My anthropologist professor informed the class that every amassing ritual has a fail-break to stop it. Her example was the point in the wedding ceremony where the congregation is asked that if anyone knows of a reason why the couple shouldn’t wed to “Speak now or forever hold your peace.” Other times rituals fail because they weren’t properly executed and require, if possible, a redo. Being reborn is more ritualistic than natural in that sense. There’s a moment when one, realizing who God is, can reject God and even turn away from the foundational truths he admitted to. But there also appears to be a moment when, after accepting God, an uneasiness settles in. Just like a newborn crying in hunger or coldness or the desire to be held firm, those of us who go through rebirth are just as full of discomfort as we are dazzled by the spiritual world that we’re exposed to.

This apologetic is not about turning a hand up against Christ, but about the merits of incorporating the Jewish lifestyle with all its blessings and curses as a Christian. It’s a journey of a man towards the God that accepts and loves despite our grievous nature, but also about a God of Law and justice that lays out the rules in life and the consequences of disobedience.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10

Most pastors stop before talking about why we were created. That’s where my journey begins: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Workmanship is the quality of integrity applying to the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture, people, or artisan. We could apply that definition directly here. Those whom God has called are to demonstrate love and righteousness to the the world as evidence of the fruit of the spirit that God provides. In short, we are defined as the goodness of the hand of God on the Earth. It’s important, though, to recognize the pretext because it humbles us and defines our relationship with God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. – James 2:20-26

What happens to Ephesians 2 if faith is dead? This is not intended to open a debate between Calvinism and Armenianism, but invariably does so anyway. Instead I’m just going to point out three fundamentals presented in these two texts.

• It’s grace through faith that saves us.
  • Faith without works is dead.
• We are created for good works that God has already prepared for us to do.

What I see is an obvious statement. Those who have the faith for God’s grace to save, are also compelled to do good works. But “good” in the human psyche is relative. Fortunately, Christ recognized this when presenting a profound statement to a young (unmarried), wealthy merchant.

Now as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. – Mark 10:17-22

Only God is good. That sets a very high standard. That means for us to do good, we must be as righteous as God. Although this is an impossible achievement from man alone, we have righteousness in faith provided it is demonstrated by our works.

This is how living faithfully is like a ritual. There are moments when after fall short of expectations we’re given the chance to try again (and God is a teacher who tests us). Each successive attempt only emphasizes the righteousness accounted to faith because we have faith that God continues to be our teacher. Righteousness is defined throughout all of God’s word, including the Laws of Moses (2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Deuteronomy 6:25). As we act righteously, denying ourselves for our Creator, we further establish that faith.

The doctor hadn’t arrived and the contractions were getting more frequent. “Don’t push!” the nurse cried out, then flushed white and ran out of the room in a panic.

It was her first day in the maternity ward and knew only what she was trained for. Contractions were two minutes apart, lasting more than a minute each, and the patient was well over eight centimeters dilated. Ironically, I had read how to deliver a baby in a taxicab in the strange book “The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook” just the night before, never imagining I would actually use that knowledge.

A new nurse rushed in and looked at me. “Are you ready?” she asked. “What?” I questioned what she was asking me to do. “Go get some towels, you’re going to deliver a baby!” As I rushed for a towel, another nurse draped one over my arms. I ran back and gave encouragement to the lady who was already in stirrup position. “You’re doing great!” Honestly, I had no idea how she was doing. A nurse told her to push and just as suddenly I was holding up the head of a newborn. The baby was still half way in her mother until after another push when she suddenly slipped out.

The tiny baby was so slick and slippery I was afraid she would drop out of my hands and onto the hard floor. That’s when the coarse towel suddenly made sense. The doctor came in slamming open the door, still clothed in slacks – had he really been golfing!?

I can’t attest for other cultures, but very few American men will ever have the blessing of delivering their own child. That experience continues to teach, and it’s in that lesson I begin this apologetic. Being born doesn’t happen instantaneously. It takes about twenty minutes to fully deliver a baby. In that event there’s a time when the baby is half in and half out no matter how quickly the delivery takes place. Being born again has similar properties.

Abraham’s rebirth began through faith in God and obedience to Him, but his name wasn’t acquired for 25 years. Through that journey Abram continued to change into a more faithful man. It was this faithfulness that was counted as righteousness, not any acts, but the actions that Abram performed reflected his faith. Moses was 40 when he left Egypt and it wasn’t for another 40 years until God revealed Himself to Moses. Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days. Saul was blinded for for three days. Even Christ was in the grave three days. From the chrysalis of a caterpillar to a butterfly to the metamorphosis of a tadpole to a frog, these periods of changing from one world into the next are reflected in nature as well. The point is that spiritual rebirth isn’t necessarily a sudden event that one can point a date and time to.

In my case, varying events in life – the drama of death to the elation of new birth, the insight of good friends’ late night conversations and the path in my career – each step draws from me a spiritual response just as much as it requires a mental or emotional one. Only die-hard atheists argue that man isn’t a spiritual being. As such there must be a spiritual realm we walk in parallel to our physical one.

Apparently, I’m in good company when it comes to conspiracy theories colliding with Judaeo-Christian beliefs. Former president Hoover mentioned in a 1954 Time interview that he figured the Red Horseman to represent pestilence. Specifically, a revolution. Today the largest political threats also ironically don the red color. Are we in for a communist take-over soon?

Despite what we might have been taught in school, the United States wasn’t entirely born in 1776. We were still at war 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed, signifying the end of the American Revolutionary War. The Constitution of the United States of America was ratified by most states in 1788. We didn’t have a President until 1789. In 1790 the last of the 13 original colonies, Rhode Island, ratified the Constitution. This is why the following chart shows America starting in 1790.

The antagonizing acts of the British went on for ten years from 1764 to 1774, spurring revolts, outcries and vexation across the North American territory. From that point a congress convened and war began against the British, lasting from 1775 to 1781 with the Declaration of Independence written in 1776.

This chart that follows was gathered from a blog that’s been spread around the internet by Chuck Baldwin titled “U.S. To Break Up Soon?”

Assyria (859-612 B.C.): a 247-year reign.
Persia (538-330 B.C.): a 208-year reign.
Greece (331-100 B.C.): a 231-year reign.
The Roman Republic (260-27 B.C.): a 233-year reign.
The Roman Empire (27 B.C.-180 A.D.): a 207-year reign.
The Arab Empire (634-880 A.D.): a 246-year reign.
The Mameluke Empire (1250-1517 A.D.): a 267-year reign.
The Ottoman Empire (1320-1570 A.D.): a 250-year reign.
Spain (1500-1750 A.D.): a 250-year reign.
Romanov Russia (1682-1916 A.D.): a 234-year reign.
Great Britain (1700-1950 A.D.): a 250-year reign.
The USA (1790-2009 A.D.): 219 years and counting.

According to this chart, most major world empires in history only lasted an average of 238 years. That means we’re statistically due for a political collapse.

According to the Time article

Hoover admits that revolutions may be good or bad, “but St. John’s horseman had no good purpose … We do not allow our imaginations to extend to the idea that St. John was prophesying Communism, even though one is tempted, partly because of the prophetic statement that power was given to the horseman ‘to take peace from the world.’ “

In 1954, when this article had been written, China had just finished turning over to a Communist government in 1959 and was considered more of a casualty of Communism than a superpower. The main threats to the U.S. were Russia and Japan. Korea was considered a middle domino between China and Japan, hence the Korean war, which ended in 1953. America and its media were hopeful like an arrogant teenage boy, thinking our nation was impervious to death.

Machiavellian politics seem to always ring true. Over time many factors worked at decaying the United States from the inside out, and that greed went as far as the people of the republic. Debt spending went to record highs and in an emotional climax the President was allowed to sign many of the freedoms that represented our sovereignty over in a “Patriot” act. Our current President claimed that we needed to increase debt spending to support our nation. The conclusion is obvious. People are angry with the government. I’ve been hearing it for years. Anti-American and pro-communistic ideas have been feed to me and my peers all through school and college. Stories of Robin Hood were twisted into a communist slant rather than a true representation of a revolt that happened in Ireland centuries ago.

If China were to call their debt on us, we’d have to concede and pay restitution. Other countries would want their piece of the American soil, too. In a feeble move, the President would have to pull our armed forces out of the Middle East and bring them back to native soil to fight. Many Americans would become civilian minute-men to fight for our President and our country. Other Americans would become revolutionaries and fight for a new order. While we’re out of the Middle East, a revolutionary war breaks out there. Israel somehow gains back the holy mound in Jerusalem. Ultimately the Red Horse wins.

From what I understand, Russia is supposed to gain incredible power over the nations south of it, west of it and of some special land elsewhere. Eventually the world powers in Europe, possibly Greece, rise up a leader who mocks God. We know the drill … 666 and more tribulation. Thus begins the period of the abomination of desolation.

Now comes the question on what to do when the New World Order arises. Fight politically, not physically, and accept captivity into a new Babylon. According to scripture the Jews believed they could get away from their terrible behavior without consequences… they believed they had a right to fight to stay on their land while Babylon conquered them. Even though prophets warned them to just go and not resist, many of them fought and died anyway. If God’s chosen ones couldn’t stave off their punishment, what makes us think we can do better? Still – before world-wide revolution, there will be the four governments. Before that will be world-wide economic collapse. According to Scripture the end is near but we’ve got a few years to go.