Month: February 2016

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: I now see

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I now understand the empathetic emotions that the prophets experienced as they tried to speak to Israel and make them aware that they were going down the wrong road. I see the anguish they must have felt at having those they talk to belittle and dismiss what they said.
I see those about me stating and strongly believing they are in good standing with God, then I see things like this last Sunday where all their worship and praise did not go to God, but to a group of men upon a field. The new gladiators of the modern era.
Now I know that we are to live our lives in moderation, but this is not moderate behavior. This is worship, this is praise, and this is glorification. They placed all their emotions into the event. They watched like it was a religious ceremony. Afraid to leave where they were, afraid they would miss something spectacular. Yet it was not the God they profess to service or honor, but other humans.
Yet to them God is great for a few minutes a day, but the rest of the day belongs to them and what they truly wish to worship. They pull out God when it is convenient for them, when they wish to show the world their goodness, their piety. They compartmentalize each part of their lives, only showing that which is important to them at that particular moment. Seeking for their own glory and reward in this temporal time and place.
As they do this they find it unpleasant when someone points out that this is not the true way to worship God. They get upset when they are shown it is not something they can walk away from at the drop of a hat like they do when it come to the things of God. All I can hear is 2 Peter going through my head.
2 Peter 2:18-22 (NLT)
18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.
People need to wake up and see where they are heading. In their minds they see salvation and glory, but their actions seek out the rewards and pleasures of the world. How truly saddening it is to have the eyes that see and the ears that hear.
May the true glory of God shine upon as many as possible that will see the true light and turn from the path into the darkness and back to the true light of eternal salvation and reward. Amen.

Confession of a screwed up middle aged man: the corner

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As I write this I had just left a situation where I made people feel cornered in their beliefs. I feared their response when I asked a question but included the statement of “yuck … football.”
This set them off for they could not accept that they thought more of a sport than they did of God. So they attacked as I knew they would.
I knew they were not ready for the truth. I sensed it, but they pushed. I told them twice later I warned them, but they were beyond listening at that point.
I was able to reprove, in a way rebuke and slightly able to exhort, but by then they had started using the “judging” card. Unaware of the true meaning of what “judging” really is as I feared would be the case.
By the time it is was done they had shut me down, but seeds were planted, for God wanted that to happen.

She understood

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When Jesus walked amongst us his mission was to offer the kingdom of God unto the people of Israel. Finally they reached a point when their acceptance was mandated, but they instead doubted and reject Him. Once this accrued Jesus stopped teaching in open teachings. Instead He switched over to teaching parables. These even the disciples sometimes didn’t understand.
Then one day He came into the area of Tyre and Sidon.
Here a Canaanite woman approached Him and asked Christ to cast a demon out of her daughter. He ignored her. He made a statement that He as there for Israel. Then He spoke a parable:
““It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Now when He spoke other parables Jesus would say. “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
This took place in chapter 13 of Matthew
So here we have a Canaanite woman and Christ says unto her a parable and her response is to that parable that though gentiles are dogs do they not eat the crumbs of the bread that fall to the ground.
There is two things of import here. First that she had enough faith to know the words coming from Christ and understand them as well as know that He is the Messiah when she called Him the “Son of David. The second that she, a gentile and a woman, had exceeded those that Jesus had specifically come for. This is why He states that her faith is great, for it was.
There are two major factors we must understand in the last point. First being a gentile yet knowing Jesus is the Christ. The second being that she was female. This is why the disciples ask Jesus to send her away. Women were not thought of as they are today and being a pagan didn’t help. Yet she exceeded all of Israel in her believe in Jesus.
Matthew 15: 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Life is grey…. Really?

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I just love when I hear someone say that life is grey and not black and white. By the way that was sarcasm. In actuality it saddens me when I hear these words. Once again it speaks to the lack of Biblical teaching parents are instructed to do within the Bible to their children.
It is this mentality that all is grey that opens the door to sin and the acceptance of sin. I think this is one reason Jesus Himself says that it is worse for those that are lukewarm than it is for those that are cold to Him.
More and more I hear this, and it is even sadder when I hear it come from the mouth of clergy. Those that are to be our mentors, our teachers and our Sheppard.
Now it is every individual’s right to either accept or deny there is a God, but what is more important is that the choice they make be an informed decision. If they do not understand that “if” there is a God that they have the right to understand what their choice will mean on an eternal level. Now I used quotation marks because I have no doubt there is a God, but there will be those that do not believe this because of how they were taught.
Jesus knew this. This is why he taught His disciples how to do things when it came to teaching of God.
The Jewish people knew there was a God, but they lacked in true understanding and knowledge of the Torah. If they had they would not have rejected Him, but they did. This is how it is for those that profess to be Christian today. They have no true understanding of the Bible and what the meaning of our lives are; not only now in this temporal life but in the eternal life to come.
It is when I hear people say that life is grey that I know it is not the right mentality they are living their life under. It is more for their own glorification and not God’s glorification.
It is from this selfishness that Jesus is referring to when He states that all evil comes from within our hearts, for it is true. This is why we need to leave this mentality that the world is grey and return to what we have been told it truly is. Black and white.
Revelation 3: 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.

Extremist

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I heard this word today and so I decided to seek clarification for all about this word. So I will start with the definition and go from there.
Extremist – 1. a person who goes to extremes, especially in political matters.
2. a supporter or advocate of extreme doctrines or practices.
Extremism – belief in and support for ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
Extreme – : very great in degree
: very serious or severe
: very far from agreeing with the opinions of most people : not moderate
The key in these definitions is the words “most” and “moderate.”
As I look over these definitions what I see as important to realize is what if someone that is not amongst most that are moderate and sees someone of an opposing view point. To them since they themselves are not moderate would see someone on the other side as extreme.
But what is moderate?
That is the big question these days. I can actually see both sides of this issue and I understand why there is confusion. Here is the dilemma.
As of 2014 per http://www.gallup.com/poll/180452/liberals-record-trail-conservatives.aspx moderates form 38 % of the population, 34 % are conservative, and 24 percent are liberal. This has been changing due to actions by those in power and in the education of our college students since the 1960s.
Still only 24% of the population is liberal but many of these are in important parts of the government, business, and especially education. These in reality would be those that should be call “extremist.” Why? Because of the founding principles of this nation:
1) Rights come from God, not government
2) All political power emanate from the people
3) A limited representative republic
4) A written constitution
5) Protection of private property
These are conservative, but are the foundation of this nation. This is why those that are liberal could be considered extremist, because for one they do not fall into the boundaries of the majority that being the moderate and conservative combined. Then for the other reason have no desire to attempt to conform to what is moderate and wish to discount God, remove the political power from the people, have the government control all; remove the constitution (since is it is antiquated) and wish none to own anything but have it all owned by everyone (everyone being those like themselves since they know what is best for all). But should we call them that? No we should not. In fact I feel no one should be called extremist within the borders of the United States at this time.
A true example of extremism is those that flock to ISIS, in which it is their belief that only they are perfect and all others are inferior. That women are not equals. That homosexuals should be killed. That slavery is the natural order for those that are inferior to them for they are not human. That behead those that do not agree with them.
That is a true example of extremism.
But back to the U.S. So when I hear someone use the term extremist it tells me that someone is not looking correctly at this nation and it works and need to awaken to that fact that they actually have it good here.
Simply the moment someone says that someone is an “extremist” they need to be called out and told that is a word you should not throw about so loosely. It is a word that shows the user is prejudice and needs to be educated in the hate they are causing and spreading.

Mixed signals

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As we approach the first primary to show that Christendom has awakened all I see about me is mixed signals. I see an uproar from many, but it is an uproar that in many aspects reminds me of the 2008 campaign that shot Obama into the spotlight and stated the systematic break down of this nation by those that we are told to mark and avoid within the Bible itself.
Romans 16:17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.
Many are now awake to this, but many more are not. Those that should see the division being caused by Trump, Clinton and Sanders still clamor and shout their praises of these charlatans. Many are still blind and those that claim not to be blind are. Example: Jerry Farwell Jr. giving support for someone who does not even know the Bible to the point of saying “Two Corinthians” not “2nd Corinthians.”
Cruz is more Christian than Trump, but I worry over him. He does not show true humility.
Matthew 20:26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,…
I see more of this from Paul and Carson. Yet if Carson is a Seventh Day Adventist I have my concerns over his values.
Out of all the truest “moderate” is Paul. He has ideas that are truly in the middle and will fix this nation yet the media down play and hide him. To me this is something that marks him as worthwhile. Someone to learn more about.
But still there are mixed signals. Why? Because even though many have awaken to the failings within the Christian community in the nation. Most still would rather talk about and watch sports, celebrities and that which divides us more than to pursue God.
God has sent us a wakeup call in Obama. God has declared a judgment against this nation and this man is His tool to make us either awaken to our sins or to fall deeper into damnation.
This election is the line in the sand from the Lord God Almighty. Will those living in confusion truly awaken to the reality of our Creator and will this nation continue it’s down spiral into destruction.