If I may be so bold as to suggest: Do not talk to the dead.
King Saul tried it. He got a witch to call the prophet Samuel up. Samuel's reaction was this: I Samuel 28:15 "And Samuel said to Saul, Why has thou disquieted me, to bring me up?"
I personally don't think we should talk to those who have gone on. Their life is over in this realm. Let them be. If they happen to want to peek in on us once in a while, that's all good. But, why disturb them?
Think about this, now. Mary, the mother of Jesus, who died 2,000 years ago has people calling on her every day!
"Pray for us! Pray for us!"
But, why should a dead woman, who has gone on to her reward pray for anyone down here? Prayer is for live people. It's our connection with Jesus, Who connects us with God.
What would you want Mary to pray? She isn't omniscient or omnipresent to know your thoughts. She was just a human being. That's all. Yes, and the mother of our Lord, let's not belittle that. And I'm not. But, in spite of her marvellous sacrifice and her faith and obedience to God, Mary was, after all, only human. She is not Jesus.
Mary is not the Mediator between God and man. That would be her son, Jesus.
I understand that Catholics may feel "unworthy" to talk to Jesus and all that, but, really, in all honesty, that's a load of hog-wash. Just because you feel unworthy doesn't give you the right to go bothering Mary, trying to get her to pray for you. What if she just says,
"Nope. Can't do."
What if that?
What if YOU'RE supposed to pray for YOURSELF? What if God expects that of you? If you are a truly born-again, spirit-filled believer, it should come natural to you to pray! You should be praying ALL the TIME, calling out to God, asking Him for help, praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness.
The Apostle Paul told the churches to pray without ceasing. Don't stop praying.
Sorry, but being "unworthy" is really no excuse for not praying to God and wanting to hide behind a woman's skirts. (I'm laying this on thick because it sort of makes me mad that people pretend they need Mary to pray for them, when really, it's just a type of false humility or self-righteousness.)
We don't need Mary to pray for us! She has better things to do. It's not her job! It's not her calling. So, quit bothering the poor woman. She's had her life. She's said her prayers. Now she can probably talk to God face to face whenever she wants. We don't have that privilege down here on good old planet earth. That's why Jesus told us to pray!
If you don't know how to pray, you really ought to learn fast! Prayer is your life-line! Things are getting heated up. Things are getting tougher down here every day. So, if you don't have your own personal connection to Jesus, our King and Commander in Chief, you're going to be in hot water. We all need prayer, desperately. No other human being is going to represent you before God.
Did you get that?
No other human being is going to represent you to God! Not your brother! Not your sister! Not your pastor! Not the pope! And certainly not the Virgin Mary. You will stand alone before God. So, why not start now?
Pray your own prayers! Pray from the heart. Praying is just talking to your best Friend and getting everything off your chest. It's easy. Quit making hard work out of all the fun! Prayer is fun! It's simple.
All you have to do is pray to God in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the router. Jesus is the Mediator. He paid for the privilege. He wants to hear your prayers and answer every one of them. And He does. And He wants to have a personal relationship with every one of us! He loves you like only He can.
I don't think you can say the same about Mary because I don't think she knows you. (If I'm wrong, Mary, you can correct me on this.) Seriously, why would Mary know you? She was only human and she lived 2,000 years ago. A lot of people have come and gone since then. It's mesmerising.
I wonder whether Mary says the same thing as Samuel said when people ask her to pray for them.
"Why has thou disquieted me, to bring me up?" -- In other words, "Why are you bothering me?"
Ok, one last thing and I'll let it lie. Just this. I don't know WHOSE idea it was to ask Mary to pray for us. But, it was a BAD idea! It is totally unscriptural. That means, it is not Biblical. It's yet another false doctrine like the Pre-tribulation Rapture Theory. It is not in God's Word. So, why do it? Don't be a lemur. Have your own relationship with God and quit bothering Mary!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Rebuttal to Julia Roberts' Narrative
Recently, there was a post narrated by Julia Roberts from "Mysterious Things in the World". In it was stated (as though actual fact) that the earth is billions of years old and that it was here long before we were. Also, Mother Nature declared that she had destroyed species more powerful than humans.
Is it just me, or did Mother Nature sound a little nasty and defiant there at the end? Like,
"You guys are insignificant. Better get on that evolving thing or you're outta here." Like,
"Don't let the evolving door hit you in the butt on the way out."
Sheesh.
Ok, well here's the thing, Julia or Mother Nature: This planet was made FOR us by God. If there were no humans on this planet, there would be no purpose for the earth to exist.
OUCH! I can hear a lot of screaming.
Mankind will not go extinct. Sorry, folks. Mother Earth or Mother Nature is not in control. She doesn't call the shots. And she is not a prophetess. She really isn't THAT OLD either!
Come on!
According to the so-called scientists, the earth gets millions of years older every time they talk about it. You see, the older the earth is, the less chance there is of God being in complete control. Which, He is. As much as the devil would like to think he is in control, that's just not true.
It LOOKS like he's in control. In fact, the earth is his domain and he gets to play God and control those who allow him to control them.
He tells lots and lots of lies to cloud the water and deceive those who will be deceived. And, unfortunately, he has found a lot of gullible humans to swallow up whatever huge fairy tale he comes up with next.
Like, for instance: the fairy tale of the fish that became a frog, crawled up on the land and "poof!" became a prince! It only took about 200 billion years or so. Come on, now!
Have you ever seen an ape turn into a man? No? The reason you haven't is because one species does NOT evolve into a different species. Of course, they can become genetically modified with human intervention, but that doesn't mean that they can reproduce.
Take, for example, a mule. A mule is the offspring of a donkey and a horse. These two species can come together and reproduce but their offspring will be unable to reproduce. Thus the chain ends there.
Genesis chapter 1 says:
1 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. (Just to make things clear, the next verse tells what the earth looked like "in the beginning".)
2 And the earth was without form, and void; (woops! no dinosaurs?) and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
If you're wondering what happens next, you can read the rest of that chapter. Meanwhile, take a look in Job, chapter 40:
15 Behold now behemoth (a dinosaur) which I MADE WITH THEE: he eateth grass as an ox. (Right here, God is speaking and just happens to mention that he created the dinosaur at the same time as he created humans; plus we already know that by reading Genesis.)
16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
(That is one HUGE creature!)
ANOTHER DINOSAUR:
Job 41 talks about Leviathan. Job says "shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up..."
Job 41:14 "Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about,
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
We are talking about a fire-breathing dragon here! Right in the Bible!
27 He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laughs at the shaking of a spear.
No, Julia or Mother Nature, the dinosaurs were NOT here before man. We were here from the beginning, created in the image of God on the 6th day along WITH the dinosaurs who were also created the same day.
As for the age of the earth, let's leave that for another blog post.
Is it just me, or did Mother Nature sound a little nasty and defiant there at the end? Like,
"You guys are insignificant. Better get on that evolving thing or you're outta here." Like,
"Don't let the evolving door hit you in the butt on the way out."
Sheesh.
Ok, well here's the thing, Julia or Mother Nature: This planet was made FOR us by God. If there were no humans on this planet, there would be no purpose for the earth to exist.
OUCH! I can hear a lot of screaming.
Mankind will not go extinct. Sorry, folks. Mother Earth or Mother Nature is not in control. She doesn't call the shots. And she is not a prophetess. She really isn't THAT OLD either!
Come on!
According to the so-called scientists, the earth gets millions of years older every time they talk about it. You see, the older the earth is, the less chance there is of God being in complete control. Which, He is. As much as the devil would like to think he is in control, that's just not true.
It LOOKS like he's in control. In fact, the earth is his domain and he gets to play God and control those who allow him to control them.
He tells lots and lots of lies to cloud the water and deceive those who will be deceived. And, unfortunately, he has found a lot of gullible humans to swallow up whatever huge fairy tale he comes up with next.
Like, for instance: the fairy tale of the fish that became a frog, crawled up on the land and "poof!" became a prince! It only took about 200 billion years or so. Come on, now!
Have you ever seen an ape turn into a man? No? The reason you haven't is because one species does NOT evolve into a different species. Of course, they can become genetically modified with human intervention, but that doesn't mean that they can reproduce.
Take, for example, a mule. A mule is the offspring of a donkey and a horse. These two species can come together and reproduce but their offspring will be unable to reproduce. Thus the chain ends there.
Genesis chapter 1 says:
1 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. (Just to make things clear, the next verse tells what the earth looked like "in the beginning".)
2 And the earth was without form, and void; (woops! no dinosaurs?) and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
If you're wondering what happens next, you can read the rest of that chapter. Meanwhile, take a look in Job, chapter 40:
15 Behold now behemoth (a dinosaur) which I MADE WITH THEE: he eateth grass as an ox. (Right here, God is speaking and just happens to mention that he created the dinosaur at the same time as he created humans; plus we already know that by reading Genesis.)
16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
(That is one HUGE creature!)
ANOTHER DINOSAUR:
Job 41 talks about Leviathan. Job says "shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up..."
Job 41:14 "Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about,
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
We are talking about a fire-breathing dragon here! Right in the Bible!
27 He esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laughs at the shaking of a spear.
No, Julia or Mother Nature, the dinosaurs were NOT here before man. We were here from the beginning, created in the image of God on the 6th day along WITH the dinosaurs who were also created the same day.
As for the age of the earth, let's leave that for another blog post.
My Favourite Chapter
Matthew 5
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, his disciples came unto Him:
2 And He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 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? How can you rejoice when someone is persecuting you?
Well, here's your chance to shine! Here's your opportunity to really witness your faith in God! "There is no testimony without a test!"
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Keep your salt salted. Keep reading the Word and praying. Read the Word in faith! The Word + Faith = Dynamite!
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
-
Ok, HOW do you get to be more righteous than a Pharisee? They obey every single detail of the law! Don't they? How can a simple layman become more righteous than them?
--- By yielding to God and allowing God's Spirit to live in you! Only the righteousness of God is real righteousness. What the Pharisees had was SELF-righteousness. And when you're self-righteous, you actually think YOU are good! But, there's no such thing! As the Apostle Paul said, "In me there dwells no good thing; that is, in my flesh." But we have the righteousness of God through Jesus.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Note that it doesn't say "if you remember that you have something against your brother", but, "if you remember your brother has something against YOU".
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilest thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast if from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Here is a verse that must be read in the Spirit, Love and Wisdom of God, or else some idiot may take it literally and come up with a really dumb idea like making it into a LAW. I know if my heart that Jesus was NOT saying that if a man steals, his hand should be cut off. NOT. This was just an extreme way of looking at your spiritual condition. Jesus was trying to show people that they should get control of their bodies and not allow sin to rule over them.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Again, this is a verse that should be applied with wisdom. Every case should be judged on its own as well.
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, his disciples came unto Him:
2 And He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 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? How can you rejoice when someone is persecuting you?
Well, here's your chance to shine! Here's your opportunity to really witness your faith in God! "There is no testimony without a test!"
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Keep your salt salted. Keep reading the Word and praying. Read the Word in faith! The Word + Faith = Dynamite!
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
-
Ok, HOW do you get to be more righteous than a Pharisee? They obey every single detail of the law! Don't they? How can a simple layman become more righteous than them?
--- By yielding to God and allowing God's Spirit to live in you! Only the righteousness of God is real righteousness. What the Pharisees had was SELF-righteousness. And when you're self-righteous, you actually think YOU are good! But, there's no such thing! As the Apostle Paul said, "In me there dwells no good thing; that is, in my flesh." But we have the righteousness of God through Jesus.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Note that it doesn't say "if you remember that you have something against your brother", but, "if you remember your brother has something against YOU".
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilest thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast if from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Here is a verse that must be read in the Spirit, Love and Wisdom of God, or else some idiot may take it literally and come up with a really dumb idea like making it into a LAW. I know if my heart that Jesus was NOT saying that if a man steals, his hand should be cut off. NOT. This was just an extreme way of looking at your spiritual condition. Jesus was trying to show people that they should get control of their bodies and not allow sin to rule over them.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Again, this is a verse that should be applied with wisdom. Every case should be judged on its own as well.
Monday, August 17, 2015
SUPERSTITION VS FAITH
I would say that superstition is pretty much the opposite of
faith or the imposter of faith. Superstition is usually born out of fear
whereas faith comes from God. Faith is a gift from God. Like salvation, you can’t
earn it. However, it grows, like a muscle, the more you use it.
Superstition is what people have who worship false “gods”.
Often, the reasons they give for worshipping their false god is, “This is what
we have always done in our family.” or “This is what my grandmother taught me.”
or some such thing. In other words, their superstition in this belief is passed
down from generation to generation! Isn’t that a clever trick of the devil!
Family is a strong, binding chain to superstition. The devil
knows this and uses it to his advantage. We humans love our parents. Of course
we do! We are totally dependent on them (or sudo parents) for the first decade
or more of our lives!
And, who on earth would believe that their mother would tell
them anything wrong? Whose mother is going to tell them to do something that’s
really, really bad for them that could possibly send them to hell?
Right?
Not my mom! She LOVES me!
I’m not blaming it all on the moms. They passed on something
they thought was good. Why? Because they are superstitious. They are afraid
that if they don’t follow the tradition handed down to them, they will upset “god”
and he may do something nasty, like withhold money from the family!
The devil likes to grab families by the money bags. Money is
your entire subsistence, your means of survival! Money is the most important
thing, right? You slave for it every day. You give your life for it so that you
can put food on the table. In fact, don’t we worship money? --At least, to a
certain extent?
You wanted the truth, didn’t you? Isn’t that why you’re
reading this blog? If it’s too much for you, I understand. Years, thousands of
years of tradition, blown up in one sentence. How can you take it?
The bottom line is, we
need money to live. That’s how this planet is set up. There’s no getting away
from it. Is there?
As usual, the Bible has the answer. This is how Jesus looked
at it: (I took the liberty of changing ‘th’ to ‘s’ so that those who have a
tough time with old English will have an easier time.)
Luke 12:22 – 34 “And He said unto His disciples, ‘Therefore
I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for
the body what ye shall put on.
(Take no thought? Well, at least don’t think fearfully or
worriedly about it or even wonder where your next dollar is coming from. You
can pray. He didn’t say you couldn’t pray about it. But, still, it should be
the prayer of faith, not of doubt. And if you can get to the point where you
don’t even think about what, where, how or when you’re going to eat or what you’re
going to wear, all the better! It can be done!)
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than
raiment. (If you think about it, our body is a miracle machine. All we have to
do is put food into our pie holes to keep it running.)
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which
neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them: how much more are you
better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his
stature one cubit? If you then be not able to do that thing which is least, why
take ye thought for the rest? (God is in control of our lives, whether we want
to believe it or not and if you don’t believe it, some day, you will find out
the hard way that it’s true.)
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they
spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the
field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O
ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what you shall eat, or what you shall
drink, neither be you of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek
after: and your Father knows that you have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these
things shall be added unto you. (Put God first. Put God’s people first and
their needs.)
32 Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. (We have a generous God Who loves to take
care of us and even spoil us! I speak from experience.)
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags
which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that fails not, where no thief
approaches, neither moth corrupts. 34 For where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also.
It takes faith to break the chain of family superstition!
But YOU CAN DO IT, with God’s help.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Your Free Gift!
Salvation is a gift! It’s yours! All you have to do is
receive it, accept it, take it! Just grab it!
I kid you not that this is the most valuable gift one can
ever receive. Not only is it for here and now but it’s for ever! It’s for eternity.
It has been bought and paid for by the Blood of the Lamb.
Now, I don’t want you to think that I’m talking to you like I
would talk to a little child, but, this is one thing that I believe God wants
to make very, very clear and simple so that everyone and anyone can understand
it. Why would He want to make it difficult?
The difficult part has been done. God had to come down here
to our planet and put on our human flesh in order to actually feel what it was
like to be human. Then He had to suffer mockery, insults, beating and
crucifixion in order to hand us the free gift of salvation.
No muss. No fuss. He did all the work. We get to enjoy it.
So, what does salvation do for you?
Here's the short list:
·
Instantly delivers you from having to suffer for
your sins
·
Delivers you from hell
·
Washes away all your sins-- past, present and
future
·
Introduces you to a lifetime relationship with
the Creator of the Universe
·
Gives you eternal life
·
Fills you with love and mercy
·
Enables you to have love and mercy on others
·
Is a sample of heaven right here, right now
·
Takes away your guilt, shame and condemnation
·
Turns the light on in your life
·
Gives you the Truth
·
Sets you free from working for the devil
·
Sets you
free from the traditions of man
·
Sets you free from yourself
·
You no longer need to depend on your own
self-righteousness and so-called good works
·
Fills you with peace and joy
·
Opens your eyes to see life in a new light with
new purpose
·
You are born again like a baby into a whole new
world of eternal truths
·
Gives you a greater understanding of why we are
here
·
Gives you a greater understanding of why you are
here
·
You can receive spiritual gifts; for example, the
gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy, visions, prophetic dreams, healing, etc.
·
You have the authority to talk to God whenever
you want to
·
God’s Spirit comes into your heart to speak
through you and see through you and live in you
·
Instant forgiveness is yours for the asking
·
You receive the wonderful gift of faith
·
You are protected as one of God’s kids
·
You have an anointing of power and you can
command the devil to obey you
·
With God’s help, you have power over your own
spirit and can learn how to control it
·
Your life is not your own so you don’t need to
worry about providing for yourself or worrying about the future
·
God wants you to ask Him for everything and
anything your heart desires
·
You can claim healing because Jesus paid for
healing with his stripes
·
You have your own private guardian angel to
protect you and intercede for you
·
Jesus is your Intercessor between you and God so
that your prayers are heard immediately
·
Prayer is your lifeline to God, given freely to
you for your constant use
·
Because God gave his own life for us, He shall
also freely give us all things
·
Because you are a child of God, you inherit
everything that Jesus inherits from His father
·
Faith is the title deed of things hoped for
·
The joy of the Lord is now your strength
·
You have power in the spirit to fight spiritual
battles and to win because Jesus has already won
·
All things are yours in Christ Jesus
·
You have a place prepared for you in heaven
·
God has created a mansion for you so that you
can be where He is
·
You are cordially invited to attend the wedding
supper of the Lamb where we are going to eat, drink celestial wine and be merry
·
You now have a large family of brothers and
sisters who love you
·
You now have an international fellowship of
fellow believers
·
Hope is born in your heart
·
Perfect peace reigns in your heart where there
was chaos
·
All your cares can be cast onto Jesus
·
Every concern, every detail, every minor
difficulty is taken care of by faith so you no longer own them
·
All your needs are supplied by Christ Jesus
according to his riches in glory
·
Nothing will move you
·
Fear is not an issue because God is with you
·
He gives you sleep
·
You have all the promises in the Bible to claim
for your own
·
You can be used of God to help others learn
about salvation
·
You can be a prince or princess in the kingdom
of God
·
You can call on your spiritual helpers who are
all around you watching
·
You have the help of angels, the Holy Spirit and
spirit guides
·
If you thirst for knowledge, you have the
opportunity to learn with the Holy Spirit Teacher
·
You can have true love, the love of God
·
You can bring your whole family with you to
heaven by introducing salvation to them
·
You can have Christ help you to do everything
all the time just by letting go
·
You no longer need to do anything in the arm of
the flesh or by your own efforts
·
You can give up all the ties that bind and all
the materialism that’s a drain on you
·
You can experience the feeling of true
accomplishment
·
You can experience the satisfaction of a job
well done for God’s glory
·
You can learn about the history of the world
·
You can view man’s education through the lens of
God’s Word
·
You can experience a fully satisfied feeling of
feasting on the Word
·
You can grow spiritually by exercising your
faith (Faith is a gift but it grows by hearing the Word of God.)
·
You can claim the power to break any addiction
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Religion vs Faith
Maybe I should call this post "Religion vs Relationship with God".
So many people are disillusioned with the so-called Christian religion. I guess I'm one of those people and I ask myself why.
The answer I get is: people are not perfect. People just don't live up to our idea of what a Christian should be. And, maybe we're just not supposed to.
What a Christian is supposed to be is a person like Jesus Christ. He was the original "prototype". And, honestly, how can anyone possibly live up to that?
Jesus is humble, patient, loving, sympathetic, perfect...
So, we try to put God in a box with nice neat labels on it. We try to schedule, organise, methodise, legalise, structure, and hinder God's spirit so that we can "cope" with it and thereby suck the juice right out of it.
Isn't that what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus's day did?
They focused on the sins and failures of the common people and on setting the example of perfection that was demanded of those sinning failures. In order to compensate for their sins, the common people were required to make sacrifices. And, in order to obtain the correct sacrifice, they had to buy it from the temple.
It got to the point where the priests and Pharisees were becoming merchants, more intent on the tithes and payments than on worshipping God. Which is why Jesus made a hand-made whip to beat them and wake them up. He overthrew the money-changers' tables and tossed them out of the temple.
In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus is quoted as saying, "...woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel... even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Does Jesus sound very religious to you? I get the picture of a radical revolutionary who is stirring up the pot! I get the picture of someone who is completely and utterly fed up with the church system! --Or, in those days, the temple system.
We're playing by different rules now. These are no longer Old Testament days. These are New Testament days, brethren. We have been set free from the law. There is something greater than the law now:
Love.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
We're not supposed to go to church to judge one another and compare ourselves with others. We're not supposed to play the "I'm holier than thou" game. Going to church should be a celebration of thankfulness of God's great mercy and love! It should be a joyful experience, not a drudgery or a duty.
So, if the church you're attending is a bummer, find another one or make your own. Wherever two or more are gathered together in the name of Jesus, He is in the midst. There's your church. The church is people. It's not a building. It's not a system. It's not rules and regulations. In fact, it's not even about attendance and being faithful to one church and one church only. God's church is spread out all over the earth! Whoever prays in the name of Jesus is praying to the right God.
Saying that you are a Christian does not make you a Christian. I personally do not believe the statistics on the number of Christians around the globe. I believe there are few true believers among us. To be a true believer in Christ, you must be born again. (I'm not talking about water baptism because that's a separate issue and one does NOT need to be baptized with water to be saved! Being baptized is a way of testifying of your belief. But, what about those whose lives are in danger by becoming Christians? It takes wisdom to know when baptism is called for and in some cases, it can endanger entire communities to hold public baptisms. It's what's in the heart that counts.)
A truly born-again Christian is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Saviour and who understands why Christ died on the cross. They have to know that they need to be saved from their sins and that they are sinners.
Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:13)
If you think about it, that's very deep. He's not saying here that those who think they are righteous are truly righteous in God's eyes, is He? That's not the way I see it. He's more-or-less inferring that they are so full of their own self-righteousness that He's not even going to bother calling them to repentance. Phew! And we know that without repentance, there is no remission of sins.
Thank God that you're a sinner! And all the sinners said, "AMEN!"
What makes a true Christian? Here's my idea:
1. Know you are a sinner and always will be until the day you die.
2. Accept salvation through Christ and only Christ. (Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin.)
3. Love. Love God. Love your fellow man. Love your enemies. (And, true Christians will have lots of enemies. That's just another mark of a true Christian.)
In order to make sure you have done #2, here's an example prayer you can pray:
"Dear Jesus, I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me for all my mistakes and sins and come into my heart and my life. Give me Your Holy Spirit so that I can share Your love and mercy with others. Amen."
This is a good prayer that you can also share with family members and friends who do not yet know Jesus on a personal level.
Once you have received Jesus into your life, get to know Him by reading His Words. The Words of Christ are found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
So many people are disillusioned with the so-called Christian religion. I guess I'm one of those people and I ask myself why.
The answer I get is: people are not perfect. People just don't live up to our idea of what a Christian should be. And, maybe we're just not supposed to.
What a Christian is supposed to be is a person like Jesus Christ. He was the original "prototype". And, honestly, how can anyone possibly live up to that?
Jesus is humble, patient, loving, sympathetic, perfect...
So, we try to put God in a box with nice neat labels on it. We try to schedule, organise, methodise, legalise, structure, and hinder God's spirit so that we can "cope" with it and thereby suck the juice right out of it.
Isn't that what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus's day did?
They focused on the sins and failures of the common people and on setting the example of perfection that was demanded of those sinning failures. In order to compensate for their sins, the common people were required to make sacrifices. And, in order to obtain the correct sacrifice, they had to buy it from the temple.
It got to the point where the priests and Pharisees were becoming merchants, more intent on the tithes and payments than on worshipping God. Which is why Jesus made a hand-made whip to beat them and wake them up. He overthrew the money-changers' tables and tossed them out of the temple.
In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus is quoted as saying, "...woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves... Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel... even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Does Jesus sound very religious to you? I get the picture of a radical revolutionary who is stirring up the pot! I get the picture of someone who is completely and utterly fed up with the church system! --Or, in those days, the temple system.
We're playing by different rules now. These are no longer Old Testament days. These are New Testament days, brethren. We have been set free from the law. There is something greater than the law now:
Love.
Love is the fulfilling of the law.
We're not supposed to go to church to judge one another and compare ourselves with others. We're not supposed to play the "I'm holier than thou" game. Going to church should be a celebration of thankfulness of God's great mercy and love! It should be a joyful experience, not a drudgery or a duty.
So, if the church you're attending is a bummer, find another one or make your own. Wherever two or more are gathered together in the name of Jesus, He is in the midst. There's your church. The church is people. It's not a building. It's not a system. It's not rules and regulations. In fact, it's not even about attendance and being faithful to one church and one church only. God's church is spread out all over the earth! Whoever prays in the name of Jesus is praying to the right God.
Saying that you are a Christian does not make you a Christian. I personally do not believe the statistics on the number of Christians around the globe. I believe there are few true believers among us. To be a true believer in Christ, you must be born again. (I'm not talking about water baptism because that's a separate issue and one does NOT need to be baptized with water to be saved! Being baptized is a way of testifying of your belief. But, what about those whose lives are in danger by becoming Christians? It takes wisdom to know when baptism is called for and in some cases, it can endanger entire communities to hold public baptisms. It's what's in the heart that counts.)
A truly born-again Christian is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Saviour and who understands why Christ died on the cross. They have to know that they need to be saved from their sins and that they are sinners.
Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:13)
If you think about it, that's very deep. He's not saying here that those who think they are righteous are truly righteous in God's eyes, is He? That's not the way I see it. He's more-or-less inferring that they are so full of their own self-righteousness that He's not even going to bother calling them to repentance. Phew! And we know that without repentance, there is no remission of sins.
Thank God that you're a sinner! And all the sinners said, "AMEN!"
What makes a true Christian? Here's my idea:
1. Know you are a sinner and always will be until the day you die.
2. Accept salvation through Christ and only Christ. (Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin.)
3. Love. Love God. Love your fellow man. Love your enemies. (And, true Christians will have lots of enemies. That's just another mark of a true Christian.)
In order to make sure you have done #2, here's an example prayer you can pray:
"Dear Jesus, I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me for all my mistakes and sins and come into my heart and my life. Give me Your Holy Spirit so that I can share Your love and mercy with others. Amen."
This is a good prayer that you can also share with family members and friends who do not yet know Jesus on a personal level.
Once you have received Jesus into your life, get to know Him by reading His Words. The Words of Christ are found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Quoting God
Not only did God speak to several people throughout the Old Testament days, but He has been known to monologue! Not that God's monologues are boring. Au contraire!
Take a look at what He had to say to Job!
By the way, the book of Job is an amazing book full of deep spiritual truths and it even has the devil himself appearing before God to ask God's permission to attack Job. And, as the story goes along, you start to see some of the wisdom of God in allowing the tests of the enemy. Poor Job! They don't couple his name with the word "patience" for nothing! He really was tested.
For now, though, let's take a look at chapter 38 where God actually speaks in words to Job.
Job 38
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, (We apparently can't see the Almighty because He's inside of a whirlwind of some kind.)
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. (Get dressed and be a man.)
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who has stretched the line upon it? (You think you know so much? Are you God?)
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Sons of God are angels. I guess there was a big celebration when God created the earth!)
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if you know it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwells? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 That you should take it to the bound thereof, and that you should know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Do you know it because you were born then? or because the number of your days is great?
22 Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth? (Deep question. Does that mean that light affects air movement?)
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Has the rain a father? or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Do you know the ordinances of heaven? can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Can you lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust grows into hardness and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Will you hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who provides for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
God is really going out of His way here to paint a clear picture of the difference between Job (man) and God. It's pretty hard to miss His point.
On the one hand: the all-powerful, all-knowing GOD. On the other hand: man
I really love it when God gets into describing his crowing creations, the dragons and dinosaurs! Yes, Job is apparently the oldest book of the Bible. Although most people believe dinosaurs disappeared long before man, that's not how the Word of God tells it.
According to Genesis, chapter one, our universe was created in six days. And on the seventh day, God rested.
Take a look at what He had to say to Job!
By the way, the book of Job is an amazing book full of deep spiritual truths and it even has the devil himself appearing before God to ask God's permission to attack Job. And, as the story goes along, you start to see some of the wisdom of God in allowing the tests of the enemy. Poor Job! They don't couple his name with the word "patience" for nothing! He really was tested.
For now, though, let's take a look at chapter 38 where God actually speaks in words to Job.
Job 38
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, (We apparently can't see the Almighty because He's inside of a whirlwind of some kind.)
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. (Get dressed and be a man.)
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who has stretched the line upon it? (You think you know so much? Are you God?)
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Sons of God are angels. I guess there was a big celebration when God created the earth!)
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if you know it all.
19 Where is the way where light dwells? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 That you should take it to the bound thereof, and that you should know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Do you know it because you were born then? or because the number of your days is great?
22 Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is the light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth? (Deep question. Does that mean that light affects air movement?)
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
28 Has the rain a father? or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?
33 Do you know the ordinances of heaven? can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Can you lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust grows into hardness and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Will you hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who provides for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
God is really going out of His way here to paint a clear picture of the difference between Job (man) and God. It's pretty hard to miss His point.
On the one hand: the all-powerful, all-knowing GOD. On the other hand: man
I really love it when God gets into describing his crowing creations, the dragons and dinosaurs! Yes, Job is apparently the oldest book of the Bible. Although most people believe dinosaurs disappeared long before man, that's not how the Word of God tells it.
According to Genesis, chapter one, our universe was created in six days. And on the seventh day, God rested.
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