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Archive for October, 2010

Quote – C. S. Lewis

30 Oct

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.
C. S. Lewis

Amen.  The church as a whole is praying to God for Heaven on this earth and living for it, instead of working for the Lord and looking for the real Heaven. 

What’s the difference between the church and everybody else?  The prosperity gospel has made it hard to tell the difference and it skews the real message from the Lord.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Quotes

 

A Received Scripture – Philippians 3:8

29 Oct

Sometimes I sit back and ask the Lord to give me a scripture to write about.  Wow it is amazing which one He speaks into my head and when I get there I am awed.

Philippians 3:8 –  8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

It is amazing at how much of the New Testament is to live for Christ first.  Yet we manage to try and get around that because it requires neglect of our own selfish wants.

Paul understood that everything else is rubbish because it all passes away.  Only that of Christ and God does not pass away.  Our number one goal in life should be what?

First to make sure we don’t spend eternity without our Loving Creator and God.  So we need to accept His Son’s sacrifice on the cross.

Is that it?  When I look at the church today (not all), that seems to be where it ends and then it’s all about me.

What can God do for me?  Where’s the closest prosperity teaching church in the area, because I don’t have small needs.  My God wants me to have it all.  What Bible are they reading?

The one I read says beware!  You can’t serve two masters!   Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven where moth and rust don’t destroy and where thieves won’t break in to steal!   The idea of tearing down and building bigger barns is frowned upon in Luke 12.  It’s named the Parable of the Rich Fool.

The Bible indicates, first ask the Lord for forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Jesus.  Second die to yourself and live for Him.  Live for your new Lord, Savior, and King.  And what?  You will have done what his Word has asked and indicated.  You will rule and reign with Christ and be rewarded.  That’s the Bible I read and it’s full of those words.

Here’s the good part.  The more you seek Jesus, the more find.  The more you find, the more love and understanding that comes in.  That’s the Light.  It changes your wants from me to He, a little more each day.  Oh were still fallen creatures with lots of issues, but we have a better understanding of why we are that way.  Also, we tap into His power so we can have more victory in Him.

Today is a new day to live for Christ first.  The past is the past.  How we finish the race is what we control from here.

 
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He Knows Everything About You

28 Oct

When you want to get to know that loved one in your life, what do you do?

You hang around them.  You start to learn their likes, dislikes, and who they are. 

This is how we build a relationship.  If you have no time for your spouse or children, is that relationship strong?  If you are constantly ignoring them when they need you, or want to be with you, is that relationship strong?  If you took no time to know them at all, is there really even a relationship there?

Guess what?  Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit know everything about you. 

Oh that doesn’t bore them.  They love you and have more time for you than you will be able to ask for.  So in a relationship when two individuals are supposed to work on getting to know each other, who does that leave left between you and the Lord? 

Yep!  How much do we know the Lord?  How much time do we spend trying to get to know the Lord?  How much time to we give to the Lord regarding anything?

That’s how strong your relationship is with the Lord.

Here’s the good part.  The more you earnestly seek Him, the more you find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8 – 7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

If you’re doing it with a pure heart and really want to know your Lord, You’ll continue to find Him and know Him better. 

You know why?  Because He wants you to.  This starts out as a pretty one-sided deal.  He loves you from the very beginning and knows everything about you.  For you it requires E-F-F-O-R-T.  Do you think God cares about what effort you’re putting into your relationship with Him?  Yes He cares that much.

So while we’re doing things that won’t make any difference tomorrow, remember what we could be doing.  When we’re busy doing things that are contrary to what the Word of God says, get to know Him well enough that it bothers you that He don’t like that.

Relationship!  The Lord wants a Relationship with you!  Satan doesn’t want you to have a relationship with Him.  Want to be rebellious to Satan, improve your relationship with the Lord.

When this war is over, you don’t want to be on the wrong side.  Eternity is forever.

 
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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.

 
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Posted in Opinion, Reflections

 

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.

 
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Posted in Opinion, Reflections

 

Post-Tribulation Rapture Question?

25 Oct

As many know I believe in a pre-tribulation theory rapture based on my studies of great teachers and the scriptures.  To see all the pre-tribulation posts I have done you can click on the rapture category.

Isaiah 65:20-25 – 19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.

 20 “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

 21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

 22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat.  For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.

 23 They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them.

 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

 25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Here is a question I have concerning the Post-Trib position of the rapture.

Who are these guys Isaiah is referring to?  What is this going on here?  Who is in charge of them?

Answer:  its Jesus ruling as the Messiah over His people that finally recognize Him and it is the Millennium. 

Still don’t see a post-trib rapture problem?  These guys are mortals.  If one of them dies at a hundred he will be considered accursed.  Dying in mere youth so to speak.

You see if the rapture was at the end of the tribulation, you would have believers and unbelievers.  The believers would go through the rapture and the unbelievers destroyed.  But these are Jews and other humans which are not enemies of God that are entering into the promised millennium.

This is a problem for the post-trib position, however, not the only one.

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, Rapture

 

Quote – Dwight L Moody

23 Oct

A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have.
Dwight L. Moody

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what we all need.  He’s more real than you and I are.  Can you have a relationship with someone you don’t give time to?  If you do, that relationship is probably not very good.

As a Christian who should be your best friend?  Who is the Bride of Christ supposed to be? 

The Church.  We are the Bride of Christ.  Should we have a relationship with the Groom?

Where did Israel go wrong in the past?  They had no relationship with the Lord.  We shouldn’t be surprised in the Church, many don’t know Him at all because they don’t read His Word.  That’s why there is a falling away in the last days.  No relationship with the Lord leads to false doctrine and a falling away.

Seek the Lord.  Make Him your best friend, not a history lesson from a book.  He has risen!  He is alive!  He waits for you to invite Him in.  The temple exists in you and all you have to do is invite Him in.  He’ll help you clean your temple (house) if you let Him.  He can do a lot more through you once you do that.

 
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Your Faith Grows From Seeking God

22 Oct

Hebrews 11:1 – 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

How can you build your faith on something you can’t see?

By seeking the Truth!

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

If you earnestly seek the truth and not your own desires you will find it.

Matthew 7:7-8 – 7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

God is right there for everyone.  He stands at the door and knocks.

Revelation 3:20 – Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Humans reject God by choice.  Humans choose God by choice.  Humans choose to serve God by choice.

That’s why we all will be held accountable someday.  Some at the Judgment Throne and others at the Bema Seat where we are rewarded for what we have or haven’t done.

Romans 10:17 – 17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Those who diligently read the bible do not struggle with believing in the devil’s lies, such as evolution, or believing that the universe and life are all just a freak accidents.  Not one scientist would walk into a cave, see clear writing all over the walls and think it was all a freak accident.

However, the same group can look at the whole universe and say without skipping a beat that it is all just magic and a freak accident that life occurred.  The sun has to exist, the earth has to orbit at a safe distance, the moon has to pull with gravity from a certain distance, etc.  Gravity, that is something in its self, but they all want you to believe everything came from nothing.

Why?

Because they are proud people who don’t want to serve the living eternal God who created it all.

Why?

Because you can’t be the God of yourself you recognize the true one.  So they listen to seducing spirits that have one thing in common with them, they both don’t want to serve God.

Strengthening your faith will cause your relationship with the Lord to grow, as well as protect you from the lies of the evil one.

 
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A Reminder For Those Who Struggle With Jesus As God

21 Oct

Genesis 1:26 – 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

John 1:1-3 – 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 17:24 –24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

I think many people confuse themselves of where Jesus started out.  He didn’t start out a baby from Mary.  Our Lord and King helped create us. 

Jesus was snuck into this world as a baby.  He has always been sinless from before He came into this world until now seated at the right hand of the Father.  Man can’t handle that and that’s why you get movies like the Last Temptation of Christ, etc.  He was born of a virgin to skip the sinful gene that is passed on from Man.

He’s not a just a great teacher, He’s God in the flesh.  That’s what He said Himself.

John 14:7 –  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Man wants all roads to lead to Heaven because he doesn’t want to be told what to do.  Also the Devil is confusing people, because he is fully aware that Jesus is the only way for redemption.

God makes the rules and the rule is man needs to recognize himself as a fallen sinner and needs to repent and needs forgiveness.   He shed His own blood.  It’s the only thing to cleanse one’s sin and the price cost God all, and for man the gift is free. 

Will you accept the gift if you haven’t?  I have a way that explains how to do so in the right hand column on the upper portion of this blog to help run you through.

 
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Woe To Those Who Call Evil Good And Good Evil

20 Oct

Isaiah 5:20 – 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 

Who is good?

Mark 10:8 – “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 

Only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit (the Trinity) are good.  Who are the people attacking, that God would tell them, Whoa to those who say good is evil?

Those which are attacking Him and His Word!

What are they doing on the flip side?  They are leaning on their own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

Proverbs 16:25 – There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. 

Mark 7:21-22 – 21For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 

In the last days men continue to get more evil as they lean on their own understanding.  Where does most of this understanding come from?  The spiritual unfriendly voices of the enemy.  Oh, they have no problem with you claiming ownership of these ideas after they are whispering them to you.  Actually I’m sure the demonic fallen angels are getting quite a kick out of it.

God’s Word is our two edged sword.  It is more powerful than any destructive weapon on the planet; we just don’t choose to believe that.

Stand for Good, which is God.  You’re going to be in the minority, especially in these last days.  However, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Matthew 5:10-12 –  10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 
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