I have been watching the 2010 NFL Draft on ESPN. All of these young men being picked to play the game of football at the highest level. All around the first picks are the players families and girl friends and wives and of course, their agents. The prospects are all decked out in the finest suits with diamond earrings, expensive watches. All looking very prosperous. Prospective advertisers have opened the door to these men with these expensive gifts. Parents, who have sacrificed over the years, are finally going to be repaid for their giving. A lot of these boys have come from poor families and neighborhoods and this is, in their minds, the only way out of that life.
The only thing that hasn't been done for these young men is someone to teach them how to act with this new found status. Sadly, some of them will go down a very worldly path and make some very poor decisions. What they really need is someone to teach them how much better their lives would be if they had their spiritual lives together. Granted, some of them already have made that decision and kudos to them. However, many others will be caught up with the limelight and have their egos stroked and once again will be spoiled rotten by their agents and their future coaches. So much emphasis on self and the exaltation of self and God is left out of these men lives. The Bible states that is Jesus is lifted up, he will draw all men to Him.
All throughout history, mankind has worshipped the human body and the exploits of super-human athletes. The Greeks and the Romans were the biggest nations that exalted the human body and we have history to document their failure because of the immoral structure of their societies. The United States is headed in that same direction. We have watched prayer removed from our schools, the Ten Commandments removed from our public and government buildings. Now we have a President who has stated that the United States is no longer a Christian nation. I have to heartily disagree. He may wish that we are not a Christian nation, but at the heart of this country, WE ARE CHRISTIAN. When you see these young men touted for their athletic prowess, take some time and pray for them. Pray for godly men to take them under their wings. Pray for them to find a relationship with Jesus Christ before they are too far gone in the deceitfulness of riches and fame.
America, you need to fall to your knees and ask the Lord to forgive your sinfulness and do a one-eighty turn from this fixation with wealth and fame. Our lives on this earth consist a very short time compared to the facing of eternity. We will all find ourselves in eternity and all we had on this earth will do absolutely nothing then. America needs to get the priorities in order. Find Jesus, find life. Don't find Jesus, find hell's fire.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Blessings of Obeying
Where is this country headed? That question has been on my mind and heart a great deal lately. I see the center of our society falling further away from the biblical base it was established upon. The only religious reference I hear today is one of new age and self-deification. God no longer can be mentioned in the public school systems across the country without hearing from the representatived of the ACLU. One yelling voice in the 1960's had prayer taken from our children in school. Only a few voices have trumpeted the separation of church and state issue, which by the way was never said my Thomas Jefferson in a policy way. The squeaky wheel seems to get the grease in this country today rather than the majority that is supposed to rule in our nation. All of this is just a symptom of a great problem. Immorality is in the rule in this country and its evidences are everywhere. Its in our middle schools. They are the most sexually active group in our society today. The push of society is to not marry, but to live together so that there is an easy way out if one is not satisfied. Profanity dominates the vocabularities of our business world, even in our women and unfortunately in our young girls in high school and college. Respect for each other is no longer the ruling attitude. Rebellion now is seen in every situation of our society, even in the Church.
What this civilization needs is to go back to the principles that have made nations great from the beginning of time. The Laws of God must be re-instituted into the societies. My greatest concern is in the United States of America. Thousands of people fought and died in the formation of this great country that we have the privilege to live in today. But freedom breeds apathy and apathy is the recipe for slavery and the loss of the freedoms we have. When the people become apathic and turn over the administration of our lives to the central government of our country, we will lose our freedoms. But this too is still a symptom.
The Father, in His wisdom, centuries ago set in motion the principle of sacrificing our own wants and desires to do His will so that we could be free. It is faith that keeps us on the right track. When God knows that He can count on us to do His will, He will shower every blessing of the Word of God on us. My example is the patriarch, Abraham. God saw the faith of Abraham and loved him because of it. He even gave him a son when he and his wife Sarah were well beyond the years of bearing children. The reason that was made possible was because of the faith that Abraham had demonstrated for 25 years. At age 100 God gave Abraham his son, Isaac. Some years later when Isaac was a man of accountable age, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith and commitment to God's word to him.
If you have ever attended a church in your past, you know this story and its outcome. God spoke to Abraham just as he was about to kill his son and told him not to do it. Furthermore, God provided a ram for the sacrifice, so that Abraham could still offer a sacrifice upon the altar that he and his son had build. The moral here is that God requires us to be willing to sacrifice everything we have in order to prove our allegiance and faith to Him and His Word. It is in obedience that we find the blessings of the Father. It is written in the Bible that we can never regain through sacrifice what we lost by disobedience. If we are obedient we will never have to sacrifice. You see, that was done once and for all by Jesus Christ when He died. In the Old Testament, Isaac was a type of Jesus Christ. He was willing to have his father, Abraham, sacrifice him in order to be obedient to the word of God. Isaac is also a type of each of us. We should be dying for the sins we have committed, but God has provided a willing sacrifice for us through Jesus Christ, so that we don't have to die in sin and be separated from God and His goodness for eternity. All it takes is obedience to the call to repentance from our sinful lifestyles and a willingness to turn our lives over to the Father to live out his will in our lives in order to receive His blessings.
If you really want to see the greatness return to this country, then its time to come before the altar of God and repent of our ungodliness and immoral lifestyles and ask the Father to forgive us for trying to run our lives without Him, and turn our lives over to Him and His wisdom and ask Him to show us what we need to do in America to once again be respected in the world. Its time to return to a Judeo-Christian ethic in this country that throws off apathy and becomes proactive in society once again and not let a few very small interest groups run this country.
Christians, you can no longer sit on the sidelines and let someone else do it for you. That is what we have done and you can see what our country has become; Godless and lifeless. Now other countries hold the reins of our economy. We have government officials apologizing for our country and our desire to protect our way of life. How long will we sit on the sidelines and allow our neighbors to be enslaved by Satan and his society. How long will we allow our freedoms to slowly bleed out leaving us under the thumb-hold of an entitlement government mentality that wants to take away our rights that men and women have died for so that we can live a life of freedom from oppression. It really comes down to OBEDIENCE. Are you willing to be obedience to the Word of God and His laws? Only you can make that decision. I recommend that you do it today. Don't wait any longer.
What this civilization needs is to go back to the principles that have made nations great from the beginning of time. The Laws of God must be re-instituted into the societies. My greatest concern is in the United States of America. Thousands of people fought and died in the formation of this great country that we have the privilege to live in today. But freedom breeds apathy and apathy is the recipe for slavery and the loss of the freedoms we have. When the people become apathic and turn over the administration of our lives to the central government of our country, we will lose our freedoms. But this too is still a symptom.
The Father, in His wisdom, centuries ago set in motion the principle of sacrificing our own wants and desires to do His will so that we could be free. It is faith that keeps us on the right track. When God knows that He can count on us to do His will, He will shower every blessing of the Word of God on us. My example is the patriarch, Abraham. God saw the faith of Abraham and loved him because of it. He even gave him a son when he and his wife Sarah were well beyond the years of bearing children. The reason that was made possible was because of the faith that Abraham had demonstrated for 25 years. At age 100 God gave Abraham his son, Isaac. Some years later when Isaac was a man of accountable age, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith and commitment to God's word to him.
If you have ever attended a church in your past, you know this story and its outcome. God spoke to Abraham just as he was about to kill his son and told him not to do it. Furthermore, God provided a ram for the sacrifice, so that Abraham could still offer a sacrifice upon the altar that he and his son had build. The moral here is that God requires us to be willing to sacrifice everything we have in order to prove our allegiance and faith to Him and His Word. It is in obedience that we find the blessings of the Father. It is written in the Bible that we can never regain through sacrifice what we lost by disobedience. If we are obedient we will never have to sacrifice. You see, that was done once and for all by Jesus Christ when He died. In the Old Testament, Isaac was a type of Jesus Christ. He was willing to have his father, Abraham, sacrifice him in order to be obedient to the word of God. Isaac is also a type of each of us. We should be dying for the sins we have committed, but God has provided a willing sacrifice for us through Jesus Christ, so that we don't have to die in sin and be separated from God and His goodness for eternity. All it takes is obedience to the call to repentance from our sinful lifestyles and a willingness to turn our lives over to the Father to live out his will in our lives in order to receive His blessings.
If you really want to see the greatness return to this country, then its time to come before the altar of God and repent of our ungodliness and immoral lifestyles and ask the Father to forgive us for trying to run our lives without Him, and turn our lives over to Him and His wisdom and ask Him to show us what we need to do in America to once again be respected in the world. Its time to return to a Judeo-Christian ethic in this country that throws off apathy and becomes proactive in society once again and not let a few very small interest groups run this country.
Christians, you can no longer sit on the sidelines and let someone else do it for you. That is what we have done and you can see what our country has become; Godless and lifeless. Now other countries hold the reins of our economy. We have government officials apologizing for our country and our desire to protect our way of life. How long will we sit on the sidelines and allow our neighbors to be enslaved by Satan and his society. How long will we allow our freedoms to slowly bleed out leaving us under the thumb-hold of an entitlement government mentality that wants to take away our rights that men and women have died for so that we can live a life of freedom from oppression. It really comes down to OBEDIENCE. Are you willing to be obedience to the Word of God and His laws? Only you can make that decision. I recommend that you do it today. Don't wait any longer.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I grew up in a time when things moved a little slower, family was extremely important, and distances traveled were very short. For me, it was a big treat to go to town on weekends. There was the 5 and dime store and the drug store with the soda fountain and of course the candy store where you could overdose for only a nickel. By the way, you could walk the streets without any fear of being mugged or intimidated by gang groups. Everyone took the time to say hello and for the most part you knew most of the people you saw. Every year there was a Christmas Parade that was the most important thing going on during the holiday festivities other than being at church and participating in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
But there was one thing that I remember, that wasn't so good. People were very superstitious. Don't go under a ladder, it was bad luck. If a black cat crossed over your intended path that was back luck. Break a mirror and be domed to seven years of bad luck. If you spilled salt at the table, you had to shake salt over your left shoulder. If you came in the front door, you had to exit out of the same door. And my favorite, if you were left-handed, you owed the devil a day's work.
However, the devil was not an actual entity. He was this character all red with horns and a pitchfork, and wearing a red cape. He was more mischevious than evil. There was a difference between white lies and black lies, so don't be too hard on those who told such lies, it really wasn't too bad of a thing.
I have to tell you a deep dark fact. The devil is real. His name is Lucifer or Satan. At one time he was an archangel and led the worship in heaven. Somewhere along the way, I don't know where, and independent and self serving spirit entered into him and he tried to usurp God's authority and take God's throne. It cost him his position in heaven and he was casted out of heaven, along with the angels he was able to corrupt and was confined to earth. When God created man he gave him the responsibility of ruling over Satan. In a coup documented in the Book of Genesis, Satan took that authority away from man and set up his kingdom here on earth and changed his prison into a place for his throne. He has made it his purpose to steal every human he could away from God and enslave them under his power, thereby robbing man from the authority that he is supposed to have. In doing so, he has convinced this world that he isn't a threat and that we can co-exist with him. He has even set up his own religion. A religion based in fear and superstitution.
We have been lulled into a trance and have been hypnotized by Satan's devices. He has possessed man with a self servicing attitude that has no limits on what he is willing to do in order to fulfill the lusts that has been implanted by a devious slave lord. Satan's mantra is "if it feels good do it, there are no limitations." Satan requires no accountability or responsibility. Man is the center of his own universe and of course there is no God. Everythhing in the universe is just a big bang of happen stance.
May I tell you that if you are of this ilk, you are sadly mistaken and misinformed. Number One, there is a God and He made everything that is made and He has authority over all of His creation. Number Two, God holds us accountable for everything that we do, both good and bad. Number Three, Satan is a liar and has no authority unless you give it to him. He is a prisoner here and we are supposed to be his jailers. Number Four, Jesus Christ, God's only Son, left heaven and his place of authority and submitted himself to human frality to become a perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity and restore our place in God's order of things here on earth. Jesus gave us back our eternal life in the presence of the Father in heaven. One lie Satan has been successful in spinning is that when we die that's the end of it. However, the truth is that eternal life is a constant. Where you spend eternity is the variable. Satan didn't tell you that little tidbit, did he? We have the choice to choose heaven and eternity with the Father and His Son. We also have the choice to choose eternal damnation with Satan in the Lake of Fire.
My question to you is, Where do you want to live out eternity? Do you want to be blessed beyond measure or do you want to be cursed separated from those blessings. There is no other choice. God doesn't give us a third option. You must make you choice. You must choose one or the other. If you don't take the time to choose, you will be ushered in with Satan and his fate. You see, choice requires responsibility. Responsibility requires accountability. Accountability leads to God's acceptance because we accepted His Son's sacrifice. Obviously, the problem is that people don't want to be accountable and they somehow have gotten the notion that denial of accountability will make all their problems go away. Don't be fooled into that mindset. I ask you to look around you in nature and see if you can still hang on to the notion that you don't have to be accountable. We have a nature law in this world that whatever you do caused a like response. It's called the law of cause and effect. In common words, what you sow is what you will reap. Everyone is responsible for what he does and will reap accordingly. There is only one variable. When you realize that you are not in control and decide to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, you receive grace and mercy from a just God. It is the only way to beat the "law of cause and effect."
Do it today if you haven't already. If you have, then be sure to live a life of giving to others as a response to the favor of God in your life. OK?
But there was one thing that I remember, that wasn't so good. People were very superstitious. Don't go under a ladder, it was bad luck. If a black cat crossed over your intended path that was back luck. Break a mirror and be domed to seven years of bad luck. If you spilled salt at the table, you had to shake salt over your left shoulder. If you came in the front door, you had to exit out of the same door. And my favorite, if you were left-handed, you owed the devil a day's work.
However, the devil was not an actual entity. He was this character all red with horns and a pitchfork, and wearing a red cape. He was more mischevious than evil. There was a difference between white lies and black lies, so don't be too hard on those who told such lies, it really wasn't too bad of a thing.
I have to tell you a deep dark fact. The devil is real. His name is Lucifer or Satan. At one time he was an archangel and led the worship in heaven. Somewhere along the way, I don't know where, and independent and self serving spirit entered into him and he tried to usurp God's authority and take God's throne. It cost him his position in heaven and he was casted out of heaven, along with the angels he was able to corrupt and was confined to earth. When God created man he gave him the responsibility of ruling over Satan. In a coup documented in the Book of Genesis, Satan took that authority away from man and set up his kingdom here on earth and changed his prison into a place for his throne. He has made it his purpose to steal every human he could away from God and enslave them under his power, thereby robbing man from the authority that he is supposed to have. In doing so, he has convinced this world that he isn't a threat and that we can co-exist with him. He has even set up his own religion. A religion based in fear and superstitution.
We have been lulled into a trance and have been hypnotized by Satan's devices. He has possessed man with a self servicing attitude that has no limits on what he is willing to do in order to fulfill the lusts that has been implanted by a devious slave lord. Satan's mantra is "if it feels good do it, there are no limitations." Satan requires no accountability or responsibility. Man is the center of his own universe and of course there is no God. Everythhing in the universe is just a big bang of happen stance.
May I tell you that if you are of this ilk, you are sadly mistaken and misinformed. Number One, there is a God and He made everything that is made and He has authority over all of His creation. Number Two, God holds us accountable for everything that we do, both good and bad. Number Three, Satan is a liar and has no authority unless you give it to him. He is a prisoner here and we are supposed to be his jailers. Number Four, Jesus Christ, God's only Son, left heaven and his place of authority and submitted himself to human frality to become a perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity and restore our place in God's order of things here on earth. Jesus gave us back our eternal life in the presence of the Father in heaven. One lie Satan has been successful in spinning is that when we die that's the end of it. However, the truth is that eternal life is a constant. Where you spend eternity is the variable. Satan didn't tell you that little tidbit, did he? We have the choice to choose heaven and eternity with the Father and His Son. We also have the choice to choose eternal damnation with Satan in the Lake of Fire.
My question to you is, Where do you want to live out eternity? Do you want to be blessed beyond measure or do you want to be cursed separated from those blessings. There is no other choice. God doesn't give us a third option. You must make you choice. You must choose one or the other. If you don't take the time to choose, you will be ushered in with Satan and his fate. You see, choice requires responsibility. Responsibility requires accountability. Accountability leads to God's acceptance because we accepted His Son's sacrifice. Obviously, the problem is that people don't want to be accountable and they somehow have gotten the notion that denial of accountability will make all their problems go away. Don't be fooled into that mindset. I ask you to look around you in nature and see if you can still hang on to the notion that you don't have to be accountable. We have a nature law in this world that whatever you do caused a like response. It's called the law of cause and effect. In common words, what you sow is what you will reap. Everyone is responsible for what he does and will reap accordingly. There is only one variable. When you realize that you are not in control and decide to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, you receive grace and mercy from a just God. It is the only way to beat the "law of cause and effect."
Do it today if you haven't already. If you have, then be sure to live a life of giving to others as a response to the favor of God in your life. OK?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Who are you offending?
I see a pattern redeveloping within the Body of Christ that is somewhat disturbing and somewhat expected also. In the 1970's there was a renewal in this country of its people turning their lives around from the promiscuous attitude of free sex ushers in by the Woodstock era. There was a revival in this country. There was a turn back to the conservative ideals even in the political realm. God began to once again pour out the latter rain He promised in the Book of Joel. Churches, once again, began to bulge at the seams and a higher standard of holiness was seen in the lifestyles of those who called themselves "Christians." Everything was right again in Christian Camelot. We marched on Washington with an attitude of prayer and filled the lawn between the Washington Monument and the Capital with hundreds of thousands of Christians who interceded for this country in repentance. I was a part of that event and it changed me and those around me for life. We saw what could happen when the Body of Christ comes together for the one purpose of repentance as a country. Not long after that time, we elected Ronand Reagan as President and saw our country as well as the world change for the better.
Well that was almost thirty years ago, and as has happened in generations past, we have slumped into an attitude of compromise and a cry of tolerance. In this post-modern period there is nothing new. It is an attitude that has been here before and will probably be here again if we don't recognize the signs this time. The difference between the world and the Christian have begun to blur. Where there was a wide avenue between the heathen and the Christian twenty years ago, now its hard to tell the difference the gathering of our communities. I have attended weddings and graduations where alcohol has flowed and both non-believers and believers have given themselves over to the personality changes that comes with drunkenness. Christians are attending movies with questionable dialog and scenes of sexual promiscuity and extreme violence. The clothes that the Christian wears only identifies them with the slack attitude of the world, girls showing entirely too much of their bodies and boys and men taking on the dress code of the street gangs and the sloppiness of dress as a whole. Within the church, young girls and boys are giving into the pressure of oral sex, offering the statement that they are still virgin, to fit in and not be labelled as some sort of prude. W A K E U P P E O P L E !!!!
If our Christian morals are to survive in this 21st Century, then the church is going to have to be the church. Christians are going to have to stand out as a different lifestyle. A lifestyle that promotes abstenance and morals fitting a Christian. The biblical expression of the family unit must become more pronounced and we must draw a much wider line in the sand of what it means to be a Christian and separate ourselves from the attitudes of the world.
Remember the words of the Apostle Paul as he dealt with compromise in the church in his days. He reminded us that we are to flee from the appearance of evil. We are to prefer the weaker brother and not do things that will cause him to stumble. Make sure that your motives are pure and you do what uplifts the church and the Body of Christ. We need to live our lives as someone who is looking in a mirror that show our every flaw and act according to the Word of God in all that we do.
The changes that need to be made are not going to be made at the political level. That appears to be where some of the problems have their base. Political correctness has stripped our country of its Judeo-Christian heritage and has tried to make us basically a godless society where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Does that sound familiar? It should. Its the same mindset that caused God to destroy Sodom and Gomorah. I have heard this said by others and I agree with the statment. "If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States of America today then He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorah." The change that must take place is at the grass roots arena. Each of us is going to have to stand up for what is right, pure, and moral. I leave you with a quote from the Book of Philippians. It comes from the 4th chapter, verses 8 through 9.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." (NLT)
If this country is going to regain its place of prominence in the world, we must get back to the Christian principles that it was founded upon and each of us who calls him or herself a Christian must once again establish that wide gap between ourselves and the world. Remember people are drawn to light over darkness when light shows itself in the presence of darkness. The more light that is in your life, the more lost souls will be drawn to you. They are hurting and are looking for something that is stable. The Christian lifestyle is the only lifestyle that will change their lives and change this country back into a Christian nation. Think and act on things that are pure, true,noble, just, lovely and of a good report. Meditate on things of virtue and things that are praiseworthy and you will not go wrong.
Well that was almost thirty years ago, and as has happened in generations past, we have slumped into an attitude of compromise and a cry of tolerance. In this post-modern period there is nothing new. It is an attitude that has been here before and will probably be here again if we don't recognize the signs this time. The difference between the world and the Christian have begun to blur. Where there was a wide avenue between the heathen and the Christian twenty years ago, now its hard to tell the difference the gathering of our communities. I have attended weddings and graduations where alcohol has flowed and both non-believers and believers have given themselves over to the personality changes that comes with drunkenness. Christians are attending movies with questionable dialog and scenes of sexual promiscuity and extreme violence. The clothes that the Christian wears only identifies them with the slack attitude of the world, girls showing entirely too much of their bodies and boys and men taking on the dress code of the street gangs and the sloppiness of dress as a whole. Within the church, young girls and boys are giving into the pressure of oral sex, offering the statement that they are still virgin, to fit in and not be labelled as some sort of prude. W A K E U P P E O P L E !!!!
If our Christian morals are to survive in this 21st Century, then the church is going to have to be the church. Christians are going to have to stand out as a different lifestyle. A lifestyle that promotes abstenance and morals fitting a Christian. The biblical expression of the family unit must become more pronounced and we must draw a much wider line in the sand of what it means to be a Christian and separate ourselves from the attitudes of the world.
Remember the words of the Apostle Paul as he dealt with compromise in the church in his days. He reminded us that we are to flee from the appearance of evil. We are to prefer the weaker brother and not do things that will cause him to stumble. Make sure that your motives are pure and you do what uplifts the church and the Body of Christ. We need to live our lives as someone who is looking in a mirror that show our every flaw and act according to the Word of God in all that we do.
The changes that need to be made are not going to be made at the political level. That appears to be where some of the problems have their base. Political correctness has stripped our country of its Judeo-Christian heritage and has tried to make us basically a godless society where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Does that sound familiar? It should. Its the same mindset that caused God to destroy Sodom and Gomorah. I have heard this said by others and I agree with the statment. "If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States of America today then He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorah." The change that must take place is at the grass roots arena. Each of us is going to have to stand up for what is right, pure, and moral. I leave you with a quote from the Book of Philippians. It comes from the 4th chapter, verses 8 through 9.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." (NLT)
If this country is going to regain its place of prominence in the world, we must get back to the Christian principles that it was founded upon and each of us who calls him or herself a Christian must once again establish that wide gap between ourselves and the world. Remember people are drawn to light over darkness when light shows itself in the presence of darkness. The more light that is in your life, the more lost souls will be drawn to you. They are hurting and are looking for something that is stable. The Christian lifestyle is the only lifestyle that will change their lives and change this country back into a Christian nation. Think and act on things that are pure, true,noble, just, lovely and of a good report. Meditate on things of virtue and things that are praiseworthy and you will not go wrong.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Church Fell Down
The Word of God, the Holy Bible, from the words of Jesus Christ commanded that we, as churches, are to take care of the widows, the fatherless, and the orphans. When our country was established, the founding fathers adhered to that premise. It did not make provision for our government to have to take care of that need. Why, because the church did what they were supposed to do. Everyone else not mentioned in the above people groups were responsible for their own livelihood and they didn't leach on our society. They did what was necessary to live and provide for their families.
God has always mandated that His people be responsible for those who are unable to take care of themselves and it appears that our society has forgotten what our Heavenly Father has taught over the centuries to His prophets and religious leaders. When the United States began, it was the responsibility of the churches to teach our young people their education. It was Bible based and was extremely effective. Just take a look at our history and you will see the positive results. When the church abdicated its role in welfare and education, our government was all to eager to take over and did so. For many years because of the established curriculum in our schools education continued to be successful. However, as the moral fiber of our country began to deteriorate education followed suit. When prayer was removed from our schools, the new order was well on its way. The liberals and the progressives finally were getting their teeth in the mallibel minds of our young people. They have filled their heads with principles that have accelerated the moral decay.
Look at where we are today. We have the largest welfare state in our hemisphere, crime is at an all time high, illicit sex is rampant, sexual disease is out of control, and alternative lifestyles diametrically opposed to the Bible are being advertised as viable lifestyles. You know what? If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States, then He needs to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrha. How low do we have to stupe before the church rises up and begins once again to take responsibility to elevate the moral base of our nation. America needs the Lord badly. What an oxymoron, but true. II Chronicles 5:17 has stood as a standard over all generations to give us the agenda that we must follow to be restored to the graces of the Father. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven....." This is the only way we will ever see our country return to the prominence it has enjoyed on the world scene in years past. This is a Christian nation. It was founded on Judeo-Christian principles based on the Ten Commandments and the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
America, W-A-K-E U-P !!!! The government is not the answer. Living off of other peoples' hard work while you live a lazy non-responsible life is a major sin. Even the insect world knows better than that. Why we dumber than the insects? I admonish and advise you to go to the Book of Proverbs and not only read but study them and learn how to live and have the blessing of the Lord in your lives. Then teach others around you to do the same.
Father, may your Word come alive in all who read it and may you give them the courage to put your Word in action in their lives. Amen!
God has always mandated that His people be responsible for those who are unable to take care of themselves and it appears that our society has forgotten what our Heavenly Father has taught over the centuries to His prophets and religious leaders. When the United States began, it was the responsibility of the churches to teach our young people their education. It was Bible based and was extremely effective. Just take a look at our history and you will see the positive results. When the church abdicated its role in welfare and education, our government was all to eager to take over and did so. For many years because of the established curriculum in our schools education continued to be successful. However, as the moral fiber of our country began to deteriorate education followed suit. When prayer was removed from our schools, the new order was well on its way. The liberals and the progressives finally were getting their teeth in the mallibel minds of our young people. They have filled their heads with principles that have accelerated the moral decay.
Look at where we are today. We have the largest welfare state in our hemisphere, crime is at an all time high, illicit sex is rampant, sexual disease is out of control, and alternative lifestyles diametrically opposed to the Bible are being advertised as viable lifestyles. You know what? If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States, then He needs to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrha. How low do we have to stupe before the church rises up and begins once again to take responsibility to elevate the moral base of our nation. America needs the Lord badly. What an oxymoron, but true. II Chronicles 5:17 has stood as a standard over all generations to give us the agenda that we must follow to be restored to the graces of the Father. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven....." This is the only way we will ever see our country return to the prominence it has enjoyed on the world scene in years past. This is a Christian nation. It was founded on Judeo-Christian principles based on the Ten Commandments and the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
America, W-A-K-E U-P !!!! The government is not the answer. Living off of other peoples' hard work while you live a lazy non-responsible life is a major sin. Even the insect world knows better than that. Why we dumber than the insects? I admonish and advise you to go to the Book of Proverbs and not only read but study them and learn how to live and have the blessing of the Lord in your lives. Then teach others around you to do the same.
Father, may your Word come alive in all who read it and may you give them the courage to put your Word in action in their lives. Amen!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Founding Fathers
I took the time last night to read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for the United States of America. It's been a while since I did that. It was good to go back and read the wisdom of the framers of our Constitution. Every American should take the time to read this document. Without it we would not have the freedoms we have today. However, there are some that would prefer that the constitution would just go away. Their personal agendas don't line up with its principles. My first response, speaking from a rigteous indignation somewhat, is get out of my country and move to one of the countries in Europe or Asia that ascribes to your agenda. That isn't really the right attitude on my part, but it does make me mad that someone who lives in this great country and has the freedoms that citizenship allows has the audacity to question our Constitution and think that it should be changes to fit their eschewed opinion. It is an opinion, by the way, that has been shaped by the liberal talking points of a college education that no longer teaches proper education but comes from idiot professors that only have an agenda of spreading their liberal garbage, and I say that lovingly. Right!!
One of the founding fathers has been quoted that our Constitution does not work if there isn't a foundation of the Word of God and its principles adhered to by the citizens. It is what makes this nation so strong. We have a belief in God and have faith that He is faithful to us as long as we stand on our commitment to His covenant with these United States. When the colonists first stepped foot on the soil of this new country, they knelt and prayed to God and dedicated America to Him. Every event and deed done by those first settlers was bathed in prayer. The United States of America was founded with the design to not make the same mistakes that they saw in Europe. Those laws and principles they left have proven over the span of time to be failed principles and our Constitution is still standing the test of time. Why, by everything that is good, do these idiots want to return to a failed system. There can be only two reasons; money and power. There are those in this country that don't like the idea that one can rise to wealth from hard work and not give it away to those who are not willing to work just as hard to make theirs. The Bible itself tells us to go to the ant and learn from it what we should do to prosper. I think that a lazy spirit has attached itself to some of our people and the liberal side of our government has facilitated that laziness with all the programs it has made available to their laziness. The Bible also says that if a person will not work, they should not eat. Where has that principle gone?
Now I lay some of the blame on today's church. Welfare should be laid on the shoulders of the church. That is what God requires of us. That is what Jesus preached when he was on this earth. But our churches in times past and in some instances today, have abdicated their responsibility in this area. Churches were never supposed to turn into itself and become a social club. God designed the church to turn out and reach out to the lost, the lame, the poor, the widows, and the orphans. When our churches refocus their attention to that purpose, most of our welfare problems will be fixed. How can I say that? When Christians seek the Lord to do His will, He will lead them to reach out and help those around them to not only find the Father for themselves, but also help those in their community that need help. That help will include teaching them to be self-sufficient. The human spirit is amazing. When shown how to take care of himself, the human will press forward to achieve. That is the way God made us. We are not descended from some lower form of life, we have been made in the image of God and we have His design and drive to succeed. Through Jesus Christ, we have received the faith that we need to be able to do anything that we put our hands to.
Our founding fathers understood this, that is why they based the constitution on the Judeo-Christian principles found in the Word of God, the Bible. No other writing has stood the test of time and proven to be the absolute truth in every situation. What we see today is a segment of our society that doesn't want to be accountable to a higher power. They want to be their own god. They want to please only themselves and be able to do whatever they want without any condemnation or conviction. But you know what, they can't escape their guilt. That's why they want to do away with the teachings of the Bible. No other writing brings that guilt to bear. No other religion requires accountability for one's actions. The words we hear today are politically correct and tolerance, but that is only from the Christian's responsibility. When we require tolerance from them there is none. Its only one-sided.
I have a warning for these numbskulls. You may escape the wrath of God in this life, but you will not escape it in eternity. There is a higher power, the Almighty God, and he is not blind. You will give account for your life and actions. I have a great principle to live by. " Serve the Lord. Find someone who can tell you how to serve Him. Then serve Him hard and it will be easy, but if you serve Him easy it will be hard."
Our founding fathers has tremendous wisdom. They have laid a great foundation for this country to continue to be build upon. Those of us who understand just how great this country is have a responsibility to preserve what we have. Get involved in your local political scene. Spread the word about the greatness of our system and the conversative principles that have made us great. Our country is on a very dangerous ledge and we need to pull it back from the edge and get us centered again on the greatness of America and its sovereignity. Please do your part. Some of you are called to get involved politically and serve this great land. Others are called to defend it. Still others are called to spread the Gospel that this country was built on. Get clicking and get going.
One of the founding fathers has been quoted that our Constitution does not work if there isn't a foundation of the Word of God and its principles adhered to by the citizens. It is what makes this nation so strong. We have a belief in God and have faith that He is faithful to us as long as we stand on our commitment to His covenant with these United States. When the colonists first stepped foot on the soil of this new country, they knelt and prayed to God and dedicated America to Him. Every event and deed done by those first settlers was bathed in prayer. The United States of America was founded with the design to not make the same mistakes that they saw in Europe. Those laws and principles they left have proven over the span of time to be failed principles and our Constitution is still standing the test of time. Why, by everything that is good, do these idiots want to return to a failed system. There can be only two reasons; money and power. There are those in this country that don't like the idea that one can rise to wealth from hard work and not give it away to those who are not willing to work just as hard to make theirs. The Bible itself tells us to go to the ant and learn from it what we should do to prosper. I think that a lazy spirit has attached itself to some of our people and the liberal side of our government has facilitated that laziness with all the programs it has made available to their laziness. The Bible also says that if a person will not work, they should not eat. Where has that principle gone?
Now I lay some of the blame on today's church. Welfare should be laid on the shoulders of the church. That is what God requires of us. That is what Jesus preached when he was on this earth. But our churches in times past and in some instances today, have abdicated their responsibility in this area. Churches were never supposed to turn into itself and become a social club. God designed the church to turn out and reach out to the lost, the lame, the poor, the widows, and the orphans. When our churches refocus their attention to that purpose, most of our welfare problems will be fixed. How can I say that? When Christians seek the Lord to do His will, He will lead them to reach out and help those around them to not only find the Father for themselves, but also help those in their community that need help. That help will include teaching them to be self-sufficient. The human spirit is amazing. When shown how to take care of himself, the human will press forward to achieve. That is the way God made us. We are not descended from some lower form of life, we have been made in the image of God and we have His design and drive to succeed. Through Jesus Christ, we have received the faith that we need to be able to do anything that we put our hands to.
Our founding fathers understood this, that is why they based the constitution on the Judeo-Christian principles found in the Word of God, the Bible. No other writing has stood the test of time and proven to be the absolute truth in every situation. What we see today is a segment of our society that doesn't want to be accountable to a higher power. They want to be their own god. They want to please only themselves and be able to do whatever they want without any condemnation or conviction. But you know what, they can't escape their guilt. That's why they want to do away with the teachings of the Bible. No other writing brings that guilt to bear. No other religion requires accountability for one's actions. The words we hear today are politically correct and tolerance, but that is only from the Christian's responsibility. When we require tolerance from them there is none. Its only one-sided.
I have a warning for these numbskulls. You may escape the wrath of God in this life, but you will not escape it in eternity. There is a higher power, the Almighty God, and he is not blind. You will give account for your life and actions. I have a great principle to live by. " Serve the Lord. Find someone who can tell you how to serve Him. Then serve Him hard and it will be easy, but if you serve Him easy it will be hard."
Our founding fathers has tremendous wisdom. They have laid a great foundation for this country to continue to be build upon. Those of us who understand just how great this country is have a responsibility to preserve what we have. Get involved in your local political scene. Spread the word about the greatness of our system and the conversative principles that have made us great. Our country is on a very dangerous ledge and we need to pull it back from the edge and get us centered again on the greatness of America and its sovereignity. Please do your part. Some of you are called to get involved politically and serve this great land. Others are called to defend it. Still others are called to spread the Gospel that this country was built on. Get clicking and get going.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Jesus-No Weakling
John 8:31-59
If you are one of those people that ascribe to the notion that Jesus was weak, I must send you to this passage of Scripture. This was recorded during the ministry time in Galilee. His brothers has just left Him to go to Judea to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was not ready to go there and stayed in Galilee a little longer. A little later, He did go up and went into the Temple and began to teach in His usual manner. The Bible states that there were many Jews that believed his message and believed on Him, but knowing their hearts, he accosted them and began to speak to their sins and called them slaves to sin. There became a loud discussion between Jesus and some of the Jews that they were free men, sons of Abraham, and were never slave to any man. This is where it gets interesting. Jesus basically calls them liars. He calls them slaves to Satan, who He states is their father, not Abraham. The reason Jesus said that is that they did not accept Him as the Messiah. There had been an allusion to this fact earlier in the 7th chapter of John, but he was not accepted for the Messiah. His own brothers did not even believe Him. Jesus didn't back down from his asertion that of who the Jews really belonged to. The truth of the Word was on His side and from that position of strength, He was able to debate with these Jewish men to prove their lack of knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. They were considered elders in their community and exacted their dominance on the people and were leading people astray, eventhough they may have been earnest in their assumptions.
A lesser man would have backed down and run away from what was certain to lead to nothing good for a man who was claiming to be the Messiah. I wonder how many of our so called strong men today would have been so bold to stand up to these men, knowing that the end of this confrontation could lead to being stoned. I tell you that takes a strong, powerful man that has no fear. Jesus challenged their authority. He challenged their right to be where they were. He exposed their lack of knowledge of the truth of the Word. And He opening showed the fraud that they perpetrated. This is not the act of a spineless human. Don't forget that Jesus was taught the trade of carpentry by his earthly father. He obviously practiced his trade prior to His start of His earthly ministry. The last time we hear about Him in Scripture was when He was approximately thirteen. The next time we see Him is at the age of thirty when he appeared in Galilee and was baptized by John the Baptist. That's seventeen years that are not accounted for in Jesus' life. It was during that time that He did the work of a carpenter with His father, Joseph and honed his relationship with His Heavenly Father and accepted the ministry He was born to complete. He also built the body that would be needed to carry out His trade. His hands no doubt were callosed and rough. His arms powerful and most likely ripped and cut. His legs were strong and muscular. This was no man to cross swords with. Its possible that he was around six feet tall, which would have made Him as much as one foot taller then most. That in itself would have made Him intimidating to stand against. No one man would have dared approach Him without the help of his buddies. (This is conjecture on my part, but I have my opinion and I'm sure you have yours)
Jesus was not weak. He was committed. He was armed with the knowledge of who He was and the authority that had been given Him by His Father. He knew the hearts of men and He knew how to deal with them. Here is where I turn this story toward my readers. Do you really know to whom you belong? Are you convinced that you have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to be more than conquerors in this life? First of all, if you have not taken the time to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are still of your father the Devil. Regardless of what the world will tell you today, there isn't any good thing in the unregenerate man. If you doubt that just watch a two year old and see how quickly he or she will lie when caught doing something that is wrong. Then move your thoughts to your so called good people co-workers who will lie, cheat, and steal to cover themselves when they are caught in some devious act. Man is inheritantly evil in nature and that nature must be changed before he will ever be ready for God to use. No man in his own strength can stand against the Satan of this world or the people who serve him. Just as Jesus could not answer the accusers in His own flesh, we are no better. Jesus moved under the power of Almighty God. He was thoroughly engulfed by the Holy Spirit and only did and said what the Spirit led Him to do and say. Jesus is our example and when we approach situations like He did, if we totally lean on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be as bold as our Lord. Truth gives you power. Truth gives you leaverage. When you stand in truth you can stand against any foe, especially when they are only armed is a lie. The men that tried to stone Jesus could not get it done. The Bible says that He hid Himself from them and just went out of the Temple. If you look at the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, you would see that there was no place for him to hide. The Holy Spirit just made Him invisible to the men and He was able to just walk away from them with without problem.
Armed with this information, I don't understand why we have problems being a witness today. We are indwelt by the power of Jesus Christ through the Comforter that He sent to us when He ascended. What more could you ask for? Could it be that you are lacking the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? I have known people who try to be a witness for the Lord and fail, because they are operating in their own limited power. They do have a small percentage of success, but if they had been empowered by God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, their witness would have been so much more successful at reaching the sinners and transforming them into people of the Kingdom of God. Earthly wisdom cannot stand against the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Read the Gospels. Read the Epistles. You will find men and women who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the then known world. Today we have the same Holy Spirit coursing in our spirit that they had, therefore we can expect the same results today that they had. So, what's holding you back?
What's holding you back is your lack of commitment. Does that sound hard to you. Well, its the truth. You will never be a success in anything that you are not committed to. Do you believe that Jesus was committed. I'll tell you He was committed. There was no turning back for Jesus. He had one plan and He expected that plan to succeed. If you want to succeed as a witness and a soul winner, then you better be committed. Committed to the Lord. Committed to the consistent study of the Word of God and hiding that Word in your heart. Committed to be bold and relying on God to produce what His Word says it will produce. When you are armed with the knowledge of the Bible, having it memorized in your spirit, there aren't any people who can prevent you from enlarging the Kingdom of God in your community, city, state, and nation. No matter where you go, God will be with you and before you to make sure that you win. Write your own life for others to follow. You can be an epitath read by others. You can stand no matter who comes against you. Oh, and by the way, you will be able to see just how insignificant Satan really is.
If you are one of those people that ascribe to the notion that Jesus was weak, I must send you to this passage of Scripture. This was recorded during the ministry time in Galilee. His brothers has just left Him to go to Judea to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was not ready to go there and stayed in Galilee a little longer. A little later, He did go up and went into the Temple and began to teach in His usual manner. The Bible states that there were many Jews that believed his message and believed on Him, but knowing their hearts, he accosted them and began to speak to their sins and called them slaves to sin. There became a loud discussion between Jesus and some of the Jews that they were free men, sons of Abraham, and were never slave to any man. This is where it gets interesting. Jesus basically calls them liars. He calls them slaves to Satan, who He states is their father, not Abraham. The reason Jesus said that is that they did not accept Him as the Messiah. There had been an allusion to this fact earlier in the 7th chapter of John, but he was not accepted for the Messiah. His own brothers did not even believe Him. Jesus didn't back down from his asertion that of who the Jews really belonged to. The truth of the Word was on His side and from that position of strength, He was able to debate with these Jewish men to prove their lack of knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. They were considered elders in their community and exacted their dominance on the people and were leading people astray, eventhough they may have been earnest in their assumptions.
A lesser man would have backed down and run away from what was certain to lead to nothing good for a man who was claiming to be the Messiah. I wonder how many of our so called strong men today would have been so bold to stand up to these men, knowing that the end of this confrontation could lead to being stoned. I tell you that takes a strong, powerful man that has no fear. Jesus challenged their authority. He challenged their right to be where they were. He exposed their lack of knowledge of the truth of the Word. And He opening showed the fraud that they perpetrated. This is not the act of a spineless human. Don't forget that Jesus was taught the trade of carpentry by his earthly father. He obviously practiced his trade prior to His start of His earthly ministry. The last time we hear about Him in Scripture was when He was approximately thirteen. The next time we see Him is at the age of thirty when he appeared in Galilee and was baptized by John the Baptist. That's seventeen years that are not accounted for in Jesus' life. It was during that time that He did the work of a carpenter with His father, Joseph and honed his relationship with His Heavenly Father and accepted the ministry He was born to complete. He also built the body that would be needed to carry out His trade. His hands no doubt were callosed and rough. His arms powerful and most likely ripped and cut. His legs were strong and muscular. This was no man to cross swords with. Its possible that he was around six feet tall, which would have made Him as much as one foot taller then most. That in itself would have made Him intimidating to stand against. No one man would have dared approach Him without the help of his buddies. (This is conjecture on my part, but I have my opinion and I'm sure you have yours)
Jesus was not weak. He was committed. He was armed with the knowledge of who He was and the authority that had been given Him by His Father. He knew the hearts of men and He knew how to deal with them. Here is where I turn this story toward my readers. Do you really know to whom you belong? Are you convinced that you have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to be more than conquerors in this life? First of all, if you have not taken the time to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are still of your father the Devil. Regardless of what the world will tell you today, there isn't any good thing in the unregenerate man. If you doubt that just watch a two year old and see how quickly he or she will lie when caught doing something that is wrong. Then move your thoughts to your so called good people co-workers who will lie, cheat, and steal to cover themselves when they are caught in some devious act. Man is inheritantly evil in nature and that nature must be changed before he will ever be ready for God to use. No man in his own strength can stand against the Satan of this world or the people who serve him. Just as Jesus could not answer the accusers in His own flesh, we are no better. Jesus moved under the power of Almighty God. He was thoroughly engulfed by the Holy Spirit and only did and said what the Spirit led Him to do and say. Jesus is our example and when we approach situations like He did, if we totally lean on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be as bold as our Lord. Truth gives you power. Truth gives you leaverage. When you stand in truth you can stand against any foe, especially when they are only armed is a lie. The men that tried to stone Jesus could not get it done. The Bible says that He hid Himself from them and just went out of the Temple. If you look at the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, you would see that there was no place for him to hide. The Holy Spirit just made Him invisible to the men and He was able to just walk away from them with without problem.
Armed with this information, I don't understand why we have problems being a witness today. We are indwelt by the power of Jesus Christ through the Comforter that He sent to us when He ascended. What more could you ask for? Could it be that you are lacking the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? I have known people who try to be a witness for the Lord and fail, because they are operating in their own limited power. They do have a small percentage of success, but if they had been empowered by God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, their witness would have been so much more successful at reaching the sinners and transforming them into people of the Kingdom of God. Earthly wisdom cannot stand against the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Read the Gospels. Read the Epistles. You will find men and women who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the then known world. Today we have the same Holy Spirit coursing in our spirit that they had, therefore we can expect the same results today that they had. So, what's holding you back?
What's holding you back is your lack of commitment. Does that sound hard to you. Well, its the truth. You will never be a success in anything that you are not committed to. Do you believe that Jesus was committed. I'll tell you He was committed. There was no turning back for Jesus. He had one plan and He expected that plan to succeed. If you want to succeed as a witness and a soul winner, then you better be committed. Committed to the Lord. Committed to the consistent study of the Word of God and hiding that Word in your heart. Committed to be bold and relying on God to produce what His Word says it will produce. When you are armed with the knowledge of the Bible, having it memorized in your spirit, there aren't any people who can prevent you from enlarging the Kingdom of God in your community, city, state, and nation. No matter where you go, God will be with you and before you to make sure that you win. Write your own life for others to follow. You can be an epitath read by others. You can stand no matter who comes against you. Oh, and by the way, you will be able to see just how insignificant Satan really is.
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