#Veritas Bible College

[wutbju]

Kurt Skelly is speaking today at Bible Conference. He pastors Faith Baptist in Fredricksburg, Virginia.

The church is intimately involved with the online Bible College, Veritas Bible College, where Skelly is a lecturer. There's one other person on their faculty that all BJU alumni know well:

Do we really need to know anymore than that?

If you do want to know more, he preached at PCC last year. And he was in a controversy this month about not being KJVO-enough. Skelly responded here.

Why is BJU having this guy come? WHY?

[frienderbender]

riccardo jacobucci omg, what an excellent name.. now i'm wondering if there's any special significance behind it? i'd also be curious to hear any headcanons for his general background/family/early life, if you have them 👀

OH MAN anything specific you wanna know?? i actually have been working on a whole character lore sheet/timeline for rikki so i’ll def share some stuff from that in a second.

as far as his name goes, i wanted something that sounded basic but believable since his stage name is so silly. like i wanted something that sounded like A Real Name that would spawn a stage name like rikki kixx, as well as something italian since his namesake is italian (nikki sixx). more specifically though i think rikki is of sicilian descent. also “jacobucci” itself comes from the surname “iacobucci” which is based on the name jacob from the bible, and that guy is known for his deception and trickery in his stories. just thought that was a funny detail. anyways i’ll copy some stuff from my lore sheet heheh

Name: Riccardo Jacobucci

Stage Name: Rikki Kixx

Born: July 30th, 1970 (Leo)

(Assumed) Date of death (In Vino Veritas AU): August 24th, 2008 (38 years old)

Born and raised in Las Vegas, went to college in the area and left for LA when he was about 23 or so. Majored in communications and was hoping to get into acting. He was also a skilled singer and musician, and though he saw it more as a hobby, he found a lot of success with the gigs he was playing for extra money. While it wasn’t his first choice, he was soon signed to a label and broke out into the industry as a singer first, actor second. Released some popular albums during this time, and was quickly becoming a household name. He was also able to snag some acting parts in some shows around then. Perhaps his biggest TV acting break came in the form of hosting a show in 1999 to about 2002. It was a reality/game show that helped establish him as not only a musician, but a TV personality as well. This was the beginning of the end for his popularity, though, as by 2003, Rikki was becoming more infamous for his drunken outbursts, DUIs, and arrests.

[boydeviil]

{   LORENZO   ZURZOLO   ,   CIS   MALE   ,   HE   /   HIM   }   way   out   here   in   the   ozarks   ,   i’d   never   expect   to   find   PARKER   MURPHY   ,   the   TWENTY   year   old   PART   TIME   BARTENDER   /   STUDENT   at   the   SILK   AND   SATIN   /   COMMUNITY   COLLEGE   .   on   the   afternoon   of   september   4th   ,   HE   was   WITH   FRIENDS   AT   CRESCENT   INK   but   i’m   not   sure   i   believe   a   word   they   say   .

hm   ...   f   -   finally   ?   hi   i’m   bailey   &   i’m   kind   of   a   piece   of   garbage   ,   but   i   mean   well   uwu   .   this   is   very   bare   minimum   as   much   as   it   pains   me   ,   someone   who   writes   like   novels   if   not   stopped   ,   but   i   really   wanted   to   get   it   out   so   sacrifices   had   to   be   made   (   i   ..   say   this   as   if   i   still   didn’t   go   over   1k   lmao   anywsgdfhdhnf   )

PINTEREST   /   primarily   blood   tw   ,   minor   smoking   +   food/drink   tw   .   also   ,   mentions   of   death   ,   blood   ,   very   briefly   food   ,   smoking   &   underage   drinking   in   intro   !!   nothing   too   descriptive   ,   but   still   there

—   ASSOCIATED   AESTHETICS   .

blood   -   stained   teeth   cracked   wide   in   a   mirthful   grin   as   loud   laughter   rings   out   .   fake   id   cards   tucked   neatly   in   a   shoe   box   ,   ready   to   replace   each   other   after   confiscation   .   holding   up   cigarettes   to   angel   statues   .   sneaking   alcohol   in   between   bible   pages   ,   in   coke   cans   ,   anywhere   .   blood   under   your   nails   but   you   aren’t   sure   where   it   came   from   .   nihilistic   tendencies   as   a   coping   mechanism   .

—   ASSOCIATED   TROPES   .

it   amused   me   .   honor   among   thieves   .   cool   people   rebel   against   authority   .   clandestine   chemistry   .   troubled   ,   but   cute   .

—   QUICK   STORY   .

prideful   and   stubborn   ,   thinking   yourself   on   top   of   the   world   for   no   good   reason   .   from   a   young   age   ,   you   believed   that   you   could   be   untouchable   if   you   put   your   mind   to   it   .   always   the   rambunctious   boy   on   the   playground   ,   spinning   tales   to   your   classmates   and   creating   schemes   which   landed   you   on   the   dreaded   timeout   wall   ,   everyone   either   flocked   to   you   or   steered   clear   .   understandable   ,   you   would   think   as   you   grew   up   .   you   were   an   acquired   taste   ,   and   that’s   something   you   took   satisfaction   in   .   your   mom   soon   found   scolding   only   spurred   you   on   more   ;   negative   attention   is   still   attention   ,   a   terrible   mindset   to   have   ,   but   what   you   adapted   .   tough   love   is   evident   in   your   posture   ,   the   way   you   speak   ,   it’s   what   you   know   .   what   many   thought   to   be   a   boyish   phase   didn’t   change   as   you   got   older   .   if   anything   ,   it   got   worse   .   your   schemes   elevated   ,   all   for   the   risk   .   all   eyes   on   you   .   it’s   like   a   heightened   middle   child   syndrome   ,   some   could   say   .   you   aren’t   sure   if   you   can   disagree   or   not   ,   but   you   would   sooner   bite   your   tongue   and   swallow   the   blood   than   admit   it   .   the   more   phone   calls   to   your   mom   ,   the   more   frustrated   with   you   she   became   .   understandable   ,   you   think   again   .   however   ,   you   didn’t   stop   .   like   always   ,   it   grew   with   you   ;   a   scab   you   couldn’t   quit   picking   ,   an   aching   tooth   you   kept   prodding   with   your   tongue   ,   bruises   you   kept   pressing   fingers   against   in   order   to   see   if   they   still   hurt   .   you   never   learned   .   not   how   they   wanted   you   to   ,   at   least   .

on   your   thirteenth   birthday   you   got   a   chemistry   set   —   your   mom   wasn’t   sure   if   it   was   worth   it   at   first   ,   knowing   you   spent   more   school   hours   in   suspension   than   in   a   classroom   ,   yet   the   way   your   eyes   lit   up   told   her   it   was   the   best   purchase   she   made   .   little   did   she   know   you   would   catch   small   fires   from   mixing   things   together   ,   because   you   were   bored   or   because   you   wanted   to   see   what   would   happen   ,   even   if   you   had   an   idea   of   the   possible   destruction   .   but   ,   despite   all   the   clashing   ,   your   mom   loved   you   .   you   know   she   did   or   else   she   wouldn’t   have   dealt   with   you   like   this   .   only   a   mother’s   love   could   adore   such   a   nightmare   like   you   .   as   a   teenager   ,   you   gained   a   more   notorious   reputation   .   in   and   out   of   the   local   police   station   ,   mostly   for   juvenile   crimes   ,   but   constantly   skating   on   thin   ice   .   we   all   die   one   day   ,   you   would   say   with   a   laugh   ,   let’s   have   interesting   stories   for   when   we’re   six   feet   under   .   despite   your   failings   ,   purposeful   or   not   ,   you   maintained   well   enough   grades   in   school   ;   specifically   in   sciences   .   chemistry   really   was   the   love   of   your   life   ,   next   to   unbridled   mischief   of   course   .

taking   a   break   year   after   high   school   graduation   ,   you   found   a   job   as   a   bartender   at   the   local   strip   club   .   it   wasn’t   what   you   wanted   to   do   for   the   rest   of   your   life   ,   though   it   was   good   to   pass   time   .   you   eventually   enrolled   in   the   community   college   for   chemistry   ,   but   it   still   left   you   feeling   restless   and   unfulfilled   ,   wanting   more   than   this   small   town   life   .   maybe   you   paid   too   much   attention   to   the   legacy   your   grandfather   left   (   perhaps   another   bad   mentality   of   yours   )   ,   or   simply   you   were   reading   too   many   comics   and   watching   too   many   crime   films   .   but   the   wild   idea   of   pharmaceutical   chemistry   for   an   ,   admittedly   ,   less   than   savory   gain   had   worked   its   way   into   your   head   a   few   times   .   no   one   knows   exactly   what   you   get   up   to   when   you   shut   them   out   to   mess   around   with   chemicals   ,   however   would   anyone   be   surprised   if   you   went   completely   off   the   rails   ?   the   answer   came   sooner   than   you   expected   ,   just   not   in   the   way   any   imagined   .

you   had   an   argument   with   your   mom   again   .   you   slammed   your   bedroom   door   like   a   child   ,   causing   your   out   -   grown   signs   to   rattle   at   the   impact   ,   angry   and   hurt   by   the   stinging   words   thrown   back   at   you   …   yet   again   too   prideful   and   stubborn   to   say   it   .   she   loves   you   ,   you   reminded   yourself   .   she   wants   what’s   best   for   you   .   and   the   bullshit   you   kept   pulling   ?   not   it   .   if   she   wasn’t   so   well   liked   ,   you   were   almost   certain   you’d   been   kicked   from   college   before   finishing   .   you   didn’t   mean   it   ,   you   didn’t   mean   what   you   said   —   you   never   do   ,   do   you   ?   words   come   out   hot   and   hastily   before   your   brain   can   stop   them   .   sometimes   you   can   blame   the   booze   you   stole   ,   most   times   you   can’t   .   when   she   turned   up   ,   dead   ,   you   felt   sick   and   violently   so   .   your   nihilism   turned   itself   up   in   order   to   protect   you   .   we   all   die   one   day   ,   your   own   words   echo   back   in   your   head   .   it’s   maddening   ,   and   you   just   have   to   cope   . 

how   do   you   cope   ?   you   aren’t   sure   .

—   QUICK   FACTS   /   HEADCANONS   .

place   of   birth   :   veritas   ,   missouri date   of   birth   :   august   8th   ,   1957 astrology   :   leo   sun   ,   sagittarius   moon   ,   gemini   rising   ,   aries   midheaven

positives   :   confident   ,   innovative   ,   steadfast   ,   fun   -   loving negatives   :   impish   ,   discontented   ,   boisterous   ,   intense

mbti   :   entp enneagram   :   type   8

romantic   orientation   :   demi   -   biromantic sexual   orientation   :   bisexual

dog   person   !!   would   absolutely   get   tackled   by   a   police   dog   and   be   like   omg   what’s   their   name

has   an   eyebrow   scar   cause   that’s   cool   ,   right   ?

favorite   flavor   combo   is   cherry   &   vanilla   ,   but   mint   &   chocolate   is   close

honestly   that   one   kid   in   class   who   makes   the   teacher   go   “   i’ll   wait   ”

a   nightmare   luv   …   but   he’s   trying   to   keep   his   vibe   …   acts   like   he   doesn’t   care   ,   actually   cares   a   lot

uhhh   i   project   this   onto   so   many   of   my   characters   ,   i’ll   admit   it   .   but   like   ,   he   has   gotten   a   nosebleed   after   stepping   into   church   before   jdfhbjdhnf

big   “   god   has   a   lot   to   answer   for   ”   energy

[ramrodd]

9 Ways to Read the Bible Wrong

COMMENTARY:

That tin foil becomes you, Matt, if you can't find your MAGA hat. It provides a certain veritas to your stage presence.

Cornelius is the person with whom I most closely identify in the whole of the Bible, with Gideon as a close second. I'm an Army brat and I was surrounded by centurions and their consorts, the Uriah wives of the Army community. I, in fact, sought to join their ranks, in the fullness of time, to become a man among men such as these for whom it can be said "Not in all of Israel have I found such faith" You can say that about Gideon's 300 as well as the Green Berets, which whom it was my unfulfilled goal to serve when I first took up the cross of the Liberation Gospel in 1962 and began to prepare for a career as a servant leader in the US Army Infantry. That was Plan A until Jesus revealed that a military career was not my destiny and said "Follow me and, in the fullness of time, I will make you a fool for the Holy Spirit".

And here I am, today. I didn't have a Plan B when I left the Army in 1971 beyond a vague ambition to become filthy rich like Elon Musk and marry my college sweet heart and build a palace for her anywhere her heart desired.

It turned out, that wasn't my destiny, either, but it was an important first step in becoming a guru for process theology like Frank "Be All You Can Be" Burns, the Army's process theology guru and the group leader  of Task Force Δ. He and I are the only people in the world doing what I do and he's dead.

As I say, I am a Christian heretic. I was raised in the Army Protestant Chapel and, before I went to Vietnam in 1970, all the chaplains I knew were combat veterans and four square immersed in the Liberation Theology of the US Army of George C. Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower. In fact, one of my favorite memories is taking communion on a muddy firebase in a light drizzle from a Baptist chaplain before putting on a helment, climbing in a slick and going into the woods looking for people to kill. I deliberately took communion at that time as a fire for effect gesture in the leadership by example mode of servant leadership, but I also sought out the serenity communion always offers. I was severely, and purposefully dehydrated as a result of the water discipline we had to observe, with salt tablets making up the difference, and when the thimble o wine hit my palate, it sort of exploded like tossing gasoline on a fire.

This is the moment when the Lord's Prayer could be seen as putting on the Armor of God in a St. Paul Ephesians 6:10 – 20 kind of way, but it was far more the Blessed are the Meek, Lord, help me overcome my unbelief spirit of servant leadership,

At the time, there weren't any Evangelical Spiritual Warriors of the Salvation Gospel in Vietnam: they all tended to be Campus Crusade for Christ homeboys with other priorities than military service. One of my sergeants was a Charismatic lay preacher from back in the hollows of the Smokey Mountains and my impression is he did a little snake handling and talking in tongues back in the 'hood, but he was a veteran of the Cambodian Incursion and pretty well committed to the Liberation Gospel that there are no atheists in fox holes theology everybody else more or less accepted as, well, gospel.. Not surprisingly, we called him "Preacher" which he liked.

So, as near as I can tell, your #3 Bible Proves My Pre-Existing Theology catagory of 9 ways of reading the Bible wrong fits the "no atheists in fox hole doctrine" of the church of them what's been shot at theology of me and the Preacher, back in the day.. At least, that seems to be the universal opinion of the Evangelical pastors committed to Solo Scriptura trumps experience school of thought you're flogging, near as I can tell. During the Civil War it was called "meeting the elephant" and, apparently, it holds no truck in the rarified temples of the Salvation Gospel.

So, I have mostly ignored them. I first ran into the Salvation Gospel in 1966 when one of my best friends brought Campus Crusade for Christ to the ΘΧ house and began badgering me (along with everybody else: he went on staff after graduation with his wife and we exchanged a couple of letters after I got back from Vietnam, but the trail's gone cold) to give my life over to Christ.

I was offended on a number of different levels. First of all, that had happened years before and the fact he didn't seem to be aware of my spiritual status bothered me. But more important, I studied Bill Bright's 4 Spiritual Laws and thought "Then what?".  The Salvation Gospel it represents seemed to me to be a sort of theological narcissism and amounted to a little more than cosmic navel gazing. It's taken me from then til now to sort out the conflicting emotions of the moment, but, in the end, the Holy Spirit advised me to go ahead and accede to Bill's Decision Challenge, publicly: it didn't violate Jesus's prelude to the Lord's Prayer and it would satisfy Bill's ego. So, I did and kept the turmoil close to my heart.

Liberation Theology proceeds from the proposition that salvation is a given and the Great Commission demands that we proceed from that point of departure into the world and implement the Will of God on earth as it is revealed to us from Heaven through such mechansms as the Lord's Prayer. The reason why process theology works is because God is eternal, unchanging, forever faithful, like a north seeking arrow of a Rose Compass. I've never had a need to examine the character of God: like Job, you cannot unknow God. What I try and discern is how to navigate my tiny craft on the vast sea as a perfect channel of God's will in my world. In this regards, the sriptures are like the outrigger on a Hawaiian dugout to keep me upright and steady on the course God has laid out for me in Plan B.

In this regards, the John 3:16 mantra of the Evangelical Spiritual Warriors has the same moral substance as "Thank you for your service". If I was Jesus, I'd think “Yeah, that's true: I did become the Word, Incarnate,  because Our Father who art in Heaven so loved this world that He sent Me to give mankind the tools it needs for its dominion, but what have you done for me, lately, Matt? Put on a MAGA hat to vote to close down Planned Parenthood? Deny global warming? Applaud the white nationalism and anti-constitutional agenda of Oval Office? What part of your 9 Ways to Read the Bible Wrong video do you not understand?”

But I'm not Jesus. That would violate category #5: I'm the main character of the Bible. I'm channeling Cornelius and the Gospel of Mark is a report of the big magic of Resurrection. All I know for sure is that Jesus validates the God Hypothesis with perfect existential clarity. Everything else is above my pay grade. Amen.

[stretchjournalemerson]

I Don’t Have a Home

By Verita Hsu

I remember seventh grade me lying on my small twin size bed that I have been sleeping on since six years old, thinking how the standard three bedroom apartment that I have been sharing with my family would no longer be my home again. It was a quiet, warm summer night. The night before the last day of seventh grade, I knew that next semester I would be transferring to a boarding school, a place where I would spend the rest of my primary education years, and after graduating, my dad would send me abroad to the U.S for college education. This means that that specific quiet, warm, summer night was the last night of truely spending a regular night in this apartment and in this bed. 

To be honest, I was eager about leaving home. In fact, I was the person who made that choice. My teenage bad tempers and Mom’s control over everything in my life just didn’t really blend smoothly. I came to the conclusion that teenage girls and women going through a midlife crisis are probably the worst combination a family can have, and then made the necessary decision of moving out, so that Mom and I didn’t end up killing each other. However, despite the happiness of finally being freed from Mom’s control, parts of me still felt the sorrow for leaving a place where I called home. Although I still go home on a regular basis, staying with my parents for weekends and breaks, none of those days were regular days of life, when everyone in the family is busy on their daily tasks and don’t really have the time to care too much about each other. After starting boarding school, I felt more and more that I was “visiting” home rather than “going” home. I was treated like some sort of royal highness who comes over once in a while and is meant to be treated with the best services. Every Friday, when I would be home from a long, exhausting school week, Mom would always be expecting me with a cup of boba (no ice, and less sugar, just the way I always like them to be) and a little “snack” (either a pack of fried chicken or a small piece of cake). My bed was perfectly made, recently washed sheets smoothly spreaded on the bed; well folded fresh towels were ready in the bathroom, warm and smelling like the sun; and a fuzzy rug was setted on the wooden floor in my room, so I wouldn’t feel cold sitting. My dad, a big fan of steak, who demands to have steak once a week, would only be willing to have that meal during the weekends because those were the only times I would be at home. This really reminded me of the scene in the recent movie, Downton Abbey, when the Royal family visited and everyone in the household was trying so hard to impress the King. At first, those “royal treatments” were definitely what I looked forward to the most about weekends, but soon I got sick of all of them. I felt disgusted when I saw beef after a month straight of greasy steak dinners. I was angry at people for touching my bed and rearranging furniture in my room, even though I knew they did this to make me feel more comfortable. I got mad at everything that was put into making me feel relaxed being home, and I didn’t know why. Looking back, I guess it wasn’t the steak that I was sick of, nor did I truly dislike people taking care of my room, but it was those “special events” that made me feel my existence at home became a special occasion. The fact that it was not normal for me to regularly exist in that household bothered me, and the “weekend steaks”, boba, snacks, bed, towels, and rugs were just the reminders. Those things made me realize that I no longer belonged to that home anymore because I was treated as a guest. Although most of the time I was more than happy for not needing to do any housework or taking care of my room, I was also glad that rarely being at home prevented my parents and I from fighting regularly. There are still times that I imagined a different life, where I would make my own bed, even though it is really a pain when it is already tough to get out of bed on a humid, cold, sunless winter morning, trying hard to not be late for school; do my own dishes, even when sometimes they can be really nasty and I have to touch them with bare hands; walk the dog, in the sense that usually I’m being walked by the dog (he’s a labrador); and go through every drawer looking for an afternoon snack realizing that your mother is way too healthy to keep anything other than crackers at home. Small things as simple as bugging my parents just to let me watch TV for twenty more minutes; hearing my parents say, “Thank god she is sleeping over at her friend’s tonight” rather than “Thank god she is finally home tonight;” waking up in my own bed, getting yelled at by Mom because I’m going to be late for school, rushing out the door without receiving those deep hugs full of unwillingness to go, the ones that Mom always gave me before I head back to school on Sunday afternoons felt like scenes from a dream, so real yet you know they are untouchable. I guess deep down in me I didn’t feel that I was part of this home anymore. Fortunately, there are still benefits from experiences like this. By the time I finally graduated high school and was packing to move for college to somewhere even farther away from home than high school, all the way across the Pacific, I was long prepared for living away from my family. First semester of college went by fast and smoothly. Most of the time I forgot that I have a family sixteen thousand kilometers away from me, so it felt unreal when winter break came and it was time to go home. I wasn’t prepared to go home. To be honest, it felt more like “visiting my family” than “going home.” Twenty-four hours after departing Boston, I walked through the front door of my (well, technically, my parents’) apartment. Although I didn't feel entirely like a stranger at home, many things seemed familiar yet strange: the Christmas lights wrapped around the White Bird of Paradise in the corner of the living room, a new, weird pillow that has the picture of our dog printed on it, my piano that I haven’t been playing since 6th grade now freshly toned. Yes, my parents finally decided to pay someone to tone my piano after I, the only person who knows how to play the piano in the family, left for college. Now she is all fixed and when I laid my fingers on her, beautiful yet unfamiliar notes leaked out from the sound box. Everything at home seemed the same at first glance but all slightly different than before. I told myself, “This is not the home I am used to anymore, and it would only become more and more different in the future.” I could again see seventh grade me lying on my tiny bed acknowledging the true meaning of leaving home for school, “I guess this is what I signed up for.” Just like all breaks and holidays, winter break went by fast. Soon it came the morning that I was flying back to Boston for school. I can’t recall the last time the whole family was up before 7 a.m, but that morning, all the members of my family – my dad, my mom, the dog, and I – were all out of our beds before dawn hit. Dad was preparing for work, standing in front of the mirror next to the front door, fixing his scarf again and again until he was finally satisfied with the look. The strong scent of his cologne, the musk one that he has been using since I could remember, filled up the doorway (he always puts on way too much). Mom was wandering around the apartment, helping dad get ready while starting to prepare for the church Bible study group that was going to take place in our living room later in the morning. She walked in and out of rooms looking for dad’s gloves while grabbing essentials for Bible study. The dog was the most energetic among all of us. He followed Mom around, looked very curious of what Mom was doing and was impatiently waiting for her to feed him. The tick-tick sound made from his claws tapping on the wooden floor went from one room to another. I could tell that he got less and less patient from the rising frequency of the ticks and his light barks. Dad was late to work. He quickly hugged goodbye to Mom and I, then left to catch the subway before it got too crowded. Mom and I went downstairs to a cafe for breakfast. We casually sat there for a while and we went back to finish preparing for the Bible group. People attending the Bible study group gradually walked in. At 10 a.m., half a dozen people were in our dining room helping Mom with the final setups. Some were making tea, some were pouring little snacks into a big bowl, some were handing out cups for the tea, and all of them were casually chatting with each other. Mom was walking in and out of the kitchen, busy making her cinnamon rolls. They’re her favorites. She is so good at making them that her church friends sometimes demand her to make cinnamon rolls or else they won’t attend Bible study. By the time I was heading to the airport, the majority of the Bible group was there. Mom was still busy, making final touches on her cinnamon rolls while greeting her friends. Hearing that I was leaving, Mom quickly hurried out of the kitchen, with her hands still covered with flour, and gave me a little hug with a short prayer, wishing that  everything goes well in the coming semester. Then, she went straight back into the kitchen focusing on the cinnamon rolls, like I was just leaving to hang out with friends for the day and would be back at night. Some might think that my parents seemed not to care at all about their daughter who was about to leave for another country for four months and criticize them for their attitudes that may hurt my feelings. But to me, that morning, the feeling that I have not felt for a very long time came back to me. For the first time in so many years I felt that my existence in that household was the norm. It was perfectly normal to see me walk out of that door. Saying goodbye wasn’t after all that hard. A deep hug isn’t necessary every time I leave. The ease of being at home and performing casual, everyday tasks all of a sudden struck me. For so long, I thought my home was not my home anymore because I was treated as a guest. However, that morning proved to me that just because things have been different and my role at home changed since I started boarding school, it doesn’t mean I don’t belong there anymore.

[christianworldf]

New Post has been published on Christian Worldview Institute

New Post has been published on https://christianworldviewinstitute.com/bible-prophecies/end-time-events/end-time-topics/hell/reading-the-old-testament-the-ancient-origins-and-authority-of-scripture/

Reading the Old Testament: The Ancient Origins and Authority of Scripture

John Walton and Erin Darby discuss their perspectives on the Old Testament at The Veritas Forum: “Reading the Old Testament: The Ancient Origins and Authority of Scripture” at the University of Tennessee, 2015.

Find this and many other talks at http://www.veritas.org/talks.

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Over the past two decades, The Veritas Forum has been hosting vibrant discussions on life’s hardest questions and engaging the world’s leading colleges and universities with Christian perspectives and the relevance of Jesus. Learn more at http://www.veritas.org, with upcoming events and over 600 pieces of media on topics including science, philosophy, music, business, medicine, and more! source

[newagesispage]

                                                          DECEMBER        2017

*****The Astros win the World series.

*****Jill Kimmel is doing stand up.** Her brother Jimmy’s childhood drawings were turned into flesh super heroes The terrific Ten.** Jimmy is in a twitter war with Roy Moore. After being called out by Moore, Jimmy is heading to Alabama to either fight or talk since he is unsure of what Moore is taunting him to do. He wants to dress like a girl scout since he feels that Moore only notices little girls. Kimmel would really like to talk Christianity because as a Christian he does not understand him.

*****So.. Scary clown has delayed his decision on elephant trophy’s which has angered hunting groups.** It is said that Rex Tillerson is about to be out and Mike Pompeo in. Business as usual!

**** The tax bill is atrocious. It adds a trillion to the deficit and the middle class tax cuts would expire.  They are trying to sneak in a caveat in the part about college savings plan. It would not actually change anything for savings now but it a backdoor way to have their way on abortion. It would introduce ‘fetal personhood’ into law which of course would be a short leap to taking away choice.

*****Scary clown 45 is ranting about the jury in the case of Kate Steinley who the jury says was accidently shot by an immigrant named Jose Inez Garcia Zarate.  Trump has been ranting about this case for a while now but the San Francisco trial just ended.** And we are really seeing what Trump and his fake news are doing to the world. His yelling about CNN put doubt into other countries about a REAL story they did on modern day slave auctions in Libya. These are real humans that need help and he has others doubting the very story. ** He also put out fake stories about terrorism which were debunked but Huckabee Sanders said it does not matter if the stories are real, the threat is real. The fake news also gave much free publicity to hate group Britain First.

*****The original Conklin’s barn was torn down on November 7. Fingers crossed that the donations will keep coming in so they can reopen by December 2018 as Barn 3. Time for some Days cast members to donate some fundraising time??

*****Patton Oswalt kicked ass in his new Netflix special Annihilation and also just got married to Meredith Salenger.

*****Boo Boo Stewart and Mark Derwin star in Lowlifes out in 2018. Lowlifes is the story of a second chance boot camp who stumble onto a terrorist group.

*****Meghan McCain seems so angry and it seems she wants to tear Joy Behar’s head off sometimes. She is supportive of some liberal agendas but automatically turns off some ideas simply because of who is proposing them. This is the very thing she rails against. I did love her take on sleezy Matt Lauer though, I too never had any respect for him after the Anne Curry thing. And c’mon ET all the Lauer clips you showed seemed to have him in front of Rolling Stones advertising.** Lauer has been accused of many things including exposing himself. Why do these men always think we want to see their dicks? They all think they have something special, they are not that fucking different. Keep it in your pants, most would be embarrassed if they were held up to other men. And I don not believe for a minute that Jeff Zucker did not know about it. I never trusted him either.

*****China says that Trump is proof that democracy does not work. They are benefitting from our misery and zeroing in on being number 1. Besides spreading propaganda, they are making lots of jobs with clean energy that they can sell to the world.

*****Steve Green of Hobby Lobby has finally opened the 500 million dollar Bible museum. The idea of making all guests sign a promise to become evangelicals when they leave was nixed.

*****$15 mil in taxpayer money has been spent on the sexual harassment complaints of congress.

*****James Jagger and Matilda Lutz are the face of Giorgio Armani’s fragrances Because it’s you for her and Stronger with you for him.

*****Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross declared the divestment of his holdings but he’s still part owner in a company. This Russian company has ties to Putin’s son in law.

*****Please Please Conan.. More Butterscotch the clown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*****The UK is having its own political and sexual misconduct scandals including a secretary of state Damian Green.

*****The Mark Twain prize for Letterman was filled with my favorites and was very emotional. Al Franken edited out? Maher is right: The liberals are pussies.

*****The Paradise papers about offshore finances were leaked.  The secret financial activities of the superrich show a lot of Russian dealings. There are also questions about Queen Elizabeth’s private estate and other business leaders.

*****The list of those accused of sexual misconduct grows, from Dustin Hoffman to Brett Ratner to Russell Simmons and more to come. Simmons is accused of raping Lena Horne’s granddaughter. We need a special kind of thank you for Ronan Farrow who is working tirelessly to blow the lid off of the Weinstein bullshit. I Can’t wait for his new book. He has exposed many things which have helped feel safe enough to come forward. So many helped in the Weinstein mess , including Dylan Howard, chief content officer of American Media Inc. which publishes The Enquirer. Howard was apparently a helper in the disgusting network of suppression. Sime sticks together like Levin sticks with Trump.** We need a real truth teller, an honest Cronkite type and I see it in Ronan. **Jane Seymour had her own story of sexual harassment with a powerful producer at the start of her career.** Charlie Rose is fired after his allegations. That one hurts.** I am so glad the women are coming forward. The bravery of citizens like in The Keepers is opening up a world of (hopefully) more truth, more justice. ** Are political operatives helping to dig any of this up?** A good portion of people I know are natural flirts. Are there some who don’t even realize that they are offending? Out and out rape and authority figures who try to stop an employee’s rise when they do not get their sexual way is obviously wrong.  We are human though and sometimes that line may be crossed unintentionally. I think each story has to be looked at for what it is. We must discern between real and cruel sexual situations and tasteless jokes and bad manners. All is wrong but there are different ways to deal with the accused. Listen fully to the stories from the victim’s mouth. Follow the evidence and force yes or no answers. This political speak of “let me tell you” or “I will say this” is nonsense. People out and out believe that celebs of journalists did the bad deed but politicians receive more skepticism. People take the side of their left or right hero without really listening. If you can’t see the difference I wonder about your ability to reason, about your moral compass. An Al Franken or Garrison Keillor seem to be a bit different from a Weinstein. ** Uma Thurman had a great tweet: Happy Thanksgiving everyone (except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators. I’m glad it’s going slowly-you don’t deserve a bullet)** Pelosi could be a little more eloquent and quit getting in her own way defending the left. Just before I put this page out, Pelosi says Conyers should resign.. WOW! complete turn around.** A woman came forward to the Washington Post trying to push some fake news about Roy Moore. She claimed that she was impregnated by him and then it was found that she was meeting with Project Veritas whose purpose it is to set up stings on the mainstream media. Of course there are REAL reporters at the Post so the story was not published.  Hmm imagine looking up facts and not getting your news from the 700 Club or online scuttlebutt. ** Isn’t all the money and power enough for these men at the top? Law and order SVU must have enough script ideas for another 20 years.** Is all the women standing up and not taking it anymore what we get for losing Hillary? It is like she had to sacrifice herself and gain liberation for the rest of us. So many can’t believe what got into the White house and real truths need to be out there. WAKE

*****Prince Harry and former Deal or no Deal employee, Meghan Markle are engaged .

*****The governor’s award honored Donald Sutherland

***** Fashion Police on E is over.

*****I watched Ozark on Netflix and wasn’t too sure after the first episode but tried the second and then I was in. There were times when I could not quite suspend my disbelief but then there were so many characters that I seemed to recognize from my real life. Bateman and many deserve some love for this project and I will miss Russ in season 2.

*****Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr story sounds like a great doc.

*****The Grammy noms are out and leading the way was Jay-Z with 8. That was followed up with Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, SZA, Childish Gambino and Khalid. Also on the list of nominations are Lorde, Lady Gaga, Imagine Dragons, Bob Dylan, Kraftwerk, Leonard Cohen, Jason Isbell, Gregg Allman, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Bruce Springsteen, Bernie Sanders, Carrie Fisher, Dave Chappelle, Queens of the stone age, Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Hart and The Rolling Stones.

*****So glad Search Party on TBS is back!!

*****The Crowns Plaza hotel has a projection on the outside of the building that declares FUCK TRUMP.

*****Don’t take your eyes off this administration and the judges he is putting in place, the rules that he and his cohorts are changing and the rights he is taking away from all of us. We have a lot to deal with now but don’t let his tweets or his slick talkers distract you. Yes we need justice from the Russian probe but somebody is handling that,. I wish the news would let that play out and update us more on what they are taking from us.** If you can’t see what is wtong with a Trump or a Roy Moore, I have to wonder about your moral character.

*****Hooray for Washington Week for 50 years and Meet the Press for 70. Thanks Washington Week for your touching tribute to Gwen Ifill.

*****Dan Rather has a new book, What unites us.

*****Nathan Fillion is back on ABC with The Rookie. The program is inspired by a true story of the oldest rookie in the LAPD from the executive producer of Criminal Minds, Mark Gordon.

*****For the fifth year in a row Michael Jackson has been the top dead celebrity earner.

*****Laurence Fishburne is divorcing Gina Torres.

*****Papa John’s has apologized for blaming the knee taking football players for low pizza sales. C’mon who eats that pizza anyway?.. get a good product!** The alt right has named them their official pizza.

*****Voting has begun for the rock and roll hall of fame. This year we have Bon Jovi, the Moody Blues, Dire Straits, The Cars. Judas Priest, The Eurythmics, The Zombies, J. Geils Band( please finally!!!!!), Depeche Mode and Nina Simone.

*****U.S. court judge Colleen Kollar- Kotelly barred Trump from continuing with plans to exclude transgender people from military service and thinks those who have sued have a good case.

*****So.. What the fuck is the hinky biz going on at Guantanamo?  The place has its own rules and nobody can seem to agree on said rules. Brigadier General Baker found good cause for Nashiri, a suspect in the USS Cole bombing, to lose his lawyers. After the lawyers were allowed to quit, a judge ordered Baker to rescind that order but he refused.  The judge put the General in jail. The General , a U.S. citizen and  the 2nd highest ranking officer in the military claims the judge has no jurisdiction over him. We will have to see how this plays out.

*****James Comey is releasing his story in May with the book A Higher Loyalty.

*****Michael Lewis tells us about all the prep the Obama administration went thru to bring the Trump administration up to snuff in his new nook The Undoing project.

*****Brit Vandegraft married John Witt on October 14 and honeymooned thru Dallas and on to the West.

*****According to the pentagon, America has spent $250 mil a day on war every single day for sixteen years.

*****Donna Brazile’s book Hacks claims the Dem campaigns were offered a chance to bail out the DNC and get much support. The Bernie campaign declined but the Hillary campaign supplied the money. Brazile seemed a bit surprised and rattled about the reaction to her book in the beginning.  After a couple of weeks she settled into it and the defensiveness sort of faded.  She tells us that she has been in politics for fifty years and if we don’t like it ,we don’t have to buy it. She claims she enjoyed Hillary’s book and backed her all the way.  Brazile writes that she got to the bottom of everything when she took over the DNC and was threatened over and over again.

*****Days alert: WTF Adrienne?? Poor Lucas never gets to keep the girl! **Peggy McCay celebrated her 90th.** Keep Hope and Raif together. Damn!

*****So glad to see Katherine Erbe on How to get away with murder.

*****Spot on writing and acting on another level with Jane and Lily and Sam and Martin on Grace and Frankie. What treasures!!  Thrilled to see the appearance of Mary kay Place . Craig Welzbacher who played Myron on Days was on there too.

*****Dinklage, Harrelson and McDormand in Three Billboards… can’t wait.

*****This winter, Trump requested 70 foreign workers with special permission from the U.S. labor department for Mar –A- Lago. He also would like some for various golf clubs thru the H-2B visa program. There are currently 5,136 qualified persons in the area ready to work. America first?

*****The second part of Stranger Things just as good as the first.

*****Scary Clown 45 is being sued because he blocked twitter followers.  He now knows that since he uses his tweets as an ‘instrument of governance’ blocking is not allowed.

*****Fifty years brings Rolling Stone magazine an HBO doc, a rock and roll hall of fame exhibit and the whole thing up for sale.

*****Rand Paul was attacked by his neighbor as he mowed his lawn.

*****Ok.. I realize that shows like The View have to shift.. well I guess they do.. But I don’t get how they can talk about a shooting and then hey ”view your deal’.  C’mon, it just seems so inappropriate to suddenly talk about spending $ on silly things. I always tune out when this shit happens.. can’t this shit be at the end of the show. No offense to those companies but I do not watch for that. .. But good for Sonny Hostin for going to Puerto Rico to tell their story.

*****Sad to see Dale Earnhardt Jr run his last race. Is Chase Elliott the next Mr. popular ?

*****An American woman, Shalane Flanagan won the New York marathon.

*****Manafort had 3 passports and we won’t get to the trial for he and Gates until May.

*****Charles Manson is dead. Writer Phil Luciano still has some letters from him that he does not know what to do with. They are now headed into the Lincoln library in Springfield, Il.** How did Charlie wrangle such good publicity from American Horror story? The timing as usual is impeccable. Charles (Manson) in charge?** The History channel seems to have some unheard recordings from Charlie that will air on December 3 as Manson Speaks.

*****Prince Salmon Mohamed is purging in Saudi Arabia. His crackdown has included about 500 other Princes who have been rounded up. He is consolidating power and getting rid of enemies. Just days before Jared Kushner went for a visit.  It seems like so many ego driven men in the world today are grabbing all the power they can.

*****Check out Jeff Ross roasts the border.

*****The recent elections went pretty well for the left including Bill DeBlasio. Congrats to all the newly elected including the first openly trans woman and an African American mayor in Montana. Nobody should get too cocky.

*****The VA says they won’t help the dishonorably discharged per the Trump team.  Hmm no help from VA, no universal health care.. I guess soldiers should suffer in silence, beat their families or become addicts.

*****Wow Darrell Hammond was awesome on a Criminal Minds that Aisha Tyler directed.** BTW Did ya see the episode where Mantagna utters the line, “I don’t like a the snakes.’? OMG

*****HBO is making a limited series about the Jonestown tragedy with Vince Gilligan and Octavia Spencer.

***** Watch for Peter Fonda in The Ballad of Lefty Brown coming out December 15.

***** So.. Tiny kitchens are a thing?

***** Pumpkin spice has reached its peak. Pumpkin out: Maple in.

*****Check out Sean Astin as Paul Manafort in Houseguest (on Colbert).

*****I thought my head was gonna explode when Bill Maher had Michael Moore, Donna Brazile, Chris Matthews and Sarah Silverman on the same episode.

*****So the People mag sexiest man is stupid anyway but Idris isn’t the man this year? WTF??

*****Jim and Andy: The story inside the story inside the story of Carrey playing Kaufman. This is a great piece of work.  Is it wrong to say how hot it is that Jim gets this look in his eye about Andy? Even though he is no longer inhabited by Kaufman, something seems to bubble inside him when he talks about the man.

*****On November 14th Bob Corker held hearings on executive authority to use nuke’s .

*****The Louis CK film I was looking forward to ‘I love you Daddy’ looks like a wash.

*****They say the Pres has no control over fuel prices but Trump in.. prices soaring.

*****Rwanda has offered to host African migrants stranded in Libya.

*****Why do people always say they did not think it would happen to them or their communities when shootings happen? How long does it take to sink in to Americans that mental illness and this obsession with weapons is everywhere?  I will agree with a couple of things that the NRA says like we need to enforce the rules in place better a that mental health is a big part of the problem. If mental health is the real issue then where is the universal health care we need to take care of this problem?

*****GQ has named Colin Kaepernick citizen of the year.

*****Just as I am posting this the Mike Flynn charges were announced. They broke into the news with this news. A real reporter must never get any sleep in these Trump times. Apparently he is pleading guilty and cooperating in the Russian investigation. Go Go GO DOJ!

*****Why is the last sketch on Saturday Night Live usually the best?

*****R.I.P. Dennis Banks, Liz Smith, Lil Peep, Malcolm Young, George Young, Brad Bufanda, victims of the Texas church shooting, Gloria Fallon, Roy Halladay, Robert Knight, Chuck Mosley, John Hillerman, Paul Buckmaster, Mel Tillis, Della Reese, David Cassidy, Earle Hyman, Joseph L. White, Jim Nabors and Rance Howard.

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[wutbju]

Kim McIntosh Melton of Lititz, PA went home to glory suddenly December 17, 2023. He is missed by his wife of 37 years and his three daughters: Jenna Paige Melton of Lititz; Jordan Ashley Birch (David) of Lancaster; and Morgan Elizabeth Kuch (Micah) of Ephrata. He is preceded home by and is now united with his parents Bryan Uriah and Maude Laurel "Roddy" Melton of Chattanooga, Tennessee. His life has many joys and triumphs, but he held his family as the greatest.

Kim was born and raised on Missionary Ridge overlooking Chattanooga, TN, where he spent many summers pushing lawn mowers uphill both ways along South Crest Road or working at his fathers Heating & Cooling company. He and his mother had a fondness for Pigeon Forge, TN and took the opportunity to work a couple summers there at a sock mill. Kim regularly took his parents and children back to vacation at cabins in the Smoky Mountains innumerable times, enjoying hot cakes, southern BBQ, and the bluegrass music.

While in high school, he found a fondness for photography. He completed a senior project on light reflection in photographs and how they created mood. This hobby continued throughout his life, readily taking pictures of scenery he enjoyed and family moments. After graduating from a Christian high school on the ridge, he and his brother both went off to Bob Jones University, where Kim earned a BS in accounting. More importantly, he also met his wife Dorenda.

Dorenda and Kim, with several of their BJU classmates, ventured up to Virginia Tech where he earned a masters degree in tax and became a CPA. When his career began, it took him to Nashville to join Touche Ross. He and Dorenda continued to date, flying back and forth every other weekend.

Eventually, he and Dorenda married in September of 1986, moved to Richmond where Kim worked as an accountant for Best Products, and Jenna was born. Kim and Dorenda made a hobby of investing in real estate, buying, DIY repairing and flipping houses on the weekend. Which is how one of Kim's suits went from black to yellow-splashed paint one evening in a Home Depot parking lot.

A few years later, continuing the march of Northern expansion, Kim took a job at Crown Petroleum in Baltimore, where Jordan was born. He spent many Saturday mornings taking his young daughters to pick up bagels and chase seagulls around the parking lot in his small gold Toyota pickup. Flying kites on top of Fort McHenry was another cherished pastime, as was sitting on the bench front porch swing quizzing his daughters on their school work.

Ultimately, he landed at QVC in West Chester, Pa, as the VP of Tax where his youngest daughter, Morgan, was born. Soon after the whole family moved to Lancaster, Pa so his daughters could be closer to school. He joined Westminster Presbyterian Church, served on the board at Veritas Academy, and became actively involved in supporting the rich community of biblical arts, christian culture and several local ministries.

His children have fond memories of learning to use tools, building models together on Saturday mornings at Home Depot, and “helping” him build them a treehouse in the backyard. They celebrated when he would bring home chocolate milk - one of his favorites. The children also grew up hearing from him about how their mother made cinnamon rolls (another of his favorites) so much more often before they got married. He, himself, was not much of a cook, but would make green eggs and ham for the girls. Kim was quick to start a snowball fight or a wrestling match, and would always join in playing with remote control cars. He always encouraged his daughters to do their best, live out their faith, work hard, and expand their comfort zones.

Kim was an avid reader, and had a large book collection. A new book for Christmas was a desired gift. He loved history and theology and enjoyed sharing the things he learned with others. After he retired, he taught at Lancaster Bible College and Montreat College.

He loved riding his motorcycles along winding back roads on warm days. Later in life, he enjoyed RV trips with Dorenda to the Grand Canyon, West Virginia’s foliage routes, and the National Storytelling Festivals in Tennessee. North Myrtle Beach was a favorite destination for watching waves and eating scallops and meeting friends. Traveling was one of his favorite things to do with his family in his retired years.

He will be missed, our God is good.

The family requests that gifts of love be sent to Kim's most recent passion project, the Widow(er)s Ministry at St. Stephen Reformed Church in New Holland, PA. Kim was also a long-time supporter of the Chalcedon Foundation in Southern California.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, December 23, at 11:00 A.M. at St. Stephen's Reformed Church, New Holland, PA . Friends may greet the family on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service.