RSS
 

Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

Is Human Perception God’s Perception?

04 Feb

Super Bowl XLV is on Sunday.  It cost $6 to go to Super Bowl I back in 1966.

The latest after market ticket price today for Sunday’s game is right around $5,000.00 apiece.

No big deal to God?

A well can be dug for $5,000 in a community that is dying because it can’t get good water over in some African countries. 

Think God doesn’t care?  You think God doesn’t care how we live our lives and how we use our resources and talents?

Matthew 25:14-30 –

The Parable of the Talents

    14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

   19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

   21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

   23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

   26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

   28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

If you think he doesn’t, what does God care about?

I’ll tell you what I think He cares about.  I think He cares about everything.  He cares when someone needs help and someone doesn’t help them.  I think He cares about how we either love others or don’t love others.  I think He cares about when a community is completely evil and is ready for judgment.  I think He cares when they are Godly and He enjoys blessing them.

If he knows the number of hairs on your head, he cares if people are dying and others aren’t trying to help them.

Matthew 10:30 – 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

He cares if people aren’t finding Him and if His children that do know Him are trying to reach others.

He cares if you have a loving relationship with Him or if you don’t give Him the time of day. 

God cares about everything and He cares if you care.  Its best if we make it a point to learn God’s Word and get a better idea what He cares about, rather than our own opinions or best guesses.

Isaiah 55:8 –  8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.

 

The Marketed Gospel

13 Jan

When you want to be successful at selling something you try to give the public what they are looking for.  The world today is trying to the very same thing when it comes to God’s word.

It is not uncommon for man to want to choose all the exciting selling points of the Bible and yet when something is not so popular, we tend to see that get tossed out.

Man has a tendency to think that what he feels is good for him, is good for him.  Has anything biblical stated about man ever pointed to that?  No.  As a sinful fallen creature man has a tendency to chase after things that are not of God.

The Bible is the Word for all of those who love God to follow.  It’s our guide. 

Psalms 119:105 – 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  KJV

As people in this country have gotten further away from God, they have gotten further away from truth.  Yet the desire to have a God is built in all of us.  Even the atheist serves his own life and materialism, while at the same time fights against God.  That’s why people in the past and even today will worship idols.  We were made to worship, it’s just the fall has messed us up.

In the last days men will chase after whatever they want.  It even includes the teachings of what they want their God to be.

The Bible warns against this very thing.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 –  1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Yes the marketed gospel plays to those itching ears.  If those ears change and are itching for something new someone out there will deliver it to them.  This is the American way.  The attitude is, “well it’s better to have them in church than not, so let’s get the word into the 21st century.”

Is that what God wants us to do?

Hebrews 13:8 – 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Jesus is the Word and the Word has not changed.  The Word was good for Adam and since Adam walked with the Lord, I believe it was the same Word, as for those at the end of the Millennium and beyond.

Beware!  We need to seek the pure and good Word of the Lord.  Many today are victims of 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  Don’t be one of them.  Meditate on the Word and let it guide your path.

 

Intolerance Soon Will Be The Only Intolerance

23 Dec

The world today says you can believe whatever you want as long as you don’t tell anyone else that they are wrong in their belief.  This obviously excludes Muslim countries that only allow people to believe in Islam.

However, for most of the rest of the world, the only intolerance is intolerance itself.  Ironically, how will they treat this matter?  They will be intolerant towards it!  Go figure?!

If you want to believe the grass is god, or the tree is god, or you are god, that’s fine with this country.  However, if you actually state that Jesus is the only way to God, that’s unacceptable. 

Why?

Well one reason is because if you want the world to come together in a big one world order and government, you have to get the people to all accept each other’s ideas and opinions.  That is understandable in a worldly sense, but God doesn’t see it that way.

John 14:6 – 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 – 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

1 Timothy 2:5 – 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

These Words of GOD are not accepted by most of the world.  Most of the world is deceived by Satan.  Satan hates God’s Word. 

Fallen man doesn’t like to be told what’s right, what’s wrong, or how to live his life.  No different than that of Satan.  He wants to be the God of his own life and not be told what to do.  So does Satan.  Some even want to be worshipped like God.  So does Satan.

If the rapture doesn’t happen soon, this country is working its way towards persecuting Christians who take God’s word literally.  For those who don’t, they won’t be bothered.  In many cases they will be either leading or hanging right by the side of those persecuting the followers of God’s Word.

Stand firm and obey God’s Word.  Many have in the times before us.  There is no greater calling than siding with Jesus and God, no matter what the world chooses to do.

 

Quote – A W Tozer

19 Dec

A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.
A W Tozer

Why is a spiritual man harder on himself, because the most important thing to him is his relationship with the Lord.  He knows it’s the most important thing that exists.  He doesn’t want to discourage someone from finding the truth, but knows the truth must be spoken.  He prays for others, shares the Word, and wants others to find their Blessed King.

The Pharisee was a person that wanted to be recognized as the Godly figure he was trying to portray.  He would rather build himself up rather than a brother who also believed in God.   It was a position of prestige.  There was no forgiveness for wrongdoing, unless you were someone special, then they bent the rules.  It’s easy to understand, since that is the way man is.

One chases after the Heart of God.  The other chases at the idea of acting Godly for others to see.

 
 

Let’s Talk Halloween – Part 2

27 Oct

Yesterdays post we went over the history or origin of Halloween.  If you haven’t gotten to read that yet it will be best before continuing.  If you have read it let’s continue on how scripture addresses the pagan things of this world. 

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 – 14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Belial is wickedness so the verse is essentially hitting on it twice and Paul is reminding us that Christ is righteousness and there’s no room for Him to be mixed in with wickedness.  The Church needs to stay away from evil.

Once again Israel is warned not to participate in evil and what do they do?  They participate in Baal worship!  Now I don’t think for two seconds that most Israelites really gave much thought to this.  It was a lot like Halloween to them.  Hey it’s cultural, historical, and traditional.  I love God and when I participate in this festival Baal thing it’s just that.  I’m celebrating a tradition.

Numbers 25:1-3 – 1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

What kind of reaction or sense of humor did the Lord have towards this?

Numbers 25:4 – 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

Now in today’s age we might focus on the sexual immorality and God hates it like all sin, but it’s the sacrificing and worshiping the false pagan religion that breaks the first commandment “You shall have no other god’s before me”.

Ephesians 5:8-11 –    8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 – 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

Saul abolished all the sorcerers and mediums and then went out to seek one of them after Samuel died.  Why did he do this?  Because the Lord had left him and he wanted guidance.  Samuel was summons from the dead by the witch.  He had a word for Saul and that was since he was disobedient to the Lord concerning the Amelekites he and his sons would be joining him soon.   Saul knew it was evil to seek the dead, that’s why he abolished it when he was in good with God still.

Witchcraft and paganism is evil in God’s Word and constantly spoken against.

So what’s the problem with Halloween?  It is a totally pagan holiday that resurfaced.

Look at it.  It is a day of celebrating the dead walking around amongst us.  Look at the costumes and all the traditions are still intact.  Not only is there not one Godly thing about it, on the contrary it is full of paganism, spirits of the dead, and witchcraft.  Haunted Houses and graphic murderous movies.  Costumes of witches, devils, skeletons, etc.

They’re not missing the point or spirit of Halloween, they’ve hit it right on the head.

There’s no hidden message in Halloween.  You don’t have to play the record backwards to hear the hidden warning or subliminal message.  It’s right there in front of us. 

The Church has failed in two areas concerning Halloween that I can see.

One, tradition is very important in America and once one participates in it they’re locked in.

Two, the church doesn’t take the Word of God literal or serious enough to know God doesn’t like or appreciate His people participating in pagan practices.

The goal of any of my posts is to always encourage those who love the Lord to seek the scriptures closely and always strive to become closer to Him.  The Bible is His love letter to each and everyone of us.  God Bless each one of you.

 

Let’s Talk Halloween – Part 1

26 Oct

Is Halloween a good holiday for Christians?

Well I think the first thing anyone has to do if they care about what the Lord thinks is to investigate it.  If you don’t care what the Lord thinks, don’t.  However, if you don’t care about what the Lord thinks as a Christian, you have big problems according to God’s Word.

The first thing we need to know about Halloween is that it has a history to look at.

It appears the Celts in Ireland had two main feasts a year.  One around May and one around November 1st.  The one around November 1st was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween).  The Celts believed at this time period the natural and the super-natural had the barrier removed.  So the dead spirits were allowed to roam at this time.

Celtic priests were called Druids.  They were the ones in charge of trying to keep the evil spirits away and did so by doing sacrifices of crops and animals, sometimes humans, to ward off the spirits.  They gathered up the bones and did bone fires, which is where we get bonfires today.  So the original origins have an occultist trying to scare away the dead.  The Celts were not Christians.  In fact when the Catholic Church was trying cover up pagan holidays they created All Saints Day on November 1st to combat Samhain.  All Saints Day was supposed to honor the passed on Saints of the past, I guess like a memorial day of sorts.

It appears the Romans took over the Celts and added their own touches.  They had a pagan festival in which they honored Pomona their goddess of the fruit and trees.  It is believed this is where bobbing for apples were added into the mix.

Trick or Treat probably has a few origins but the ones that are most troubling are related to Samhain.  When one looks today at what’s involved in Halloween it makes sense.

The dead that were roaming around could be friendly loved ones, but then again they could be evil spirits that meant to do harm.  Some villagers would dress up in demonic costumes so they would blend in with the unfriendly spirits, also they would pass out fruits and nuts to gain favor with them so they would possibly leave them alone.

We talked about the bone fires, bobbing for apples, but how about the jack o’ lantern?  It appears that turnips and beets were used to make faces in originally celebrating Samhain but America had a lot of pumpkins for the using.  I have heard both the faces were used to scare away evil dead spirits, but I have also heard that they can be a house for those to embody for a short period of time also.  It was so they could look out of since they had no body.

Black Cats, Bats, other creatures of the night all are believed to have interaction with the dead.

Other groups of the occult love Halloween.  Witches, Satanists, etc., if It’s not their favorite holiday it’s one of them.

What does the Bible have to say about these things? 

When God had the Israelites take over the Promised Land He gave them a warning.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 – 9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.  14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

God doesn’t have a sense of humor when it comes to evil.  As a fallen race we want to believe he does or doesn’t really care about it.  Tomorrow let’s read on to what He also says.

 

Love Is Not Only A Feeling

21 Sep

Why are we swamped with so many divorces and relationship problems?

The main problem is our selfish nature.

It’s about me.

My needs aren’t being met.  My feelings are hurt.  Me, My, Me Oh My!

How many times have we heard marriage is 50/50?

It’s not!  If you think it is you’ll always feel like you’re being short changed on your 50 percent.

It needs to be 100/100.

How many relationships or marriages fail when both people care more about the other ones needs more than their own?  That deserves another question mark.   ?

Satan has a wonderful time reminding us that we are being short changed.  He sits back with his demons and constantly reminds us about what we are upset about.  What that person either did or didn’t do to me. 

Satan tells us he’s got a great idea.  You really don’t have any feelings for that person anymore anyway.  You should just leave them and start fresh.  You remember how you felt when you first met them.  That’s what you want.

I’ve got news for you, that’s called infatuation.  By the way it still exists when both work hard on the marriage.

Love is commitment.  Love is a choice.  Love is unselfish.  Yep here we go into those scriptures.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Jesus loved us enough to give it all on this earth.  Here is what He has to say in John.

John 15:12-14 – 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command.

Give 100 percent when you love.  Many times it is addicting and will come back.  If it doesn’t appear to be then pray constantly.  Also never be afraid to share words of love, in a loving way to one who seems they could use more of it.  There’s a spiritual battle out there and love is one of the strongest weapons.

 

Ten Horns – Ten Regions Theory – End Time Bible Prophecy

03 Sep

I’m in the midst of doing posts on the antichrist, but feel this is a good time to share the stuff I’m seeing and how it may relate.  Understand the Bible Prophecy is study that more is learned as things come to pass and I’m only sharing what I am observing as the time draws closer.

We talked a few weeks back about the four beasts in Chapter 7 of Daniel’s dream and how it describes the coming world governments, just as the statue dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had.  We talked about how the ten horns and ten toes signify that ten is very important in this world government.  That takes us to verse eight.

Daniel 7:8 – 8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Who is the little horn?  It is believed to be the antichrist.  He speaks boastfully and he rips up three of the other horns.  So the little horn has the power to rip up three out of the ten.  Only a world ruler would have that kind of power.

We also read in Revelation 17:12 a similar account.

Revelation 17:12 – 12“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.

Now I want to concentrate on this for a second, because I believe that time is showing us that the ten horns are not ten countries of Europe with their rulers.  I believe that there was a good reason to believe that, and two of my favorite teachers still teach that, but the Roman Empire was considered a world government.  They are the last one and are now reconstructing again, thus the iron mixed with clay we see in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is the Roman Empire revived.

However verse 12 above says these are ten kings that have not yet received a kingdom.  Now if these are truly rulers of 10 existing countries, then they have had kingdoms.  If we are now talking about ten future kings that will take over ten regions that the whole earth is being divided up into, now we have ten kings that don’t have a kingdom yet.

Why ten regions?  That’s what I hear that the new world order people are suggesting.  The word I’m hearing is that it is the Bilderberg group that would like to see this.  Understand that as one who loves the study of prophecy, I’m just writing on what I’m seeing.   Is it a fact?  No.  God’s Word is fact; I’m just watching it unfold in amazement and Love Jesus so I’m sharing what I see.   

So how does this work with other scriptures?  Well in Revelation 17:13 the next verse it reads:

Revelation 17:13 – 13They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.

These ten horns or kings have one purpose and that is to give their power to the beast.  Who is the beast?  The antichrist.  I will be doing a post on the antichrist being the beast more also in the future.

Now what else I found interesting is that the antichrist is going to rip up three of the ten horns.  I think this is very significant in the end times.  If this ruler truly has authority over every tribe, people, language and nation, like it says in Revelation 13:7, then being ripped up is truly troubling to these three horns.

Who would be my guess as these three horns or regions?

How about the kings of the East?  There are a couple of passages that refer to their disdain and their coming to battle.

Revelation 9:13-16 – 13The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.

Revelation 16:12-14 – 12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

Why are they so upset that they are going to face off against the antichrist in the battle of Armageddon?  I will speculate on this as we read on. 

When I heard that the new world order crowd was looking at ten regions and before I looked at any map they were contemplating, I felt that three of the regions would indeed be from the kings of the East.  Sure enough the maps I’ve seen have three regions which include Japan, China, along with India and Indonesian areas. 

There is one other thing I find intriguing that I have to share.  There are three major religions in the world and they are Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism.    Judaism isn’t one of the largest, but I’m a pre-trib rapture guy, so once the church is gone you’ll have Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism.  Tribulation saints will still be getting saved, but I believe the church age is over.  Those in the tribulation not getting saved are probably in with the prostitute religion, or will be happy to worship the antichrist.

We know that there is a seven year peace agreement made with the antichrist and Israel.  This agreement is also known as Daniel’s 70th week.  There has to be an agreement to allow the rebuilding of the temple for sacrifices.  Does the antichrist convince both Islam and the Jews that he is Messiah and gets this treaty signed?  If he does accomplish this and turns on the Jews half way through, wouldn’t this please Islam?  When he then wants those who are Hindu’s to worship him and they don’t will he rip those horns up?

Obviously one could “what if”, all day long.  However, there is a fact that the king’s of the east will be marching for Armageddon to oppose the antichrist.  The antichrist does rip three horns up.  There are ten horns and they are ten kings who have yet to receive a kingdom.  Their whole purpose is to give power unto the little horn which is the antichrist. 

When I look that all over, ten regions being the ten horns makes a lot of sense.  Only time will tell.

 

Intelligence vs. Wisdom

09 Aug

Intelligence is how well the mind can process material and facts.  It’s how well the brain can solve things and recall other information it has taken in.  Some people are so intelligent it is actually mind boggling.  On the flip side there are others who struggle and it can be boggling to the mind as well.

Wisdom is the ability to decipher rather something is a good idea or not.  Wisdom is usually characterized to be with those with a lot of experience and have learned from those experiences.  They have already attempted to do certain things and suggest to others that it wasn’t that good of an idea.  On the flip side they have done some things also that have worked out real well and can share those successes to.

Who could possibly be wiser than the Creator of the creation?

Proverbs 2:6 –  6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

In my own life I can vouch that I was smart enough to know that something was terribly not right with human beings.  However, until I sought wisdom from the Lord, I didn’t know what was actually wrong.  Wisdom does come from seeking God. 

Intelligence has no bearing on rather one is capable of accepting Jesus.  If it is, then the Judge of all the earth will be fair I can promise you that.  I will say this though; some people have become too smart in their own minds to accept Jesus.  Call it pride, call it wanting to be god of their own lives, call it what you will, but some of the most intelligent minds won’t be wise enough to accept God’s sacrifice and pardon of their sins.

Don’t be too smart for God.  Choose to seek Wisdom.  Choose Jesus and choose life.

 

President Obama Said We Are Not Just A Christian Nation

02 Aug

Well how exciting is that?  Thank you Mr. Obama.  Kind of strange for this quote to be coming from a self proclaimed Christian man. 

In fact I don’t know too many true Christians that would brag to other countries in this world that America is no longer a Christian nation.  I believe we have always had Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and other religions, in our Country.  However, if President Obama is stating we are no longer a Christian nation, we must have been considered one before he volunteered that we are no longer one.

What has changed?

One thing that has changed is how people view things.  Take for instance the percentage of people that call themselves Christians in this nation.  In 2008 around the time Obama made his statement 76 percent of Americans called themselves Christian.  So how offended were ¾ of all Americans?  Enough to still elect him.

I don’t know about you but I would consider many of the Arab nations Muslim.  I would consider Israel and Jewish nation.  I would consider India a Hindu Nation.

So why is my self proclaimed Christian president so excited to indicate a nation that is self proclaimed 76% Christian, not just a Christian nation?  I’ll let you ponder that one.

Maybe it’s because he knows most don’t care.  Maybe it’s because he sees the breakdown of what the same people who call themselves Christians really believe.  Have you ever looked at polling numbers and seen what self proclaimed Christians believe in when you break it down?  It’s quite amazing really.  You’ll no longer wonder why Christianity is losing ground in America and why there is a great falling away in these last days.

Matthew 24:10-13 – 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.