life

The ride

Christian, Christian Life, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Yesterday I went on one of the rides I like to take with my wife on her days off before I return to work. On this ride I remised about the rollercoaster ride of my faith as well as other events that were caused by or help influence the direction my faith has gone.
This was inspired by the dream I posted in yesterday’s blog post. You see when I was first born again in 1985 I was a siphon soaking in the word of God and all that the Bible taught. In turn God gave my first blessing as a dreamer of dreams (Acts 2:17) and I knew that when I was old I would be witness to the return of Jesus Christ to the surface of this planet before a natural passing of my life.
I was baptized in 1986 in the First Assembly of God church which was on Highland Ave in Memphis, TN. It has since moved. From this time till 1993 I started to encounter my trials and tribulations I did not understand, for most came from within the “church” and those that I thought would support me and help me in my growth toward becoming a better and pure reflection of Jesus Christ my Savior.
This led me into a slow downward spiral in my faith and understanding. A flat spin that had my mind pressed hard against the side of the cockpit of my airplane of salvation. I lost and could not regain control as my life and faith system shattered and broke apart into thousands of pieces.
Two wives and the closure of my family business led me upon a new search of not only job security but a solid rock of faith to stand upon. Towards the end of my second marriage I hit the bottom. Was on depression pills and lost in the internet doing various things that all equaled to escapism.
As I began to struggle to be a single parent in my fifties with a preteen son I also came to realize that my thoughts were not God centered by world centered. I worried about this temporal world than about my service for God.
It was actually just before the straw that broke the camel’s back of my second marriage that my faith started to rise up. I remembered my study techniques I had taught myself and was never told by a mentor or guide as I should have been. For the Bible tells us that we are to help those within the Body of Christ to gain a strong foundation and that can only be gained by reading and fulling understanding the Bible. It was through the use of Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance that I once again started the upward climb away from damnation, for I have always know that all due to free-will can reject Jesus Christ even after they have asked Him into their hearts. This was once again reaffirmed to me as I become stronger in the word when I added the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (unabridged) to my study tools. These ten volumes of in-depth study of the original Greek made it clear beyond a doubt where I need to focus my life. That was with God at the core, not the world, not me, but GOD my Creator.
During this time I knew my sin nature and I also knew from my previous experiences that I could not make the choice logically or correctly, so I left it in God’s hands. This led to my current wife. For God has made it clear he would rather we remain unmarried once we divorce unless it would lead to sin. Well it would so God led the best thing that has ever happened to me to come into my life.
She is and has been a true example of a Christian wife. She has supported me in my growth unlike the previous two had done. As a result I have grown to reflect my Savior as I have never been able to accomplish before. It is all due to God and His Son my Savior that I was saved from the brink of losing my salvation. As is shown can happen in John 15, but most refuse to see this. They choose to live in the blindness Satan has placed before them. For they would rather live of the world than of God. More live in the world than I could have ever imagined. They live a lukewarm existence which is even worse than hating God outright (Revelation 3:14-22).
These people label me as a judge, when in reality I am following 2 Timothy 4:1-5. They are like the image I see on facebook time to time of the Bible verse “Thou shall not judge…. “with the rest of the Bible verses below that is scribbled over removing the teaching that says you cannot judge if you are guilty of committing the exact same sin. In reality it is they that are guilty of judging not I.
This roller-coaster ride I have been upon and taught me that most that call themselves “Christian” are not or in danger of being broken from the vine of Christ by His Father and given to men and then to be cast into hell.
I do not make this blog post to be a voice never heard, but to be a voice in the wilderness as John the Baptist was just before Jesus Ministry nearly two thousand years ago. Most laughed and rejected His words as will. Am I saying I am a “John the Baptist?” Hardly for none shall ever equal John as a prophet, that is made clear in the Bible, but I am a voice upon the winds of the wilderness. A voice that most never hear or they as they scoff and say to themselves “it is just the wind whistling.”
Do I still struggle in my growth being a better reflection of Jesus Christ? Most definitely. The one think that I have learned the most is the more I learn of the Bible the more I see the influence of the world upon me in my lifestyle. When compared to most though it is better than most, but can it improve? ALWAYS, and any that says otherwise of themselves is not only lying to you but themselves.
There is so much I wish I could remove from my life but the way the world is now setup it is nearly impossible, but I deal with as little of those things that make people concerned of not only themselves, but of their standing within this temporal world. I care nothing for what others think of me. I know there are those that laugh at me. I have been told I am not a true Christian in my standing upon certain aspects of the Bible (btw, that is someone judging). I don’t care. I care only to please God, His Son, and my wife.
I seek to finish raising the last of my children into adulthood and pray the rest that are adults will seek me out and ask my advice upon how to become a better reflection of Jesus themselves, but I will not hold my breath for they are above the age of consent and must answer to their own action and just hope that in some way what I taught them and how I now live will cause them to think and make the right choices when it comes time to do so.
This is what this ride has been like for me and I look forward to standing before God upon that holy day that the seven seals starts to be broken. For it is made clear in Revelation 3:10 that those that overcome and stay loyal to Christ will be in a pre-tribulation rapture.
Before 2034 we shall see

God is in everything even a kiss

Christian, Christian Life, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , Leave a comment

That was a line in the movie The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). It is hard to find movies that have the courage to even mention God. Especially movies that are morality tales, which this movie is.
Why I mention this line is just how true it is. For when someone truly commits themselves in their faith to belief in Christ as their Savior. This is how they are to show thing of every single action they do. For once you ask Jesus into your life you are His representative upon this temporal plain of existence. If you are not striving to improve yourself in a way that makes you a better reflection of Jesus in every single action that you do. From a kiss, to deciding who is to lead your country. If it does not follow what is taught within the Bible. Then we must change how we are to think to reflect the Bible and thus reflect Christ which in turn reflects God.
So remember you must seek to be a better reflection of Jesus Christ every single day in every single action. So think upon that the next time you kiss your spouse or future spouse or your child. For God is in EVERYTHING even a kiss.

Live today like you are going to die tomorrow……… a… NO!

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , Leave a comment

This is one of those statements that opens the door to sin. It makes people think there is nothing beyond “tomorrow.” However, there is. This is why seeking after earthly rewards, earthly pleasures, earthly lusts and earthly distractions is actually the wrong way to approach life itself.
We are to be humble, placing all others before ourselves. This does not mean to let someone else rule us, but to place their eternal needs before our own. To help them seek after that true and great reward that is beyond this mere at best one hundred year lifespan. This simple belief has nearly completely been wiped out form the hearts of all humanity.
Even those that count themselves amongst those that follow Jesus still in part fall prey to this mentality and in most cases do not realize they are living in sin due to their earthly lust.
Now to understand what the last statement meant we need to understand that “lust” is not just used for things like “fornication” or “adultery,” but for anything that give pleasure or any type that goes beyond what should be considered the basic needs. In the simplest of terms, a “lust” is a “want.”
In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is all we require. This one statement covers all our earthly needs. Do we need shelter? Yes. Do we need food to live? Yes. Do we need simple cloths to cover us from sin? Yes. In these needs we in turn require a simple mode of transport to get to a job that will require us to get money that then is used to get the above needs. That is all that we require.
Everything beyond this is a “want” a “lust.” All this goes beyond what we need to survive and learn to be a better human being in the teachings that our Savior and His Father gave us. For our ultimate goal is to make to Christ reign upon this planet and then once that thousand year reign is completed out glorious task and rewards that lie beyond in the billion upon billion upon billions of years that are to follow.
Hebrews 2: 14 – Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Matthew 6: 9 – After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

Confessions of a screwed up middle ages man: I am not here to win a popularity contest

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , Leave a comment

I am here to profess God.
I am here to call a sin a sin.
I am here to reprove.
I am here to rebuke.
I am here to exhort.
I am here to be ridiculed.
I am here to be hated because I will not turn my back on God and the teachings of the Bible.
Any that say Christians should improve their image to cause more to like them does not know the Bible.
Any that say God is neutral does not truly know God.
Any that say you can live your life as you see fit per the Bible hates you. (Proverbs 13:24)
Any that truly profess the Bible are seeking God.
Any that truly strive to be like Jesus is a Christian.
Sorry if this is not the popular thing to say or do.
But I do what the Bible says to do and per the Bible it has never been popular since many were killed for doing as the Bible says we should live and act.

Life is grey…. Really?

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , Leave a comment

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.

Zombies

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , Leave a comment

Due to the Bible no longer being taught correctly nor being read by most as it should be or read at all. There are people going about being nothing but zombies.
They live in their little world of selfishness. Everything must revolved about them, or it is hated, despised and ridiculed. Not worthy of their time and effort because it does not give them satisfaction.
All others in humanity are their personal slaves to answer to their whims and desires. This has been how humanity has acted for thousands of years. It is due this mentality that truly caused slavery, which truly caused events like the Crusades, the Holocaust, and Jihads.
The belief that any human form is below you is the true dystopia. It already exists and will continue to exist as long has people promote a zombie like culture. This is why zombie shows and movies have become so popular. People just don’t realize that they are cheering for the dead, because they are dead. Christians avoid these shows because they see how evil they are.
True and eternal life comes from only one source. God and the belief that His Son is our Savior. In the teachings of the Bible we are told time and again to place God first in all that we do. To treat all others like we would like to be treated ourselves. To become humble and actually place all others before ourselves. This is true life, but can only be achieved by first asking Jesus into our hearts and lives and accepting Him as our Savior. Then actually reading the Bible and then actually following the teaching that are within it. Then living by the Twelve Commandants. Yes Twelve, for Jesus Himself added two more.
Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
If all would follow this then there would be no zombies and they will make it to the true Utopia, which you can read about within the pages of the Bible.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: I am so glad this is not all there is

Christian, Dreams, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , Leave a comment

As I have posted before this life we now live within is a test. Within it is pitfalls and heartache; happiness and joy. Things we ourselves think would be good for us God says is not, or at least not now.
Yet it still hurts, especially when you are led to believe something you had hoped for will happen and then suddenly find out there was a “mistake” made and it is not going to happen after all.
I look forward to the days when honesty will always be given. I look forward to hearing true praise for your service and not be lip service. Humans these days do not know the Bible. Humans these days do not care to truly learn it and understand it, for they would rather seek after their own goals and glory no matter the personal cost to others.
I look forward to no longer having to be around people who think they are their own god and all must bow down before them or pay the cost for not doing so. I look forward to the day when people will actually understand that as you age there is more and more responsibility to those about us and not to their own joys which makes them appear to have never left their teenage years mentally. They do not know or care to know that with age truly does come wisdom and that the source for all goodness, greatness and joy comes from God.
I just wish I could cause these people to understand that they are doing more harm to themselves then to those about them. I want to get them to truly awaken to the fact that if they continue to live with this false image they have placed themselves into is escapism for what is truly real and important.
Too many seek after their own rewards upon this earth. The bigger car, the fancy house and the luxuries that go with it. It is not being able to live in sin and think all is well and good.
It is not a belief that God gives us His rewards here upon this earth in this short time span. For the Bible makes it clear that our rewards are not here and those that have their rewards here will have less in the next and eternal life.
God said there are things we must do. God has said there are things we must not do and if we find people doing certain things we are to avoid them for their actions could poison us to our Lord.
These are the things that I seek, but time to time I forget this as we all do and it still hurts when God says “No.”
But He says it for a reason. For His glory and His goals far outweigh mine, or yours.

And they shall be cursed

Christian, Conservative, General, government, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , Leave a comment

The past few days I have been reading various parts of the Bible seeking insight into the changes that are tearing this nations to pieces. This nation has been on a downward trend since the 1970s and this is why.
When speaking to Jeremiah this was said within the Bible unto him:
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Now why is Jeremiah any different than any of us? Because he was chosen to be a prophet? To a degree yes, but that is not where I am heading with this. Read what is to follow:
Genesis 38: 8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
If the very seeds of man are so important to God that he would kill a man dead for spilling them upon the ground then God knows that even the seed is a human being. This confirms that God knows us before we are even conceived. So any child within the womb IS a living human being and should be treated as such by all.
These verses led me to this verse as well:
Deuteronomy 27: 25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Since fetuses, babies are seen by God before conception that they are human beings, and innocent, and there are those receiving rewards to abort them and then to even cut those up for their body parts are seen as accursed.
Now how does that bring ruin upon this nation? For by allowing it to take place and not end it, it appears God is bring about a judgment upon this nation especially since through our taxes we are paying for the killing of innocent human beings.
Yesterday the Senate voted to end our taxes from being spent to end this curse. The vote should have been a simple vote 100 for de-funding instead it was 53-46 and one refusing to vote to protect his job since he was a Republican in what has turned into a Democratic state.
The “they” in the title of this post is us. All those in the United States of America that did not do all they could to end these horrors that have befallen the most innocent of all …… the unborn human being.
We are all cursed, repent to God and beg His forgiveness, but we must end that which is a curse in the eyes of God before He will forgive us.

Who is blame for the state of the United States? The answer will surprise most.

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , , Leave a comment

It is important to state that all need and should be free to make their own choices in life. What is also important is that these freedoms are not forced upon others who do not wish to participate. Yet there are groups within the United States that desire to do this very thing. Unfortunately people have not been taught correctly for decades. There are lifestyles that are called sins and as I stated in the first sentence all have the freedom and the right to choose to live in sin if they so desire.
Those in the Christian community fear one thing. They fear that they will be forced against their beliefs to say that sinning is good when by the Bibles definition it is bad. Only one group can take blame for this issue coming to this point and that is the Christian community itself. For too long the silence as been deafening from the pulpits and from church leadership. It is something that all within Christendom must come to acknowledge and accept. They have forgotten the great commandment to love and honor God first, then all others, then themselves. Too many that call themselves “Christian” think solely of themselves and what they can get from the world they now live within. This is not Christianity, but hypocrisy. They are acting the part of “Christians,” but in reality they are self-absorbed spoiled children that care only for one thing, themselves. This is not Christianity. It is this behavior that has been growing since the late 1960s that has encroached its way throughout the American church and it runs rampant in most churches especially in large congregations.
What is needed is for the Church to give itself a self-exam. All that call themselves “Christian” need to re-evaluate where they stand with God and if in reality they truly do honor and serve God.
What to look for in how you live your life if you are a “Christian:”

1 Place God First (Matthew 22:37). This means to say things like: “Does this please God?” “Would Jesus do this?” In everything you do, everything, and if the answer is no then you did not place God first.
2 Love all others as you would love yourself (Matthew 22:39)
3 Place all others before yourself (Philippians 2:3)
4 Teach the entire Bible (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16)
5 Teach your children (Proverbs 22:6)
6 Punish your child when they do wrong (Proverbs 13:24) “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
7 Follow the commandments (John 14:15)
8 Follow the laws that man places before you (Titus 3:1). This is the one that most ignored. Like for example speeding when you drive.
If you fail in most of these then you need to start doing some serious thinking for placing God first is something that must happen every day and when you do that you can love those about and place them first. You will learn the Bible and desire to teach others about it, especially your children and you will know that it is best to punish them when they do wrong for in the end they will not do it again and so follow the laws of man and of God.
If more had taught this and lived this we would have never reached where we are today. The good news is that we are one step closer to Christ return. Read 2 Peter chapter 2 to understand.

Any who teach “self-worth” teach hypocrisy

Christian, General, Guide, Life, Relationship, Thoughts, , , , , , , One comment

“Self-worth” is a teaching that states “you” can achieve entrance into heaven by your own actions and deeds. It is teachings like this that are blinding those that call themselves “Christians” when in reality they may not be. By the way it is not in the Bible. Those that teach things not in the Bible and state it is “Christian” are teaching the world.
Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The only way to achieve entrance into heaven is by acknowledging that “you” can do nothing to get there. You must humble yourself. You must not try to do things on your own. For they will lead into the world and the world is corrupt.
1 John 2:15 – Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
When you seek out the world. You seek out the temporal and fleeting rewards of this life we now live.
Revelation 3:17 – 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:
Try to understand. This life is only a test. When compared to our true life that is to come. It is but a blink of the eye. Can you cherish a blink? No you cannot. It is there but a moment and then it is gone and repeated once again.
Our eternal live is not a blink, but an actual live. A live that will last for all eternity. Not 100 years, not 1000 years, but more than 1,000,000,000,000 year.
When you humble yourself before God, and learn to place all others before yourself you quickly learn that by doing so you realize that all are equal to you. So if they are your equal why do you seek to esteem to be better than them? Especially when we are taught within the Bible to place all others before ourselves.
Seeking out “self-worth” is seeking to hold onto a blink. When you do this your eyes are closed and you are blind to all that is real and perfect in the sight of God and His Son our Lord Jesus Christ.