As we near the age of retirement, our lives slow down and we have a little more time to think, if we allow ourselves to. In this age of rush and stress, thinking can almost be considered a luxury. Who has time to think? I mean on a large scale timewise.
Ever notice when you go into someone's house that they usually have some kind of sound going on? Either the TV is blaring or music or else they're on the computer. It seems that we instinctively fill the air waves with sound so that we don't have to be alone with our own thoughts.
I have this thing about going into the bathroom. It seems whenever I'm in the bathroom, I get hit with memories from the past. I think it was Bill Johnson that said we should never go into the past without Jesus. We are forgiven and we have to remember that. But, there's that temptation to go into the past to fix all the past mistakes we've made. If only we hadn't done this, then this other thing wouldn't have happened. We have messed up so badly in the past that it's a huge temptation to want to go back and change it all. Only, we can't.
But, today, as I was taking time with my thoughts and thinking about my habits and my relationship with the Lord, it occurred to me that our lives are about "coming to the end of ourselves".
We usually think about that in terms of getting "born again". We think of lost souls that way. When they finally come to the end of themselves, they'll turn to the Lord and find out that He was there all the time. And, it's true, we all have to come to the end of ourselves, our own way, our own solutions and our own ideas and interpretations of God in order to find Jesus.
But, today, I realized, it's something we do many, many times throughout our lives. It doesn't just happen once. Maybe the snake shedding his skin is an illustration of that concept. We have to continually put off the old and shed the dead, dry old habits and fears. Drop them like a torn skin.
We have to come to the end of ourself in order to want Jesus so badly we're willing to carve out some time for Him. We say He's in charge of our life. He's in control. That's what we tell ourselves. But, what do we do with our spare time? Do we really ask the Lord to run our schedule?
Or, do we wait until we're drained, depressed, discouraged and running out of spiritual fuel before we finally come to the end of our own resources and decide it's time to turn to God as a last resort? (Believe me, I'm not pointing fingers here.) I'm just starting to realize after 45 years that it's not until I finally surrender and come to the end of myself that I'm ready to throw myself on the Lord and let Him take over. Only then do I let go and let Him step in for a little while.
Yes, people, we have to get out of the way. That's the only way God's going to get anything done through us. He's a lot smarter than we are. He's the Boss. He knows what needs to get done. He knows what the priorities are.
Did you ever notice that the things you judge other people for are the things you feel "need" to be judged? They're the things in your life that you emphasize or place great importance on. Right? We let a lot of "little" things slip by and don't blink an eye. But, those certain things, we get affected by. They jump out and hit us between the eyes. They rub us the wrong way and we just have to make a judgement call on the person who is guilty of them.
It's because we see ourselves in that person. But, we don't recognize ourselves. We think it's the furthest thing from our minds to do such a thing. When, in reality, it's something we would like to do but have forbidden ourselves from doing. So, we feel all lifted up in self-righteousness, thinking we would never do that.
Yes, it's easier in some ways to avoid interaction with people. That way, you're not tempted to judge anyone. But, on the other hand, it's this interaction that brings things to the surface. It forces us to face our fears, to face our weaknesses. We get to see our own faults in the light of someone else's faults or so-called faults.
But, don't get discouraged when you spot the faults of others. Recognize it for what it is. It's humanity. And YOU and I are human. Our flesh is always causing us to sin. No? Well, mine is. Maybe you have the victory over your flesh. The funny things is that, the things we do have the victory over are the things we don't bother judging others for anymore. We have more compassion in those areas.
So, when you feel discouraged with the world and humanity the way they are, it's time to come to the end of yourself AGAIN and fall on your face to Jesus. Amen?
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE BATTLE FIELD
The war is raging all around us. From the moment we open our eyes in the morning until we close them again at night, we are in a war zone. Don't think for a moment that the devil is ever idle. He never stops. His attack is continuous.
BUT, he has to follow the rules. When we command him in the name of Jesus, he must obey. He might TRY to sneak around it, drag his feet or bluff you. But, he MUST obey orders from the Lord. He is bound. His power is limited and restricted by OUR PRAYERS. Every word we speak has spiritual power against the attacks of the enemy.
So, wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and pierce through the flimsy armour of Satan. Don't let him get away with murder. In fact, you can just ignore everything he has to say. That's what Jesus did. He never gave the Devil a platform to preach. He told him to keep quiet.
Just don't be surprised if the Devil changes his tactics and comes at you from another angle, trying to make you think it's somebody else or something else. He camouflages himself in the bushes.
There are very few of us humans on this earth that will actually worship Satan. That takes a whole lot of stupidity which, thank God, most of us just don't have. Most of us are smarter than that. So, knowing that, Satan demands fear. Fear, as he knows, is pretty much the same as worship. Because, when you fear him, you listen and OBEY. Out of fear. That's the Devil's control over you!
Now, that doesn't sound like he's going to smirk at you and slowly drag his feet as he reluctantly starts to walk away, does it? No. He's going to RUN! He's going to flee! Like most dogs, the devil is more afraid of you than you are of him. Did you know that? He's afraid of the light! He can't stand the light. He freaks out because he knows that his end is near. His punishment is near! He is going to suffer for all his evil works.
But, not us. Jesus knows we can't possibly suffer enough to "pay" for our sins. So, He took all that payment on His own sinless back. What a gift! What a precious gift He gave to us. We are no longer slaves of fear. We are children of God!
God sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place. How can we possibly pay back such a gift? Well, we can't. It's a gift. That means we can only accept it. And, it's rude not to accept a gift. Didn't your mamma teach you that? It's rude when someone hands you a gift for you to not accept it. That's like slapping the giver on the face. It's like when a sword-fighter slaps his opponent across the face with a white glove. That means he intends to duel to the DEATH with him.
So, don't reject or refuse God's GIFT. It's the most precious Gift in the universe. In fact, if you receive this Gift, it's every gift you will ever need all wrapped up in one miraculous Gift. Did you get your Gift? It's got your name on it! If you didn't get it yet, CLAIM IT NOW.
It's free! Who wouldn't want a free gift? No, we don't deserve it. Most of us didn't even have the common sense to ask for it. We really didn't expect it. In fact, a lot of us thought we might have to spend eternity in hell to try to pay for our sins.
Some people think they have to pay for their sins while they're on this earth so that they won't have to suffer in the world to come. But, it's not possible to suffer in the flesh for our sins. Because, that suffering would be selfish and selfishness is a sin.
Only the pure blood of Jesus Christ can wash our sins away. He died not for Himself, but for us. His was a pure, unselfish sacrifice of Love. And, all we need to do is RECEIVE it. How easy is that? Don't question the Giver. Don't argue that you're not worthy to receive it because you definitely are not worthy. None of us is.
Most of all, don't allow the lies of Satan to rob you of this eternally brilliant Gift. Like your mamma taught you, "Take it! And, say 'Thank You.'" Can you do that? Just accept Jesus and the free gift of eternal life. And have a wonderful new life, born again into freedom. We are no longer slaves of fear or Satan. We are God's kids. And He is the best Father you could ever ask for!
BUT, he has to follow the rules. When we command him in the name of Jesus, he must obey. He might TRY to sneak around it, drag his feet or bluff you. But, he MUST obey orders from the Lord. He is bound. His power is limited and restricted by OUR PRAYERS. Every word we speak has spiritual power against the attacks of the enemy.
So, wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and pierce through the flimsy armour of Satan. Don't let him get away with murder. In fact, you can just ignore everything he has to say. That's what Jesus did. He never gave the Devil a platform to preach. He told him to keep quiet.
Just don't be surprised if the Devil changes his tactics and comes at you from another angle, trying to make you think it's somebody else or something else. He camouflages himself in the bushes.
The Main Message of Satan
The underlying message that Satan/the Devil is trying to get across is: "FEAR ME." He wants us to fear him because our fear is a form of worship. If Satan can get us to FEAR, he has achieved his goal. In a sense, it doesn't even matter then if we believe and worship Jesus or not. When we are in fear, we are bowing to the Father of Fear, the Author of Confusion and Panic, the Father of LIES, Satan.
There are very few of us humans on this earth that will actually worship Satan. That takes a whole lot of stupidity which, thank God, most of us just don't have. Most of us are smarter than that. So, knowing that, Satan demands fear. Fear, as he knows, is pretty much the same as worship. Because, when you fear him, you listen and OBEY. Out of fear. That's the Devil's control over you!
Resist Fear!
The Bible says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Now, that doesn't sound like he's going to smirk at you and slowly drag his feet as he reluctantly starts to walk away, does it? No. He's going to RUN! He's going to flee! Like most dogs, the devil is more afraid of you than you are of him. Did you know that? He's afraid of the light! He can't stand the light. He freaks out because he knows that his end is near. His punishment is near! He is going to suffer for all his evil works.
But, not us. Jesus knows we can't possibly suffer enough to "pay" for our sins. So, He took all that payment on His own sinless back. What a gift! What a precious gift He gave to us. We are no longer slaves of fear. We are children of God!
God sent Jesus to suffer and die in our place. How can we possibly pay back such a gift? Well, we can't. It's a gift. That means we can only accept it. And, it's rude not to accept a gift. Didn't your mamma teach you that? It's rude when someone hands you a gift for you to not accept it. That's like slapping the giver on the face. It's like when a sword-fighter slaps his opponent across the face with a white glove. That means he intends to duel to the DEATH with him.
So, don't reject or refuse God's GIFT. It's the most precious Gift in the universe. In fact, if you receive this Gift, it's every gift you will ever need all wrapped up in one miraculous Gift. Did you get your Gift? It's got your name on it! If you didn't get it yet, CLAIM IT NOW.
It's free! Who wouldn't want a free gift? No, we don't deserve it. Most of us didn't even have the common sense to ask for it. We really didn't expect it. In fact, a lot of us thought we might have to spend eternity in hell to try to pay for our sins.
Some people think they have to pay for their sins while they're on this earth so that they won't have to suffer in the world to come. But, it's not possible to suffer in the flesh for our sins. Because, that suffering would be selfish and selfishness is a sin.
Only the pure blood of Jesus Christ can wash our sins away. He died not for Himself, but for us. His was a pure, unselfish sacrifice of Love. And, all we need to do is RECEIVE it. How easy is that? Don't question the Giver. Don't argue that you're not worthy to receive it because you definitely are not worthy. None of us is.
Most of all, don't allow the lies of Satan to rob you of this eternally brilliant Gift. Like your mamma taught you, "Take it! And, say 'Thank You.'" Can you do that? Just accept Jesus and the free gift of eternal life. And have a wonderful new life, born again into freedom. We are no longer slaves of fear or Satan. We are God's kids. And He is the best Father you could ever ask for!
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Don't Argue with the Devil
This is a mistake we all have made. We need to be reminded that we should NEVER go into battle with the enemy in our own strength. Our own carnal mind, reasoning and the "wisdom of men" is no match for the devil. Believe me. You can get torn to bits, spiritually.
The enemy (Satan, the devil or who used to be Lucifer) loves to get us off-guard and involved in hand-to-hand combat with him. He knows how weak we are without the Lord's anointing, without the Holy Spirit. That's the only way Satan has a chance to beat us down, get us discouraged, drained and totally useless.
So, he starts off seemingly innocently with a question. You're face-to-face with a relative, a close buddy or a respected member of your society when, before you know it, the conversation escalates. It usually begins with a little question or doubt or remark. Often, it's about YOU.
We're sensitive. Let's face it. Nobody likes to be put down or criticized. We want to believe we are the chosen ones, the ones who have found the Truth and are walking in "the way", bla-bla-blah. But then someone comes along and ribs us or jabs us or (heaven forbid) full-on hits us where it hurts most. (Don't underestimate Satan's ability to know exactly where your Achilles' heel is.)
So, Satan, or the devil ---usually it's one of his minions-- uses a person that is close to us. Relatives are his first choice because there's an unwritten law concerning our relationship with relatives. We listen to our relatives and try to respect them since they have some of the same genes as us. Forget genes!
What did Jesus say about relatives? Plain and simple He warned us that they are our ENEMIES.
Some of us have found this out the hard way. And, when I say hard, I mean the way of arguing. The simple truth is that, some people love to argue. They will go out of their way to pick a fight. It doesn't even matter what they argue about or with whom. Their object is to put you down.
Why?
So they can put themselves up. Or, at least, they feel they can put themselves up by beating you down, walking all over you, pointing out all your faults and making you look like an idiot in front of others. So, as I was saying, they start off with a simple little question. From there, it's pick-pick-pick. Usually attacking your personal qualities, pointing out that you have no qualifications, no expertise, no abilities whatsoever, so who do you think you are, anyway, trying to tell me about God?
I am the one who should be telling you about my concept of God and the meaning of the universe. But, I won't. You should ask me whatever you need to know. I know everything. I'm a well-spring of knowledge. You should respect me for the giant of knowledge and experience that I am.
They love to see you get emotionally involved. As soon as the blood rises in your cheeks or your nostrils start to flare, they know they have you! You're a goner. Now you're taking it personally. You are on the hook and going down. And they love to watch you struggle, wiggle, squirm and jerk on the line. You are being played for a sucker. And how the devil's own loves the game.
Being the humans that they are, most relatives will use their so-called "support" or "help" as an advantage over you, making you feel obligated to them in some way. In some cases, even when you owe them nothing, they'll bring up the past or remind you of how they're doing something for you that you are dependent on them for. (And, by the way, it's not God that you're depending on. It's them.)
To the unsaved, unbelieving, and sometimes, reprobate relative, you are the oddball. They somehow believe that being related to you by blood gives them the privilege to disrespect, ignore and belittle you. (I'm talking about relatives who are not born-again and not Spirit-filled, those who do not love Jesus and have obviously chosen a different path.)
What we're doing here is we're exposing one of the enemy's tactics that he has used billions of times down throughout history. And, why does he tend to use this same tactic over and over? Because it works.
Oh, yes, it works.
The thing is that most of us believers feel it's our "duty" to "deliver our soul" and to get the message out to our relatives and everyone else. So, we feel all righteous and used of the Lord when we're preaching the Gospel, standing up for Jesus and speaking the Word. That makes us feel like we're dutifully obeying the Lord and fully in God's will. ---And sometimes, we are.
But, sometimes we're just not. Sometimes we're going into a battle that was never God's will. He never told us to go into that battle. He never put the words in our mouth. We're simply not anointed, we're not being led of the Lord and therefore we do not have the power or the strength for that battle.
How do you tell the difference?
1. Do you feel like banging your head against the wall and screaming?
2. Is the person you are "talking" to (possibly arguing with) listening at all?
3. Is the conversation going around in circles and making you dizzy?
4. Has anything you said resonated with the person? Any dent?
5. Is the conversation focused on the Word or is it mostly focused on pride, vanity, materialism and nonsense?
6. Finally, does the altercation or conversation leave you feeling hopeless, despondent, discouraged, drained and almost suicidal?
When you come away from a conversation or argument feeling wounded, bruised, angry and fed up, it's exactly Satan's cup of tea. His mission has been accomplished. He hit you below the belt several times, had you gasping for air and pretty much won the attack on your dignity and inspiration.
Hopefully, we'll learn our lesson after one or two of these altercations. Sadly, some of us never learn.
Why not?
I'd call it pride. There's no other reasonable explanation for why we would want to enter into a counter-productive, time-wasting, draining argument with a "goat" or "reprobate". If we're honest, we have to admit our pride makes us do it. We feel we have something to prove.
But, not for the Lord. Oh yes, we tell ourselves it's all for the glory of God. We tell ourselves it's our duty to prove that our God is the One and Only true God. So, we argue.
At first, we pull out a verse or two and brandish the Word, deftly enough. But, as soon as it gets personal, our defenses go up. Then it becomes a battle ---not for the Lord but to defend our pride. True or not?
So, when we are faced with this kind of battle, what should we do?
1. Pray. Ask the Lord what to do.
2. Do what God tells you to do no matter what anybody else says or does.
3. If the Lord tells you to walk away, walk away. If He tells you to stand and do battle, put on the whole armor of God. Don't try to fight the enemy in your own strength.
4. Remember that our God is Love. Speak every word in love. Don't allow yourself to become angry.
5. Don't get drawn into an argument. Be very wary of arguing even if it's for the Lord. God is able to defend Himself. He doesn't need us to defend Him.
6. Your greatest witness may be your silence.
7. Don't be judgmental. Only God knows man's/woman's heart.
8. If there is one appropriate scripture that the Lord gives you for the situation, quote it in love. Quote it several times, if possible, because the Word will sink in and take hold of his/her heart even if at a later date. The Word of God does not return void.
9. Remember that often actions can speak louder than words. Your generosity, kindness and consideration put into action is a great testimony of God's love.
10. If it's obvious that the person is in a bad mood or angry, avoid communication. Excuse yourself.
You'll notice that Jesus didn't waste words with the devil. He would say, "Hold your peace and come out of him." Or, "Get thee hence, Satan." Jesus didn't have long conversations with the devil or let him do all the talking. He certainly never argued with him.
During His greatest temptation, he simply told the devil, "It is written..." then quoted the Word to contradict him. He didn't bother getting into dialogue or refuting his accusations. He didn't try to prove to the devil who He was. He knew Who He was and He knew that God knew.
We are affected by other people around us. You can be all alone in your room enjoying sweet fellowship with the Lord and come out radiant with the Spirit of God, only to be thrust into a dark cloud that's been hanging over someone else's head all day long. Suddenly, you become involved in their dark cloud. Yuck.
How much easier is it to walk away? But that's when it takes discernment and hearing from the Lord as to what to do because, sometimes that person really needs a boost up. You may be the only one who can give it to them. After all, you're on a higher level, vibrating at heaven's beat, happy and full of faith. So you have the power to encourage them and lift them up to your level. Why not?
Just be ware of deep dark bottomless pits ---people who want to do nothing else but drag you down into the depths of despair with them to wallow in their misery. Avoid them like the plague.
The enemy (Satan, the devil or who used to be Lucifer) loves to get us off-guard and involved in hand-to-hand combat with him. He knows how weak we are without the Lord's anointing, without the Holy Spirit. That's the only way Satan has a chance to beat us down, get us discouraged, drained and totally useless.
So, he starts off seemingly innocently with a question. You're face-to-face with a relative, a close buddy or a respected member of your society when, before you know it, the conversation escalates. It usually begins with a little question or doubt or remark. Often, it's about YOU.
We're sensitive. Let's face it. Nobody likes to be put down or criticized. We want to believe we are the chosen ones, the ones who have found the Truth and are walking in "the way", bla-bla-blah. But then someone comes along and ribs us or jabs us or (heaven forbid) full-on hits us where it hurts most. (Don't underestimate Satan's ability to know exactly where your Achilles' heel is.)
So, Satan, or the devil ---usually it's one of his minions-- uses a person that is close to us. Relatives are his first choice because there's an unwritten law concerning our relationship with relatives. We listen to our relatives and try to respect them since they have some of the same genes as us. Forget genes!
What did Jesus say about relatives? Plain and simple He warned us that they are our ENEMIES.
Matthew 10:36, "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."What did he say about your brother? And even your children?
Matthew 10:21, "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death."
Some of us have found this out the hard way. And, when I say hard, I mean the way of arguing. The simple truth is that, some people love to argue. They will go out of their way to pick a fight. It doesn't even matter what they argue about or with whom. Their object is to put you down.
Why?
So they can put themselves up. Or, at least, they feel they can put themselves up by beating you down, walking all over you, pointing out all your faults and making you look like an idiot in front of others. So, as I was saying, they start off with a simple little question. From there, it's pick-pick-pick. Usually attacking your personal qualities, pointing out that you have no qualifications, no expertise, no abilities whatsoever, so who do you think you are, anyway, trying to tell me about God?
I am the one who should be telling you about my concept of God and the meaning of the universe. But, I won't. You should ask me whatever you need to know. I know everything. I'm a well-spring of knowledge. You should respect me for the giant of knowledge and experience that I am.
They love to see you get emotionally involved. As soon as the blood rises in your cheeks or your nostrils start to flare, they know they have you! You're a goner. Now you're taking it personally. You are on the hook and going down. And they love to watch you struggle, wiggle, squirm and jerk on the line. You are being played for a sucker. And how the devil's own loves the game.
Being the humans that they are, most relatives will use their so-called "support" or "help" as an advantage over you, making you feel obligated to them in some way. In some cases, even when you owe them nothing, they'll bring up the past or remind you of how they're doing something for you that you are dependent on them for. (And, by the way, it's not God that you're depending on. It's them.)
To the unsaved, unbelieving, and sometimes, reprobate relative, you are the oddball. They somehow believe that being related to you by blood gives them the privilege to disrespect, ignore and belittle you. (I'm talking about relatives who are not born-again and not Spirit-filled, those who do not love Jesus and have obviously chosen a different path.)
What we're doing here is we're exposing one of the enemy's tactics that he has used billions of times down throughout history. And, why does he tend to use this same tactic over and over? Because it works.
Oh, yes, it works.
The thing is that most of us believers feel it's our "duty" to "deliver our soul" and to get the message out to our relatives and everyone else. So, we feel all righteous and used of the Lord when we're preaching the Gospel, standing up for Jesus and speaking the Word. That makes us feel like we're dutifully obeying the Lord and fully in God's will. ---And sometimes, we are.
But, sometimes we're just not. Sometimes we're going into a battle that was never God's will. He never told us to go into that battle. He never put the words in our mouth. We're simply not anointed, we're not being led of the Lord and therefore we do not have the power or the strength for that battle.
How do you tell the difference?
1. Do you feel like banging your head against the wall and screaming?
2. Is the person you are "talking" to (possibly arguing with) listening at all?
3. Is the conversation going around in circles and making you dizzy?
4. Has anything you said resonated with the person? Any dent?
5. Is the conversation focused on the Word or is it mostly focused on pride, vanity, materialism and nonsense?
6. Finally, does the altercation or conversation leave you feeling hopeless, despondent, discouraged, drained and almost suicidal?
When you come away from a conversation or argument feeling wounded, bruised, angry and fed up, it's exactly Satan's cup of tea. His mission has been accomplished. He hit you below the belt several times, had you gasping for air and pretty much won the attack on your dignity and inspiration.
Hopefully, we'll learn our lesson after one or two of these altercations. Sadly, some of us never learn.
Why not?
I'd call it pride. There's no other reasonable explanation for why we would want to enter into a counter-productive, time-wasting, draining argument with a "goat" or "reprobate". If we're honest, we have to admit our pride makes us do it. We feel we have something to prove.
But, not for the Lord. Oh yes, we tell ourselves it's all for the glory of God. We tell ourselves it's our duty to prove that our God is the One and Only true God. So, we argue.
At first, we pull out a verse or two and brandish the Word, deftly enough. But, as soon as it gets personal, our defenses go up. Then it becomes a battle ---not for the Lord but to defend our pride. True or not?
So, when we are faced with this kind of battle, what should we do?
1. Pray. Ask the Lord what to do.
2. Do what God tells you to do no matter what anybody else says or does.
3. If the Lord tells you to walk away, walk away. If He tells you to stand and do battle, put on the whole armor of God. Don't try to fight the enemy in your own strength.
4. Remember that our God is Love. Speak every word in love. Don't allow yourself to become angry.
5. Don't get drawn into an argument. Be very wary of arguing even if it's for the Lord. God is able to defend Himself. He doesn't need us to defend Him.
6. Your greatest witness may be your silence.
7. Don't be judgmental. Only God knows man's/woman's heart.
8. If there is one appropriate scripture that the Lord gives you for the situation, quote it in love. Quote it several times, if possible, because the Word will sink in and take hold of his/her heart even if at a later date. The Word of God does not return void.
9. Remember that often actions can speak louder than words. Your generosity, kindness and consideration put into action is a great testimony of God's love.
10. If it's obvious that the person is in a bad mood or angry, avoid communication. Excuse yourself.
You'll notice that Jesus didn't waste words with the devil. He would say, "Hold your peace and come out of him." Or, "Get thee hence, Satan." Jesus didn't have long conversations with the devil or let him do all the talking. He certainly never argued with him.
During His greatest temptation, he simply told the devil, "It is written..." then quoted the Word to contradict him. He didn't bother getting into dialogue or refuting his accusations. He didn't try to prove to the devil who He was. He knew Who He was and He knew that God knew.
We are affected by other people around us. You can be all alone in your room enjoying sweet fellowship with the Lord and come out radiant with the Spirit of God, only to be thrust into a dark cloud that's been hanging over someone else's head all day long. Suddenly, you become involved in their dark cloud. Yuck.
How much easier is it to walk away? But that's when it takes discernment and hearing from the Lord as to what to do because, sometimes that person really needs a boost up. You may be the only one who can give it to them. After all, you're on a higher level, vibrating at heaven's beat, happy and full of faith. So you have the power to encourage them and lift them up to your level. Why not?
Just be ware of deep dark bottomless pits ---people who want to do nothing else but drag you down into the depths of despair with them to wallow in their misery. Avoid them like the plague.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
CHRISTIANS ARE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
THERE'S NO DENYING IT
There's no getting away from it. Those who believe in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior are the children of Israel. We sprung from the roots of the tribe of Israel who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.
And, Abraham, as we know, is the Father of Faith.
Now, you may look at this and think, "But, that's just the flesh." And, honestly, that's the way I thought for years. I knew that "the flesh profits nothing" and I couldn't consolidate the fact that God used fleshly people to carry forth His covenant.
So, what changed my mind?
I guess you'd have to say, God did. One day I was thinking and started moving from thinking to praying. (Thinking doesn't always get you where you want to go. You can start off with a thought but it's a dead end if it's not carried into prayer and communing with the Lord.) Anyway, I was thinking, "WHY did you choose the nation of Israel above all others when they turned their backs on You?"
The obvious answer is, "NOT ALL of them turned their backs on God." Even though their famous king, King Solomon backslid and began to do evil in the sight of the Lord, that didn't renounce the children of Israel's claim to the Kingdom of God because God made a way for them to be saved from their sins: Jesus.
A PHYSICAL PEOPLE GAVE BIRTH TO A PHYSICAL GOD
Part of the answer I got was: "God needed a physical people to give BIRTH to a physical God." That's why God protected, provided for, and blessed Israel down throughout history. If God had not commanded Israel to go forth into battle to utterly destroy the nations that were inhabiting the Promised Land, those nations would have destroyed Israel.
Worse: those nations would have corrupted Israel and led them astray to worship their false gods. ---Woops! That's exactly what happened! Over and over and over again, Israel turned to worship idols.
Why? Because they hadn't utterly destroyed the nations God sent them to destroy. Over and over, they allowed certain of their enemies to co-exist with them, intermarrying with them and allowing them to continue in their own wicked traditions and religious worship ---idolatry.
Maybe Israel was curious to see what the strange gods had to offer. Maybe they admired them.
HOW GOD SEES UNSAVED ISRAEL
Ezekiel talks about two adulterous sisters in Ezekiel, chapter 23. They committed whoredoms in Egypt and Assyria. Their names were Aholah and Aholibah. Aholah is Samariah and Aholibah is Jerusalem.
"And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself." - Ezekiel 23: 5-7
This is all to prove to us that flesh cannot save us. We cannot look to Israel in the flesh to save us. In the flesh, Israel is just as wicked as the nations she went awhoring after. There is not purity in Israel in the flesh. Physically, Israel is a whore. The Bible tells us this many times.
The Old Testament is a warning to us not to follow after Israel.
ISRAEL'S FLESH DIDN'T SAVE US
Nevertheless, salvation came through Israel, as we know because Jesus was the son of King David. So, although King David gave birth to King Solomon who did evil in the sight of the Lord, King David's lineage also gave birth to King Jesus Who died to wash away all that evil.
However, many children of Israel chose to remain in their sins. And, this breaks God's heart. Jesus said,
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gatthered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not!" - Matthew 23:37
There's an exclamation mark after that verse. That shows the anguish Jesus felt in crying out to Jerusalem for her waywardness.
ISRAEL NEEDED A SAVIOUR
Yet, as terrible as it is, if Israel had not backslidden and turned her back on God, she would not have needed a Saviour. AND, if Israel didn't need a saviour, she could have saved us all! But, she did need a messiah as do all of us.
The next question I have is this: "Many of the children of Israel backslide but what about their religion? Is the Jewish religion still viable?" And the answer I get is a resounding, "NO."
The Ten Commandments were laws to govern the flesh. Jesus gave us a law of love that requires us to go much further than to "not do" things. The law of love requires us to control our evil thoughts, our selfish actions, even if it's "legal", to take the extra step of acting out of love and unselfishness towards our neighbor and to love our enemy!
THE LAW OF LOVE GOVERNS US WHO ARE SAVED
Jesus showed us that it just wasn't all that important anymore to "keep the Sabbath" as it was to heal the lame and show mercy and love to our fellow man. We shouldn't be bound to the law when there's a choice between doing the loving, kind, merciful thing or sticking to the rigid, imperfect law.
WHAT? Am I saying that the law that God gave to Moses is imperfect? YES. I AM.
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" - Romans 8:3
So then, where do we get our law from now? How do we know what's right and wrong?
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Let's try to wrap our head around this one. He said He wrote His law in our hearts, right? In that case, we can depend on the Holy Spirit in our hearts to lead us into all righteousness.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." - Romans 8:13 & 14
Here's the real kicker for me. I'm really struggling with this one because it's so outrageous. The whole reason we are living on this planet and we didn't just fly into heaven the minute after we got saved is here. It's such a shock to actually receive this word of truth into one's heart. But, it can't be received into the mind. It's supernatural. It's going to take a miracle.
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Romans 8:4
Somehow, God is going to fulfill His righteousness through these earthbound clods of clay, ---us. You and me are going to fulfill the righteousness of God by grabbing onto the Holy Spirit and being led of that wonderful, powerful Spirit of God... riding on His coat-tails, so-to-speak and just doing whatever He tells us to do.
It's going to be going above and beyond the call of the duty of the law. It's going to be following in the footsteps of Jesus. And Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." - John 14:12
Why didn't Jesus just write his law in stone so we would know exactly what we were allowed to do? Because, for one reason, we are to apply the Law of Love to every given situation. It's not a "One Size Fits All" law, like the Ten Commandments were. That's because, we are meant to live by faith. We're supposed to be hearing from God every step of the way. And that's another reason He didn't carve it in stone, is because Holy Spirit wants to go with us every step of the way!
We have Israel to thank for Jesus' physical birth. Israel birthed the Saviour of the World. But, he had to be nailed to a cross and his flesh made cursed in the eyes of God so that God turned His back on Jesus just like Israel turned her back on God.
In other words, the physical Israel was crucified, died and hidden behind a rock. It's no longer a matter of Israel vs the Gentiles. We can no longer look at Israel in the flesh for leadership. Gentiles are now anyone who does not believe in Jesus, particularly those who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah. That means, many children of Israel are Gentiles or "Goyem".
The traditions and ceremonies of the Jewish religion are shadows of a dead law. To partake of those religious ceremonies is to deny Christ.
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." - Romans 7: 4 & 6
If you have the faith to do something, you have permission from God to do it. What does your heart tell you? What is written on your heart? That's where you find the "law" to guide you. We don't even need the dear Apostle Paul to tell us the "law" because the guidelines he gave to his church in his day do not necessarily apply to us. In fact, there is no law anymore except the Law of Love.
In the flesh, in the courts, the Ten Commandments apply to those who are not walking in the Spirit. That's why Paul told his church not to take their brother to the law. The Law of Love supersedes the law of the land. Jesus gave us the example that if you get sued for your robe, give it and give even more just to show that person the love and generosity of God's Spirit in you.
Love is greater than the law. There are no longer any laws, ceremonies or rules that can lead us to perfection. Only the Blood of Jesus Christ can do that. Are YOU covered in the blood?
There's no getting away from it. Those who believe in and receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior are the children of Israel. We sprung from the roots of the tribe of Israel who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.
And, Abraham, as we know, is the Father of Faith.
Now, you may look at this and think, "But, that's just the flesh." And, honestly, that's the way I thought for years. I knew that "the flesh profits nothing" and I couldn't consolidate the fact that God used fleshly people to carry forth His covenant.
So, what changed my mind?
I guess you'd have to say, God did. One day I was thinking and started moving from thinking to praying. (Thinking doesn't always get you where you want to go. You can start off with a thought but it's a dead end if it's not carried into prayer and communing with the Lord.) Anyway, I was thinking, "WHY did you choose the nation of Israel above all others when they turned their backs on You?"
The obvious answer is, "NOT ALL of them turned their backs on God." Even though their famous king, King Solomon backslid and began to do evil in the sight of the Lord, that didn't renounce the children of Israel's claim to the Kingdom of God because God made a way for them to be saved from their sins: Jesus.
A PHYSICAL PEOPLE GAVE BIRTH TO A PHYSICAL GOD
Part of the answer I got was: "God needed a physical people to give BIRTH to a physical God." That's why God protected, provided for, and blessed Israel down throughout history. If God had not commanded Israel to go forth into battle to utterly destroy the nations that were inhabiting the Promised Land, those nations would have destroyed Israel.
Worse: those nations would have corrupted Israel and led them astray to worship their false gods. ---Woops! That's exactly what happened! Over and over and over again, Israel turned to worship idols.
Why? Because they hadn't utterly destroyed the nations God sent them to destroy. Over and over, they allowed certain of their enemies to co-exist with them, intermarrying with them and allowing them to continue in their own wicked traditions and religious worship ---idolatry.
Maybe Israel was curious to see what the strange gods had to offer. Maybe they admired them.
HOW GOD SEES UNSAVED ISRAEL
Ezekiel talks about two adulterous sisters in Ezekiel, chapter 23. They committed whoredoms in Egypt and Assyria. Their names were Aholah and Aholibah. Aholah is Samariah and Aholibah is Jerusalem.
"And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,
Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.
Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself." - Ezekiel 23: 5-7
This is all to prove to us that flesh cannot save us. We cannot look to Israel in the flesh to save us. In the flesh, Israel is just as wicked as the nations she went awhoring after. There is not purity in Israel in the flesh. Physically, Israel is a whore. The Bible tells us this many times.
The Old Testament is a warning to us not to follow after Israel.
ISRAEL'S FLESH DIDN'T SAVE US
Nevertheless, salvation came through Israel, as we know because Jesus was the son of King David. So, although King David gave birth to King Solomon who did evil in the sight of the Lord, King David's lineage also gave birth to King Jesus Who died to wash away all that evil.
However, many children of Israel chose to remain in their sins. And, this breaks God's heart. Jesus said,
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gatthered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not!" - Matthew 23:37
There's an exclamation mark after that verse. That shows the anguish Jesus felt in crying out to Jerusalem for her waywardness.
ISRAEL NEEDED A SAVIOUR
Yet, as terrible as it is, if Israel had not backslidden and turned her back on God, she would not have needed a Saviour. AND, if Israel didn't need a saviour, she could have saved us all! But, she did need a messiah as do all of us.
The next question I have is this: "Many of the children of Israel backslide but what about their religion? Is the Jewish religion still viable?" And the answer I get is a resounding, "NO."
The Ten Commandments were laws to govern the flesh. Jesus gave us a law of love that requires us to go much further than to "not do" things. The law of love requires us to control our evil thoughts, our selfish actions, even if it's "legal", to take the extra step of acting out of love and unselfishness towards our neighbor and to love our enemy!
THE LAW OF LOVE GOVERNS US WHO ARE SAVED
Jesus showed us that it just wasn't all that important anymore to "keep the Sabbath" as it was to heal the lame and show mercy and love to our fellow man. We shouldn't be bound to the law when there's a choice between doing the loving, kind, merciful thing or sticking to the rigid, imperfect law.
WHAT? Am I saying that the law that God gave to Moses is imperfect? YES. I AM.
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" - Romans 8:3
So then, where do we get our law from now? How do we know what's right and wrong?
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Let's try to wrap our head around this one. He said He wrote His law in our hearts, right? In that case, we can depend on the Holy Spirit in our hearts to lead us into all righteousness.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." - Romans 8:13 & 14
Here's the real kicker for me. I'm really struggling with this one because it's so outrageous. The whole reason we are living on this planet and we didn't just fly into heaven the minute after we got saved is here. It's such a shock to actually receive this word of truth into one's heart. But, it can't be received into the mind. It's supernatural. It's going to take a miracle.
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Romans 8:4
Somehow, God is going to fulfill His righteousness through these earthbound clods of clay, ---us. You and me are going to fulfill the righteousness of God by grabbing onto the Holy Spirit and being led of that wonderful, powerful Spirit of God... riding on His coat-tails, so-to-speak and just doing whatever He tells us to do.
It's going to be going above and beyond the call of the duty of the law. It's going to be following in the footsteps of Jesus. And Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." - John 14:12
Why didn't Jesus just write his law in stone so we would know exactly what we were allowed to do? Because, for one reason, we are to apply the Law of Love to every given situation. It's not a "One Size Fits All" law, like the Ten Commandments were. That's because, we are meant to live by faith. We're supposed to be hearing from God every step of the way. And that's another reason He didn't carve it in stone, is because Holy Spirit wants to go with us every step of the way!
We have Israel to thank for Jesus' physical birth. Israel birthed the Saviour of the World. But, he had to be nailed to a cross and his flesh made cursed in the eyes of God so that God turned His back on Jesus just like Israel turned her back on God.
In other words, the physical Israel was crucified, died and hidden behind a rock. It's no longer a matter of Israel vs the Gentiles. We can no longer look at Israel in the flesh for leadership. Gentiles are now anyone who does not believe in Jesus, particularly those who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah. That means, many children of Israel are Gentiles or "Goyem".
The traditions and ceremonies of the Jewish religion are shadows of a dead law. To partake of those religious ceremonies is to deny Christ.
"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." - Romans 7: 4 & 6
If you have the faith to do something, you have permission from God to do it. What does your heart tell you? What is written on your heart? That's where you find the "law" to guide you. We don't even need the dear Apostle Paul to tell us the "law" because the guidelines he gave to his church in his day do not necessarily apply to us. In fact, there is no law anymore except the Law of Love.
In the flesh, in the courts, the Ten Commandments apply to those who are not walking in the Spirit. That's why Paul told his church not to take their brother to the law. The Law of Love supersedes the law of the land. Jesus gave us the example that if you get sued for your robe, give it and give even more just to show that person the love and generosity of God's Spirit in you.
Love is greater than the law. There are no longer any laws, ceremonies or rules that can lead us to perfection. Only the Blood of Jesus Christ can do that. Are YOU covered in the blood?
Saturday, April 29, 2017
THE POWER OF TONGUES
I read this super encouraging article by Bill Hammon and want to share it with you because it's life- changing! It's called:
"The Greatest Supernatural Gift" - Bill Hammon
Did you know that more than 600 million believers have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, yet most people do not utilize this precious gift to its full potential? It is like receiving a million dollar gift and only using a fraction of it.
Our spirit language is the major key that unlocks the door to our spirit life and all of the attributes and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. If we would dedicate at least thirty minutes a day to the Holy Spirit for praying in our spirit languages, we could begin to change our world! Tremendous power would be released in the Church worldwide, and the Kingdom of God would be demonstrated in every nation as a witness of the Lordship of Jesus.
What is "the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" or "the Gift of the Holy Spirit"?
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for every believer to receive and practice, just as every believer in Jesus is to be water baptized. It is an experience received when God baptizes a believer's born-again spirit with the ability to pray in an intelligent language that his or her natural mind did not learn and does not understand.
Our spirit language is motivated, covered, and directed by the Holy Spirit, yet it is my spirit or your spirit that is actually doing the praying. The Holy Spirit's gift of the spirit language enables a person to communicate with God directly from spirit to Spirit. This gives the believer a private communication line direct to God's throne that cannot be understood or hindered by the devil or natural man.
It is the greatest gift a Christian can receive, for it is the giver and operator of all the other gifts and graces of God. There are so many reasons for us to pray in tongues, but the biggest reason is that Jesus paid a great price for us to use this most valuable gift.
I have found from my in-depth studies and a lifetime of experience that there are at least 70 reasons for every Christian to be praying in tongues every day. Let me share a few of those with you.
The Holy Spirit directs our spirit language to pray prayers in accordance with the will of God. Probably the only time we can be assured that we are praying 100% in the will of God is when we are praying in our spirit language. God always answers requests made in alignment with His will.
Our spirit language activates our supernatural new creation nature and sets us aflame with heavenly passion. This opens the door into God's storehouse of wisdom, power, revelation, and supernatural ministry.
Speaking in tongues does the same thing for our spirit that our heart does for our body. Our heart beats and pumps blood throughout our entire body for life and health. Speaking in tongues pumps the presence of God throughout every cell of our being.
Praying in tongues turns the light of revelation on in our minds, enabling us to hear the voice of God and see what Jesus wants to do.
As believers receive revelation and increase their faith in God and His Holy Spirit power within them, then we will begin to see the miraculous power of God manifest.
Sandy Catalano, an elder at our church, was praying in English and then switched to her spirit language. Suddenly, all the things and people that she had planned to pray for started flashing through her mind faster than the frames of an old movie reel. Sandy though, "Lord, it is going too fast. There is not time enough for me to pray about each one of these requests at this speed."
God spoke to her and said, "When you pray with your natural mind and language, it takes place at the speed of sound. But when you are praying with your God-given spirit language, you can pray and communicate at the speed of light."
All nine of the fruits of the Holy Spirit are activated and increased within us by praying in our spirit language: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you really want to grow in love, then invest more time praying in tongues.
Worshiping and singing praises to God in tongues causes our inner being to be filled with the presence of God. You can sense the peace of God flooding your soul as you pray in your spirit language.
Praying in our spirit language is mainly for edification of the individual. However, the remaining "gifts of the Spirit" are given to believers to meet the needs of others. They are the nine manifestations of the Spirit: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gift of faith, gift of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, various tongues, and interpretation of tongues. The gifts demonstrate that our God and Savior Jesus is alive and active in the world today. Praying in tongues with our spirit language can activate the gifts of the Spirit and it is the activator that produces the faith needed to believe for the manifestation.
Speaking in tongues is the key to our victory, because faith is the victory that overcomes. The more we pray in our spirit language, the more we charge our spirit with faith and power.
Our redeemed spirit, saturated with the Holy Spirit, is like a power-generating dynamo within our being where all of Jesus' gifts, graces, power, and attributes are generated within and through us. The more that we pray in tongues the more power the dynamo generates.
We could also say our spirit language "uploads" our desires, petitions, worship, and heart longings to God's hard drive. Praying in tongues also downloads mysteries from the mind of Messiah and imparts them into the hard drive of our spirits. Praying in tongues empowers us when we are weak, comforts us when we are saddened by life's circumstances, intercedes for us according to the will of God, and is a faithful friend on whom we can always depend. When we do not know how to pray as we ought, we can just turn the praying over to our spirit language and the praying will go directly to the heart of the matter with the wisdom and power of God to meet the need.
What can 30 minutes of spirit language praying do? Our Spirit-filled psychiatrist said that if he could get his patients to pray in the spirit for at least thirty minutes every day for thirty days, then they would not need to see him anymore. Why? Because the spirit language prays from the subconscious area of man. The Holy Spirit sheds God's light on those hidden areas of the subconscious, and then the spirit language roots them up and washes them out of the soul. Praying in tongues has even been found to give a boost to our immune system!
How do you receive the Holy Spirit? The same way you received the gift of eternal life.
First, you must receive revelation and understanding that the gift is for you. Second, have confidence that what you ask the Lord for is exactly what He will give you. Third you must receive by faith. Ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit, then exercise the faith to begin speaking in other tongues.
What an awesome responsibility we have to allow the spirit language to accomplish all God's purposes, appropriate all His benefits, and empower us and demonstrate the power of God and Lordship of Messiah Jesus. Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
MOSES SPOKE OF THE END TIME TRIBULATION
Too many believers have bought into the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" theory. Just that word "theory" should give us a clue as to how scriptural it is. It is UNSCRIPTURAL. That's right, the Pre-trib rap theory is ONLY that --a theory. And it is an unsciptural theory with NO foundation. It's an animal with NO LEGS TO STAND ON. It's FICTION.
So, why am I getting so riled up about it? What does it matter what people choose to believe?
Jesus got riled up about it! He made good and sure that we were warned and prepared to go through the "Great Tribulation". Any half-serious reading of Matthew 24 word-for-word will result in an exact time line of end-time events. It may not give exact "time" but it shows the sequence very clearly. All we have to do is open our eyes and read it the way it was written. (I prefer the good ol' King James Version because "tribulation" is an important word to plot the sequence. It's a key word.)
You know where else we find that word "tribulation"? It's as far back in the Old Testament as Deuteronomy. It came out of the mouth of the man who spoke to God face-to-face and led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses.
Moses prophesied to the Children of Israel before he died that there would a tribulation during the "latter days" or "last days" or end time or, in other words, "these days we're living in now".
Here's what Moses said in Deuteronomy 4:30 & 31: (It's a promise for all of us believers.)
"When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God:) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them."
You might think that the word "tribulation" shows up a lot in the Bible and it doesn't necessarily mean the same tribulation Jesus prophecied about in Matthew 24.
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." - Matthew 24:21
According to Cruden's Complete Concordance, there are 22 verses that include the word "tribulation" in them, at least 7 of which refer directly to the "Great Tribulation" Jesus spoke of. So, yes, the Bible talks about tribulation in other instances besides the "latter days" tribulation, but only about a dozen times.
It seems to me that this "Great Tribulation" is something that has yet to happen and has yet to happen to God's people. Here are a few reasons I believe the "Great Tribulation" is for US. You and Me.
WHAT? Are you serious?
Yes! I am! If you believe in Jesus, you have to believe what His Word tells us. He gives us plenty of advice about these situations, beloved. He wants us to be prepared.
Matthew 5: 10 - 12 says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
Rejoice about being persecuted? Yes. Because, when you are under persecution, the Spirit of God falls on you. The power of God is present to anoint you as a witness. That's what that word "martyr" means. And, believe it or not, for on-fire believers and followers of Christ, their main purpose, desire and motivation is to preach the message and be a living testimony of the Love of Christ.
What greater testimony can a Christian give than to surrender his life as a witness to his faith in Jesus? What greater privilege is there than to die as a martyr? ---To look up, as Stephen did and see Jesus standing at the right hand of God? Did Stephen scream out in agony when his persecutors gnashed on him with their teeth?
Acts 7:55: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
Whether or not you will be a martyr for Jesus depends on God's will for you. Martyrs or not, our job, as believers in Christ will be to get out the message. Some of us will be alive on the earth when Jesus returns to gather together his elect. In fact, Revelation talks about the "woman" which is a representative of the (true) church.
Revelation 12:13 "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth."
This is a scenario, not of a pre-tribulation rapture, but of a provision of protection for the bride of Christ. At least, that's how I see it. How about you? It sure looks like a picture of God's mercy and protection over his own.
Whether we go into tribulation or fly into the wilderness for the duration of the tribulation, may we be on-fire, brave, bold, Spirit-filled, powerful witnesses for Jesus in these troublesome times ahead. And, now. It's already happening. Some of us are being martyred, imprisoned, tortured and tribulated right now. I believe, personally that we are at the 5th seal: Revelation 6:9-11.
So, why am I getting so riled up about it? What does it matter what people choose to believe?
Jesus got riled up about it! He made good and sure that we were warned and prepared to go through the "Great Tribulation". Any half-serious reading of Matthew 24 word-for-word will result in an exact time line of end-time events. It may not give exact "time" but it shows the sequence very clearly. All we have to do is open our eyes and read it the way it was written. (I prefer the good ol' King James Version because "tribulation" is an important word to plot the sequence. It's a key word.)
You know where else we find that word "tribulation"? It's as far back in the Old Testament as Deuteronomy. It came out of the mouth of the man who spoke to God face-to-face and led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses.
Moses prophesied to the Children of Israel before he died that there would a tribulation during the "latter days" or "last days" or end time or, in other words, "these days we're living in now".
Here's what Moses said in Deuteronomy 4:30 & 31: (It's a promise for all of us believers.)
"When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God:) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them."
You might think that the word "tribulation" shows up a lot in the Bible and it doesn't necessarily mean the same tribulation Jesus prophecied about in Matthew 24.
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." - Matthew 24:21
According to Cruden's Complete Concordance, there are 22 verses that include the word "tribulation" in them, at least 7 of which refer directly to the "Great Tribulation" Jesus spoke of. So, yes, the Bible talks about tribulation in other instances besides the "latter days" tribulation, but only about a dozen times.
It seems to me that this "Great Tribulation" is something that has yet to happen and has yet to happen to God's people. Here are a few reasons I believe the "Great Tribulation" is for US. You and Me.
- In Deut. 4:30, Moses was speaking to the children of Israel as followers of God and advising them that if they would turn to the Lord thy God and be obedient to Him, when in tribulation, he would not forsake them. Honestly, does that sound like the tribulation is for the devil's crowd or the unsaved and disobedient?
- The main reason for the tribulation is to tribulate the saints. It's not designed to persecute the followers of the Antichrist. In fact, it's because they went through the tribulation that the saints were dressed in white robes. (Revelation 7:14b "...These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.")
- Revelation 14:9b and 10a says, "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God..." By reading that verse, doesn't it sound as though there's a choice about receiving the "mark of the beast"? What happens to those who choose not to worship the beast and his image?
- Revelation 12:17 says, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." This verse specifies very clearly exactly who the Devil is fighting against during the tribulation period. (Us!)
- Speaking of the Antichrist/Beast, Revelation 13:7a says, "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. . ." Who are the saints? We are. You and me.
- The same chapter says that everyone on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev. 13:8)
- Daniel 8 also talks about the Antichrist and exactly who he wants to destroy. Daniel 8:24 "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." If we are "raptured" before the Great Tribulation, who are these holy people that Daniel is speaking about? Well, I can tell you, if you'll receive it. It's US. You and me.
WHAT? Are you serious?
Yes! I am! If you believe in Jesus, you have to believe what His Word tells us. He gives us plenty of advice about these situations, beloved. He wants us to be prepared.
Matthew 5: 10 - 12 says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
Rejoice about being persecuted? Yes. Because, when you are under persecution, the Spirit of God falls on you. The power of God is present to anoint you as a witness. That's what that word "martyr" means. And, believe it or not, for on-fire believers and followers of Christ, their main purpose, desire and motivation is to preach the message and be a living testimony of the Love of Christ.
What greater testimony can a Christian give than to surrender his life as a witness to his faith in Jesus? What greater privilege is there than to die as a martyr? ---To look up, as Stephen did and see Jesus standing at the right hand of God? Did Stephen scream out in agony when his persecutors gnashed on him with their teeth?
Acts 7:55: "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
Whether or not you will be a martyr for Jesus depends on God's will for you. Martyrs or not, our job, as believers in Christ will be to get out the message. Some of us will be alive on the earth when Jesus returns to gather together his elect. In fact, Revelation talks about the "woman" which is a representative of the (true) church.
Revelation 12:13 "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth."
This is a scenario, not of a pre-tribulation rapture, but of a provision of protection for the bride of Christ. At least, that's how I see it. How about you? It sure looks like a picture of God's mercy and protection over his own.
Whether we go into tribulation or fly into the wilderness for the duration of the tribulation, may we be on-fire, brave, bold, Spirit-filled, powerful witnesses for Jesus in these troublesome times ahead. And, now. It's already happening. Some of us are being martyred, imprisoned, tortured and tribulated right now. I believe, personally that we are at the 5th seal: Revelation 6:9-11.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE
Whether you are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic or Protestant, you can call on the name of Jesus and be saved.
If you haven't done it already, do it now. The Bible says, "Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
That's all you have to do. That's all it takes.
Don't use your religion as an excuse. Don't use your upbringing as an excuse. You know in your heart that your religion isn't going to save you from going to Hell no matter how good you are or how hard you try to please your so-called "god".
The true God doesn't want your works or your sacrifices or your so-called "goodness". You have nothing that God possibly needs. He doesn't need your guilt-trips, self-sacrifice, self-mutilation, penance, retribution or even your self-righteousness. None of that is worth a hill of beans.
What He wants is your heart.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind."
Just like the Policeman will tell you, as he puts you under arrest, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
If you didn't want to be arrested for something that you didn't know was "illegal", maybe you should have learned the law. Then, when you break it, you'll know why you're in trouble.
It's the same with salvation. God is merciful. God is understanding. But, let's face it, He's heard it all. He's heard all the excuses. Probably very few of them wash.
He knows that you know. He knows that you know that He knows that you know. And that's it. You know. There are no more excuses left.
Don't say, "But my parents taught me to worship Allah and to bang my head on the floor until I get a red mark on my forehead and then I'd go to Paradise."
Really?
Don't tell Jesus, "My family has always burned incense to Buddha."
Come on!
Don't try to get away with, "My family is Jewish so we don't believe in the Christian God."
READ THE TORAH AND FIND THE MESSIAH. HE HAS ALREADY COME!
You can't use the excuse that this is what I was taught. Or, this is what my family has believed for generations. Or, I didn't know that I had to accept Jesus as my Saviour. You have to take responsibility for your own soul.
That's just not going to cut it. You know why?
Because Jesus Christ gave his life for YOU. That's why. The very best day in the history of life on this planet was the day Jesus rose from the dead. He finished the contract. He paid the price with His blood. IT IS FINISHED. IT'S A DONE DEAL.
On that day, he paid for our salvation. It's a GIFT. But, if we don't want it, He's not going to force it on us. If you don't want it, you won't get it. You have to ask for it and accept it and claim it. You have to reach out and GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS AND HANG ONTO IT.
Are you starting to get the picture?
You wouldn't turn down a winning lottery ticket. You wouldn't refuse a free car, would you? There are not very many who would. Yet, so many CLING to their false religions because of their family traditions and "that's the way we've always done it" bla-bla-bla. Wake up, people.
TODAY is the day of salvation. NOT TOMORROW.
WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
If you haven't done it already, do it now. The Bible says, "Call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
That's all you have to do. That's all it takes.
Don't use your religion as an excuse. Don't use your upbringing as an excuse. You know in your heart that your religion isn't going to save you from going to Hell no matter how good you are or how hard you try to please your so-called "god".
The true God doesn't want your works or your sacrifices or your so-called "goodness". You have nothing that God possibly needs. He doesn't need your guilt-trips, self-sacrifice, self-mutilation, penance, retribution or even your self-righteousness. None of that is worth a hill of beans.
What He wants is your heart.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind."
Just like the Policeman will tell you, as he puts you under arrest, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
If you didn't want to be arrested for something that you didn't know was "illegal", maybe you should have learned the law. Then, when you break it, you'll know why you're in trouble.
It's the same with salvation. God is merciful. God is understanding. But, let's face it, He's heard it all. He's heard all the excuses. Probably very few of them wash.
He knows that you know. He knows that you know that He knows that you know. And that's it. You know. There are no more excuses left.
Don't say, "But my parents taught me to worship Allah and to bang my head on the floor until I get a red mark on my forehead and then I'd go to Paradise."
Really?
Don't tell Jesus, "My family has always burned incense to Buddha."
Come on!
Don't try to get away with, "My family is Jewish so we don't believe in the Christian God."
READ THE TORAH AND FIND THE MESSIAH. HE HAS ALREADY COME!
You can't use the excuse that this is what I was taught. Or, this is what my family has believed for generations. Or, I didn't know that I had to accept Jesus as my Saviour. You have to take responsibility for your own soul.
That's just not going to cut it. You know why?
Because Jesus Christ gave his life for YOU. That's why. The very best day in the history of life on this planet was the day Jesus rose from the dead. He finished the contract. He paid the price with His blood. IT IS FINISHED. IT'S A DONE DEAL.
On that day, he paid for our salvation. It's a GIFT. But, if we don't want it, He's not going to force it on us. If you don't want it, you won't get it. You have to ask for it and accept it and claim it. You have to reach out and GRAB IT WITH BOTH HANDS AND HANG ONTO IT.
Are you starting to get the picture?
You wouldn't turn down a winning lottery ticket. You wouldn't refuse a free car, would you? There are not very many who would. Yet, so many CLING to their false religions because of their family traditions and "that's the way we've always done it" bla-bla-bla. Wake up, people.
TODAY is the day of salvation. NOT TOMORROW.
WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Housing Crisis
All over the world, a housing crisis is going on ...and on ...and on..
In the States, the price of housing peaked in 2006 and the housing market crashed in 2008. People lost their homes just like that. I'm sure that losing their homes was a big shock for many of them ---to discover first hand that what you considered "secure" was insecure, that things can turn on a dime.The instability of the economy and home ownership was probably a wake-up call for many Americans at that time.
But, that's not the housing crisis I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is worse. It's waking up in the middle of the night with bombs dropping all around you to find that you no longer have a home to live in. And it's cold outside. Or, waking up in the middle of the night, forced to move out of your home into a leaky bomb shelter.
It's looking out on what used to be your neighborhood to see that it has been flattened. Or, an earthquake has hit and wiped out every structure around you within view. Or, a tsunami just washed everything away, your house, your car, your family. . .
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." - Matthew 24:7
We are living in the time of the end that Jesus was prophesying in Matthew 24.
Anyone who is at all sensitive to the Holy Spirit can feel that whatever security we thought we had no longer exists. If we ever depended on the security of our living conditions in the past, it was foolish to do so. That was a fantasy. Nothing on this earth is secure or dependable, not even a house that you own outright.
There are major earthquakes every week now and smaller ones every day on average. Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and there have been major tsunamis recently. I believe it's time we started to realize that our lives are insecure, don't you agree?
Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:" - Matthew 6:19
These words spoken by Jesus were never more applicable to more people than they are today. We are at war. Be thankful if things are peaceful for now on your home-front. Just don't expect it to last.
In any battle, those who are prepared, vigilant and alert will have a better chance of surviving. This is no time to bury your head in the sand. It's the attacking initiative that wins the battle. Don't be put on the defensive or taken by surprise.
Man up. Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.
In the States, the price of housing peaked in 2006 and the housing market crashed in 2008. People lost their homes just like that. I'm sure that losing their homes was a big shock for many of them ---to discover first hand that what you considered "secure" was insecure, that things can turn on a dime.The instability of the economy and home ownership was probably a wake-up call for many Americans at that time.
But, that's not the housing crisis I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is worse. It's waking up in the middle of the night with bombs dropping all around you to find that you no longer have a home to live in. And it's cold outside. Or, waking up in the middle of the night, forced to move out of your home into a leaky bomb shelter.
It's looking out on what used to be your neighborhood to see that it has been flattened. Or, an earthquake has hit and wiped out every structure around you within view. Or, a tsunami just washed everything away, your house, your car, your family. . .
"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." - Matthew 24:7
We are living in the time of the end that Jesus was prophesying in Matthew 24.
Anyone who is at all sensitive to the Holy Spirit can feel that whatever security we thought we had no longer exists. If we ever depended on the security of our living conditions in the past, it was foolish to do so. That was a fantasy. Nothing on this earth is secure or dependable, not even a house that you own outright.
There are major earthquakes every week now and smaller ones every day on average. Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes and there have been major tsunamis recently. I believe it's time we started to realize that our lives are insecure, don't you agree?
Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:" - Matthew 6:19
These words spoken by Jesus were never more applicable to more people than they are today. We are at war. Be thankful if things are peaceful for now on your home-front. Just don't expect it to last.
In any battle, those who are prepared, vigilant and alert will have a better chance of surviving. This is no time to bury your head in the sand. It's the attacking initiative that wins the battle. Don't be put on the defensive or taken by surprise.
Man up. Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Tasty!
As I was taking my first bite of this delicious treat, the thought occurred to me that there was more. That melt-in-my-mouth feeling was going to happen again! Yes!
I still had 3/4 of a donut left to go. Bite by bite, the soft, ridges sat on my tongue and sip-by-sip, the coffee warmed my insides like a mother's love for her child.
It tasted too good to feel guilty about. My body would just have to figure out a way to assimilate it.
But, what if I had taken one bite and stopped? What if I had left the rest of that cruller sitting on the table and walked away? What if I had forced myself to stop eating it?
I would still remember the exquisite experience of having that cruller in my mouth and there would be some still in my stomach to remind me of what I could have had. It's almost unthinkable that someone would have that much willpower to refuse to continue eating the rest of such a tasty treat, isn't it?
Yet, that's how some people treat the Word of God. They take one little nibble and it just throws them into ecstasy. Then, they stop. It's not that they're full. They still have the 3/4 of the treat left. They could still take another bite and enjoy it as much as the first one.
So, why do they quit?
Too many calories?
It seems almost inhumanly self-willed to stop tasting the mouth-watering delicacies of the Word. I just don't understand how anyone could quit until they at least finish off the chapter they started. Finish off the whole book. Go on to the next. Why not?
It just tastes SO GOOD.
Sure, it's a new flavor that maybe they're not used to, but one does develop a taste for this new food. Maybe they're afraid of indigestion, heart-burn or diarrhea. Maybe it just costs too much.
The Word of God will change you. Once you taste and see for yourself that the Lord is good and His Word is the Truth, it's impossible to go back. You'll be a prisoner of Love forever. And nothing else will ever fully satisfy you.
It's the Divine Addiction. Bet you can't just try a bite.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Don't Let Your Head Talk You Out of Faith
I read an article posted on facebook by a lady who announced that she has chosen not to be a Christian.
That in itself is interesting because, if she had been a Muslim, she would never have made such an announcement to the world or "someone" would have found her and killed her. (I think the punishment for "denouncing your faith" in Islam is beheading by the sword, if I'm not mistaken.)
Nevertheless, this young woman had constructed an entire list of all the reasons she had for denouncing Christianity. I'm wondering why anyone would go to so much trouble to convince herself and others that Christianity is a false religion. Is it because Christianity failed you? Or, did Jesus fail you?
If Christianity (as in church worship/other believers) failed you, let me be the first to tell you: Christians are NOT perfect. There are umpteen varied doctrines and interpretations of the Bible going around, too, which doesn't make it easy to find a nitch to fit into.
There's the 7th Day Adventists, the Catholics, the Protestants, the Baptists, the Mormons, on and on. Each "church" has its strengths and insists on certain priorities of their faith. So, what to do?
Here's a suggestion: read about how the early church did it and then try to find a church that emulates them.
Unfortunately, that won't be easy. For one thing, the early church was made up of dedicated followers of Christ who forsook all their worldly possessions and went out by faith to spread the gospel. They had miracles, signs and wonders following them and their preaching was full of the power of God.
If you do find a group (church) of believers who are sold-out and on-fire for the Lord and want to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, you'll find true Christianity.
But, it still won't be perfect. There will be disagreements, arguments, mistakes, failures and all kinds of human frailties. That's why you really can't put your faith or your reason for believing in Christianity in the followers of Christ. We are not perfect. That's the raw truth of the matter.
You aren't perfect either, are you? So, can you honestly expect perfection from Christians?
I'll tell you where you can find perfection, though. In Christ. Christ alone has the answers you seek. Jesus Christ alone is what Christianity (in the true sense of the word) is all about. It's not about the laws or traditions of men. It's not about methodology or doctrines.
We live in the Age of Faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."
Find your faith. You won't find that in yourself or other Christians, either. Your faith is a gift from God and the way to get that gift is by reading His Word and receiving it into your heart.
Man will fail you. Woman will fail you. Denominations and churches will definitely fail you. You can't keep your eyes on human beings as the source of your faith or lack thereof.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. He's the Only One Who will get you where you want to go! Straight into those pearly gates and on through eternity. His love never fails. And, for some unknown, inexplicable reason, he loves YOU.
That in itself is interesting because, if she had been a Muslim, she would never have made such an announcement to the world or "someone" would have found her and killed her. (I think the punishment for "denouncing your faith" in Islam is beheading by the sword, if I'm not mistaken.)
Nevertheless, this young woman had constructed an entire list of all the reasons she had for denouncing Christianity. I'm wondering why anyone would go to so much trouble to convince herself and others that Christianity is a false religion. Is it because Christianity failed you? Or, did Jesus fail you?
If Christianity (as in church worship/other believers) failed you, let me be the first to tell you: Christians are NOT perfect. There are umpteen varied doctrines and interpretations of the Bible going around, too, which doesn't make it easy to find a nitch to fit into.
There's the 7th Day Adventists, the Catholics, the Protestants, the Baptists, the Mormons, on and on. Each "church" has its strengths and insists on certain priorities of their faith. So, what to do?
Here's a suggestion: read about how the early church did it and then try to find a church that emulates them.
Unfortunately, that won't be easy. For one thing, the early church was made up of dedicated followers of Christ who forsook all their worldly possessions and went out by faith to spread the gospel. They had miracles, signs and wonders following them and their preaching was full of the power of God.
If you do find a group (church) of believers who are sold-out and on-fire for the Lord and want to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, you'll find true Christianity.
But, it still won't be perfect. There will be disagreements, arguments, mistakes, failures and all kinds of human frailties. That's why you really can't put your faith or your reason for believing in Christianity in the followers of Christ. We are not perfect. That's the raw truth of the matter.
You aren't perfect either, are you? So, can you honestly expect perfection from Christians?
I'll tell you where you can find perfection, though. In Christ. Christ alone has the answers you seek. Jesus Christ alone is what Christianity (in the true sense of the word) is all about. It's not about the laws or traditions of men. It's not about methodology or doctrines.
We live in the Age of Faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."
Find your faith. You won't find that in yourself or other Christians, either. Your faith is a gift from God and the way to get that gift is by reading His Word and receiving it into your heart.
Man will fail you. Woman will fail you. Denominations and churches will definitely fail you. You can't keep your eyes on human beings as the source of your faith or lack thereof.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. He's the Only One Who will get you where you want to go! Straight into those pearly gates and on through eternity. His love never fails. And, for some unknown, inexplicable reason, he loves YOU.
Friday, February 10, 2017
What If Jesus had Been Aborted?
"Not to brag or anything, but I have survived three ends of the world."
Ok, that's a joke that I stole from Bill Johnson.
Lately, I've been thinking about abortion.
You would think that abortion is something that came about in the last 50 years or so. But, when you read the Bible, you discover that the Devil or Satan has always hated babies. He has been in the business of slaughtering the innocents since the beginning.
In fact, Moses nearly became a statistic when he was a little newborn in Egypt.
After Joseph had set up his family in the land of Goshen, the children of Israel began to multiply like rabbits to the point that it started to seem like a threat to the new king of Egypt who didn't know Joseph. (In hindsight, it may have been a good idea for the Pharaoh of Joseph's day to pass on a little information about Joseph to the successor of his throne. But, it seems he didn't.)
So, the offspring of Israel continued to multiply and fill the land of Egypt. The new king or Pharaoh brought them into bondage and put them to work building his treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. Their lives became "bitter" with hard bondage and yet, they continued to thrive and multiply. So, the king instructed the midwives to kill the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were born.
(Would you call that a "post birth abortion"?)
The midwives secretly refused to obey the ordinance. They told the Pharaoh that the Hebrew women delivered their babies before the midwives arrived to deliver them. (The midwives sure weren't going to murder the babies in front of their mothers, were they?)
Pharaoh took another route. He instructed his people to drown the baby boys in the river. (He allowed the baby girls to live.) This was the form of birth control that Pharaoh used to try to lower the population of the Israelites in Egypt.
How did Moses manage to survive?
Moses had a tricky mom who was determined to keep her son alive, even if it meant allowing her enemy to adopt him. She kept her baby hidden for three months. Then, she came up with the idea of making a little boat for him.
Perhaps Moses's mother knew that Pharaoh's daughter came to the same place at the river to wash herself every day, we don't know. Maybe it was a miracle that the very daughter of Pharaoh took Moses as her son to raise him in the court as a prince.
Jesus Survives the Same Threat as Moses
When Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem, wise men came from the east, following a star. They entered into Jerusalem where they inquired among the people where the "King of the Jews" was. Of course, this was very upsetting to everyone, that a king had been born. Herod the king was especially upset about it, feeling his place was being threatened.
He commanded a slaughter of the innocents from the age of two years and under. There was a great mourning of all the children of Israel in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. Yet, Jesus escaped.
Matthew 2:13-18 "And when they (the wise men) were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Where did Jesus and his parents escape to? EGYPT. --How ironic is that?
From the beginning of his life, Jesus's life was threatened. As a fetus in the womb, he would have died along with his mother, had she been stoned to death according to the law.
Reading through the book of Exodus, one can't help noticing so many similarities between Moses and Jesus. For example, Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai with God. For those 40 days, he fasted and drank no water.
Exodus 34:28 "And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water."
I think it's not possible, under normal conditions to survive for 40 days without water.
God led Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted 40 days and nights.
Matthew 4:1, 2 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred."
In Moses's case, after those 40 days, his face shone so gloriously that it scared his people. They couldn't look at his face because the glory of God was upon it. So, Moses had to cover his face.
In Jesus's case, He defeated the Devil with the Word of God and began His ministry, shining the light.
Matthew 4:16 "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
Here are two examples of men who changed the course of history, the course of nations. They influenced major decisions of God. Well, what can I say about Jesus that you don't already know? He SAVED ALL OF US WHO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME.
Both of these men were marked for DEATH at their births.
Getting born alive and well into this world today takes no less than a miracle of God. If that baby is not the victim of birth control pills or the "day after" pill and manages to be planted in a healthy womb, it will probably be faced with the threat of abortion, which its mother feels is her right.
The birth of a baby, which used to be a reason for rejoicing, is now considered "unconstitutional" by many. Why? Because, the baby's mother was not allowed the freedom to do as she pleased with her body.
On His way to His crucifixion, Jesus told the women who bewailed him,
"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck." (Luke 23:28 and 29).
Unfortunately, Jesus's prophecy has come to pass. It's actually one of the signs of the times of the end that Jesus warned us about.
One more word about abortion: I want to say this to any of you who are considering having an abortion, "For your own sake and the sake of your future sanity, 'Don't do it.' You cannot commit murder inside of your body without suffering for it in your heart and spirit forever."
Give that unborn child the same chance your mamma gave you. He/she may be part of the solution.
Ok, that's a joke that I stole from Bill Johnson.
Lately, I've been thinking about abortion.
You would think that abortion is something that came about in the last 50 years or so. But, when you read the Bible, you discover that the Devil or Satan has always hated babies. He has been in the business of slaughtering the innocents since the beginning.
In fact, Moses nearly became a statistic when he was a little newborn in Egypt.
After Joseph had set up his family in the land of Goshen, the children of Israel began to multiply like rabbits to the point that it started to seem like a threat to the new king of Egypt who didn't know Joseph. (In hindsight, it may have been a good idea for the Pharaoh of Joseph's day to pass on a little information about Joseph to the successor of his throne. But, it seems he didn't.)
So, the offspring of Israel continued to multiply and fill the land of Egypt. The new king or Pharaoh brought them into bondage and put them to work building his treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. Their lives became "bitter" with hard bondage and yet, they continued to thrive and multiply. So, the king instructed the midwives to kill the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were born.
(Would you call that a "post birth abortion"?)
The midwives secretly refused to obey the ordinance. They told the Pharaoh that the Hebrew women delivered their babies before the midwives arrived to deliver them. (The midwives sure weren't going to murder the babies in front of their mothers, were they?)
Pharaoh took another route. He instructed his people to drown the baby boys in the river. (He allowed the baby girls to live.) This was the form of birth control that Pharaoh used to try to lower the population of the Israelites in Egypt.
How did Moses manage to survive?
Moses had a tricky mom who was determined to keep her son alive, even if it meant allowing her enemy to adopt him. She kept her baby hidden for three months. Then, she came up with the idea of making a little boat for him.
Perhaps Moses's mother knew that Pharaoh's daughter came to the same place at the river to wash herself every day, we don't know. Maybe it was a miracle that the very daughter of Pharaoh took Moses as her son to raise him in the court as a prince.
Jesus Survives the Same Threat as Moses
When Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem, wise men came from the east, following a star. They entered into Jerusalem where they inquired among the people where the "King of the Jews" was. Of course, this was very upsetting to everyone, that a king had been born. Herod the king was especially upset about it, feeling his place was being threatened.
He commanded a slaughter of the innocents from the age of two years and under. There was a great mourning of all the children of Israel in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. Yet, Jesus escaped.
Matthew 2:13-18 "And when they (the wise men) were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt;
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Where did Jesus and his parents escape to? EGYPT. --How ironic is that?
From the beginning of his life, Jesus's life was threatened. As a fetus in the womb, he would have died along with his mother, had she been stoned to death according to the law.
Reading through the book of Exodus, one can't help noticing so many similarities between Moses and Jesus. For example, Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai with God. For those 40 days, he fasted and drank no water.
Exodus 34:28 "And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water."
I think it's not possible, under normal conditions to survive for 40 days without water.
God led Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted 40 days and nights.
Matthew 4:1, 2 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred."
In Moses's case, after those 40 days, his face shone so gloriously that it scared his people. They couldn't look at his face because the glory of God was upon it. So, Moses had to cover his face.
In Jesus's case, He defeated the Devil with the Word of God and began His ministry, shining the light.
Matthew 4:16 "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
Here are two examples of men who changed the course of history, the course of nations. They influenced major decisions of God. Well, what can I say about Jesus that you don't already know? He SAVED ALL OF US WHO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME.
Both of these men were marked for DEATH at their births.
Getting born alive and well into this world today takes no less than a miracle of God. If that baby is not the victim of birth control pills or the "day after" pill and manages to be planted in a healthy womb, it will probably be faced with the threat of abortion, which its mother feels is her right.
The birth of a baby, which used to be a reason for rejoicing, is now considered "unconstitutional" by many. Why? Because, the baby's mother was not allowed the freedom to do as she pleased with her body.
On His way to His crucifixion, Jesus told the women who bewailed him,
"Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck." (Luke 23:28 and 29).
Unfortunately, Jesus's prophecy has come to pass. It's actually one of the signs of the times of the end that Jesus warned us about.
One more word about abortion: I want to say this to any of you who are considering having an abortion, "For your own sake and the sake of your future sanity, 'Don't do it.' You cannot commit murder inside of your body without suffering for it in your heart and spirit forever."
Saturday, January 21, 2017
President Donald J. Trump's Inaugural Speech
Here's Trump's speech:
"Chief
Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President
Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.
We, the
citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our
country and restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will
determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We
will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.
Every four
years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer
of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.
Thank you.
Today’s
ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely
transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to
another – but we are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back
to you, the people.
For too
long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of
government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished – but
the people did not share in its wealth.
Politicians
prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment
protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not
been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they
celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for
struggling families all across our land.
That all
changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your
moment: it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and
everyone watching all across America.
This is your
day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your
country. What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but
whether our government is controlled by the people.
January 20,
2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation
again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become
part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.
At the
center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve
its citizens.
Americans
want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families,
and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of
righteous people and a righteous public.
But for too
many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped
in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones
across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but
which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and
the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and
robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.
This
American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one
nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their
success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious
destiny.
The oath of
office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.
For many
decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;
subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad
depletion of our military; we’ve defended other nations’ borders while refusing
to defend our own; and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while
America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.
We’ve made
other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country
has dissipated over the horizon. One by one, the factories shuttered and left
our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American
workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped
from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.
But that is
the past. And now we are looking only to the future.
We assembled
here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign
capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will
govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first,
America first. Every
decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made
to benefit American workers and American families.
We must
protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products,
stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great
prosperity and strength.
I will fight
for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down. America
will start winning again, winning like never before.
We will
bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our
wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.
We will
build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and
railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get
our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with
American hands and American labor.
We will
follow two simple rules: buy American and hire American.
We will seek
friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the
understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests
first.
We do not
seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an
example for everyone to follow.
We will
reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world
against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the
Earth.
At the
bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of
America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty
to each other. When you
open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.
The Bible
tells us: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in
unity.”
We must
speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue
solidarity.
When America
is united, America is totally unstoppable.
There should
be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be
protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and,
most importantly, we are protected by God.
Finally, we
must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation
is only living as long as it is striving.
We will no
longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly
complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over.
Now arrives the hour of action. Do not let
anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight
and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper
again.
We stand at
the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free
the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries
and technologies of tomorrow.
A new
national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.
It is time
to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are
black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all
enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American
Flag.
And whether
a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of
Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the
same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty
Creator.
So to all
Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to
mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:
You will
never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define
our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide
us along the way.
Together, we
will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will
make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together,
we will make America great again.
Thank you,
God bless you, and God bless America.
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