You Were Ransomed From the Futile Way Inherited From Your Forefathers 1 Peter 1 18

 

📖Scripture:

“...knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 
1 Peter 1:18-19

🔎Examination:

Peter reminds the elect that they were ransomed (lytroō, Strong's G3084)—redeemed as from slavery—from "futile ways" (mataios, Strong's G3152, empty, vain) inherited from forefathers. A beautiful Old Testament picture of this concept of “ransomed” is found in the book of Hosea, where at the opening of chapter 3, we read, “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.’ So I bought her back…” 

Gomer’s promiscuity echoes Ephesians 4:17-18's futility of pagan thinking, universal humanity alienated from God's life-giving presence due to ignorance and hardness of heart (see Rom 1:18-20). The context of 1 Peter builds on impartial judgment (v.17), contrasting fleeting ransom with perishable worldly treasures, silver & gold with the imperishable ransom purchased via Christ's priceless blood (v.19). 

This reality produces holiness amid trials (1:6-7), as the saints of Christ are intimately aware of their/our sojourn here as foreigners and exiles. Biblically, human futility traces back to Genesis 3's curse, the vanity of human toil by the sweat of our brow post-fall. This same vanity is seen in the opening verse of Ecclesiastes (1:1-2), where qoheleth (the teacher) deems everything vanity under the sun. This curse is permanently repealed and resolved in and through the spotless Lamb of God, the eternal Son, slain from the foundation of the cosmos (Rev 13:8), the unique God-Man Jesus, the Christ, the Aplha & Omega, who doesn’t simply make (past tense) all things new, but is constantly, perpetually, forever making (present-indicative-active) all things new (Rev 21:5)!

Our new identity in Christ (i.e., baptism), which transcends our biological DNA as depraved heirs (Romans 5:12), irrevocably shifts via supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). It gives rise to unwavering devotion, not to a pastor, program, movement, denomination, theological camp, local church, or worldview, but to Christ’s everlasting Body & Bride. We are grafted into “her” as functional members (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), no longer separated, isolated, or entitled consumers of “futile ways” we inherited from Adam. This REALITY refutes every perversion of authentic Christianity, i.e., cults: 

• Cults like The Salvation Army, with their ever-degrading “social gospel” and sin-affirming attitudes that subvert the GRACE and TRUTH of the gospel, (see Paul Carden's Christianity, Cults & Religions). Their literal militant hierarchy, claiming to be a “church,” and registered as a “Christian denomination,” but actually locating an actual worship center is virtually impossible. Their real goal is to steal, kill, and destroy via a false gospel that depletes time, energy, and resources from Christ’s actual Body & Bride.

• Cults like Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation peddle hyper-charismatic experiences with an entry point through their music. Walter Martin’s book, The Kingdom of the Cults, critiques the New Apostolic Reformations' (NAR) ties to groups like Bethel and Hillsong, with heretical leaders claiming “new revelations” via vision, dreams, and “rhema words from God” that not only go beyond the closed canon of Scripture (see Revelation 22:18-19), but are in complete contradiction to it.

• Cults like the Roman Catholic Church, with its long history of grappling for power, murderous atrocities, and heretical doctrines: venerating Mary as deity, the “mother of God,” and “full of grace.” Praying to saints, a works-based salvation (“do penance” vs. “repent”), the Pope as their “Holy Father,” and extra-biblical texts, traditions, and doctrines, etc.

• Cults like Mormonism (LDS) with works-based exaltation based on Joseph Smith’s plagiarized and schizophrenic ramblings in the Book of Mormon, which teaches adherents to achieve LITERAL godhood, denying Eph 2:8-9. Meanwhile, their opening “sales pitch” convinces actual Christians, “We believe The Holy Bible too.”

• Cults have even emerged within evangelical Protestant churches via mishandled ministries (e.g., Grief Share, Celebrate Recovery, etc.). While these ministries can be helpful, when not properly led, they keep participants stuck in their grief, hurts, hang-ups, and habits, which produce literal cult members, people still clinging to and defined by something other than FULL IDENTITY in Christ. These programs often cultivate, encourage, and foster dependency on NEW addictions: the program, process, recovery community, belonging, etc., rather than being crucified with Christ and buried with Him in baptism (Gal 2:20) because we were bought/purchased/ransomed at a price (1 Cor 6:20).

• Cults of Christian nominalism (identifying as a Christian in “name only,” without living by the tenets of the faith) thrive on doing “good,” being “kind,” and “gracious,” but without those terms being rooted in and defined by God’s WORD. At best, it produces an independent and autonomous worldview, where the "futile ways” inherited persist as passivism, avoiding the saltiness of polarizing divine Gospel of God’s grace (Matthew 5:13). Adherants of nominalism exchange the TRUTH for the lies of political correctness, cultural niceties, thus ignoring the biblical reality of persecution, suffering, and trials that refine our faith via sanctification.

• Cults of Christian fideism (overtly reject rationality, science, logic, and reason). God’s WORD is never irrational or illogical; instead, it is supra-rational and supra-logical. Therefore, we don’t prioritize human or worldly rationality, science, logic, and reason, but view all things through and subordinate to the WORD of God. Investigation and questions are healthy and encouraged, not to “deconstruct” our faith, but to bolster it as we see God as glorious Creator in and through the majesty of His creation (Ps 19:1-6)!

Therefore, those truly ransomed by the precious blood of the Lamb (1 Pet 1:18-19) are judged impartially by the Father according to Scripture's objective standard (1 Pet 1:17), our deeds bearing no resemblance to those former ways—whether Islam's dhimmi subjugation, Mormonism's extra-biblical revelations, secular humanism's self-reliant morality and ethics, or worldly philosophies… ALL as Satan's SCANDALON (Col 2:8) that imprisons in chaos, confusion, and violence rather than redeeming depraved humanity in Christ's order, clarity, and peace (Col 3:15; Phil 4:7).

🤺Action:

• Inventory inherited futile ways against Scripture (Ephesians 4:22-24): Identify cultural or familial traditions clashing with holiness, like consumer church-hopping, and test if your ransom leads to active Body-building or scattering via nominal volunteerism.

• Scrutinize ransom's cost in your life (Psalm 49:7-8): Examine if your salvation is the cheap, perishable, counterfeit variety, or authentic via Christ's blood. Am I giving the best of myself, my firstfruits, to the church rather than parachurch organizations or charity non-profits? This testing reveals the authenticity of true regeneration.

• Align deeds with non-futility (Col 3:17) that deliver us not by earning salvation, but from the prison of deadly traps, pits, and SCANDALON, i.e., worldly philosophies (Col 2:8). Consider how you are currently (not previously or future intentions) that are currently building up Christ's Body & Bride unto unity in the GOSPEL—do they edify or erode? This is the objective biblical test of authentic allegiance to either Christ Jesus (the Serpent Crusher) or to the Serpent (Satan) and his lies?

🧠Reflection:

In prayer, ponder the futility from which you were ransomed (or still held captive). Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal lingering lies, heresies, or cult influences that are hindering your understanding of devotion to Christ through devotion to a local church. Renew your commitment to gather, grow, give, and go with Christ to the glory of God the Father!

Click the following link for a short video version of today's post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/jXhySNVr6r8?si=rTvqpUlXIgxB32bm

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

Comparing and Contrasting Christianity and Islam

 

📖Scripture:

"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your sojourn, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

1 Peter 1:17-19

🔎Examination:

In this passage, Peter points out that the redeemed life of the saints, the elect exiles (1 Peter 1:1), is completely opposed to (not just different from) the life we inherited from our fleshy forefathers and culture. Christians are not anyone who slaps an Ichthys (fish) sticker on our cars or lives. Christians are EXCLUSIVELY those regenerated by the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body and Bride, urging a conduct marked by fear during their earthly sojourn. The Greek word for "call on" is epikaleō (Strong's G1941), implying an invocation as one appeals to a superior, here God as Father (patēr, Strong's G3962), who judges (krinō, Strong's G2919) impartially (aprosōpolēmptōs, Strong's G678)—without favoritism, as in Acts 10:34 where God shows no partiality.

This judgment is according to "each one's deeds" (ergon, Strong's G2041), echoing James 2:14-26, where faith without works is dead, and Revelation 20:12-13, where books are opened and the dead judged by their works. Yet, this is no works-based salvation; Ephesians 2:8-9 declares we are saved by grace through faith, not works, lest any boast. Rather, deeds evidence regeneration, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:21-23: not all who call Him Lord enter the kingdom, but those doing the Father's will.

Contextually, within 1 Peter, this follows the call to holiness (1:15-16, quoting Leviticus 11:44-45), grounding it in God's immutable nature. Peter writes to scattered believers facing persecution (1:6-7), reminding them their sojourn (paroikia, Strong's G3940)—temporary exile—is not home; Philippians 3:20 affirms our citizenship is in heaven. Biblically, this fits the narrative from Genesis 3:23, where Adam's expulsion begins humanity's exile due to sin, to Revelation 21:3, where God dwells with His people eternally. Our identity as sinners ransomed (1 Peter 1:18-19) demands devotion to Christ's church, the ekklesia (Strong's G1577), as Ephesians 4:11-16 describes members building up the Body for maturity. Regeneration—born again (anagennaō, Strong's G313) as in 1 Peter 1:23—produces fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), manifesting in church devotion, not isolated piety.

This exposes cults like Jehovah's Witnesses, who deny Christ's eternal deity, teaching He is Michael the archangel, contradicting John 1:1-14, where the Word (logos, Strong's G3056) is God incarnate. Walter Martin's "The Kingdom of the Cults" details how JWs alter Scripture, like inserting "a god" in John 1:1, subverting the eternal Holy Trinity. Similarly, Mormonism claims Jesus as a created being, brother to Lucifer, per Joseph Smith's heretical teachings, refuted by Colossians 1:15-17, where Christ creates all things. Seventh-day Adventism's Ellen White elevates her visions above Scripture, violating 2 Timothy 3:16-17's sufficiency. Even within churches, programs like Celebrate Recovery, if focused on recovery over Christ-centered regeneration, actually foster mini-cults that prioritize therapy over supernatural gospel transformation. Paul warns in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 of such doctrines as from deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons to suit fleshy/carnal desires. Apples and Oranges.

Heresies abound in nominal Western Christianity, where volunteerism replaces regeneration, as in the social gospel peddled by liberals, emphasizing deeds without doctrine, opposed to Romans 1:16's gospel power. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) treats God as a cosmic therapist or vending machine for self-fulfillment, ignoring Scripture's testimony of trials for purification, sanctification, and maturity. Prosperity gospel heretics (like Joel Osteen and Andy Stanley) promise health and wealth in place of suffering, twisting 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where Paul's thorn highlights desperate dependency upon God's grace in human weakness. Narcissistic faith seeks experiences over obedience, as Hebrews 5:8-9 notes Christ learned obedience experientially through suffering. Apples and Oranges.

Erosion plagues the modern church through liberation theology, blending Marxism with Scripture, as in Critical Race Theory's racial division against Galatians 3:28's unity in Christ. Prosperity gospel erodes via NAR's dominionism, claiming new apostles rule earth now, ignoring Matthew 28:18's all authority in Christ alone. Deconstructionism dismantles faith without rebuilding on Scripture's Rock (Matthew 7:24-27). Parachurch entities like Samaritan's Purse, while aiding, often siphon time, talents, and treasure from local churches, ultimately scattering and fracturing rather than gathering and uniting (Matthew 12:30), thus undermining the Bride, which Ephesians 5:25-27 depicts as Christ's singular love. Ecumenism blurs lines with cults, but Revelation 18:4 calls for separation from Babylon's falsehoods. Christian Nationalism conflates kingdom with nation, forgetting John 18:36's otherworldly realm. Apples and Oranges.

Christianity's insurmountable divide with Islam lies in core doctrines: the Quran's Surah 4:157 denies Christ's crucifixion, calling it an illusion, while 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 affirms it as of first importance. Islam views Jesus (Isa) as a prophet, not God, per Surah 5:116, see John 20:28's Thomas confessing "My Lord and my God." Robert Spencer's "The Truth About Muhammad" exposes Islam's violent mandates, like Surah 9:29, commanding and commending jihad against infidels (non-believers) until subjugated or eradicated. Raymond Ibrahim's "Sword and Scimitar" documents actual historical jihad, not of peace; "moderates" obey the Quran's calls to chaos and violence (Surah 8:12), while "radicals" are the Muslims who practice peace. Bernard Lewis notes that Islam's theocratic aim for a global caliphate via immigration, infiltration, and conquest by devouring cultures as Daniel 7:23's beast. This isn't bashing ensnared souls but warning of Satan's masquerade (2 Corinthians 11:14), contrasting Christ's peace (John 14:27) with Islam's sword (Matthew 10:34's division by truth). Apples and Oranges.

Thus, our identity in Christ demands honesty, clarity, and church devotion, where regeneration fuels deeds judged impartially, fostering fear (i.e., obedience to the OBJECTIVE WORD of God) as Proverbs 9:10's starting place for all knowledge, wisdom, and correction... which fools despise because they despise God. Apples and Oranges.

🤺Action:

• Assess your daily deeds against Scripture's call to holiness (1 Peter 1:16): List recent actions in the building up of your local church based not on the former ways, but God's WORD—did they build the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12) or merely produce entertaining experiences and consume resources? How do they expose if you're truly gathering with Christ or scattering?

• Examine your fear (objective obedience) of the Lord by comparing it to God's Word (Proverbs 1:7). Review your obedience to commands (not suggestions or ideas to contemplate) like assembling (Hebrews 10:25). Do you consider those things legalistic obligations or joyful privileges? How have you prioritized church over charity, non-profit, parachurch, or personal pursuits? Test yourself to see if the WORD of Christ indwells you through devoted, functional membership in a local, theologically conservative, God-honoring, Bible-preaching church.

• Evaluate God's impartial judgment and its impact on your life (Romans 2:11). Reflect on whether your works align with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or the obvious works of the flesh via hedonism or nominalism's futility. This objective submission to the examination of God's WORD will help determine if you're contributing to the Bride or abusing her via self-centered faith.

🧠Reflection:

In your Holy Spirit-led prayer, consider confessing any misalignment between your deeds and God's impartial standard, inviting Him to illuminate areas of nominalism or cult-like influences, seeking renewal in regeneration's truth, repenting, and committing to church devotion for Christ's glory. Consider asking the LORD to help you comprehend the objective fear of the LORD... not as subjective reverence or awe. Then, prayerfully process how obedience or disobedience to His Word shapes your identity as a ransomed exile. The difference is as clear as Apples and Oranges.

Click the following link for a short video version of today's post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/EOWUbXeMKV0?feature=shared

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

Line up in formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Spare no arrows! Jeremiah 50:14

 

📖Scripture: “Be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:16b

🔎Reflection: Biblically, holy means set apart to God because God Himself is uniquely set apart. In the OT, Israel was elected to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”—mediators drawing the nations to Yahweh. Yet Israel often twisted election into nationalistic pride and exclusivism, falling into idolatry, corrupt kingship, hollow worship, and a defiled temple. Christ did not merely replace Israel; He fulfilled and embodied Israel’s vocation. He is the true Son and Servant, the true Temple, the faithful King and Priest, whose cross and empty tomb secure a holy people set apart for His mission and GOSPEL ministry.

The New Testament Church—people from every tribe, tongue, and nation—is holy in union with Christ Jesus, not by ethnic badge or private spirituality. Holiness rejects the fleshly, hedonistic, Serpent’s path of what “seems right” (Prov 14:12) and calls for repentance and allegiance to King Jesus. Even the 5x refrain of Psalm 107, “Abandon unto Yahweh,” commonly rendered “Give thanks to the LORD,” arises from a verb that means to cast/throw (see Jer 50:14), picture abandoning ourselves—casting everything—unto the LORD.

Therefore, holiness is not the selfish, end-user, private, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, and easy-believism, consumerist “personal salvation” religon of contemporary Christianity, but devotion to the Body & Bride of Christ: gathered and gathering with Christ (Matt 12:30); transformed and growing in the reality, not just the infomational knowledge, of God's Son; giving not an obligatory 10% after taxes (the attitude of Cain in Gen 3), but our whole lives, everything, in adoration as joyful firstfruits, and going with the life-giving gospel—“Jesus is King!”—to the ends of the earth.

🤺Action:

Gathering: Am I meaningfully covenanted to a local church under shepherds (Heb 10:24–25; 13:17), or functionally independent (Matt 7:21-23)? What does the WORD of God say about my attitude and approach to gathering? While salvation is absolutely and deeply personal, it is simultaneously corporate and relational as a devoted, functional, and contributing member of the BODY of Christ for its edification (Eph 4:11-16). One (salvation) cannot be true without the other (sanctification in the Body).

Growing: Is the reality of Christ producing in me maturity, conformity, and objective obedience to God's WORD? Or is my personal relationship just about spiritual tidbits, Christianese phrases, feel-good verses out of context, and superficial information? What's your favorite verse of Scripture? Do you know the full context? How does that verse fit into the chapter... book... and overarching biblical narrative? If we're not truly growing in the reality of God's WORD via a sound biblical theology, then we're perverting it. See the list of passages at the end of the blog for more...

Giving: Have I offered my whole self—time, gifting, resources—as firstfruits, not tips (Rom 12:1; 2 Cor 8:5)? Name one costly reallocation you will make for the church’s edification.

Going: With whom will I proclaim the life-giving GOSPEL, that “Jesus is King,” this week? Set a time, prayerfully consider inviting a brother/sister in Christ to join, and go (Acts 1:8)!

🙏Prayer:

Adoration: Holy Father, You alone are set apart, glorious in holiness. Lord Jesus, true Israel, faithful King and Priest, You finished the work and opened the way. Holy Spirit, Sanctifier, You make us God’s dwelling.

Confession: We confess our autonomy, consumer religion, and hollow worship. We have scattered when we should gather; hoarded when we should give; kept silent when we should go.

Thanksgiving: (Abandon!): הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה—We cast everything to You, LORD Jesus! Thank You for the cross, the torn veil, the empty tomb, our regeneration through the Holy Spirit, your righteousness that has become our in our everlasting union with You as members of Your Body & Bride!

Supplication: Heavenly Father, please conform us to Your holiness. Gather us into deeper covenant life, grow us in the reality and truth of Your Son, make us living sacrifices, and send us in Spirit-powered unity to declare, with boldness and love, that Jesus is King. Amen!

Click on the following link for a short video version of today’s post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/7tMyNa1HLZs?feature=shared

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

-Commonly Misunderstood Scriptures-

"For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you" - Jeremiah 29:11

This verse is often misused for personal worldly success or health (prosperity gospel). The biblical context is God's promise to exiled Israel after 70 years of judgment in Babylon. It points to covenant restoration through repentance, not individual prosperity apart from obedience to His Word.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me" -Philippians 4:13

This verse is twisted to justify any ambition or achievement. The biblical context reveals the Apostle Paul speaking of contentment in suffering and abundance for the sake of the gospel, not self-empowerment or easy-believism that ignores total depravity and absolute reliance on Christ alone. Even Paul struggled with the cravings and weakness of the flesh. Therefore, God revealed to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good" -Romans 8:28

This verse is often misapplied to create a delusional fantasy and false Christianity, i.e., that everything will turn out positively (no sickness, pain, or failures) in this life if only I have enough faith (so send in your seed money and we'll help you get there!). This is an absolutel lie! Paul is unequivocally referring to things related to the inevitable good that pertains to the mission and ministry of Christ's GOSPEL. Paul is speaking of those called and presently serving according to God's purpose, conforming them to Christ's image amid trials, and exposing counterfeit faith that seeks comfort over sanctification.

"Judge not, that you be not judged" -Matthew 7:1

This verse is often misused to evade and avoid moral discernment or accountability; Jesus condemns hypocritical judgment, but commands righteous judgment elsewhere (John 7:24). Satan's lies promote tolerance of sin, subverting the church's role in discipline, correction, and holiness via Scripture.

"He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" -Philippians 1:6

This verse is often perverted into easy believism's (asking Jesus into your heart, praying a prayer of salvation, and getting dipped in magical waters) "once saved, always saved," but without the subsequent repentance, submission, baptism (identity change), or any objective evidence of authentic regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Paul's confidence rests exclusively on the Philippians' partnership in advancing the gospel (v.5), which exposes legitimate regeneration versus superficial religion that is rooted in feelings, experience, customs, ritual, and consensus rather than God's WORD.

"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day." -Psalm 46:5

This verse is grossly misconstrued as empowerment for women; they wrongly believe that "her" refers to "girl power" rather than to the city of Jerusalem as God's dwelling place amid depravity and chaos, foreshadowing the true temple in Christ. It's not a verse that affirms or idolizes individualistic feminism while bypassing submission to Christ's sovereignty.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" -Matthew 18:20

This verse is widely abused to validate small, casual gatherings as an authoritative church presence. The context is church discipline and binding decisions under Christ's authority, warning against consumerist faith that scatters rather than gathers in obedient assembly according to Jesus' mission for His Body & Bride.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves... I will heal their land" -2 Chronicles 7:14

This verse is one that almost invariably pops up around July 4th. It's (mis)applied to modern nations like the United States to call for spiritual revival through politics. The words were spoken to Solomon about Israel and the temple, highlighting God's covenant with His people, not Christian nationalism that seeks to build earthly kingdoms and worship the idol of political party affiliation over the gospel.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" -Proverbs 22:6

Tragically, this verse is often treated as a guarantee against wayward children if we would just expose them to cultural Christianity. King Jesus isn't a vaccination. "The way" isn't contemporary Christian culture. That's "a way" that "seems right" to us. It's not "the way" of Christ that is narrow and exclusive. Proverbs are maxims, general truths, not absolute or irrevocable promises. The passage compels parents, families, communities, and churches to diligent submission to God's authoritative WORD. Systemic, universal human depravity requires divine, supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit, not mere exposure to religious traditions, customs, a Christian worldview, and moral training.

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God... will also provide the way of escape" -1 Corinthians 10:13

This verse is frequently misused for any trial or hardship, specifically regarding temptation to sin, with a guaranteed escape or deliverance through repentance. The misapplication of the verse seeks consequence-free excuses for sin and rebellion via worldly sorrow that masquerades as victimhood. This disingenuous attitude aligns with the Serpent's desire to deceive rather than the Serpent Crusher's humble submission and surrender... to death, even death on a cross.

Marvel Zombies - Satan's Playbook

 

In a world where Disney churns out endless streams of forgettable rubbish—remakes, reboots, and rainbow-washed propaganda—the only gem worth the subscription fee is Marvel Zombies.

It’s not just a comic-turned-show; it’s prophetic pixels, a mirror to the real global plague gnawing at civilization’s bones.

Picture this: the Avengers, those paragons of heroism, stand tall as symbols of the “good” folks—politicians promising justice, pastors preaching peace and forgiveness, teachers molding minds, heroes fighting for the little guy. But one bite from the infection, and they’re shambling undead, eyes glazed with the virus of woke fascism and liberal delusion.

Captain America, once a shield for freedom, now enforces “equity” at gunpoint, devouring dissenters who cling to “outdated” notions like biological truth or biblical authority...

Iron Man, the genius billionaire, funnels his tech into surveillance states, tracking “hate speech” (anything Hilary or Biden disagree with) while his armor rusts with virtue-signaling stickers.

Black Widow? She’s leading workshops on “inclusive espionage,” where secrets are shared equally—until everyone knows nothing, and trust crumbles like a stale wafer.

Then there’s Thanos and his ilk—the obvious scumbags, televangelists fleecing flocks with prosperity gospels, Hollywood celebs preaching from private jets about climate doom, politicians swapping souls for votes.

They’re the overt villains, snapping fingers to erase half the population under guises of “population control” or “sustainable equity.”

But the plague doesn’t discriminate; it levels the field in total depravity. Islam’s radicals join the horde, their calls to prayer and Sharia Law morphing into howls for submission, blending seamlessly with the left’s chants for “tolerance” that tolerates no opposition.

All infected share one mindless craving: devour humanity’s soul and raze civilization. Today, they masquerade as angels of light—poor immigrants and social justice warriors building Babel towers of ideology, humanitarian efforts that starve the spirit, government “assistance” that enslaves.

It’s Satan’s playbook: steal, kill, and destroy via lies that “seem” good, enticing hearts deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9) to lean on human understanding rather than trust the Lord. Counterfeit kingdoms rise—a global state of socialism as salvation, progressive “Christianity” subverting Scripture, Islam sweeping like a plague… all filthy rags falling short of God’s glory.

Yet in this undead apocalypse, a remnant endures, unturned by the bite. They’re the true seed of Christ Jesus, the Serpent Crusher (Genesis 3:15), gathering in faithful churches, unrelenting in the inerrancy, sovereignty, and sufficiency of the WORD of God. Elect exiles, growing in the faith and knowledge of Christ, giving lives in obedience, and going as His witnesses.

They know the exclusive remedy: the Gospel incarnate, Christ crucified, risen, and returning soon. The light of the world pierces the darkness. Disney+ nailed it with Marvel Zombies—unwittingly exposing the endgame of the Serpent’s rebellion against the one true God of eternal Holy Trinity.

Too bad the rest of their catalog is just more brains for the mindless horde.

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

Follow RevKev on YouTube

Jesus - The Only Way, Truth, and Life John 14:6-7

 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”
-John 14:6-7

Islam is all about forceful submission to one God, called Allah, with Muhammad as His final prophet. Islam’s teachings have RADICALLY changed over time. When Muhammad started preaching in Mecca, he didn’t have much power, so the Quran’s early verses (called Meccan surahs) talk about peace and getting along with others, like Surah 2:256, which says there’s “no forcing people into religion.” But later, when Muhammad moved to Medina and gained a big following and power, the Quran’s newer verses (Medinan surahs) got scary. They call for jihad, or holy war, to forcibly spread Islam.

These later verses say to fight non-Muslims (called “infidels”) until they either:

• Convert to Islam,

• Pay a special tax (jizya) to live as second-class citizens (Surah 9:29),

• Or face death or slavery (Surah 9:5, 47:4).

Some verses even allow taking women captives as slaves (Surah 4:24). The goal? Make the whole world follow Islam, called Dar al-Islam. These revised teachings effectively “cancel out” the earlier peaceful ones in a rule called naskh. So, Islam’s later focus is on spreading its rule by force. And here's the problem: the Quran says it’s always consistent (Surah 4:82), but these obvious changes from peace to violence are inherently contradictory. The Quran also teaches that the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Bible (Torah, Psalms, and Gospel) are true and from God (Surah 5:43-47), but later Islamic ideas claim the Bible got “corrupted” to make the Quran the only “true” book. That was Muhammad's way of conveniently pushing aside the Bible’s teachings to justify Islam’s new direction of violence and slavery for the endgame of world domination.

How Is Christianity Different?

Many people would argue that Christianity is no different. They would use historical events like the Spanish Inquisition, Crusades, etc., to support their ignorance. But here's the distinction: When Muslims act out of violence to accomplish their objectives, they are acting in accordance with the teachings of Islam. When they act out of peace and altruism, they are acting out of harmony with the teachings of the Quran. Contrastingly, when Christians act out of violence to accomplish their objectives, they are acting in sinful disobedience to the WORD and will of God.

Christianity, based on the Bible (Old and New Testaments), when rightly understood in context, is consistent from start to finish. Certain things described in the Bible aren't necessarily prescriptive, and that's a HUGE distinction. Muslims acting in violence are acting IN harmony with the teachings of their belief system. Christians acting in violence are acting OUT of harmony with the teachings of Scripture. The Bible teaches:

• God is holy and never changes.

• All people are sinful and need saving (Romans 3:23).

• Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the cosmos (1 Peter 1:19-20; Rev. 13:8), died on the cross and rose again to save and redeem humanity (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

The Bible teaches us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and spread the Good News through peaceful means, not violence. Salvation comes by trusting Jesus, not by works or forcing others (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Old Testament points to Jesus, and the New Testament shows He fulfilled those promises (Matthew 5:17). It’s one clear story, no contradictions.

Why They Don’t Mix

Islam and Christianity can’t both be true—they not only clash, but are completely irreconcilable... big time. First off, King Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Since King Jesus perfectly accomplished all He set out to, saying from the cross, “It is finished.” Therefore, the office of PROPHET is permanently closed. Therefore, anyone after Jesus who claims to be a prophet, including Muhammad, must attach “false” to that title. They are all heretics, blasphemers, and liars.

Islam conveniently claims Jesus was a regular guy... just a prophet, maybe, but not God the Son. Islam denies His sinless life and His essential substutionary death on the cross (Surah 4:157). But Christianity affirms that Jesus is God the Son, the WORD incarnate! His death and resurrection are the only way to be saved, the only objective truth, and the only life (John 3:18-19)! Islam pushes laws and advocates for violence to spread globally to accomplish its endgame. Christianity calls for meekness, faith, love, service, humility, and trusting God to regenerate hearts through the power of His Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5).

The Bible warns about false teachings that seem good but lead people away from Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:14). Islam’s shift to violence and its claim that the Bible had been corrupted by the infidels... these are the devious ways of Satan, that insidious Serpent of Eden, to reject Jesus as humanity's only Savior. The Bible says we must test ourselves to see if we’re truly following Christ (2 Cor 13:5) by living out our faith—gathering with His church, growing in faith, giving our lives sacrificially to Him, and going in the power and unity of the GOSPEL of PEACE to share Christ's love for and with the world (Matthew 12:30; Acts 1:8).

Wrapping It Up

Islam’s later teachings push for world control through jihad, holy war, which means any means necessary (fighting, killing, enslaving, and taxing non-Muslims into forced conversion). It changed when it suited Muhammad. That's the same tactic utilized everywhere today. European countries and the United States have opened our borders with the best of intentions! Lady Liberty proudly heralds, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” But once welcomed, true Muslims switch from peaceful immigrants to violent jihadists!

Its flip-flop on the Bible’s authoritative truth exposes how it deceives as the seed and tool of its father, the Devil. Christianity, though, sticks to one message: Jesus, the Christ, is the only way to God the Father, and Christ's true followers are called to patiently love (not enslave, dehumanize, and murder), to share the everlasting life-giving GOSPEL TRUTH. The gap between them is not merely huge; it's insurmountable. King Jesus, the Serpent Crusher, and Muhammed, the Serpent's seed, aren't kin. Jesus Christ offers us the choice of redemption, salvation, and everlasting life. Muhammed's Islam offers no choice at all... convert or die violently.

Then there's Muhammad's marrying a six-year-old girl, named Aisha (Sahih Bukhari 5134), but that's a story for another day.

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

Having Girded Up The Loins of Your Minds 1 Peter 1:13

 

📖SCRIPTURE:

“Therefore, having girded up the loins of your minds, being unintoxicated, set your hope fully on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts of your ignorance, but as the One who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

1 Peter 1:13-16

🔎REFLECTION:

Peter’s command isn't to gird up, but to set our hope fully on the grace of Christ. It flows directly from God’s covenantal pattern revealed from Genesis onward. “Having girded up the loins of your minds” (ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας) draws on Exodus imagery: Israel girded themselves for the first Passover (Ex 12:11) in readiness to exit Egypt. In the same way, Christ's saints are called to live in the reality of our new identity... no longer sinners, but redeemed saints in Christ, ready for the Lamb of God’s final deliverance (John 1:29; Rev 19:7-9). Being “unintoxicated” recalls Paul’s charge in 1 Thess 5:6-8 to remain sober, awake, and clothed with the armor of faith and love, because the day of the Lord comes like a thief. This is not simply about alcohol; it's about avoiding the hedonistic intoxications of the world (1 John 2:15-17) and the spiritual apathy induced by religious familiarity (Rev 3:1-3).

Proximity vs. Faith

Scripture repeatedly testifies that proximity to the Holy One does not guarantee obedience or saving faith. Adam and Eve walked with God (Gen 3:8) yet rejected His word (Gen 3:6). Noah, though righteous (Gen 6:9), later stumbled in drunken shame (Gen 9:21). Abram obeyed God’s call (Gen 12:4) yet later demanded a sign (Gen 15:2-3). Moses conversed with God “face to face” (Ex 33:11) but was barred from the Promised Land for disobedience (Num 20:12). Aaron’s sons offered unauthorized fire and were killed for it (Lev 10:1-3). Eli the priest and his sons corrupted the sanctuary (1 Sam 2:12-17). Jonah fled the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3). Even anointed and appointed kings — Saul, David, Solomon — fell to rebellion (1 Sam 15:11; 2 Sam 11; 1 Kgs 11:4). Judas lived three years beside Christ yet betrayed Him (John 13:18-30). Peter, included in Christ's innermost circle, denied even knowing the LORD three times (Luke 22:54-62).

This chorus of failure reinforces Peter’s point: “Do not be conformed to the former lusts of your ignorance” (1 Pet 1:14). Familiarity with sacred things (idols) hardens rather than softens (Heb 3:12-13). Proximity produces lukewarm religion, which can never replace genuine faith (Heb 4:2); for faith alone produces worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

God’s Unilateral Covenant and Christ’s Curse-Bearing

Genesis 15 reveals the heart of the gospel in budding “seed” form. It was standard practice throughout the Ancient Near East for two parties “cut” a covenant. Walking between the divided carcasses signified: “May I be as these animals if I break this covenant.” Yet in Genesis 15:17 it is God alone — symbolized by the smoking firepot and blazing torch — who passes between the pieces. The Almighty binds Himself to bear the covenant curse for the faithlessness of the lesser party (collective humanity). Paul identifies this fulfillment in Christ: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal 3:13), echoing Isaiah’s Suffering Servant (Isa 53:4-6). This is why the Cross is no tragic accident but the preordained plan of God from before the story's beginning (Gen 1:1; Rev 13:8; Acts 2:23).

Holiness as Covenant Identity

The Apostle Peter grounds holiness not in something as banal as subjective moralistic self-improvement but in God’s eternally perfect nature: “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44; 19:2). This covenantal God bore the curse in His covenant-loyalty (Strong's Hebrew 2617) to redeem a remnant of humanity, that remnant now bears His likeness through our baptism/identity in Christ Jesus. Our justification in Christ invariably leads to our sanctification (Rom 6:1-14) by the Holy Spirit (Phil 1:6). Holiness is our new covenantal identity (Jer 31:33-34; Ezk 36:26-27; Heb 8:10). Jesus’ parable of the proper wedding apparel (Matt 22:11-14) shows that proximity to the feast is not enough. All are invited. Few accept. Fewer still will be found clothed in Christ’s righteousness (Rev 19:7-8). All others will be given over to the sin of their autonomy, rebellion, and self-righteousness.

Testing Ourselves in Light of the Final Revelation

Peter’s imperative to “set your hope fully on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:13) points forward to the eschaton (last things) when Christ returns (Rev 1:7), not to bear sin, but for those eagerly awaiting Him (Heb 9:28). Eagerly awaiting is not subjective. Scripture reveals it objectively as those who are: 1) joyfully gathering with Christ, 2) intentionally growing together in the faith and reality of God's Son, 3) lavishly giving themselves away to build up His Body & Bride, and 4) intentionally going in the power and unity of the GOSPEL. The grace Peter refers to is not universalism (everyone get's into heaven). It is the consummation of redemption for those who endure in faith until the end (Matt 24:13; Heb 3:14; Rev 2:10).

Jesus warned that many will say, “Lord, Lord,” yet be cast out (Matt 7:21-23). Therefore, 2 Cor 13:5 commands self-examination: “Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” But since “the heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer 17:9), our self-test must be anchored in God’s objective Word (Ps 139:23-24).

In summary, 1 Peter 1:13-16 is both a warning and a promise: God’s people, having been redeemed at unimaginable cost, those having already girded up their minds, are to remain unintoxicated, sober, with our hope fully in, and living holy lives with gratitude and reverence. This is not an earned salvation of merit, but rather the embodiment of it (Phil 2:12-13). For the non-Christian, this is a battle cry to forsake the lies and illusions of neutrality, self-righteousness, and subjective goodness and not only turn to Christ, but to deny self, pick up our cross daily, and follow the King of kings wherever He leads... in faith.

🤺ACTION:

1. Pray Psalm 139:23-24 daily — asking the Spirit to expose areas where “proximity” has replaced true faith.

2. Examine your life through Scripture — not through feelings or comparisons, but through the plumb line of God’s revealed Word (2 Cor 13:5; Heb 4:12), i.e., the sixty-six books of the Bible.

3. Renew your mind (Rom 12:1-2) — be honest about identifying worldly intoxications (philosophies, habits, addictions, influences, lusts) and replace them with biblical truth (Ps 1:1-3; Col 3:16).

4. Commit to active holiness — engage your local church as a functioning member of Christ’s Body and Bride (Eph 5:25-27; 1 Cor 12:12-27), not as a spectator or consumer.

5. Fix your hope on Christ’s return — rehearse the promises of His coming (1 Thess 4:16-17; 2 Pet 3:11-13) as your anchor (Heb 6:19).

6. Test every spirit — apply 1 John 4:1 to discern whether the teachings, doctrines, leadership, and ministry of your church truly align with God’s Word. Don't assume. Evaluate the qualifications of pastors and preachers (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), the soundness of church doctrine (Acts 17:11; Jude 1:4), and the priorities of church ministry (Matt 28:18-20) to ensure they are, in fact, building up Christ’s Church rather than parachurch agendas and the contemporary lies of worldly “social gospels” (Gal 1:6-9; 2 Cor 11:13-15).

🙏PRAYER:

Holy Father, gracious Son, and life-giving Spirit — God of eternal Holy Trinity — I am in awe of Your holiness and rejoice in Your mercy and grace. Father, search me and know me; expose every idol and trace of self-righteousness within. Lord Jesus, Lamb slain from the foundation of the cosmos, thank You for bearing the curse and giving Yourself in death to clothe Your Bride in Your perfect and spotless righteousness. Holy Spirit, open my eyes, teach me Your ways, peel away the scales, regenerate me, and renew my heart by the living WORD. Make me obedient as one who girds up my mind, remains sober, setting my hope fully on Christ, and walking in holiness as a devoted member of His Body and faithful member of His Bride. I repent of lukewarm, empty religion and surrender myself wholly to Your sanctifying work. Make me holy, for You are holy. Amen.

Click the following link for a short video version of today's post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/6usk29bd-Dg?feature=shared

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com

For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy 1 Peter 1:16

 

📖SCRIPTURE:

“For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

1 Peter 1:16

🔎REFLECTION:

When Peter writes, “For it is written,” he does not treat Scripture as human advice but as God’s present-tense speech. The Greek γέγραπται (“it stands written”) is a perfect passive verb meaning “it has been written and still stands.” Jesus Himself wielded this formula in His wilderness temptations (Matt 4:4, 7, 10; Luke 4:4, 8, 12), grounding His resistance to Satan in the written Word. Paul uses the same phrase repeatedly to show that Scripture’s authority is enduring and binding (Rom 1:17; 1 Cor 1:19; Gal 3:10).

Thus, “For it is written” is not mere citation but invocation: the Spirit-inspired, sufficient, inerrant, perfect, and unchanging Word of God (2 Tim 3:16–17; Ps 119:89). Peter’s quotation of Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7–8 underscores seamless continuity between the Old and New Testaments — the holy God of Sinai is the holy Father who calls us in Christ. The God of both covenants (Old and New) is the same unchanging God of eternal Holy Trinity.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 declares “All Scripture is God-breathed” (theopneustos). This term signals that Scripture’s origin is in God Himself, not merely in human authors. As Jesus affirmed, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Peter himself insists “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20–21). This is why the Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12). God’s Word is His breath — His very life and authority transmitted to us (Ps 33:6; Isa 55:10–11).

Proverbs 1:7 literally frames “The Fear of the LORD” as the genesis (רֵאשִׁית reʾshith) of knowledge, wisdom, and correction. This is not a mood of awe but the objective alignment of our thinking and living with His revealed will. Psalm 19:7–11 draws this link through Hebraic parallelism: the law, testimony, precepts, commandments, fear of the LORD, and judgments are all synonyms describing the same reality — God’s revealed Word. To “fear” Him is to receive and obey His instruction.

Therefore, holiness is not abstract piety but concrete conformity to God’s revealed truth. This is why Peter, quoting Leviticus, moves seamlessly from “obedient children” (1 Pet 1:14) to “Be holy” (1 Pet 1:16). God’s holiness is the standard; His Word reveals it; His Spirit empowers it.

John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” The eternal Son embodies the fullness of God’s self-revelation (Heb 1:1–3). The written Word testifies to the living Word. Genesis 3:15 promises the Serpent-Crusher; Genesis 49:10 names Shiloh, the rightful ruler; Isaiah 9:6–7 reveals the divine Son; all of Scripture converges in Christ Jesus (Luke 24:27, 44–45). To despise or distort God’s Word is to despise or distort Christ Himself (John 5:39–40).

Thus, holiness is Christlikeness, and Christlikeness flows from Scripture-informed obedience. The Bible is not a collection of ancient religious ideas to be contemplated but God’s immutable revelation pointing to His Son. By calling us to holiness, Peter commands us to mirror the perfect character of the Word made flesh. It's not a call or cry to try harder.

This doctrine dismantles every modern attempt to pit “spirituality” against “theology,” or “experience” against “Scripture.” God’s Spirit and God’s Word are never in competition. The Spirit’s sword is the Word (Eph 6:17). The Bride of Christ is washed by the water of the Word (Eph 5:25–27). The Church’s health is tested by and depends upon her fidelity to God’s written, God-breathed truth (Acts 20:27–30; Jude 1:3–4).

Therefore, Peter’s short phrase, “For it is written,” summons us to stand with the loins of our minds girded up for obedient action under Scripture as God’s unassailable, sufficient, and binding authority — not merely to admire it, but obey it fully without compromise. Holiness isn't the requirement of the Christian life, but rather the supernatural fruit of hearing and doing (James 1:22–25), of trembling at His Word (Isa 66:2), and of living holy lives in light of the coming revelation of Christ (1 Pet 1:13).

🤺ACTION:

1. Recenter on the Word — Commit to daily reading and prayerful meditation on Scripture as God’s living speech, not merely an inspirational text (Ps 1:1–3; Col 3:16).

2. Revere and Obey — Move beyond admiration to action: the “Fear of the LORD” equals joyful adoration and obedience to His commands (Prov 1:7; Ps 19:7–11; John 14:15).

3. Test Every Spirit and Teaching — Evaluate pastors, teachers, and doctrines against Scripture’s standard (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11; 2 Cor 11:13–15; Jude 1:4, 12, 16). Holiness begins with discernment and ends with obedience.

4. Conform Your Life to Christ the Word — The written Word reveals the living Word. Pursue holiness by surrendering habits, thoughts, and priorities to His authority (Rom 12:1–2; Heb 12:1–2).

5. Anticipate Christ’s Return — Holiness isn't purely eschatological (reserved for heaven). Live now as already citizens of the coming kingdom (Phil 3:20–21; 2 Pet 3:11–14).

🙏PRAYER:

Holy Father, eternal Son, and life-giving Spirit — my tongue confesses and my knees bow before Your Word, which forever stands in the heavens (Ps 119:89). Heavenly Father, I confess that I have often treated Your Word as optional or advisory rather than as my very lifeline (Deut 32:47). Lord Jesus, the living Word, I thank You that all sixty-six books of Holy Scripture points to You, the Serpent-Crusher, the Light of the world, the Shiloh who holds the rod and scepter. Holy Spirit, who breathed out the Word through prophets and apostles, breathe that Word into me anew. Peel away my blindness, convict me of disobedience, and empower me to walk in holiness. Make me obedient as a child of God... not only reading but revering and obeying the Father's will. Anchor my mind, heart, soul, strength, and life in Your perfect, sufficient, and immutable Word, until You call me home or the day we see the Word incarnate return in glory. Amen.

Click the following link for a short video version of today's post:

https://youtube.com/shorts/q7pt7fwNVmc?feature=shared

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com