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I grew up in a very conservative Protestant denomination. But as a teenager I began to study the Bible and realized that I needed to make some drastic changes in my views concerning the Bible. At age 21 I became a Sabbatarian, to the great displeasure of my widowed mother. However, once a few adjustments were made I settled down again to taking the easy route of reading very little from the Bible itself, but reading very much of what others said that was supposed to be based upon the Bible. After years of mental stagnation, painful circumstances caused me to examine virtually every belief that I had come to assume was the truth.
The Everlasting Kingdom website is the result of my topical Bible studies. The purpose of my 5 ebooks is to unravel as many of Father's (God's) mysteries as possible. The articles section represents the best explanations of other mysteries that I have encountered, written by others.
It takes very little effort to convince a child that there is a Santa Claus but the child learns early on of the deception. Not so with Christmas, for example. When your friends believe in something you are very inclined to accept it as truth. The longer you accept an error as truth the more work it takes to disprove it, and the more likely you will never even try to objectively consider the alternatives. I dutifully refrained from reading "dissident literature" for decades because the ministry assured me that it would jeopardize my name in the book of life. Is burying your head in sand actually what Abba wants? Why not really "test ALL things" as the Bible admonishes. Most of the topics on this site are rather lengthy. It takes quite a bit of explanation to address the myriad excuses for accepting the fairy tales that pass for truths.
This website represents an enormous expenditure of my time, a loss of friends and some expense. My books are actually a Biblical commentary of sorts. The Bereans had the right approach. With unfurled scrolls they challenged the assumptions of others, if not for them at least for themselves. While studying the "Word of Truth" is not the only requirement for being "APPROVED by Abba" it is certainly of tremendous importance and its value is amazingly under appreciated.
"Endeavor to present yourselves as "genuine and perfect" [dokimos] before Yehovah, one who maintains a straight course when teaching the Words of Truth a laborer who has no reason to be ashamed." 2 Timothy 2:15.
[The so-called "New Testament" was not yet written!]
What did Paul mean when he told Timothy to be "dokimos"? There is an interesting explanation!
From the Online Bible Greek Lexicon:
"1384 dokimos dok-ee-mos
from 1380; TDNT-2:255,181; adj
AV-approved 6, tried 1; 7
1) accepted, particularly of coins and money.
2) accepted, pleasing, acceptable
"In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into molds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called "dokimos" or "approved". (Donald Barnhouse)"
Paul was saying, in essence, that if you don’t study the Bible, then you aren’t a dokimos Believer, you're a counterfeit!
"Dont put out the spirits fire.
20 Don’t despise prophesies.
21 Analyze everything and hold tightly onto anything beneficial."
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
You simply dare not assume that your teachers are correct about anything! Never accept one sided "proofs". In a court room could you ever establish a truth by only listening to one side of an issue? False teachings and cleaver arguments have been polished for millennia. Understand the truths and understand the falsehoods that you are exposed to as well. Truth can only "set you free" if you are positive that it is genuine absolute truth!
The Bible is put together in such a way that you literally must take the time to put the pieces together topically to get the picture, otherwise you will be "snared and caught".
"So the Word of Yehovah will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; so that they can go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken". (WE) Isaiah 28:13
I once believed that my church leaders knew almost everything of value that could be found in the Bible. However, in about 1998, once I began laying out all of the Scriptures on a given topic, first from a Strong's Concordance and now with my computer, I have drastically changed many preconceptions and some of my beliefs have been adjusted more than once.
In a world with hundreds of Denominations, all claiming to be the best, I have come to believe that none of them correctly represents all of the teachings of Yeshua (Jesus). Most have some things right but none have even all of the "basics" right. Yet Elohim (God) did say that He would build Seven Assemblies in the end time (Revelation 2 & 3). As you read about them, these Seven Assemblies are plagued with heresies and factions and lukewarm people. Nevertheless, Abba is choosing at least minimally open minded people people, salted all over the earth, to make up His Ecclesia or Congregation or Assembly that He said that He would rebuild (it's not called a "Church"). (Those no longer learning new things may be spiritually brain dead!) This collective Assembly is composed of those willing to overcome the world, Satan and ourselves, "people who keep the commandments of Aloha (Aramaic for 'God') and the faith of Yeshua." (Revelation 14:12) Some have already been rejected by the "churches". As Yeshua (Jesus) said: You'll
be thrown out of their synagogues, and far worse, the time will come
when whoever kills you will believe that they are giving an offering to
YHVH." (John 16:2-3)
When I began writing my first book, I didn’t intend for it to be a book, in fact it wasn’t until it was 300+ pages long before I realized that "hey, this is a book!"
It began as a series of articles that I sent to "my church" with the hope that the leadership would consider them, and at least be willing to try to prove them wrong. "Surprisingly", I began wearing out my welcome, so I rather quietly just moved on. This time I quit before they threw me out.
Tho I had no master plan as to which topics to write on first, the flow of topics, generally reflected the order in which my own curiosity led me. Whenever I want to understand a topic or prove its validity I begin to accumulate Bible verses on it. By the time I finish, I have a chapter. As often as not, the conclusions are not what I had expected, or even desired. Of course, like everyone else, I attribute the coincidences and circumstances to our heavenly Father.
I decided that I wanted to make this information available to anyone who might happen upon these topics via the web and in print.
Lon W. Martin
House Painter Extraordinaire
