There is a common teaching among Christians that claims we are to offer unconditional forgiveness to all who do evil against us (and others), followed by reconciliation. Some teach that we are to allow this cycle of offense, forgiveness, then reconciliation to continue forever (70 times 7). Is this really what Jesus commands us to do?
To forgive sin under all circumstances, unconditionally, and to reconcile with the unrepentant offender communicates a false gospel. It is not biblical. This is not what God does, nor is it what He commands us to do. However, to be unforgiving of sins against us by others also communicates a false gospel. So what is a believer to do?
In an attempt to answer these questions, I ask you to consider forgiveness and reconciliation in the most radical sense in order to put these teachings into perspective. Cast off petty offenses such as forgetting to bring a pie to a long-ago Christmas dinner or being late for an appointment. Instead, think of something truly wicked that has been done to you, or to someone you love, not unknowingly, but with premeditation and malice a situation in which you have come face to face with evil. With that in mind, imagine the perpetrator pridefully denying his or her wrongdoing and refusing to repent, yet demanding your forgiveness and reconciliation because, "After all, you are a Christian, and this is your obligation." Now what?
Forgiveness Defined
Before we delve into the subject, let's determine what forgiveness really means. Some definitions include:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: To pardon, absolve
To give up resentment of
To grant relief from payment of
Strong's Hebrew Definition: salach (saw-lakh)
To forgive:--forgive, pardon, spare
Strong's Greek Definition: aphiemi (af-ee-ay-mee)
To cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up
Perhaps it is more helpful to define what forgiveness is NOT:
Forgiveness is not ignoring, disregarding, tolerating, excusing, overlooking, or closing one's eyes to the sin of another person. It is not simply letting time pass after the offense has been committed and then "getting over it." It is not resigning one's self to the other person's sinful actions by saying, "Well, that's just the way s/he is and I"m stuck with her/him for life, so I'll just accept it." It is not letting things "roll off our backs"or agreeing to make a "fresh start" without confronting the problem. To engage in these behaviors not only condones sin, but also perpetuates it, and as Christians, we are forbidden to do so.
The Biblical Model of Forgiveness
Jesus himself gave us a three-step model of forgiveness among believers in the Gospel of Luke. He said: "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4).
Step One: Rebuke - Jesus clearly tells us that if a "brother," meaning a believer, sins against us, we are first to rebuke him. What does this mean? To rebuke is to criticize sharply, to reprimand. This plays nicely into the Christian principle of speaking the truth in love. To rebuke a brother is not an act done with a hateful or prideful heart. No. In fact, it could easily be compared to the behavior of a loving mother correcting her child for a behavior that will bring harm to her child and/or others. She may raise her voice and speak sternly, but she does so with a loving heart and tongue. We are to rebuke our brothers privately, and with humble hearts.
Step Two: Repentance - Jesus tells us that our forgiveness is conditional upon the brother's repentance after the rebuke. To repent in the broad biblical sense is to turn away from sin. Repentance is not simply a reform of one's behavior, although genuine repentance ultimately results in reformed behavior. Instead, repentance is the sincere feeling of remorse, and a heartfelt search for forgiveness. A believer does not get to that place without first feeling the burden of Holy Spirit conviction. The natural response of a believer to Holy Spirit conviction is acknowledgement that one has sinned, followed by true remorse and repentance. The kind of repentance God demands, knowing the interaction of the indwelling Holy Spirit with His children, is one that has visible results to others: fruits. The great Apostle Paul discussed his gospel with King Agrippa, saying "...that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). Also, John the Baptist said, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance..." (Luke 3:8). True repentance is always evident and visible through the changed hearts and fruit bearing works of the repentant. That kind of transformation is evident to believers and unbelievers alike. It's obvious to all who interact with the person and witness his or her daily conduct. Jesus gives us more insight into this dilemma when he spoke these words:
"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:15-20).
In the practical and relational sense, repentance begins with the offender recognizing his or her wrongdoing. This recognition always includes an admission of guilt to the offended party. The person who has committed the offense is required to confess the wrongdoing and express remorse to the offended person for the sinful acts. Afterwards, the offender is to make a commitment not to repeat the offense. Ultimately, the purpose of this process is to express guilt and remorse to the offended person in an attempt to gain forgiveness so that the two people can repair the relationship. Without this process being fulfilled in its entirety, forgiveness is impossible.
Step Three: Forgiveness - If the first two steps have been completed, and the fruits of sincere repentance have been observed, Jesus commands the offended party to forgive his brother, as He has forgiven us.
What about the unbeliever?
This is what the Scriptures say about how we are to conduct ourselves among unbelievers:
"After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city" (Luke 10:1-12).
We must be very careful here because we are commanded never to judge the hearts of others with regard to their salvation. To do so would be assuming godship, which is a sin. Even so, the Lord has given us permission, in Holy Spirit discernment, to shake the dust from our sandals and to move on, when we don't meet with peace in His name. God has given us specific instruction in this regard, and we should obey His words. He even warns us about how we are to interact with unbelievers: in wisdom and with gentleness; to be in the world but not of the world, because we are His chosen, and are set apart as the salt and light of the world. He explains this concept in the following passage:
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:6-17).
Back to the Original Issue of Forgiveness
Unconditional forgiveness is canceling a debt to all those who intentionally offend us, whether or not they own up to what they have done and repent. Offering forgiveness without repentance, however, does not follow the biblical model of forgiveness, as previously outlined in Luke 17:3-4.
The Bible says we are to forgive as God forgave us. It is written in Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" and Colossians 3:13 states, "...bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
However, God withholds His forgiveness until we repent: "...and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3-5). "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..." (Acts 3:19).
God does not grant forgiveness to those of us who continue to act with prideful arrogance against Him, and against our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must recognize our sin and repent to receive and enjoy God's merciful forgiveness. We must exhibit this same behavior in our relationships in the Body. God requires repentance and so must we.
An unrepentant person maintains a false sense of control over his life through pride, which inevitably leads to destruction, violence, and animosity. This is because an unrepentant heart is conceived in the child of the devil: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate" (Proverbs 8:13). "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). "A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor"
(Proverbs 29:23).
Turning toward God is necessary to break the cycle of destructive behaviors and patterns of relating to others. If, as believers, we don't require repentance on the part of the offender, we stand in the way of that person coming to see his or her need for God and experiencing His forgiveness. To put it simply, forgiveness is a two-way process: repentance on the part of the offender and pardon on the part of the offended.
How To Deal with the Unrepentant
The ultimate purpose of forgiveness is the healing of a relationship. This healing occurs only when the offender repents and demonstrates remorse, and when the offended one grants a pardon and demonstrates loving acceptance.
When the offender does not take the first step, we have no other choice but to exercise inward forgiveness for the sake of our own peace of mind and tranquility. This is when we choose to no longer be a party to the unfavorable emotions we experience when we think of the malicious behavior.
Although we are not required to forgive the unrepentant offender, we are commanded to pray that our enemies would come to repentance, especially of their sins before Christ, if they are not saved. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:44-48).
Outward forgiveness, in the case of an unrepentant offender, is something we turn over to God himself. Outwardly, only God can extend forgiveness to our enemies. This is a burden He gladly accepts on our behalf if we will simply allow Him to deliver us from the pain of this burden.
Maranatha!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
.....My Testimony!
I grew up during the 50's and 60's, and had a fairly normal childhood. My dad was a salesman for a major dairy company, and my mom was a home-maker. I had two older brothers as well. I didn't realize it then, but my family was heading for certain destruction. My dad was a very violent man. He abused my mother terribly, and he abused my brothers and I as well. There were many very nasty confrontations in our home, and one day my mother had finally had enough. My dad was told to leave. It was 1965, I was twelve years old. My brothers had both moved out long before this, and I was now left with just my mom.
From this moment on it was shear torment. My mom constantly told me how horrible my dad was, and that everything was his fault. My dad constantly told me it was all my mom's fault. I was somewhere in the middle falling through the cracks, thinking I was horrible and that it was all my fault.
My mother had become very depressed. She began to take prescription drugs, and she started drinking a lot as well. She tried a few times to take her own life, but unsuccessfully. My dad started investing in businesses. He poured his life into making money, and hiding it from my mom. Me? I was pretty much forgotten about. My oldest brother came to my rescue. We started sharing a love for hot rods, and custom cars. We did many things together. He became my dad during those years. He was the man I looked up to. The man I wanted to be like.
I got my first job at the age of fourteen. I worked in a small warehouse loading trucks. That job allowed me to save for my first car. It was a 1949 Chevy, and cost me $35! The next few years were hard. I watched my brother get kicked out of the military. He ended up with a dishonorable discharge. A short time later he found himself in a federal prison for car theft. I stood by him through everything, after all, he was the man I looked up to, and wanted to be like. One night I visited my brother, and his family. I was fifteen. They were smoking pot, and asked me if I cared to join in. Of course I did. If my brother was doing it, it had to be okay. He also allowed me to drink at his home. This was the beginning of my nightmare!
Home life for me? There was none any longer. I did pretty much as I pleased. No one cared anymore. Well I started smoking. My use of street drugs grew. I was smoking pot daily. I used LSD at least once per week, often it was more than that. I smoked opium, and hash. I really fell in love with uppers (speed). But then I needed downers to bring me back from my speed high. It was a horrible cycle. I also began to drink very heavily. By the time I was seventeen I was an alcoholic. By the time I was nineteen I was addicted to cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin. Where was my brother in all of this? The man I wanted to be like? He wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He said I was useless. He wanted nothing to do with someone who did drugs, drank, was in jail, etc.
I was a mess. I was in jail several times for theft. I stole things in order to sell them and get money for drugs. I truly didn't care anymore who I hurt. Mainly, I was hurting myself. At this point in my life I blamed everyone for what I had become. I blamed my dad. I blamed my mom. I mostly blamed my brother. He started me on drugs, and drinking, but then when the drugs and drinking took control of me, he abandoned me. He turned his back on me when I needed him most. He never cared how much he hurt me. He was the only person I trusted anymore, and he just dumped me like yesterdays trash. I haven't spoken with my brother now in more than twenty-three years. I miss him a lot sometimes!
My life was such a total mess. I used women for only one thing - to satisfy my desires. I continued my drug use, and drinking for a few more years. I came very close to death many times. No one knew. My life had become meaningless. I was an empty shell just wandering through life. I went on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I was alone, and I didn't care. My drug friends had deserted me. My drinking buddies had deserted me. I was turning very mean and violent. I didn't care. I truly didn't care anymore if I lived or died. I had no hope. Even though I wasn't aware of it, God's Spirit was calling me. Even through my darkest hours, God was reaching out to me. I wasn't ready yet. I hurt so many people. I guess I felt so hurt and betrayed, I just wanted to hurt back.
It is now 1978. By now, God has cleaned me of some of my addictions. He was making me ready for something He had in mind. I had now met the love of my life. We were married in June of 1979, and in July of the same year we had our first child...a girl. I had no idea what was going on. Things were beginning to change, and at the time I didn't know why. Our marriage was anything but loving and good. We fought constantly. I was very abusive. This went on for several years. We had our second child in 1983...a boy. He was born with very severe birth defects and passed away in 1985. We had another boy in 1988, and another girl in 1989. During these years I was able to quit all drugs, and give up drinking. Our marriage was still rocky. I wasn't a good husband or dad. Something I will always be ashamed of. During all this my health was failing. I suffer with severe back problems. I had open heart surgery in 2000 to replace my aortic valve. While the immediate concerns were taken care of, I will still suffer the rest of my life with a less than perfect heart. There will always be a certain amount of heart disease present. God was still tugging at my heart through all these things. In February of 2002 someone shared some Scripture with me. At that very moment my heart was opened, and so were my eyes. I was given a bible. I was referred to a local church. Within a few short weeks, I had given my life to Jesus Christ, and nothing has been the same since. During all those years God was calling me, but I refused to hear it. I shrugged it off. But God had been bringing change to my life even though I didn't realize it. He was remaking me from the inside out. So many times He pulled me back from the brink of death. I could not have quit drinking and drugs if not for Him. I no longer blame anyone for who I had been. I made the choices. I placed my trust in people and things, instead of God. People and things will always let you down. They will always disappoint. We are all sinners. All of us. There is none righteous, no not one. But I found out God loves me. Maybe my mom and dad never loved me. Maybe my brothers never loved me. Maybe no one ever loved me. But my heavenly Father loves me so much, He gave His only Son that I might have life (John 3:16).
My wife and I, and our son have fully committed our lives to Jesus Christ. Our Lord, Savior, King, and Friend. We can be found on Sunday mornings at Calvary Chapel, worshipping and praising Him with fellow believers. My wife stuck with me through it all, and I thank God for that. God stuck with me too. Thank you Father, for never giving up on me. Such a weight has been removed from me. My mom died in 1997 from cancer, and my dad died in 1993 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound (suicide). My brother still won't talk with me. Bro...I love you! While all these things still hurt at times, what really matters to me is Jesus! He is first in my heart, and always will be. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not perfect. I still stumble and fall at times. But Jesus lifts me back up and helps me to start anew. I no longer lay blame on anyone. For anything. I made my choices in life, and I accept all responsibility for them. I have forgiven and moved on.
Would you like to know Jesus? You can have a loving relationship with Him this very day! You have a choice to make. Search your heart, and if you have not yet done so, please call on the name of the Lord! If you would like help with a prayer, you may use the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and need forgiveness. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, according to the Scriptures, and I thank you for raising Him from the dead. Today I ask Him to come into my heart to cleanse me from my sin and become my Lord and Savior. I give myself to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
It is my hope that God led you to my story, and that you are ready to put your faith in Jesus. Remember always, God loves you, and He wants you to come back to His loving arms! Jesus died on the cross. He offers salvation to us all, and all we have to do is accept it! What a loving, and glorious God we have!
"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." - John 9:25
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." - John 6:35
"...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13
Praise Him!
From this moment on it was shear torment. My mom constantly told me how horrible my dad was, and that everything was his fault. My dad constantly told me it was all my mom's fault. I was somewhere in the middle falling through the cracks, thinking I was horrible and that it was all my fault.
My mother had become very depressed. She began to take prescription drugs, and she started drinking a lot as well. She tried a few times to take her own life, but unsuccessfully. My dad started investing in businesses. He poured his life into making money, and hiding it from my mom. Me? I was pretty much forgotten about. My oldest brother came to my rescue. We started sharing a love for hot rods, and custom cars. We did many things together. He became my dad during those years. He was the man I looked up to. The man I wanted to be like.
I got my first job at the age of fourteen. I worked in a small warehouse loading trucks. That job allowed me to save for my first car. It was a 1949 Chevy, and cost me $35! The next few years were hard. I watched my brother get kicked out of the military. He ended up with a dishonorable discharge. A short time later he found himself in a federal prison for car theft. I stood by him through everything, after all, he was the man I looked up to, and wanted to be like. One night I visited my brother, and his family. I was fifteen. They were smoking pot, and asked me if I cared to join in. Of course I did. If my brother was doing it, it had to be okay. He also allowed me to drink at his home. This was the beginning of my nightmare!
Home life for me? There was none any longer. I did pretty much as I pleased. No one cared anymore. Well I started smoking. My use of street drugs grew. I was smoking pot daily. I used LSD at least once per week, often it was more than that. I smoked opium, and hash. I really fell in love with uppers (speed). But then I needed downers to bring me back from my speed high. It was a horrible cycle. I also began to drink very heavily. By the time I was seventeen I was an alcoholic. By the time I was nineteen I was addicted to cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin. Where was my brother in all of this? The man I wanted to be like? He wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He said I was useless. He wanted nothing to do with someone who did drugs, drank, was in jail, etc.
I was a mess. I was in jail several times for theft. I stole things in order to sell them and get money for drugs. I truly didn't care anymore who I hurt. Mainly, I was hurting myself. At this point in my life I blamed everyone for what I had become. I blamed my dad. I blamed my mom. I mostly blamed my brother. He started me on drugs, and drinking, but then when the drugs and drinking took control of me, he abandoned me. He turned his back on me when I needed him most. He never cared how much he hurt me. He was the only person I trusted anymore, and he just dumped me like yesterdays trash. I haven't spoken with my brother now in more than twenty-three years. I miss him a lot sometimes!
My life was such a total mess. I used women for only one thing - to satisfy my desires. I continued my drug use, and drinking for a few more years. I came very close to death many times. No one knew. My life had become meaningless. I was an empty shell just wandering through life. I went on day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I was alone, and I didn't care. My drug friends had deserted me. My drinking buddies had deserted me. I was turning very mean and violent. I didn't care. I truly didn't care anymore if I lived or died. I had no hope. Even though I wasn't aware of it, God's Spirit was calling me. Even through my darkest hours, God was reaching out to me. I wasn't ready yet. I hurt so many people. I guess I felt so hurt and betrayed, I just wanted to hurt back.
It is now 1978. By now, God has cleaned me of some of my addictions. He was making me ready for something He had in mind. I had now met the love of my life. We were married in June of 1979, and in July of the same year we had our first child...a girl. I had no idea what was going on. Things were beginning to change, and at the time I didn't know why. Our marriage was anything but loving and good. We fought constantly. I was very abusive. This went on for several years. We had our second child in 1983...a boy. He was born with very severe birth defects and passed away in 1985. We had another boy in 1988, and another girl in 1989. During these years I was able to quit all drugs, and give up drinking. Our marriage was still rocky. I wasn't a good husband or dad. Something I will always be ashamed of. During all this my health was failing. I suffer with severe back problems. I had open heart surgery in 2000 to replace my aortic valve. While the immediate concerns were taken care of, I will still suffer the rest of my life with a less than perfect heart. There will always be a certain amount of heart disease present. God was still tugging at my heart through all these things. In February of 2002 someone shared some Scripture with me. At that very moment my heart was opened, and so were my eyes. I was given a bible. I was referred to a local church. Within a few short weeks, I had given my life to Jesus Christ, and nothing has been the same since. During all those years God was calling me, but I refused to hear it. I shrugged it off. But God had been bringing change to my life even though I didn't realize it. He was remaking me from the inside out. So many times He pulled me back from the brink of death. I could not have quit drinking and drugs if not for Him. I no longer blame anyone for who I had been. I made the choices. I placed my trust in people and things, instead of God. People and things will always let you down. They will always disappoint. We are all sinners. All of us. There is none righteous, no not one. But I found out God loves me. Maybe my mom and dad never loved me. Maybe my brothers never loved me. Maybe no one ever loved me. But my heavenly Father loves me so much, He gave His only Son that I might have life (John 3:16).
My wife and I, and our son have fully committed our lives to Jesus Christ. Our Lord, Savior, King, and Friend. We can be found on Sunday mornings at Calvary Chapel, worshipping and praising Him with fellow believers. My wife stuck with me through it all, and I thank God for that. God stuck with me too. Thank you Father, for never giving up on me. Such a weight has been removed from me. My mom died in 1997 from cancer, and my dad died in 1993 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound (suicide). My brother still won't talk with me. Bro...I love you! While all these things still hurt at times, what really matters to me is Jesus! He is first in my heart, and always will be. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not perfect. I still stumble and fall at times. But Jesus lifts me back up and helps me to start anew. I no longer lay blame on anyone. For anything. I made my choices in life, and I accept all responsibility for them. I have forgiven and moved on.
Would you like to know Jesus? You can have a loving relationship with Him this very day! You have a choice to make. Search your heart, and if you have not yet done so, please call on the name of the Lord! If you would like help with a prayer, you may use the following:
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and need forgiveness. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, according to the Scriptures, and I thank you for raising Him from the dead. Today I ask Him to come into my heart to cleanse me from my sin and become my Lord and Savior. I give myself to you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
It is my hope that God led you to my story, and that you are ready to put your faith in Jesus. Remember always, God loves you, and He wants you to come back to His loving arms! Jesus died on the cross. He offers salvation to us all, and all we have to do is accept it! What a loving, and glorious God we have!
"One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." - John 9:25
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." - John 6:35
"...whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13
Praise Him!
.....Breaking Away!
"And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." - Genesis 6:13
In the days before the flood, mankind turned from God and lived as though He did not exist. Morals failed. Men's minds were corrupted and they embraced abnormal sexual activity. Violence covered the face of the earth and men began living like animals. And it was upon these conditions that God looked and said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever" (Genesis 6:3).
You see, the time eventually comes when God's patience is exhausted.
We, too, live in a world filled with violence and corruption. It is only a matter of time before God again says, "That's it." Matthew 24:37 tells us, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." As He did the first time, God will tell His people, "Come on into the ark." Thank God He has provided that place of refuge for us. That ark today is Jesus Christ.
God has established absolute standards of righteousness, and we must submit ourselves to His authority, because Jesus is coming very soon to judge the world in righteousness.
Father, may we heed those things which we have heard, lest we drift away from them. Help us make a definite, decisive break with this corrupt world, that we might stand and be numbered with those who love and serve You. In Jesus' name...Amen!
In the days before the flood, mankind turned from God and lived as though He did not exist. Morals failed. Men's minds were corrupted and they embraced abnormal sexual activity. Violence covered the face of the earth and men began living like animals. And it was upon these conditions that God looked and said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever" (Genesis 6:3).
You see, the time eventually comes when God's patience is exhausted.
We, too, live in a world filled with violence and corruption. It is only a matter of time before God again says, "That's it." Matthew 24:37 tells us, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." As He did the first time, God will tell His people, "Come on into the ark." Thank God He has provided that place of refuge for us. That ark today is Jesus Christ.
God has established absolute standards of righteousness, and we must submit ourselves to His authority, because Jesus is coming very soon to judge the world in righteousness.
Father, may we heed those things which we have heard, lest we drift away from them. Help us make a definite, decisive break with this corrupt world, that we might stand and be numbered with those who love and serve You. In Jesus' name...Amen!
.....Being Holy In All We Do!
"...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:15-16
It is the privilege of every Christian to live so fully in God that he never gets out of the experienced Presence for one moment. When we have so learned to live in God and to experience His continual Presence, everything in our lives becomes spiritually significant. The old dividing line between the spiritual and the secular is removed, and every act becomes spiritual. What before had seemed mundane and nonspiritual now shines with a new light. God is found to be inhabiting our simplest acts as surely as our most lofty ones. All of life becomes good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. A life lived in Christ becomes in the true sense a life of unceasing prayer. The whole life becomes a prayer: words are verbal prayers, thoughts become mental prayers, deeds become prayers in action and even sleep may be but unconscious prayer. Psychology acknowledges a deep-down stratum of the mind which it calls the subconscious. It is that part which is in control during sleep and while we are under the power of an anesthetic. It may be the part of us that receives spiritual impressions first, becoming consciously aware of them only after they have first been received and registered in that mysterious depth of the mind which lies immediately below consciousness. Whether or not that is the correct explanation for things, it is still true that the whole mind may be placed so fully under the control of Christ that even sleep and forgetfulness work on our side to bless and help us in our practical waking lives. Whatever the explanation, the fact is known to every Spirit-filled Christian. We are only trying to state the familiar truth in less familiar language.
"be holy in all your conduct." When we open to the Holy Spirit everything-all rooms of our heart, all the closets, the crevices-everything, those secular/sacred compartmental dividers disappear. We allow the Spirit control of everything!
O Spirit of God, I throw open to You my whole heart and life. Change me. Change my thinking. Wholly cleanse me. Fill me!
"be holy in all your conduct." When we open to the Holy Spirit everything-all rooms of our heart, all the closets, the crevices-everything, those secular/sacred compartmental dividers disappear. We allow the Spirit control of everything!
O Spirit of God, I throw open to You my whole heart and life. Change me. Change my thinking. Wholly cleanse me. Fill me!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
.....You Chose This All By Yourself!
As of late, I have been noticing a very disturbing situation going on. As I am usually writing or talking about the "Nearness of the Rapture" and "The Salvation through Jesus Christ", I find that most are saying things like "Your Right" or maybe "You really have something there"! Obviously, these statements are not disturbing and for a while some will tell me, I'm doing a good job. Others smile and walk away, endeavoring to continue their daily lives, as they have done for a while, don't want any sort of "bumps in the road". What IS disturbing...no one seems to be doing anything, about what they have heard! I have written these things in other Blogs or articles, I have told others of what is happening and now it seems they are tired of hearing this! They show no sign that they have Looked to the Lord, or that they are even thinking about these things, much less giving their lives to Jesus!
We are not talking about "Valentine's day" here, we're talking about the "Rapture" and the "Lateness of the Hour"! I am saying what the Bible says, what I read in Gods Word, that Time is very, very short! People don't seem to understand, the "Rapture" by Jesus Christ...IS...going to take place! It IS going to take place very, very, soon!! Then I have people telling me, "You need to be a little easier on the "Push" part, concerning Salvation"! I Beg your pardon?! Do you want me to tone-it-down a little?!?! "Well....it just seems like your pushing this issue a little too stringently"!! Noooo...I do NOT see that!!! As a matter of fact, I don't feel anyone is "Pushing" this issue "Hard Enough"!! We are running around like crazy people ringing the alarm bells, setting off the sirens, doing whatever it takes to "Get Peoples attention"!! To wake them up!! To get them to see the dire situation is upon us!!
Here is the fact as I see it! First Jesus Christ is coming very soon to take HIS church (The True Believers) out of this world and it's called "The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ"! The Bible is telling us to "Prepare" ourselves, for we know not what hour the Master will come, but for YOU to be ready and waiting!! This is like preparing the passengers of a sinking ship to evacuate! IF no one is paying any attention...the vast majority of the passengers are going to die by drowning! So then the question IS...WHO are the ones that WANT to die...and WHO are the ones that want to LIVE?! Those that want to LIVE must get into the LIFE RAFTS! IS this not simple enough?? Satan does not want you to go in the "Rapture" (Life Raft)! He wants YOU to DIE in Eternal Destruction with him! Therefore, this Idiot of Idiots (Satan) is putting earplugs in your ears and telling you everything is just fine, there is nothing to worry about, what could possibly go wrong on such a wonderful ship as this?? (The World as we know it) Whoa...!!! What a minute here, Stop the Presses, Hold your horses, here hold the phone for a second!!!! SATAN is a LIAR!!! Doesn't anyone realize this FACT? Then why...is everyone listening to him, putting the earplugs in their ears, they can't hear the sirens and the alarm bells?!?! Everyone already KNOWS...everything has an end, so does this world...and it's almost upon us!!
It's as the Bible says, "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into" - Luke 12:39. We have banks and vaults, we have safety deposit boxes, we have security alarm systems, we have armed guards...do you see what I am talking about here?? We have all these things against thieves, but no one can hear the "Alarm bells and Sirens" going off about the "Rapture"?? Satan is going to do everything in his power...to steal away YOUR soul and go with him to Hell for Eternity!! Tell me I'm wrong here! Tell me I am up to my ears in horse hockey! Then...and only then...will I stop saying anything! Otherwise I am going to shout it from the rooftop and everyone will hear it!! The Bible says, "the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" - Matthew 24:50-51. Straight from the Word of God...to you and to me!! There is NO leniency here, NO way other than straight down the middle of the path!!
So...tell me again why I should NOT be pushy?! Oh...don't want to upset the mood of the party...right?! WRONG!!! There is NO sign in the Bible of God being a wimp, nothing there that tells me God is going to be careful with what HE says either! As the Marines say, "It's do or die!" This is what is so disturbing today!! It is true, Jesus Christ asks us to give this information and then HE will save them! I understand that! Jesus Christ never bowed out because HE was afraid of offending someone. Jesus Christ told it like it was and is and shall ever be! Jesus Christ tells us to go out and tell the world, "They are dying in their trespass and SIN!!" Jesus Christ is saying, "They are Dying" and why? Because of their "Trespass and SIN!" IF you do NOT come to the Cross of Jesus Christ and ask for HIS forgiveness of your sin and be washed in HIS blood...YOU WILL DIE FOR YOUR SIN!! That means a quick trip to Hell!! And to think...your going to be there forever...Eternally!!
You know what is even worse to think about? YOU CHOSE THIS...YOU ARE GOING TO HELL!! I didn't say this, the Bible says this! All I'm trying to do is to get you to listen for a minute...so you don't go to hell...I'm trying to tell you that satan hates you with an everlasting hatred!! Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven and the Father!! If YOU are NOT paying any attention, YOU won't know what is going on...this is NOT an excuse that God will allow! My Job is to tell you what is going on and when...to give you the information on how to be saved from destruction! Problem is...NO ONE IS LISTENING!!! All that I can do now is to leave it to the Lord...if you won't listen to those like me...then Jesus Christ is the only answer left!! I have done everything I can think of to do or say, I have done what the Lord Jesus Christ has asked of me and I have tried to be an individual that looks out for others and is dependable, because Jesus Christ Loved me first! Each person is responsible for themselves and I can't stop thinking of what your going to say, as you stand at the Great White Throne of Judgement, as you look into the Eyes of Jesus Christ. YOU CHOSE THIS ALL BY YOURSELF!!
Come Lord Jesus!
Friday, February 10, 2012
.....America Celebrates 54 Million Abortions!
"These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren." - Proverbs 6:16-19. People of the United States of America, you are on notice that your God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not simply turn a "blind eye" to abortion - there will be consequences. Murder is very offensive to your God. Make no mistake, He is your God; whether or not you recognize Him as such is inconsequential to His judgment. You can't just wish Him away. He's here to stay. His creation is admonished to live by His precepts which are perfect, permanent, and everlasting - to be exact they were etched in stone with God's own finger. God gave the commandment "You shall not murder." - Exodus 20:13.
"I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose" - Barack Hussein Obama. President Obama, along with many Americans, just celebrated the murder of 54 million babies on January 22, 2012. I wonder how they celebrated. Did they pop the cork on some champagne bottles? Did they toast each other's murderous achievements? Did they put on a feast, and invite all their friends? Here's what they didn't do. They didn't visit the grave sites of the innocent murdered babies? They didn't repent for the biggest government sanctified mass murder of the ages? They didn't weep from broken hearts like God does every single time a baby is murdered in the womb? Apparently women have no remorse after this murderous deed is done, and men who encourage this murderous act know even less remorse.
Men and women make decisions; one of those decisions is to participate with one another in the act of sexual intercourse. This is where the choice ends. Once that act is accomplished they've made their choice. When pregnancy ensues, there is no further choice for the women or the man to make concerning that baby, other than what color to paint the baby's room. There's a God ordained life growing which must never be terminated by man. Man has no right to terminate a life that God has intended for His purpose. Abortion is the only crime where the innocent victim receives the death penalty, and the guilty go free.
God is perfect and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we consider it prudent to kill babies in the womb we would do well to consider God's position on that subject first. "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: "I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself..." - Isaiah 44:24. God has known every baby that's been murdered in the womb "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." - Jeremiah 1:5.
"...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..." - Ephesians 1:4. Before God laid the foundation of the world He knew every human being who would ever be formed in their mother's womb. Life is a gift from God, all aborted (murdered) babies are fully known by God. They are His children and He loves them - and His desire was that each of these babies would enjoy a life on earth filled with His innumerable blessings. But man made the decision to play god and took those lives away before they had a chance to see the world God had created for them.
To murder the innocent is an abomination in the sight of God - to murder 54 million means that particular nation is in for some very harsh judgment. In other words, God sees the murder of the unborn as a disgusting wickedness - evidence that He needs to cleanse the land of the murderous. Let there be no mistake, judgment is coming.
Abortion is the ending of a life through premeditated means. Abortion is murder in its ugliest form. These were babies not simply fetuses; they are human beings in developmental stages of life with God ordained rights. They were to live and grow, to learn and to love, to become what God wanted them to become, they were to be a meaningful part of society.
Satan has his hands in every aspect of the lives of mankind. Man murders babies in the womb to cut down on unwanted pregnancies? This is of course a lie. Genocide is at the heart of abortion, the genocide of the human race. The whole concept of abortion is satanic to the core. Anyone who would celebrate 54 million murders of innocent babies while these babies were still growing in their mother's womb resides fully in Satan's camp.
God knows the heart of every human being on this planet and there are many who are attempting to pull the wool over His eyes in many different aspects of life. But God cannot be fooled and those individuals who murder babies in the womb will pay for their wickedness. We might profess all day long that we are followers of Jesus Christ, but if our heart isn't in on that profession it will show by the fruit of our actions. (America celebrates 54 million abortions.) If we stand against God's precepts how then can we be following the Lord Jesus Christ? After becoming a born again believer in Christ there is always a change that followers; that change includes a repentant heart, because God doesn't just change our heart He gives us a new heart. Continuing to murder babies in the womb after claiming to be a Christian would be an indisputable sign certainly of the lack of repentance.
Love one another is one of God's paramount commandments. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:15. What commandments, you might ask. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:12. If a person is to believe the Bible, and believe in its Author, then clearly the murder of innocent babies in the womb is in direct opposition to the above two verses. If we love Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord, then we must keep His commandments. We are to love one another unconditionally. That would, of course, include babies still in their mother's womb.
"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech..." - Leviticus 18:21. Molech was the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians. They sacrificed their children to this god and some Israelites sacrificed their infants to this very same god in the valley of Hinnom. America celebrated the murder of 54 million babies sacrificed to this very same god of sex. Molech is just one of the names of the god of this world. Most of us recognize his name as Lucifer/Satan. When we study the history of various ancient civilizations we find many were very perverse in their nature as they participated in these incredibly sick rituals while appeasing their satanic god. Those who occupied the land that God gave to the Israelites were just this sort of people. "...(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people." - Leviticus 18:27-29.
As America moves even further into the realm which God refers to as abominations she will soon see that as Chuck Missler likes to say, and I agree, "God says what He means and means what He says." We have defiled our land just like those people who were sacrificing their children to their god Molech. We have defiled our land by murdering 54 million innocent unborn babies, and make no mistake, in God's eyes there's no difference between abortion (murder) and sacrificing new born babies to the god Molech. Those ancient peoples were spued out of their land and God gave that land to the Israelites, while warning them not to participate in the same abominations or they too would be spued out of that land. Here's something interesting, those people who God had destroyed as He moved the Israelites in were in that land for over 400 years before the Israelites moved in. Here in America we murdered 54 million babies just since 1973. I doubt America will ever see 400 years of existence; quite frankly I have my doubts about even another year coming to pass.
If we are still here a year from now, then next year on January 22nd, we, as a nation will complete 40 years of government sanctioned murders. Throughout the past forty years pro-lifers have been unsuccessful in their attempts to bring a stop to all the carnage. But from what we just read concerning those who defile the land, God knows how to put a stop to those who cause abominations. We've defiled our land and God is about to show us the door. In Hebrew the phrase "cut off" actually means to "put to death". Those that lost their homes and land to the Israelites weren't just booted out of their own country they were completely wiped out - destroyed - to the last man, woman, and child. Why? Because they had become fully corrupted; generation after generation participated in the murdering of innocent babies and committing other abominations as well, such as homosexuality and bestiality. Does anyone else see any similarities in that ancient civilization and ours today? With a clear conscience and knowing that God says what He means and means what He says, can we honestly say God won't judge America?
Should Barack Obama be reelected to another term, next year in 2013 just two days after he's sworn into office, I'm sure he will be celebrating once again the murder of the unborn just as he does every year. With all the help he's given to the abortion mill America may be celebrating 60 million murders of unborn babies. Will that finally be the end of the longsuffering of our God and Savior, Jesus the Christ? Will justice prevail? Absolutely. Judgment is upon this defiled land, and a cleansing is imminent.
Maranatha!
"I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose" - Barack Hussein Obama. President Obama, along with many Americans, just celebrated the murder of 54 million babies on January 22, 2012. I wonder how they celebrated. Did they pop the cork on some champagne bottles? Did they toast each other's murderous achievements? Did they put on a feast, and invite all their friends? Here's what they didn't do. They didn't visit the grave sites of the innocent murdered babies? They didn't repent for the biggest government sanctified mass murder of the ages? They didn't weep from broken hearts like God does every single time a baby is murdered in the womb? Apparently women have no remorse after this murderous deed is done, and men who encourage this murderous act know even less remorse.
Men and women make decisions; one of those decisions is to participate with one another in the act of sexual intercourse. This is where the choice ends. Once that act is accomplished they've made their choice. When pregnancy ensues, there is no further choice for the women or the man to make concerning that baby, other than what color to paint the baby's room. There's a God ordained life growing which must never be terminated by man. Man has no right to terminate a life that God has intended for His purpose. Abortion is the only crime where the innocent victim receives the death penalty, and the guilty go free.
God is perfect and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. When we consider it prudent to kill babies in the womb we would do well to consider God's position on that subject first. "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: "I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself..." - Isaiah 44:24. God has known every baby that's been murdered in the womb "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." - Jeremiah 1:5.
"...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..." - Ephesians 1:4. Before God laid the foundation of the world He knew every human being who would ever be formed in their mother's womb. Life is a gift from God, all aborted (murdered) babies are fully known by God. They are His children and He loves them - and His desire was that each of these babies would enjoy a life on earth filled with His innumerable blessings. But man made the decision to play god and took those lives away before they had a chance to see the world God had created for them.
To murder the innocent is an abomination in the sight of God - to murder 54 million means that particular nation is in for some very harsh judgment. In other words, God sees the murder of the unborn as a disgusting wickedness - evidence that He needs to cleanse the land of the murderous. Let there be no mistake, judgment is coming.
Abortion is the ending of a life through premeditated means. Abortion is murder in its ugliest form. These were babies not simply fetuses; they are human beings in developmental stages of life with God ordained rights. They were to live and grow, to learn and to love, to become what God wanted them to become, they were to be a meaningful part of society.
Satan has his hands in every aspect of the lives of mankind. Man murders babies in the womb to cut down on unwanted pregnancies? This is of course a lie. Genocide is at the heart of abortion, the genocide of the human race. The whole concept of abortion is satanic to the core. Anyone who would celebrate 54 million murders of innocent babies while these babies were still growing in their mother's womb resides fully in Satan's camp.
God knows the heart of every human being on this planet and there are many who are attempting to pull the wool over His eyes in many different aspects of life. But God cannot be fooled and those individuals who murder babies in the womb will pay for their wickedness. We might profess all day long that we are followers of Jesus Christ, but if our heart isn't in on that profession it will show by the fruit of our actions. (America celebrates 54 million abortions.) If we stand against God's precepts how then can we be following the Lord Jesus Christ? After becoming a born again believer in Christ there is always a change that followers; that change includes a repentant heart, because God doesn't just change our heart He gives us a new heart. Continuing to murder babies in the womb after claiming to be a Christian would be an indisputable sign certainly of the lack of repentance.
Love one another is one of God's paramount commandments. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:15. What commandments, you might ask. "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." - John 15:12. If a person is to believe the Bible, and believe in its Author, then clearly the murder of innocent babies in the womb is in direct opposition to the above two verses. If we love Jesus the Christ, our Savior and Lord, then we must keep His commandments. We are to love one another unconditionally. That would, of course, include babies still in their mother's womb.
"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech..." - Leviticus 18:21. Molech was the god of the Ammonites and Phoenicians. They sacrificed their children to this god and some Israelites sacrificed their infants to this very same god in the valley of Hinnom. America celebrated the murder of 54 million babies sacrificed to this very same god of sex. Molech is just one of the names of the god of this world. Most of us recognize his name as Lucifer/Satan. When we study the history of various ancient civilizations we find many were very perverse in their nature as they participated in these incredibly sick rituals while appeasing their satanic god. Those who occupied the land that God gave to the Israelites were just this sort of people. "...(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people." - Leviticus 18:27-29.
As America moves even further into the realm which God refers to as abominations she will soon see that as Chuck Missler likes to say, and I agree, "God says what He means and means what He says." We have defiled our land just like those people who were sacrificing their children to their god Molech. We have defiled our land by murdering 54 million innocent unborn babies, and make no mistake, in God's eyes there's no difference between abortion (murder) and sacrificing new born babies to the god Molech. Those ancient peoples were spued out of their land and God gave that land to the Israelites, while warning them not to participate in the same abominations or they too would be spued out of that land. Here's something interesting, those people who God had destroyed as He moved the Israelites in were in that land for over 400 years before the Israelites moved in. Here in America we murdered 54 million babies just since 1973. I doubt America will ever see 400 years of existence; quite frankly I have my doubts about even another year coming to pass.
If we are still here a year from now, then next year on January 22nd, we, as a nation will complete 40 years of government sanctioned murders. Throughout the past forty years pro-lifers have been unsuccessful in their attempts to bring a stop to all the carnage. But from what we just read concerning those who defile the land, God knows how to put a stop to those who cause abominations. We've defiled our land and God is about to show us the door. In Hebrew the phrase "cut off" actually means to "put to death". Those that lost their homes and land to the Israelites weren't just booted out of their own country they were completely wiped out - destroyed - to the last man, woman, and child. Why? Because they had become fully corrupted; generation after generation participated in the murdering of innocent babies and committing other abominations as well, such as homosexuality and bestiality. Does anyone else see any similarities in that ancient civilization and ours today? With a clear conscience and knowing that God says what He means and means what He says, can we honestly say God won't judge America?
Should Barack Obama be reelected to another term, next year in 2013 just two days after he's sworn into office, I'm sure he will be celebrating once again the murder of the unborn just as he does every year. With all the help he's given to the abortion mill America may be celebrating 60 million murders of unborn babies. Will that finally be the end of the longsuffering of our God and Savior, Jesus the Christ? Will justice prevail? Absolutely. Judgment is upon this defiled land, and a cleansing is imminent.
Maranatha!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
.....Good Luck!
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." - Genesis 2:7. Both the Old and New Testaments make it clear that God created everything we see including people. It wasn’t "luck" that brought about the human race. All through God's word nothing is left to chance.
I suppose everyone has heard the phrase "good luck" and even used such a phrase themselves, I know I have. Repeating the phrase "good luck" has become a habit with most folks and habits are hard to break, but I'm trying.
Where in the world did such a phrase come from? Another similar expression is "by chance". Some say it came from Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor". Regardless of where the phrase came from, its inception has its roots in paganism.
It's uncanny how commonplace it's now become to wish good luck on another person. I can understand the lost of this world expressing themselves in this fashion because they either don't believe in God or they don't understand the foolishness of such statements. The question is why Christian believers, in many instances, express themselves as the pagans do when they know there is no such thing as luck or chance? Those of us who know and believe God's word know that only through our God is it possible to receive blessings of goodness. Wishing someone luck, whether good or bad, has no place in a believer's vocabulary.
"Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." - Psalm 90:2. Luck is nonexistent. Luck in any form is not of God. We don't get lucky. The dictionary describes luck as "success that seems to happen by chance". Good luck, good fortune, chance, bad luck, these are all derived from a pagan mindset. In paganism God is replaced by a lucky set of circumstances. Yet true Christians know nothing happens by chance. This is how the whole idea of evolution got started and promoted to the extent that it is today. People are overwhelmingly inclined to believe in chance because they've been so programmed.
Those of us who believe in an awesome God who created the universe and everything in it know that chance does not happen. Everything we know and see was predetermined before the foundation of the world. Jesus knew before the foundation of the world that He would die for His creation and He knew how He would die. Imagine knowing something as horrible as exactly how He would die and living with that knowledge, as Christ did, all the while watching His creation continually rebel and grow farther removed from Him with every passing day. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8.
God knew His creation would need a Savior so all mankind could be reconciled to Him. Human beings were at one time in a right and loving relationship with their Creator, but mankind rebelled against their Creator thus ending the awesome relationship which began in the Garden of Eden. Mankind could never expect to get "lucky" and obtain a reconciled relationship with God without God's intervention. Luck had nothing to do with what Jesus did for us.
It's interesting how many words are associated with luck, even a word like providence which is usually associated with God, is a synonym for luck in the dictionary. Divine providence is not luck, but again we have been programmed to associate luck with God. Yet luck plays no part in God's economy. "When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; the women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, and He who formed them will show them no favor." - Isaiah 27:11. Believing in luck or chance will play a very distinct role in the lives of the lost and the consequences of such belief will be severe.
Those of us who are born again need to be mindful of using the word "luck" or even the phrase "by chance". Anytime we use the word luck to describe an emotion, or any other word that relies on chance, we've just eliminated God. When believers, in Christ, invoke the word luck in their conversations instead of the truth, God is quietly but instantaneously relegated to a position not at all becoming of who He is. Why do we do this? Our witness becomes ineffectual each time we rely on the word luck as a form of expression especially if used during witnessing. Christians can't even bless one another when the word luck materializes in their conversations.
"God bless you" is the response we who are "In Christ" believers should practice and be unafraid to proclaim. Even when speaking to unbelievers "God bless you" is much more significant and effectual than the phrase "good luck". Saying God bless you to a non-believer will embed that phrase in their minds. We may get laughed at or hear snickers behind our backs, possibly even ridiculed, mocked and scorned, but it may take nothing more than a simple God bless you to jar those who do the ridiculing into hearing the Holy Spirit.
I've watched some older movies in the past, English and Irish and such, and have noticed in some of those movies when a character enters a house he/she announces themselves by saying "God bless all here". I thought this was a great way to begin a conversation. Can you imagine entering a home and wishing everyone there good luck. It just doesn't compute.
"I went fishing the other day and caught a big one; man did I get lucky". No you were blessed. That fish was just another of God's many blessings which pagans refer to as luck. How often do we take the honor and glory from God when we insert the word luck into our conversations? How often is God marginalized by the vocabulary of His own children? Think about it.
"Lucky you!" No, God blessed you. Why is that such a hard statement to make? If there is no such thing as luck, then there is no occasion to insert that word into our vocabulary. Everyone knows leprechauns are fictitious so how would it sound if we gave leprechauns the glory for all our blessings? "The leprechauns gave me good fortune". How would God look upon His creation as they insult Him with such a statement? Yet we do exactly that with every utterance of "good luck".
"The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." - Proverbs 26:10-11. People will travel miles out of their way to reach a place known as a gambling casino, they park their cars and their brains outside, and as they enter that establishment they are completely reliant on the pagan idea of luck to win money. Luck is what gambling is all about. Yet, if luck is nonexistent then why do some win at gambling? ".....for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:45. God's ways are far above man's ways. Why He allows some to win at gambling and others to lose is beyond me. But I can tell you this, if you come out ahead at gambling it's because God blessed you, God gets the glory, not luck. Statistics prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that losing is the order of the day for the huge majority of those who submit to such temptations. Why? Because God knows and you know that there are much better ways to use your funds than to throw them away at a gaming table.
Somehow the word luck wormed its way into the vocabulary of the human race. I believe it is satanic and should be avoided with extreme tenacity. Satan wants us to believe in luck and by doing so he's eliminating God from our lives. If everything that happens to us is pure luck then God had nothing to do with any part of our lives, thus He doesn't exist. This has been Satan's plan from the beginning. Get as many as possible to believe that lie and they will forget all about God, which is exactly what we see being promoted around the world.
In its past, England once had a bustling Christian culture. Currently though Christian’s make up approximately 2 percent of England's total population (that statistic can be found on numerous sits on the internet). Why has this phenomenon occurred in England? Because God's enemy and ours corrupted that island by convincing that population that chance had occurred billions of years ago and that God was not involved. Sadly, every nation on earth is now headed in that same direction, away from Christianity and fully embracing luck and chance.
Although America was founded on Christian principles, that foundation has been eroded through the teaching of evolution "chance". Everything we see happened by "chance" and we are very "lucky" to even be here after evolving out of pond scum. God? What God? Chance and luck is our god.
The big bang theory can be explained thusly: At first there was nothing, and then it exploded. We sure are lucky to have been in the path of that explosion so earth could evolve and life could appear on this meager planet, and all because of an explosion out of nothing. Never mind that scientists know that we live on a knife edge; with the slightest variation in atmosphere or temperatures life could not have come about or currently exist. But the Bible fully explains how this all came about, and it could only have been created by an all powerful God.
According to resources I've read lately, most secular scientists don't even believe in evolution yet they refuse to admit it in any public setting because most scientists derive their livelihoods from secular government funding. Apparently they would rather remain in their sins and not be accountable to God. Evolutionary "chance" is now looked upon as fact and taught as such in our public schools, as well as in most schools around the globe. Most people will attribute evolution to the "luck of the draw" instead of believing a loving and most merciful God could have created everything just with the power of His word.
Nothing creates nothing, just try adding 0+0 any way you want, you will still have nothing in the end. Life, planets, or even the universe could not come about without information, and only God can supply information. Thus, only God creates. God is responsible for life on this planet; it was not luck stirring a pot of pond scum that brought about life. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1. In the very first verse of the Bible we see nothing left to chance or luck. God gave Moses the words to the first five books of the Bible so we who would follow would have the truth about creation at our fingertips and nothing would be left to chance.
I think by now everyone can see that placing ones faith in luck has had a devastating influence on planet earth. Satan planned his strategy prior to the fall of man and he has been hard at promoting his agenda for the last six thousand years. But God has His own agenda, and of course it includes Satan and all who follow him. They are those who will one day be the recipients of God's judgment. Nothing lucky about that.
Jesus Christ is our Creator God and our Savior. All who choose to believe in and follow Him will have everlasting life. All who follow Satan's luck will have everlasting damnation. So the question is, do you still feel lucky or blessed?
God bless you!
I suppose everyone has heard the phrase "good luck" and even used such a phrase themselves, I know I have. Repeating the phrase "good luck" has become a habit with most folks and habits are hard to break, but I'm trying.
Where in the world did such a phrase come from? Another similar expression is "by chance". Some say it came from Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor". Regardless of where the phrase came from, its inception has its roots in paganism.
It's uncanny how commonplace it's now become to wish good luck on another person. I can understand the lost of this world expressing themselves in this fashion because they either don't believe in God or they don't understand the foolishness of such statements. The question is why Christian believers, in many instances, express themselves as the pagans do when they know there is no such thing as luck or chance? Those of us who know and believe God's word know that only through our God is it possible to receive blessings of goodness. Wishing someone luck, whether good or bad, has no place in a believer's vocabulary.
"Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God." - Psalm 90:2. Luck is nonexistent. Luck in any form is not of God. We don't get lucky. The dictionary describes luck as "success that seems to happen by chance". Good luck, good fortune, chance, bad luck, these are all derived from a pagan mindset. In paganism God is replaced by a lucky set of circumstances. Yet true Christians know nothing happens by chance. This is how the whole idea of evolution got started and promoted to the extent that it is today. People are overwhelmingly inclined to believe in chance because they've been so programmed.
Those of us who believe in an awesome God who created the universe and everything in it know that chance does not happen. Everything we know and see was predetermined before the foundation of the world. Jesus knew before the foundation of the world that He would die for His creation and He knew how He would die. Imagine knowing something as horrible as exactly how He would die and living with that knowledge, as Christ did, all the while watching His creation continually rebel and grow farther removed from Him with every passing day. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8.
God knew His creation would need a Savior so all mankind could be reconciled to Him. Human beings were at one time in a right and loving relationship with their Creator, but mankind rebelled against their Creator thus ending the awesome relationship which began in the Garden of Eden. Mankind could never expect to get "lucky" and obtain a reconciled relationship with God without God's intervention. Luck had nothing to do with what Jesus did for us.
It's interesting how many words are associated with luck, even a word like providence which is usually associated with God, is a synonym for luck in the dictionary. Divine providence is not luck, but again we have been programmed to associate luck with God. Yet luck plays no part in God's economy. "When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off; the women come and set them on fire. For it is a people of no understanding; therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them, and He who formed them will show them no favor." - Isaiah 27:11. Believing in luck or chance will play a very distinct role in the lives of the lost and the consequences of such belief will be severe.
Those of us who are born again need to be mindful of using the word "luck" or even the phrase "by chance". Anytime we use the word luck to describe an emotion, or any other word that relies on chance, we've just eliminated God. When believers, in Christ, invoke the word luck in their conversations instead of the truth, God is quietly but instantaneously relegated to a position not at all becoming of who He is. Why do we do this? Our witness becomes ineffectual each time we rely on the word luck as a form of expression especially if used during witnessing. Christians can't even bless one another when the word luck materializes in their conversations.
"God bless you" is the response we who are "In Christ" believers should practice and be unafraid to proclaim. Even when speaking to unbelievers "God bless you" is much more significant and effectual than the phrase "good luck". Saying God bless you to a non-believer will embed that phrase in their minds. We may get laughed at or hear snickers behind our backs, possibly even ridiculed, mocked and scorned, but it may take nothing more than a simple God bless you to jar those who do the ridiculing into hearing the Holy Spirit.
I've watched some older movies in the past, English and Irish and such, and have noticed in some of those movies when a character enters a house he/she announces themselves by saying "God bless all here". I thought this was a great way to begin a conversation. Can you imagine entering a home and wishing everyone there good luck. It just doesn't compute.
"I went fishing the other day and caught a big one; man did I get lucky". No you were blessed. That fish was just another of God's many blessings which pagans refer to as luck. How often do we take the honor and glory from God when we insert the word luck into our conversations? How often is God marginalized by the vocabulary of His own children? Think about it.
"Lucky you!" No, God blessed you. Why is that such a hard statement to make? If there is no such thing as luck, then there is no occasion to insert that word into our vocabulary. Everyone knows leprechauns are fictitious so how would it sound if we gave leprechauns the glory for all our blessings? "The leprechauns gave me good fortune". How would God look upon His creation as they insult Him with such a statement? Yet we do exactly that with every utterance of "good luck".
"The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." - Proverbs 26:10-11. People will travel miles out of their way to reach a place known as a gambling casino, they park their cars and their brains outside, and as they enter that establishment they are completely reliant on the pagan idea of luck to win money. Luck is what gambling is all about. Yet, if luck is nonexistent then why do some win at gambling? ".....for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:45. God's ways are far above man's ways. Why He allows some to win at gambling and others to lose is beyond me. But I can tell you this, if you come out ahead at gambling it's because God blessed you, God gets the glory, not luck. Statistics prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that losing is the order of the day for the huge majority of those who submit to such temptations. Why? Because God knows and you know that there are much better ways to use your funds than to throw them away at a gaming table.
Somehow the word luck wormed its way into the vocabulary of the human race. I believe it is satanic and should be avoided with extreme tenacity. Satan wants us to believe in luck and by doing so he's eliminating God from our lives. If everything that happens to us is pure luck then God had nothing to do with any part of our lives, thus He doesn't exist. This has been Satan's plan from the beginning. Get as many as possible to believe that lie and they will forget all about God, which is exactly what we see being promoted around the world.
In its past, England once had a bustling Christian culture. Currently though Christian’s make up approximately 2 percent of England's total population (that statistic can be found on numerous sits on the internet). Why has this phenomenon occurred in England? Because God's enemy and ours corrupted that island by convincing that population that chance had occurred billions of years ago and that God was not involved. Sadly, every nation on earth is now headed in that same direction, away from Christianity and fully embracing luck and chance.
Although America was founded on Christian principles, that foundation has been eroded through the teaching of evolution "chance". Everything we see happened by "chance" and we are very "lucky" to even be here after evolving out of pond scum. God? What God? Chance and luck is our god.
The big bang theory can be explained thusly: At first there was nothing, and then it exploded. We sure are lucky to have been in the path of that explosion so earth could evolve and life could appear on this meager planet, and all because of an explosion out of nothing. Never mind that scientists know that we live on a knife edge; with the slightest variation in atmosphere or temperatures life could not have come about or currently exist. But the Bible fully explains how this all came about, and it could only have been created by an all powerful God.
According to resources I've read lately, most secular scientists don't even believe in evolution yet they refuse to admit it in any public setting because most scientists derive their livelihoods from secular government funding. Apparently they would rather remain in their sins and not be accountable to God. Evolutionary "chance" is now looked upon as fact and taught as such in our public schools, as well as in most schools around the globe. Most people will attribute evolution to the "luck of the draw" instead of believing a loving and most merciful God could have created everything just with the power of His word.
Nothing creates nothing, just try adding 0+0 any way you want, you will still have nothing in the end. Life, planets, or even the universe could not come about without information, and only God can supply information. Thus, only God creates. God is responsible for life on this planet; it was not luck stirring a pot of pond scum that brought about life. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1. In the very first verse of the Bible we see nothing left to chance or luck. God gave Moses the words to the first five books of the Bible so we who would follow would have the truth about creation at our fingertips and nothing would be left to chance.
I think by now everyone can see that placing ones faith in luck has had a devastating influence on planet earth. Satan planned his strategy prior to the fall of man and he has been hard at promoting his agenda for the last six thousand years. But God has His own agenda, and of course it includes Satan and all who follow him. They are those who will one day be the recipients of God's judgment. Nothing lucky about that.
Jesus Christ is our Creator God and our Savior. All who choose to believe in and follow Him will have everlasting life. All who follow Satan's luck will have everlasting damnation. So the question is, do you still feel lucky or blessed?
God bless you!
.....Do You Remember Me?
I remember when you loved me, when you held me in your arms and snuggled me.
I remember when you stroked me and kissed me and told me how handsome I was.
I remember how you used to brush my coat and wipe me down with a soft cloth.
I remember sleeping next to you in a big bed, lying on your pillow beside your sweet smelling hair.
I remember the toys you bought me, how you played with me; oh! What joyful fun!
I remember how every morning I would purr and gently touch your cheek with my soft paw to awaken you.
I remember your sweet smile, and how you would sing out "good morning, my precious", when your eyes opened.
I remember the delicious food you used to give me, how there was always plenty to eat.
I remember how very much I loved you, adored you, worshiped you!
Do you remember me?
I remember when you brought the man home and introduced him to me.
I remember that you said he was your husband; that you loved him and that he would love me, too.
I remember that the man did not smell like a cat lover, but that if you loved him, then I would try to love him, too.
I remember that the man was loud and he would frighten me with his hard footsteps.
I remember that the man was not cruel to me, but indifferent to me as I begged him to stroke me.
I remember when the man said cats do not belong in the bedroom and then I no longer was allowed to sleep on your pillow.
I remember how I missed awakening you every morning.
Do you remember me?
I remember when you came home one day with a sweet smelling bundle in your arms.
I remember you held it gently, snuggled it closely and told me that it was your baby and that you loved it.
I remember thinking that if you loved it, I would love it, too.
I remember being curious about it and sniffing it often, for it smelled like you, but it was small like me.
I remember the man being fearful as I sniffed the baby. The man said that I would hurt the baby.
I remember being put outside, where I had never been before, and it scared me so badly!
I remember sitting on the porch, crying and begging you to let me back inside.
I remember that you never came to the door to let me in.
I remember that night when the other cats came,they watched me from the darkness and hissed at me.
I remember that I was so afraid they would hurt me; I had no claws and could not defend myself!
I remember huddling miserably against the door at night; afraid, and lonely.
I remember the man saying that I kept him awake at nights with my cries, so I had to go away.
I remember you putting me into a box, and that you would not even meet my eyes.
Do you remember me?
I remember being tossed from the moving car, box and all; and how much it hurt hitting the hard ground.
I remember escaping from the box and having no idea at all as to where I was; where you were.
I remember waiting there, for days, hoping you would come and save me.
I remember being hungry, thirsty, lost, alone, and afraid.
I remember looking for food, being so hungry, rummaging in garbage cans for something to eat.
I remember other cats chasing me, scratching me, and biting me because I was in their territory.
I remember trying to find you; scent you on the breeze. And I could not sense you anywhere.
I remember running and looking for you; running until my paws bled.
I remember how my once glossy coat became matted and dull; my once robust body, gaunt from hunger.
I remember the monster with the very bright eyes as it swooped down upon me in the road.
I remember the pain, horrible pain and the feel of my blood as it ran from my mouth.
I remember not being able to move; my legs did not work anymore.
I remember needing you more than I had ever needed you before in my life. And yet you did not come.
I remember how very much I loved you as I lay there dying alone, afraid, and in terrible pain.
Do you remember me?
I remember when you stroked me and kissed me and told me how handsome I was.
I remember how you used to brush my coat and wipe me down with a soft cloth.
I remember sleeping next to you in a big bed, lying on your pillow beside your sweet smelling hair.
I remember the toys you bought me, how you played with me; oh! What joyful fun!
I remember how every morning I would purr and gently touch your cheek with my soft paw to awaken you.
I remember your sweet smile, and how you would sing out "good morning, my precious", when your eyes opened.
I remember the delicious food you used to give me, how there was always plenty to eat.
I remember how very much I loved you, adored you, worshiped you!
Do you remember me?
I remember when you brought the man home and introduced him to me.
I remember that you said he was your husband; that you loved him and that he would love me, too.
I remember that the man did not smell like a cat lover, but that if you loved him, then I would try to love him, too.
I remember that the man was loud and he would frighten me with his hard footsteps.
I remember that the man was not cruel to me, but indifferent to me as I begged him to stroke me.
I remember when the man said cats do not belong in the bedroom and then I no longer was allowed to sleep on your pillow.
I remember how I missed awakening you every morning.
Do you remember me?
I remember when you came home one day with a sweet smelling bundle in your arms.
I remember you held it gently, snuggled it closely and told me that it was your baby and that you loved it.
I remember thinking that if you loved it, I would love it, too.
I remember being curious about it and sniffing it often, for it smelled like you, but it was small like me.
I remember the man being fearful as I sniffed the baby. The man said that I would hurt the baby.
I remember being put outside, where I had never been before, and it scared me so badly!
I remember sitting on the porch, crying and begging you to let me back inside.
I remember that you never came to the door to let me in.
I remember that night when the other cats came,they watched me from the darkness and hissed at me.
I remember that I was so afraid they would hurt me; I had no claws and could not defend myself!
I remember huddling miserably against the door at night; afraid, and lonely.
I remember the man saying that I kept him awake at nights with my cries, so I had to go away.
I remember you putting me into a box, and that you would not even meet my eyes.
Do you remember me?
I remember being tossed from the moving car, box and all; and how much it hurt hitting the hard ground.
I remember escaping from the box and having no idea at all as to where I was; where you were.
I remember waiting there, for days, hoping you would come and save me.
I remember being hungry, thirsty, lost, alone, and afraid.
I remember looking for food, being so hungry, rummaging in garbage cans for something to eat.
I remember other cats chasing me, scratching me, and biting me because I was in their territory.
I remember trying to find you; scent you on the breeze. And I could not sense you anywhere.
I remember running and looking for you; running until my paws bled.
I remember how my once glossy coat became matted and dull; my once robust body, gaunt from hunger.
I remember the monster with the very bright eyes as it swooped down upon me in the road.
I remember the pain, horrible pain and the feel of my blood as it ran from my mouth.
I remember not being able to move; my legs did not work anymore.
I remember needing you more than I had ever needed you before in my life. And yet you did not come.
I remember how very much I loved you as I lay there dying alone, afraid, and in terrible pain.
Do you remember me?
.....Comments About The Deceased!
To lose a loved one or a friend to death is a traumatic experience to say the least. Most, if not all of us, have been there. Particularly for those who believe in heaven and hell, it is only natural to want the best for them after death. Unfortunately, far too many people do not face reality at this point.
For several years now, I have noticed comments made by the living concerning those who have died before us. I have noticed especially those comments made of the deceased that brought alarm and sadness to play.
There are many cases where only God knows the eternal destiny of an individual who dies, but He gives us a strong clue as to what to look for in someone’s life as to whether or not they are a child of God. Please read Matthew 7:13-29. John the Apostle also states,
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us." - 1 John 2:19
The comments below have been stated of people who have passed away, but never showed any signs of faith in Jesus Christ being alive in their lives, and actually most were quite the contrary.
- I’m sure ______ has a party rocking in heaven right now.
- ______ has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those he has loved and lost.
- May God Bless ______, and may he rest in eternal peace.
- Your works, all of them, over many years praise you.
- She is resting peacefully next to her son.
- I would like to end by thanking God for taking ______ at her most beautiful and radiant.
- The angels are rejoicing.
- Heaven now has one of our best.
- Heaven got even better when they arrived.
- They’re looking down on us.
Whether these comments (and many others) come from people I know or those in the public eye who I do not know, if the deceased did not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they are not "resting peacefully". Jesus said that He is the only way to the Father,
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6
No matter how much you may have liked or loved the deceased, if they did not know Jesus as Savior, they died lost. No matter how close they were to you in relationship, if they did not know Jesus as Savior, they died lost. This is why we need to witness to those we love while they are alive, but how can one witness about Jesus, if they too do not know Him?
Very often those who make no bones about not being a Christian are the first to assume that everything is okay with their loved one or friend. Why is this? It is due to a wishy-washy state of religion that has befallen the church today.
- Most Christians are basically ignorant of the Word, and do not witness.
- Most who claim to be Christians think they can "walk the aisle" and then "walk with the world" and everything will be okay.
- Most think that since God is love, He would never send anyone to hell, even when He has actually done all He can to provide the only escape, His Son Jesus.
- Most think, "I’m a good person, so everything will be okay."
- Most have no understanding of the Biblical term "works."
In the church (which is shameful) and in society (which is expected) there is a total lack of truth about salvation (being born again, becoming a Christian).
I have purposely not given any examples or provided any names of popular people who have passed away and would clearly fit the subject matter of this article. There is no need for that, but if you’re in tune with the true meaning and method of salvation, I’m sure you also can come up with plenty.
So what is the bottom line? If you are a Christian, and your loved one or friend claims to be a Christian, but shows no sign of Jesus living in their life, witness to them. They are either both lost and bound for hell when they die, or they are out of fellowship with God and need to get their act together with the Father. God knows. We often don’t. Either way, they need a mature Christian leading them to Jesus.
What about those popular people who are immediately known when the television is turned on? We can pray that someone in their circle of family and friends can reach them for Christ, giving them the truth. We can also pray for them ourselves.
Maranatha!
Monday, February 6, 2012
.....A Politically Correct Update Regarding Gay Couples!
Attention. May I have everyone’s attention, please? Thank you!
Now friends, I simply must bring you all up to date on the most recent politically correct changes regarding the care we should take when addressing or interacting with same sex couples. Seeing that none of us wish to appear uncivilized, it’s always prudent that we do our utmost to avoid offending this extra special segment of society, especially since they tend to express their outrage at any perceived disrespect for their alternative lifestyle with seemingly endless whining. I mean, we’ve all been on the receiving end of that, haven’t we?!
So, let me take the next few minutes to educate you on what you may now say or not say to gay couples, especially if they are engaged to be 'married.' By the way, I got this information from one of the wedding industry’s most prominent gay wedding planners/educators, a lady who is really in-the-know!
Some of you who are business owners may very well have same sex couples come to you for some product or service related to their impending nuptials which shouldn’t be an issue because hey, gay weddings are here to stay and are ultimately good for the bottom line. After all, the most important thing is making that money any way we can, right?
First of all, we can no longer use the word "homosexual" because, according to our expert, it carries all kinds of negative connotations related to the early days when it was actually considered a mental disorder to be gay. Stay away from that term! Did everyone hear that?
There are a few things you should never ask a same sex couple who are engaged. For instance, it would be highly offensive to ask, "Which one of you is the bride?" or, "Will one of you wear a gown and the other a tuxedo?" Another statement that might be considered insulting would be something along the lines of, "So, will there be drag queens and show tunes at the reception?" And, of course, it would be the height of gauche to ask if they’ll be throwing condoms instead of rice!
Now, I understand some of you are still uncomfortable accepting gay weddings as the new normal but really people, who’s to say what is 'normal' at a wedding anymore? The world is changing ladies and gentlemen; up is now down and white is now black. We have to keep up with the times.
Even the most egregious sin is considered perfectly respectful, especially if you hold outlandish demonstrations and parades and carry signs and shout loud enough, long enough. You know, I think sometimes it’s just easier to let them have their way so they’ll quiet down and we can go back to living our lives, societal consequences be damned!
Finally, above all, NEVER, and I mean NEVER confront same sex couples with anything the Bible or God has to say on homosexuality! Oops! I mean gays. For instance, it wouldn’t be wise to ask if they’ll be honeymooning in Sodom or Gomorrah. And don’t even think of mentioning that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 emphatically states, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
Heaven forbid you be so crass to imply they are deceiving themselves when they insist they were 'born' gay. We’ll just keep this between ourselves but you and I know full well that, just as a two year old will throw a tantrum and hold their breath until they pass out, our little gay friends can scream all they want, but there will never be scientific proof of a 'gay gene.' If you want to be your most proficient in political correctness, just let it go. The last thing we want to do is speak the truth and offend them!
Well, that’s our meeting for today. I hope you’ve all learned something useful. Now go out there, turn your head and act like this perverted, rebellious lifestyle is perfectly normal. Don’t you dare embarrass yourself by taking a stand for God and declaring that you refuse to cater to the outrageous demands of less than 1% of America’s population. After all, like their slogan says, "They’re here, they’re queer, get used to it!"
Maranatha!
Friday, February 3, 2012
.....Magical Words And Real Faith!
Faith differs from superstition in its ground of hope. Faith rests upon character, specifically the character of God. A word is only as good as the character of the one who uttered it. Superstition counts upon a word, a text, and never thinks back of the text to the one who gave it. For the superstitious man there is a magic power in a word quite apart from the one who spoke it. The very word is magical and has only to be spoken under the right circumstances to be effective; morality or character have no place in this scheme of things. Words only count there. This in its various manifestations is a sure mark of superstition. Even in some Christian circles this ill-grounded trust in sounds and symbols is encountered all too frequently. Some believers, for instance, fear to speak the name of Jesus apart from the titles which accompany it. They dare not say Jesus, but must always say the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of the circumstances. Obviously they believe that God is concerned with the protocol of word arrangement and will be displeased if the order is broken. Such words as amen, hallelujah, glory and others of like sacred association are repeated endlessly and meaninglessly in the apparent belief that they have in them some strange power for good. This can be no more than high-grade magic. It will pay us to search our own hearts thoroughly to discover just why we use these words.
"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." - Acts 19:13
The seven sons of Sceva sought to use the name of Jesus in attempting to exorcise spirits from those demon-possessed. They failed miserably because they neither knew Jesus or trusted in Him. What we believe and in whom we believe is what counts.
Lord, forgive me for using words, even Your name, as if there were some magical meaning to them. It is Your Person, who You are - Almighty God - in whom I trust and rest through Christ.
Praise Him!
"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." - Acts 19:13
The seven sons of Sceva sought to use the name of Jesus in attempting to exorcise spirits from those demon-possessed. They failed miserably because they neither knew Jesus or trusted in Him. What we believe and in whom we believe is what counts.
Lord, forgive me for using words, even Your name, as if there were some magical meaning to them. It is Your Person, who You are - Almighty God - in whom I trust and rest through Christ.
Praise Him!
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