Tuesday, July 31, 2012

“The great fault of many professors, [pastors, preachers and teachers, whether shepherd or sheep] - is that Christ is to them a character, written upon paper; certainly more than a myth, but yet a person of the dim past, an historical personage who lived many years ago, and did most admirable deeds, by which we are saved, but who is far from being a living, present and bright reality.”
Charles H. Spurgeon

Sunday, July 29, 2012

IF we call ourselves “Christian” - God has called us to be radical.

Radical as we stand for truth against a hostile world, radical as we defend our faith in the public sector, radical in our life choices, our life styles ----

RADICAL.!!.

We see fans with spiked hair and painted faces in support of their favorite sports teams - radical.

We hear Muslims threatening retaliation against perceived attacks on their beliefs - radical.

We watch as homosexual advocates march or picket in support of their deviant lifestyles - radical.

We see, we hear we watch, but…

Radical Christianity is what God desires, albeit demands of us His followers.  He has called us, equipt us and expects us to be radical - for Him, because of Him. If we have truly died with Christ, if we carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in us, we must be radical - there is no other way.

Webster defines radical:

As an adjective - of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.

Thorough going or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms.
 

As a noun - a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist.

God’ Word is clear, it is eternal and it does not change -

- we are called to be radical:


“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Colossians 2:6-7

A radical Christian hears the radical call of Jesus and although he may not completely understand, he obeys.

Matthew tells us:

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” - radical.

Matthew continues:

“…and going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him” - radical.

Paul' was passionate for his LORD:

“To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Philippians 1:21-24 - radical.
 

If we are rooted and grounded in Christ, we must be radical. The call of Jesus is as demanding for us to today as it was for His disciples two thousand years ago:

“Jesus said to his disciples, ``If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24

Radical.!!.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The revelation of truth is never lost on those who seek to know truth.

The heart that longs to understand will be led to the knowledge of that understanding.

Dark clouds are gathering just beyond the horizon. Our uncommitted families, our neighbors, the worldly-wise among us, our churches, will be caught in the crush of before unimaginable chaos and despair, struggling to make sense of the threatening swirling waters. If we, His remnant, are not prepared, if we can not give an answer for the hope that is within us, we too will struggle with doubt and questions and fear, rendering us ineffective in our witness for the LORD.

Pray ---

"...that the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Pray ---

the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...." Ephesians 1

Pray ---

"...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and heightto know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Monday, July 23, 2012

One thing is clear: the demons of violence and lawlessness are on the loose all across America, not merely in Aurora, Colorado.

Violent crime in the United States has surged by more than 460 percent since 1960. The further we turn away from God in our nation - or give lip service to religion - the worse things are getting. We are witnessing a horrifying explosion of murder. We are witnessing a gruesome crime wave unprecedented in American history. And there appears to be no end in sight.

"Alarm bells are going off all around us. Lights on the dashboard are flashing, Warning! Warning! Yet America is sleeping through the alarms, blind to the warning lights. And tragically, for the most part, the Church -- God's chosen instrument to bless individuals, families, communities, and nations -- is asleep as well. I shudder to imagine where we are heading if we don't wake up soon, plead for the Lord's forgiveness, and ask Him to use us to love our neighbors and revitalize our country….

"If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Written for Israel, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a principle we all should embrace.

….America is on the brink of collapse. We desperately need God's mercy.

Without His grace, we will implode. It's not a matter of if but when.

Let us not compound our many national sins by failing to get on our faces before G-d, seek His forgiveness for our sins and implore Him to pour out His Holy Spirit upon this spiritually dry and thirsty land we call America.

Joel Rosenberg
Sheer Evil Unleashed in Colorado Movie Theater,  Now What.?.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Hundreds of teenagers storm Walmart in a criminal flash mob. A Jacksonville, Florida party went a bit too wild after hundreds of teenagers relocated their shindig to a local Walmart store and went on a rampage, all the while videotaping their outrageous escapades.

A masked gunman killed 12 people and wounded 50 others at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie in a suburb of Denver  when he hurled a gas canister into the auditorium and opened fire on moviegoers.

Seven Israeli youth on a tour of Bulgaria are murdered, others wounded as their bus leaves the airport in Bulgaria.

On and on it goes. WHEN will we realize we have traded peace for prosperity, truth for tolerance, G-d for the good life and eternity for ecumenicalism.

"... in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power... 2 Timothy 3

And where is the church in all this.?.

...having a form of godliness but denying its power...

Wake up Church - WAKE UP.!!!.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,  for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

Thursday, July 19, 2012

"You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman: it is abomination." Leviticus 18:22

likewise,  a woman shall not lie with a woman as with a man, for this too is an abomination ~ yet...

An Ohio mom who was barred from leading her son’s Cub Scout pack because she is a lesbian is fighting the Boy Scouts of America’s policy against gay Scouts.

Jennifer Tyrell delivered a 300,000-plus-signature petition...

[those who signed the petition indicated their approval of her lifestyle choice, and G-d' Word is once again given no thought or consideration - tolerance and acceptability abounds. Surely there were some within that 300,000 who call themselves 'christian'?]

...to the organization’s headquarters in Texas on Wednesday - a day after it announced it would uphold the ban.

Tyrell, said the announcement would not deter her from her fight.

"I truly love Scouts and I truly want to see this change take place, not just for myself, but for families and children everywhere.???."

"...do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." I Corinthians 6:9-10

These truly need our prayers,

for such were some of you/us; but you/we were washed, but you/we were sanctified, you/we were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:11

                              




Monday, July 16, 2012

“Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist.”

The Grand Design
by Stephen W. Hawking

"The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
"... the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense ..."
"In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."

The Word
by The Holy Spirit

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you." John 16:6-15
"But as it is written:
'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.... But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:9-14

Thursday, July 12, 2012

When I regarded G-d as a tyrant I thought sin a trifle, but, when I knew Him to be my Father, then I mourned that I could ever have kicked against Him. When I thought that G-d was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found G-d so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever rebel against One who loved me so, and only sought my good.

Charles H. Spurgeon

It is not that we do not love G-d, it is that we love ourselves more.

"...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment." Mark 12:30

Monday, July 9, 2012

“IF My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14


Stain glass windows surround the chapels and cathedrals of the world. Pious parishioners faithfully line the halls each sabbath morn, reclining on padded pews in indifference and ambiguity. With hardened hearts they watch the clock, anxiously awaiting the stroke of twelve.


From the pulpit springs forth messages of encouragement and hope, peace, prosperity and love:


“God wants His people successful in all areas of their lives. God wants to increase you financially, he promises prosperity so stand on the promise, do not confess doubt of unbelief. Go further – get rid of the small-minded thinking and start thinking as God thinks. Think Big! Think Increase.”


Discontentment grows alongside dissatisfaction and disillusionment yet – they press on, continuing to believe:


“God wants this to be the best time of their life. Experience His goodness in physical, material and social ways – here and now. Attempting to focus on all they have heard, struggling to teach their mind to think proper ‘success producing’ thoughts, being taught the desire for material blessing is pleasing to God, they seek more.


Yet, a closer reading of The Word will show that God cares little if one lives in a cave or a condo – His desire is that those called by His Name obey His Word and be conformed to the Image of His Son. His desire is that His children bring glory and honor to His Name and that the true gospel be taught to others making disciplined disciples and conscious converts of many:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I AM – LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

 

In his book: The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer stated:

“What you think, when you think of God, is the most telling thing about you. Your concept of God will do more to shape your thoughts and actions than any other single concept in your life. It is no wonder God used so much of the Bible to emphasize His attributes. He wants us to know what He is like so that we may live a proper life. If our view of God is flawed, it will necessarily lead to a life that is also flawed.”

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, you whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23

 
Reaching out in an attempt to feel better about themselves, their circumstances or life choices, desiring to have ears tickled and egos stroked parishioners hang onto words of comfort coming forth from the "man of God" admonishing them to try harder, aim higher, give more.

The Bible teaches that a Christian is to separate from the world, from false teachers and disobedient brothers. Yet many within the church promote tolerance and love, failing to warn against false teachers or denounce false teachings. Refusing to discern the truth from the lie, the church of today compromises the fundamentals of the faith – the Word is watered-down, altered and bent to conform to individual circumstances. Scripture interprets scripture, scripture means what it says yet scripture continues to be misrepresented, twisted, tweeked in order to fit man-made theologies until now the Word of God is unrecognizable to those who do not seek to know the truth, choosing instead to sit in contented ease amidst the error.

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our LORD Jesus the Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which comes envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain, From such withdraw yourself.” I Timothy 6:3-5

...and you shall know the TRUTH, and The Truth shall set you free. 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Between 1945 and 1950 [after WWII] ~ Europe witnessed the largest episode of forced migration, and perhaps the single greatest movement of population, in human history.

Between 12 million and 14 million German-speaking civilians—the overwhelming majority of whom were women, old people, and children under 16—were forcibly ejected from their places of birth in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and what are today the western districts of Poland. Deposited among the ruins of Allied Germany to fend for themselves, thousands died as a result of starvation, disease, beatings, or outright execution. Conservative estimates suggest that at least 500,000 people lost their lives in the course of the operation.

This took place by order of the United States and Britain as well as the Soviet Union, nearly two years after the declaration of peace.

Now, some sixty [60] years later we read:

Homeland Security's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism categorizes a racist hate group as part of the "Christian Identity Movement."

Extreme Right Wing terrorist groups are defined as those who "believe in the need to be prepared for an attack either by participating in paramilitary preparations and training or participation in survivalism. Groups may also be fiercely nationalistic (as opposed to universal and international in orientation), anti-global, suspicious of centralized federal authority, reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty. "Christian Reconstructionists" (politically active Christians) and "Islamists" are listed as the same religious terrorist threat. Groups opposing abortion are also considered a terrorist threat.

Are true Bible believing Christians next in line to experience expulsion, extermination, execution or…. at the hands of ‘Allied forces’?

"...they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations [perhaps even our own] for My name’s sake." Matthew 24:9

Credit goes to R.M. Douglas, associate professor of history at Colgate University and Bill Wilson, Daily Jot for this most important information.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her and guide her,
Through the night,
with YOUR Light from Above……

Words written almost one hundred ago... a prayer, set to music, asking God to bless to guide and to protect this great nation. Words that seem shallow now as we stand back and honestly access all that we the people have allowed to happen in this nation since Irving Berlin penned those words back in 1918.

We have elect politicians that tickled our ears, accepted unbiblical teachings from liberal pastors and televangelist. Accepted homosexuality within our military and within the clergy, condoned abortion and joined hands with non-believers in the quest for ecumenicalism.

We the people have turned our back on God.

*American’s spend $2.8 billion per year on Internet pornography.
*American’s divorce rate is higher than any other nation in the world.
*American's consume more than one-half of all illegal drugs produced in the world.
*American’s spend hours in front of the television laughing as God’s Name, His Word, His Son and His people are belittled and blasphemed in the media.
[stats provided by Dr. Dave Reagan, Lamb/Lion Ministries]


We stand proudly proclaiming: “America is a Christian nation.”

While 85% of Americans claim to be Christian there is little if any evidence of Biblical Christianity in our families, our communities or our nation.

Born into a Christian home, raised going to church, these 'professing christians' rarely attend church, read the Bible or spend time in prayer. Their time is spent pursuing the American dream, a better this, a bigger that. They purchase lottery tickets in hopes of a big win to make the dream a little sweeter, frequent R-rated movies, watch trash TV and laugh at vulgar comedians. A few go to church on Sunday morning, put a dollar in the collection plate, and leave proud of themselves for having done their duty.


God is patient, but His patience is wearing thin. Our hearts have become hard against our God, we have turned our back on Him.

Nahum reminds us:

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.  The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.

American's have become like Eve, believing the lie. 

Will we the people persist in our rebellion? Two roads face the people of America ~ one leads to repentence,  restoration and our return to God, the other to deception, destruction and to our doom as a people and a nation.