Jesus

Because those in the pulpit were afraid to scold their flock it fled.

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In a new Pew Poll it has been shown that Christianity within the United States has diminished from 78% to 70%.
One of the major factor behind this has been today’s churches themselves.
They stopped kicking their congregations in the proverbial can and started mollycoddling them. It was no longer right to teach the “fire and brimstone” messages.
Those that read my blogs have noticed that time to time I do not pull my punches. I am harsh, direct, some even call me mean. Well I can be and I am not ashamed of being so.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chastened him betimes.
Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
How many knew these verses were within the Bible?
There are times when you must scold your congregation just as a father must spank his child. Both must be done within reason.
One reason the “fire and brimstone” messages died out was they were too harsh too blunt. Just like the football player that spanked his four year with the switch and left whelps on the child. This is too extreme.
There needs to be a balance, a middle ground that needs to be reached. One that teaches people the Bible and also the consequences for not following the teachings within the Bible.
Too many in the pulpits as well as too many parents have shown that in reality they hate their children. Why? For they did spare the rod and as a result thousands if not millions are bringing shame unto their mothers and their churches and as a result shame before God.
This is why Christianity has diminished. This is why a Politician can openly say in an interview that he lied and no one is doing anything about it. It is this same mentality that allows someone to run for president that is obviously hiding the fact that they took bribes at the least and purposely caused the intentional death of many American citizens at the most.
It is because children have not been raised in parental love let alone spiritual love.
Please hear and understand that if it is called a sin in the Bible it is a sin and if you continue to live in this sin you will not be welcomed by God even if you profess to call yourself “Christian.” Why? Because you care more for the sin then you do God and since you do you do not truly know God or His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3: 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
We are told to place God first and others second and ourselves last. (Matthew 22: 36-40) Why? Because this teaches us to be humble. If the Bible says God will punish you if you continue to live in sin, believe me He will do just that. If you are fortunate He may do it in your lifetime as He did for me in my year of Job. If He does not the more the pity not only upon you but those that denied you the rod for it is upon their hands as well for not teaching you and guiding you down the right path to salvation and free of all sins. Sins you willing surrender and try never to do again. Will it be a struggle? For most yes. We will stumble and we shall fall, but in the end we will stop that sin. Then we will find a new sin that has been there all along and we will start to work on removing that sin. It is an ongoing never ending process till either we go to heaven or the Rapture occurs.
So ministers, pastor, reverends, priests it is time to teach the full Bible. It is time to give those that listen to you the bad news as well as the good. It is ok to say verses like Revelation 21:8. It is ok to say that it says in the Bible that man shall not lie with man. It is ok to actually teach Christ for if you deny Him to your congregation Jesus will deny you to His father. You can give those that look up to you and listen to you that Christianity is not heaven on earth, because it is not. This is not promised until after the thousand year reign of Christ. Since that has not happened then you need to let them know that to live in sin is not salvation as was explained above, but the abandonment of sin takes all on the right path toward God.

Why do you call yourself a “Christian” when it is obvious to all you aren’t?

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This is a question I think needs to be asked more than it is. Why? Because too many live within the world and still say they are “Christian” when in reality they are at the least an agnostic and at the most a hypocrite or as Jesus calls them “lukewarm” or “grey” as I call them.
Just for those who are not aware an agnostic is someone neither claims faith nor a disbelief in God. Yet many that actually think this way call themselves “Christian.” Why is this?
Because they go to a building filled with other agnostics who think and feel the exact same way and they call it a church. Now is this true of all churches? No.
Then you have other buildings again called churches filled with people living their lives as if they are of the world. They seek after materialistic gains; they stab people in the back. They demean others. All they care for is themselves. What they wear, how they look. How fancy their cars are and their homes. They live a life thinking that God is rewarding them totally unaware that they are hypocrites and destine to be spit out by Christ from His Body. Yet they do not know this and go about calling themselves “Christian” when in reality they are not.
All that is important to them is their “toys” and themselves. They speed down the highway, they cut people off, because the other person got in their way and is “the real problem.” Totally unaware that it is not the other person, but themselves that are the problem.
Yet when will they come to realize they are wrong? For most it will not be until that day they stand before God when He holds the Great White Throne Judgment. For others it will be when the second blast of the horn is heard throughout the world and they find themselves still standing here upon the earth instead of in heaven with God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
If they do not make the call of the Rapture they will have a chance to fix their dilemma. Many will then realize the truth, but only a few of these will decide to beg forgiveness from God, but it will come at a cost. A painful and unpleasant cost for they must face a horrible death since they missed the calling of the last horn.
But as for those that only realize their errors when the stand before God on His White Throne. Those I have the most pity for. For them it will be how they did on their own merits and most will fall short. For God will be harshest upon them for because of them many that would have come to God did not because of the hypocrisies which led the other to turn their back upon God and all His wonders and Glory.

Seeking for others to pay attention to you for what you say about you is extremely important

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Now just so we keep the record straight right from the start. There will be those that say me posting a blog and given my comments and insight about the Bible and God is seeking after attention and self-glorification. My answer:
I do not write these for me. I write these for you. If you read them or not that is your choice. If you believe them or not, again that is your choice. I do this for God, for this is the ministry that he has given me and I will continue to do this until He tells me to stop.
Now for the post:
I have seen one of my fellows recently become more active on facebook. He types this, records that, post trips. All of it aimed at glorifying himself and his “achievements.” This is not humility. We are to place ourselves last. If you place yourself before all others how can you be humble? You cannot.
Philippians 2:3-5 – [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Vainglory which is kenodoxia ken-od-ox-ee’-ah; empty glorying, i.e. self-conceit:–vain-glory
Self-conceit – an excessively favorable opinion of oneself, one’s abilities, etc.; vanity.
Vanity – 4. lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness: the vanity of a selfish life.
5. something worthless, trivial, or pointless.
Give praise and glory unto those about you not yourself is what those that call themselves “Christian” are supposed to do. Yet in many places this is not what is being taught not only outside Christendom but within it as well.
When someone says “God is inside you and only through you can great works be done.” This is a twisted and false teaching meant to make you look to yourself to accomplish all, but we are not to look to us but God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ that we are to turn and go too. We are to pray to Him and seek His aid and council through the Bible and the Holy Spirit.
God is not within us. God is throughout is the universe. Yes we can commune with Him and yes we can hear Him inside your mind. To say that God dwells in the corruption is misleading and a false teaching and so it is something made by humans for humans. It is a way not to take responsibility for our actions.
Even after you become saved and are committed to Christ you still sin. How do I know this? Because I sin. Do I do it on purpose? No, because I am human. Here is what they Bible says in inside humans:
Mark 7: 21- 23: For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
If this is inside us God would spit us out of Him… oh wait. Jesus did say that very thing:
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
Seeking after the self is repugnant to God.
So don’t share your life on facebook, but Christ’s life. Send out His teaching. Share His word. Like what is called Blessed by God and humble yourself.

A past hardship is not a ticket out of facing up to your responsibility to God

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Trials and tribulations are promised to us that truly try to follow Christ. In John 15 it clearly states we are to be pruned by God Himself so that we may bear more heavenly fruit for His glory. If you use them as a crutch to go no further in your growth toward God’s grace and wisdom then you have fallen short.

A study of 2 Peter 2

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My intent in this study is to cause you the reader to think, to pounder and hopefully awaken if you are walking down the wide path.
In actuality it begins in 2 peter 1 verses 19 -21, a preamble of what is to follow in the next chapter:
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Here the author informs the reader of this letter this he has and is going to give a prophecy and that it is for all to know. Not a limited few on even the one as is the practice of charlatans which he explains in the first verse of chapter two.
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
He also explains that false teachers will sneak their way into the church through deceit and will fool those that are not careful, but the fate of these “false teachers” will not last long and be seen for what they are and will fall upon ruin. Prime examples The 700 Club and Jimmy Swaggart.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an exsample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
Here in detail the author speaks of what it will be like for those that followed these false teachers and their ways. Many falling for their lies and thinking of them as truth when in fact it was lies meant to deceive and gain them worldly goods and satisfaction. As is witnessed by the mentioning of those before the flood and of Sodom and Gomorrha. At the same time he is relating the fate of those that following these false teachers and that their fate shall be the same. For God had cast out the angels that sinned against Him then why should not he also cast out those that do not listen to the truth and facts within the Bible, our training manual to God.
In the verses that follow the author goes into great detail on what to look for in those that willfully turn from God. If you read carefully you the read can discern what is the truth about those that sin around you and can turn from it.
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord
In verse ten the sentence is explained as follows in with a Strong’s Concordance and a dictionary:
But mainly those that go after and follow the carnal human form in a longing, especially for what is forbidden and results in moral contamination by acting upon these desires.
The carnal human form is described as follows in Mark 7: 21- 23:
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
He also states that they despise government, they wish to live without laws or be governed by them. If you look closely about you, you will see this evident throughout the United States at this time. There are those that openly pursue all these acts and think they are still working for God when in reality they are working solely for themselves and their own lust for power, control and desires of the human flesh.
The author goes on to call them Presumptuous and self-willed which means that they are extremely bold in there action not caring what any others think for they are self-pleasing and arrogant. Again you can see these actions form many. Even from those that profess to be “Christian.” When in fact they are not for this clearly states that they are not following the Bible but their own desires.
The author continues in more detail how they will act and think and what their destiny is to be:
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
Now what is to follow I strongly advise you to read it carefully and see the truth within them for they are extremely important:
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
They are promise liberty or freedom. Freedom to do whatever you want, but as a result they are servants of corruption and in fact in bondage to their sins.
Then the author goes and says that there will be those that became saved through the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ and that they say become entangled in the words of those professing they freedom and they shall return to this sin that they had escaped. Suffering a worse fate then before because they had known what is true and righteous unto God. These are the Lukewarm Christian, those living in the grey thinking that there is no longer a black and white world, but one that is grey.
But Jesus makes it perfectly clear in Revelation 3: 16 that those that are lukewarm or grey will be spit out by Him. So to think that you can live in the grey is not the way of true Christianity, but a fate that is worse than if you were a sinner as is shown in verse fifteen of the same book and chapter:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”

My Burden

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My burden is for those that have asked Jesus Christ to be their Savior yet they live in the world. These are the “lukewarm” mentioned in Revelation 3:15-16.
But why are they my burden? Because I was nearly one of them, and yet I still do not believe I am free to fully say I am not one. In 2 Peter 2 the world we now live within is shown and in particular in verses 20 -22 it shows those that are the lukewarm and they are fallen away from their salvation. It is made clear that it would be better for them if they had never asked Christ into their hearts.
We are to watch out for one another, help and strengthen those within the body so they can avoid this fate yet more and more fall into the trap of the world and its rewards instead of working toward the great reward promised unto us beyond this temporal live.
Too many fall into the trap of temporal rewards not being reminded that it is not this live but the next in which we are to look for our rewards. Our lives are to be tough. We are to be despised, not only for the outside but from those within that have lost their ways, which is more than those that have not. Too often excuses are made, too often exceptions are allowed.
Do I expect what I say to be welcomed? No, but I will not back down either. I have backed down once before. I allowed the world and the lukewarm to knock me down and dishearten me, but I will no longer do so. I accept this as a pruning of my branch has is described in John 15 for I wish to bear more and sweeter fruit for God through my Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why? Because I wish no one to be left behind that thought themselves to be welcomed within the arms of God only to find out either on the day of the Rapture or when they stand before God during the Great White Throne Judgment that they were in reality the grey, the lukewarm for Christ. For Jesus made it clear their fate will not be one they expected and it is something that I personally never wish to witness but I know I will. I wish to know that at the very least I tried to help them for that is what we are supposed to do.

“Just go for it!”

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These are the words that someone fully engrossed into a sinful life was encouraging another person to join them in their sin. When I heard this by accident on a show designed for teenagers to watch I fully understood something that has always been at the back of my mind but this gave it credence.
It is far easier to sin then it is not to sin. This is why throughout the Bible we are told to teach our children of God and of what He expects of us so they will be able to resist such temptations as this person encountered in this show. What is worse is that it actually made it to the television screen.
Too long people that profess to be “Christian” watch shows like this and allow their children to do the same. We are told to turn from sin and to gather together to strengthen ourselves so we can avoid such temptations. Is this being done now? No for if it were these shows would have never made into our homes. They would be blocked and our children would be told not to give support to these networks and to turn our attentions to better things. In time if the show actually aired it would soon be dropped due to low ratings. Instead it is watched and none truly do anything about it.
It is far too easy to fall into sinful ways then not too. The latter is an ongoing struggle for we are clearly warned in 2 Peter 2 that in the end times many that thought themselves saved will fall away into sin. Yet we can allow God to win if we so desire, but it will take courage, strength of will and a willingness to turn from such encounters as was shown in this show and it also takes courage to turn off the show and even block the network. If more do this you may be surprised at the results.

2 Peter 2: 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

All liars

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In Revelation it is made clear the fate of certain types of sinners (Rev. 21:8), it is not a pleasant one.
When John penned his vision he placed more emphasis upon liars for he says “all liars.”
Liars in the Greek is pseudes psyoo-dace’; untrue, i.e. erroneous, deceitful, wicked:–false, liar.
Not only are liars considered tellers of falsehoods, but they are called wicked and they deceive. It is these people that lead others down the wrong paths. Paths they themselves know lead to sin yet they willingly do so for their own selfish wants and desires.
Many are seen nearly daily on television, many govern nations.
They are caught in their lies yet few say a word against them and many follow them eagerly into an eternal fate I wish upon no one.
We have the power to stop them, yet most would rather sit home and do nothing. This is not what stewards of Christ are to do. We are not to sit and let the liars rule our nation or our airwaves. We are to spread the Word of God and to show them the errors of their ways and to replace them with God fearing people that will honor the ways of God through the teachings of the Bible.
I am but a leaf upon the wind of the internet. I catch the eyes of a view here and there, but when they do see these words they need to act, they need to respond. They need to get out there and shout for the glory of the Lord and not allow the liars to lead more towards an eternity that will not be filled with the glories and wonders of all of God’s creation.
Liars are destine to eternal sadness. A sadness that is too horrible to even comp template. What in this temporal world is so rewarding so gratifying that you would knowingly turn your back upon God and with this same insight lead others to a fate nearly as bad if not as bad as your own?
A lack of understanding of what is in store for all with their eternal everlasting bodies that will be given to all be they a sinner or not. The only difference is where our bodies will be located. In one spot upon this planet in the backwater of the universe or throughout the entire universe exploring the magnificence of God’s power and intelligence.
So why would you willing continue to be a liar? I was one myself, but I am no more, for I have learned of the love of God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do not seek after that which you have not earned.

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Why this title? Because too many have become poor stewards to their own lives. In Luke 16 Jesus discusses poor stewardship.
In Luke 16: 11 Jesus makes this statement.
“If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
Jesus makes it clear that if you cannot faithful manage mammon (money) which is also “unrighteous” then who could trust you with the true riches of salvation. In actuality it appears the word “riches” was added for there is no listing of a word after “true” which in this context means that which is of God’s and thus the implication of salvation or God’s rewards.
Now people will say how do you earn salvation? You do not. It is freely given, but it is not something that stays with you it is something that must be worked upon and nourished to grow.
True salvation is not a onetime event and you are done with it. It is something that must be nurtured and grown for if you do not it will fall away from you and you will return to the world.
As Jesus was trying to show in his parable it is something that must be managed and one way of doing this is to be a good steward of the gifts that have been given unto which includes money. It must be earned as will and not give unto us as a hand out to a beggar. Yet too many today are beggars, taking that which they have not earned and as a result squander and waste it.
God looks upon them as poor stewards of the “unrighteous mammon.”
Jesus made it clear that if they are such poor stewards to this then how can He trust them to manage that which He will give unto them?

A Purging

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In John 15 Jesus teaches the disciples about those that are within the body of Christ. Now I have mentioned other parts of this in other postings, but now I wish to discuss the “taking away” or “purging” that God will put us through time to time.
In this discussion of Jesus the Vine He mentions that His Father is the caretaker of the vine and that he will prune the branches time to time so as to allow them to bear more fruit.
It is the pruning that this posting is about. When you prune a plant. You do not just do it once. It is a continual and ongoing task, especially during the growing season. What God wishes to prune or purge is our sins. Even though we have asked Christ into our hearts these verses within John 15 shows all that even though we are saved we continue to sin. Any and all can agree upon this as they should. If they do not agree then they have a misunderstanding of the Bible and need to be corrected and shown these verses and have them explained to them. Anyway, back on topic.
So this purging that we must continue to go through throughout our entire temporal life is something we all must endure. Sometimes it will be easy. Other times we may have to go through a terrible event to cause us to awaken and allow God to clean us and make us better for Him. The death of someone you love, your home being burned down, floods, tornadoes. These are all examples of extreme events and they all place a strain upon us and in most times a strain in our believes. It is through such things as well as the easier things like a simple argument can be things that make us change our ways in a manner that is a bless unto us and ultimately God. What is the final goal in all this is to be a better servant to God and unto all of God’s creation. We are being taught to be the co-rulers of this earth during the Thousand Year Reign of Christ, which is just another step in our eternal service to God.
It is through this purging of this sin and then that sin that God places these burdens upon us. How else could he cause us to truly learn and change? As I mentioned before it is like growing up all over again just spiritually instead of physically. Is this not why Jesus stated we must be born-again in the spirit? We come into our salivation as new-born babes that need to be nurtured and supported. So we must seek out a good church home. My personal recommendation is a small church not a large one, for it is too easy to get lost in the crowd in a large one. Then when you are a spiritual teen you start to do things on your own, but still God tests and cleans you. Then one day you can be a spiritual adult. Someone that has the knowledge and the wisdom to offer up nuggets of insight into the wonders of God’s glory until it is time that he either calls you into heaven for a short time or the Rapture itself occurs. Only time will tell whichever is to be first.