Then came the first recorded words of God:

“Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3)

Those are more than the opening words of creation.

They introduce one of Scripture’s greatest themes.

From Genesis to Revelation, God is steadily driving back the darkness.

As C. S. Lewis beautifully observed,

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

Lewis understood something the Bible has proclaimed from its very first page: God’s Light doesn’t merely illuminate our path. It enables us to see everything else rightly.

~

❖ Creation

Light appears before the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:3-5).

Whatever the precise purpose of that first light, it declares an unmistakable truth:

Light begins with God.

Darkness does not create.

It only retreats when God speaks.

David later writes, “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9)

Everything becomes clearer in His presence.

~

❖ The Presence of God

The theme immediately expands.

A bush burns but is not consumed.

A pillar of fire guides Israel through the wilderness.

The golden menorah shines continually inside the Tabernacle.

Then the radiant Shekinah Glory fills the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) and later Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11).

Again and again, God’s presence is revealed through light.

Yet Scripture also records one of its saddest moments.

Because of Israel’s persistent rebellion, the glory departs from the Temple (Ezekiel 10-11).

But judgment is never God’s final word.

Ezekiel later sees that same glory returning from the east to dwell among His people once again (Ezekiel 43:1-5).

Even exile points toward restoration.

~

❖ The Promise of Messiah

The prophets looked beyond Israel’s darkest days.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Isaiah calls the coming Servant, “A light for the Gentiles.” (Isaiah 42:6)

And again,

“I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

Malachi closes the Old Testament with a remarkable promise:

“The Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

For centuries, Scripture had been preparing the world for one Light.

~

❖ The Light Arrives

John deliberately echoes Genesis.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

Then Jesus declares: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

The true Temple had come.

The true Light had entered the world.

The symbols had become reality.

Paul reaches all the way back to Genesis and writes:

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Creation itself pointed forward to new creation.

At the Transfiguration, Jesus did not merely reflect light.

His face shone with His own glory (Matthew 17:2).

He is not illuminated.

He is the source.

~

❖ Two Kingdoms

The Bible never presents darkness as God’s equal. It is not a competing force. It has no creative power. No sustaining power. No victorious future. Darkness exists only where light is absent.

This is why Scripture speaks of two kingdoms: The Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. And the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1:13).

Satan understands the power of light so well that he disguises himself as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

He cannot create true light. He can only counterfeit it. False messiahs. False prophets. False gospels. False righteousness. His greatest weapon is not obvious darkness. It is imitation light.

~

❖ Our Calling

Jesus never told His followers to become experts on darkness.

Instead He said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14).

The psalmist reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).

Paul echoes the call: “Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8).

Peter writes that we have been, “…called out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

Believers do not manufacture spiritual light.

Like the moon reflects the sun, we simply reflect the One who does.

One candle transforms an entire room.

Darkness has never extinguished light.

Light always expels darkness.

~

❖ The Story’s Glorious End

The Bible ends exactly where it has always been heading.

Isaiah foresaw the day when the LORD Himself would become Israel’s everlasting light.

“The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” (Isaiah 60:19)

John sees its fulfillment.

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp… There will be no more night.” (Revelation 21:23, 25)

Think about that.

The first recorded words of God were: “Let there be light.”

The closing vision of Scripture is a creation where night itself has disappeared because the Lamb is its everlasting Light.

From the burning bush…

To the pillar of fire…

To the menorah…

To the Shekinah Glory…

To the prophets…

To Bethlehem…

To the empty tomb…

To the King who declared, “I am the Light of the world”…

Every light in Scripture is ultimately pointing to the Light of the world.

The Bible is one grand story of God’s self-revelation in His Son.

Darkness had its hour.

The Light gets eternity.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1)

~

Mark provides outstanding Biblical content on X @ https://x.com/Mark_Wilson_25/

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Debunking Replacement Theology: Church on Earth

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Replacement Theology, Revelation with tags , , , , , , on July 26, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to part 10 of the series, Debunking Replacement Theology.

Let’s look at an overview of the book of Revelation. The point of the exercise to look at the physical location of the church and Israel in time and space. When and where are nation Israel and the church located.

Before we get started, an observation in vocabulary for the book. The Greek word for church εκκλεσια/ekklesia is mentioned 19 times in Revelation chapters 1-3.

The word εκκλεσια/ekklesia is not used again until Revelation 22:16. The context of verse is a reminder. This is a message to the churches. It is warning information. A serious storm is coming.

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

In Revelation 1, The Apostle John is taking information and writing down the record from the Island Patmos on Earth. Patmos is an island in the Aegean Sea. The word “Patmos” means: my killing. The Apostle John was sentenced to the island of “my killing”. Where are you going? My killing.

Patmos is a small island approximately 10 miles by 6 miles. It is a rocky island. Tradition has John receiving the “Revelation” in a cave on the south side of the island.

Scholars generally believe Revelation was written during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. He ruled from 81-96 AD. The early church writers Irenaeus, Eusebius, Jerome and others indicated John was sent to Patmos by Domitian in 95 AD. John was released 1 1/2 years later.

Historically Patmos was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Today the island belongs to modern day Greece.

Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are written to seven churches on Earth in what is 21st century country Turkey. It would appear John sent one “book” or epistle to the seven churches. The book was sent from the island of Patmos. The order of the seven churches listed is geographical and clockwise in nature. The first stop on the mainland of Turkey was Ephesus. Next, the letter would have gone north to Smyrna. The third stop was north in Pergamum. Following Pergamum to the east and a bit south was Thyatira. The fifth stop to the south would have been Sardis. A jog to the east and the letter stopped in Philadelphia. The last stop to the south and east was Laodicea.

Four of the seven churches in Revelation have references to Satan. Jesus is the one talking directly to the churches. Jesus got His information from God the Father (Revelation 1). This is not conjecture. The churches with the reference to Satan are: Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, and Philadelphia.

Per the comments of Jesus, Satan clearly has a foot hold in Turkey to the churches in Revelation. Satan has a religious system and structures in place in this geographical area on Earth. If Satan’s home land is modern day Turkey, would it make sense for him to establish his kingdom with his minions here?

Revelation 1:11 saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” -Jesus

~

This series is an excerpt from the book, Rapture the Bride Redeemed. 

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Tisha B`Av/9th of Av, 5786/2026/5951; Red Sea Blockade; Iraqi Pipeline Deal; Iran

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Iraq/Babylon/Shinar, Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2026 by paulthepoke

Tisha b’Av:  to the Jew, this is a date, the 9th of the Hebrew month Av. It is the 11th month of the civil calendar or the 5th month of the religious calendar. The month is not named in the Bible. Av usually occurs during July or August on the Gregorian calendar.

Historically, the date has resulted in heartache and pain for the Jewish people. Bad things have happened to nation Israel.

On the traditional Hebrew lunar calendar, In 2026, Tisha b’Av begins at sunset on Wednesday, July 22 and ends at sunset on Thursday, July 23.

On the Dead Sea Scroll solar calendar or the Essene calendar, Tisha b’Av begins at sunset on Saturday, July 25 and ends at sunset on Sunday, July 26.

https://dsscalendar.org/DSS-Greg.php?Y=2026

For more information on Tisha b`Av, click on the link below.

https://paulthepoke.com/?s=9th+av

As usual, the Temple Institute chooses the somber occasion to look forward to a brighter day and the building of the 3rd Temple.

One G-d, acknowledged by all: that is the one plan in heaven and on earth that can bring lasting peace to mankind. And the one place on earth for all mankind to gather as one and witness the awesome presence of G-d is the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. For 2,000 years we have mourned the tragedies of the past on Tisha b’Av. While we must never forget the destruction of the past, on this Tisha b’Av the time has come to build for the future!

“And in this place I will grant peace!” Chaggai 2:9

Haggai 2:9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.

By the way, still looking for the red heifer…

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Exodus 15:4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army He has cast into the sea; the finest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea.

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Jeremiah 51:7 Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

Are we watching the end times economic re emergence of ancient Babylon???

During Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington in mid-July 2026, Iraq signed around 48 deals with U.S. companies, totaling roughly $60 billion in agreements and partnerships. These focus on energy, oil production, infrastructure, and alternative export routes. apnews.com

https://twitter.com/i/grok?conversation=2079698322780987469

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Ezekiel 38/39 and Jeremiah 49: Ancient Persia/Elam or modern day Iran

~

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Will Babylon Rise Again? -Mark Wilson

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Iraq/Babylon/Shinar, Mark Wilson, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 12, 2026 by paulthepoke

Mark provides outstanding Biblical content on X @ https://x.com/Mark_Wilson_25/

“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…” — Revelation 18:2

For generations, many prophecy teachers dismissed the idea of a future literal Babylon.

“Impossible.”

“The city is a ruin.”

“Babylon is merely symbolic.”

Yet today, that objection is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

Iraq is investing billions in infrastructure. The massive Al-Faw Grand Port and Development Road corridor aim to connect the Persian Gulf with Europe, Asia, and beyond through a major commercial network. No, this does not prove prophecy is being fulfilled. But it does make a future economic hub in Iraq far more plausible than skeptics once claimed.

Commentary and analysis on the Al-Faw Grand Port and Development Road below provided by Paul Lehr.

For countries on the western shores of the Persian Gulf: United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, the Al-Faw Grand Port and Development Road will allow them to bypass the Strait of Hormuz to the north.

The road and railway go through the heart of ancient Babylon and the modern day Babylon Governorate in modern day Iraq.

https://twitter.com/i/grok?conversation=2076028099804737649

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And that matters because Babylon occupies a unique place in Scripture.

❖ The Bible Begins and Ends with Babylon

The first organized rebellion against God emerged at Babel.

“Come, let us build ourselves a city… and make a name for ourselves.” (Genesis 11:4)

Under Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10), humanity united politically, economically, and spiritually in defiance of God.

~

Now turn to Revelation. The final world system is centered around “Babylon the Great” (Revelation 17–18).

The parallels are striking:

❖ Global unity apart from God

❖ Political influence over nations (Rev. 17:15)

❖ Economic dominance (Rev. 18:3)

❖ Religious deception (Rev. 17:5)

❖ Sudden divine judgment (Rev. 18:8)

The Bible’s story opens with Babylon and closes with Babylon. That doesn’t feel accidental.

As Andy Woods notes, Babylon serves as one of the great bookends of biblical history—a symbol of organized human rebellion against God from Genesis to Revelation.

❖ A Remarkable Amount of Prophetic Attention

Consider how much prophetic real estate God devotes to Babylon.

Isaiah 13–14.

Jeremiah 50–51.

Daniel’s prophecies.

Revelation 17–18.

References stretching from Genesis to Revelation. Few cities receive such sustained attention across the entire biblical narrative.

That alone should make us cautious about dismissing Babylon as a minor theme or reducing it to a vague symbol.

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❖ The Literal Reading Is the Natural Reading

Babylon appears nearly 300 times in Scripture.

Babylon means Babylon in Genesis.

Babylon means Babylon in Isaiah.

Babylon means Babylon in Jeremiah.

Babylon means Babylon in Daniel.

Yet when we arrive at Revelation 17–18, many suddenly insist Babylon must become something entirely different.

Why? If Jerusalem means Jerusalem…

If Israel means Israel…

If Egypt means Egypt…

Why should Babylon not mean Babylon? The burden of proof belongs to those abandoning the normal reading.

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❖ A Destruction Still Future?

Isaiah writes: “Babylon… shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 13:19)

“It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation.” (Isaiah 13:20)

Jeremiah adds: “Babylon shall become heaps.” (Jeremiah 51:37)

“No one shall dwell therein.” (Jeremiah 50:39)

Yet when Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the city was not destroyed like Sodom. There was no sudden fiery annihilation. No permanent overnight devastation. People continued living there for centuries. Alexander the Great even planned to make Babylon his capital.

A fair question therefore emerges: When was Babylon ever destroyed the way Isaiah described?

Many futurists conclude the ultimate fulfillment still lies ahead.

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❖ Revelation 18 Sounds Like a Real Commercial City

Read Revelation 18 carefully. The chapter is saturated with economic language.

“The merchants of the earth have become rich…” (Rev. 18:3)

“Cargoes of gold and silver…” (Rev. 18:12)

“Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance.” (Rev. 18:17)

“In one hour such great riches came to nothing.” (Rev. 18:17)

Merchants. Cargo. Luxury goods. Shipping. International commerce. Global influence.

Many futurists see Revelation 17 emphasizing a religious Babylon and Revelation 18 highlighting a commercial Babylon.

Whether one accepts that distinction or not, the language sounds remarkably concrete.

The rise of major Gulf trade infrastructure makes such a scenario easier to envision than at any time in modern history.

~

❖ The Same Pride, The Same Judgment

Genesis 11 records mankind saying: “Let us make a name for ourselves.”

Revelation 18 records God answering: “In one hour your judgment has come.” (Rev. 18:10)

The first great rebellion.

The final great rebellion.

The same spirit.

The same pride. The same desire to build a world without God.

And the same Judge.

No one should set dates.

No one should claim every construction project fulfills prophecy.

But believers should watch. Because the city that launched humanity’s rebellion against God may yet play a role in its final rebellion before the return of the King.

“Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…” (Revelation 18:2)

Mark provides outstanding Biblical content on X @ https://x.com/Mark_Wilson_25/

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Debunking Replacement Theology: Church & Israel, Separate

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Replacement Theology, Trend Update with tags , , , on July 9, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to part 9 of the series, Debunking Replacement Theology.

The church is not the nation Israel. Members of the church are to rule and reign with Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself makes it very clear, the church and Israel are different. The followers of Christ will judge Israel.

Matthew 19:28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

2 Timothy 2:12a if we endure, we will also reign with him…

The reminder of ruling with Christ is the last message He gives to the churches in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 3:21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

The church will even judge angels as well as the world. Paul explains this in his first letter to the body of believers in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

Until these things happen, our destination as a member of the church is one of two places. Obviously, believers in Christ who are alive are on earth. If we die before the Lord comes for His bride, then we go to be with Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Members of the body of Christ who have physically died are said to be “asleep”. Sleeping is not an eternal state. At some point, we get up and awake. A physically dead body is resting. The soul and spirit are with the Lord as noted in the verse from 2 Corinthians. Bodily death is not eternal. A section in 1 Thessalonians 4 captures the concept of sleep and order of events for members of the body of Christ. This section is addressed to the church, not Israel. Notice, the letter is written to those “in Jesus”. Israel was not and currently is not “in Jesus”.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

~

This series is an excerpt from the book, Rapture the Bride Redeemed. 

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Red Heifer Update!!! July 2026

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , on July 7, 2026 by paulthepoke

Numbers 19:1-2 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.

Breaking: Major update on red heifer program and national training push

A recent survey showed fifty-five percent of Israeli Jews support rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash on Har HaBayit.

“The correct place for the burning of the red heifer remains undisclosed.”

https://israel365news.com/419279/breaking-major-update-on-red-heifer-program-and-national-training-push

Home

7 Point Statement from the Temple Institute: UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE RED HEIFER

We have been following the red heifer journey since July 2014. Check out the journey below at the following link.

https://paulthepoke.com/?s=red+heifer

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Ezekiel 38-39 Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth Togarmah or modern day Turkey…

Rhetoric between Turkey and Israel is heating up.

~

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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Independence Day, July 4th, 2026, Freedom & Labor

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Culture, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on July 3, 2026 by paulthepoke

Liberty: 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

So let’s take the other side of this verse.

Where there is no Lord and no Spirit, there is no freedom.

Introducing the Democratic Socialists of America… This movement is gaining traction in the Democrat Party. Their stated goal is Communism.

Communism, theoretically, ideologically, and historically, opposes God and all forms of religion. From the time of Karl Marx to today, communism is based on the abolition of religion. In 1844, Marx wrote, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” https://victimsofcommunism.org/curriculum-chapter-3/

There are politicians and citizens who want to take money from one group of people (the rich as defined by others) and give money and material goods to another group of people (the poor or in need of more as defined by others). There is nothing voluntary or free will about this. It is “legally” mandated.

So much for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

What happens if the rich (as defined by politicians) or the tax base moves away because of these government mandated policies? Remember, the rich are free to live their lives and make their choices too. They don’t have to stay and take it.

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” -Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister

These demands fly in the face of Biblical precepts. Let’s take the free will social contract of labor.

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Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Notice, labor is involved and required. There is no free check, no free lunch, no free health care, no free house, or no free education.

This is a free will agreement. In exchange for labor, goods or a wage are earned and traded. The Bible has a higher standard than 21st century, modern day companies. The worker is paid daily. Western society has a pay check every two weeks or monthly.

It is considered oppression and theft, if the laborer is not paid after working. Biblically, the wage is to be paid by sunset of the day of labor.

This concept with labor and immediate wage is even extended to animals.

1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

Again, this is a free will agreement between two parties. What if a company or a boss does not value its work force. What if the company does not pay a fair wage or benefits? Is the boss a jerk? God has a term for these folks, sinners.

The employee has a choice. There are other places to work. One can even start their own business and provide services directly to the population.

Labor is valued by God. The Creator has expectations for the employer and the employee relationship.

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Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal.

Theft implies personal property owned by the individual. People own stuff.

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Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

The mental attitude of coveting is at the core of Communisms and Socialism. These people see other’s belongings and they want it!

The atheist wants to define morality instead of God. They want to determine who gets what and how much. They do not trust their fellow man to be charitable.

Communists and socialists call others “greedy” when others oppose their will.

“It’s not fair you have all these things!” They want to legislate how much is a fair share.

Their battle is against God. The battle is real and it is spiritual.

Don’t kid yourself, the godless have a plan and they are intentional.

Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

~

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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