Month: November 2014

The duel edge sword.


There are times we go through trials and tribulations. As I have said before some may be a pruning by God to allow you to become a better tool for His glory. There will be some trials that confound and confuse you because they come at you from a direction you did not expect. Usually in these instances, there is another party involved. Someone outside that you do not know how or why they crossed your path and sent you into a trail and tribulation. When there is others involved it is always a test upon both parties or all those involved.
In many cases, it will be something that is testing you to see if you grow in your faith, and let me say on a personal note, that all our faiths including mine own have room to grow.
Here is my point of this post. Even though we end up growing and become closer to God in this time of tribulation we may not be the may target. I could be the other person in the situation that is being tested. It may be the other person having their faith in God worked upon my Him.
Our responses and actions to this person might be something that God can use to make this other person realize they need to change and come closer to God. Or they may just need to go through this trial in their own way, but still your reaction is important.
An example:
The other day I was behind a person on the road that was driving erratically. I noticed that he was more interested in looking on the screen of his cellphone then upon the road. I come to this conclusion by the mere fact that he crossed the double yellow line and had to come to a near stop several time to make a simple corner. I have seen drunk drives drive better. So as I get to a stop light I start honking my horn.
He jumps out of his car comes running to my window and proceeds to curse and me.
My respond. “Yes I have a problem with you. You are texting. Read Titus 3:1”
This reference to the Bible made his eyes widen, step back and then turn and leave to his car, which he suddenly started running to as it rolled driverless toward the car in front of it.
Was I being given a trail? I would say yes, if you knew me before Christ you would understand.
Was he being tested? I would say definitely.

The Blood that cleans


Humans are corrupt beings. They are this way due to the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. No human on their own can make themselves clean. How can filth clean filth? It is impossible for there will always be filth left behind when this is done.
That was why God created the blood sacrifice. For centuries, it was the blood of the lamb. Then God allowed His Son to come amongst humans. He lived without sin, but witnessed sin. Then it was the humans that called for His death, His sacrifice, and so He went to the cross and shed His pure and clean blood. This Blood is so powerful that it cleaned all the filth from those that called upon Him as their Savior.
This salvation makes people change. That which gave them pleasure before no longer does and so they turn from that which was their old live in the filth. Sometimes though they do get dirty, but they ask God for His forgiveness and blessing and He gives it.
But humans are corrupt beings. They are told within the Bible that they must abide with Jesus. Live in His word and His teachings, but most do not. Soon they find themselves returning to those sins and forgetting to ask Jesus for His cleansing. Therefore, they falter and fall, until one day they are merely paper Christians. Their month says they are but their actions say they are the sin they once were.
Jesus called these the “lukewarm” and He said he would spew them from His month for they are no longer one with Christ or God and no longer worthy to amongst the counted.
Can they fix this? Yes they can, but many are so blinded they do not realize that they have faltered and fallen away. There are those that cry from the wildness calling upon them to repent and return to Christ. Some may listen, but most do not.

Mark Chapter 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Revelation 3: 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

It is time to look at the bigger picture


Too many especially within Christendom limit God. It is something that is truly sad. God is more than a creator of a planet no bigger than a speck of dust within the universe. God created the entire universe. The imagery given us in the Bible shows how powerful and great God is. Not only is He the created of the universe but He also created multiple dimensions. At this point, many have stopped reading or are laughing, but think on it. Can you see Heaven? Yet it exists. That means it is in a different plain of existence, this means it is a different dimension. You see you limited God. This is my whole point. We have learned so much in the last hundred or so years. It is said in Daniel that our knowledge would increase as the return of Christ grew ever nearer and that we would be go to and fro.
For centuries, it was fine believing so limitedly, because the knowledge we had equaled it. At one time humans believed that this planet was the center of all then they found that the sun was the center. Later still, they found that this sun was on the edge of a huge galaxy. Now we know there are thousands of galaxies. This does not change the believing in God but confirms this believe. For in the very first verse of the Bible it states that God created the heavens and the earth. Earth has always been a minor character when compared to the heavens, but we have never been minor characters to God. For if we were God would have never sent us His Son so we could be able to fellowship with Him.
All humans have grown as beings created by God. As the centuries pass, we gain more and more knowledge, which allows us to know that God is real. Yet at the same time, there are those that still deny His existence yet the very fact that we have reached this stage shows of His truth and Glory.

Overwhelmed – A song worthy of hearing.


What is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite songs is “Overwhelmed” by Big Daddy Weave. In the very first verse, you hear this:
“I see the work of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming”
Written by Mike Weaver and Phil Wickham. They show that more in Christendom need to wake up and notice. Too many times people limit God. Diminish God. Reduce God.
God is truly overwhelming. Yet He sees promise in each and every person. He seeks out a personal relationship, yet at the same time created the entire universe. A universe filled with millions of galaxies in which there are billions of solar systems. Yet God wishes to spend time with each and every one of us. He is so overwhelmingly powerful that He is able to do just that for He is truly overwhelming.

We need to not be near sighted


One of the greatest challenges that those that call themselves Christian is to learn to look beyond today or even tomorrow. When they become near sighted, all they can do is plan for that moment or the next day. That is not how Christianity was designed to work.
Our vision should be focused on the eternal. Questions like “What will the earth look like in the thousand-year reign of Christ?” “What lies in the next solar system?” “What wonders and beauty are waiting to be seen?”
Why these questions and many many more? Because that makes us think beyond this temporal life.
This is like going to the store to pick a pair of shoes. You try one on, walk and feel it is uncomfortable, or it does not look quite right. So you try another pair and they are just right. Well the eternal life is the pair that is just right, filled with the rewards promised to us by Jesus.
Why keep the pair of shoes that are uncomfortable? Yet that is exactly how people live and act. They say I can work through the blisters and corns caused by wearing the wrong shoes. We are told repeatedly not seek our reward in this life for it is fleeting when compared to a billion years.
One year is 365 days. The average life span of a person worldwide, at this time, is 25915 days or 71 years.
One billion years is 365,242, 199, 000 days.
Personally, I would rather plan for the largest number. A lot more can happen in that life and will happen.

What constitutes the free exercise of religion?


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Per dictionary.com
Exercise – a putting into action, use, operation, or effect:

Per the first amendment, Congress (i.e. the government) cannot impose any law that blocks the free exercise (practice) of religion.
Now it states religion, which can mean any religion. That can mean Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindi, so forth and so on.
This means that if someone states per religious reasons that they cannot do something that violates said religion, then the government cannot force them to go against their believes, per the first amendment.
Yet that is what is being done.
The sin called homosexuality is just that a sin. To force a religion that says it is not a sin is a violation of the first amendment.
If someone wishes to live a sinful live that is his or her choice, but to try to force a religion to condone said sin is again a violation of the first amendment.
Those that truly follow Christianity do not turn their backs on the people living in sin, but we should not be force to say that something we consider bad for the person to be good.
We do not hate the person committing the sin. We condemn the sin itself. We ask that you do not continue to live in this sin, for we only wish what is best for you. There is really going to be an eternal life. ALL are promised to have immortal bodies, but not all are promised to live in happiness. Those that follow the teaching of Christ and the Bible believe in the White Throne Judgment. This happens after the thousand-year reign of Christ upon earth. This is post rapture and post Armageddon. At this time those that lived righteous lives without knowing of the existence of God or the salvation promised by Christ upon the cross, will find that their mere actions will most likely gain them access to God and His Son.
It is those that know of God and His Son that deny Them both, or live in sin will at this time find it the hardest to get past God’s judgment. Of these most will fail and it will be by their own doing. On Mount Sinai God did not just hand down stone tablets with ten rules. He gave a huge list of laws and rules to follow.
One of these is that men shall not lie with other men as if they lie with women. The same is said of women. These are laws given by God. These are sins. To force those that believe this to accept your life choice is wrong. If you wish to live in this sin, go right ahead it is not my job or place to stop you if you do not wish to listen. It is also not your job or place to stop us from believing it to be true.
Do not think that by forcing your way into our Churches you are getting God to condone or approve of your choice. This is the furthest thing from the truth, but as I said, I am not here to force you to stop living in this sin unless you are willing to acknowledge what is written in the Bible. I am here to shine the light of God upon you and tell you that what you are doing is wrong and can lead you to standing before the Great White Throne. This is not where I wish to see. I would rather you be in the court audience. Watching as all the actions of someone’s life pass before all to see and witness.
One time someone said to me. If no one would know, would you commit a homosexual act for $5,000,000 dollars? I said no. He could not believe me and kept pressing me. I said God would know. Not only will God know but also EVERYONE will know. I am in no way perfect, but I will not give in to sin even for money. For your soul is more important to me then money ever could be and the glories of an eternal life that will allow us to explore all the creation of God is more rewarding then paper made by man. Give me what God creates, for He created the entire universe.

Things found in SciFi and the Bible


Higher beings

Teleportation

Terra forming

Celestial phenomena

Dinosaurs

Ascensions to a higher life form

Asteroids and comets hitting the earth

Immortality

Multiple dimensions

Creation

This is where those that wrote SciFi got their ideas.
Ideas that have been around thousands of years before someone decided to write science fiction. Think on that a moment. Things that were not “real” when written by Jules Verne are now “real.”
Things in the Bible called real are now called fiction by those that wish to deny God. Funny how that is working. If the trend continues that means that all within the Bible is real, oh wait, people have already been saying that. Time to wake up folks.

Don’t become a broken branch


There are those that believe in the manmade doctrine of “once saved always saved.” I do not follow this doctrine for within the book of John, Christ states you can be removed from Him. This implies that you were are one time with Him since you cannot be removed from something you were not a part of. Many follow this doctrine without being aware that they are.
Christ clearly states that one must “abide” with Him.
Abide – 3306. meno men’-o a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):–abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.
Dwell – 3 a: to keep the attention directed —used with on or upon
b: to speak or write insistently —used with on or upon
Endure – 1: to continue in the same state: last 2: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding

This means you have to have an active relationship with Jesus. Just going to church on Sunday and then not spend the other 313 days of the year dwelling in Christ and His teaches is not abiding in Him. We are the bride and He is the Groom. Do you spend 52 days out of the year with your wife or husband? If you did, you will soon find yourself divorced.
Your branch must bear fruit and that God Himself will prune you so that in the end you will bear more fruit. I experienced this pruning personally in my year of Job. Now I am dedicated to writing these words in hopes that they shall bear the fruit of God.
I know without a doubt that I came close to being a branch that bore no fruit and knew again, without a doubt, that I was close to being removed from the vine of Christ and gathered up and burned within the fire. The symbolism is clearly stated in these verses by Jesus Himself.
Know Him.
Have an active relationship with Him. This means to be a living example of what He taught and to strive to do so. Not only through prayer, but actions. So you can be a bearer of Godly fruit.
If you do not bear fruit you will be cast off by God and join the world of man and be thrown into the fire.
John 15: 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Words – 4487. rhema hray’-mah from 4483; an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),; by implication, a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute); with a negative naught whatever:–+ evil, + nothing, saying, word.

John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The Two Greatest Commandments revisited


In one of my other posts, I mentioned two great commandments given to us by Jesus. To love God with all your heart and all the time. The other was to love your neighbor as you love yourself. These two things Christ stated was above the Ten Commandments and yet if you look at it they are part of the Ten Commandments.
Like the Ten Commandments it is something that is ignored by most, be they non-Christian or even Christian. This is a sad statement when you ponder upon it some, but true. Could it be the times we live in? Possibly, but it does not need to be this way.
Also as I have stated in other posts is the need to be truly humble.

Per Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Humble is: not proud: not thinking of yourself as better than other people;: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people;: showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people

This is the building blocks on which loving your neighbor as you would yourself is built upon. In love of God first, placing Him first in all you do and being a humble person. Placing the actions and feelings of all others before yourself allows you to love them like yourself.
In Christianity there are many groups. All think that their vision of God is better than the other persons version. In reality the only vision we have of God is found within the entire Bible. It shows God is all knowing. It shows God as creator and Father. Yet many that call themselves Christian think of Him as some magical genie that will grant their wishes to become rich, a celebrity, important.
This is not what the Bible teaches and the mere fact that there are people that believe otherwise shows they have not truly read the Bible and understand it. As a result, they find it impossible to follow the two greatest commandments.

The world is full of pitfalls and potholes.


As we go about our daily tasks, we are given days of joy and happiness. We are given days when nearly the same thing happens that had happened the day before. Then we are given trials. Most are minor, some are more painful, and some are soul rending.
The thing is there is always someone there waiting to help us. Many call out to Him, but many times, they do not believe he listens. Well He does. The answer you seek to see may not be the answer He wishes you to learn, but you must endure.
I had an encounter that took place in 1996. The details are unimportant, what is important though is that it took more than ten years to finally open my mind and heart to the lesson that God was trying to teach me. In those ten years I carried bitterness and anger within, which is opposite what God wants us to carry within us.
This anger and bitterness left me depressed and despondent. It led me to doubt my place with God. It led me down a path in which feel I could have been an unfruitful branch for God and so broken off of the tree and cast to the world.
I came close, but then I realized the truth and beauty of God and His Son Jesus Christ. It took an experience that was an echo of Job for me to turn my path back to God. Trials and tribulations I do not wish any to have to go through, but I know, as with me, that may be the only way for people to come to understand that Jesus in the answer.
That is the reason there are pitfalls and potholes in life.