Scripture explains that the problem in the world is US. People cringe in horror at seemingly random acts of dispicable horrific violence. But "as a man thinks in his heart so he is.” Think on evil and evil actions will result.
they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.” (2 Peter 3:5-6)
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Gen 6:5-7)
“As a man thinks in his heart so he is.”
(heart meaning not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life.)
The propensity to do great evil is in all of us.
“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Jesus the Christ Mark 7:21-23)
“As a man thinks in his heart so he is.”
We are in a war for our minds. There is great temptation from the world, the flesh and the devil. (we struggle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.) Our culture has put the blame upon everything but the truth. Morality matters.
But in our culture murder of the innocent unborn is sanctioned. Murder has become a virture, a sacrifice to the gods of choice and convenience. Modern day “Idol worship.” But it’s nothing new. God’s chosen people forgot their God and became just like the people around them.
They served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
They even sacrificed their sons
And their daughters to demons,
And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with blood.
Thus they were defiled by their own works,
And played the harlot by their own deeds. (ps 106:36-38)
Without the God of Scripture in a persons life ( or nations) evil will be allowed to fester, propagate and eventually consume the individual (or nation)
“as a man thinks in his heart so he is”
Remember what Jesus said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
It is already there. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. We are born that way.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me. (Ps 51:5.. David understood it)
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.(Romans 3)
Until a person understands this truth, if they think people are basically good and evil an aberration, that person is decieved by the god of this age, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the sons of disodedience, and is BY NATURE a child of God’s wrath.
I believe God has given our nation over to a wicked heart. We are a nation that needs desperately to humble ourselves before God, repent and turn from it’s evil deeds. (Romans 1:18-32) I fear for this nation for it does appear we are heading off the precipice into the pit of destruction. Or prehaps we’re already there. God has given us over to vile passions, God has given us over to a reprobate (that is a morally unprincipled; shameless) MIND.
What about you?
“As a man thinks in his heart so he is”
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Phil 4:8-9)
Meditation is not an emptying of the mind. It is filling it with the truth of God.
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. (ps 119:11)
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
The word for “transformed” in the text , used in the original language of the Bible is “methomorpho” from which we get the english word metamorphosis: a complete change, such as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
In a Christians life this refers to “ sanctification.” What is that you say?
“The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more, and living to righteousness more and more.” (Matthew Henry)
This begins with an individual confessing, believing, repenting and trusting in the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. From ourselves and the wrath of God. (John14:6; Acts 14:12)
Without Christ we are enemies of God, at enmity (we HATE God.) And will recieve His justice.
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
“As a man thinks in his heart so he is.”
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
The Human Heart-An Idol Factory
Subject: Leading Sunni Clerics Demand Insults to Islam Be
Outlawed...
Six months after declaring that all churches in the
Arabian peninsula should be destroyed, Saudi Arabia's top
cleric called at the weekend for a global ban on insults
targeting all religious "prophets and messengers," a
category that, from a Muslim perspective, includes Jesus
Christ.
Egypt's Al-Azhar University grand imam Ahmed el-Tayyeb,
made a similar appeal. The two clerics' calls are a new
salvo in an unremitting campaign by Islamic political and
religious leaders to pressure non-Muslims to treat Islam
with deference.
In a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency
SPA), Asheikh "appealed to all countries and
international organizations to criminalize acts ridiculing
all prophets and messengers (peace be upon them)."
Saudi Arabia does not permit the existence of churches or
public expressions of non-Muslim religious worship.
Although Muslims revere Jesus, Islam teaches that he was
not divine and was not crucified. The Qur'an states
(9:30): "the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of
Allah ... may Allah destroy them."
Egypt's Tayyeb demanded that those "fools and misguided"
people who commit such acts be punished for committing
"these heinous acts of abuse to the prophet."
I thought about 1 and 1/2 billion muslims. They think that if they do enough good works (the most coveted work among true professors and followers being, taking as many infidels --any other religion, atheists you name it, anyone other than Isalm--with you in a conflagration of a violent and destructive detonation. ) By the way, truth is, that is the only way they are guaranteed salvation.
What an evil religion. What a scourge perpetrated by a religion that worships death. Know who else worships death? “Jesus said to them,... You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(John 8) Islam--a religion that worships death.
Jesus said the Devil, Satan, Adversary—comes to steal, kill and destroy. Paul wrote the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.... Jesus said they love darkness rather than light. How different True Biblical Christianity is. Christ came to give us life abundantly. He came to destroy the one who holds the power of death...the devil. In Christ you know the truth that sets you free from the slavery of sin. In Christ you have peace with God. No longer condemned. You have real hope. In Christ you value life because the only True God values life, that none should perish but come to repentance and believe in the only name under heaven by which anyone can be saved.
Saved? From what? The wrath to come. Christ came to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. A citizenship in heaven. Anyone without that covering, without that free gift, by grace through faith, shall perish from the presence of God and the glory of His power. Jesus the Christ said "Do not fear those who can kill the body, but fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell."
Jesus proved who He said He was by His sinlessness, His healing of the sick, the lame to walk, His giving sight to the blind, and His raising the dead. (Luke 7:22) And YES His freeing of those possessed by demons. (Mark 1:22-28) Seen and heard about by others who were eyewitnesses , (Acts 10:34-43) Prophets proclaimed his coming in the Old Testament and His Apostles were chosen to see and hear and then write down for us His truth between the pages of Scripture.
There is a great spiritual war going on all around us every single day for the souls of mankind. Satan loves religion, any religion that leads you away from the truth of the Gospel. The Truth of the ONLY Savior, Jesus Christ. The heart of mankind is a natural born idol maker. If we do not worship the One, True, Holy and Righteous God of Scripture we will find something else to worship. Even ourselves. And all other worship is demonic in nature. (Deut. 32:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:20-22)
The war is waging. A War against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12) The only way to fight is by being strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Without Christ Jesus you can do nothing. Come to Him and he will give you rest, hope, salvation and the promise that he will never leave you nor forsake you.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Outlawed...
Six months after declaring that all churches in the
Arabian peninsula should be destroyed, Saudi Arabia's top
cleric called at the weekend for a global ban on insults
targeting all religious "prophets and messengers," a
category that, from a Muslim perspective, includes Jesus
Christ.
Egypt's Al-Azhar University grand imam Ahmed el-Tayyeb,
made a similar appeal. The two clerics' calls are a new
salvo in an unremitting campaign by Islamic political and
religious leaders to pressure non-Muslims to treat Islam
with deference.
In a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency
SPA), Asheikh "appealed to all countries and
international organizations to criminalize acts ridiculing
all prophets and messengers (peace be upon them)."
Saudi Arabia does not permit the existence of churches or
public expressions of non-Muslim religious worship.
Although Muslims revere Jesus, Islam teaches that he was
not divine and was not crucified. The Qur'an states
(9:30): "the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of
Allah ... may Allah destroy them."
Egypt's Tayyeb demanded that those "fools and misguided"
people who commit such acts be punished for committing
"these heinous acts of abuse to the prophet."
I thought about 1 and 1/2 billion muslims. They think that if they do enough good works (the most coveted work among true professors and followers being, taking as many infidels --any other religion, atheists you name it, anyone other than Isalm--with you in a conflagration of a violent and destructive detonation. ) By the way, truth is, that is the only way they are guaranteed salvation.
What an evil religion. What a scourge perpetrated by a religion that worships death. Know who else worships death? “Jesus said to them,... You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(John 8) Islam--a religion that worships death.
Jesus said the Devil, Satan, Adversary—comes to steal, kill and destroy. Paul wrote the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.... Jesus said they love darkness rather than light. How different True Biblical Christianity is. Christ came to give us life abundantly. He came to destroy the one who holds the power of death...the devil. In Christ you know the truth that sets you free from the slavery of sin. In Christ you have peace with God. No longer condemned. You have real hope. In Christ you value life because the only True God values life, that none should perish but come to repentance and believe in the only name under heaven by which anyone can be saved.
Saved? From what? The wrath to come. Christ came to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. A citizenship in heaven. Anyone without that covering, without that free gift, by grace through faith, shall perish from the presence of God and the glory of His power. Jesus the Christ said "Do not fear those who can kill the body, but fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell."
Jesus proved who He said He was by His sinlessness, His healing of the sick, the lame to walk, His giving sight to the blind, and His raising the dead. (Luke 7:22) And YES His freeing of those possessed by demons. (Mark 1:22-28) Seen and heard about by others who were eyewitnesses , (Acts 10:34-43) Prophets proclaimed his coming in the Old Testament and His Apostles were chosen to see and hear and then write down for us His truth between the pages of Scripture.
There is a great spiritual war going on all around us every single day for the souls of mankind. Satan loves religion, any religion that leads you away from the truth of the Gospel. The Truth of the ONLY Savior, Jesus Christ. The heart of mankind is a natural born idol maker. If we do not worship the One, True, Holy and Righteous God of Scripture we will find something else to worship. Even ourselves. And all other worship is demonic in nature. (Deut. 32:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:20-22)
The war is waging. A War against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:12) The only way to fight is by being strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Without Christ Jesus you can do nothing. Come to Him and he will give you rest, hope, salvation and the promise that he will never leave you nor forsake you.
We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Monday, August 13, 2012
The World's Desire To Worship
I got to see the Olympic closing ceremony. They gave honor (or more like worship???) to John Lennon. Erected a huge sculpture in the shape of the former Beatles face. ( An Idol?) As one hundred children wearing "Imagine" t-shirts sang and praised the message contained in the words. A humanistic, heathen, mantra which harkens to the "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" ideology which takes God out of the equation. Or the only thing that matters is the here and now.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
Matthew 18:10 (Jesus) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
John 14:2 (Jesus) " In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"
Philippians 1:21-23 (Paul) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Philippians 3:20-21 (Paul) But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
No hell below us
Above us only sky
"do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (MATT 10:28)
"the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power..."(2 THESS 1)
"4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; "
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."(Matt 7)
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
" eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. "(Ecc 8:15; isaiah 22:13)
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
"God has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord..."(Acts 17)
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good." (Ps. 53)
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”(Matt 16:33) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 16:33)
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
Commendable thoughts but impossible in this present evil age. Peace, real peace will never be achieved in our fallen world. There will always be someone who will want to subjugate people, to control and even in the name of helping enslave.
Peace, real peace, real freedom, real good only comes in and through The Lion of Judah. The Son of David. The Lamb of God. The Son of God. The King of Kings. and Prince of peace.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. ...And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. "Rev 21)
You can have that peace now through the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Not only from the wrath to come but from the hopelessness and confusion that confounds this world. A world that tolerates the profane, glorifies the perverse and calls evil good and good evil. The standards of God still prevail. The standard by which all of us will be judged.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)
"he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. "(1 John 5:12)
"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Saved? From what???
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
Matthew 18:10 (Jesus) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
John 14:2 (Jesus) " In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"
Philippians 1:21-23 (Paul) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Philippians 3:20-21 (Paul) But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
No hell below us
Above us only sky
"do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (MATT 10:28)
"the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power..."(2 THESS 1)
"4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; "
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."(Matt 7)
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
" eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. "(Ecc 8:15; isaiah 22:13)
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
"God has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord..."(Acts 17)
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good." (Ps. 53)
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”(Matt 16:33) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 16:33)
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
Commendable thoughts but impossible in this present evil age. Peace, real peace will never be achieved in our fallen world. There will always be someone who will want to subjugate people, to control and even in the name of helping enslave.
Peace, real peace, real freedom, real good only comes in and through The Lion of Judah. The Son of David. The Lamb of God. The Son of God. The King of Kings. and Prince of peace.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. ...And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. "Rev 21)
You can have that peace now through the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Not only from the wrath to come but from the hopelessness and confusion that confounds this world. A world that tolerates the profane, glorifies the perverse and calls evil good and good evil. The standards of God still prevail. The standard by which all of us will be judged.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)
"he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. "(1 John 5:12)
"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Saved? From what???
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Anti-gay/Anti-christ \ To Chick-Fil-A or Not Chick-Fil-A
Liberal media and homosexuals have now taken to calling those who do not approve of same sex marriage "anti-gay." It's not anti-gay. No one is forcing gays to stay away from a particular business. They are making a choice to do so because of another persons values that conflict with their own. That's the thing about liberals. If you do not agree to accept what they believe you are intolerant, narrow minded, hate mongers. Here it is in a nutshell. We believe Scripture. We believe the Bible is really 66 love letters to God's people. And yes God's guide book condemns certain practices not because God is a spoil sport. But because history has proven that when mankind drifts further from His principles he brings about the ruination of mankind and downfall of nations.
Historian Will Durant said, "There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion." Three important trends demonstrate social decay. They are "the crisis of lawlessness," the "loss of economic discipline," and "rising bureaucracy."(Jim Nelson Black, When Nations Die) Sound familiar? Having been on the other side for 42 years, liberal in all my thinking on all issues, I know it's a thin line but a gigantic wall that separates those who believe in the God of Scripture and those who don't. God's will for me is to obey Him and warn all those who do not comprehend the severity of their disobedience. (Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:19-20) Each day the unbeliever walks on the precipice where at any moment they could be flung into the eternal abyss. This is just one issue but it threatens the very fabric of our nation. The sanity of our society.
The protesters today....
“I don’t know how you live with yourself and work here,” “I don’t understand it. This is a horrible corporation with horrible values.”“Anti-gay breakfast sandwich,” the man said. “Always tastes better when it’s full of hate.”The young cashier replied, “It’s my pleasure to serve you.” “Gays and lesbians could start applying for jobs at Chick-fil-A. Get in there. Become managers, take over the places.” MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart urged protesters to bully the restaurant chain.“Find out who is affiliated with Chick-fil-A in any way and put pressure on those folks,” MSNBC host Thomas Roberts said any gay marriage supporter who eats at the restaurant is a “Chicken-eating Judas.” CBS reporter Dean Reynolds reported that Chick-fil-A was serving up “a side order of bigotry.” A columnist for the Los Angeles Times opined, “Shut up and fry”
The protesters 4000 years ago
the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, all the men from every quarter, surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sexual relations with them. "This man Lot came to our city as a stranger, and now he wants to tell us what to do!" They said to Lot, "We will do worse things to you than to them." They started pushing him back and were ready to break down the door. (Gen 19)
I suggest those who say we who believe the Bible are anti-gay they are in reality anti-Christ.
"Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4)
The coming of the lawless one (anti-christ) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2)
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. (1 Cor 6:9-11)
God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1)
I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge[a] with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors. (Ps 73)
I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death . And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’(Rev 2:11)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith.
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Rev 3)
Historian Will Durant said, "There is no significant example in history, before our time, of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion." Three important trends demonstrate social decay. They are "the crisis of lawlessness," the "loss of economic discipline," and "rising bureaucracy."(Jim Nelson Black, When Nations Die) Sound familiar? Having been on the other side for 42 years, liberal in all my thinking on all issues, I know it's a thin line but a gigantic wall that separates those who believe in the God of Scripture and those who don't. God's will for me is to obey Him and warn all those who do not comprehend the severity of their disobedience. (Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:19-20) Each day the unbeliever walks on the precipice where at any moment they could be flung into the eternal abyss. This is just one issue but it threatens the very fabric of our nation. The sanity of our society.
The protesters today....
“I don’t know how you live with yourself and work here,” “I don’t understand it. This is a horrible corporation with horrible values.”“Anti-gay breakfast sandwich,” the man said. “Always tastes better when it’s full of hate.”The young cashier replied, “It’s my pleasure to serve you.” “Gays and lesbians could start applying for jobs at Chick-fil-A. Get in there. Become managers, take over the places.” MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart urged protesters to bully the restaurant chain.“Find out who is affiliated with Chick-fil-A in any way and put pressure on those folks,” MSNBC host Thomas Roberts said any gay marriage supporter who eats at the restaurant is a “Chicken-eating Judas.” CBS reporter Dean Reynolds reported that Chick-fil-A was serving up “a side order of bigotry.” A columnist for the Los Angeles Times opined, “Shut up and fry”
The protesters 4000 years ago
the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, all the men from every quarter, surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sexual relations with them. "This man Lot came to our city as a stranger, and now he wants to tell us what to do!" They said to Lot, "We will do worse things to you than to them." They started pushing him back and were ready to break down the door. (Gen 19)
I suggest those who say we who believe the Bible are anti-gay they are in reality anti-Christ.
"Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4)
The coming of the lawless one (anti-christ) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess 2)
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. (1 Cor 6:9-11)
God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1)
I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes bulge[a] with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors. (Ps 73)
I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death . And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’(Rev 2:11)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith.
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Rev 3)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Messiah Revealed in Jesus
Isaiah 53 (The Old Testament- 750 years before Christ)
Who has believed our report?And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?(1)
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (Heb 1:1-2)
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,And as a root out of dry ground. (2)
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. (Romans 1:1-4)
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.(2)
And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.(Luke 2:7)
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, (He had glory with the Father before the world was...John 17:5) yet for your sakes He became poor...(and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross...Phil 2:8)... that you through His poverty might become rich....(2 Cor 8:9)
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ...(Romans 8:1)
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
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. The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:35;41-42)
But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” (Mark 3:21)
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.(3)
Now there was a certain man who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there... Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.(John 5:5-9;15-18)
And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.(4)
the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.”But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” The whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” (Luke 22:67-70)
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. (Matthew 27:27-31)
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. ( 5)
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.... and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law.... Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”, 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith...(Gal 3:13) Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation. Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,And the glory of Your people Israel.” And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:25-33)
ALL we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, every one, to his own way;And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.(6)
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Matt 9:36)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him....And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission (forgiveness) of sins.” (Acts 10:34-43)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21)
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,So He opened not His mouth.(7)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Heb 9:26)
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Heb 10:12;14) For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21)
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Cor 1:30)
while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.(Matt 27:13-14)
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.(8)
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened,and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.... So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!(Luke 24:44-46 Matthew 27:54)
AND They made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,Because He had done no violence,Nor was any deceit in His mouth.(9)
Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed . (Matt. 27:57-60)
Jesus said to them , “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you accuses Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:44-47)
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
There is none who does good, no, not one.For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10-12;23)
And Jesus said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:21-23)
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.When You make His soul an offering for sin,He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.(10)Jesus knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:41-42)
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him! (Mark 9:2;7)
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. (2Peter 1:16-17)
And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24)
I am the bread of life...I am the living bread that came down from heaven. (John 6:48;51) {man does not live by bread alone but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.....The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..... It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (Luke 4:4--quoting Deut. 8:3-- John 1:14;6:63}
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.(John 10:9)
Jesus said to them, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6)
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26)
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.(11)
For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”(Mark 9:30-32)
if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.(1 Cor 1:28-30)
without holiness no one will see the Lord....(Heb. 12:14)
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matt 10:45)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit...(1 Peter 1:18)
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,Because He poured out His soul unto death,And He was numbered with the transgressors,And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.(12)
Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left...(Matt 27:38)
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)
For I know that my Redeemer lives,And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tim Tebow Kneels....Condemns The World
Tim Tebow Kneels... Condemns The World.
Imagine this as a headline in the morning paper or TV news. Tim Tebow throws a winning play, drops to his knee to thank his Lord Jesus Christ and condemns the world. You might ask, why would I say such a thing. Well the reason I would say such a thing is because it is in the Bible. Let me give you a few verses.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
God spoke to Noah. Why? " Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen 6:8) God had mercy on him and choose him to preach to the world. "For if God....did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness..."(2 Peter 2) The Greek word here translated "preacher" kkerux (κηρυξ) refers to a herald, or “one who announces.
Even if he weren't saying anything, his working on the ark was a silent witness to the belief and faith of Noah, that what God had said would come to pass. And when he did speak to the people of his day, Noah’s words according to Jewish tradition were: “Be ye turned from your evil ways and works, lest the waters of the flood come upon you, and cut off all the seed of the children of men.”
Noah believed the divine warning and he was "moved with Godly fear." Noah knew that God was not a man that He should lie. In obedience Noah prepared the ark for the salvation of his household by which "he condemned the world."
There it is. Noah condemned the world by his obedience to God's voice. He obeyed God's command and acted. Noah believed God. Noah had a faith that was sure, knowing that what God said He would do. It would come to pass. While Noah was building the ark, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. (Matt 24:38)
The LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.(Gen 7:1) He was righteous because he believed God and had the faith to act on God's commands. Faith and works. They do not contradict each other. They compliment each other.
"and did not know until the flood came...."(Matt 24:39)
The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth....And all flesh died that moved on the earth...God destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. The flood took them all away. (Gen 7; Matt 24:39)
They didn't believe. They refused the warning from God through Noah. Why? "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." They were blinded by the god of this age. They walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience....fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath....(Eph 2)
Everyone is not a child of God. That comes from the mind of those who like the people of Noah's day perished in the flood. They refused to believe because "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19)
When a believer in the only name under heaven by which we can be saved, obeys the call of God, goes against the flow of this world he invites condemnation, ridicule, they think you strange you do not run with them in the same flood of disspation, speaking evil of you. (1 Peter 4) Because as the Apostle Paul said, To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ( 2 Cor 2)
Now I do not know Tim Tebow's heart but by his obedience in thanking His Lord and Savior, before millions, he is a tremendeous witness for the truth. The Associated Press reports that the Bible verse, John 3:16, became the most searched Google term after Tebow led the Broncos to an overtime win.
There is a war raging all around us, "your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he can destroy" ....a war for souls, a desire by the evil one to take human beings away from that only name, that only way, that only door by which anyone can enter into the kingdom of God. God will use whatever means He desires to glorify His name. Every born again, born from above believer who stands up for his faith condemns the world.
You make a difference in every area of your life...in your place of employment "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men" (Col 3:23) Where go, whoever you come into contact, in person, online, wherever... "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col 3:17)
As I see it, Tim Tebow takes God's words to heart. All God's people should. But It won't be easy. Living out what you profess. "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. " (2Tim 3:12) But as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords proclaimed "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Jesus made everyone in His day look bad. He pulled no punches in exposing their sin. And they crucified Him for it. “If the world hates you, Jesus said, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.“ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Yes fear Him." (John 15:18-20)
It is the same kind of fear Noah had that moved him to build an ark, to save his household. And it's by Godly fear that one has the faith to trust, believe, and obey what God has proclaimed, that God's people condemn the world.
Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.( 2 Peter 3)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Playing The God Game
2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.” (Zech 8)
23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28-29
"A seed of religion is divinely sown in all." (calvin) Then according to Calvin I see that mankind must worship something. Even if it be their own inane insistence that there is no God. But Scripture says God has revealed Himself in nature, by the things that are made. (Romans 1) But people by nature, in their rebellion, want not to be governed by a God who is Holy, Righteous and desirous that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If man does not worship the God of creation revealed in the Old and New Testaments, he will fain to erect an idol to palcate that God absent vacuum that plagues each restless soul.
"Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Deut 4:23-24))
As I see it, the church has come to worship programs, and numbers, and youth, and music, and diversity, not only of the people they attract, but the tolerance of the rebellion they accept among it's own congregations. We're under grace so anything is permissable in the age of the enlightened church. They wallow in the mire of the corruption of greed and perversity. Their leaders proclaiming they have a word from God, a healing guaranteed, a hundred fold when you plant a seed of faith. Which always involves giving a large sum to their ministry.
Their God is their stomach.... men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain....their glory is in their shame.....walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage..... What does Scripture say? From such withdraw yourself.
The world has influenced the church. With it's consultants who stress the importance of programs that will gurantee to pack'em in. Not so much Bible preaching though, that's a turn off. Tell them they can be happy. That every day can be a friday. Jesus is a great guy, wants to be your buddy. Rather than a Jesus who proclaimed " “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"(Matt 16:24-26)
Paul reiterates that when he writes to his young charge, Timothy " Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth.....(2 tim 4:3-5)
What is that truth? What is God's will for a believers life?
"prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." Be set apart for the service of God. (1 Peter 1:14-16)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ( 1 Thess 4:4-5)
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.(1 Thess 5:16-22)
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants (slaves) of God. (1 Peter 2:15-16)
Contrary to what many preachers, (so called) spout today in the guise of Thus sayeth the Lord. You have been bought with a price, the precious blood of the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Our slate of transgressions wiped clean, rather than slaves to sin, now slaves to God. The benefit leading to holiness and the result being eternal life. (Romans 6) For without holiness no one will see the Lord.
I have known Christians (so called) who steal from their employers. What do I mean? They steal time. Spend time at work in personal pursuits. Rather than in doing what they are paid to do. There are those who steal Christian music (this one amazes me, really) from Christian Bookstores. There are those who steal from companies through the internet. They download music or films illegally. It is stealing.
There are those who lie and gossip about others because they wish to increase their own standing, to make themselves look good within an organization. These are those who believe the rules don't apply to them. They will give an account to Him who will judge the living and the dead.
We must all be careful for the world and it's desires wish to suck us into the maze of it's filth. James gives us sound biblical advice in our quest for a closer relationship with our God.
" Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:4-8)
Humble yourselves. Listen to what God says. Our heavenly Father really does know best. Pray He will soften your heart, root our those seeds of rebellion. In other words Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. For God graces grace to the humble but resists the proud.
What happens to those who don't listen? Who reject God's word, God's call to repent.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “ Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
Playing the God game? Your way? That is a sure fire way to invite His wrath. For it truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. As the Apostle John, in his last years said, " Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen (1John 5:21)
23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28-29
"A seed of religion is divinely sown in all." (calvin) Then according to Calvin I see that mankind must worship something. Even if it be their own inane insistence that there is no God. But Scripture says God has revealed Himself in nature, by the things that are made. (Romans 1) But people by nature, in their rebellion, want not to be governed by a God who is Holy, Righteous and desirous that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. If man does not worship the God of creation revealed in the Old and New Testaments, he will fain to erect an idol to palcate that God absent vacuum that plagues each restless soul.
"Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Deut 4:23-24))
As I see it, the church has come to worship programs, and numbers, and youth, and music, and diversity, not only of the people they attract, but the tolerance of the rebellion they accept among it's own congregations. We're under grace so anything is permissable in the age of the enlightened church. They wallow in the mire of the corruption of greed and perversity. Their leaders proclaiming they have a word from God, a healing guaranteed, a hundred fold when you plant a seed of faith. Which always involves giving a large sum to their ministry.
Their God is their stomach.... men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain....their glory is in their shame.....walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage..... What does Scripture say? From such withdraw yourself.
The world has influenced the church. With it's consultants who stress the importance of programs that will gurantee to pack'em in. Not so much Bible preaching though, that's a turn off. Tell them they can be happy. That every day can be a friday. Jesus is a great guy, wants to be your buddy. Rather than a Jesus who proclaimed " “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"(Matt 16:24-26)
Paul reiterates that when he writes to his young charge, Timothy " Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth.....(2 tim 4:3-5)
What is that truth? What is God's will for a believers life?
"prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." Be set apart for the service of God. (1 Peter 1:14-16)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ( 1 Thess 4:4-5)
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.(1 Thess 5:16-22)
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants (slaves) of God. (1 Peter 2:15-16)
Contrary to what many preachers, (so called) spout today in the guise of Thus sayeth the Lord. You have been bought with a price, the precious blood of the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. Our slate of transgressions wiped clean, rather than slaves to sin, now slaves to God. The benefit leading to holiness and the result being eternal life. (Romans 6) For without holiness no one will see the Lord.
I have known Christians (so called) who steal from their employers. What do I mean? They steal time. Spend time at work in personal pursuits. Rather than in doing what they are paid to do. There are those who steal Christian music (this one amazes me, really) from Christian Bookstores. There are those who steal from companies through the internet. They download music or films illegally. It is stealing.
There are those who lie and gossip about others because they wish to increase their own standing, to make themselves look good within an organization. These are those who believe the rules don't apply to them. They will give an account to Him who will judge the living and the dead.
We must all be careful for the world and it's desires wish to suck us into the maze of it's filth. James gives us sound biblical advice in our quest for a closer relationship with our God.
" Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:4-8)
Humble yourselves. Listen to what God says. Our heavenly Father really does know best. Pray He will soften your heart, root our those seeds of rebellion. In other words Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. For God graces grace to the humble but resists the proud.
What happens to those who don't listen? Who reject God's word, God's call to repent.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “ Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
Playing the God game? Your way? That is a sure fire way to invite His wrath. For it truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For our God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. As the Apostle John, in his last years said, " Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen (1John 5:21)
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