What Christians Believe

         For those who don’t realize it, Jesus is not a Christian.  Now that I’ve gotten some of you bent all out of shape, let me explain: Jesus is the Messiah. There is only one Messiah, and it is the belief in Him that makes us Christians.  If we repent (change our minds) and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, believe in Him with all out heart soul and mind, give Him his rightful place as Lord of our life and testify of Him before others, we qualify as Christians.  This is summed up in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” and Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  To the contrary, if you haven’t received Jesus into your heart, confessed it, and believe that God raised Him from the dead, you simply don’t qualify as a Christian.

          If you believe in Jesus, you must also believe in the Bible, because “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.  Jesus is the Word – that means that the Living Word of God is Jesus.

         If you are born again, Jesus is the Lord of your life.  If Jesus is the Lord of your life, do you trust what He says?  How can some people say they are Christian, but don’t trust the word of God to be true?  How can it be that you trust Jesus but not His Word: since He is His Word?  It has well been established that the Bible is the Word of God.  With all the different translations of the Bible, how do we know which one to trust?  I prefer the King James Version, however, God can get the gist of what He wants to convey through many different versions.

          It is not our faith that saves us but the Grace of God, in whom and by whom our faith is founded.  By repentance (changing our mind) and accepting the Grace that God offers through acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are given the faith to live for Him.  There are rewards that we receive, once we make that first step: peace beyond understanding, eternal life with the Lord in Heaven, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the power to prevail against evil.  We are however, expected to grow in our Christianity.  Paul says we need to move on from the milk of the gospels to the meat of the gospels.  1 Corinthians 3:2 says: "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."  Hebrews 5:12 says:  "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."  Paul also said: strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The basic, essential beliefs of a Christian are:

          1.  Jesus is Lord: part of the trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son( the Word)  and the Holy Spirit of God.

          2.  The Bible is the Word of God and was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Biblical inerrancy is a fact.

          3.  Jesus was born of a virgin; conceived by the Holy Spirit.

          4.  Jesus died for all of the sins, for all of the people.  Although all of us sin,      those sins can't keep us from entering the kingdom of God.

          5.  Jesus rose again on the third day.

          6.  Jesus is coming back.

          7.  The resurrection of the Saints.

The Scriptural basis for those beliefs are:

          1. Jesus is Lord: part of the trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son (the Word) and the Holy Spirit of God.   1 John 5:7-8 says: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."  Matthew 28:19 says: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"  John 15:26 says:  "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:"  Galatians 4:6 says: "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

          2.  Biblical inerrancy - 2 Peter 1:20-21 says: “ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”2 Timothy 3:16 says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 

          3.  Virgin birth of Jesus - Isaiah 7:14 says: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."  Why does it matter if Jesus was conceived by a man or the Holy Spirit?  If Jack married Harriet and Bill got Harriet pregnant, the baby would be Bill’s and not Jack’s.  If Jesus was conceived by a man, through the seed which is corrupted by sin, He would not be God.  Mary had to be a virgin so that she would not have been defiled by man, when Jesus was conceived.  Matthew 1:23 says: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

          4.  Substitutionary atonement - 1 Peter 3:18 says: "For Christ also           suffered once for sins, the righteous ... ... For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in ..."  Hebrews 9:28 says: "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins .. .. so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again ...".  Romans 5:8 says: "But God  commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"

          5. The literal resurrection of Christ - Jesus rose again on the third   day.  Romans 8:34 says: "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."  2 Corinthians 5:14 -          15 says: "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if  one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."  Acts 4:33 says: "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the         Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."

          6.  Jesus is coming back.   The Nicene Creed, in current use, includes the following beliefs about Jesus: "...he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."  John 14:3 says: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there   ye may be also."  Revelation 22:20 says: "He (Jesus) which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord     Jesus."  Matthew 25:31-46 says:  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." Hebrews 9:28 says: "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." 1 Thessalonians      4:16-17 says: "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God."

          7.  The resurrection of the Saints.  John 11:25 says: "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:"  Romans 6:5 says: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"  John 12:3 says: "I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." 

          The fundamentals of Christianity above are not the end all of Christian knowledge.  They are in reality a starting point for the knowledge of God.  As Paul said, we need to move on from the milk of the gospel to the meat of the gospel.  Hebrews 5:13-14 says: "For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  There are many other things that Christians come to believe, because of their growth in the Word.  Knowledge of the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit as well as knowledge of the evil forces in the world.  The Christian, however, has the assurance that the Holy Spirit is always there to guide them.  Hebrews 13:5 says: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  Just so you will know that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow: Psalm 37:28,says: For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;  Joshua 1:5 says: "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

  

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Contradictions in the Bible? Part 5

          Just like those who say, there are contradictions in the Bible, the Sadducees (who didn’t believe in the resurrection) asked Jesus what would happen in the resurrection: Matthew 22:23-28.  Those who don’t believe in the Bible will often try to trip us up by asking questions about things they have a desire, because of their unbelief, to be wrong.  Jesus answer, in verse 29 was that they didn’t know what they were talking about because they didn’t know the scriptures, or the power of God.  Then Jesus told them (verse 30-32) the information had been there for them all along, if they had bothered to study it. 

 

          How can I speak with authority?  It’s not that I know it all; it’s that I have access to it all (at least a lot of it).  I am still in the education process.  Because of their spiritual blindness the Pharacies and Sadducees ridiculed what Jesus taught.  All has not been opened to me yet, but I am open to the Lord’s instruction; which is why I continue to study.  In my walk with the Lord through the years, I have often fallen backwards; however the Lord is always there to catch me (like He did with Peter walking on the water) and give me a hand up.  We need a mind open to the urging of the Lord to continue our growth in Him.  When I wonder if what I am doing is pleasing to the Lord, I remember His instruction to “go into the entire world with the Good News”.  The word ‘prophet’ does not merely mean ‘one who foretells’ but can also mean ‘one who witnesses or one who is God’s spokesman.  It has been said that I am a Protagonistic instigator.  That could easily describe any and all of the prophets. What better way to witness than to make waves in the status quo?  You can’t wake up those who are pretending to be asleep.  “Those who are lead to hear will hear.”  (Gary Stearman)  I stand on Psalm 26:7: I will publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of thy wonderful works.

I have been told that I am an instigator.  In conversation, I tend to bring up controversy.  Controversy initiates inquiry:  It makes people think, and thinking ignites a yearning for knowledge.  Some people think my instigations are attacks, but they are not.  They are an attempt to bring out the inner feelings of others to gain knowledge and understanding of the way they came to their conclusions, especially to know if their conclusions are based on fact and knowledge, or based on their feelings and or misinformation.    

          Who was at the crucifixion?  In Matthew the list consisted of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses (who was also the mother of Jesus), the mother of Zebedies children (James and John).  Mark also lists the chief priests and scribes, Salome, many other women who came with Him from Jerusalem, and we know that Simon (the man from Cyrenian, who carried Jesus cross) had to be there.  Luke mentions the rulers, which were with the people, derided Him. There were the women from Galilee. Pontius Pilot was there: we know that because the chief priests asked him to change the sign.  In John we see in addition to the above, Mary the mother of Jesus (whom Jesus charged John with her care), Mary’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Joseph of Arimathaea with Nicodemus who asked for the body, and the apostle John.  This list does not include the soldiers, the officers and servants of the Romans.  There were those passing by that railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying; “Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross”.  There were two ‘malefactors’ crucified with Him, one on each side. As we can see, there was a multitude of witnesses who saw Jesus crucified.  The exact number is not known, however, there could have been as many that saw Him crucified as there were that met with Him after He rose from the dead; and we know that there were over five hundred that witnessed Him after the resurrection.  

 

          What is the unforgivable sin?  For years I have wondered about this. I still am not absolutely sure, but I think it breaks down to two things. Jesus said it would be unforgivable to give credit to the Devil for the works of the Holy Spirit.  Not accepting the salvation offered by Jesus will keep you from getting into Heaven.  They may be one and the same as it is the Holy Spirit who calls you to receive Jesus as your Savior.  Both could be categorized as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 

 

          Who is a Liar?  1 Corinthians 12:3 says: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”  1 John 2:22 says: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?”  John 8:44 says:  “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  1 John 2:4 says: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Nuff said?

 

          How many transgressions is God referring to in the Book of Amos?  In the book of Amos, God speaks of judgments for Israel and the transgressions of the nations surrounding Israel. The nations spoken of were Tyre, Damascus, Gaza, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and finally Judah.  The way the judgments are spoken of says they will be judged for three and of four transgressions.   Generally speaking, God is saying that if these people had sinned only once or twice He could have forgiven them; but they continued to sin and their transgressions mounted to a point, and volume He could no longer ignore.  “Before announcing the judgment on Israel, Amos proclaims the punishment on neighboring heathen nations for their injurious treatment of the chosen people, thus showing God's care for his elect, and leading them to fear vengeance for their own greater sins towards him”(From the Pulpit Commentary).  “God's fulfillment of His threats being more awful than human language can express. "Three and four" imply sin multiplied on sin (compare Ex 20:5; Pr 30:15, 18, 21; "six and seven," Job 5:19; "once and twice," Job 33:14; "twice and thrice," Margin; "oftentimes," English Version, Job 33:29; "seven and also eight," Ec 11:2). There may be also a reference to seven, the product of three and four added; seven expressing the full completion of the measure of their guilt (Le 26:18, 21, 24; compare Mt 23:32)” (From the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary).

 

          Snakes don’t eat dirt.  That’s right, serpents don’t eat dirt. They take dirt in with their breath as they slither along. God refers to dirt as the dust of the earth. As serpents eat, they have no way of washing the dust from their food, so they take in dust with the food.  Also the bible says that He made the creatures of the earth from the dust. The objection to God’s word here is simply a failure to understand anatomy.

 

          Atonement; did Christ die for everyone or just Christians?  When Jesus died on the cross, He covered the sins of everyone. The atonement was the price paid for the sins of the world. The atonement, however, doesn’t get you into Heaven.  Only the acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior gets you into Heaven.  Some view atonement as universal salvation which is a heresy.
 

Because of the atonement, your sins are not counted against you.  Because of the atonement, you only need to use your ‘free will’ to make one decision: to accept or reject the free gift of salvation through Christ.

 

         Why does God predetermine people to go to Hell?  Predestination is vastly misunderstood.   Some think that God has predestined those who will be saved (the Elect), while others think God simply knows the future.  Here it is important to know that what God gives, He does not take away.  Each of us has the right of free will, given by God.  God did not decide when He created you, whether you would go to Heaven or Hell.  You are the one who makes that choice.  It must be stated, however, that God knows everything; including the future.  He knows who will, and who will not accept the free gift of salvation that He set up, through Jesus, to forgive all sin.

 

 

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Balance: The God of Love and Justice

Spending time with the Lord, seeking His wisdom and instruction, is more precious and exciting when we come to Him with an expectant heart. O that I would listen more often to His voice calling me to come dine with Him to feed upon His precious word and bask in the joy of His sweet presence. The balance that He brings into our lives is unattainable from any other source. Time spent with Him is never a waste, but is always more than just satisfying. My heart leaps within me to know that the joy that I have experienced is but a little taste of that which is to come when we finally go home to be in His presence for eternity. I began my time with Him this morning searching through Proverbs to see what bits of wisdom and understanding He might impart to me this day. No matter how many times I read His word, He amazes me by showing me something brand new in the very verses that I had already read. Then I wonder, “How did I miss that before?” He makes His word new and alive to us each time we truly seek His face. I have a sneaky suspicion that He does this in order to show us that we have never learned all there is to know of Him, and He has so many more ‘goodies’ in store for us. I smile and feel like giggling in sheer joy as I think, “Lord, what kind of surprise have you got for me today?” I feel like a little girl, sneaking a peek to see what kind of treasures may be found under the branches of a Christmas tree.

What morsel of truth will I find today that will keep my life in balance with the will of the Lord? Then there it is: that word balance.

It seems that there is always a search for God’s view of what true balance is without the contamination of a false sense of what is fair and right in the eye of my old nature. As a parent, teacher, and in governing my own life, it has always been a struggle for me to learn how to keep the right balance between love and discipline. Whether it is self discipline or administering discipline of others, I know that one of the necessities is to be consistent and therein lays my problem. Just when I think I’ve got it down pat, something comes in like a tendency to be too lenient or too harsh which always brings in confusion. How can I keep a true balance between godly love and godly justice through discipline in my own life or when trying to instill it in others, if I’m always changing the rules?

That’s where God’s example and instructions for our lives is so pure, and yet so hard for me to emulate. God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. His word is true and His commandments and statutes are clear. His word is the ‘owner’s manual’ of instruction for the living out of our lives. He tells us what is right and what is wrong. He stays consistent, and doesn’t use switch and bait to change the rules on us at the drop of a hat, or a change of the wind.

Two things I’ve learned, though I was not always successful in being obedient to it: never discipline in anger, and refusing to administer proper discipline is more of a sign of self love than true godly love for the ones that I was supposed to be nurturing in the admonition of the Lord. Both of these principles are dependent upon whether I love God first so that I can be led by His love. The fear of the Lord is the key to all matters in life. I don’t mean fear like ‘God’s gonna get you for that!” In stead, knowing that God has loved us first with an unconditional love, are we always seeking His wisdom and knowledge that we may be led by His word by the power of the Holy Spirit to do that which is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. After all, if we truly love Him, would we really want to purposely disappoint Him? He always knows what’s right, so doesn’t it just make sense to obey Him rather than doing what seems right in our own eyes or in the sight of society any given time and place? Jesus said He always did that which the Father would have Him do – even to the point of going to the cross and dying for you and me. In the eyes of Satan, he thought he had destroyed Jesus and any hope of salvation for all of God’s creation. However, from the very beginning, the death and resurrection of Jesus was God’s plan of redemption for our salvation.

God’s love for us is demonstrated in both forgiveness and chastisement. When we are disobedient He is quick to forgive when we repent, but He is also just as quick to chastise us in order to correct us so we won’t continue in the way that can only bring us harm. It is popular today, even among some believers, to emphasize the loving side of God’s character, while ignoring the just side of God. Some will even say that since God is a loving God; all are saved whether they believe or not; therefore, all are going to heaven, and there is no Hell. Both ideas are not substantiated by the word of God and are therefore seducing and deceiving lies of the devil. This false teaching leads one to believe that one can ignore the commandments and statutes of God, living in any way we wish without any accountability or consequences, completely ignoring the judgment of God. The need for understanding and practicing a right balance between love and discipline is readily exemplified even on just a human level. Where there is love without discipline and correction (accountability and judgment), chaos and disorder reign.
Parents who are raising children in such an atmosphere, wind up creating a generation of selfish and self-centered brats who have no idea of what it means to respect their own parents, much less for having the proper ‘fear’ (awesome respect) of our heavenly Father.

This erroneous and conflicting perception of the God’s nature depicts Him as some kind of weak and ineffective parent that is a mushy, spineless push-over who is both undeserving of respect and lacking in any judgment or authority. How sad for each of us as our society marginalizes God’s judgment which results in evil being called good and good being called evil. More often than not, one who takes an uncompromising stand on the word of God is now called a hater and a bigot. Love without justice creates in us a divided nature that has no compass of right and wrong, good or evil. We become Christians that are neither hot nor cold, without the will or desire to take a stand for the ways of the Lord. Departing from His truth, we become a people without a vision and no defense against the powers and principalities of the darkness of this world. We settle for the false idea of “Can’t we just all get along and love one another,” giving the appearance of following God, but without the power to do so.

Yes, God does tell us to love one another, but He does not tell us to condone and love sin. Just the opposite, He loves the sinner but hates the sin. Like the woman at the well, He did address the sin in her life and told her to “go and sin no more.” As believers, we too must not make the mistake of not confronting sin in our own lives or sin within the body of Christ. Too often, when we are confronted with sin in our life, we try to cover up our own sin by accusing another of being judgmental. As Christians, we are supposed to ask the Lord to ‘search my heart O Lord, and let me know if there be any wicked way in me.’ We are also supposed to go to one another in love with reproof and rebuke to help encourage one another to stay on the straight and narrow path. I don’t mean we are to go around telling everyone about the ‘splinters that are in their eyes while there is this big log protruding from our own.’ There is that word ‘balance’ once again, and nothing can be done without the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever heard a sermon and think, “He’s talking directly to me?” Immediately, somehow you know that the Holy Spirit is using the pastor’s words, or the words of another, maybe even a stranger, to convict (not condemn) you of sin in your life leading you to repent and make the necessary corrections? This is what I believe the Lord is speaking of when He says: “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man and he will increase in learning. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Prov. 9: 8, 9) Those who really love you, they will speak truth in love to you. Whereas the one who does not truly love you, is always willing to tell you just what you want to hear whether it’s going to bring harm to you or not. Test the spirits as the word says; He will always confirm the truth by two or more witnesses.

In the end, it’s all a part of being diligent to keep the word ever before our eyes and in our hearts endeavoring to be obedient that we may do the will of God. Balance between godly love and godly judgment can not be obtained without first observing to keep the Lord and His ways first in our lives. Being willing to hear and receive a word of correction, even when it may be uncomfortable, can be one of the most valuable gifts God may give you and me today. Make the time to be with the Lord, be willing to learn from Him. God is a God of order; requiring a right balance of His love and His justice. Judgment, or discipline, is not a sign of hatred but of love. His judgment, meant for our good, not evil, is that part of His love which is used to call our hearts back to Him when we have strayed. It’s His way of saying; “Stop, turn around, you’re going the wrong way. You’ve forgotten that you are my people, and I am your God.” God’s love and judgment are always in balance with one another. He is full of mercy and grace, but He is also a just God so we can not separate His love and His judgment. We can not have the one without the other.

If there is any doubt about God or His word in your life, be willing to ask Him for wisdom and understanding. Be willing to confess, “I do believe Lord; help thou my unbelief.” Spend time with Him. Let Him fill your heart with joy and gladness. Let Him whisper His sweet words and thoughts into your very heart and soul that you may have ‘The Mind of Christ’ to keep you in all your ways.

**After I wrote the preceding theme, the thought occurred to me that perhaps understanding might be enhanced if a brief discussion and definitions of a few key terms were included:

Wisdom – the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is the search to see or perceive things from God’s perspective thereby enabling one to determine the best course of action to take.

Fear of the Lord – to have reverential awe of God. We are exhorted to fear the Lord for He is a jealous God. That is He is ‘jealous’ in the sense that He cares for us with much vigilance and zeal. He has provided His Spirit and His Word to be our guide to protect us from danger and harm. He has sent His Son as our Savior and Lord to redeem us from sin and death

Judge (judgment) – to pass sentence, punish, or condemn. As Christians, we are not supposed to judge others as God alone can judge the heart of man. Judgment from God is not a bad thing if we recognize it as a sound of alarm from Him telling us to stop, turn from evil ways, turn our hearts back to Him in obedience and follow the straight and narrow path. Continual refusal to repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord can only result in our own destruction.

Discern (discernment) – to discover or recognize; the ability to recognize the difference between good and evil. We are commanded to study the word of God that we might be able to be a ‘workman that need not be ashamed’, using discernment to rightly understand the word of God which leads us into all truth, guarding us against deception, doubt, and unbelief. When one lacks godly discernment the result is complete lawlessness and depravity for then there is no right or wrong. A society without godly discernment is recognized by its attitudes of “if it feels good, do it,” “everybody’s doing it, so go for it,” and “a man’s ways are right in his own eyes.”

Forms of criticism:

Reproof – rebuke; criticism for a fault.

Rebuke ¬– to reprove or reprimand; to turn back or keep down

Correction – chastisement; to set right with remedies, revisions, reforms
As Christians, we are exhorted to use godly discernment in ministering correction, reproof, or rebuke unto ourselves and other believers to encourage one another to separate ourselves from our old sinful nature that we may become more Christ-like. Do not mistake this for being judgmental; they are not one and the same. Sometimes people will refuse to receive correction and accuse the messenger of being judgmental; thereby, removing any accountability for their own actions and refusing to accept their need to repent and make the necessary corrections in their own lives. Hopefully, all is to be done in love, but regardless of how it is done or received, it is better to hear the truth from a friend, than to hear a lie (or what we want to hear) from one who doesn’t care, no matter what harm it may bring to us. Receiving positive criticism, even though it may make us feel uncomfortable, is one of God’s tools to encourage us to rid our lives of those things which are unpleasing in the sight of God. Naturally, not all criticism may be true or positive. But we are better off if we listen and consider the possibility that truth may be revealed for our own good. If it is truly of God, He will confirm it by two or more witnesses.

“Try the spirits.” (I John 4: 1)

Hopefully this will bring more clarity to our understanding. Learning from the Lord is a continual process. I’m sure this is not an exhaustive study, and He will probably have me revisit this topic to obtain further treasures from His Word. “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Ginger Rahn

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Here Am I Lord, Use Me

In so many ways, my life has been marked by moments of short spans of mental video tapes that seem to replay in my mind’s eye, revealing both small and greater events, turns, and choices that, had they not happened as they did, could have changed the whole pattern of my life. Some of these snapshots of time have been used to teach me life lessons in little baby steps, reminding me where I’ve come from and preparing me for where I’m going. I wish I had a greater ability to write and convey the true marvels of having a personal relationship with the Lord in order to reach others for Christ. Then I am reminded of the story of the master who gave ten coins to one servant, five to another, and one to still another. When he returned, the first two had used what they had been given, investing it wisely; thereby increasing the original amount of what they had been given. However, the third servant had just buried his, so it had not been used to produce anything of greater worth to be given back. My talent to write may not be great in the eyes of others, but I pray that I may use what I have been given to magnify the name of the Lord, and forever praise His name. May I be used to somehow touch the lives of others for God, as He has touched and changed my own life.

At the age of almost seventy one, I look at the events of my life as if they are pieces of a quilt, worked together with care and love by my heavenly Father, who has known me and made me His own even before He knit me together in my mother’s womb. From time to time over the past few years, I have attempted to impart lessons He is in the process of teaching me. Some have been shared with others with a response that was not at all what I had hoped for. In some cases, my efforts have been received with a response of, “I’m happy for you for your faith. That’s good for you, but it’s not for me.” At times, I had the feeling they imagined that I was boasting that my faith made me a better person than they. I endeavor to stand upon the word of the Lord as truth that is not to be watered down or compromised. Some perceive this as arrogance and even self-righteousness. It is not my own righteousness that I proclaim, but only the righteousness of Jesus Christ which He imparts to each believer through our faith in Him. Some have perceived this to be arrogance and self-righteousness. Such responses can be very discouraging. Satan has often tried to tell me, “It’s a waste if time; just shut up, Ginger, and go sit in your comfortable corner in silence, apathy, and indifference.” Yet I know I must keep trying by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

My walk with the Lord is a process, one that is incomplete and often marked by periods of taking one step forward and two steps back. It’s not His handy work at fault, but rather my response to His call that has often caused Him to have to put me back on the pottery wheel to reshape an edge here, a point there, or even remove a whole appendage. Lord knows, sometimes it seems I have to keep going back to the very beginning, repeating the same lessons over and over again, in an effort to hopefully get it right the next time. Admittedly, there are periods of walking through the valleys of discouragement and failure. Yet I am reminded by Jeremiah that true success is measured not by whether the desired responses or results were achieved, but whether one is continually striving to be obedient to the voice of The Lord.

As a teacher, I’ve often thought maybe if I could just be better at finding just the right phrase, or just the right package in which to wrap Jesus and His word, maybe, just maybe, I could plant that spark of faith in another. But then I am reminded that God already did that in the form of His written word, Jesus (the word made flesh), and the gift of His Holy Spirit to live within us when we open our hearts and ask Him to come in. The Father has already used all the right words, said in just the right way, wrapped in the perfect package, and yet still His greatest gift of love is so often scorned and rejected. If it grieves my imperfect heart, I can only imagine how it must grieve Him when He reaches out in pure, unconditional love only to have it ignored and rejected by a hardened heart of indifference.

At one time or another, there is not a one of us that has not failed to acknowledge who He really is and all that He does. Unfortunately, there are also those who never will answer to His call. For years and years, Noah tried to tell others of the coming flood and they must get ready to enter the Ark. They scoffed and laughed at his warning, and at the preparations of building the Ark in the middle of a desert. But then the floods did come, Noah and his family had retreated into the safety of the Ark. However, regardless of the horrible sounds of their screams of pure horror, the once open door to safety had now been shut and it was too late. So too today, we have the voice of the Lord calling to us from His word, telling each of us to get into the ark of faith in Jesus Christ. He never gives up on us. His mercy and grace is long suffering towards us. Just as it was in the days of Noah, there will come a time when the ‘door of the ark of Jesus Christ’ will also be shut, and it will be too late for those who have not believed to enter in.

His arm is still outstretched. His voice still beckons to all to come to Him through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit still summons us to repent that we might be redeemed and receive the gift of salvation. He never gives up on us. We must daily ‘seek His face’ to know Him with all our heart, mind, and soul, that we might be doers and not just hearers of His word.

Lord, I pray that you will give to us spiritual ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart of flesh that we might not be a stiff-necked rebellious people. When there is something we doubt, teach us to come to you and pray, “Lord, I do believe. Help thou my unbelief.” Bind us together with cords of love that can not be broken in the hope that we might be used as your instruments of love to draw others to you. Jesus is the door whereby we may enter the kingdom of Heaven. There is no other name on earth whereby we can be saved. Those are not my words, nor simply my opinion. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” His words are plain. Either they are true, or if we deny it, we make Him a liar or a lunatic. As believers, you and I must continue to do our best to share the gospel of the One that has first loved us. “Lord, you are more precious than silver or gold, and nothing I desire compares with you.” Amen

Ginger Rahn

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Contradictions in the Bible? Part 4

In researching these “contradictions in the Bible” it has become plain to me that those who are contending there are contradictions fall into two categories: those who don’t believe the Bible is the ‘inspired’, trustworthy and accurate Word of God and those who don’t believe in God. These are the same kind of people who heard Jesus’ words, saw His miracles and said He was getting His power from Satan. I have continued with this series because there are those who are immature in the Word of God and have only the ‘milk of the gospel’ (Isaiah 28:9, 1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:12-13, 1 Peter 2:2) and need to mature into the ‘meat’ of the gospel.

Was Jesus' first sermon plain or mount? This is another instance of either a misunderstanding of scripture or ignorance induced arrogance. His first sermon was in the wilderness, where He preached to Satan about not twisting the Word of God. If this question is about the Sermon on the Beatitudes, they (yes, I said they) were given in two locations. On the MOUNT Jesus gave eight blessings and in the sermon on the PLAIN, He gave four blessings and four woes. As far as His first preaching, Matthew 4:17 says: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. He was by the Sea of Galilee at that time.

How many angels were at the tomb? Matthew 28:2-6 says: “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come; see the place where the Lord lay.” John 20:10-12 says: “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeing two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Apparently there was one angel out side and two inside the tomb. If these two quotes were written consecutively there would be no doubt that they were two different periods of time. We also can see that the countenance of the angel was so great that the guards fainted. These were the same guards that took bribes to say the disciples stole the body. The punishment for dereliction of duty while on guard duty was death. The other part of the bribes was that the Pharacies would see that they would not be punished. Luke 23:23 says: “And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive”. The women had gone back to the house and reported seeing angels (plural).

Human vs. ghostly impregnation? Acts 2:29-30 says: “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne.” Matthew 1:18 says: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost”. The infidels.org web site gave Acts 2:30 and Matt.1:18 to demonstrate a contradiction. Taking Acts 2:30 without the context of verse 29 is at the least dishonest. Mary’s family line was from the loins of David, therefore Mary was the fruit of David’s loins that was spoken of. Mary’s lineage made Jesus ‘man’, while the Holy Ghost made Him God.

Cover head to pray or not? In the Old Testament, people were supposed to pray with their heads covered. Men would wear a head covering of some kind and a woman’s hair (probably because her hair was her glory, 1 Corinthians 11:15) qualified as her covering. In the time when Jesus was here in human form, Jewish men just as today had prayer shawls. It is my opinion that the shawl qualifies as being in your closet to pray. Men would pull the shawl up over their head to pray because a man was not supposed to pray uncovered. We no longer need the head covering to pray as Jesus is the covering for Born Again Christians. Nothing needs to cover us when we pray: a yamaka, a shawl, a priest or anything else. If we pray with a hat, shawl or something else on our head, it does not interfere with our prayers because the Holy Spirit indwells us and we pray from the heart.

Did anyone beside Paul hear the voice? In Acts 9:7, it says the men who journeyed with Saul stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. There is precedent for this; where some see and hear, while others don’t. Daniel 10:5-7 says: “Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves”. Matthew 3:16-17 says: “and Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Matthew 17:5 says: “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him”. Mark 9:7 says: “and there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved Son: hear him. Luke 9:35 says: And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved Son: hear him”. 2 Peter 1:17-18 says: “For he (Jesus) received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount”. As we can see, God is selective as to whom he allows to hear His voice.


As with all of my writings, everything must be compared to the Bible, for verification. Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations are from the King James Version.

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Unbelief

There are atheists who believe there is no God, and we should not have the right to worship Him. Yes, there are those who are so self absorbed that they think that they are the all in all of earthly existence. Either you believe, as they believe, that there is nothing to believe in or you are somehow less important and intelligent than they are. I guess that makes some sense to them, in a weirdly convoluted way.

These are excellent examples of distorted thinking, vain imagination and a reprobate mind. “As a bisexual, I obviously don't believe anything is wrong with being gay or bi or trisexual (try anything). I further don't believe in hell. I believe we go to another dimension where we bathe in true love of god and our soul group, review our past lives and plan with our group who will play what roles in our next incarnation. We learn how our actions affected people in the recent life we had here, and choose what lessons we will learn next time. There is no judgment in this dimension, only understanding love, with zero punishment. 'To understand all is to forgive all' and I believe god gets who we are and loves us unconditionally. The concept of consequence is built on good and bad, I think. I don't believe in bad or devil or evil. I don't believe in judgments that things are better than other things. I guess there are consequences from what we choose while we are here, but not punishment on the other side. I do believe that good can be found in everything, if you can raise your perspective high enough to see the big picture.” Where is the yang? Does the ying stand alone? What happened to the equal and opposite reaction that goes along with the ‘for every action’? Looks like some people want to say they believe in God but don’t think He believes in His own Word. In reference to the Bible, one gay man told me: “I prefer another book of FAIRY TALES...OZ has much more personal/universal truth and inspiration for me!!!” He obviously didn’t think this was insulting my belief system, or he didn’t care. The Bible says that a man is right in his own eyes.

Many LGBT people think that they are hated by Christians and that Christians think they are going to Hell. The going to Hell part is true, but no more than any other person. Anybody who rejects the salvation of Christ is going to Hell; LGBT folks don’t have a special direct path. A real Christian, not a Christian in name only, has love in their heart for LGBT people, as they do for everyone else. That is why a Christian will present the plan of salvation to all people, including LGBT people. This is an act of love and concern; not a form of condemnation or rejection.

I don’t want to seem like I am singling out the LGBT community. There is plenty of sin, of all types, to go around. The Bible lists many things that separate people from God. I chose the LGBT folks because the LGBT community has chosen to be in the spotlight lately, as they fight for what they consider to be equal rights.

The main thing we need to realize is that when you present the message of salvation to anyone, you may not be the one who can have a positive effect by your witness; but that you have planted a seed (if you have done it with love). Someone else may be able to water and fertilize the seed you planted. Not every seed you plant will lead to salvation. The example Jesus used in the parable of the sower was that the planting of seeds gives differing results. However, just because the results can be different doesn’t mean we should stop sowing: the last seed we sow may be the fruitful seed. We must also realize that not everyone will be saved. There are times when we need to shake off the dust from our feet (Mark 6:11), cast not your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6) and/or let our peace return to us (Matthew 10:13). There are those who are beyond redemption: not because it is impossible for God, but rather it is impossible for them to receive what God offers. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, remember 1 Peter 4:14: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” In 2 Peter 2:12 we are told that there are those who “speak evil of the things they don’t understand”.

The reason we need to love these people enough to tell them about the Lord now, is that there will come a time when we will not be able to do so. Ezekiel, speaking for God in chapter 3 says: “I have made thee a watchman on the wall….: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.” What this means is that if I don’t tell you about the saving Grace of the Bible, I will be held at least partially responsible for your going to Hell, but if I have told you, I have done what is required of me, by God. However, there are times when you don’t keep beating your head against a stone wall. There are times when it is better to kick the dust from your feet, and let your peace return to you, so that you can concentrate on other more productive areas where your testimony will prosper.

I think the ultimate in unbelief would be equated with those people who are described in Matthew 28:17 “after He rose again, saw Him but some still doubted”. I would love to know what was in their minds. Could this be the mindset of those pastors and teachers in the end time apostate church? There are people who call themselves pastor and reverend who diminish the Bible and even the basic fundamentals of Christianity. Some of these people even call their groups a church. The Bible says that it would be better for these people if they had never been born. Hebrews 10:29 tells us: “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”. Secular Humanism and the Church of Satan are recognized religions in the United States. 2 Peter 2:1-4 tells us there are “false prophets among you”. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 tell us there will be a falling away in the end times. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 says there will be a departing from the faith. 2 Timothy says that in the last days people will not endure sound doctrine.

Here is something to think about: What did Jesus do for me that He did for Noah, Job, Abraham, Moses, the prophets, David, Solomon, and the Apostles. He called me to be with Him. To put it another way; He sought me until I found Him. Chances are if you are reading this, He has done the same for you. 2 Peter 3:9 tell us: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

There are those who have said that I think I know everything, because I present what I have learned from God as being true. All I say to people like that is; you can learn the same things I have learned, if you will take the time and effort to study the Word of God, just like I did. The Bible says that if you truly seek God, with a humble heart, He will show Himself to you. Hebrews 11:6 says: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”. I do not present my opinion as being Gods. If I give my opinion, I am careful to let the reader know.

I cannot give anyone the gift of Salvation. That power belongs only to God, because He is the one who paid the price for that salvation. All I can do is guide you to the ‘Fountain of Life’, but it will be up to you to drink. I can lead you, but it is up to you to respond when the Holy Spirit calls you. Truthfully speaking, if you haven’t felt the call of the Spirit, you really do have something to worry about. Are you missing the call, been deceived, or are you so hard hearted you will never be willing to see the truth?

I understand that Christians are not perfect and sometimes are found to approach things in a less than loving, or even understandable, way. I recently heard about those described as granola Christians, which are flakes and nuts. There are also leopard Christians who believe the Bible is only right in spots. Please forgive us our faults as God has only made us perfect in His sight.

The one thing that carries the harshest consequence of all is the rejection of the Christ, as your personal Lord and Savior. In comparison, everything else pales. That, my friend, is unbelief.

Rick Rahn

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Contradictions in the Bible? Part 3

The Bible, all 66 books, is a continuing saga of God’s relationship with man. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus says: not one jot or tittle would pass away from the Law until all is fulfilled. The second the New Covenant became available was, as stated in John 19:30, Jesus said “It is Finished”. Because Jesus didn’t do away with the Old Covenant; under the New Covenant you are given a choice – to be under the Old Covenant law or to have a personal relationship with Christ and be forgiven for the sinning done against the Old Covenant laws.

What was the color of the robe placed on Jesus during his trial? This is an excellent example of the trivia pointed to by those trying to discredit the Word of God. One biblical writer may have seen the robes as scarlet and another may have seen them as purple: both being used in royal robes. In the Book of Revelation, the scarlet beast and the great prostitute were dressed in purple and scarlet; as a symbol of royalty, luxury and position. We do know that when this happened it was dark or getting dark. The light and the shadows may have played with the witnesses. There also may have been a combination of colors in the robes. (Matthew 27:29 scarlet robe, Matthew 27:31 what color was His own robe, Mark 15:17 purple, John 19:2 purple robe, John 19:5 purple robe)

The Trinity makes no sense. The word Elohim is the plural of El, which is the name meaning God; although in Genesis it is used as a singular tense. Thus we can see that Elohim means that the triune God is One. God consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Over the years, many have tried to explain the trinity in different ways. Water, steam, and ice are all the same substance. God is like a man who is a son, a husband and a father. None of man’s explanations suffice because it is a true mystery. The closest I can come is explaining that we are also triune beings. We have a body, a soul and a spirit. Right now we can’t separate our selves like God can, HOWEVER, when we die our body will go into the grave while our soul and spirit will go to Heaven (or the other place). Jews also call God Adonai (אֲדֹנָי), the Hebrew for "my lords". Boruck Hashim, Adoni, Eloheinu; meaning blessed are You, LORD, our Lords, the King of the universe.

Joseph and Mary would never have made the 80 to 90 mile trip to Bethlehem, to be taxed. The theory is that the journey would never have been demanded, by the Romans, because of the difficulties of travel in those days. In reality we find that the 80 to 90 mile trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem was made every year by Jesus’ family, for the Passover celebration (Luke 2:42).

Did Jesus say He was God? The concise answer is yes. If someone asked you if you were John Doe (and you were John Doe) your answer might be yup, yes, I am or another derivation of the same answer. This is what Jesus did on multiple occasions. “I don’t have to say the exact words, ‘I am married’ to indicate that I’m married. I can say ‘I’m her husband,’ or ‘this is my wife,’ or ‘It’s our 12th wedding anniversary’.” (http://www.apologeticsguy.com/2012/01/did-jesus-say-he-was-god/)

When Peter said He was the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus told Peter that he didn’t come by that knowledge by himself, but that the Father had let him know (Matthew 16:15-17). Statements such as: 1. “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58), 2. “I and the Father are one”: (John 10:33), 3. “I Am” (Mark 14:60-64), Mark 14:62 “I am”, Luke 23: 70-71, John 10:30 “I and My Father are One”, John 10:36-38 “Son of God” When asked by the High Priest if He was the Christ, Jesus told him “I am”. The Jews certainly understood that Jesus was claiming to be God, and they sought to kill Him because of it. Jesus said: “Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, I am God's Son"? Jesus also said: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21). Did Jesus say that He was God? Yes!

How many apostles were in office between the resurrection and ascension? Why this is a stumbling stone I don’t know. Judas died and there was no one in his position until, in Acts, the remaining eleven elected Matthias, by lot after prayer, to fill the position. Therefore, there were eleven Apostles in office between the resurrection and the ascension.

Does the Old Testament talk about Jesus? In a quick study, I found over 100 prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled, by Jesus, in the New Testament. Not many Jews will acknowledge Isaiah 53, because it so vividly described Jesus. Jesus’ name was not revealed in the Old Testament. He was described by what and who He would be, but His name wasn’t revealed until the New Testament.

Was Jesus born in a house or a manger? Luke 2:7 says: Jesus was born in a manger. Matthew 2:11 says: The Wise Men came to the house and saw the child with His mother. What most people fail to realize is that the shepherds visit in the manger and the Wise Men’s visit at the house were approximately two years apart. That is why the king wanted all young boys, from babies to two years old, killed. Jesus was born in a manger. This also answers another question: were they visited by Shepherd’s or wise men?

How many angels were at the tomb? Matthew 28:2-6 says: “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come; see the place where the Lord lay.” John 20:10-12 says: “Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulcher, and seeing two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” If these two quotes were written consecutively there would be no doubt that they were two different periods of time. We also can see that the countenance of the angel was so great that the guards fainted. Matthew 28:11-15 says: “Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” These were the same guards that took bribes to say the disciples stole the body. The punishment for dereliction of duty while on guard duty was death. The other part of the bribes was that the Pharacies would see that they would not be punished.



As with all of my writings, everything must be compared to the Bible, for verification.

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Two Opposing World Views

There are two opposing world views, namely a secular and a biblical world view. The Christian must constantly guard against letting the secular world views from tainting their ways of thinking and acting. Too often today, we find Christians compromising the word of God in order to justify a change in their beliefs, actions, or life style. We are all going to fail and are constantly in need of being brought under conviction of the Holy Spirit unto repentance for forgiveness of sin. As long as we are alive, we are in a spiritual battle, fighting against powers and principalities of the darkness of the world and against our old sinful nature. We strive to become more like Christ, and this is a life long on-going process. None of us will reach perfection until we see our Savior face to face when He will complete His work in us. The battle is for the mind & in the heart.

As we seek to be more Christ like, we must recognize there is a difference between committing a sin and practicing sin till we no longer even recognize it as sin. We are not to compromise God's word or be conformed by secular thought or world view. Rather, we are to 'renew' our minds by the "washing of the water of the word." We are to be 'transformed' by the word that we might have 'the mind of Christ.' This struggle to resist the world, Satan, and our own flesh is at the root of the problem. One or the other will win- we can not serve two masters. No one can be obedient to God and yet hold fast to the ambivalent, relative, and always changing values of the secular world.

There is no neutral position with God; we are either with Him or against Him. The problem is that today too many of us have become fence sitters, trying to live with one foot in the worldly realm and one in the godly realm. So what do we have now? We have a body of professing Christians who are either walking in opposition to the word out of lack of knowledge, ignorance of God's word, or, out of outright rebellion, we have become so conformed to the world that no one can see any difference between us and the unbelievers of the world. We are willing to undermine the word of the Father and exalt man's thoughts and ways above the ways of The Lord. No wonder the word describes us as neither hot nor cold, no longer the salt of the earth, having an appearance of religion, but lacking the power thereof. How sad that God has said for many of us that He will look at us and say "I knew you not," and spew us out of His mouth.

If you have never read the book of Jeremiah, as a Christian in today's world, it is most relative to the conditions found within the body of Christ today. Jeremiah was sent to bring the word of God to the body of believers, not to unbelievers. Time and time again, they were warned to obey The Lord, 'that all may go well with you.' Instead, the people refused time and time again to heed the warnings that they must listen, hear, and obey the word of God or receive the consequences. The Israelites, God's chosen people, believers, brought disaster down upon themselves. Once again, we are refusing to learn from history as we continually determine to walk in the same stiff-necked, rebellious paths of old. As believers, we are going down the very same wide path that leads to our own destruction. We choose to ignore, compromise, and even pervert the word of The Lord to accommodate what we find to be convenient and pleasing to our own way of thinking, whether it is pleasing in the sight of The Lord or not. Not only have our hearts not been convicted unto repentance for our daily failures, but too often our hearts have been so turned away from God that we have become comfortable in living with iniquity and even abominations. We ‘practice’ sin so that it becomes 'normal' and acceptable. We no longer even recognize it to be sinful, for it has now become 'right' in our own eyes.

I encourage each of us to take time to read the book of Jeremiah. Sad to say, it is like picking up any newspaper, and witnessing first hand the total destruction of what once was our great nation. Believers of today are just like the Israelites of old. The Lord has provided us with His full counsel of His word. Yet we, who say we serve God, are becoming watered down, soggy, and ineffective. While we sleep and keep our heads in the sand, the world around us is falling apart because we are falling away from the One that should be our first love. Will we return our hearts totally to Him and hearken unto the voice of the Lord, or will we continue to turn our backs on Him? If we do not seek to ‘be being filled’ daily by His Holy Spirit through His word, prayer, and encouraging one another to take a bold stand for Him, we contribute to our own downfall through our own silence and apathy. Holy Father, forgive us and have mercy upon us. We, the ones who profess to believe in you, are finding it easier and easier to ignore and forget you. Lord, I pray, do whatever it takes to turn our hearts back to Thee. Give us spiritual eyes to see, spiritual ears to hear, and a heart of flesh ( not of stone) that we may once again know the joy that can come only through putting you first in our lives, listening to and obeying the word of The Lord by the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Hearken unto the Voice of the Lord!!!

Ginger Rahn

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Bring Back the New Again

Father God, I feel like I have let us both down as it seems I don’t have the same enthusiasm about our relationship that I did when we first got together. I promise that I don’t want to be taking you for granted. I think it’s just that I have become so used to having you with me, and that I have become accustomed to your presence. I think that our relationship is wonderful, and I pray you do also. I sometimes find myself using my own resources instead of immediately calling on you for all things. I do know that the insights I have gained about you, through experience and study of your Word, should have displaced all reliance on self. I know that we Christians need to keep being filled, by the Holy Spirit, as we tend to leak. The words of a Christian song come to mind at times like this.

“Bring Back The New Again”

Verse:
I can still remember, the wonderful feeling, back when I first got to know You
It seemed the world was mine, I had joy, I had springtime
But that's all just a memory anymore
I guess I took my eyes off You Lord, but I don't want this callous feeling anymore
Oh, please bring back the way it was before

Chorus:
Bring back the new again, I want to see You again
Bring back the way it was, when we began
How did I miss the road? When did I lose the glow?
And where did the wonder go? Bring back the new again

Verse:
It wasn't long ago when, my heart was glowing, and every new day was a challenge
But indifference turned me cold, made things stale, made them old,
Now I've lost the happy song I used to sing
It seems that I forgot the most important thing, but I don't want this callous feeling anymore
Oh, please bring back the way it was before

Chorus:
How did I miss the road? When did I lose the glow?
And where did the wonder go? Bring back the new again!
Words and music by Gordon Jensen

I believe an analogy can be drawn between the excitement of first becoming a Christian and the early time of our newly founded Christian nation. By reading the true history of our nation (not the revionist history taught in our schools today), there can be no doubt but that this country was founded by a vast majority of people who were Christian and intended, in fact and in theory, that the Bible was the basis of the foundation of the United States of America.

Through subterfuge and conspiracy, there has been a falling away from the original foundations of our nation. These foundations have been redefined by those who were obviously inspired by the one personage, Satan, who is most disturbed by people who believe in the Word of God. If we could interview founders like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, we could easily determine their original intent and the true foundations of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and documents following, such as the Federalist Papers. In fact we have that information available through the writings of our founders (the actual documents, not the interpretations of the revisionists).

The original intent of our founders was to give the God of the Bible first place in our political system as well a first place in our educational system. Christians were preferred as office holders, and bibles were printed and distributed by the government, for use in our schools. Only by understanding why we have the laws we have, can we understand why they should be obeyed.

In the 1920’s, an insidious and creeping plague, known as the progressive movement, began to gain power in our political system. The purpose of this movement is to replace reliance on God, and the Bible, with the will of man. These people were successful, beginning in the sixties, in slowly but surely reinterpreting the courts’ basis for defining the constitution. When God says in His Word that man is right in his own eyes, He is referring to mans efforts to come out from under the will of the Lord and decide all things for himself. The ACLU, in collusion with the Klu Klux Klan, in a case brought to the Supreme Court, brought in a misrepresentation of a letter written by Thomas Jefferson which referred to a ‘wall of separation’ between church and state. What Jefferson was telling the Baptists was that the Federal government could in no way interfere with their right to worship as they pleased. It takes some special kind of perversion and deception to believe that Jefferson was in any way attempting to limit the meaning of the First Amendment. That would fly in the face of the rest of Jefferson’s writings and the actions taken by Jefferson, especially while he was president. He held church services in government buildings, used military bands for the music, and under his direction, established government paid missionaries to spread the message of the Bible. The Christian religion was the fundamental basis of the everyday functioning and decisions of our government. The basis of our laws comes directly from the Bible. The structure of our governmental and court systems comes from the Bible.

What is needed is a return to the original intent of the founders. While we operated under those intents, we prospered. Since these original ideals have been eroded away, we can trace a direct path of reduction of our prosperity, morality, an increase in crime and a lessening of influence in the world.

If we continue in our apathy, to watch as the secularists slowly chip away at our freedoms, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. The more we allow these people to marginalize the Word of God, the farther away we will be away from our beautiful beginnings. Either our country, as devised by God, is worth the effort, or it is not. What is truly worth having is worth fighting for. “It wasn't long ago when, my heart was glowing, and every new day was a challenge. But indifference turned me cold, made things stale, made them old, now I've lost the happy song I used to sing. It seems that I forgot the most important thing, but I don't want this callous feeling anymore. Oh, please bring back the way it was before.”

We need now, as we had at the beginning, Christian leadership
in our government. The problem with this need is that it means we have to take part in the election process and running for office against the anti-God influences. We need to take part in and support the fundamental Judeo/Christian influences and stop sitting around waiting for the end of the world.

Rick Rahn

As with all of my writings, everything must be compared to the Bible, for verification.

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Anti-Semitism

          The evil one, dammed be he, was the first anti-Semite because of his hatred for the Holy One, blessed be He.  The Hebrews are God’s chosen people; composed of Jews who could be either active Hebrews or just those who claim their place due to their heritage.  It drives me crazy when people in Israel are interviewed about miracles, which they acknowledge, and then say they are not religious.  In the same way, there are Born Again Christians, and there are those who claim to be Christian without ever having a Born Again experience. 

      Abraham was not only the father of the Hebrew people, but also of the Arab people (not the Islamic/Muslim people because Islam is a man made religion, invented by Mohammad, approximately 600 years after the Birth of the Messiah).  Non Jewish Christians, through faith, become sons of Abraham by being grafted into the vine of Judaism. 

           During the crusades Jews were slaughtered, by misguided doctrines under the guise of Christianity, in their synagogues; the same way that Christians are slaughtered, by Moslems, in their churches today.  During the Spanish Inquisition, Jews were killed if they wouldn’t convert to Catholicism.

          Martin Luther, regardless of his accomplishment to bringing about a bible for the common man, was himself an anti-Semite. Writings by President Jimmy Carter, despite his protestations to the contrary, are very anti-Semitic.

          Replacement theology is a misunderstanding of Gods sovereignty. It is the teaching that the Church of Jesus Christ has replaced Israel in God’s covenants. The actual covenant with the Jews is irrevocable.

          Adolph Hitler’s grandfather was a Jew and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was born a Jew.  Hitler was ashamed of his Jewish roots and tried to destroy all evidence of it.  When Mahmoud was four, Ahmadinejad’s father converted his family to Islam for business reasons.

          It is a known fact that Moslems build a trophy when they conquer a city or land (or convert something).  The thumb in the eye (Dome of the Rock) shrine is a good example of this. This abomination is on the temple mount for one reason only; to claim ownership of the temple mount.  “According to Islamic tradition, the (Dome of the) rock is the spot from which Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. Further, Muhammad was supposedly taken there by Gabriel to pray with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.”[1]  Mohammed was not lifted to heaven, along with the angel Gabriel, to talk to the Jesus of the Bible.  Isa, the Arabic name for Jesus, is not the Jesus of the Bible.  Jesus is God, Abraham’s faith was a faith in the God of the Bible and Moses was a Hebrew.  Can you imagine the conversation if Muhammad actually did have a talk with those three.  What would Muhammad have to say to two of God’s favorites and God Himself? 

           “During the Crusades the Dome of the Rock was given to the Augustinians, who turned it into a church while the Al-Aqsa Mosque became a royal stable. The Knights Templar  believed the Dome of the Rock was the site of the Temple of Solomon.”[2]  Cathedral–Mosque of Cordoba is a prime example of Moslem’s victory shrines.  What was the Cordoba Mosque was later recaptured by the Spanish and converted to a Catholic church.   “Since the early 2000s, Spanish Muslims have lobbied the Roman Catholic Church to allow them to pray in the cathedral.  The Muslim campaign has been rejected on multiple occasions, by both Spanish Catholic authorities, and the Vatican. In 2010 there was a violent incident over the matter.”[3]

          The Dome of the Rock is a slap in the face to both Jews and Christians.  We must realize that under the Moslem rule of WAQF; once a territory becomes Moslem, it is Moslem forever.  That would include the Cordoba Mosque, the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount and the Twin Towers.  That is the reason the Moslems want to name the Mosque closest to the Twin Towers, the Cordoba Mosque. 

          Christians, who are truly ‘born again Christians’, are in essence adopted Jews.  The Bible says we are grafted into the vine of Judaism, of which the root is God.  There can be no anti-Semitism in true Christianity because Jesus came to the earth as a Jew.

          The land that God gave the Jews encompasses a lot more than is in present day Israel.  In Second Chronicles 6:24-25 Solomon prayed: “And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.”

 The real “occupiers” today are the nations surrounding Israel.  In Second Chronicles 7:20 God says: “my land, which I have given them.”

As we can see, from the map above; in reality Israel owns present day Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza strip, all of Jordan, all of Syria, all of Lebanon, part of Saudi Arabia, part of Iraq and part of Egypt.

          Anti-Semitism is an abomination to the Hebrew people, as well as Christians and to God Himself (who chose them as His own).  It’s up to you: God said if we bless Israel, He will bless us, but if we curse Israel He will curse us.  That is a promise direct from God. 

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[1] Wikipedia

[2] Wikipedia

[3] Wikipedia

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