"We live in a culture that thinks "feelings are facts", it is irrational and destructive." No human being can change their gender no matter how much they mutilate their bodies.
Just because someone desires to become something they are not does not mean they can become that thing.
Mark 10:6 " 6 However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’"
When God does something it cannot be undone by human beings.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Get a Bible Read it, Then Pray for the Understanding
In our region of the country it is getting harder to find Bibles now. The two Bible book stores that were in our town are now gone and the Walmart that used to have Bibles no longer do.
This all seems so strange to me since I grew up seeing Bibles in every department store and several Bible book stores in one city.
This is an indication of just how ungodly this culture has become.
I have several Bibles in my house that I have collected over the years from thrift stores and garage sales. I have also given out Bibles occasionally.
Now I my plan is to make a project of collecting them more deliberately now because of this shortage. Having them on hand to give away is a good idea.
This also makes me realize that there are now many homes that do not have Bibles in them. In my generation most families had a least a large family Bible but now there will be families who have no Bible at all.
Thankfully we still have the Gideons who are working hard to get Bibles in the hands of many. They set up at fairs and festivals giving out free Bibles, but we cannot leave this task to just them. We must all be working in these last days before the Lord returns.
We know we are no longer a Christian nation when Bibles begin to disappear from the shelves. Its not that government is disallowing the distribution, its that the people are no longer interested in having them, they just don't sell well anymore.
Amos 8:11-12 "11 Behold! The days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.…"
I am sure there are far more Bibles in the "Bible belt" of this country where there are far more churches, but even there we have a cultural Christianity in which many people have a Bible but don't read them until there is a disaster. Most people in the Southern part of our country who have Bibles don't know them very well.
Maybe we ought to have bumper stickers on our cars that say "Get a Bible, read it and then pray for Understanding."
This all seems so strange to me since I grew up seeing Bibles in every department store and several Bible book stores in one city.
This is an indication of just how ungodly this culture has become.
I have several Bibles in my house that I have collected over the years from thrift stores and garage sales. I have also given out Bibles occasionally.
Now I my plan is to make a project of collecting them more deliberately now because of this shortage. Having them on hand to give away is a good idea.
This also makes me realize that there are now many homes that do not have Bibles in them. In my generation most families had a least a large family Bible but now there will be families who have no Bible at all.
Thankfully we still have the Gideons who are working hard to get Bibles in the hands of many. They set up at fairs and festivals giving out free Bibles, but we cannot leave this task to just them. We must all be working in these last days before the Lord returns.
We know we are no longer a Christian nation when Bibles begin to disappear from the shelves. Its not that government is disallowing the distribution, its that the people are no longer interested in having them, they just don't sell well anymore.
Amos 8:11-12 "11 Behold! The days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.…"
I am sure there are far more Bibles in the "Bible belt" of this country where there are far more churches, but even there we have a cultural Christianity in which many people have a Bible but don't read them until there is a disaster. Most people in the Southern part of our country who have Bibles don't know them very well.
Maybe we ought to have bumper stickers on our cars that say "Get a Bible, read it and then pray for Understanding."
Friday, August 9, 2019
No One Is Compatible in Marriage
No one is compatible in marriage, LOL!!!! We are dealing with two different genders that do not think alike often. We are dealing with two people each raised in a different environment and we are dealing with cultural pressures to act certain ways.
We learn from marriage how to give and how to take gracefully. It takes practice and emotional and spiritual exercise to do a marriage. With God's help we all improve and are better at the end than we were at the beginning.
Marriage is a boot camp to learn how to seek God in trials. I am convinced our life on earth is boot camp for the bigger job of ruling in the Millennium. I cannot accept that we went through this life only to set aside everything we learned when we move into the 1000 year reign.
If people would just stop looking at marriage as a means to happiness they would be much better off and n one would divorce because they would see their trials as an exercise to perform better.
So stop trying to be happy and seek Christ to be emotionally and spiritually successful, this is practice for a later time.
We learn from marriage how to give and how to take gracefully. It takes practice and emotional and spiritual exercise to do a marriage. With God's help we all improve and are better at the end than we were at the beginning.
Marriage is a boot camp to learn how to seek God in trials. I am convinced our life on earth is boot camp for the bigger job of ruling in the Millennium. I cannot accept that we went through this life only to set aside everything we learned when we move into the 1000 year reign.
If people would just stop looking at marriage as a means to happiness they would be much better off and n one would divorce because they would see their trials as an exercise to perform better.
So stop trying to be happy and seek Christ to be emotionally and spiritually successful, this is practice for a later time.
The Fantasies of the World
I am not a fan of "novels" or "fantasies", I know this will sound strange and harsh to many people who have enjoyed story time with their children. These writings seem so innocent and special until one takes a look at what they produce in people.
When a child is raised on continual fantasy they will see the Bible stories and the salvation message as just another fantasy rather than God's Word to be taken seriously.
Fantasy is not truth but is very enticing leaving a measure of dopamine in the brain that is misguided. When our happy feelings are aroused they tend to be remembered as special and good times whether or not they are truth.
We now have many people who are believing in aliens from outer space as though they know they are there. These fantasies have no evidence except the illusions devil's have created in the minds of people to distract from God, even causing people to disbelieve God.
When we know that God gave us all we need to know in His word we need not look anywhere else for our excitement.
Isaiah 31:1
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD."
"Egypt" is a euphemism for the world and its wickedness. When we go to the world for our wisdom we are elevating it above God. We go to God first and if He uses the world in some way to show us truth that makes sense. God has shown us in His word what the world looks like and why it is not to be pursued for wisdom.
Sometimes I have read the works of unbelieving worldly people to educate myself on the way they think. I know for example that many unsaved people see the problems of the world and can see the devastation but are ignorant of what causes it and what to do about it. They assign "mental illness" to the sickness of the soul that needs Christ. Because they do not believe mankind is evil they will not address the problem of sin in the heart.
When I talk with a secular person on the subject of narcissism they see all the tactics the same as I do, but their conclusion about the solutions is different from mine and only works for a few and more importantly it saves no one from hell.
When we go to the world for our answers to the problems of life we will get many wrong answers, even answers that are only superficial fixes without eternal hope.
The fantasies of the world are many, even wise sounding until we shed the light of scripture on them. When we have trusted Christ the light goes on in our mind, we see things far differently because it is Christ Who opens the understanding.
It is fantasy thinking that a man can fix himself of his many ills and sins. It is rational and reasonable that the God Who made us would know our every need and our every wart.
Bottom line: We can trust only Christ for our wisdom, our truth and our direction in life. When we trust the world we will be led down a path that ends at the precipice where there is no where else to go except into hell.
Psalm 62:1-2 "My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken."
Isaiah 55:8-9
"8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
When a child is raised on continual fantasy they will see the Bible stories and the salvation message as just another fantasy rather than God's Word to be taken seriously.
Fantasy is not truth but is very enticing leaving a measure of dopamine in the brain that is misguided. When our happy feelings are aroused they tend to be remembered as special and good times whether or not they are truth.
We now have many people who are believing in aliens from outer space as though they know they are there. These fantasies have no evidence except the illusions devil's have created in the minds of people to distract from God, even causing people to disbelieve God.
When we know that God gave us all we need to know in His word we need not look anywhere else for our excitement.
Isaiah 31:1
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD."
"Egypt" is a euphemism for the world and its wickedness. When we go to the world for our wisdom we are elevating it above God. We go to God first and if He uses the world in some way to show us truth that makes sense. God has shown us in His word what the world looks like and why it is not to be pursued for wisdom.
Sometimes I have read the works of unbelieving worldly people to educate myself on the way they think. I know for example that many unsaved people see the problems of the world and can see the devastation but are ignorant of what causes it and what to do about it. They assign "mental illness" to the sickness of the soul that needs Christ. Because they do not believe mankind is evil they will not address the problem of sin in the heart.
When I talk with a secular person on the subject of narcissism they see all the tactics the same as I do, but their conclusion about the solutions is different from mine and only works for a few and more importantly it saves no one from hell.
When we go to the world for our answers to the problems of life we will get many wrong answers, even answers that are only superficial fixes without eternal hope.
The fantasies of the world are many, even wise sounding until we shed the light of scripture on them. When we have trusted Christ the light goes on in our mind, we see things far differently because it is Christ Who opens the understanding.
It is fantasy thinking that a man can fix himself of his many ills and sins. It is rational and reasonable that the God Who made us would know our every need and our every wart.
Bottom line: We can trust only Christ for our wisdom, our truth and our direction in life. When we trust the world we will be led down a path that ends at the precipice where there is no where else to go except into hell.
Psalm 62:1-2 "My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken."
Isaiah 55:8-9
"8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Another False Gospel
Apparently there is another gospel and doctrine making the rounds assigning power to the devil for the price of sin.
You will find no Biblical evidence that the devil had anything to do with the price for sin. He is a fallen being thrown out of heaven, it makes no sense that God would give him a say.
Does anyone think for one minute the devil wanted there to be a way to pay for sin through Jesus Christ's blood? He did everything he could to stop it, even putting in Pharaoh's mind to kill all the babies that were born the same year Christ was born.
The doctrine that says that satan had any part in deciding the price for sin is not only absurd it is blasphemous to assign to him any power over God at all.
Galatians 1:3-5 "…3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
Romans 3:25-26 "25 God presented Him (Jesus Christ) as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.…"
Also, it says in Isaiah 53:10:
"Yet it pleased the Father to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief when you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great."
John 1:14
"14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Matthew 26:39
"39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
You will find no Biblical evidence that the devil had anything to do with the price for sin. He is a fallen being thrown out of heaven, it makes no sense that God would give him a say.
Does anyone think for one minute the devil wanted there to be a way to pay for sin through Jesus Christ's blood? He did everything he could to stop it, even putting in Pharaoh's mind to kill all the babies that were born the same year Christ was born.
The doctrine that says that satan had any part in deciding the price for sin is not only absurd it is blasphemous to assign to him any power over God at all.
Galatians 1:3-5 "…3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
Romans 3:25-26 "25 God presented Him (Jesus Christ) as an atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.…"
Also, it says in Isaiah 53:10:
"Yet it pleased the Father to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief when you make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great."
John 1:14
"14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Matthew 26:39
"39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
The C.S. Lewis Deception
Be ware of the books written by C.S. Lewis. Many Christians have jumped on the band wagon in praising Lewis for his writing without realizing how damaging they are to Christianity.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe were the worst of all. These books had sorcery in them. In the story the lion, depicting Christ goes into the tent with the white witch depicting Satan to negotiate the price for sin. Satan had no part in the price for sin. To depict him in that way made it look as though his power was a big as God's power.
It was the Father Who set the price for sin.
There were creatures from Greek Mythology in those books. There was sorcery, magic and glorifying Satan that I believe those books did more damage to Christianity than any good.
I don't know how so many Christians missed the devilish symbolism in these books. The were no different from the Harry Potter series.
The world loves these books, when we see this then we know there is something wrong with them.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe were the worst of all. These books had sorcery in them. In the story the lion, depicting Christ goes into the tent with the white witch depicting Satan to negotiate the price for sin. Satan had no part in the price for sin. To depict him in that way made it look as though his power was a big as God's power.
It was the Father Who set the price for sin.
There were creatures from Greek Mythology in those books. There was sorcery, magic and glorifying Satan that I believe those books did more damage to Christianity than any good.
I don't know how so many Christians missed the devilish symbolism in these books. The were no different from the Harry Potter series.
The world loves these books, when we see this then we know there is something wrong with them.
Vows Kept That Count in Eternity
Once we have made the vow with someone in marriage we must keep it. We must live with the consequences of our choices for the rest of our lives or until that spouse dies.
Also lets not forget that some spouses become born again and there is a transformation in the wayward spouse. I was not born again when I married, I married a person who was not because I was not.
Then over a couple of years I trusted Christ, I prayed for ten years for my spouse and he became born again too. We have a wonderful marriage today but those first years as a believer married to an unbeliever were not easy.
Remaining married because neither of us believed in divorce allowed us to get through the hard stuff until we got our heads straight.
We have been married 48 years now having made it through everything, learning many lessons and growing better than we were before.
Marriage is not about bliss, its about sludging through the hard stuff to get to the victory and blessing. Now we are in our senior years. We do not regret the "boot camp" we went through or the steadfastness in our marriage. And, in eternity I believe our decision will count as all the good deeds of believer will count.
We didn't do it perfectly, we failed many times, fell, grabbed our boot straps and got up again to start over. That's what marriage is for everyone. Those who do not believe they have had this in their lives are pretending.
We need to teach our young people getting married that there will be difficult times, perhaps even devastating things but they do not have to destroy what we are building.
When a bridge is sagging we do not tear down the whole bridge, we brace up the part that needs strengthened. Marriage is constant building until the day one of us dies.
Our resolve to remain married and resist impulses to give up will count in eternity. For those who have already divorced, confessed it and carry on to be obedient again, that too will count in eternity.
Also lets not forget that some spouses become born again and there is a transformation in the wayward spouse. I was not born again when I married, I married a person who was not because I was not.
Then over a couple of years I trusted Christ, I prayed for ten years for my spouse and he became born again too. We have a wonderful marriage today but those first years as a believer married to an unbeliever were not easy.
Remaining married because neither of us believed in divorce allowed us to get through the hard stuff until we got our heads straight.
We have been married 48 years now having made it through everything, learning many lessons and growing better than we were before.
Marriage is not about bliss, its about sludging through the hard stuff to get to the victory and blessing. Now we are in our senior years. We do not regret the "boot camp" we went through or the steadfastness in our marriage. And, in eternity I believe our decision will count as all the good deeds of believer will count.
We didn't do it perfectly, we failed many times, fell, grabbed our boot straps and got up again to start over. That's what marriage is for everyone. Those who do not believe they have had this in their lives are pretending.
We need to teach our young people getting married that there will be difficult times, perhaps even devastating things but they do not have to destroy what we are building.
When a bridge is sagging we do not tear down the whole bridge, we brace up the part that needs strengthened. Marriage is constant building until the day one of us dies.
Our resolve to remain married and resist impulses to give up will count in eternity. For those who have already divorced, confessed it and carry on to be obedient again, that too will count in eternity.
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