Month: March 2015

The inner conflict

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Now this is not a talk about the inner conflict that people encounter within themselves as they try to decide on how to decide on something, but it is closely related. You can use that analogy and apply it to what I am going to type here.
Within the Body of Christ which is known at the church is millions of people. All pulling in their own direction. It is this behavior that is helping to causing issues. People serving God are placing too much emphasis upon themselves and their own wants and desires and not those of God’s.
It is this which has allowed those that oppose the Bible and God to flourish and grow. They for the most part are joined in a common cause. That cause is to remove God and the Bible from the United States of America. A prime example of this took place in the 2012 Presidential election.
Many that called themselves “Christian” stayed home and did not vote. Just because they did not like that the Republican Party’s nominee was a Mormon. As a result we find this nation in dire straits and many within the “Christian” communities do nothing but complain. What actions have been made to counter these action? From what I can tell none. Why? Because this “group” refuses to work together.
Yes we are all different. Yes many of us have different images of the two political parties that exist within this nation. I myself even though Conservative no longer deem myself to be Republican, but Independent. The thing is I see no person at all in the Democratic Party that is worth supporting due to many elements I have mentioned in other posts.
Do I like how a lot of things are being done in the Republican Party? No. Yet I see a party that at least still acknowledges that there is a God. Did I like the Republican Nominee of 2012? No, but I voted for him, because I feel that until the Democratic Party returns to God they in way should receive my support or my lack of supporting the Republican Party.
This is how ALL that call themselves “Christian” should do as well. Also if they hate how things are in the political arena then they should become active and participate in the system and try to change from the inside out. Not sitting on the sidelines or being armchair politicians.
We are told in the Bible that we should be servants to our nation to be shepherds unto the earth. Yet that is not what is being done. Most go about doing only that which is important to them and not God. This means that they are only acting a part in the play of life and so this acting has allowed those that are not acting to turn this once proud nation into something that cannot be trusted throughout the world. Why? Because those that deemed this nation as evil now run it and are turning it into that for which they say we were, but now are due to them. For only evil can cause evil yet they think themselves righteous in their own eyes for they have been blinded by the lies they have been taught. Because they were not taught that which is true which is the Bible and all that is within the Bible is inspired by God the creator of all things.

True confessions of a screwed up middle-aged man: True repentance

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Recently I had a discussion with someone. I have known them for years and felt I could be honest with them and help them to understand that their path they are walking is one that may not necessarily be the correct path.
Now I wish to make this perfectly clear at the outset: I AM IN NO WAY PERFECT! I SIN! Try as I might I still stumble and fall.
They have taken the manmade doctrine of “once saved always saved” completely literally. Even though John 15 and Revelations 3 state that you can me cast away from God even after you have been joined to Him.
This person commits crimes and yet believes that they are still welcome into God’s house. I tried to get them to understand that per the above verses God will tolerate so much before He will say enough then cut your branch away and give you unto men and then be cast into the fire.
Is it because I have known this person for so long? Could it be because they hold a grudge against me that they do not wish to listen? I do not know, but most likely that is the case. What I can say is that I sincerely was trying to help this person, but I have reached the point that I will no longer try and have decided it is best I say no more.
All that is left is for me to pray upon this person from afar and hope that in time they come to realize that yes God does love them and yes He will take you as you are, but that you MUST strive to better yourself through God’s word and to try your best not to sin. Will you mess up? YES, but as long as you try not to commit the same exact sin again and again then He will allow you to stand before Him on that great day we are all called to stand before God.

The Grey

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In the second and third chapters of Revelation. The apostle John is seeing the divine Christ who is talking to His disciple about seven churches within the young Christian faith at that time. These seven can reflect any group that calls themselves a church. There is a reason for this and it is something that all should read and try to understand even today, well especially today.
In the third chapter Jesus calls members of one of these churches lukewarm. Neither hot nor cold for God and Christ. I myself call them the grey for they are neither hot or white nor are they cold or black, thus they are grey.
Most that call themselves “Christian” in the United States can say this about themselves, but they don’t because they do not see it that it applies to them, but it does.
They do not teach nor do many truly follow the teachings of the Bible. No not even the basics of the Ten Commandments, yet they say they are “Christian.”
This posting is another of my attempts to get the Grey to awaken to their standing with God. Will most not listen? This is a definite, but still these words must be typed and posted like the thesis that Martin Luther posted upon the church door in his time. This is my “thesis.”
If you continue to read that verse to the Laodiceans you will see that Christ admonishes the Grey and says he would rather they be cold for Christ then to be lukewarm for He would spew them out.
So according to this verse if you call yourself “Christian” if you go to church and yet live your life as if God is nothing but a trip to a building once a week, than you are destine to be cast out by Jesus Himself.
To be cast out, do you understand what that means. If you are not welcome in heaven or the eternal life that follows it, then where are you welcome? If you don’t know that answer then you have lived your life in a vacuum.
How can you correct this? You must become hot for God. You must become white and shine His glory to the world and to counter that which is black and dark and evil.
Light is kindness and loving yet shows that if the Bible calls it a sin it is a sin. It does not condone it, it tries to push it into the darkness. When the sun shine can you see this darkness? No you cannot for it is driven away. Yet at night darkness thrives and lives, colors that you can see in the light of the moon become grey.
This nation is in a time of night and darkness. It is time for the sun to rise and the cast out the darkness so that all will be seen pure and clean. But remember there will still be a shadow for not all darkness can be cast out for only one has that power and His name is Jesus Christ.

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.

Life choices

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Events have transpired lately that reminded me of my past. Events of growth into maturity; and the challenges of finding our place within this world that we must traverse through as we are forged into instruments that can or cannot be used by God. What got me through this time of teenage confusion and messages being shouted at me from all side was the foundation my parents had given me. Of all the elements they did not give this one element they did is the element that finally led me down the path which turned me into a tool for God.
This one important item is an item that is not being given to most of our children. It is an element that is being removed from society and today’s parents for the most part are allowing it. Why? Because they did not receive it themselves. As a result our world as we know it is falling into to chaos and confusion. It is why sin and the acceptance of sin is on the rise. It is why school violence is now the common place instead of the unusual. Ultimately who is responsible for this? Each and every person that does not make it known that these values that were the foundation of the upbringing of generations of citizens of this country the United States of America that it allowed to prosper and grow.
There are those that wish to blame this item for the ills of the world. There are those that wish to say all evil acts that came from this nation were the result of this one item. That would be a lie. For only evil can cause evil and evil only exists when this item is not present to help counter it.
It is those that do not accept what this item offers and represent that cause evil to rise and destroy.
This item offers insight into the human soul. This items allows all to understand that being human is not something we should strive to be, but something that is greater than being human. To attempt, even though we will falter and fall, to reach for the divine and holy. For when you strive to reach for something so pure and wonderful that you yourself become something better than you would ever accomplish by just being human.
For we are taught that only evil emits from a human heart, and what is divine and wondrous can never be found there.
But how can we learn to be above the corruption of humanity? What is this item that can lead us to being better, happier and something to seek after?
It is the Bible and all the teaching that are within, especially those that come directly from Jesus Christ the Son of God who is the divine.

Servant hood in today’s world and the church

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A few weeks back someone contacted me. He stated that he was unfamiliar with any verses in the Bible stating servant hood. At that time, I provided him three. The most powerful of these was:

Mark 10:42-45 – 42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Here is one I did not include that time, but is worth mentioning:

John 12:26: If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

To follow Jesus, is to serve Jesus. We are called to serve all. Not to have God or Jesus serve us, but to serve God and Jesus.
To serve Jesus we must serve the people, if you seek reward from God and give no service, but you are given a reward. You must ask yourself from whom did I get this reward since it clearly states that God will honor us if we serve.
My service is me writing and posting these thoughts, dreams and studies here. Will he call me to serve somewhere else? I truly hope so.
As I stated before our prayers should not be centered upon us. They should be centered first upon God and then on those in need. No matter the need you feel drawn to pursue.
My best example at this time is my own church I attend. We are a small congregation, but we provide food to the hungry. Our church is in the poorest county of the state of Pennsylvania. We may officially number less than an hundred members but our pastor and volunteers feed hundreds every month. This is a true example of servant hood.
If any man serve Jesus, he must follow Jesus’ examples. Jesus is the ultimate servant. He served you and me by taking our place upon the cross. Beaten and blood He suffered upon the rough wooden cross. Splitters sticking into His already torn back. That is the ultimate act of servitude.

Place others before yourself through prayer and action as Jesus has done for us.
I was just thinking today in a few years I plan to retire. How can I continue to serve the Lord at that time?
Therefore, I decided to do some more reading from the Bible and I once again turned to Mark 10:44. Now I am not saying I wish to be a chief, but I wanted to look at the original meaning of the word “servant” in that verse. By the way, you should never take any verse of the Bible at face value. To truly get into God’s Word you are required to truly delve into it. I like to use Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance with the Hebrew and Greek Lexicon all of the time.

Servant in the Greek here means: Doulos – a Slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary… therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency)

I then like to go to the dictionary
servant: a person who is devoted to or guided by something.

Subserviency: – Subservience: 1: a subservient or subordinate place or function; 2: obsequious servility

Obsequious: : too eager to help or obey someone important

Servility: of or befitting a slave or a menial position

From this break down of the definitions, and as you think through the syntax of the means. You end up stating that the word “servant” in Mark 10:44 means to over eagerly seek to help others even though you are called to be a leader.
Just think on that for a minute. To be so eager that you can be called over eager to serve others. That is even hard for me to get my thoughts around. This though is what Christians are called to do; to place all others before ourselves, but too many times, in fact most of the time that is not how Christians think.
Many think of themselves as better than other. They look down one people.
I heard a good example of this the other day, where I cannot remember now. Well someone in a church was reaching out to youth in the community, they has tattoos and decided to come to this person’s church. When they sat down people beside them got up. The pastor noticed this and said something to these people. The elders of the church stating he was wrong for doing this later confronted the pastor.
In reality, those that moved away and those that scolded the pastor are the ones in the wrong here.
This to me is a dying church.
I recall one time being in church in Memphis where I was upstairs looking down into the crowd below me. There I saw a woman waving to another to get her attention. Once she did she said “I love you hat!”
I thought to myself “really”. Are we here to impress others?
The answer to the question is no by the way.
These are not the actions of a servant heart. These are the actions of selfishness. These are the actions of someone, who in my eyes may not even truly be Christian.
Therefore, as I stated before our prayers should be God focused first. Other people focused second. Then God focused third. The moment you say “God Help me” or “God why are you doing this to me” you are not being servant centered but self-centered. I feel we are all guilty of this one. I know I sure have been in the past. Christians must return to what God has asked. To place all others before ourselves, and once we do He will reward us.

The last 24 hours

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Now I am going to get political here. There is a reason. What I am going to discuss here covers not only the political arena but also the realm of faith and God.

2 Samuel 7: 22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? 24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.

This verse is one of twenty-two verses that states that the people of Israel are God’s chosen. This means we as Christians are to support them. Their fate is not our fate, but we are still servants of God. Those that are truly Christian are not jealous of Israel for their place of honor with God we are joyous for them.
That said, here is the real reason for this post. As I write this it has just been over twenty-four hours since the Prime Minister of the nation of Israel spoke to the joint-sessions of the congress and senate. Here is what I took away with the speech. What I saw was the leader of Israel reminding this nation of ours which was founded upon the freedom to worship God, thus becoming the only other nation in the world made by God, that we are bound to Israel. It was also a reminded that God works in mysterious ways. For this speech would not of gotten the attention it received if not for the actions of those that deny Israel had not made such a big deal about the Prime Minister speaking in the first place.
Fifty-six members of the Democratic Party made it clear that they do not support Israel yesterday. The platform of the Democratic Party DOES NOT mention GOD at all.
All the Republicans attended and the platform of the Republican Party DOES mention GOD.
I seriously believe that Mr. Netanyahu’s speech was aimed more at reminding and unifying our two countries in our common bond. A bond that is being slowly chipped away by the Democratic Party which no longer wishes this nation to be God’s second nation, but a nation open to all those things which are against God to the point of dealing with those countries which have it written in their Constitutions to destroy the chosen people of God.
Now truly think upon that last sentence. As Christians we are servants to God. We are to honor God and in so doing we are to honor, support and respect the chosen people of God. Yet at this time those in power are treating with those that wish to destroy the chosen. This to me is one of the most heinous acts I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. To so openly turn your back on God, Christianity and Judaism. To boycott a speech and treat with the enemies of the chosen people of God is further prove that the Democratic Party is a party that no one that calls themselves “Christian” should affiliate themselves with. They need to be segregated from making such powerful decision for this nation until such time as they return to God and abandon their pursuit of human desires, which are called corrupt. (Matthew 15:18-20)
It is time for those that call themselves “Christian” to rise up and take back this nation form those that deny God. It is time for those that call themselves “Christian” to separate themselves from a group, the Democratic Party, which time and again insults God. For as long as you do, you support and condone their wishes and plans to supplant God with their own idles of sin to worship and praise (Ephesians 5:1-17). This nation which was first colonized and founded to allow the freedom to worship God and not have a state government dictate to us how or who we should worship. Yet that is exactly what the Democrats are doing and want. They are taking our freedom to worship God from us and in turn taking all of our freedoms form us.

Here is a list of the boycotters:
Rep. Karen Bass (Calif)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.)
Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.)
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.)
Rep. Lois Capps (Calif.)
Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.)
Rep. Joaquin Castro (Texas)
Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.)
Rep. Lacy Clay (Mo.)
Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)
Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.)
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
Rep. John Conyers (Mich.)
Rep. Danny Davis (Ill.)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.)
Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.)
Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.)
Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (Ohio)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.)
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.)
Rep. Denny Heck (Wash.)
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (Texas)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
Rep. Rick Larsen (Wash.)
Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.)
Rep. John Lewis (Ga.)
Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa)
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.)
Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.)
Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.)
Reps. Jim McGovern (Mass.)
Rep. Jerry McNerney (Calif.)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.)
Rep. Gwen Moore (Wis.)
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)
Rep. Beto O’Rourke (Texas)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine)
Rep. David Price (N.C.)
Rep. Cedric Richmond (La.)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.)
Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.)
Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.)
Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.)
Senate (8)
Sen. Al Franken (Minn.)
Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii)
Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)

I highly recommend these members be recalled and removed from office

Replies to responses … well response

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The other day I posed a question. At the time I am writing this I am responding to the sole response.
Joseph Rathjen posted:
“Well, what can I say, except that unlike the demon I have felt the true presence of God in my heart and all the good that he stands for. For years, I lived in a spiritual darkness that I knew deep down in my soul was wrong and damaging. It took some time to repent, but I finally realized that having an open and sympathetic heart, being unselfish, learning to be forgiving and unresentful made my life a lot more fulfilling.

So, I guess I can say that being born a Christian didn’t necessarily make me a Christian. Until I experienced his calling and tried to share it with others did I realize what Christianity is all about. I’m not a holy roller or a bible thumper, but I try to show other people in my life (in my own way) his way.

It’s a wicked world we live in so sometimes you have to be a little sneaky. Is that a sin, lol?”

I wouldn’t call it sneaky. I would call it honesty. “Holy rollers” and “bible thumpers” actually turn people from God or more accurately scare them from God.
Those folks are a phase in their growing in God. I can speak of this from personal experience. I would say that the first five or six year after becoming born again I turned into a “holy roller.” Why? It could be due to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that it just over flowed out of me. Since I was not well versed in the Bible and had no real mentors to turn to help me work through this filling of God’s glory that it made more overly “religious.”
Now why did I put quotation marks about that word? It is simple. Religions are the product of man seeking to please God. It is this which Jesus confronted the Pharisees about when he walked the earth. It is religion that placed Him upon the cross, but He knew this and accepted it.
True “Christians” actually should act as you finally learned. They should have an open and sympathetic heart. They should be unselfish, forgiving and unresentful for it is not our place to judge, but Gods. We are to be Jesus’ example upon this earth at this time. The key word is “example.” We are not here to judge, but to help. We are to guide them toward the light and away from sin. How do we do this? By our actions for most do not respond well to words, but when they see your actions they see what true believe in God is and so it makes them at the very least start to think.
We are to be a shining light that shows brightly upon the world. Show the difference between what is Godly and what is human. Does this make you sneaky? No. It makes you a true example of God.

I must also add that being born into a Christian household does not make you one. It is something that is the responsibly of those parents of the household to instill and teach their children, but ultimately it is these children’s own decision if they wish to live in sin or live for God. For each person is only responsible for their own life’s choices.
So again Joseph you are not being sneaky you are being the opposite. You are a walking example of Jesus Christ the Son of God who walked, talked and dined with sinners.

Confessions of a screwed up middle-aged man: God’s time

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This is a snapshot into my life.
We are told in the Bible that the man is to leave his father and mother and cleave unto the woman that becomes his wife making one entity.
Well at the age of 20 I did that and for nearly 13 years through growing up and finding God the man I had become was not acceptable to the woman that I had married. So she cast me aside even though I knew she was the one woman that was I meant to be with me forever.
For ten years I waited for her to return. Even after she remarried, I waited. Striving to follow the teaching of God.
Then toward the end of this decade I did what I was not supposed to do. First my faith waivered, second I placed too much emphasis on me doing God’s work and less on letting God do God’s work.
As a result I met another woman and married. It was not till near the end of the 9th year of marriage to this one that I came to find that I had been lied too, deceived. The woman I thought I had married did not exist. Instead the woman I was married to brought into my life destruction and chaos and destitution. Soon after I entered into my year of Job and kept the promises I had made to her and myself if she did not correct her ways. As a result I was divorced for the second time.
I had returned to my correct place with where I should be with God, yet different. I was in a different city. I was a different man. So God knowing this set me upon a new path. A path that would allow me to serve Him and allow me to reach out to more people then I have ever envisioned myself reaching. Do they listen or ignore me I do not know, but many have read my words and still a seed is planted that may or may not grow.
As I followed God, I let Him lead me. Well, He led me to another woman. A woman I did not know could ever exist.
We share so much in common, yet there are still differences that make it interesting and exciting to be with her. I can say she is truly “God sent.”
Due to my believe and love for God I knew that my human desires would interfere with my walk with God, and God has made a provision just for this. He states that if you divorce and you cannot stay single He would rather us remarry then to live in sin. But I also must add that when you serve God He will reward you if you are truly serving me.
As a result yesterday I married for the third and last time. For she is truly the woman I am meant to live with for all eternity. I know that it stated until death, but when you truly understand God there is no death except that caused by sin. If you live for God and you serve God you will do so for all eternity and so you will do that with a companion because we are told we are not meant to be alone. My companion is my new wife and it is she that has now truly replaced my first wife and for that I will love her forever with only God being more important. For the person I was at twenty is not the man I am today. We are two different people, even though I have always been this person that now types these words. The person then was a child of sin and the man I am now is a child of God.

What is it you think “Christians” do?

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I would really like some replies to this post. This is a serious question.
What conceptions do you live with of those that call themselves “Christian?” Why am I asking this question? Because I really think that most out there really do not understand Christianity or have a concept of that is not factual.
Some that reply may call themselves “Christian,” some may not.
I wish to address these replies, not today but over the next few days or weeks depending upon the responses.
I look forward to your replies and thank you for your time in doing so.