This page started as a small blog with a few personal musings. It has grown to a medium-sized blog with more personal musings. I can tell you with unbridled confidence that I am the world’s leading expert on whatever particular subject I write on. The only caveat to this is that almost no one in the world will recognize this expertise, so assert this claim at your own risk.
If you’re curious about my credentials and who I am, I can confidently say that I am an ordinary protestant Christian who believes in all of the normal Christian Creeds. As an evangelical Christian growing up in the 90s, this also includes the band “Creed.” I wear this silly evangelical history On My Sleeve, and this blog welcomes you With Arms Wide Open. So, Are You Ready? Because this blog will take you Higher, throwing out Beautiful posts like Bullets. I recommend perusing the blog if you’re Weathered, trapped in My Own Prison, wondering “What If,” or for those who are Six Feet From the Edge, thinking “maybe six feet ain’t so far down.” I’m Torn about My Sacrifice of giving more Time to this joke, since some of you will go Away In Silence, but Who’s Got My Back? I’m sure some you will Stand Here With Me. How many more Creed these references do I have? One. Haha. Don’t worry. This Is The End.
No, I am not a pastor and I am not a minister. However, my one credential is that I believe literally everything I read in the Bible. Like, literally everything, even the part where the sun stops in the sky and doesn’t go down for an entire day. As such, I tend to be pretty weird in some of my understandings of the Bible and the cosmos. Also, I am a lawyer, so woe is me (see Luke 11:52). But pay your legal bills anyway, because it’s in the Bible (see Titus 3:13). I have a B.A., M.A.T., and J.D., graduating from each institution per charitatem exilium, omnino latuit, and per graciam solius dei, respectively.
I blog because I cannot stop myself from speaking about what I have seen and heard (see 1 John 1-4), and that’s what the internet is for. The main subjects on this blog include the Bible, politics, history, astronomy (in a traditional sense), astrology (which I do not believe in, but which is the point of traditional astronomy), the law, general philosophy, poetry, and how all of these things relate. If you read for long, you will note that I have very strange ideas, and I’m not ashamed of them. I may be wrong sometimes, and I invite correction (put it in the comments!).
If I say the Bible says something “in Greek” or “in Hebrew,” then 99% of the time, I am relying on the interlinear Bible on BibleHub, which you can access here. It uses the Westminster Leningrad Codex for the Old Testament and the “Eberhard Nestle, Η ΚΑΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ. Text with Critical Apparatus. (British and Foreign Bible Society, 1904)” text as a base for the New Testament. (Apparently that information is important to scholars, so there you go.) If I refer to something outside of the Bible that is “in Greek,” then it is either the interlinear Septuagint (which I access through this website) or some individual source that I’ve probably cited in the post itself. If you want to know my factual sources, then look in the individual post. I try to provide links to all my sources in the text of the blog post.
If there is no source, I probably came up with the idea myself, which is your clue to be very careful. You will l find that I’m not a tame writer, but I’m good.
That being said, I would like to draw attention to three sources that should probably get more citations than they receive. It is not so much an issue of plagiarism, but instead, these individuals are just so pervasive in the way I think, so I just think they deserve a special citation, even though they do not always make their way into a link:
- Peter J. Williams, Ph.D. is the Warden of Tyndale House. In America, that makes it sound like the Tyndale House is a prison, and Williams rules over the inmates. But in England, “Warden” just means that he is responsible for the largest library of Biblical Scholarship in all of England. They create great tools to study the Bible, such as the Step Bible, which you can access by clicking here. I can say through personal experience that not only is he a GENUINE scholar but also a genuinely good person. If you have money, you should totally make a charitable donation to his prison).
- Michael S. Heiser is a biblical scholar. His book the Unseen Realm is almost as weird as my blog. His podcast the Naked Bible Podcast is also good. He is a much more scholarly source for thoughts on the spiritual world.
- C.S. Lewis is one of the most subversive Christian writers the world has ever known (in a good way). For just a hint of that, see the book by Michael Ward titled “Planet Narnia.” If you want to understand Lewis in all of his absolutely crazy academic glory, read his much under-appreciated book “the Discarded Image.”
- Doug Wilson is a pastor in Moscow Idaho. I don’t get too many content ideas from Doug Wilson, who publishes all kinds of things at Canon Press (some of them better than others). However, I put him here for two reasons. First, he might just be the only person who is weirder than me, and I take great comfort and encouragement from the fact that I am not the world’s strangest man. Second, Doug Wilson is also currently ranked FIRST IN THE WORLD for the most aptly named blog on the internet for “Blog and Mablog,” and though I almost beat him by naming this blog “Balaam’s Ass” (see Numbers 22:15-30) but unfortunately, the relevant domain name to this blog title was available, but too expensive for purchase.
An Alternative to Capitalism (since we cannot legislate morality)
The American Dream seems to be getting more and more out of reach.
We are not sure of ourselves anymore.
We are beginning to question our system. Perhaps we should.
We have poverty in a land of plenty which is totally inhumane.
Several decades ago, Margaret Thatcher claimed: “There is no alternative”.
She was referring to capitalism. Today, this negative attitude still persists.
I would like to offer an alternative to capitalism for the American people to consider.
Please click on the following link. It will take you to my essay titled:
“Home of the Brave?” which was published in the OPEDNEWS:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/An-Alternative-to-Capitali-by-John-Steinsvold-130326-864.html
John Steinsvold
“Give me neither poverty nor riches”
Proverbs 30:8
I’m so thankful I found your site, beget was a huge hurdle for me, your page and description holy moly I would have lost track you are one in a million thank you so much
Keep writing. It is wonderful. And while you do you’ll start to fall into Catholicism if you haven’t already! John 1 is read at the end of mass. It is one of the greatest passages. Im a paralegal that writes appeals and LOVE your analysis of these scriptures. It reminds me so much of the passion that led me kicking and screaming into the Catholic Church. If you need resources let me know. I’d recommend looking at Pope Leo for faith based economics and society – he has that legal type writing with wonderful ideas.
Catholicism is an idolatrous corruption of the original God’s Church that is presented in the New Testament scriptures.
Protestant revolution was not the origin of Protestantism. The first Protestant church was the Apostolic church. The church depicted in New Testament Bible do not pray to “saints” or use statues\images in prayer,worship or have other lies like compulsory celibacy, purgatory, transubstantiation, Apostolic succession etc. Thus the original Apostolic God’s Church was Protestant/Evangelical in essence.
Later in 4th century AD Constantine the then Roman emperor- Constantine gave Christianity a special status in his empire because of a vision he had. But majority in his empire was still pagan and they found it hard to forgo of their old idolatrous practices. So by about 5th century AD ( ~ AD 430 ) , the Roman state changed the names of their old idols to “christian” names and continued to use them in prayer/worship . This came to be known as “intercession/veneration to saints” and is still practiced by catholic and orthodox ‘Christians’. Other pagan to christian transmutations include changing of Solar mass of December 25th to Christ mass,changing of fertility goddess Ishtar festival to Easter.
It was during this 5th century religious transmutation for power consolidation of state this Christ Mass- Solar Mass, Passover- God Friday, Resurrection – Sunday Easter, intercession/veneration of saints, Mary-Venus, etc. got changed.
Thus in 5th century AD, the initial heresy entered Global (Catholic) God’s Church corrupting its western part as heretic idolatrous Roman catholic sect, but eastern part stayed true as Church of East (Assyrian/Chaldean) although Orthodox sects later ( first as Jacobite faction by about AD 450 and then later they changed name to “orthodox” in a vain effort to whitewash themselves from idolatry and lies of mystery Babylon – Rome to which they foolishly submitted ) fell for catholic idolatry but didn’t submit Pope.
Catholic idolatrous heretic sect committed doctrinal corruption and chaos when they started the idolatrous practice of intercession/veneration of saints and the many lies like purgatory with which they try to defend that idolatry in 5th century AD on wards , when they left the true God’s Global (Catholic) church of East and West. Now the remaining one true God’s Church is the Church of East (from Apostolic times till the present times) and the innumerable sects that have either abstained from catholic idolatrous doctrinal chaos from 5th century on wards and catholics themselves coming out of idolatry and lies and trusting in Lord Jesus Christ so that they will have eternal life by hearing God’s Eternal Word for salvation of all mankind who will trust in Lord Jesus Christ- holy Bible.
These true Christians at that time and after 5th century AD, were against this idolatrous corruption of God’s Church that leads to eternal hell fire (Revelation 21.8). They included early Jewish Christians , Donatists (North Africa, Southern Europe), Manichaen’s (Middle East, Central Asia) who existed from 1st-15th century AD, opposed this idolatrous practice of intercession/veneration of saints but Catholic idolatrous heretics branded them heretics and massacred them. Assyrian church of East and Chaldean Syrian Church known commonly as Church of East (existed from apostolic times till today mainly in Middle east, Central Asia, India and China – and thus form the only Christian group that has existed continuously for last 2000 years) also opposed this idolatrous practice of intercession/veneration of saints.
Later Paulicians & Bogomils who existed from 6-12th century AD were against this idolatrous practice . After that Cathars who existed from 11-13th century AD, Waldensians , Hussites & Protestants who exist from 11th century AD till this day, were against this idolatrous practice and other unscriptural lies of catholic/orthodox sects. First anti Idolatrous or iconoclastic movement of (7th-8th century) century AD by Paulicians and Bogomils was against this practice, later Protestant revolution – 2nd anti- idolatrous or iconoclastic movement (15-16th century) was waged mainly against this practice.
So may God bless you and all people of earth to repent and come out of the sin of idolatry by the practice of intercession/veneration of saints and other pagan idolatries and really trust in Lord Jesus Christ and join the true original God’s Church represented by all Christians that abstain from idolatry of intercession/veberation of saints and abstain from sexual immorality of promotion of homosexuality, adultery and female bishops, because these sins of idolatry and other sins clearly lead to eternal hell fire according to Revelaeion 21:8 and other scriptures of God’s Eternal Word – Holy Bible.