Barack Hussein Obama met Pope Francis at the Vatican ~

“Wonderful meeting you. I’m a great admirer, “I bring greetings from my family.” Obama said.

Obama presented Pope Francis with a chest - inscribed: “Presented to His Holiness Pope Francis by Barack Obama President of the United States of America, March 27, 2014.”

The United States’ first African American president and the first Latin American pope both sharing messages of hope and change.

Since both men profess faith in a false religion, embrace the idea that all serve the same god and hope to see change in Israel, I wonder….

"Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, So will I choose their delusions and bring their fears on them; Because when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes and chose that in which I do not delight." Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His Word; Your brethren who hated you, Who cast you out for My name's sake, said, 'Let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy,' But they shall be ashamed." Isaiah 66:4-5

 "An amazing thing is happening across the land. Jesus Christ is being 'reinvented'... right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care." Warren B. Smith, False Christ Coming

Various religious organizations throughout the country bought out screens and distributed tickets to groups of thousands of people for "Theater Take-Overs" where Son of God was being shown..

Other theater buyouts for Son of God were held at Cinemark locations throughout the country. Mega-church pastor Rick Warren bought out theater screens throughout Orange County.

"In churches across America, the awe and holiness of the Scriptures are fading fast. While countless "born again" believers still delight in His Word, share His love, and pray for each other, the vast majority of church members have chosen a more secular form of "worship." Many feel free to interpret the Bible according to their own liking. Consequently, a widening gap is separating God's timeless Truths from the world's more culture-friendly adaptations." Berit Kjos/Crossroads

"We hope, said Roma Downey, that audiences leave theaters feeling they know Jesus more and also that they are reminded of how deeply he loved us," she said.... "At the end you feel incredibly humbled and loved – reminded that we are all children of God....  
 

We have felt support across all denominations … businesses are buying out whole theaters and donating the seats to churches, encouraging folks to come opening weekend and to bring a friend and to bring the whole family," she said. "We believe this message of hope and love will touch the lives of millions."

 

“I am the way and the truth and the Love”  Roma Downey

 

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, nor take from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deuteronomy 4:2

"If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.... For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I should not be a bondservant of Christ." Galatians 1:9-10  

         

"For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him!" 2 Corinthians 11:4  [i.e. don't tolerate heresy]   The Word, Jesus Christ

As a follower of Jesus my LORD, I am convinced that far too many “Christians” spend far too little time praising our LORD and far too much time petitioning Him. They pray when all seems hopeless. After exhausting all other options - they pray. And God in His mercy and His love is faithful to answer such prayers, but I wonder…

How many prayers begin with - Oh God, I need….. Oh God, help me…. Instead of “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.”

As a follower of Jesus my LORD, I am also convinced that we as believers do not really understand the power, strength, peace and joy that is ours as children of God. We fail to comprehend the magnitude of His power and live in the valley more often than on the mountain tops. We focus on problems instead of praises. We see temporal, He sees eternal. We see defeat, He sees victory. He wants relationship, we want resolution - NOW!

I pray we will become completely committed, sold out followers of Jesus our Saviour and our LORD. Regardless of what we see or hear, regardless of what happens in our life or in the life of those we love, regardless of circumstances, it is my prayer that we will trust Him, love Him, appreciate Him, revere Him and live each day standing on the promises of God.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:19-23

"Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not: Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence?" Jeremiah 5:21-22

Sarah Young, apparently continues to listen, telling an interviewer earlier this year that she is currently working on another yearlong devotional, scheduled for publication next year -  “written in the same format as Jesus Calling.”

Christians who have little time to read The Word or find The Word hard to understand or boring, have by the millions purchased Jesus Calling a devotional mainstay genre in Christian publishing and in their daily lives. Spouting feel-good mysticisms like, "As you walk along your life-path holding My hand, you are already in touch with the essence of heaven: nearness to Me," it is apparent these same millions do not know The Word of God as they find the words of Jesus Calling, this heretical, New Age channeling, blasphemous book a comforting treasure.

Sarah Young in her own words admits she continues to receive "messages" strongly implying her direct communication with God.… "I  continued to receive personal messages from God as I meditate on Him."

Jesus Calling has become a veritable industry unto itself. It has spawned apps, journals, calendars, deluxe leather editions, special versions for teens and women, and a follow-up called Jesus Today, which has also become a best-seller and was named 2013 Book of the Year by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

Remnant, stay strong, be alert and watchful, for there are ravenous wolves prowling around and it would appear millions of them have made their den within Evangelical Christianity.

"...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [does not]  comprehend it." John 1:5

thanks to John Higgins for his research and article which led to this post.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.“ Matthew 13:44

Not being a fan of television viewing, I look for Christian movies to watch in the evening while others enjoy the tube. Stumbling upon one of the best I have seen in a very long time - I wanted to share some of the things that got my attention as I viewed the movie and now as I read the book, in hopes it will bless you, challenge you, make you think, and if need be reevaluate your Christian commitment.

‘‘ Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman

Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus? Fans admire Him, followers adore Him.

“if anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself….” Luke 9:23

Many have made a decision to believe in Jesus without making a commitment to follow Him. There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no life without death. There is no believing without committing.   Fans don’t mind Jesus making some minor changes in their lives but Jesus wants to turn our lives upside down. Fans don’t mind Him doing a little touch-up work, but Jesus wants complete renovation. Fans come to Jesus thinking tune-up, Jesus is thinking overhaul. Fans think makeup, Jesus thinks makeover. Fans often confuse their admiration for devotion. They mistake knowledge of Jesus for intimacy with Him.

Are you a fan or a follower?

If following Jesus cost you everything, would it still be worth it? One distraught father mused: “we raised our children in church, but we did not raise them in Christ.”

And the truth is, whether or not we do so unconsciously or intentionally, we all will answer this question - Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus.?. 

We are saved by God’ grace when we believe in Jesus and put our faith in Him, but biblical belief is more than something we confess with our mouth; it’s something we confess with our lives.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Sanctification - set apart for God is positional, progressive and ultimate.

Positionally, it is already complete since the believer is in Christ and set apart unto God. But sadly we are of Adam and therefore retain our sinful nature. So God in His love has also made sanctification progressive. We grow in grace, maturing in faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the child of God will be set apart from the sin[s] that so easily beset us when we are taken to be with Christ - we shall be like Him.

I heard it said once, we can never let God down, because we do not hold Him up.

God has promised to take care of His children. He will continue the work He has begun in each of us.  Allow Him to chisel, to mold and reshape. Be willing to obey, be willing to follow.

Our righteousness, our sanctification is ongoing. Credited to us.  We must learn to live in the reality of that credit.

As my mind attempts to grasp the reality that tens of thousands of Christians across the world live in poverty, in fear yet with great faith, in prison while silent praises fill their hearts - and all for their refusal to deny their LORD, I wonder… what if this were happening in America? Living in the joy of the LORD, with hope and trust in His Word, these precious brothers and sisters realize that through much tribulation they will enter the Kingdom of God.

In America, we have the freedom to pray. We have the freedom to attend church, read our Bibles, witness to friends and family without fear, sharing the good news that “Jesus Saves” and the freedom to worship as we choose ~ or not. We are not bound by government restraints, unjust laws or lack of Bibles. We do not live daily in fear of arrest, torture or death because of our faith as we worship and serve the LORD Jesus Christ.

We have been given such a great gift, the gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with God through Jesus Christ His Son, our LORD. His gift to us we did not deserve and could never repay and yet…. How many opportunities has the Holy Spirit given us to witness - at a restaurant, on a subway, on the train on our way to work and we have remained silent? A smile, a kind word, a silent prayer and yet how many times have we remained silent and walked away only later to think: “I should have…”???

Those in North Korean, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq…, cherish this gift and suffer great persecution in order to worship, serve and share the Good News, all the time loving their LORD and King. We have also been given the gift, yet as American Christians many choose not to share their gift for whatever reason. Our precious gift, our treasure, we all too often choose to hide and horde, silently groaning when called upon to pray or read a scripture verse, making excuses as to why we do not study His Word, pray, witness or serve ~ we remain silent.

Thousands die daily - separated from God for all eternity never hearing about the precious gift of eternal life that God will give to all who repent of their sins, confess with their mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead.

and we remain silent.

If not now - when, if not him - who???

In a message to Pentecostal leaders,  Pope Francis voiced his "yearnings" that separation between Catholics and other Christians would end.

“We have a lot of cultural riches and religious riches. And we have diverse traditions,” he said. “But we have to encounter one another as brothers.”   “Let’s give each other a spiritual embrace and let God complete the work that He has begun,” he said, adding that “the miracle of unity has begun.

It’s sin that has separated us, all our sins, the misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that we all shared in. Who is to blame? We all share the blame, we have all sinned. There is only one blameless, the Lord. He voiced his yearning that this separation ends and that communion be restored. “Let us allow our yearning to grow. Because this will propel us to find each other, to embrace one another. And together to worship Jesus Christ as the only Lord of History.”

Since becoming pope, Francis has expressed a desire for unity with Muslims,  the Eastern Orthodox, the Anglicans and now charismatics.

Kenneth Copeland finds this development incredible stating: “Heaven is thrilled over this…You know what is so thrilling to me? When we went into the ministry 47 years ago, this was impossible.”

Progression or regression, you decide. As for me and my house, we will serve the one true and only living God, the God of the Bible.