sin

They don’t even realize they sin

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People for the most part that say they are “Christian” don’t even see the little sins that they commit every single day.
When you ask Jesus to be your Savior. You are making an agreement with God that you will listen to the words of Christ and His apostles that have made what forms the New Testament. Which, in turn are amplified by how the Israelites were instructed to live and follow in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy within the Old Testament.
Jesus Himself states that if you are of the vine, which is Him, in other words “saved,” and you do not bear fruit; which is following the teachings of Christ, through faith and works. Those that are barren will be removed from the vine, their salvation. Broken off of the vine and cast into the fire. (John 15)
When someone truly asks Jesus to be their Savior, just out of pure love for God and His Son, they will seek to do and follow the teachings of the Bible.
That being said. Here are some examples of the little sins that make someone barren. First off, listening to music or the radio so loud that all you hear are the lyrics and the music. There is nothing else you have room for. Yet we are told to pray constantly. I encounter this issue at work nearly daily. I have to wear ear plugs and sound dampening ear muffs just so I can even think to be able to pray. Even if listening to Christian music if it is too loud for you to contemplate God, the Bible and prayer, then you are not keeping your life God centered but self-centered.
Now here is one I keep coming back to because people just don’t truly understand this one. Driving a vehicle on the road.
“Why this?” many ask.
In Titus 3:1 we are instructed to follow the laws made by humans. Why we are to do this is because no human power comes to be without God’s consent. (Daniel 4:17)
So if God placed certain humans into a place of human power to make laws that say to go 55 miles per hour, then we as Christians must go 55 miles per hour.
There is no room for debate. There is no saying man’s laws have no control of you. The only exception is when those laws go against God, the Bible and nature. Even then you must work within human law to get it back into right with the Bible. For it is not man’s law, but God’s, by extension of His consent, you are honoring and respecting.
So if you speed, cut people off, tailgate and any other of the laws you break for any other reason. You are in essence insulted God and telling Him that He is nothing to you. For by the mere fact that you are doing these things without thinking of Him you do consider God to be nothing.
So it is time to start getting these little sins reigned in. Not just the big one, for both leave your branch barren.

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: Ten years

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As I write this it is the tenth anniversary of the day I started working where I now work. This week is also the tenth year I have lived in the northeast of this nation.
I use to love to work at the place I am employed at. Now, not so much so.
The reason for it is the same. The people.
My informative years were spent all over the mid-west and the west, but the majority of my life I lived in the south. I have seen this nation. I have been to forty-two of the lower forty-eight states. I have seen the beauties of this nation, the wonders, and I have been exposed to a large portion of the people of this nation.
Of all the people, those in the northeast are the most self-absorbed, self-severing, self-centered people I have ever in my life encountered.
It explains to a degree why I came so close to losing my salvation living here.
Yet God still has a purpose for me and even though he placed me through a year of Job to get my head on straight once again. I have learned much living here. I see a cancer that is spreading throughout this nation. A cancer known as lukewarmness.
People go about thinking they are one with God, yet they have no real concept of what is required to honor and give praise to the Creator of the universe.
They have no concept of what is even written within the Bible, for most have never even bothered to read it.
The cancer has it core in this region of the United States because this is the old part of this nation. It all started here two and forty years ago.
I saw some of the symptom elsewhere in the U.S. However here it is the most pronounced I have ever seen. The most visible. The most unashamed to show their lack of caring or understanding. Not only for others but for God.
In my year of Job it was driven home that materialism is something that is taking the place of God all over this once proud nation. People seek to gain their earthly rewards not realizing they are surrendering eternal rewards in the process.
In my ten years I have lived in this culture to selfishness and self-serving it has been a struggle to maintain a grip upon the reality that most have never come to understand or realize. Many mouth their belief in God and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, yet nothing of any substance comes from most. There are those that show an understanding of God, the Bible and even to a degree of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Now I know without a question that our sinfulness is a struggle that strives to defeat our faith in God. I know our souls are locked in a corrupt body. However that does not permit or condone the open and unending acceptance of sin within one’s life. It is something I know we all struggle with first hand, but I also believe as long as we with honest effort strive to overcome sin we are still heading toward Christ.
That being said, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. We cannot live in continued and unrepentant sin. This is made clear many times within the Word of God. Yet most about me do just that and have this true belief that they are going to enter into heaven.
It is saddening to see this. When I can, I try to correct what I can, but if they are not receptive what can be done? Nothing, but continue when able to try.
In this last ten years I have seen this nation go down a road I never thought possible, but it is and again I am saddened.
In this last ten years I have come to a point of understanding that when the Rapture does occur, far fewer than I ever imagined will be caught up into heaven. I once imagined millions of Americans vanishing in the blink of an eye. Now I have a hard time seeing that number actually reaching a million. Every day I have doubts I will even make it, but still I strive to accomplish that goal if I am still even alive when that event that signals the beginning of great horrors that are about to befall all of the humanity that is left upon this planet; set off to the side of one of the spirals in the galaxy of the Milky Way which resides nearly by itself in the super cluster called Laniakea.
All I can continue to do is try to honor my Savior and Creator and pray it will be enough, for I seek after that wondrous and glorious reward that lies in the billions of years of eternal life that is yet to be. Praise you Lord God, Praise you Jesus, Amen.

The false image of humanity and Christianity

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One of the complaints that comes up when people state that the United States is a “Christian nation.”
Is what happened to the Native Americas at the hands of those that came from Europe to make this nation and the subsequent expansion to the lower forty-eight states of this nation.
Here is what people do not wish to acknowledge or know.
Mark 7:20 – And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
They assume because people profess to be “Christian” that they are acting under the direction of God. When as you can tell from these verses the evil that humanity has done to other humans comes from themselves, not God.
So to blame Christianity for the crimes and misdeeds of humanity is not only an injustice to God, but is a lie and another type of excuse to allow people to live freely in sin.
Should humanity have done the evil they have done throughout all the ages man has walked upon this earth? No.
But to throw the blame upon God, His Son or Christianity is false and wrong for any to do.
Time and again the people of Israel are shown that they themselves turned their backs upon God so that they could live in sin. To worship idols. To attack their own neighbors out of their own hatred, selfishness and greed.
None of this is taught within the Bible.
Jesus taught to love thy neighbor as you would love yourself.
This means that when they forced Native Americans from their lands they were showing that in reality they hated themselves and due to their self-hatred sought after ways to make themselves feel better about themselves by denigrating others. You can see this very act being done by those that deny and say they hate God and Christianity. It is not Christians they hate but themselves and they seek solace for their own self-loathing unaware that they are attacking the very source that can give them what they truly and deeply seek.
They have no true concept of what they are doing for in their hatred refuse to read or even listen to the evidence of the truth that can be found with the Bible and from Christians that truly do strive to follow the word of God.
Now we must understand an important point though.
There are those that call themselves “Christian” that have this very same self-loathing and too seek solace.
Why is this?
Because in reality they are not truly “Christian.”
They take the words of others as (excuses the pun) gospel.
When they are not in reality receiving the word of God.
But the gospel according to humanity.
Christ makes it clear that we are to love God with all our heart, mind and soul. By giving this love we seek to do all thing for His glory. ALL THINGS.
So for example these false teachers say you can call upon God to give you wealth upon this earth. This is a lie.
So for example these false teachers say that this group of people is less than you and you are to rule over them. This is a lie.
The Bible says our rewards are not of this earth and that those that are rich will have a more difficult time entering into the eternal life if at all.
The Bible says we are to place ALL others before ourselves. If we do that and we treat them as we would like to be treated ourselves. Then we would never seek to harm them, for only very few seek to harm themselves and that is mainly due to not knowing or understanding the Word of God.
So understand. Those that divide. Those that promote hate. Those that seek to be have dominion over their fellows. Do so for their own selfish and sinful desire and needs, for they are corrupt and evil.
The only way to escape this cycle is to truly ask Jesus Christ into their lives and to truly come to understand the Bible and the peace that is taught within it.

Those that support those that deny God make themselves denied as well

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re-post
I keep coming back to this topic because this is a burden upon my heart, given to me by God. The importance is extreme. Why? Far too many out there think they can change a group that is denying God.
I am trying to get these people to understand where they are placing themselves with God. They keep thinking of what they can see about them. Thinking it is in their power to change this group, but it is too far gone to be redeemed. What is now of import is their own place with God.
What is this group? The Democratic Party yet many that call themselves “Christian” refuse to leave it. Here is what the Bible says about those that deny Jesus has the Democratic Party has done:
Matthew 10: 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Since this group has officially denied God by removing any mention of Him within their official documents and items listed within the public domain they will find themselves denied by Christ unto God.
This is where people say: “Well I can change it from the inside” or “this doesn’t affect me because I am a ‘Christian.’” BUUZZZZZZZ wrong answer.
James 4: 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
To do good you must not support sins that are called sins within the Bible. If you support a group that proudly supports Abortion (human sacrifice), Homosexuality, lying as well as others sins and most importantly the denial that there is a God. You yourself even though you profess to be against it are in turn guilty of these sins for you knowingly support these sins even though you yourself are not doing them. It makes no difference, you are denying God by proxy and so Christ denies you by proxy.
Additional Note added 6/24/16: This can now be said in part of the Republican Party as well.

On the other hand

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My wife and I had discussion yesterday about why do people push their children to be the “best” of everything. To exceed not only themselves, as was the original ideal of the American parent, but to exceed all others and to dominate. Either in sports, entertainment and business. This is actually not what we were taught less than fifty year ago. Now it seems to be the theme of everything. Form prosperity preachers to infomercials.
This is actually not what the Bible teaches. Now as an example I want to look at 1 John 3:17:
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?”
This is what it says in the new living translation, but look at it in the KJV as well:
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
Now I want to look at the word “but.”
But – de – a weak adversative particle, generally placed second in its clause; but, on the other hand, and.
“On the other hand.” As you see in the NLT version they used the word “if.”
Now let’s look at the conversion between Jesus and the rich man:
Matthew 19:16 – Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
So if Jesus Himself says it is extremely hard for a rich person to get into heaven, why would you seek after it? You shouldn’t, yet millions do and only an extremely few succeed. Or do they “succeed”? According to the Bible, they don’t. They are actually failures. They have failed themselves, they have failed their children. Why? Because they have turned their backs upon God.
They say they are following the commandments, yet Jesus has asked them to sell it all and follow Him. They mouth the words that they follow Him, but are not practicing what they preach, they are hypocrites. They are the lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-22).
If you wish your children to be better than you, do not seek to make them exceed in sports, knowledge or business. Teach them the Bible. Teach them God. Teach them the teaching that Jesus Christ gave to us all. Not only the love, but also the anger and the judgement that Jesus Himself spoke of. Do you know Jesus spoke more about the pit of fire than he did about love?
Yet more today say we must love all. This is not what the Bible teaches. It teaches we must love those that are our brother and sisters IN CHRIST. We are to turn away from the world and those things that are of the world, like money a.k.a. riches.
Teach your children to be average and God fearing and loving. Then you have made you children better than you and you will most likely be blessed.

Selfishness the ultimate sin

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re-post
Why would someone say selfishness is the ultimate sin? When you think on it, you will realize that it really is. From selfishness, there is theft. From selfishness, there is strife between people and nations. From selfishness, there is even murder and war.
Jesus I believe knew that selfishness was this bad as well. Why I say that is how he framed the statement “Do unto to others, as you would have others do unto you.” You see he framed the wording to come from a selfish person’s perspective. Why? Become he was talking mostly to the sinner. How YOU wish to be treated is how YOU should treat others and if YOU do so, YOU will receive it.
This is a major point in what I post on these blogs. I mention selfishness many times. I mention that we are not to be selfish and are to do as the gold rule states. If we truly practice this type of behavior everywhere every day this world would truly be a better place.
Just take for example an everyday event like going through the drive through window at a fast food restaurant. I will give you two examples and you decide which is selfish and which is not.

Person A gets into line then places their car in park to save gas. Cars in from of them move up as other cars behind them pull in to get food. The person parked lets three car lengths open before them and then decides to look up from their cellphone to see the that line has moved. They then slowly move up. They then place their order, taking several minutes to do so. Then they finish and the line in front of them moves up to three car lengths again. They then again look up from their cellphone and slowly move up, stopping a full car length behind the person in front of them. When they finally arrive at the window, they get their food and then set there several minutes examining their food. They attempt to give back the food but it is given right back since it is what they ordered. They then pull away from the window slowly. (This is an actual occurrence I witnessed)

Person B pulls in the line in the drive thru. The car in front of them moves up and so move up with them. The person in front of them gets to the point to order their food. Person B looks at the menu from where he/she sets and decides what they wish to order. The person in front moves forward and they move up and quickly order their food then proceeds to move up behind the person in front of them allowing the person now behind them to order their food. Person B keeps the line moving. When they get to the window they have their method of payment ready and receive their food then pull away.
The selfish person’s actions can cause others about them to become angry. They do not care, for all that is important to them is themselves. When people only care for themselves then they are not thinking of God first and so are not truly Christian if they profess to be one. Actions speak louder than words. It is these actions, which we are all to stand to account for on the day of final judgment. Who will get to live an eternity traveling the universe and who will live forever in an uncomfortably warm place?

The “free-will” dilemma

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This is one of those things that people just don’t truly understand.
When God created Adam He placed within this human the ability to use “free-will.” This has been passed down to all humanity. It is the ability to use our minds to decide on our own what we wish to do.
When Eve partook of the tree of knowledge of what is right and what is wrong it was a test of the very gift given by God to His most important creation of all. God knew that both Eve and then Adam would fail. God knew that great trials and tribulations that would follow for the billions of lives that were to exist from that moment that he decided to make humanity until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment.
Yet God was still pleased that He created us. God still loved and currently still does love us. It is His desire that each person come to have a personal relationship with Him and His Son. Here is the thing that people wish to ignore due to having “free-will.” Many have convinced themselves that once they are saved and have entered into this personal relation with God and His Son that “free-will” is suddenly gone. It no longer has any affect upon their lives.
Here is the one thing that Catholicism did get right, but their manner of dealing with it actually compounded the problem instead of truly trying to address it through the need of going to confession. By going to confession actually makes people feel they can continue to live in their sin and have no need to be truly repentant.
To be truly repentant means the person must leave the sin behind completely. Is this easy? In most cases no it is not. Why? Because of free-will. Humanity due to the gift of free-will must deal with this gift which at times can be a curse on a daily basis.
Since the gift of free-will never leaves us we daily make choices that affect how we do things. It is though reading the Bible and learning the way that God truly wishes us to live that we teach ourselves a type of discipline in how to control our free-will. That is why there is reference within the Bible of many that are one with God that turn their backs upon God due to free-will. Look at David for example. Someone that as a child was beloved by God for his love and his faith in the Creator of all. He becomes the first king of Israel to totally unite the twelve tribes. However, he turns his back upon God and through his free-will lusts after his neighbor’s wife. For the terrace to where Bathsheba bathed could be seen from the palace which was right next door. David then committed murder to hide his sin of adultery. Yet was he not at one time in harmony with God? Did not God bless him and give him the insight as a mere child into how to slay the Nephilim Goliath.
This is the acts of free-will and they can happen after you are in a true relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. As is witnessed in John 15 you can be of the vine of Jesus Christ. Saved, born-again, yet you can turn your back upon God and bear no fruit in your salvation. God Himself will break off your branch from Jesus and give it back to humanity which will then cast you into the fire which is a simple of the pit of fire where all go that do not truly follow Jesus Christ.
David realized his sins and repented of them as best he could. Bathsheba also repented and from them came Solomon who built the first great temple to God. And from David’s line ultimately came the ultimate salvation which is Jesus Christ.
Free-will is our ally and at the same time it is our enemy due to all knowing what is right and wrong from that fruit that Eve and Adam ate so long ago. Without the knowledge and the teachings of the Bible we are to be tested by our own free-will. How we overcome these tests that our free-will puts us through daily is our ultimate test of our faith and belief in our Creator and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just because we have asked Jesus into our hearts does not mean we can do as we wish and however we wish to live our lives. If we do this we will quickly fall back into the world and our selfish and self-centered desires and wishes. This is why David and his sins as king affected all of Israel. How does our ignoring free-will and the consequences it is causing any better? What ripples are we causing by not following the teachings within the Bible? That is obvious if you listen to the news and look about you at things that are effecting your lives.
This is all the results of free-will and not learning to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ that is the Bible.
Ponder that for a while.

I know this is a re-hash but it is that important: Why Christians should never vote for Trump

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I start straight from the Bible:

2 Peter 2:1 – 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.
Trump has made it clear He is unrepentant. He has made it clear that he has committed adultery many times and would never stop committing adultery. Luke 16:19; Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 6:32
1 John 3: 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
Isaiah 29:13 – And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote
2 Peter 2:2 – And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
The other day John Boehner called Ted Cruz Satan and then turned his support to Trump.
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.
NLT – In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money
Trump tax plan – All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25%. If you make less than $25000 … zero taxes ($0 to $25000 = 0; $25001 to $50000 = 10%; $50001 to 150000 = 20%; 150001 and up 25% but major corporation loop holes still in place). So since tax loop holes in place approximately 19% of the American public would carry the tax burden for the nation… those making between $50001 to 150000.
Cruz tax plan – Under the Simple Flat Tax, the current seven rates of personal income tax will collapse into a single low rate of 10 percent. For a family of four, the first $36,000 will be tax-free. The Child Tax Credit will remain in place, and the Simple Flat Tax Plan expands and modernizes the Earned Income Tax Credit with greater anti-fraud and pro-marriage reforms. As a result, the Simple Flat Tax will ensure that low- and middle-income Americans have greater opportunities (all major corporation loop holes removed) tax burden even across the board.

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 ensample 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;)
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.
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;
NLT – Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.
Trump delights and is proud of his lies and makes no attempt to hide them.
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.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
They are empty vessels filled with nothing but themselves and their lies. And what is the fate of those that call themselves “Christian” that continue to follow them?
NLT 18 – They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”
They are following the road to damnation and no longer salvation and as a result they shall suffer more for they once knew the salvation of Jesus Christ.
DO NOT SUPPORT TRUMP FOR YOUR OWN SALVATIONS SAKE!!

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: snobs

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Occasionally I like to go for Sunday drives with my wife. We both enjoy doing them. I try my best to go the back way whenever possible so as to enjoy the scenery of God’s creation.
Usually these little outings go well. This last Sunday however did not have the usually enjoyment. It wasn’t due to either of us or the scenery about us. This day’s enjoyment decreased as we started getting into an area filled with large houses and massive acreage being used for nonproductive matters.
As we entered into this area and stayed within it for nearly an hour we encounter other drivers that did not follow the laws of the road. Not staying in their own lanes and doing things that obstructed traffic. Once we stopped at a small convenience store and as I started to turn into the parking spot the driver side door of an expensive car suddenly flung open blocking the parking spot. Nearly a minute after this a woman decided to exist this vehicle and with a haughty look, looked upon both my wife and myself with disdain since our car was not on the same par as hers. She then slowly closed the door and walked in the middle of the parking spot I wished to pull into as she headed to the same store we wished to visit.
Shortly after this within another store we decided to go into we over hear an encounter between a customer and someone in the pharmacy. Apparently the employee was inconvenienced to walk ten feet and the customer was in turn bothered to accompany the employee the same ten feet to get what she was requesting.
So we get back onto our little adventure and still encounter poor driving habits that in one instance endangered my wife and myself.
When finally free of this area of expensive houses and ritzy stores suddenly we were able to once again relax and enjoy the country side and beauty of the sunny day.
As I was able to relax once again I started reflecting on the previous hour I had just encountered and was saddened. It is amazing how the Bible is not being taught correctly to the point that people that see themselves as a higher quality of humanity than of anyone else. Yet the Bible teaches us that we are all the same.
This also reminded me how the Bible again is not being taught correctly. Many times The Bible says to love one another, but here is what many do not realize. It is not a love for all humanity, but for those that are like us that have asked Christ into our lives and seek to be a reflection of Him.
Does this say that those that call themselves “Christian” should behave as those I encountered this last weekend? No it does not. In fact the Bible encourages humility. The act of placing all others before ourselves. Yet this is not the mentality of those we encountered this last Sunday. Their mentality is that all must bow and worship them for they are wealthy with the riches of the world.
They do not realize that in reality they are to be pitied. For they have embraced the temporal rewards of this world.
Mark 10:17 – As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” 21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
James 4:4 – 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.
Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Remission

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In today’s culture this word “remission” has taken on a new context. It is associated with cancer and the halting of this corruption within the Bible. In this context people have become accepting of the fact that this corruption can return and then kill the person suffering from cancer. This is something that people need to think about.
Now why did I even mention this word? For the answer to that we go to the second chapter of Acts:
Acts 2:38 – Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now let’s break down this from the original Greek:
Aphesis – deliverance, a sending away, a letting go, a release, pardon, complete forgiveness.
As you can see this word has many applications. Look at each on carefully though. A deliverance from sin. A sending away of sin. A letting go of sin. A release from sin. A pardon of your sins. Complete forgiveness of your sins.
But then we need to remember the implication given to us by the use of the word “remission” when applies to cancer and that said cancer can return and ultimately kill the person suffering from it. This is true for sin as well. This is made clear in here:
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.
Does this diminish the other definitions? No it does not, but there is an admonition. For the Bible makes it clear that we must keep our eyes upon God and have our Creator as the center of our lives. The sun that we as planets revolve around. For if the planets lose the sin they lose not only the that life giving element of light, but also warmth and even an anchor to the solar system that is God, and they are sent flying wildly into the darkness and death.
Far too many think they are within the warmth of the sun which is God, but God is not their center. They themselves are their center. The lusts and desires for the here and now are of more import that anything else and especially God.
Does this mean that their remission has failed? I cannot say, that is for each and every single person to come to realize and confront on their own. They need to place God to the center of their solar system, for if they do not they could most likely die for their cancer which is called sin.