There will be lots of men and women acting like children tomorrow, feeding their narcissistic need to be elevated by proxy through a winning team. I will probably get blasted for this one, but I really see no purpose in grown men being paid huge bucks to pretend they care about the city that hired them, while they were born and raised somewhere else.
It makes more sense to me that a ball player would be born and raised in the area they represent on a ball team. But then again, we have to remember too, that this is merely entertainment crazed America that takes it's amusement to ultimate extremes.
When we are in family gatherings and nothing else is discussed except the ball games, we can sense how important they are to those present. No one is speaking about anything that matters for eternity, and irritation is expressed when there is a suggestion to move into a new area of dialogue.
The one who suggested that we talk about something else is treated as though they had committed some sort of infraction worthy of banishment, we can be sure we are dealing with idol worshipers.
Many of us have television shows we watch from time to time, we know they are not important, we use them to fill time when we are too tired to do anything else or when we have finished our work and want to relax.
However if any of us were to talk incessantly about the shows we watch, those listening would become bored and even aggravated at our endless verbiage. Carrying on relentlessly about every detail of the show we watched would annoy us bitterly, sort of like nails crossing a blackboard. There, now we have a picture of what this sports insanity feels like to those of us who are not interested.
As long as we are in America, we will have entertainment, it behoves us to evaluate what we are watching, how often we watch and whether or not we have turned the entertainment into an idol, through an obsession with it. If we find ourselves speaking more about our entertainment than we do God or the needs of others, then we can be sure we have idolatry in our hearts.
Even clean entertainment, seems almost like an oxymoronic idea, can be an idol if we enjoy more of it than we do working, praying and reading our Bibles.
Notice how much the secular media loves this stuff, that should give us a very big clue.
Just some things on which to cogitate in the coming hours, given the next immense event on the agenda in the media.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Repentance Is Necessary
God will only restore those who pierced Him if they repent. The very sad thing in our cultural psychological teachings now is that we should be forgiven even when we are not sorry, that is patently unBiblical.
This thinking has caused believer and non-believer to think that they should be forgiven no matter what their attitude or actions. They no longer are broken over sin, but demand forgiveness.
Forgiveness is conditional....the condition is repentance, meaning a change of mind, from a heart that doesn't want Christ while justifying sin, to a heart that wants Christ and hates sin.
Our desire must be to please God, He will not change a heart that doesn't want to be changed. God never forces His grace on anyone.
Psalm 51:1-19 "51 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar."
This thinking has caused believer and non-believer to think that they should be forgiven no matter what their attitude or actions. They no longer are broken over sin, but demand forgiveness.
Forgiveness is conditional....the condition is repentance, meaning a change of mind, from a heart that doesn't want Christ while justifying sin, to a heart that wants Christ and hates sin.
Our desire must be to please God, He will not change a heart that doesn't want to be changed. God never forces His grace on anyone.
Psalm 51:1-19 "51 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar."
Friday, January 30, 2015
A Dream of Reminder
I had a terrible dream last night pertaining to the Islamic armies. They were coming for us, chained me and were getting ready to shoot me in the head. Usually when I have a nightmare, I get over the fear within a couple of minutes of waking up, this one took prayer over a period of about an hour. During the dream I remembered thanking God that it was almost over and was looking forward to death.
After waking up, God solidified in my mind that many believers are being murdered brutally all over the world right now, then I began to pray for the persecuted Christians.
I don't know what the dream meant, but I suspect it was God reminding me of the plight of brothers and sisters and that I should pray.
Our generation is not used to seeing ravages of war as so many other countries. We have been sent off to war from time to time, but we have not watched armies marching down our streets murdering everyone in sight as some villages have seen in the middle east.
We have not dealt with bombs exploding daily as the Israeli people have, since the re-establishment of their country in 1948.
When we are faced with this carnage, how will we react? Will we turn to God, that is an interesting question posed to a people who "fight for their rights", rather than allowing God to work. One day we may have no choice but to submit to God, there will be no other recourse for us.
Will you be strong enough to trust Christ when things really get rough? I believe that God will give me what I need when I need it. May everyone remember the persecuted Christians around the world!
After waking up, God solidified in my mind that many believers are being murdered brutally all over the world right now, then I began to pray for the persecuted Christians.
I don't know what the dream meant, but I suspect it was God reminding me of the plight of brothers and sisters and that I should pray.
Our generation is not used to seeing ravages of war as so many other countries. We have been sent off to war from time to time, but we have not watched armies marching down our streets murdering everyone in sight as some villages have seen in the middle east.
We have not dealt with bombs exploding daily as the Israeli people have, since the re-establishment of their country in 1948.
When we are faced with this carnage, how will we react? Will we turn to God, that is an interesting question posed to a people who "fight for their rights", rather than allowing God to work. One day we may have no choice but to submit to God, there will be no other recourse for us.
Will you be strong enough to trust Christ when things really get rough? I believe that God will give me what I need when I need it. May everyone remember the persecuted Christians around the world!
Sports Clean.....I Think Not!
I hate the whole of sports mentality, it is no different than movies and other forms of entertainment, used in moderation is alright, but don't say for one moment how clean it is or that it promotes godliness. Those who play in professional ball are actors, earning big bucks, clamoring for fame while most are living immorally behind the scenes.
Sadly the worldly churches are indulging their congregations, they claim they are having the super bowl in the house of worship to bring in non-believers, it is a lie. I have heard of churches who did this. They watched the filthy half time events while never giving a gospel message to the visitors.
These churches use the excuse that if they are friendly and do something the world likes, that will make the visitors like Christ and some will get saved.
Using the ways of the world in the house of God is an abomination.
It is one thing to watch the game at home, quite another to promote it to others and especially the unsaved.
Sadly the worldly churches are indulging their congregations, they claim they are having the super bowl in the house of worship to bring in non-believers, it is a lie. I have heard of churches who did this. They watched the filthy half time events while never giving a gospel message to the visitors.
These churches use the excuse that if they are friendly and do something the world likes, that will make the visitors like Christ and some will get saved.
Using the ways of the world in the house of God is an abomination.
It is one thing to watch the game at home, quite another to promote it to others and especially the unsaved.
Ghandi was a False Prophet
Anyone who thinks Ghandi was a wonderful man has blinders on, he was an heretic, who denied Christ through his belief in a system called "Pantheism."
On another thread I had the distasteful task of rebuking some people for their defense of Ghandi. Sadly these same people say they are Christians. There were many lies told about this man, making him look like he was a protector of the people. He brought wicked teachings of the worship of many god's.
To elevate an evil man who denied Christ is the same as spitting in the face of God.
If you do some research you would find that he was not the non-violent man he claimed to be in public. He was also a perverted man sleeping with young girls and taking medicine himself while denying it to his wife. There is much more one could learn that would shock those who love to love Ghandi. He was a hypocrite as well as a liar.
None of the facts about him, matter, in that they cannot be perfectly proven, they are brought to light through those who were close to him. However, the greatest witness against him was his denial of Christ as the only way to the Father.
He was a Hindu panteist believing that god was in everything. He led his people to believe in the cast system, that would deny help to the starving and poor, because of the karma they were born into. He practiced regularly "karma Yoga."
There are those who would elevate him because they believe he was non-violent, they were taught this from a young age, and that he saved their country. The saving of a country is of no use when those in it are heading for hell for denying Christ and practicing demonic prayers.
Mark 8:36 ""For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
When we praise a man who hated Christ, we cannot be loving Christ.
On another thread I had the distasteful task of rebuking some people for their defense of Ghandi. Sadly these same people say they are Christians. There were many lies told about this man, making him look like he was a protector of the people. He brought wicked teachings of the worship of many god's.
To elevate an evil man who denied Christ is the same as spitting in the face of God.
If you do some research you would find that he was not the non-violent man he claimed to be in public. He was also a perverted man sleeping with young girls and taking medicine himself while denying it to his wife. There is much more one could learn that would shock those who love to love Ghandi. He was a hypocrite as well as a liar.
None of the facts about him, matter, in that they cannot be perfectly proven, they are brought to light through those who were close to him. However, the greatest witness against him was his denial of Christ as the only way to the Father.
He was a Hindu panteist believing that god was in everything. He led his people to believe in the cast system, that would deny help to the starving and poor, because of the karma they were born into. He practiced regularly "karma Yoga."
There are those who would elevate him because they believe he was non-violent, they were taught this from a young age, and that he saved their country. The saving of a country is of no use when those in it are heading for hell for denying Christ and practicing demonic prayers.
Mark 8:36 ""For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
When we praise a man who hated Christ, we cannot be loving Christ.
Ask "Is it Truth", Do Not Ask "Does it Work"
"We have sacrificed truth for pragmatism, we don't say 'is it truth, we say does it work'"
"Truth is to your spirit what food is to your body."
"We are more concerned with how we appear to others than the truth of a matter."
Adrian Rogers
Sometimes I am astonished at how lightly believers treat truth, as though it can be whatever they want it to be. They ask question to one another such as, "what does it mean to you?"
We should never be asking anyone what something means to them, rather we ought to be asking "what did God mean by that."
If we are wise and love truth above all else, then we will be saying "is it truth", instead of "does it work."
When we remember that Christ is referred to as "The Truth", then we might think twice about treating truth or Him with such contempt as to place pragmatism above Truth.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Psalm 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 8:31-32 … So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
"Truth is to your spirit what food is to your body."
"We are more concerned with how we appear to others than the truth of a matter."
Adrian Rogers
Sometimes I am astonished at how lightly believers treat truth, as though it can be whatever they want it to be. They ask question to one another such as, "what does it mean to you?"
We should never be asking anyone what something means to them, rather we ought to be asking "what did God mean by that."
If we are wise and love truth above all else, then we will be saying "is it truth", instead of "does it work."
When we remember that Christ is referred to as "The Truth", then we might think twice about treating truth or Him with such contempt as to place pragmatism above Truth.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Psalm 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 8:31-32 … So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Scammers Are Ravenous
There is a technique I have noticed, that many from other countries use to seduce little old ladies like myself into giving money to them. Beware of these wolves, here are some of their tactics.
1. They begin their chat or conversation with you privately. In that private chat they ask you what you do, then they ask you to tell them all about yourself. This opens the door for them to tell you all about themselves.
2. In the process of telling you all about them, they share that they are either going to school and don't have enough money to go OR they tell you they have a family that rescues children from the street, which they call an orphanage. They need money for the children.
3. They commend you for your life, if you tell them something they can praise, then they ask if they can call you "Mom" or "Mummy."
4. The next thing they do is flatter you with language like, "beautiful sister" or "gracious woman of God."
5. After all this they begin to beg for money. They usually send a few pictures of the children they are supporting, interestingly enough, these children are dressed in fine clothing looking clean and well fed.
6. When you bring up anything about the Lord, they say "that's good" or some other word or phrase to make you think they are interested, but have no response of their own about the Lord.
7. When asked questions about their walk with Christ, they will tell you they love the Lord, but have nothing else to say, no wisdom, no Bible verses and no interest. Their words revert back to their orphanage or college need as soon as they can maneuver the conversation back to it.
8. If you stall long enough they will come right out and ask you if you could help them with money. When you respond to them by saying you will pray for them, they thank you and ask for money again.
I have made a policy never to give to foreign missions that have not been introduced to me by someone I have personally known, someone who has actually seen the operation.
If the Lord is leading you to give to missions it will be without them asking for it.
I am the "George Muller" sort of Christian, I am convinced that if we have a need we should remain silent and just ask God. Then when the help comes, we would know it was from Him.
Begging for money shows a lack of faith. Telling a believer close to you a need for prayer is one thing, and very different, but contacting strangers to give to a ministry they know nothing about is obnoxious at best.
God never told us to foot the bill for ministries simply because they ask. We are to be discerning and prayerful about those to whom we donate. God can warn us if we ask Him, whether or not a ministry is a real ministry or just a scam.
The internet is a breeding ground for all kinds of vermin. Those who are not doing what they claim, but have found a way to bilk kind hearted people out of their funds that are designated to God for real ministries.
May the Lord bless you with wisdom and discernment before handing over money to strangers.
1. They begin their chat or conversation with you privately. In that private chat they ask you what you do, then they ask you to tell them all about yourself. This opens the door for them to tell you all about themselves.
2. In the process of telling you all about them, they share that they are either going to school and don't have enough money to go OR they tell you they have a family that rescues children from the street, which they call an orphanage. They need money for the children.
3. They commend you for your life, if you tell them something they can praise, then they ask if they can call you "Mom" or "Mummy."
4. The next thing they do is flatter you with language like, "beautiful sister" or "gracious woman of God."
5. After all this they begin to beg for money. They usually send a few pictures of the children they are supporting, interestingly enough, these children are dressed in fine clothing looking clean and well fed.
6. When you bring up anything about the Lord, they say "that's good" or some other word or phrase to make you think they are interested, but have no response of their own about the Lord.
7. When asked questions about their walk with Christ, they will tell you they love the Lord, but have nothing else to say, no wisdom, no Bible verses and no interest. Their words revert back to their orphanage or college need as soon as they can maneuver the conversation back to it.
8. If you stall long enough they will come right out and ask you if you could help them with money. When you respond to them by saying you will pray for them, they thank you and ask for money again.
I have made a policy never to give to foreign missions that have not been introduced to me by someone I have personally known, someone who has actually seen the operation.
If the Lord is leading you to give to missions it will be without them asking for it.
I am the "George Muller" sort of Christian, I am convinced that if we have a need we should remain silent and just ask God. Then when the help comes, we would know it was from Him.
Begging for money shows a lack of faith. Telling a believer close to you a need for prayer is one thing, and very different, but contacting strangers to give to a ministry they know nothing about is obnoxious at best.
God never told us to foot the bill for ministries simply because they ask. We are to be discerning and prayerful about those to whom we donate. God can warn us if we ask Him, whether or not a ministry is a real ministry or just a scam.
The internet is a breeding ground for all kinds of vermin. Those who are not doing what they claim, but have found a way to bilk kind hearted people out of their funds that are designated to God for real ministries.
May the Lord bless you with wisdom and discernment before handing over money to strangers.
Truth Brings Repentance, Feelings Bring Lies
Did you know that "tolerance" is actually prideful? To tolerate something that is sin, is a way of saying, "look how kind and friendly I am." God does not "tolerate" sin, He exposes it and condemns it. If we love our brothers and sisters we seek for their best not their wants.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
"1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
"1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
The Animals Can Teach Us
My husband has a bumper sticker for his car that says, "Lord let me be the person my dog thinks I am."
I would like a bumper sticker for my car that says, "Lord let me love You, the way my Dog loves me."
Our dog and cat, when sitting in our lap, are constantly looking backward into our face. They cannot take their eyes off of us.
I once heard a teacher of the Word say that the word for worship in its original language, had the connotation of the way a dog looks at his master.
When we have to spank a naughty pet, they do not fight back, nor do they hold a grudge, they usually crawl back in submission to win us again, then we love them up and all is fine.
If we could be this dedicated to God first and then our Christian brothers and sisters, we would grow in holiness and have wonderful relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
When all pride is removed, we can see more clearly our need and the needs of others. Pride destroys all chance of growth in holiness. It prevents relationships from reconciling, and even escalates a problem, since pride in someone, causes them to refuse to hear a matter before answering, while demeaning their target. Pride thinks only of self first, negating the plight of others, even lacking empathy and kindness.
Pride prevents honesty and spiritual discernment. When we walk in pride we interpret things wrongly, believing we are right when we may be wrong. Pride will not allow us to see truth.
The best thing to do when we are feeling a sense of pride is to confess it immediately, asking God to help us see the truth of a matter before making any decisions, asking him to open our eyes to anything we are unable to see.
The less pride we have in us the better! We cannot possess love, kindness, empathy and giving, genuinely, as long as pride exists in us. All our good deeds will be for self glorification and will foster more pride in our hearts and even anger when others don't validate our good deeds.
A person who is humble will take criticism to prayer, answer honestly when the truth is discovered and even be grateful for the correction. When we have been accused falsely, we may speak of it but there is no sense that we need to win in a discussion over the false accusation, we can leave that to the Lord.
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 11:2 "2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished."
Proverbs 29:23 "A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor."
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling."
Galatians 6:3 "3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Proverbs 27:2 "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips."
Proverb s 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
James 4:6 "6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Jeremiah 9:23 "23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;"
Philippians 2:3 "3 Do nothing [a]from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;"
1 John 2:16 "16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."
Romans 12:16 "16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."
2 Timothy 3:2, 1 Corinthians 10:31,13:4, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 30:12, Romans 11:17-21, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 25-27, 2 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 12:3, 2 Corinthians 10:5,18, Matthew 23:10-12.
There are too many passages to list here, God has spoken clearly and loudly on the matters of pride and humility. All we have to do is read His Word to be cleansed of any sin of pride that He might work humility in us.
I would like a bumper sticker for my car that says, "Lord let me love You, the way my Dog loves me."
Our dog and cat, when sitting in our lap, are constantly looking backward into our face. They cannot take their eyes off of us.
I once heard a teacher of the Word say that the word for worship in its original language, had the connotation of the way a dog looks at his master.
When we have to spank a naughty pet, they do not fight back, nor do they hold a grudge, they usually crawl back in submission to win us again, then we love them up and all is fine.
If we could be this dedicated to God first and then our Christian brothers and sisters, we would grow in holiness and have wonderful relationships with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
When all pride is removed, we can see more clearly our need and the needs of others. Pride destroys all chance of growth in holiness. It prevents relationships from reconciling, and even escalates a problem, since pride in someone, causes them to refuse to hear a matter before answering, while demeaning their target. Pride thinks only of self first, negating the plight of others, even lacking empathy and kindness.
Pride prevents honesty and spiritual discernment. When we walk in pride we interpret things wrongly, believing we are right when we may be wrong. Pride will not allow us to see truth.
The best thing to do when we are feeling a sense of pride is to confess it immediately, asking God to help us see the truth of a matter before making any decisions, asking him to open our eyes to anything we are unable to see.
The less pride we have in us the better! We cannot possess love, kindness, empathy and giving, genuinely, as long as pride exists in us. All our good deeds will be for self glorification and will foster more pride in our hearts and even anger when others don't validate our good deeds.
A person who is humble will take criticism to prayer, answer honestly when the truth is discovered and even be grateful for the correction. When we have been accused falsely, we may speak of it but there is no sense that we need to win in a discussion over the false accusation, we can leave that to the Lord.
Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 11:2 "2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom."
Proverbs 16:5 "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished."
Proverbs 29:23 "A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor."
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling."
Galatians 6:3 "3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."
Proverbs 27:2 "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips."
Proverb s 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
James 4:6 "6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Jeremiah 9:23 "23 Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;"
Philippians 2:3 "3 Do nothing [a]from [b]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;"
1 John 2:16 "16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."
Romans 12:16 "16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."
2 Timothy 3:2, 1 Corinthians 10:31,13:4, Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 30:12, Romans 11:17-21, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 25-27, 2 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Peter 5:5, Romans 12:3, 2 Corinthians 10:5,18, Matthew 23:10-12.
There are too many passages to list here, God has spoken clearly and loudly on the matters of pride and humility. All we have to do is read His Word to be cleansed of any sin of pride that He might work humility in us.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Don't Worry Trust Christ
Wow, if I were a new believer and searching the internet for good speakers I might be tempted to pull my hair and give up. There is criticism for every preacher and attacks that could confuse and frustrate.
Every person, every preacher will have errors, until we are all taken home. Some preachers are false teachers and must be avoided, we will know them by their blatant foolishness that is not just error but defies the Word of God.
No person on this earth will have it all right, but some will have more right than others.
It is good to pray over everyone we listen to, asking the Lord to show us truth through them and expose the error.
When we place our trust in man, believing every thing one man says as though he were god, then he has become an idol in our minds. The only One we can completely trust is Christ in us.
God commended the Bereans for being diligent in testing all that the apostle Paul said. They could have been elevating him as a god since he was an apostle, but they did not elevate him above God, but after he preached they went back to the Scriptures to see if what he was saying was true.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;"
Acts 17:11 "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
Don't get worried about what to believe, God will show you if you ask Him.
James 1:5 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
You can believe God when He says He will give you what you need when you need it, that is if you have placed your trust in Him alone.
Every person, every preacher will have errors, until we are all taken home. Some preachers are false teachers and must be avoided, we will know them by their blatant foolishness that is not just error but defies the Word of God.
No person on this earth will have it all right, but some will have more right than others.
It is good to pray over everyone we listen to, asking the Lord to show us truth through them and expose the error.
When we place our trust in man, believing every thing one man says as though he were god, then he has become an idol in our minds. The only One we can completely trust is Christ in us.
God commended the Bereans for being diligent in testing all that the apostle Paul said. They could have been elevating him as a god since he was an apostle, but they did not elevate him above God, but after he preached they went back to the Scriptures to see if what he was saying was true.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;"
Acts 17:11 "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
Don't get worried about what to believe, God will show you if you ask Him.
James 1:5 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
You can believe God when He says He will give you what you need when you need it, that is if you have placed your trust in Him alone.
Correction and Rebuke are Commanded by God
We might be surprising to learn how many people will not correct someone when they are being rude. We are called to challenge one another, but most believers won't do it. I do not challenge a non-believer, the gospel is more important to share with them, but believers should correct one another.
Perhaps we recoil at the prospect of correcting and rebuking because we know in our present culture the narcissism has cause over sensitivity to correction, many people are incensed at the idea that they have to be challenged.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
" 4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with[a]great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 andwill turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you,be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. "
Perhaps we recoil at the prospect of correcting and rebuking because we know in our present culture the narcissism has cause over sensitivity to correction, many people are incensed at the idea that they have to be challenged.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
" 4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with[a]great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 andwill turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you,be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. "
Cell Phone Use Can Be Very Rude!
I wish more people would enforce manners while in the company of others. We have basically taught "anything goes", in the company of other people. Manners or lack of them is a reflection of our attitude toward the people we are with. Our culture does not correct rudeness anymore, we simply let it slide, to solidify the narcissism that permeates our society.
LOL, I once took a young woman to lunch for her birthday. For the first 15 minutes we were at the table waiting for our meal after ordering, she was checking her cell phone, laughing at the texts and responding to them. I felt sort of left out.
Having felt insulted, disrespected and minimized, I waited until she looked up from the phone and told her that she had a choice, she can visit with those people on the phone or she can visit with me. I brought her out because I wanted to bless her on her birthday. She continued to do it a couple more times as though she was addicted to that phone.
I then informed her that if she chose those people on the phone to visit with, I was going to leave so that she could be alone with them. Thankfully she understood and put away her phone. We had a nice lunch together after that. Perhaps if everyone would teach about cell phone manners, we would have a new trend, putting away the phones or turning them off when in the company of others.
You know.....like in the old days when the phone was only at home and we didn't even know if someone had called until we got back home. In the early days we didn't even have answering machines, a person would have to call back later to catch us. We were free all day from the bother of a ringing phone unless it were important. 99% of what is being texted today is foolishness and completely unnecessary distraction from better things.
When we look all around the room while someone is talking to us, or check our cell phones continually while in another person's company, it is the same as saying "I would rather be with someone else other than you." It is also saying "you are of no interest to me."
Ignoring or minimizing others through lack of attention to them, is rude and arrogant. We show others what we think of them by our attention or lack of attention to them when in their company.
I know there will be those who read this who already know it, but there are so many who have never been taught manners, attentiveness to the needs of others or even how to bless another person.
When I am treated with disrespect and dishonor, my conclusion is that I can not be of help or blessing to them, they are not respecting me, so anything I say or do would be of no value to them. It is not likely I will spend more time with them later, if it is an habitual practice with them.
Let's not negate and minimize others through flippant disregard for them. God tells us to love one another, that means that the needs and feelings of others must come before our own.
Mark 12:31
"31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Luke 6:31
"31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you."
Luke 6:35
"35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, [a]expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Romans 13:10
"10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
1 John 4:7
"7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."
LOL, I once took a young woman to lunch for her birthday. For the first 15 minutes we were at the table waiting for our meal after ordering, she was checking her cell phone, laughing at the texts and responding to them. I felt sort of left out.
Having felt insulted, disrespected and minimized, I waited until she looked up from the phone and told her that she had a choice, she can visit with those people on the phone or she can visit with me. I brought her out because I wanted to bless her on her birthday. She continued to do it a couple more times as though she was addicted to that phone.
I then informed her that if she chose those people on the phone to visit with, I was going to leave so that she could be alone with them. Thankfully she understood and put away her phone. We had a nice lunch together after that. Perhaps if everyone would teach about cell phone manners, we would have a new trend, putting away the phones or turning them off when in the company of others.
You know.....like in the old days when the phone was only at home and we didn't even know if someone had called until we got back home. In the early days we didn't even have answering machines, a person would have to call back later to catch us. We were free all day from the bother of a ringing phone unless it were important. 99% of what is being texted today is foolishness and completely unnecessary distraction from better things.
When we look all around the room while someone is talking to us, or check our cell phones continually while in another person's company, it is the same as saying "I would rather be with someone else other than you." It is also saying "you are of no interest to me."
Ignoring or minimizing others through lack of attention to them, is rude and arrogant. We show others what we think of them by our attention or lack of attention to them when in their company.
I know there will be those who read this who already know it, but there are so many who have never been taught manners, attentiveness to the needs of others or even how to bless another person.
When I am treated with disrespect and dishonor, my conclusion is that I can not be of help or blessing to them, they are not respecting me, so anything I say or do would be of no value to them. It is not likely I will spend more time with them later, if it is an habitual practice with them.
Let's not negate and minimize others through flippant disregard for them. God tells us to love one another, that means that the needs and feelings of others must come before our own.
Mark 12:31
"31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Luke 6:31
"31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you."
Luke 6:35
"35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, [a]expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
Romans 13:10
"10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
1 John 4:7
"7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."
Monday, January 26, 2015
Our Freedom is in Christ Alone
We can expect Islam to attempt to take over our country, they already have a leader in the white house.
This leader has been working toward an Islamic take over, it has been his purpose from the beginning. He will not stop until it is carried out.
We have been sleeping, thinking that we will actually have another election. I don't think so, I think the terrorists coming across our open borders and the training camps around the country are preparing for government take over. They said they are coming for us and I believe them. They are boastin now as though they believe they can do it, that tells me they are well prepared.
I know this sounds radical and like it is a conspiracy theory, but we have to remember we have never seen any president so bent on demolishing the constitution as fully as this one, while placing Muslims in key government positions before. We have never seen a president who has protected and fostered Islamic terrorism either.
We have been brain washed to believe that we could never be overtaken because of our constitution and the form of government we have instituted. It has been diabolical, the stealth with which this administration used an age old tactic to emotionally disarm the people. Give the people free stuff, lie to them constantly about everything and they will be content while the powers that be chip away at every tenet of the democracy.
I like to keep politics at a minimum on my site, however I am interested in world affairs now because it is prophecy. In order for a one world leader we must not have a world power such as our nation has been. We must be taken down for the world to want the one world leader.
Since I am a citizen of heaven, I can look at these matters with interest while being unemotional about them. I have enjoyed freedom as most of you have, but now I realize we are about to lose that freedom, perhaps it is time to focus on our real mission here and that is the gospel to those who are lost.
For many years we were distracted by politics, working hard to preserve our freedom while neglecting the spiritual needs of the people, feeding them spiritual fluff and candy when they should have been getting meat for strength.
God is going to bring us through some serious discipline, the only way to prepare is to trust Him, pray and obey what He says, after that it is all in His hands, our fate rests with Him.
Know this, if you are born again, losing your life for your faith is a blessing, it sends us home to our Father.
May we obey God, sharing what we know with the unsaved that they will have the same hope that we do during these very trying times.
This leader has been working toward an Islamic take over, it has been his purpose from the beginning. He will not stop until it is carried out.
We have been sleeping, thinking that we will actually have another election. I don't think so, I think the terrorists coming across our open borders and the training camps around the country are preparing for government take over. They said they are coming for us and I believe them. They are boastin now as though they believe they can do it, that tells me they are well prepared.
I know this sounds radical and like it is a conspiracy theory, but we have to remember we have never seen any president so bent on demolishing the constitution as fully as this one, while placing Muslims in key government positions before. We have never seen a president who has protected and fostered Islamic terrorism either.
We have been brain washed to believe that we could never be overtaken because of our constitution and the form of government we have instituted. It has been diabolical, the stealth with which this administration used an age old tactic to emotionally disarm the people. Give the people free stuff, lie to them constantly about everything and they will be content while the powers that be chip away at every tenet of the democracy.
I like to keep politics at a minimum on my site, however I am interested in world affairs now because it is prophecy. In order for a one world leader we must not have a world power such as our nation has been. We must be taken down for the world to want the one world leader.
Since I am a citizen of heaven, I can look at these matters with interest while being unemotional about them. I have enjoyed freedom as most of you have, but now I realize we are about to lose that freedom, perhaps it is time to focus on our real mission here and that is the gospel to those who are lost.
For many years we were distracted by politics, working hard to preserve our freedom while neglecting the spiritual needs of the people, feeding them spiritual fluff and candy when they should have been getting meat for strength.
God is going to bring us through some serious discipline, the only way to prepare is to trust Him, pray and obey what He says, after that it is all in His hands, our fate rests with Him.
Know this, if you are born again, losing your life for your faith is a blessing, it sends us home to our Father.
May we obey God, sharing what we know with the unsaved that they will have the same hope that we do during these very trying times.
Humility is Evidence of a Teachable Spirit
Much of what Christians have been taught in church on Sunday is not Biblical but rather psychological, hatched by liberals who want to pretend there is no such thing as sin, only hurting people who need to be given free reign to live as they please without challenge.
Psychology may have a few tidbits that are true but the system as a whole, has many holes.
Many church goers are believing things about God and man that are not true because our churches are heavily peppered with those coming out of Bible college trained in manipulative psychological methods rather than equipped with the Word of God while being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Question every single thing we hear, no matter who it is from while spending much time in the Word of God and prayer. Believe no one, there are too many deceived educated people in our pulpits, they cannot think beyond the indoctrination they received in the Seminaries and Bible colleges.
2 Thessalonians 5:21-24
"21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it"
If you correct a man in leadership and he responds with intimidation, then you know you are dealing with pride and an unteachable spirit, get out of there, he will only be interested in his own glory. A man of God will be humble and delighted to discuss a matter with you.
Psychology may have a few tidbits that are true but the system as a whole, has many holes.
Many church goers are believing things about God and man that are not true because our churches are heavily peppered with those coming out of Bible college trained in manipulative psychological methods rather than equipped with the Word of God while being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Question every single thing we hear, no matter who it is from while spending much time in the Word of God and prayer. Believe no one, there are too many deceived educated people in our pulpits, they cannot think beyond the indoctrination they received in the Seminaries and Bible colleges.
2 Thessalonians 5:21-24
"21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it"
If you correct a man in leadership and he responds with intimidation, then you know you are dealing with pride and an unteachable spirit, get out of there, he will only be interested in his own glory. A man of God will be humble and delighted to discuss a matter with you.
I Love You Too Much To See You Continue In Sin
The misunderstanding in our culture today about forgiveness has solidified the sin in the hearts of those who think no sorrow over sin is required to restore a relationships, whether it between men or God.
Psychology has, for the most part fostered a mentality of selfishness, as a culture we say we forgive others "for our own sake." That is not at all what the Bible teaches.
Everything we do with others is for their sake. When I spank a child who has disobeyed, the discipline is for the child's sake, to teach him right from wrong and to redirect his behavior.
Our culture doesn't like the feeling of having to discipline so, for their own sake they don't do it and the child becomes hateful, selfish and rebellious all through his life because his parents didn't care so much about him as they did about themselves and their own good feelings.
Proverbs 13:24
"He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Perhaps we could say, he who will not rebuke a friend, hates him, because self is more important than the spiritual well being of the friend.
Those who withhold discipline from brothers and sisters in Christ are selfish. They are more concerned about their own good feelings than the long term benefit of a reconciled relationship. Reconciliation God's way is hard work, brings sadness and even the loss of a rebellious friend, nevertheless, in the long term it can cause a brother to be repentant and to be restored.
If a brother refuses discipline and is not restored, that is upon him, however if we did nothing to attempt the fostering of repentance in the heart of a sinning brother, then we are held responsible for taking lightly the sin against God and others.
Our culture likes the misunderstanding about forgiveness because that relieves them of the responsibility of going to the sinning brother, the battle they might have in the process of attempting to bring truth to the brother and the sadness of those looking on who may judge them as "unforgiving", when they have to release the relationship, turning the brother or sister over to satan that they might learn to obey God.
The following passage is dealing with sin in the body rather than personal sin between two friends. However it is a principle that applies when handling sin. All sin is to be handled, if it is left alone, or ignored, then it grows and brings devastation to the soul of the unrepentant heart.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
"1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
The personal sin between two believers should be handled and not ignored, for the sake of the offender more than the offended. When we "let things go, they grow."
Matthew 18:15-18
"15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
For a sin that is public, God tells us to rebuke publicly.
1 Timothy 5:20
"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."
You see by the previous and following verses that repentance, forgiveness and restoration are not only for the individual, that they might be ashamed and confess their sin, but also for the example to the rest of the church.
Titus 1:13
"This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;"
We have had a wrong view of forgiveness in our churches and families, causing many to continue in sin without shame, because they expect to be forgiven without having to obey Christ. They arrogantly proclaim to others; "they should just forgive me", while remaining in their sin, continuing in rebellion and even having that rebellion solidified by flippant dogmas that are not Biblical.
Our churches are in an apostate mess because of this impertinent and perverted view of forgiveness. More damage has been done to believers through the pressure to "just forgive" an offender, when the offended was deeply harmed. The attempt to make an innocent party feel guilty for not forgiving when the offender refuses to change their heart or behavior, is a way of bludgeoning the innocent, while coddling the guilty.
How foolish it is to stand in court and say "I forgive you" to an unrepentant murderer, who is arrogant. He is being told, by well meaning but misguided victims that no matter what he does God will forgive him. When we forgive, when God has not, then we place ourselves above God.
We forget that repentance is cleansing and wipes out all guilt, allowing a person to push forward, restoring their soul and the subsequent actions that follow a changed heart.
If you love the perp in a crime, do not say you forgive him, tell him about Christ, where his sin will lead and the good news that Christ offered forgiveness if he will just confess his sinfulness, then God can save him from his own sin and hell.
It is easier to stand in front of an offender and just say "I forgive you", than it is to go through the process of witnessing the true gospel while at times having to be disappointed at the response that leaves them in their lost state. Many will reject the truth, God said it would be that way, but that should not stop us from doing things God's way. The modern church is lazy, they want to do the easy thing that takes the least amount of time and makes them feel wonderful "about themselves."
If you sin against me, I will tell you, if you repent we can be friends, but if you do not repent, and continue in your sin against me, then you will not be my companion or friend. If you repent later, seeing the need to confess and change your mind, then our relationship will be restored. I want to forgive those who have offended, but they prevent me from it by their unrepentence. I love you too much to watch you harden your heart toward sin because no one would call you to account. whether or not our relationships is restored is up to God.
Let's no longer badger the offended party to forgive an unrepentant offender, rather, pray with the one who is offended, upholding them and praying for the perp to see their sin and desire to be restored.
Psychology has, for the most part fostered a mentality of selfishness, as a culture we say we forgive others "for our own sake." That is not at all what the Bible teaches.
Everything we do with others is for their sake. When I spank a child who has disobeyed, the discipline is for the child's sake, to teach him right from wrong and to redirect his behavior.
Our culture doesn't like the feeling of having to discipline so, for their own sake they don't do it and the child becomes hateful, selfish and rebellious all through his life because his parents didn't care so much about him as they did about themselves and their own good feelings.
Proverbs 13:24
"He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Perhaps we could say, he who will not rebuke a friend, hates him, because self is more important than the spiritual well being of the friend.
Those who withhold discipline from brothers and sisters in Christ are selfish. They are more concerned about their own good feelings than the long term benefit of a reconciled relationship. Reconciliation God's way is hard work, brings sadness and even the loss of a rebellious friend, nevertheless, in the long term it can cause a brother to be repentant and to be restored.
If a brother refuses discipline and is not restored, that is upon him, however if we did nothing to attempt the fostering of repentance in the heart of a sinning brother, then we are held responsible for taking lightly the sin against God and others.
Our culture likes the misunderstanding about forgiveness because that relieves them of the responsibility of going to the sinning brother, the battle they might have in the process of attempting to bring truth to the brother and the sadness of those looking on who may judge them as "unforgiving", when they have to release the relationship, turning the brother or sister over to satan that they might learn to obey God.
The following passage is dealing with sin in the body rather than personal sin between two friends. However it is a principle that applies when handling sin. All sin is to be handled, if it is left alone, or ignored, then it grows and brings devastation to the soul of the unrepentant heart.
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
"1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves."
The personal sin between two believers should be handled and not ignored, for the sake of the offender more than the offended. When we "let things go, they grow."
Matthew 18:15-18
"15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
For a sin that is public, God tells us to rebuke publicly.
1 Timothy 5:20
"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear."
You see by the previous and following verses that repentance, forgiveness and restoration are not only for the individual, that they might be ashamed and confess their sin, but also for the example to the rest of the church.
Titus 1:13
"This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;"
We have had a wrong view of forgiveness in our churches and families, causing many to continue in sin without shame, because they expect to be forgiven without having to obey Christ. They arrogantly proclaim to others; "they should just forgive me", while remaining in their sin, continuing in rebellion and even having that rebellion solidified by flippant dogmas that are not Biblical.
Our churches are in an apostate mess because of this impertinent and perverted view of forgiveness. More damage has been done to believers through the pressure to "just forgive" an offender, when the offended was deeply harmed. The attempt to make an innocent party feel guilty for not forgiving when the offender refuses to change their heart or behavior, is a way of bludgeoning the innocent, while coddling the guilty.
How foolish it is to stand in court and say "I forgive you" to an unrepentant murderer, who is arrogant. He is being told, by well meaning but misguided victims that no matter what he does God will forgive him. When we forgive, when God has not, then we place ourselves above God.
We forget that repentance is cleansing and wipes out all guilt, allowing a person to push forward, restoring their soul and the subsequent actions that follow a changed heart.
If you love the perp in a crime, do not say you forgive him, tell him about Christ, where his sin will lead and the good news that Christ offered forgiveness if he will just confess his sinfulness, then God can save him from his own sin and hell.
It is easier to stand in front of an offender and just say "I forgive you", than it is to go through the process of witnessing the true gospel while at times having to be disappointed at the response that leaves them in their lost state. Many will reject the truth, God said it would be that way, but that should not stop us from doing things God's way. The modern church is lazy, they want to do the easy thing that takes the least amount of time and makes them feel wonderful "about themselves."
If you sin against me, I will tell you, if you repent we can be friends, but if you do not repent, and continue in your sin against me, then you will not be my companion or friend. If you repent later, seeing the need to confess and change your mind, then our relationship will be restored. I want to forgive those who have offended, but they prevent me from it by their unrepentence. I love you too much to watch you harden your heart toward sin because no one would call you to account. whether or not our relationships is restored is up to God.
Let's no longer badger the offended party to forgive an unrepentant offender, rather, pray with the one who is offended, upholding them and praying for the perp to see their sin and desire to be restored.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
We Battle Against The Flesh
Do you still sin after you have been born again? The second part of that question is, do you ever have a wrong attitude, or selfish action?
We all sin even after being born again. One sin is no bigger than another sin, even though the consequences of some sins are larger than others.
The only part of us that is sinless is Christ in us. Our flesh still sins. When we know that we sin from time to time, then we must know that we are capable of all sins, even though in our spirit we hate sin, our flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
The slightest sin keeps an unsaved person out of heaven. It is only through trusting Christ that we can enter into the rest through God's grace, His blood covers the sin of the born again believer while at the same time the Holy Spirit continually works in our heart cleansing us to walk in holiness. That process of cleansing is going on everyday until we go home to be with our Lord.
If we ask if an adulterer can get into heaven, we have to also ask if anyone who has an adulterous thought can get into heaven. How about a liar, even the smallest lie could keep us from getting into heaven. Then there is the murderer, someone who just hates a person, according to Christ, has committed murder in their heart. A thief, who merely takes a piece of gum without asking, is a thief, the size of the article is not relevant, it is the condition of the heart that matters, can these people get into heaven? Sin is in the heart before it becomes an action. If we are saying we know someone cannot get into heaven because they have committed adultery, then those who have even entertained an adulterous thought for more than a moment, will not inherit heaven.
Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
James 2:10-20
"10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment"
No one is free of sinful thoughts, everyone has broken all ten commandments in their heart even after they are born again. If you believe we no longer sin after we have become born again, take inventory of your daily life for one month. Document everything, the tiniest infraction against God is considered sin. The loss of temper, the anger at not getting what we want, the hurtful word said in frustration, are all sins that would have kept us out of heaven before we were born again, but now are under the blood.
Anyone who says they don't sin after they were born again is lying against God. He said this; in 1 John 1:8 " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." These words were written to believers who were saved.
We are not sinless, but we sin less. As God continues to work on us, convicting us of sin as it comes up, disciplining us when we fail and blessing us with cleansing as we confess, we grow in holiness. Some are more stubborn than others, some are grow faster than others, everyone is at a different place. I am just glad that God knows all of it.
It is my assignment and the assignment of every believer to tell the truth, and leave the rest to God to sort out. Call a sin a sin, tell the believer they must confess it and forsake it to see the blessing of God and tell the non-believer that all their sin will take them to hell. We must also at times, challenge a believer to check with God to see if they were ever born again because their fruit looks rotten.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Notice that the fruits are spiritual character conditions and not works! Fruit will produce works, but one might not be saved and still have good works, while not having the fruit of the Spirit.
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Matthew 13:25-30
"25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.
26 But when the [b]wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [c]How then does it have tares?’
28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
29 But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
We all sin even after being born again. One sin is no bigger than another sin, even though the consequences of some sins are larger than others.
The only part of us that is sinless is Christ in us. Our flesh still sins. When we know that we sin from time to time, then we must know that we are capable of all sins, even though in our spirit we hate sin, our flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
The slightest sin keeps an unsaved person out of heaven. It is only through trusting Christ that we can enter into the rest through God's grace, His blood covers the sin of the born again believer while at the same time the Holy Spirit continually works in our heart cleansing us to walk in holiness. That process of cleansing is going on everyday until we go home to be with our Lord.
If we ask if an adulterer can get into heaven, we have to also ask if anyone who has an adulterous thought can get into heaven. How about a liar, even the smallest lie could keep us from getting into heaven. Then there is the murderer, someone who just hates a person, according to Christ, has committed murder in their heart. A thief, who merely takes a piece of gum without asking, is a thief, the size of the article is not relevant, it is the condition of the heart that matters, can these people get into heaven? Sin is in the heart before it becomes an action. If we are saying we know someone cannot get into heaven because they have committed adultery, then those who have even entertained an adulterous thought for more than a moment, will not inherit heaven.
Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
James 2:10-20
"10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment"
No one is free of sinful thoughts, everyone has broken all ten commandments in their heart even after they are born again. If you believe we no longer sin after we have become born again, take inventory of your daily life for one month. Document everything, the tiniest infraction against God is considered sin. The loss of temper, the anger at not getting what we want, the hurtful word said in frustration, are all sins that would have kept us out of heaven before we were born again, but now are under the blood.
Anyone who says they don't sin after they were born again is lying against God. He said this; in 1 John 1:8 " If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." These words were written to believers who were saved.
We are not sinless, but we sin less. As God continues to work on us, convicting us of sin as it comes up, disciplining us when we fail and blessing us with cleansing as we confess, we grow in holiness. Some are more stubborn than others, some are grow faster than others, everyone is at a different place. I am just glad that God knows all of it.
It is my assignment and the assignment of every believer to tell the truth, and leave the rest to God to sort out. Call a sin a sin, tell the believer they must confess it and forsake it to see the blessing of God and tell the non-believer that all their sin will take them to hell. We must also at times, challenge a believer to check with God to see if they were ever born again because their fruit looks rotten.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Notice that the fruits are spiritual character conditions and not works! Fruit will produce works, but one might not be saved and still have good works, while not having the fruit of the Spirit.
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Matthew 13:25-30
"25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.
26 But when the [b]wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? [c]How then does it have tares?’
28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
29 But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Who Is Your Idol?
God gave us clear instruction to expose and avoid those who are false teachers in the body of Christ. One such teacher that is loved by all denominations and all religions is the man C.S. Lewis. Many people have enjoyed his writings without closely comparing them with the Bible. These same people have not bothered to look deeply into the character and practices of the man himself.
I write about this because many believers claim that Catholics have idols in the form of people and statues, but the protestants do not. The fact is that C.S. Lewis is the protestant false god and idol and the irony is that he was Catholic.
The Harry Potter books and the C.S. Lewis books are exactly the same, in terms of their influence against Christ and for the occult.
C.S. Lewis was a modern day heretic, widely loved and quoted even to this day by many people who call themselves believers. He was a divorced man who married a divorced woman in violation of God's word.
C.S. Lewis was a Catholic who was also a "Universalist", the belief that everyone is going to go to heaven no matter what religion they are. He believed that the Bible was full of myths about creation but that it taught some important deeper truths. In the video link, there are many more evidences, in Lewis's own words that convict him.
One cannot be a born again believer and hold to the lies that C.S. Lewis endorsed. It doesn't take a lot of discernment to see that his books mixed paganism and Christianity together as though they were equal.
In the final scene of the book by Lewis named "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe", the lion who was suppose to represent Christ while the white witch was the devil. Lewis had the lion going into the tend to negotiate the price for sin with the white witch, as though satan would have any say in the price for sin.
God the Father set the price for sin, and the devil has no power over Christ.
At closer inspection, we see that Lewis wasn't even born again, but heavily involved in paganism and specifically Catholicism. If one wants to know the truth about C.S. Lewis, the things he said and the proof of his paganism from God's Word, the following video is very informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgToWI3n_X8
I write about this because many believers claim that Catholics have idols in the form of people and statues, but the protestants do not. The fact is that C.S. Lewis is the protestant false god and idol and the irony is that he was Catholic.
The Harry Potter books and the C.S. Lewis books are exactly the same, in terms of their influence against Christ and for the occult.
C.S. Lewis was a modern day heretic, widely loved and quoted even to this day by many people who call themselves believers. He was a divorced man who married a divorced woman in violation of God's word.
C.S. Lewis was a Catholic who was also a "Universalist", the belief that everyone is going to go to heaven no matter what religion they are. He believed that the Bible was full of myths about creation but that it taught some important deeper truths. In the video link, there are many more evidences, in Lewis's own words that convict him.
One cannot be a born again believer and hold to the lies that C.S. Lewis endorsed. It doesn't take a lot of discernment to see that his books mixed paganism and Christianity together as though they were equal.
In the final scene of the book by Lewis named "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe", the lion who was suppose to represent Christ while the white witch was the devil. Lewis had the lion going into the tend to negotiate the price for sin with the white witch, as though satan would have any say in the price for sin.
God the Father set the price for sin, and the devil has no power over Christ.
At closer inspection, we see that Lewis wasn't even born again, but heavily involved in paganism and specifically Catholicism. If one wants to know the truth about C.S. Lewis, the things he said and the proof of his paganism from God's Word, the following video is very informative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgToWI3n_X8
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Prayer in Public School
There are people now who are innocently attempting to get prayer and "God" back in public school. While I desire for God to be honored everywhere, I know that we live in a culture in which most people who talk about God do not know the One True God.
Even those who claim to be Christian are allowing their children to remain in the public institutions, being brain washed by many liberal teachings and agendas.
What would getting prayer in school, in our present climate create? It is my opinion, if prayer were to be re-instituted into the public system, it would be perverted to include every religion and especially Islam, since the powers that be are working to integrate Islamic lessons into the system already.
When the students can go on a field trip to a Mosque but not allowed to be taken to a Christian church, we can expect that along with the teachings of the Koran in school, there will also be allowed the prayers of Islam to be observed too, as soon as the law allows.
The best thing for children now, in our present world, is to keep children of Christian families out of the public institutions entirely. Parents are equipped to teach their own children at home, out of the influence of the continuing push to accept all religions as valid. We have moved passed tolerance of other religions to total acceptance.
It is one thing to accept people, love them and show kindness to them no matter what their religion, but quite another to endorse their paganistic practices and prayers by involving ourselves in them.
And, finally, we are responsible as parents to train and teach our own children. Our prayer as families should be in the home. Far too many fathers are neglecting prayer in the home, desiring for the church and the school to do the job of training in prayer, to those institutions, rather than doing it themselves.
Let's call it what it is.......laziness and lack of interest in the things of God.
If prayer is instituted in the public system, mark my words, it will extend to all religions and Islamic prayers will be favored over the intercom. Expect it.
Wouldn't it be better for our children to experience prayer at home with family, rather than by ungodly teachers who are unsaved?
Don't think for a minute that if prayer is endorsed by the public system that it will only be the "Christian" variety, as soon as legislation is passed in our houses of government, all religions will be working for that prayer to be theirs. Since our country has effectively been the country of "freedom to worship as you please", we have no reason to think that the God of the Bible will be the only One prayed to and worshiped.
We have only to remember the Imam that prayed in the Houses of government just recently. Prayer has always been in our tradition, but in the past it was always prayer to the God of the Bible. But now it is any prayer from anyone whom is chosen to reflect our religious diversity.
How can we expect our schools to stay to the God of the Bible in prayer, when the highest government institutions of the land are using Imams, Priests, Mormon Elders and other cults to recite their prayers over the governing bodies?
Before we get on any bandwagon about prayer in school, it is best to pray about it and think it through. Where does the idea of prayer in school lead to in its' logical conclusion. In a godless culture where most teachers and principals are not born again, we can expect just about anything other than submission to Christ.
I am not going to get on this bandwagon about prayer, I am however an advocate of parents removing their children from the public godless institutions in favor of protecting them, training them and teaching them in the ways of the Lord at home with those who love them and are dedicated to them.
There are plenty of Scriptures that tell us to train our children, I don't recall any that tell us to leave that training to others to do.
Even those who claim to be Christian are allowing their children to remain in the public institutions, being brain washed by many liberal teachings and agendas.
What would getting prayer in school, in our present climate create? It is my opinion, if prayer were to be re-instituted into the public system, it would be perverted to include every religion and especially Islam, since the powers that be are working to integrate Islamic lessons into the system already.
When the students can go on a field trip to a Mosque but not allowed to be taken to a Christian church, we can expect that along with the teachings of the Koran in school, there will also be allowed the prayers of Islam to be observed too, as soon as the law allows.
The best thing for children now, in our present world, is to keep children of Christian families out of the public institutions entirely. Parents are equipped to teach their own children at home, out of the influence of the continuing push to accept all religions as valid. We have moved passed tolerance of other religions to total acceptance.
It is one thing to accept people, love them and show kindness to them no matter what their religion, but quite another to endorse their paganistic practices and prayers by involving ourselves in them.
And, finally, we are responsible as parents to train and teach our own children. Our prayer as families should be in the home. Far too many fathers are neglecting prayer in the home, desiring for the church and the school to do the job of training in prayer, to those institutions, rather than doing it themselves.
Let's call it what it is.......laziness and lack of interest in the things of God.
If prayer is instituted in the public system, mark my words, it will extend to all religions and Islamic prayers will be favored over the intercom. Expect it.
Wouldn't it be better for our children to experience prayer at home with family, rather than by ungodly teachers who are unsaved?
Don't think for a minute that if prayer is endorsed by the public system that it will only be the "Christian" variety, as soon as legislation is passed in our houses of government, all religions will be working for that prayer to be theirs. Since our country has effectively been the country of "freedom to worship as you please", we have no reason to think that the God of the Bible will be the only One prayed to and worshiped.
We have only to remember the Imam that prayed in the Houses of government just recently. Prayer has always been in our tradition, but in the past it was always prayer to the God of the Bible. But now it is any prayer from anyone whom is chosen to reflect our religious diversity.
How can we expect our schools to stay to the God of the Bible in prayer, when the highest government institutions of the land are using Imams, Priests, Mormon Elders and other cults to recite their prayers over the governing bodies?
Before we get on any bandwagon about prayer in school, it is best to pray about it and think it through. Where does the idea of prayer in school lead to in its' logical conclusion. In a godless culture where most teachers and principals are not born again, we can expect just about anything other than submission to Christ.
I am not going to get on this bandwagon about prayer, I am however an advocate of parents removing their children from the public godless institutions in favor of protecting them, training them and teaching them in the ways of the Lord at home with those who love them and are dedicated to them.
There are plenty of Scriptures that tell us to train our children, I don't recall any that tell us to leave that training to others to do.
The Most Frightening Words A " So Called Christian" Could Ever Hear!
Matthew 7:21-23 is the most frightening passage in the Bible, in my opinion. Those who think they are saved, only to get before the Lord and have Him say to them, "I NEVER KNEW YOU." They were convinced they were going to heaven and ended up in hell.
" 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
" 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Words Are Not Enough
James 1:1-25
"1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed"
"1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed"
The Brokenness is Necessary
Without brokenness over sin, there can be no true repentance. Far too many people think they have become saved because of an emotional response that manifests itself in words and emotion only, there is no true brokenness.
Psalm 51:17
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Psalm 51:17
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Blood Remains on the Land
God must judge America even if we were to repent as a nation. We have 55 million babies who have been murdered in their mothers womb, the mothers and the doctors are both cop-able.
When a murderer has been convicted, even if he repents he still must pay the penalty for his sin and will either go to jail for life or pay with his own life through the death penalty.
We have had little justice in our land for 40 years. The penalty for the sin of murder has been ignored, and we have even legalized the act of murder. God will not let us get by with murder without the payment for that sin.
We are under God's judgement!
Psalm 106:32-41
"They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went hard with Moses on their account;
33 Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
As the Lord commanded them,
35 But they mingled with the nations
And learned their practices,
36 And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became unclean in their practices,
And played the harlot in their deeds.
40 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people
And He abhorred His inheritance.
41 Then He gave them into the hand of the nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them."
When a murderer has been convicted, even if he repents he still must pay the penalty for his sin and will either go to jail for life or pay with his own life through the death penalty.
We have had little justice in our land for 40 years. The penalty for the sin of murder has been ignored, and we have even legalized the act of murder. God will not let us get by with murder without the payment for that sin.
We are under God's judgement!
Psalm 106:32-41
"They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,
So that it went hard with Moses on their account;
33 Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They did not destroy the peoples,
As the Lord commanded them,
35 But they mingled with the nations
And learned their practices,
36 And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became unclean in their practices,
And played the harlot in their deeds.
40 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people
And He abhorred His inheritance.
41 Then He gave them into the hand of the nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them."
The Holy Spirit Convicts of Sin
When I became born again I did not live for the Lord, I wanted God, but didn't understand what that meant. I wanted His safety and love, but had no understanding of what that looked like.
I didn't read my Bible, because it was not common in our household to open the Bible and there was no prayer except over the meal that was a canned recited one in a hurry to get to the food.
I accepted Christ as my Savior at church camp at 12 years old but didn't live for the Lord until my early twenties. I sinned often out of weakness, rather than turning to Christ for help I turned to other things and people for comfort.
When I became weary of the continual guilt and conviction of the Holy Spirit I fell to my knees confessing my sin, at which time I began pouring over the Bible to learn more about God. I am convinced I was saved, often I questioned my salvation during that time because no matter how much I confessed I felt I was not forgiven. Then I felt guilty for not believing God when He said that He will forgive when we confess.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?"
I know this sense of not being forgiven was ingrained in me in childhood when every slightest infraction was met with extreme harshness, even when there was sorrow over sin, there was the condemnation from those who thought they could never sin. I didn't think anyone could or would forgive the past. This thinking extended to my view of God. There was little love in the house, mostly ridicule and mocking, never encouragement.
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted."
The day I realized that I was a work in progress, that God loved me in spite of my failings and would extend that love to such a degree as to redirect me when it was needed, then is when my spirit began to blossom, peacefully experiencing His love in spite of what was going on around me.
Hebrews 12:11 "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
James 1:2-8 "2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
I am a believer in harsh rebukes for those who are rebellious, however I do not believe the Bible teaches to continue to be harsh with someone who has repented. Then is when we weep with our brothers and sisters and rejoice at the growth. When we act as though the sin could never be forgiven and that no one else sins that badly, we are walking in pride, a sin that destroys. Often those who think they are above sin, unnecessarily judge harshly others who have turned from their sin and are forgiven, but the prideful judge remains in theirs.
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted."
Titus 1:10-16 "10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed."
There is a time of patience we must have with new believers, or those who are sinning from weakness and heartache.
There are no excuses for sin, but there is also no excuse for meanness with a brother or sister desiring to be restored. Pride is the motivating factor in reviling one who is seeking Christ.
1 John 5:4 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
Mark 11:24 ""Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."
1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:"
We know it is God's will that we be cleansed, so we know if we pray for that He will do it. We can have victory over every struggle.
Let go of self and hang on to Christ! Desire what He desires and He will do it.
I didn't read my Bible, because it was not common in our household to open the Bible and there was no prayer except over the meal that was a canned recited one in a hurry to get to the food.
I accepted Christ as my Savior at church camp at 12 years old but didn't live for the Lord until my early twenties. I sinned often out of weakness, rather than turning to Christ for help I turned to other things and people for comfort.
When I became weary of the continual guilt and conviction of the Holy Spirit I fell to my knees confessing my sin, at which time I began pouring over the Bible to learn more about God. I am convinced I was saved, often I questioned my salvation during that time because no matter how much I confessed I felt I was not forgiven. Then I felt guilty for not believing God when He said that He will forgive when we confess.
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?"
I know this sense of not being forgiven was ingrained in me in childhood when every slightest infraction was met with extreme harshness, even when there was sorrow over sin, there was the condemnation from those who thought they could never sin. I didn't think anyone could or would forgive the past. This thinking extended to my view of God. There was little love in the house, mostly ridicule and mocking, never encouragement.
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted."
The day I realized that I was a work in progress, that God loved me in spite of my failings and would extend that love to such a degree as to redirect me when it was needed, then is when my spirit began to blossom, peacefully experiencing His love in spite of what was going on around me.
Hebrews 12:11 "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
James 1:2-8 "2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
I am a believer in harsh rebukes for those who are rebellious, however I do not believe the Bible teaches to continue to be harsh with someone who has repented. Then is when we weep with our brothers and sisters and rejoice at the growth. When we act as though the sin could never be forgiven and that no one else sins that badly, we are walking in pride, a sin that destroys. Often those who think they are above sin, unnecessarily judge harshly others who have turned from their sin and are forgiven, but the prideful judge remains in theirs.
Galatians 6:1 "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted."
Titus 1:10-16 "10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed."
There is a time of patience we must have with new believers, or those who are sinning from weakness and heartache.
There are no excuses for sin, but there is also no excuse for meanness with a brother or sister desiring to be restored. Pride is the motivating factor in reviling one who is seeking Christ.
1 John 5:4 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
Mark 11:24 ""Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."
1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:"
We know it is God's will that we be cleansed, so we know if we pray for that He will do it. We can have victory over every struggle.
Let go of self and hang on to Christ! Desire what He desires and He will do it.
Everyone Needs To Grow In Marrage
Sadly there are those who get married to have someone to serve them. They have little desire to be an asset to their spouse, but merely hope to be elevated in the eyes of the world because of their choice of a spouse. These people love their popular status, loving sacrificially is not in their mind and the needs of their spouse is irrelevant.
Do not get married if you cannot admit sin and seek Christ, you will only bring misery to the relationship and set the marriage up for failure.
I can speak from experience and authority, since I have been married 43 years to the same man, since my teen years.
When we mess up in marriage, bad attitudes, selfishness and other malities in our character, we can swallow our pride, confess them and do better with Christ helping us. Growth will be necessary in every marriage no matter how wonderful you think you are or how wonderful you think your spouse is.
There are many ups and downs, marriage is two very different personalities coming together. Since opposites do attract, we are impressed with someone different from ourselves, because they seem to have what we lack. Even so, those differences will eventually irritate us if we do not see the value in them long term.
Men and women are very different, they process information differently, God made us that way for a reason. When we learn to respect those differences, we can work together to solve the problems of life, they can enhance one another. There is no room for mocking and ridicule over the differences, this only creates hurt feelings while thwarting any resolution of conflict or moving forward in growth.
When we mess up we must admit it openly and resolve to walk anew.
Anyone going into marriage thinking it will be all about "gooy love", are on the wrong foot to start with. Our aim should be to go into marriage to be an asset to the other person rather than counting on what we think we will get out of them.
THE SELFISHNESS, NARCISSISM AND DOWN RIGHT STUBBORNNESS HAS TO GO!!!!
The final and most important aspect of marriage is that of unity. We must foster unity in the relationship, not by our human effort but by knowing the will of God by studying His Word to find His principles for a married couple.
All the principles for a God honoring relationship, the role of the woman and the role of the men are clearly written in the Word. When we seek God and not men for our model for marriage we have a successful marriage.
Please, Please stay away from the oppressive and demeaning teachings of PHARISAICAL. mentalities (marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness. Marriam-Webster Dictionary) there are many, adding to Scripture things that God never said that bring hardship into the marriage.
Proverbs 31 is a wonderful source for learning the woman's role in the family.
Ephesians 5 is another source that teaches the love that is between a man and woman based on their particular roles.
Remember that God has given specific roles to men and women that are unique to their gender bents. Each role is important and the instructions for each role were given to that gender. We can appeal to one another when we see error or sin, but forcing, manipulating and demeaning to get our spouse to do what we think they should do, it not acceptable to God.
When someone is not acting as they should in disobedience to God we are to lovingly appeal while praying for them. Often we find out that someone is not nearly as bad as we thought, we just misunderstood their struggle.
The bottom line in this matter of marriage is this: Seek the Lord with all your heart even if your spouse doesn't seem to be doing it. Love Christ with all your heart and treat your spouse as God wants you to and you may see changes needed in yourself first. Often people are reacting to our wrong attitudes, when they see us change, they can more fully see themselves.
Do not get married if you cannot admit sin and seek Christ, you will only bring misery to the relationship and set the marriage up for failure.
I can speak from experience and authority, since I have been married 43 years to the same man, since my teen years.
When we mess up in marriage, bad attitudes, selfishness and other malities in our character, we can swallow our pride, confess them and do better with Christ helping us. Growth will be necessary in every marriage no matter how wonderful you think you are or how wonderful you think your spouse is.
There are many ups and downs, marriage is two very different personalities coming together. Since opposites do attract, we are impressed with someone different from ourselves, because they seem to have what we lack. Even so, those differences will eventually irritate us if we do not see the value in them long term.
Men and women are very different, they process information differently, God made us that way for a reason. When we learn to respect those differences, we can work together to solve the problems of life, they can enhance one another. There is no room for mocking and ridicule over the differences, this only creates hurt feelings while thwarting any resolution of conflict or moving forward in growth.
When we mess up we must admit it openly and resolve to walk anew.
Anyone going into marriage thinking it will be all about "gooy love", are on the wrong foot to start with. Our aim should be to go into marriage to be an asset to the other person rather than counting on what we think we will get out of them.
THE SELFISHNESS, NARCISSISM AND DOWN RIGHT STUBBORNNESS HAS TO GO!!!!
The final and most important aspect of marriage is that of unity. We must foster unity in the relationship, not by our human effort but by knowing the will of God by studying His Word to find His principles for a married couple.
All the principles for a God honoring relationship, the role of the woman and the role of the men are clearly written in the Word. When we seek God and not men for our model for marriage we have a successful marriage.
Please, Please stay away from the oppressive and demeaning teachings of PHARISAICAL. mentalities (marked by hypocritical censorious self-righteousness. Marriam-Webster Dictionary) there are many, adding to Scripture things that God never said that bring hardship into the marriage.
Proverbs 31 is a wonderful source for learning the woman's role in the family.
Ephesians 5 is another source that teaches the love that is between a man and woman based on their particular roles.
Remember that God has given specific roles to men and women that are unique to their gender bents. Each role is important and the instructions for each role were given to that gender. We can appeal to one another when we see error or sin, but forcing, manipulating and demeaning to get our spouse to do what we think they should do, it not acceptable to God.
When someone is not acting as they should in disobedience to God we are to lovingly appeal while praying for them. Often we find out that someone is not nearly as bad as we thought, we just misunderstood their struggle.
The bottom line in this matter of marriage is this: Seek the Lord with all your heart even if your spouse doesn't seem to be doing it. Love Christ with all your heart and treat your spouse as God wants you to and you may see changes needed in yourself first. Often people are reacting to our wrong attitudes, when they see us change, they can more fully see themselves.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
The Blood is on the Land and Judgement Around the Corner
This is unbelievable to me! My husband and I were involved in political causes for 25 years in our younger days. When the Roe v Wade decision came down in '73, I had to ask my husband "what is abortion", when he told me I was aghast. I told him that law would not matter anyway because no woman would kill her own baby.
Here we are 55 MILLION PEOPLE later, dead. I remain astonished. I was so innocent at 19 years old, married with one child, that I never even heard of abortion. Now when you speak to teenagers, they argue that it is a constitutional right to kill their baby. And, some of you think that God is going to ignore the blood on the land of 55 million babies and keep on blessing us? ARE YOU KIDDING!
The blood on the land cries out to God for justice. We are so inoculated to the horrors around us that even the sins that were considered monstrous just 40 years ago, are now the norm, most people are yawning at the mention of them.
We are so distracted with our fun and pleasure, we barely notice the sin that surrounds us.
America is going to be punished even if we repent, God cannot ignore this carnage.
Here we are 55 MILLION PEOPLE later, dead. I remain astonished. I was so innocent at 19 years old, married with one child, that I never even heard of abortion. Now when you speak to teenagers, they argue that it is a constitutional right to kill their baby. And, some of you think that God is going to ignore the blood on the land of 55 million babies and keep on blessing us? ARE YOU KIDDING!
The blood on the land cries out to God for justice. We are so inoculated to the horrors around us that even the sins that were considered monstrous just 40 years ago, are now the norm, most people are yawning at the mention of them.
We are so distracted with our fun and pleasure, we barely notice the sin that surrounds us.
America is going to be punished even if we repent, God cannot ignore this carnage.
Matt Drudge knocks it out of the park with this one! What do you think?
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