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The Axe Is Laid Unto the Root of the Trees

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What does this mean? It is one of the most alarming statements made by John the Baptist in his call to repentance, as it obviously contains threat of imminent danger. But beyond that general message that repentance is required by God now  in order to avert disaster, what precisely is meant by this saying? For a long time I had this vague sense of the meaning of the saying but only this morning did the refined question arise in my heart, and with the correct question, the answer almost instantly. I had always asked, Who is wielding this axe? Since we know that the call is repentance unto God, surely it is God who will punish the refusal. Ultimately, He is the One who wields the axe. As when the king of Assyria (the antichrist) shall glory in himself but God's rebuke is that he is simply a tool commanded by God. "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against

Mystery Babylon As Wonder Woman (2017)

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     Wonder Woman (2017) has been highly regarded as an excellent example of the superhero movie. Updated international box office receipts totaled $821.74 million (US), making it the highest-grossing superhero origin film ever made. Indeed, I found it to be an enjoyable movie. It has a certain subtlety when it comes to its themes, most notably feminism, and because of this subtlety it was easy to accept, and at times, tempting to agree. Men were not always cardboard-cutouts suited to a feminist narrative and Wonder Woman was occasionally depicted as feminine, even traditionally so. I laughed along with the humorous sections and I appreciated the action sequences. The only troubling aspect that I perceived on my first time watching the film is the reason I chose to review it for this blog: it puts Wonder Woman in the place of Jesus Christ! Frequently, the film maps itself onto the Gospel account by applying key elements of the life of Christ to the character of Wonder Woman. I couldn&#

Gospel Message and the Redemption of our Body

 The "Romans Road" to salvation: 1) The human problem "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"  Rom 3:10 " For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"  Rom 3:23 "For the wages of sin is death;"  Rom 6:23a 2) Humanity's hope in Christ " But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Rom 5:8 3) The Sinner's Response "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved."  Rom 10:9-10 " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Rom 10:13 4) The Result of Salvation "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done f