Month: November 2016

Now more than any other time………. Know the truth

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Due to a hard and vicious attack by those that deny the existence of God and His Son. This nation is torn, fractured, hurt and angry. All things the Bible itself tells those willing to read and understand it to avoid.
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.
This is a mainstay of the Democratic Party and the best example of this is Barak Obama, followed by the Clintons. They say the words that they are “Christian” but their actions and the results they cause show their true desires and lusts.
Titus 3:9 – Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. 10 If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11 For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.
Their ultimate goal is the destruction of the United States as it was originally form. A nation dedicated to God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 11:17 – He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
God and Jesus Christ seek one think. Unity for all. Knowing that God is the Creator of all.
John 17:13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
Know the truth. That we are all one. Turn to the Savior and accept Him. For only through Him can we be one people under one God.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Why a servant mentality?

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Throughout the Bible and particularly in the New Testament there is an imagery given that being a Christian is to develop a servant type mentality. A fact in point is those who seek to be leaders must consider themselves to be a servant or more accurately a slave to those they wish to lead.
Now this is my own point of view of this, here it is why I see the requirement to strive to be this way. Satan, when he was known as Lucifer, was to have had a servant mentality. However, this is not the reality of the facts. He is willful, self-centered and seeks after his own personal reward and satisfaction. As well as control over all.
These same exact behavioral issues are seen within those that are of the world. Even though sometimes they may not see it themselves this way. They are blind to their true nature and attitude. Many even see themselves as righteous.
We are to use this temporal life to come into an acceptance that we are to serve God. We do this through following the teachings of Christ His Son and the apostles, with the books of the New Testament, supported by the Old Testament.
When you truly humble yourself and love God above all else this is a simple task to fulfill. However, since we are human we will never reach perfection as long as we live in these corrupt bodies. As we come closer to Christ and accept the life He Himself lived by becoming a human. We see the flaws within ourselves and seek to end our sin.
The further away from Jesus they are they sin more for they are blind to their sins. Thus evidence that this life is a trail to see if we can learn to become humble. For be being humble we easily adjust to our eternal life in service to the Creator of the universe. These years in this temporal existence are designed to cause those willing to understand that to center their lives upon themselves results in sorrow and misery. However, if we accept that God is to be our focal point, placing the cares and concerns of our fellow human beings above our own desires. From employer to those that hate us. We come to a point of joy that even in torture and death we will be welcomed in the warm embrace of the One who created us.
“To those that hate us?” someone in shock says aloud.
Yes. Even those that hate us to the point of killing us. For this life is like a blink of an eye compared to our eternal life yet to come. A life filled in service to God. Seeing the wonders and the beauties of the entire universe. Or an eternity in pain and unending agony. Which is it you wish to live?

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: How quickly sins build

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I have recently had a change to my working arrangement at my place of employment. It has thrown me into contact with a new group of people for the most part.
One of these people says he is a follow of God. I have listened to his words and I have watched his behavior. Due to 2 Timothy 4:1-5, it is my duty as a follower of Christ to talk to him when the opportunity arise. Let’s just say some of the encounters have not gone smoothly.
What it has made me acutely aware of though is just how quickly sins can accumulate in just a single day.
No human being is perfect, and as the title of this article points out. I am aware of my own sins and short comings, for the most part. However, as I see this man and I see his lukewarmness at best. I actually feel sorrow.
He lives in this false belief that he is actually going to be in service to God. Yet daily he snubs his nose at our Creator. Why?
Mainly due to a willful neglect of correctly reading the Bible as well as listening to the teachings from a false prophet, that have misled and misdirected him.
I would like it if he could open his heart. It is possible, but only time will tell.

Millennial outreach #6

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“The world owes me!” mentality

In the last few months this mentality has become a focal point within many of collage aged people within the United States. This however is not a reality.
Look at it this way for a moment. Carla, a woman who is 43 years of age is now head of her department at work. How did she get here? She was a striper from the age of 19 to 21. She allowed men to look at her naked body and to paw and pet her. She hated it. In the day time she went to college and just did what was required to guarantee she get her degree. A few of her professors said weird things, but she did her best to ignore them for it was not her goal. At 21 she graduated with no collage bills left to pay. She moved to a different city so she would not encounter any that may have seen her in her life that sickened her. She got a good job and slowly raised through the ranks becoming married to her work. For even though she like men she could not get over how sick they made her in those years she was a striper. When she turned 40 she met a man, fell in love and married. Both were married to their work, but they for the most part were happy.
Now we come to those demanding that all be given to them just become they deserve to have it handed to them because they were told the world must give them whatever they want. Most of them are between the ages of 19 and 21. Professors filled their heads not with knowledge but words of rebellion and demands. Stating that the world hand over to them all it had for they were the select, the special. They had been pampered and spoiled all their lives and so they believed what these people told them.
So these selfish self-serving young people demanded that Carla. Who has suffered degradation at the hands of self-centered self-serving men for three years of her life; a time she can never ever forget. Is being told to surrender her hard earned salary and turn it over to these youths. Who have done nothing except party and celebrate and wonder why none wish to reward them. They care or know nothing of the moral and physical sacrifices people like Carla have made.
Is this story real? There is a very strong possibility there really is a “Carla” out there that did live this life. But it is of no doubt there are young people out there that have made no effort to contribute to how the world works. They do not understand that nothing is given, it must be earned. Let’s define the word “earn”
Per the Oxford Dictionary:
Earn: 1) Obtain (money) in return for labour or services.
2) Gain deservedly in return for one’s behaviour or achievements.

Clear and straight forward I would say.
Now let’s look at how the Bible sees how people should behave.
Well, what it boils down to is this. Those that truly seek to honor the Bible place all others before themselves. Does this mean that Carla must surrender her hard earn money that she had to suffer to get to a point of achieving? No it does not. How she should handle her money is not something we have time to discuss in this topic, but back on topic. She should not be forced to surrender her earnings to those that have not made any attempt to earn their own way in live. Marching, chanting, and demanding, does not constitute earning, please see the second definition of the word “earn.”
The Bible teaches us to respect our employers. To earn our livings and thus earn a life. If we are fortunate enough to become wealthy we are not to horde it and keep it to ourselves, but to share without taxation to our community. Helping those that are in true need and true suffering. Those that are starving, those that have been beaten by their husbands, or as the case may be their wives (it does happen).
If you do contribute to society, society owes you nothing in return. This is seen within the Bible as well and it is something that the founders of the United States saw as well. Two revolutions occurred nearly at the same time. The American Revolution, and the French Revolution. Both had extremely different outcomes. Because both revolutions were at their core based upon two different ideals.
The French Revolution was based upon the concept that the world owed those causing the revolution everything. As a result there was widespread violence and murder. The final result ended in the dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte, which resulted in war and death and left France weak.
The American Revolution was based upon freedom to live one’s life as they saw fit and to allow people to earn their own way in life. After their victory against the English it led to a time of prosperity and growth to the point of becoming one of the great nations in the world.
Both revolution had more elements to them, but this is the basic formation of these revolts and their outcome, which none can truly dispute, even though many will.
The Bible teaches to work, to earn and to do what is right and honorable. Any that teach otherwise goes against the Bible and thus goes against nature, which is in turn against God. Anything that goes against nature is always against God.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: who is truly being “ignorant?”

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So the other day I posted about the new equivalent of the “master/slave” relationship, which if you did not read that post it is the employer/employee dynamic [ The new master and slaves association ].
So anyway. This became a topic in a discussion. When this correlation was shown to be a problem in someone’s live. This person became angry and stated that I was being “ignorant.”
Now here is the dilemma. Since I was directly paraphrasing from Ephesians 6:5-9.
Who is being called “ignorant?”
Before I go further in this. I feel it is necessary to mention the teaching of 2 Timothy 4:1-5
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Since we are to help those that profess to being “Christian” by reproving, rebuking and exhorting. This was done in full accordance to the Bible. What was shown to this person was Biblical teachings.
So, with that in mind, the person was not calling me “ignorant,” but the Word of God ignorant. Since the Word of God is God, then this person had just called God ignorant.
So we are back to the question:
“Who truly is being called ‘ignorant?’”
From what I have just shown. It is God that is being called this.
I will let it lie there.

The light

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To be the light to the world is to be a living example of the teachings within the Bible. These teachings, many of which come from Jesus Christ Himself. Are a code of ethics that those that call themselves “Christian” must come to know, accept and follow.
Here is the kicker. They do so willingly because they know and follow the greatest commandment. That being to love God with all their heart, mind and soul.
The ethics of living taught within the Bible causes those who truly follow it to be kind and considerate. Not because they are forced to do it, but because they wish to do it. They live their lives without even thinking at times on how to behave. It just happens.
The way they treat their family. The way they treat their work, co-workers and bosses. They even desire to obey the laws of the land, which do not go counter to the Bible.
This is what it is like to be the light unto the world. A walking, breathing, example of the Word of God. However to do this they must know the Bible accurately. They must not just read the Bible they must study it. Why?
Because humans translated the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic into whatever language you read. So this is why studying and reading are two different things. But I have become side tracked.
As we seek to be a true reflection of God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. His light shines brighter through us, and those that hate the light run from it. They seek to quench that light like the way Scrooge did to the Spirit of Christmas Past. He could not bear to hear the truth. Those who live in sin cannot bear the truth, the light.
This is why being the light is painful at times. Even to the point of torture and death as many in the Middle East are experiencing today. Yet even in the face of torture and death those who truly are the light stay this way unto death. For they know that this temporal plain of existence is a test, and they have passed that test.

Only one

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Different denomination. Different interpretation. Different individuals. The cause of divides, of division. Why? Because they do not see that there is only one God. They see different gods of their own creation. Each formed in their own image. Be it in each denomination and each individual.
Since there is only one God and there is only one Bible then there must be only one way to understand. Yet too many come to different destinations. Most of which do not lead to a true image of God.
The Bible teaches that God is to be the center. That we are to love God with all our heart, mind and soul. Yet most never truly accept this. They mouth the words, but never take it into true context.
To love Him with all our heart, mind and soul is to place none before God with these three. Yet most seek after their own glory, their own reward, their own way to see the Bible that allows them to think they are pure and holy when they are dirty with sin that may have once been washed away but no longer. Living a life formed of a lie by their own version of the Bible.
If you take the Bible literally you can only come to one resolve, one conclusion. Yet when this one version is shown to them it does not match their personal view that allows them to not only hurt other humans. It allows them to think the world revolves about them. That they are the center and all must bow to their view of God that allows them to not care about their employers, their co-workers, and people on the streets, the police, and the government. With this selfish mentality they come to work late, speed down the highways and care for nothing but themselves. This is not the true version of the Bible.
The true version of the Word of God states that the person that follows God is the least amongst everyone else. That they must place all others before them. This means that they must be honorable and dutiful employees, they must esteem their fellow co-workers as well as the people on the streets and must respect the police and the government. With this selfless mentality they come to work on time, obey the speed limit and care for everyone and everything.
There is only one God. There is only one interpretation and that can only be found by studying the Bible and reading it in context. Not taking this line and applying this meaning when the entire context comes to a different meaning altogether.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
If we ourselves do not correctly and on our own come to learn the true meaning of the Bible then we are to be accursed, and all we can blame is ourselves and no others

Millennial outreach #5

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New Testament history

There are elements out there that call the Bible a lie, a myth. Most of those in your age group have listened to these inaccuracies. What you are about to read is to help you see facts very few know or even care to know, which I find very unfortunate, but I have come to expect it in the way people are raised and taught in this time.
From the moment the four gospels and the letters of the apostles were written they have been studied, debated, analyzed and questioned. Commentaries have been written and studied and again debated from early in the second century to today. Men like Chrysostom, Clement of Alexandria, Epiphanius, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeous, Jerome and Justin Martyr to name the most notable of these early scholars.
All twenty seven books of the New Testament have been copied into different languages not only by professional scribes but by average and devoted followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Many have been lost, many others have not. In fact out of all historical documents the Bible has the most surviving copies that date back all the way to the first century when they were originally written, even though an original version has not been found that I am aware of.
The gospels and the letters can be dated to a range of twenty to twenty five years after the resurrection of Jesus. If you do not like the word “resurrection” please see last week’s outreach. (Millennial outreach #4) Now as I have stated before those that say that an item can be called a “myth” is when it is written 150 years after the original event. This as I have just shown does not apply to the New Testament. The first I have just shown, which is the date the gospels and letters were written. Well within the range for survivors of the actual events to have questioned any inaccuracy within them. The second is something the Jewish people have prided themselves for centuries. That being the oral tradition. The earliest oral tradition that is known within the letters of the apostles is within 1 Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 15:3-9), which is dated to have been taught within eight years after the resurrection (38-41 A.D.).
Now as I mentioned above what we call the books of the New Testament were copied into different languages. Two languages become the dominant ones, Latin and Greek. There are many factors for this, which is an entire history lesson in itself, but the basics is due to the split in the Rome Empire itself when it broke in two. The western empire based in Rome, the eastern empire based in Constantinople, which is now known as Istanbul, Turkey.
As Islam spread violently throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East it finally threatened to overrun Constantinople, which in fact fell into their hands in 1453. As a result the Biblical scholars, priest and monks fled this area as the threat become more and more obvious. They carried with them their copies of the New Testament books to the west. Here they fell into the hands of the western scholars, like Martin Luther (1483-1546).
It is due in fact to the Islamic conquest that caused what we now call the Reformation to take place, in addition to the creation of the printing press (1440). For men like Luther saw the difference between the Latin versions from the Greek of the gospels and apostolic letters that led him to question and challenge the Catholic Church. For those within the Catholic Church has changed and perverted these documents for their own glory and riches. So Martin Luther called them out for it which was shown to be in the right. This is the main reason that when you seek to learn the original meaning of the words within the New Testament you must look to the Greek not the Latin.
The first fully “approved” English version of the Bible come into being in 1611. There are those that point to this date as the creation of the Bible and say that since it was made at this point that the resurrection of Jesus is a myth. But as I have just shown above this is the furthest thing from the truth. As I also have shown that since this idea was made even after 1611 it is those stating this theory are in actuality the ones creating their own myth. A myth that God is not real and that His Son did not exist nor raise from the dead.
So this is a brief overview of the history of the New Testament. It is now up to you to think and decide for yourself what you wish to think and believe. For that is something that can only come from each person on their own to decide. You cannot depend on what others or even I say. You must look, think, challenge and learn what is real and what is true on your own. I challenge you as those early scholars did all the way to the point these books were written in the first place.

The siren song of the false prophets and teachers

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So I learned something recently. Appears that we have been in the tribulation since 1998. Funny, this is the longest seven years I have ever encountered.
Wow, another tidbit I didn’t know. The “select” are all that will be redeemed, the rest are screwed. No others even have a change to make things right between themselves and God. Interesting, so the uncountable number that stands before the throne of God dressed all in white are not the “select.” I am flabbergasted. These “select” can even be a friend to the world and God will not see them as the enemy. That is just amazing.
This is the most surprising thing of all. God broke His promise. The Creator of the universe who has never broken any promises, broke one. I ….. I ……. I …… just don’t know what to say. What is even more shocking, that shattered promise was to Israel. I am speechless.

All these shocking things I have just mentioned. The “select,” the broken promise, the long time frame for the so called “tribulation.” These are the words of a false prophet, a false teacher, and these are real words that have been spoken, and there are those that believe and feel they are these “select.”
What we are warned to be alert for and to avoid, yet there are those that do not know the word well enough and have fallen prey to these teachings that are leading them into damnation.
The Bible when read in context and the correct research is a wondrous book. It teaches to humble ourselves and to love other, but at the same time it does not tell us to just allow them to live in sin either. That is unless they fully reject God and are unwilling in any form to hear the truth.
Are we nearing the end times? The Bible states that there will be signs that as we come near to the soon return of Christ, and at this time as in no other time in history, it is pointing to His soon return. One of these signs will be the flourishing of false prophets and teachers.
Are we in the Tribulation? There will be clear signs when we are in the Tribulation. None have come to pass as of the writing of this article. Nor is it something I wish to be in. for there will not be “spiritual death” as one of these false teachers states, but physical death of around 3.7 billion people. Due in large part to the earth itself violently changing as well as other events that will take a long time to explain, so that is a topic for another time. If you wish to get some insight I suggest you pick up the commentaries by John F. Walvoord on the book of Revelation, Daniel and Matthew.
As to this “select” issue. The Bible does mention 144000, people who will receive a mark from God. This is what the Bible says:
Revelation 7:1 (NLT) – Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, 3 “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.” 4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: 5 from Judah 12,000, from Reuben 12,000, from Gad 12,000, 6 from Asher 12,000, from Naphtali 12,000, from Manasseh 12,000, 7 from Simeon 12,000, from Levi 12,000, from Issachar 12,000, 8 from Zebulun 12,000, from Joseph 12,000, from Benjamin 12,000.
These as you can see come from Israel. So to say that God broke His promise to Israel is evidence of a false teaching. These 144000 are to be witnesses to the events that are to befall the planet earth and they shall see it all. So once the Tribulation is past they can teach those that survive, and the survivor’s offspring the truth of those that rejected God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. These sealed Israelites could be called the “select,” but not to separate them from the world, but to see to learn, and to show that God always keeps His promises.
As I mentioned before. What of those in the white garments before the throne of God? White robes of the redeemed, those who turned to God and His Son and are called blessed. Their number is beyond counting, yet they are not all that walk the earth. For if this were true there would be no need of a Tribulation and this death of billions.
Revelation 7:9 (KJV) – After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
These are those that saw the light and turned to God, yet they are not the “select.”
The Bible states clearly that you cannot live within the sins of the world and be a friend of God. In fact you are called the enemy of God if you befriend the world and those within it.
James 4:4 (NLT) – You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
So read the Bible. Come to know the Bible. Come to understand that all are welcome, but they must stop living in sin, to repent. They must humble themselves to the point of weeping for the same they must feel for living in sin and defying God Himself. Then they must ask Jesus into their heart, mind, and soul and to honor and love God by following the teachings of the Bible.

It is not time to celebrate

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The presidential race was close. Too close. In many ways this nation has suffered and will continue to suffer. Why?
Because people for the most part are lost. Today, the day after the election I came into work. Many were happy, excited. Counting upon a man to do the work of God.
Humanity cannot cure what ails this nation. A few have awakened to the truth due to the events that led up to the election, but I fear not enough and that those that did awaken will fall back into their slumber of ignorance.
That those that did see the light and turn to the one that can help, but will they stay focused? That is the question I must ask myself. Only time will tell.