Is There Nothing Sacred Anymore?

Is There Nothing Sacred Anymore?

          Last night, after viewing a portion of a Bill Maher, an anti religious comedian, video posted on Facebook, a feeling of disgust rose up within me.  Yet the disgust I felt dimmed in comparison to the sense of sadness and remorse that clinched my heart as I heard laughter and applause from the people as they responded to his sacrilegious remarks, encouraging him to continue on in his tirade of scoffing and derisive monologue that was aimed directly at God and anyone who believed in Him.  The people were more to be pitied than the comedian himself, for there they were willingly subjecting themselves to such a godless form of so called entertainment.  (I say “they”, not to exclude myself among them, for I have no doubt that I too may have been just as guilty of disrespecting our Lord, so the guilt of having taken part is on my head as well.)  They were choosing to help support and promote a man who thinks nothing of demeaning the Living God and all that He is and stands for.  It is so sad to think that our society has reached such depths of unashamed depravity that it willingly exalts such a man, and the filth that he spews forth, to a status of acceptable entertainment.  The scene brought forth thoughts of how the people once laughed and applauded as Christ hung dying on the cross and, later, as the Christians were led into the arena to be devoured by lions.  Bill Maher is but one man, and his mocking of God could not exist if the people were not willing to uplift him in such a manner.  I wondered to myself just how many of those present were ones who may even profess to be Christians, and yet were willing to pay good money to be a part of such a godless event.  How many of them made excuses by saying, “O, he’s not just against Christianity.  He mocks all religion,” as if that somehow made their presence there okay?  Is there no shame in their heart for supporting someone as he makes fun of God Almighty? 

          I have lived through a time when it was once taken for granted that God was to be held in a position of awesomeness, reverence, acknowledging that the fear of the Lord was valued, promoted, taught, and held in high esteem.  A man, such as Bill Maher, trying to speak of God in such a mocking manner, would have been looked upon as down right unacceptable.  People, for the most part, would not want to even appear to have anything to do with him or his atheistic humor.  Ah, but the times today, they are changing aren’t they?  We have become so ‘wonderfully tolerant’ that we think it’s cool to mock God, and it has become politically incorrect to believe in Him.

          Some, among the body of believers, think that the church is going to turn enough people to God that one day the church will bring forth a utopia here on earth, and that is when they will have prepared the way for the return of Christ on earth.  How deceived they are.  If they truly had eyes to see, they would realize that mankind is not improving, but only sinking further and further into unbelief and all the consequences and decadence that a godless and lawless society can produce.  We are basically daily involved in the process of crucifying Christ to ourselves all over again.

          Fear, respect, of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!  Fewer and fewer people, even among Christians retain that kind of wisdom and knowledge in today’s world.  Many of our pastors today are more involved in preaching the feel good messages of prosperity and having what you want when you want it, ‘name it and claim it’, that they have completely left out the messages that a loving God is also a just God; thus, if you continue to live a life willingly practicing sin, you will bring down His judgment upon a disobedient and rebellious people.  I’m not talking about unbelievers here.  You can’t blame the unbeliever for living like a total sinner.  They don’t even acknowledge that He exists, so obedience to Him is not even on their list of priorities.  I’m talking about those of us who profess to be believers and are thus supposed to be seeking to serve Him in ALL our ways, in thought, word, and deed.

          Sure, God knows our frailties and, try as we may, we will never reach perfection until we see Him face to face, and He completes His work in us giving us glorified bodies.  But until that time, we are supposed to fight the good fight, endure to the end, and every time we fall short of the mark we are to repent, confess our sin, ask for His forgiveness, and trust that He will help us through the power of the Holy Spirit to be more obedient unto Him, doing that which is pleasing in His sight.  God is all loving, and He is also a Holy and Just God.  A heavenly Father that does not chastise His children when they go astray is no better than an earthly father who fails to discipline his children when they are rebellious and disobedient.  Spare the rod of discipline and when the children turn out to be nothing but self centered brats, it is no one’s fault but the irresponsible parent who did not love the child enough to teach them right from wrong.  No parent is a perfect parent, but a negligent and irresponsible parent is no parent at all.  We should be thankful that we serve a God who loves unconditionally, knowing that He loves us enough to bless us with His chastisement so that we will turn back to Him and not continue on a dangerous and downward spiraling path towards harm and destruction.

          Years ago there was a TV character called Fonzie.  He was supposed to be this dude that was not a preppy, but had a bit of a delinquent image.  Having this image, he was presented as the coolest of all the cool dudes.  This kind of a somewhat ‘bad boy’ persona in those transitioning times of our society, tended to desensitize the teens, and even drew them towards the attitude that being a rebellious person was of more value than being obedient to authority and striving to be a good student was.  The character playing the obedient and good student was depicted as being less ‘cool’, while Fonzie was depicted as the role model for the others.  It was all a part of the free love, hippy, turn on (to drugs), and drop out of what had been the main stream society that, though not perfect itself, strove to refrain from and appearance of evil and believe in the Lord God Almighty.  I was a teen during those times and could have chosen to ‘drop out’ and become a part of it.  I saw the consequences of doing so, and, thank God, decided I wanted no parts of it. By the grace of God, I was spared from having to suffer through many of the consequences of such times.  I don’t boast of any such self righteousness, for I know that it was faith and dependence on God that was my salvation then as now.

          As this Fonzie character was a sort of cool imagery used to draw teens away from the image of being respectful and striving to do your best, there were just as many attempts to present deceiving images of the character and holiness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  If Satan can present enough of his lies in small ways, bit by bit he can eat away at the foundation of the deity of Jesus, and undermine His image as the all powerful Son of God. It’s Satan’s goal to present Jesus as being no more that just a mere man, no more worthy of respect, obedience, reverence and worship than any other mere man.  So what comes on the market but a bobble headed figure called Buddy Jesus.  It’s not rare, even now, to see them displayed on the dashboard of a car.  This “cool” Jesus has an outstretched arm sporting a thumbs-up hand at the end of it, just like that cool dude Fonzie.  At first glance, one may say, “Hey, that’s cute and cool!  What could possibly be wrong with that?”  That’s just it.  It’s such a little thing.  You may even think I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill.  Again, we must remind ourselves of the tricks Satan plays on us; little by little he chips away at the foundations of our faith until, without our awareness, the whole wall of protection from his fiery darts comes tumbling down and we are left vulnerable and defenseless.  I’m not saying the maker of these figures was purposely trying to be sacrilegious or evil.  But Satan can use the simplest things to destroy the fundamentals of our faith. 

          Do not be deceived! Isn’t that one of God’s warnings to us?  Look deeper at the deceiving message that this seemingly innocent little figure could present even without our conscious understanding.  Listen to the deceiving voice of Satan as he whispers his lies into your ears in an attempt to deceive your mind and heart: “Look at this Jesus, boy He’s cool, just like that Fonzie guy.  Look at this Jesus, why he’s your little buddy, just like that Fonzie guy.  Look at this Jesus, he’s just like you and me, just like that Fonzie guy.  Look at this Jesus; he’s just one of the guys, just like that Fonzie guy.”  Before you know it, this Jesus has been striped of His deity, stripped of His character as God incarnate in the flesh.  Before you know it, he has been presented as being only a mere man, maybe a very good man, maybe even a prophet, but God?  No, that knowledge and image has been erased and in its place is just a man no longer worthy of our respect, awe, obedience, reverence or worship.  Before you know it, you too have been desensitized to His holy character.  It becomes easier to take the name of God in vain; easier to be disobedient to His Word; easier not to fear, respect, the Lord; easier to do your own thing without regard as to whether it is pleasing before the Lord; easier to believe in any other gods of your choosing for this Jesus is no longer special and exceptional but only one of many gods.  And now, yes, it’s easier to be one of those in the midst of a Bill Maher concert, laughing and applauding as the Lord your God, the one you believe and have faith in, is held up in a constant barrage of ridicule, scoffing, mocking, and even ‘crucifying Him unto yourself all over again.’  The one who was crucified on the cross, bled and died to pay for your sins and mine though He Himself knew no sin; the one who gave His life that you and I might be saved through faith in Him; the one who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to prepare a place that where He was we might also be; the one and only One that deserves all glory, honor, and worship.  And yet, here you are, laughing and applauding along with everyone else as the One who loved us first is not revered or feared, but is being made fun of and ridiculed.  Oh, I forgot, it’s only comedy! 

 

Where is our shame?

Where is our repentance?

Where is our fear of the Lord?

 

Is There Nothing Sacred Anymore?

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Awake, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Awake, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Pray Without Ceasing!

 

          I awoke at two in the morning, as I am often prone to do these days in my later years.  I was filled with a since of urgency to pray for my children, yet not just for them.  I thought of our church family and our prayer chain where many pour out their requests for those in need of prayer.  More often than not, these prayers are understandably for those in need of healing.  Even so, my thoughts were drawn to the unspoken prayers that I’m sure are in the hearts of so many Moms and Dads, grandparents, relatives, and friends that are being raised unto the Lord as they see the damage, destruction and heartache that is taking its toll upon families due to the rampant doubt and unbelief of our times.  I feel for each of us as we cry out to the Lord for His intervention in the lives of our loved ones. We see them sinking deeper and deeper into the mire of secularism, humanism, intellectualism, and shackled by the chains of sin in their lives.  The scripture that so aptly describes the lives of too many today is captured in the scripture, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”(Tim. 3:7)

          “Satan roams too and fro seeking whom he may devour.”  And yet, if we were to look at our society with eyes opened wide, you’d think that the whole world is completely oblivious to Satan, as if he and hell did not even exist.  We have gone so far away from God that we don’t even realize there is a battle going on for our very souls.  Satan is still deceiving and destroying us with his same old question of “hath God really said?,” for he still tricks and deceives many with his lies that we aren’t really responsible for listening to and obeying God.  People are standing in our churches repeating the creed saying the words, “I believe in the virgin birth of our Jesus Christ, etc,’ and yet in their hearts they don’t believe one word of it.  Churches have become a place to come together to celebrate unity with community and mankind, while the people have not one idea of what it means to be united in the faith of our Lord- “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also ‘resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” (Tim. 3: 5, 8)

          In stead of concentrating on our Lord as a God of judgment and love, we are focusing more often on the love part of God’s character and ignoring the judgment part of His character.  We are wallowing in the pigpen of a ‘feel good’ message that espouses a sickening sentimental message of ‘let’s just love one another’ and set aside the fact that we serve a just and holy God that ‘will not strive with man forever.”  If anyone tries to give a message on God’s expectations of us to turn from sin, a loud cry too often swells up warning “judge not lest ye be judged” providing a smoke screen to cover the reality of our disobedient and rebellious hearts, for no one wants to be confronted with sin in our lives these days.  Hell is no longer presented as a part of reality, but just a figment of someone’s imagination.  Universalism, the belief that all are going to heaven regardless of in whom or what one believes, is even being proclaimed by the Pope and many other church leaders, and the people  are following right along in line with the footsteps of these false teachers.  We are drowning in the attitude of ‘just tell me what I want to hear’ and ‘don’t bother me with the facts of what I need to hear.’ God is full of mercy and grace towards us, but He also requires our obedience to Him and His Word.  We rejoice in words that tickle our ears, and yet spurn the words that should lead us unto conviction and repentance for our sins. We turn away from His efforts to draw our hearts back to Him, the One True Living God, who desires to correct our ways and plant our feet back on the straight and narrow path.

          Fellow believers, we must join in one accord, not only to pray for the sick but also to pray for God’s intervention in the lives of so many of our loved ones who have seemingly come to the decision and belief that they can get along quite well without God the Father. His Son Jesus, if He exists at all, is seen as good man who may have taught a few good things, but His deity and resurrection is merely a myth of man’s making to use as a crutch in life by those who are weak.  Their attitude has become that a trip to the ‘old rugged cross’ is wasted time and a needless effort, for we are our own god, having no need of a Savior.  And as for the Holy Spirit, He might as well be a figment of one’s imagination too for we not only deny His power but His very existence.  In addition, God’s word is no more truth than that which is found in the book of  “The Wizard of Oz.” The absolute truth of God is non existent, for whatever you or I say or believe is deemed as right, and there is no wrong.  There is no one way to God.  You follow your own ‘light’ and I’ll follow mine, and we will all meet together in the end, or when we die that is the end and there is no after life, so all this God stuff doesn’t matter anyway.  Who needs to trust in God when I can trust completely in logic, reason, history revised by man, and any other manmade attribute?  You and I, who believe in Christ as Savior and Lord, know these are lies straight from the devil.  But they are truth and reality to more of our loved ones than we would like to believe. 

          Time is short.  We can tell others about Christ, but we can not control their response.  Our greatest weapon in defense against the fiery darts and onslaught of Satan, his demons, the powers and principalities of the darkness of this world, is God’s Word and the effectual prayers of a righteous man.  We have been asleep or dormant for far too long.  We must put on the full armor of God and prepare to do battle for the sake of our own souls and the sake of our loved ones that we may bring glory and honor to the Lord our God, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  As the Word says, “Let us shout unto God with the voice of triumph.  Praise Him, Praise Him!  Shout unto God with the voice of praise. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Wake up, pray without ceasing, and let not our voices be silent any longer.

          As we go before the Lord to present out supplications unto Him let us remember and hold fast to the truth of the words in that wonderful old hymn:

 

“How Great Thou Art”

“O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!”

 

“With God, all things are possible!”

Matthew 19:26

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Who Is A Christian?

 

 

Who Is A Christian?

 

 

         I, in all honesty , have to start this writing with the statement that I don't and can't know for sure who is and who is not a Christian.  If I were able to read the Lambs Book of Life, it would be easy to tell whose names were in it.  Since I don't have access to this book, I can only go by the guidelines as set forth in the Bible. Since the Bible is the inerrant Word of the Living God, I have to trust it to be true and accurate. 

          There are people in the world today who have their salvation locked in.  There are those, who every day are qualifying for their entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.  There are those who will come to salvation between now and the time they die (even up to the last possible moment).  There are also those who will never come to accept the salvation available to them.  Only the Lord knows the difference.  I do know that there is rejoicing in Heaven every time someone turns their life over to the Lord.  Since salvation is in the heart of the saved, I can only know about my relationship with the Lord.  Salvation is within the personal relationship a person has with the Lord.  It is an exclusive bonding of the persons soul and spirit with that of the Lord; one on one and forever.

          The Bible tells us that we, who have our names written in the Lambs Book of Life, have had them there since the foundation of the world.  This does not mean that there are those who are forbidden from receiving the salvation available, but rather that God knows everything that has happened, is happening and everything that will happen.  Except for one very specific thing, our free will is the deciding factor as to where we will spend eternity.  That specific thing is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is giving Satan credit for the work of the Holy Spirit, or the attributing the works of Satan to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus, himself, warned us about that one. 

          What does it take to enter into the Kingdom of God and become a Christian?  "Ye must be Born Again." (John 3:7)  Jesus told us about the Born Again experience when He first described it to Nicodemus in the book of John chapter 3, verse 3.  The two Bible verses I like to use, to describe what it takes to become Born Again, are John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.  Believing, with all your heart, soul, spirit and mind that Jesus is Lord; was born of a virgin, lived as a man, died for the sins of mankind and was raised from the dead for the remission of our sins is the first step.  Repentance (changing your mind, from not receiving Jesus, to receiving Jesus) is the second step.  Admitting you are a sinner and asking for forgiveness is the third step.  Receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and turning your will and life over to Him is the forth step.  Testifying to others, that you have been born again, is the final step.  Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."(John 14:6)   There truly is only one way to qualify as a Christian, and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  That one and only way is through faith in Jesus, the Christ of God.  Put simply, salvation is based on what Jesus did for us, not what we have done for Jesus.

          Since we can't know, for sure, who has qualified as a Born Again Christian, we must Love one another as God loves us.  There are those who profess to be Christian and have never been born again.  These are the hardest to deal with,  because in many cases, they are prideful and therefore not willing to receive instruction.  These are the church people who will be left behind at the rapture.  Two Bible statements apply here - "the fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom" and "pride comes before the fall".  We must read the Bible for what it says, and for what it means.  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:".

          Although we are instructed to love everyone (because God loves everyone, regardless of their state of acceptance of Him), we are not instructed to like everyone.  Jesus was wroth with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the scribes, the money changers and many others.

 

          We learn, in the Bible, that the Lord lets the tares (ungodly) and the wheat (the godly) exist together.  It is not our duty to decide who is and who is not worthy in the Lord's eyes.  When the time comes, the angels will be given the duty to separate the sheep from the goats.

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The Emergence of The Emergent Church

          The Emergent Church is the adopted name of the changing of the Body of Christ (the church) into the apostate condition which will usher in the end time One World Religion.  Even a cursory viewing of the present spiritual condition of the main line denominations leaves no doubt that this is happening today; and has been for some time.  This doesn't mean that 'the people' in the congregations are anti-Christian, but simply being mislead.  It is my contention that there are Christians in every congregation, however, they simply don't know what to do about the apostasy.  

          The book of Revelation has all but been excised from church teaching because it doesn't fall in line with the "feel good" message to tickle the ears of the congregation.  Health, wealth and prosperity without consequence is the message that tickles the ears of many and makes for a wealthy and prospering church financial program. 

          Jesus and the Apostles all warned against this happening, and that it would happen in the less than faithful churches.  Of course, if your church teaches that the Bible is the infallible word of God, that Jesus came in the flesh, born of a virgin, and rose again from the dead to save the world from sin, and the only way to get into Heaven is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior you might be alright. 

          I am all in favor of Biblically based movies; however, if they are advertised as biblical, they should not distort the Bible.  Quotations by The Son of God should not have been changed, in the movie "Son of God".  Extremely serious misrepresentations of what the Bible says are presented in the movie "Noah"(http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2013/11/19/dont-be-taken-in-by-the-noah-movies-promotion/).  Literary license, poetic license and artistic license often provoke controversy by offending those who resent the reinterpretation of cherished beliefs or previous works.

          The Presbyterian Church USA has spit in the face of God in it's stance against Israel. Hopefully it doesn't take all of their parishioners to Hell. It takes a lot of gall to come out so much against God and His people, Israel. This abominable group says the Palestinians are the rightful heirs to the land God gave to Israel.  It is not the entire Presbyterian church.  It is only the Presbyterian Church USA. They also came out against Evangelical support for Israel as being an uncritical support of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. My suggestion is to ask your pastor if your unit of the Presbyterian church believes this.  If they do, fill the pews with your absence. 

 

          "One man who is out to open many old “secrets” in the Catholic church is Pope Francis.  Some of the beliefs that are held in the church but contrary to the loving nature of God are now being set aside by the Pope who was recently named The Man of The Year by TIME Magazine.

In his latest revelations, Pope Francis said:

“Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”

In a shocking speech that is reverberating across the world, Pope Francis declared that:
“All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? In the past, the church has been harsh on those it deemed morally wrong or sinful. Today, we no longer judge. Like a loving father, we never condemn our children. Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice! For conservatives and liberals, even communists are welcome and have joined us. We all love and worship the same God.”

In the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in the Vatican City, in discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas. The Third Vatican Council, is the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962.

Pope Francis convened the new council to “finally finish the work of the Second Vatican Council.”

The Third Vatican Council concluded with Pope Francis announcing that…
Catholicism is now a “modern and reasonable religion, which has undergone evolutionary changes. The time has come to abandon all intolerance. We must recognize that religious truth evolves and changes. Truth is not absolute or set in stone. Even atheists acknowledge the divine. Through acts of love and charity the atheist acknowledges God as well, and redeems his own soul, becoming an active participant in the redemption of humanity.”

One statement in the Pope’s speech has sent traditionalists into a fit of confusion and hysteria…
“God is changing and evolving as we are, For God lives in us and in our hearts. When we spread love and kindness in the world, we touch our own divinity and recognize it. The Bible is a beautiful holy book, but like all great and ancient works, some passages are outdated. Some even call for intolerance or judgment. The time has come to see these verses as later interpolations, contrary to the message of love and truth, which otherwise radiates through scripture. In accordance with our new understanding, we will begin to ordain women as cardinals, bishops and priests. In the future, it is my hope that we will have a woman pope one day. Let no door be closed to women that is open to men!”

A few cardinals in the Catholic church are against Pope Francis’ latest declarations. Watch out for the report."  (http://www.naijaurban.com/no-hell-fire-adam-eve-not-real-pope-francis-exposes/)

          "Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. When an immoral society has blatantly and proudly violated all the commandments, it insists upon one last virtue, tolerance for its immorality. It will not tolerate condemnation of its perversions. It creates a whole new world in which only the intolerant critic of intolerable evil is evil." (Hutton Gibson)  We hide in our churches while the elite usurp the Christian foundations of our nation.  Tolerance toward people is desirable while tolerance toward truth is sin and unacceptable.

          To be labeled a Christian fanatic is a 'red badge of courage' in today’s world.  In fact, the Bible was the foundational book of our nation. Throughout the years, mostly from the 1920’s on, it has been diminished to the point that President Obama had the audacity to proclaim that we are not a Christian nation.  Our founders, when they expressed the term ‘freedom of religion’, meant freedom of the different sects of Christianity and of Judaism, but not Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, or any other religion, agnosticism or antitheism. 

          I presented the above examples from the Catholic and Presbyterian churches only as examples.  I don't wish to demean a particular denomination.  My wife and I are currently involved in the Episcopal church: not that it is without spot or blemish, but rather because our pastor seems to be on fire for the Lord, delivers Bible based sermons and the congregation is filled with God's wonderful people.  It also provides the lighting and volumes that we, with our disabilities, are able to endure.  There is plenty of blame to go around in Christendom.  I have been exposed to apostasy from other denominations as well.  I am acting as a 'watchman on the wall' to alert the "Church" of the impending danger.  As stated above, Jesus, the apostles and the prophets all gave the same warnings. Ezekiel 3:17-21 talks about a watchman as being a  messenger to warn the people or suffer the consequences.  Ezekiel 33:8-9 says that watchmen are held responsible for warning the people.  Before you condemn what I am saying, remember what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children".

          A big lie, that has even infiltrated the church, is evolution.  "Darwin is ranked higher than Jesus, in the religion of evolution.  He is deemed to be the “father” of evolution.  Evolution could very well be the most feverishly defended religion in the universe.  Our government has established this religion as the state religion of our schools.  No other theories, facts or rebuttals are allowed to be discussed in our classrooms.  Even though the first amendment, of our Constitution, forbids this type of ‘establishment of religion’, our government and courts have done so.  It requires more “faith” to believe in evolution than the Bible. Despite the evolutionists caterwauling about their “scientific evidence”, there is nothing provable about what they worship.  Each and every time the evolutionists have come up with some form of evidence, it has been disproved through scientific study or proved to be a fraud.  There is nothing provable about the Bible; unless you believe the eye witness accounts described therein, and the fact that every prophesy, written therein, has proven to be true to date. . The only prophesies yet to be fulfilled concern the last seven years of the earth as we know it.  Even the believers in the false “separation of Church from State” theory should be aroused by this establishment of a religion which is expressly forbidden."(author unknown)   Anyone that believes that the theory of evolution has “scientific origins” is fooling themselves.  It is actually a deeply pagan religious philosophy that can be traced back for thousands of years.

       "When may a revival be expected? When the wickedness of the wicked grieves and distresses the Christian." (Billy Sunday)  Billy Sunday also  said: “I’ll not stand anyone’s saying anything against the church as an institution, but I will rebuke its sins and point out shortcomings.”  My daily prayers contain a request for revival, repentance and renewal in 'The Church'; as well as supplying us with governmental leaders who will be given the wisdom and knowledge to follow the will of God, and the inclination to do it.

          David, in the Psalms, said: Why Lord do you let evil prosper?  Luke 9:54-56 says: Jesus let evil remain in the world so that all who were destined to be saved would get the chance - without the ability to make a choice for good or evil, there could be no salvation.

          I have made the point for some time that a bastard is someone without a father.  The same thing is expounded on in the Bible.  Jesus said that He and the Father are one.   Hebrews 12:8 says:  "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."  The false teachers should not be feared by Christians, as the old Latin saying goes: "Illegitimus Non Tatum Carborundem" (don't let the bastards grind you down).  Jesus said many things about the Father, including in John 10:30 "I and the Father are one".  Matthew 10:32 says: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven".  Therefore, have no fear of the bastards in the apostate church: you, Christian, are a child of the Father.

          Although we, during the buildup to the 'end times', will see many things which will be distasteful to us.  Be not dismayed, keep looking up.

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The Journey Is Important

          Growing up spiritually is not something that just happens over night, or the minute that you are born again through faith in Christ.  It is a process that takes place as we spend time listening to the voice of the Lord in His Word, yielding ourselves to be taught by Him. As we learn to apply His thoughts, words and deeds in our own life, He is molding us step by step, more and more into His image by the power of His Holy Spirit.   Each individual believer begins this journey as a “spiritual” baby in the Lord.  Sad to say, some stay infants and never really start to take the baby steps that would at least help us become spiritual toddlers. We will never reach full maturity – completion (sinlessness in love in our glorified bodies in the new world when we see Him face to face) while we are on this Earth, but if we truly want to taste and see the goodness of the Lord, we must first be willing to draw near to Him that we may be taught by Him.  He has promised to continue the perfecting of us, molding us into new creations, as we yield ourselves to Him. 

          You know Jesus, our Savior and Lord, is also our true example of what God had originally designed us to be.  When He was but a child of perhaps about 12 years old, His parents took Him into the city. During their trip back home, they discovered that He was not with them.  They eventually found Him discussing the scriptures with the elders in the synagogue.  When His parents conveyed the anxiety He had caused them because they did not know where He was, He said He thought that surely they would have known that He would be about doing the will of His Father.  What had He been doing?  The Word tells us that He was discussing the Scriptures with such wisdom and knowledge, in spite of His tender young age, that He amazed even the elders as they listened to Him.  This incident demonstrated that He was already well versed in the scriptures; however it wasn’t that He knew the words alone, but that His knowledge of them was filled with power from above.  He was the Word made manifest to us in the flesh.  By example, He showed us the importance of being equipped properly for our journey of growing in faith, for faith comes by hearing the Word of God.  If He, the Son of God, studied and stored the Word of God within Him, how much more important is it that we ourselves should follow His example in so doing?  Who of us, when going on a journey, would choose to embark on that journey without first being properly equipped?

          My own spiritual growth has not always been an uninterrupted journey.  Neither have I always purposely made sure that I was well equipped for the journey.  I was very blessed in that my parents made sure that I was in church where I could receive the nurture and admonition of the Lord by hearing and feeding upon God’s Word as a little child.  I know messages about Hell these days are not considered to be very popular; however, I remember hearing about the reality of both Heaven and Hell even at the tender age of four years old.  Jesus was real, Heaven was real, and Satan and Hell were real.  I knew, even in my young heart, that Heaven was where I wanted to go because it was a wonderful place to be. I knew that I would actually get to be with Jesus when I did go to Heaven.  I knew that the Devil was an awful being, one that I didn’t want to have anything to do with. 

          Just going to church was not my only access to knowledge about Jesus.  Someone, I believe it was my parents, gave me a book of Bible stories that became my favorite book even before I could read.  The pictures in it spoke volumes to me.  Two of those pictures became embedded in my memory like a slide show that would be run and rerun throughout the coming years of my life.  One of the pictures illustrated the loving tenderness that Jesus showed when He said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.”  I could just imagine myself on His lap and how wonderful it would be to be so near to Him and hear His gentle voice.  Another picture was the one illustrating “I stand at the door and knock.”  I didn’t understand, until years later, that He was standing at the door of my heart waiting for me to open it up and ask Him to come in to be my personal Savior and Lord.  When I did ask Him to come into my heart, that picture would loom into my memory and I would realize, more than once, the true significance of Him waiting patiently for me to invite Him to come in.  Later too, it would help to make even more real how the Holy Spirit came into my heart and thus the Lord would never leave me or forsake me, and would be in me and with me to help, teach, and guide me throughout my life. Without knowing it, I was learning Scriptures through the pictures and stories that went with them. 

          As a little girl, going to vacation Bible School also played an important part in helping me to grow in faith.  Memorizing scriptures and hearing the stories of the Bible played a valuable part in planting the seeds of faith and trust not only in Jesus, but also in the Bible as the true Word of God.  The songs we learned filled my heart with the joy and love of the Lord.  In later years, I would learn just why those songs were so different from other music; God inhabits the praises of His people.  Praising the Lord in song is another way of drawing nearer to God.  He has promised us as we draw near to Him, He will draw nearer to us.  By our thoughts, words, and deeds we are choosing to draw nearer to Him or go further away from Him.  He is always with me, but sometimes I walk away from Him or ignore Him entirely.  He is not the one that leaves me; I’m the one that leaves Him.  Thank the Lord; He never gives up on me.  His mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love are without limits or boundaries.

          Our Daddy worked long hard hours.  But one of the sweetest memories I have of him was how he would often come in to wrap me in my covers and say prayers at night.  It was usually the child’s prayer that went like this:

 

“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

God bless..(Mama, Daddy and continuing on with all the names

of family and other loved ones). Amen.”

 

At times, I remember thinking about the part-“if I should die before I wake.”  I don’t recall being afraid of the dying part because it would mean that I would go to be with Jesus.  Oh, if only we could always have the faith of a little child to take Him at His Word and not doubt!  We also said prayers at the dinner time.  During those years, we still had the blessing of praying the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of each school day.  At some of the schools that I attended, I even had Bible time to learn lessons and scriptures.  Of course, we further learned to pray in church.  Seeds were being planted, and I was being taught the value of talking with God in prayer.  It was another “tool” that I was given to be properly equipped for my journey of growing spiritually.

 

          As I have continued on in my journey, I have learned and experienced for myself why the Scriptures are such an invaluable tool to equip myself as a believer for my personal journey of faith in the Lord.  There is a part in the Bible that speaks about the importance of making sure that the storehouse is always kept full to guard against times of famine.  At first glance, this seems to speak of earthly food and other necessary goods.  But then upon reflection, it could just as easily refer to spiritual “food”.  You know Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone but by every word from the mouth of the Lord.  The scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit from the beginning of time, are meant to lead and guide us into all truth.  The Lord tells us that His Word is given for our instruction, correction that we should be made fit and equipped for all good works.  If we are not rooted and grounded in His Word, we will be easily tossed around and will believe any lie instead of the truth.

          Continuing the journey of life is meant to be our preparation for the best part of our life in eternity, when we will truly be made complete and whole as we were originally designed by God to be.  It is that process of learning to grow up in the Lord, being transformed by the word by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is as He says ‘renewing our mind by the washing of the water of the word’ that we might be made more and more into His image.  He gives us a new heart that would hunger and thirst after Him and long to become all that is pleasing in His sight.  This is what the Bible calls The Great Salvation Plan in Chapter 2 verse 3 from Hebrews, which prepares us for our eternal life with the Lord when we are restored to a glorified body in the new world on the new Earth.  As He, Jesus is, so shall we be.    Choose this day to walk with the Lord through the gift of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and guide.  O taste and see that the Lord is good as you journey through the word of God becoming properly equipped for each new day.  “Jesus loves me (and you), this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”      

     

 

                                                                             Virginia Rahn

                                                                             Ginger

                                                                             Nov. 1, 2010

                                                                             (Revised Feb. 13, 2014)

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The Heart Of It All

          It is my contention that the seat of intellect is the mind and the seat of emotion is the heart. When you feel great joy, you can actually feel it in your heart. When you are feeling great hurt, you feel it in your gut. Paul mentions that some things effect feeling in the bowels. Doubtless, trying circumstances can cause a headache.

          When some one is 'truly' born again, they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior; the Holy Spirit then comes to live in their heart. These people are thus marked by God, that they belong to Jesus, and cannot be taken out of His hand.  Those that the Father has given to Jesus, cannot be taken away.

          Paul tells us that we, (the church) are all one body; each being different parts. The ear is useless without the eye; 1st. Corinthians tells us:  For the body is not one member, but many.  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? .... And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.  We are all a part of the body of Christ.  Jesus said: "The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." As we can see, no part of the body of Christ can function without the others.

          The mind can play tricks on us.  Satan and his followers have a piece of God but they don't have the peace of God. They know, better than most of us, who and what God is, but fail to yield to Him.  Knowledge of God (in the mind) is only a part of salvation and true salvation has only begun when you humble yourself before the Lord (in your heart).

          The knowledge of the Gospel is in the mind, but the love of the Gospel is in the heart.

HEART - 1,223 Occurrences in the concordance - some examples follow -

Exodus 10:1  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them ...

Ezekiel 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. ...

1 Kings 11:4  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had

Ecclesiastes 10:2  The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

Proverbs 23:15  My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed;

Song of Solomon 4:9  You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,

Obadiah 1:3  The pride of your heart has deceived you

Proverbs 15:13  A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. ... A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.

Psalm 28:7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 57:7  My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. ... My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident.

Jeremiah 4:19  I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. ... My heart, my heart--I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me!

Psalm 73:26  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength
of my heart and my portion forever.

Matthew 3:8 Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 12:34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

Matthew 15:8 These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Matthew 15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

Matthew 18:3 And said, Truly, I say to you, If you do not have a change of heart and become like little children, you will not go into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Mark 6:12 And they went out, preaching the need for a change of heart in men.

Mark 6:34 So when Jesus landed, He saw a vast multitude; and His heart was moved with pity for them, because they were like sheep which have no shepherd, and He proceeded to teach them many things.

Luke 3:8 Live lives which shall prove your change of heart

Luke 8:12 Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them."

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.  

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

Acts 5:4 While you kept it, didn't it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn't it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven't lied to men, but to God.

Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.

 Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believe with all your heart, thou may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Acts 13:22 I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.

Romans 5:5 tells us: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 8 tells us: And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)

MIND - 615 Occurrences in the concordance - some examples follow -

1 Corinthians 2:16 for,   Who has known the mind of the Lord so as for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct
him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Romans 8:6  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind ...

Revelation 17:9  This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven... "This calls for a mind with wisdom. ... "This calls for a mind with understanding:

Romans 8:27  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the... And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit
intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and..

Romans 8:7  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does
not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

BOWELS - 39 Occurrences in the concordance - some examples follow -

Acts 1:18  Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

2 Corinthians 6:12  Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

Philippians 1:8  For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:7  For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Philemon 1:20  Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

1 John 3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

            And to sum it up - Philippians 4:7 says:  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

            Now, we all know that the physical heart pump is just a pump and doesn't have thought functions.  The Bible refers, time and again, to the heart as being the seat of emotion.  It is my conclusion that the heart referred to in this manner is our spirit. This is verified by the Bible telling us that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our heart.

          We can see from the above, that the heart must control the thoughts of the mind, by the Holy Spirit which dwells in the heart; for those who will yield to him.

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