Conditional Prophecy, Faith, and the Example of Jesus

 In Scripture, we see that God often speaks warnings or promises—prophecies that interact with people's choices. Sometimes, these prophecies are conditional, depending on repentance, obedience, or faith. Other times, they are deterministic, fulfilling God’s ultimate plan no matter what.

Take the story of Jonah and Nineveh: God warned the city of impending judgment. The people had a choice—to repent or to persist in sin. They repented, and God relented. The prophecy was conditional, and their faith and response changed the outcome.

This pattern becomes even more profound in the life of Jesus.

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Jesus’ Example

Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet He did not sin. That means His choice was real—He could have yielded to temptation, but He did not. On the cross, John 17 shows Jesus exercising trust in His Father, knowing the suffering He would endure, and trusting in the resurrection to vindicate Him.

Faith, therefore, is not just a passive gift. Romans 10:17 reminds us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Jesus is the pattern of active faith: hearing the Word, trusting God, and responding in faith.

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Conditional Prophecy in Action

Here’s the flow:

1. Prophecy / Warning – God gives a warning or promise

2. Hearing / Awareness – people or Jesus perceive the warning

3. Choice / Temptation – A real decision must be made

4. Exercise of Faith – Trusting God’s Word and promises

5. Obedience / Response – Acting according to faith

6. Outcome – Conditional prophecy is fulfilled or withheld; mercy or judgment realized

In Jesus, faith is perfect and active, showing us the example of faith for responding to God’s Word as in John 17, Galatians 2:15 and Philippians 3:9..."the faith of Christ." In people and groups' examples—such as: Nineveh, Hezekiah, or rebellious kings—the outcome depends on how faith is exercised.

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Takeaway

Therefore it seems that prophecy, faith, and obedience are intertwined. God’s warnings are real, but He gives people the responsibility to respond. Jesus shows the perfect response, modeling faith in action. Our role is to hear and trust - faith is the conduit, not a passive gift Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast. What is grace it is the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ(1 Corinthians 15:1-4. What are we save from the 2nd death (Revelation 21:8.)

Be Still My Soul

 

Before 1611: God Didn’t Drop a Bible from the Sky (Part 1)

 For many believers, the story of the English Bible seems to begin in 1611 with the King James Version. It’s familiar, trusted, and for good reason deeply loved. But history tells us something important right up front:

God did not drop an English Bible from the sky.

What we hold today came through a long and costly process—through faithful men, dangerous choices, and a conviction that ordinary people should be able to read the words of God for themselves.

This isn’t a story about tearing down the KJV.
It’s a story about how God preserved His word long before it had royal approval.

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When Scripture Was Locked Away

For centuries, the Bible in Western Europe existed primarily in Latin. That wasn’t a problem for scholars and clergy—but it was a wall for everyone else. Farmers, craftsmen, mothers, children—the very people Scripture was written to instruct—were largely dependent on secondhand explanations.

And that dependence mattered.

Once Scripture is mediated only through authority, it becomes easy for tradition to quietly replace the text. The issue was never that Latin was sinful. The issue was control.

So when men began asking whether the Bible could—and should—be read in the common tongue, it wasn’t seen as a harmless project. It was seen as a threat.

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Translation as an Act of Faith

Translating Scripture wasn’t merely academic work. It was a confession:

• That God’s word is clear enough to be read

• That truth does not require a gatekeeper

• That faith grows best when rooted in the text itself

Those convictions came at a cost.

Long before printing presses filled England, handwritten English Scriptures were copied in secret. Later, when the press made distribution possible, it also made persecution faster and more public.

Some translators were imprisoned.
Some were burned.
Some labored in exile, knowing they might never return home.

Not because they hated the church—but because they loved the Word.

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A Stream, Not a Moment

The King James Version did not appear in isolation. It stands at the end of a stream already flowing—fed by earlier English efforts, continental reformers, and believers who believed Scripture should speak plainly.

English translators were not alone. Across Europe, the same conviction was taking root: God’s word belongs to God’s people.

This matters because it reframes how we think about preservation. God did not preserve His word by freezing it in one moment of history. He preserved it through faithful transmission, careful translation, and an unbroken concern for accuracy and clarity.

The miracle is not that one translation exists.
The miracle is that the Word survived opposition at every step.

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Why This Series Exists

This series is not an exhaustive history. It’s not a defense of one camp or an attack on another. It’s a brief look at the men and moments that shaped the English Bible before 1611—so that when we open our Bibles today, we do so with gratitude instead of assumption.

If God was faithful to preserve His word through persecution, exile, and human weakness, then the real question isn’t which translation we defend—but whether we’re willing to read, study, and believe the Scriptures those men risked everything to give us.

In the next post, we’ll meet one of them—a man whose English still echoes every time we open our Bibles, even if we don’t know his name.

God Is Not the Author of Confusion

 One verse keeps returning to my mind whenever discussions about election, appointment, or salvation order become tangled:

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.”
(1 Corinthians 14:33)

Paul says this in a practical context, but the statement reveals something deeper about God Himself. God does not operate through disorder, contradiction, or hidden chaos. His work—whether in creation, revelation, or salvation—has coherence.

That matters when we read difficult passages.

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Ordinance, Appointment, and Order

Psalm 119:91 says of creation:

“They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.”

Creation stands because God set it in order. The universe is not random; it is governed. Seasons repeat, cause and effect hold, and life functions within a framework God established.

That same idea helps when reading Acts 13:48:

“As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”

Some older translations use language closer to ordained or set in order. Newer translations often choose appointed or designated. The word choice can sound heavy to modern ears, but the underlying idea is consistent with Scripture: God works according to order.

This does not mean God forces belief. It means belief occurs within the framework God has established—just as life exists within the framework of creation.

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Salvation Has an Order

Ephesians 2:8 gives us a simple sequence:

• grace

• faith

• salvation

Grace precedes.
Faith responds.
Salvation follows.

That is not confusion. That is order.

If salvation were arbitrary, incoherent, or internally contradictory, Scripture would reflect that. Instead, Scripture repeatedly explains, reasons, persuades, warns, and invites.

Paul can say:

• “Faith comes by hearing”

• “We persuade men”

• “Be reconciled to God”

Those appeals only make sense if God’s way of saving is intelligible.

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Translation and Tone

Sometimes newer translations sound like a parent saying, “We’ll see.”
Not wrong—but vague enough to plant uncertainty.

Older language often leaned toward ordinance and order because those words emphasized stability. Not unpredictability. Not confusion.

The 1611 translators were not inventing theology; they were using the vocabulary of their time to express an orderly God working through an orderly plan.

Later spelling updates didn’t change that foundation.

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Creation as the Illustration

If someone struggles with words like ordained or appointed, creation is a helpful place to start.

God did not micromanage every leaf falling, yet He ordained the system.
God does not force faith, yet He ordained the way salvation works.

Different realm.
Same God.
Same consistency.

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A Final Thought

If God is not the author of confusion, then whatever we believe about salvation must:

• be coherent

• be consistent with the gospel call

• align with the character of God revealed in Scripture

Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
Let order explain order.
And let God remain who He says He is.

Calvinism, Arminianism, and Dispensationalism — A Quick Guide (with my two cents)

 If you’ve ever tried to wrap your head around God’s sovereignty, human choice, and prophecy, you’ve probably stumbled across Calvinism, Arminianism, and Dispensationalism. They each have their strengths… and yes, a few quirks that make you sweat a little.

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1. Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism

In a nutshell: God is in ultimate control. Like, everything.

Core Beliefs:

• God chooses who will be saved — predestination is a big deal here.

• Jesus’ death saves the elect — not everyone automatically.

• Once saved, you’re saved. No take-backs.

• God orchestrates events, but humans still have “secondary responsibility” (whatever that means in practice).

Pros:

• Super comforting if you like knowing God’s plan cannot fail.

• Your salvation is secure — no worries about a “slip-up” derailing the plan.

• Explains why God’s plans always succeed, despite our screw-ups.

Cons / Things to sweat over:

• Can feel like you’re watching a cosmic puppet show — are humans really free?

• Hard to reconcile some Bible verses about choice and responsibility.

Hyper-Calvinism (for context):

• Pushes Calvinism to the extreme.

• Suggests God actively controls every action, leaving almost no room for choice.

• Feels a bit like being a pawn in a cosmic chess game — not my cup of tea.

• My questions: how do you know that you are one of the elect? What if you're not and you just think you are sense it's not your choice? That could be sweating time.

• Did God made me do bad and blame me for it?

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2. Arminianism

In a nutshell: Your choices actually matter. Yep — sweat a little here. 😅

Core Beliefs:

• God offers grace to everyone — you get to say yes or no.

• Salvation can be lost if you turn your back or persist in sin (conditional security).

• God foreknows what you’ll choose, but He doesn’t predetermine it.

Pros:

• Makes human choice and responsibility real.

• Faith and obedience actually count.

• Feels very personal — God sees your yes or no.

Cons / Things to sweat over:

• Can create anxiety: “Wait, what if I mess this up?”

• Might underplay God’s ultimate control of history.

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3. Dispensationalism

In a nutshell: God runs different “programs” for humanity at different times. Think of it like divine seasons or phases.

Core Beliefs:

• Scripture must be rightly divided — promises apply differently depending on the dispensation.

• Church Age is separate from Israel’s covenantal promises.

• Humans are responsible for their choices; God foreknows, but doesn’t force.

• Prophecy often focuses on Israel, not necessarily the Church.

Pros:

• Provides a framework for understanding God’s plan across history.

• Makes sense of who warnings and promises apply to.

• Keeps human responsibility real while honoring God’s omniscience.

Cons / Things to sweat over:

• Can get technical — you might feel like you need a theology degree.

• Easy to over-divide Scripture if you’re not careful.

System	God’s Sovereignty	Human Free Will	Security of Salvation	Focus
Calvinism	Very high	Limited	Eternal for the elect	God’s ultimate control
Arminianism	Moderate	High — you decide	Conditional — can be lost	Human responsibility
Dispensationalism	High — sees choices	High	Varied — age-dependent

Bottom Line

• Calvinism: God’s control is everything — sit back and relax (mostly).

• Arminianism: Your choice matters — so maybe sweat a little.

• Dispensationalism: God runs different programs; your choices still matter, but prophecy and Israel add layers of complexity.

All three attempt to wrestle with foreknowledge, human choice, and prophecy. No one system solves every tension, but understanding the differences helps you navigate Scripture thoughtfully — and maybe enjoy the mental workout. 💪

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If you like, I can also make a super-short “quick-read” version with punchy bullet points and examples — perfect for social media or sidebar posts — keeping your personality in it.

Seven Men Who Rule the World From the Grave — Episode 7: Michel Foucault

 

If Dewey trained culture to live without fixed truth, Michel Foucault trained it to distrust the very idea that truth ever existed.

With Foucault, the progression reaches its logical conclusion. Truth is no longer something to be discovered, reinterpreted, or applied — it is something to be suspected. Claims of truth are not evaluated for accuracy, but interrogated for motive.

Knowledge as Power

Foucault argued that what societies call “truth” is inseparable from power. Knowledge does not stand above institutions, language, or culture — it is produced by them. Every claim to truth serves someone’s interests.

In this framework, truth does not liberate. It controls.

The task, then, is not to believe, but to unmask. Not to understand, but to deconstruct. Suspicion becomes a virtue, and certainty becomes a threat.

Language Dissolves Meaning

Foucault placed enormous weight on language. Words do not convey stable meaning; they shape and constrain thought. To control language is to control reality.

Once this assumption takes hold, communication itself becomes adversarial. Statements are no longer heard — they are analyzed. Intent matters more than content. Authority is always guilty until proven innocent.

Why Foucault Still Rules

Foucault rules from the grave whenever disagreement is framed as harm, conviction as violence, and clarity as domination. He rules wherever institutions are assumed corrupt by definition and moral claims are treated as masks for power.

You don’t have to read Foucault to think this way. His influence lives in cultural instincts — in the reflex to critique rather than understand.

Scripture Under Suspicion

The Bible cannot survive in a Foucauldian framework as Scripture. Its claims to truth and authority immediately place it under suspicion. It is no longer read to be understood, but examined to be exposed.

When Scripture speaks clearly, it is accused of oppression. When it refuses revision, it is labeled dangerous. The problem is not the text — but the framework brought to it.

The End of the Drift

At this point in the progression, nothing remains solid. Truth is power. Meaning is unstable. Authority is suspect. What began as reinterpretation ends in dissolution.

And yet, this was not planned.

These men did not work together. They lived in different times, different cultures, and addressed different questions. Still, their ideas form a coherent drift — not because of coordination, but because they shared a direction.

When revelation is set aside, something else must take its place. And what replaces it will inevitably reflect human authority, not divine truth.

A Final Word

This series has not been about demonizing thinkers or denying complexity. It has been about recognizing frameworks.

When the Bible refuses to cooperate with these frameworks, it is often blamed — footnoted into doubt, softened into suggestion, or dismissed as a relic. But Scripture does not exist to be managed. It exists to speak.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” — Hebrews 4:12

The question, in the end, is not whether these men still rule from the grave.

It is whether we will allow Scripture to rule the living.

It’s done.

Why Jesus Came — and Why It Matters

 

Over the course of this short series, we’ve let Scripture answer a simple question:

Why did Jesus come to earth?

The answer, when taken straight from the text, is both larger and steadier than many of us were taught.

Jesus came:

• Unto His own — not abstractly, but covenantally

• As a minister of the circumcision — to confirm promises already spoken

• Under the law — not above it

• To be rejected — not by accident, but according to Scripture

• So that grace might reach the nations — by mercy, not entitlement

None of this diminishes personal salvation.
It explains why it is secure.

From Me-Centered to God-Centered

When Jesus’ mission is reduced to “He came to save me,” faith can quietly become fragile. It rests on experience, emotion, or modern explanation.

But when Jesus is seen within the full biblical framework — promise, covenant, fulfillment, rejection, mystery, grace — salvation rests on something far sturdier:

The faithfulness of God.

Grace is no longer a floating concept.
It is anchored to promises kept.

A Gospel with a History

The New Testament does not begin a new story — it finishes an old one.

The gospel preached to the Gentiles flows from:

• Abraham’s promise

• David’s throne

• Israel’s Messiah

• and a rejection foretold by the prophets

That means our place in Christ is not accidental, secondary, or insecure. We are brought near because God first proved Himself true.

“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:20

Why This Perspective Matters Today

Seeing why Jesus came:

• guards us from shallow theology

• keeps grace from becoming entitlement

• preserves God’s character as faithful and unchanging

• and helps us read Scripture as one unified story

Most importantly, it moves our focus:
from what Christ does for me
to who God has shown Himself to be.

And that shift doesn’t weaken faith — it deepens it.

A Final Thought

If this series has done anything, let it simply slow us down.

Slow us down enough to let Scripture speak plainly.
Slow us down enough to see the gospel as something inherited, not invented.
Slow us down enough to worship a God who keeps His word — even when doing so costs Him His Son.

Jesus did come to save sinners.

But He came first to keep a promise.

And because He did, grace has reached even us.