Christian

Don’t become a broken branch

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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

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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.

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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.

When writing letters to those out there in the world

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As one who in essence is writing letters, I come to understand what made those that wrote the letters to the churches do what they did. Mainly they were separated by distance. In at least two cases the one writing the letters was imprisoned and unable to go to those they were writing these letters that later become the New Testament.
In my case I am unable to travel to those that have read my post due to obligations that require me to stay where I am. In several cases I am incapable of travel to them since at this time I have reached fifty two nations; one or two of them I never thought I would ever see that they have bothered to read that I have written but they have. Some come back time to time and look once again at what has been added. Most likely, many never return, but that is ok. At least once they read something that may have impressed upon them something that will come back to them in some other way. This is how God works at times. Planting little tidbits here and there, within their minds, till one day one of these seeds sprout and spread the love and joy of God throughout them. They realize that if not me than someone or something made them understand and accept God. Then they turn to His Son Jesus Christ and become saved.
I encourage and challenge those that are reading at this very moment to go pick up and Bible and read it. Learn the teaching of Jesus. Try to understand that they are still as relevant as they were when He first spoke them. Yes start with the New Testament but then turn to the Old and read it as well. For everything within the Old points to the New and to Christ.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: the comeback

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I find it funny how even I forget time to time. I see my own blog posts coming to my aide as I go through the rough spots on my journey toward the eternal life to come that is promised unto us by the teachings within the Bible, which once again makes me think that even though penned and or type by me they were inspired by the Holy Ghost.
The last forty-eight hours have been rough upon me. I let my guard down and forgot where it was I worked and how things usually go. I also forgot in my moment of happiness in finding that one person that I know I will willing spend all eternity with in a perfect immortal body, that we are not promised all our rewards upon this earth and in this temporal life. That our greater reward, especially for those that are not rich is a greater in the future to come beyond this life.
I should have known that one in charge of this planet would throw some debris upon the already thin and rough road before me, but as I said, I took my eyes off the road for a moment and hit the debris head on.
I have gone through the usual turmoil that occurs when something bad happens. Shock, depression, anger, but has my better half reminded me only a short time ago with some verses from the Bible

Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Therefore, I am on my comeback to my place of joy and whom that joy is for. Jesus.

The workmanship of God

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When we think of God, we think of light, we also think of the source of our light that we see every day, the sun. What people have dismissed is that God created the sun just as was this planet.
Also people do not realize that the sun is huge. It can take 1,300,000 earths to fill the sun. Yet that sun is small. The largest known star at this time is VY Canis Majoris. It is estimated that it is 950 to 1200 times the size of our sun. Yet again this is nothing compared to the rest of the universe, and He who made it all, God.
I think this is one reason people have such a hard time accepting that God is real. Many limit God to this little speck in the universe, making Him as important as the insects that crawl and flay about.
It is sad that they do this, that the ultimate being that has the power to not only to create this planet, but to manipulate it as well. He has stopped it from rotating. He has turned a river to blood. He spread apart a sea. Yet people limit and ignore Him. Said it was just and nature event that cause these thinks to take place. Apparently you missed the earlier sentence that God can manipulate this planet, meaning to cause “nature events” to take place.
Did you see a bird today? You just saw the workmanship of God.

Light at the end of the tunnel

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Life is chaos. Each day is different. Each hour is something that never happened before. Some days will be good, Most will be mundane. Others will be filled with pain and sorrow. It is these last days that are the hardest to make it through.

There is order in the chaos. The yin for the yang. This order is always there, but forgotten and missed by most for it does not show itself boldly to the world. For it seeks to have you understand it that is there just out of site, but just as real as everything else about you is.

When pain strikes most seek it out pleading and scream “WHY?” “WHY ME?” Or other such statements, but that is not what the order seeks. It seeks to strengthen you in these times of strive. It seeks to guide you and let you know that there is always light at the end of the darkness that for this time of trial and tribulation you have just enough strength within you to make it through.

You protest and say no you do not, but the order says, “Yes there is for I am with you.”

Then you realize what is the truth and you know that you can make it to the light, for what is the light is Jesus Christ and He is that order.

What do you do with the other 313?

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Why I say this is too many go to church on Sunday and then they leave God behind inside the church.
They speed to church and then they speed home. Then the rest of the week they speed about for are they even aware they are defying God as they do so. (Titus 3:1).
Being a faithful Christian is a daily way of the life. Your behavior and actions are a constant and never ending reflection of what we commit ourselves too, God.
I do not see Christ running around in a sports shirt, promoting this team or that. When I see a sporting coliseum, I see a building that reflects where thousands of Christians died nearly two thousand years ago. I do not support sports in fact they repel me, because I see them as a distraction from the goals and glories of God.
When I work, I work to do my best and make something of quality. Why? Because Jesus wants me to reflect Him. One of Christ’s greatest teachings is humility, to place all others before yourself and placing God at the center, and only God. When you live like this all you do is seek to make what is the best you can do for it is not for you, but God you are making it for.
Every day you spend within this temporal life is a test given to you by God. Each day He asks anew: “Are you going to reflect My Son today?”
And each day most fail this test.
Each day you awaken and you do not think about God’s calendar of events for you, you let Him down.
Being truly Christian is a 365 days a year task, not 52 days. Just think on that a second. 313 days you leave God and His Son Jesus behind. Is that really how you want to have to explain to God why 52 days you were willing to be His servant, but 313 days you told Him to get lost?

The truth behind the hate words thrown out by politicians

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Yesterday a light went on. This light shown into those about me and I realized something what has bothered me for years but know I understood. Time and again there are people that openly accuse falsehoods against others for their own gain. However, this is what not caused me the most problem. What does is that people believed them. It was this believing them that cause the light to come on.
Do you want to know why many believe these people?
It is these people that believe them are capable of doing what this person says the other did, because they do it themselves.
Therefore, when you hear some politician spout out that some group is racist. Those that believe them are themselves the ones that are racist.
Mark 10: 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.
This not what is taught by Jesus within the Bible. His two Great commandments are first to love God and place Him above all else. Second, to love your neighbor as yourself, and that EVERYONE is your neighbor. (Mark 12: 29-31)
Remember this nation’s legal system was founded upon the principle of you are presumed innocent until you are found guilty with a preponderance of the evidence.
People need to realize that they are judging people when they allow people to manipulate them with these hot words like “racist.”
You are malleable because you have turned for the one book on this planet that can turn you into a clay sculpture of fine art. This book is the Bible, and within it is the truth of not only yourself, but of the world. Do not allow yourself to be the puppet on the strings of politicians that only seek to further wreak havoc upon this nation. Turn to those that at least give us a chance to not only return to a place of strength, but a place that is called pleasing to the creator of this very planet we live upon, God.

Vote for God on Tuesday

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“But there is no one worth voting for.”
That is wrong.
“But I want to vote for this person because they promised they will do this or that for ME.”
This is wrong
For the first statement, God is always worth voting for and is always on the ballot.

https://www.gop.com/platform/preamble/
http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2012/09/04/democrats-drop-god-from-party-platform.aspx

To the second, If you are voting for yourself reward then you are not following the Bible. We are to place all others before oneself. Our reward is not of this earth and to seek after a worldly reward is seeking a reward from he who is in charge of the world, which by the way is not God.

http://www.democrats.com/abortion-debate
http://www.democrats.org/people/lgbt_community

https://www.gop.com/platform/we-the-people/
https://www.gop.com/platform/renewing-american-values/