Some Medical Issues!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while my friends. I have been having some medical issues, not the leaky kind but issues as in problems, that have been keeping me kind of groggy. When I can think clearly enough to give a logical post, I will post again. Please keep tabs on me and pray for me. Thank you guys so much for your loyalty in reading my musings!

God bless you all!

Thankful!

I am thankful today. I have been in contact with many of my friends growing up. I am thankful to God that He has brought them back into my life. Now I know that I have made many mistakes in my life. I have also burned many bridges with the things I have done. Yet, today, God has shown me that even a burned bridge can be rebuilt.

Are you also thankful for the blessings of God in your life? Even in today's political and religious climate, we can have that sure knowledge that God is working all things for the good of those who love him and follow his commandments.

God Bless you all this day!

Is Being Gay A Sin?

Hello Guys and Gals!

I'm going to comment on another difficult topic today. The question is, Is Being Gay A Sin? Let's see what the bible does say about this first.

'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.' Leviticus 18:22.

Here we see that God has it in the Law that it is a sin for a man to lie with a man or a woman to lie with a woman.

'For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.' Romans 1:26-27.

Here Paul talks about how God gives those who do exchange the natural for the unnatural over to their passions and lets their sin rule their lives and as such they receive their 'due penalty of their error'.

'Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.' 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. (Note: effeminate in this instance refers specifically to effeminate by perversion.)

'For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.' Ephesians 5:5.

Paul speaks here about how those who are unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. More to the point, those who are in these sins will not go to Heaven.

Okay, so now that we know what the bible says about this, let us discuss this in more detail. I'd like to point out that every person, be they man or woman, are born along a scale of effeminate to masculine. Everyone falls onto this scale some where. Men can be either effeminate or masculine or anywhere in between. The same can be said for women.

But does this make you gay? I say no. But that is not the question we are talking about. The question is, Is Being Gay A Sin? But what do we then mean by 'being gay'? I believe that people define this as a man who is effeminate or a woman who is masculine who prefer the company of their own sex instead of the opposite sex. I may be wrong about this definition, but that is how I will define it for the purposes of this discussion.

I think that God loves all of us. Yes, even gay people! But what is it that he hates? As we can see above, He hates the ACT of a man lying with a man and a woman lying with a woman. In other words, He hates the sexual immorality aspect of the thing. Let me be clear, He hates the act, not the person!

But does being effeminate as a man or masculine as a woman make you gay? Well, in today's society it does imply the stigma that is associated with that word. But I still think it falls to the choice of the person. See, the sin is not being on the wrong end of the effeminate to masculine scale; it is not even enjoying the company of the same sex as opposed to the opposite sex; it is more the CHOICE that each person makes to be immoral, or actually commit the ACT, and do that which is unnatural that is the actual sin and that is what God actually hates.

Now I do not have anything against any 'gay' person. I believe that if you're 'gay', then you are facing issues of sin just like a straight person faces issues of sin in their lives as well. We all face these issues. It's just that the issues are different for each person. But it is how we approach these issues and how we deal with fixing these issues that makes us having these issues in our lives sin or not sin. God knows your heart. God knows your actions. Do your actions match up with what is in your heart? Only you and God knows this.

So the question again, Is Being Gay A Sin? I say no it is not! I believe it is the ACT which is a conscious CHOICE of the individual that is actually the sin in God's eyes! So choose not to commit any immoral act and choose by doing so, not to sin!

God bless you all this day!

Terroristic Regimes And Their Shields!

Hello Guys and Gals!

I am concerned today with something that is definitely going to be a touchy subject. But just because it is difficult, does not mean that we should not talk about it. I want to talk about fighting against countries or regimes that seek to do America harm but at the same time hide behind the lives of the 'innocents'. You notice that I put italics around that word. I did this because I don't think that all of them are all that innocent.

I recently read a book about a regime that hid a nuclear warhead factory underneath a hospital in an effort to keep it not only hidden, but if it was ever discovered, also to keep America from destroying it because the hospital had 'innocent' people in it. This is a very deliberate and deceptive thing to do.

First off, we know that the regime does not have the welfare of their own people in mind by the very evidence of them placing the facility there in the first place. What do they have in mind then? They have in mind the thought that even if America were to take out the facility, then they would be able to tell the rest of the world that America purposely targeted civilians and innocents.

Secondly, the people who live under such regimes do know what is going on. You can not tell me that they are not as smart as Americans. Therefore having some modicum of intelligence, they do know what type of people run the regime that they live under. They know their motivations, their true intentions, and they also know that the regimes purposely place these facilities using their people as a shield against those who would stop their aggressive actions against the free peoples of the world.

Yet we live in a society where our freedom was bought and paid for in the blood of our soldiers and sailors who serve to keep that freedom in place. They also know that they stand up to protect the right of every citizen in America to express their beliefs freely without oppression. Yes, they even protect the Liberals and Progressives who protest against the very soldiers and sailors who are protecting their right to do so! Our soldiers and sailors know this and they choose to protect even them from tyranny!

So now the Liberals and Progressives take a stance against any military action that would threaten the lives of those 'innocent' people who work at the hidden facilities and are being used as a shield against those who would put an end to the regime's tyranny. This confuses me because these Liberals and Progressives are ultimately protecting the very regimes that would seek to end their right to speak out against anything. Why would you support any regime, in any way, that is seeking to put an end to you and the very principles you stand for?

These shields, or 'innocent' people, who are being used by these regimes KNOW they are being used by the regimes. As such, they are no longer innocent but accomplices to the very aggression against the free peoples of the world. If they do not want to be viewed as accomplices to these terroristic regimes, they can do something about it. They can speak out. They can quit their jobs. Or they can simply leave! They have no excuse whatsoever when they stay and support these terroristic regimes and act as a human shield protecting them in their aggressive terrorism!

The simple fact of the matter is, they are using America's Liberals and Progressives in an effort to keep terrorizing the free peoples of the world without fear of retaliation. Yet these very regimes that are doing this do not hesitate to make Total War against America! They will not hesitate to bomb civilians, women, children, and elderly people in an effort to promote their causes. How then do we as Americans not have the right to make Total War against them? If we did make Total War against them, and the peoples of the world knew that Total War was imminent when America is attacked with Total War, then the terroristic regimes of the world would be more hesitant to attack America knowing that we would retaliate with the full force of our might as they did against us!

I know that many Liberals and Progressives will probably say that I am wrong for my beliefs. Well I will simply say back to them that they are wrong for their beliefs. What's that? You mean to say that they have the right to tell me I'm wrong for believing what I believe, but I can not tell them that they are wrong for their beliefs? Sounds a little hypocritical to me! The simple fact is, we did not start the aggression and the swifter we can put an end to the aggression, the more lives will be saved in the long run. So let this serve as a warning to any who would target America, we will use the same type of tactics against you that you use against us. If you bring Total War, then we should retaliate with Total War. And to those 'innocents' out there acting as shields, you are not innocent and you are just as guilty as the terroristic regimes who are bombing America and the free peoples of the world!

God bless you all this day!

Are You Guilty Of Feeling Guilty?

Howdy Guys and Gals!

I wanted to talk to you today about guilt and all that it encompasses. But first, I'd like to explain some things that some may not be familiar with.

The Law of God was first given to Moses so that the Jewish people would know when they sin and also what to do to enter God's presence after they have sinned. It is a very complex and codified law. Yet it can be summed up in four sentences which Jesus said to us. "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole of the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40. So now we know the whole basis under which the Law operates.

But who is under the Law? The Jewish people are under the Law! Those who are directly descended from Abraham, through Isaac, and through Jacob are the only people on Earth that are under the Law!

But what about the Gentiles? The Gentiles, or those peoples who are not of the Jewish people, are not under any law at all! 'Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves: she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free: she is our mother.' Galatians 4:21-26. So we see here that if a Gentile does want to be under the Law, then they would be slaves under the Law!

Is there a third category? Yes there is! Those people who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are under the Law of Grace! 'We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God." Galatians 2:15-19.

Why then the Law? The Law is there to show us our need for Jesus Christ and the Grace of God for we are unable to become righteous under the Law and Jesus is the only way to achieve righteousness in God's eyes by God's Grace through Faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. 'Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to who the promise had been made.' Galatians 3:19.

Okay, so Christians, having come from either Jewish or Gentile backgrounds are under Grace and not the Law. The Law then, was there to convict us of sin so that we might see our need for the Savior, Lord Jesus Christ. But once we have accepted Him into our lives, do we then live in freedom as He desires for us? Or are we still feeling the guilt from our past sins and even our current sins? We are to release that guilt once we are saved so that we can go on to be the light of the world for Jesus Christ!

'What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.' Romans 6:1-7.

So if we are dead to sin, then are we not also dead to the guilt of sin? Therefore sin and the guilt from sin should no longer have any control over our lives. So why then do we hold onto the guilt from our sin that has been forgiven by God. Maybe it is because we think that we still have to feel bad about how we have sinned against someone else or even God. This is not true! For if we have been forgiven by God, who is there to say that we have not been forgiven?

You are forgiven! 'As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.' Psalms 103:12. If our sin has been taken away, then why do we still operate as if we are still sinful in His eyes? Rejoice! For your sin is gone and is no more!

Start today in living your life without sin and show the world the light that is in you so that it may pierce the darkness of the world that is sin!

God bless you all this day!

A Call To Integrity!

Hello Guys and Gals!

By now, you know how important I think a person's integrity is. Not only that, but how important I find it to be a man of integrity in my own life. Let's look at the definition of integrity.

Integrity - in·teg·ri·ty   [in-teg-ri-tee] – noun

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

This definition comes from Dictionary.com. I prefer another definition for integrity that I have heard. Christ says that your tongue is what makes a man unclean because the words of his mouth proceed directly from his heart which show his true motives. With this in mind, my preferred definition of integrity is as follows:

The state of a man or woman where their words and deeds are in perfect alignment, meaning what they say and what they do have no conflict in their eyes and in the eyes of anyone looking upon them.

I prefer this definition because it makes my own personal resolution extremely clear!

'O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; he swears to his own hurt and does not change; he does not put out his money at interest, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.' Psalm 15:1-5 The man who abides with God!

This is an amazing Psalm. I think that it mirrors the definition of integrity which I gave above.

'Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.' Psalm 26:1. This psalm goes on in detail about King David's integrity in the Lord! This is the kind of integrity I am speaking to you about today.

So now, if you fully understand the type of integrity I'm talking about, then I call you to be a person of integrity. I challenge you with the same challenge I have challenged myself with. I call you to stand in your own integrity. If there is any part of your life that you feel you fail in your integrity, then fix that problem and start now being a person of integrity not only in that part of your life where it is lacking, but in your whole character and being. Stand with me in the truth and integrity that is Jesus Christ. Will you take up my challenge?

God bless you all this day!

Anger! What happened to our right to be angry?

Hello Guys and Gals!

I would like to talk about anger today. Is there ever a time when anger is appropriate? Or is it always inappropriate to be angry with anyone? I think anger is an emotion that has become politically incorrect. In today's society, you do not have the right anymore to be angry. It does not matter how much wrong someone has done to you, if you get angry with them, they use your anger against you by accusing you of anger and thereby minimizing their own abuse of you in the process. Does anyone else see this as being wrong other than me?

When Paul talks about Christian living he says in Colossians 3:8, 'But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.' It is clear that Paul does not condone anger. Even James tells us in James 1:19-20, 'But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.' But James does not say that we do not have appropriate times to be angry. He says be slow to anger, not do not get angry!

Even Paul talks about anger in his letter to the Ephesians, 'Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.' Ephesians 4:26-27. Paul is very clear here that it is okay to be angry, but he also goes on to say that you should not go to bed angry or let the sun go down on your anger.

What then do we say on whether or not we have the right to be angry? I think anger is not something we should condone. But neither should we prohibit it. I think anger should be reserved for those times when it is right to use it to show others how they have truly wronged you.

But let me be very clear here, just because I believe anger is appropriate at times, never do I believe that it is a reason to do violence! Never should anyone resort to violence! Even more so if they are angry! When you are angry, the very last thing you should do is violence of any kind! I know it seems like the two go together, but they should be separated and kept apart on purpose. Anger with violence always leads to sin.

But more to the point, anger has become a politically incorrect thing in today's society. Today, one of my health care providers did something wrong. As a result, I got angry with them. In expressing my anger to them, my voice raised up an octave or two. They accused me of 'yelling' at them. I explained to them that just because my voice was raised, that it did not mean I was yelling. I told them also that I could provide a good example of me yelling if they did not believe me. I also explained that their attempt to minimize their fault in doing me wrong was unappreciated. Since when do we not have the right to tell someone how they have wronged us when we are angry? I don't remember ever giving up that right.

Here is the definition of yell:

yell   [yel]

–verb (used without object)

1. to cry out or speak with a strong, loud, clear sound; shout: He always yells when he is angry.

2. to scream with pain, fright, etc.

You'll notice that both definitions include either the word shout or scream. Just because you raise your voice to someone does not mean that you are shouting or screaming at them. Anyone who is being reprimanded for being at fault in some way or another uses the term 'yell' in referring to their reprimand. Why do they do this? It is an easy answer in my opinion. They do this in an attempt to draw the focus away from their own fault in the matter and try to place the focus on something that is seen to be more politically incorrect in today's political climate, that of anger!

What about the politicians of today? They get elected to office making promises they never intended to keep. As a matter of fact, they go in the complete opposite direction of those promises. Yet anyone who gets angry and speaks against them is ostracized for being angry and the attention is drawn away from their lies and toward the angry person's remarks.

I say that we have a right to be angry! I say that we should be slow to anger, but when we do get angry, we should use that anger to show the truth of the offending person's actions who brought out the anger in you in the first place. Again, I say that we should never resort to violence of any kind when we are angry! Anger and violence always lead to sin! The two should never be grouped together. But do not give up your right to get angry! Stand with me in telling the world we have a right to be angry at people who do us wrong without being ostracized for our anger!

May God bless you all this day!

My Motives!

Hello Guys and Gals!

It has been said of me recently that I am using this blog as a grandstand for a conflict I am going through. It has also been said that I am like the Pharisees of old which are all pretty on the face but corrupt inside. It was also said that this blog is all about me and the question was raised of what about other people. I tell you this so that you know that I am hiding nothing from you who follow this blog.

The whole purpose of this blog is to tell you of my walk in becoming a Christian Man of Integrity, where what I say and what I do are in alignment with each other. It is about what I am going through to seek after that goal. Therefore this blog IS about me and my walk! That is the whole reason for this blog. I hope that others who follow this blog also find what I go through and how I deal with it applicable to their own lives as well. That would be a very wonderful outcome of this blog.

But I am not here to preach to anyone about their walk with God. I believe there are only two relationships anyone should be concerned with. The first is one's relationship with Jesus Christ. The second is one's relationship with their neighbor. I will never tell anyone that you should be concerned with another person's relationship with God other than to try and lead them into a personal relationship with Him. Leading someone to Jesus is not the same as judging and correcting someone on their relationship with Jesus. I feel that if someone is judging or trying to correct someone else's relationship with God, then they need to pull the plank out of their own eye first and fix their own relationship with God!

A good friend of mine called me today when I was feeling down about these accusations against my motives for this blog and other things in my life. He reminded me that Satan attacks you the hardest when you are actually doing a good work in God's eyes. Satan is simply trying to get you to stop doing the work which you are doing.

Dear Satan, I will not let you stop me in this work I am doing for the sake of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I will stand against you and call you out for your lies O Father of Lies! I will wear the whole armor of God and I will stand in defiance against you O Evil One! This is where I draw my line and let him try as he might, I will not abandon my work in Jesus Christ!

Thank you Sam for your encouragement of me and my motives and my work this day!

May God bless you guys this day!

A Mighty Fortress Is The LORD!

Hello Guys and Gals!

I'd like to start by apologizing for not writing for this long. I was first in the hospital for a kidney stone operation and then after I recovered from that, I went on a trip to Texas for three days. Can we say...Jet Lagg? Anyway, I'm back now and recuperated so I should be posting more often again.

During my time in the hospital and what I faced while in Texas, I found out just how strong the Lord is in keeping me safe and feeling peace no matter what is attacking me.

'I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.' Psalm 18:1-3 by King David.

'He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!"' Psalm 91:1-2.

Look at these two psalms. Both of them say that the Lord is a personal fortress for the authors of the psalms. The Lord is a mighty fortress. One we can rely upon in our darkest hours or our times of need.

The urologist informed me that a man with a kidney stone is dealing with the same intensity of pain that a woman giving birth goes through. I remember the pain of my kidney stone that was removed last week. I also remember praying between the grunts of pain and trying to catch my breath. They shut the glass doors on my emergency room because my prayers and groans were so loud that they feared me being too loud for the other patients to suffer their ER traumas in peace.

They finally took the stone out on my third day in the hospital. They put in a stint. Yes it was in my urethra and when I urinated, the stabbing pain that I had suffered from the kidney stone came back. Also, the stint was causing me to have to urinate much more often than normal. I can tell you that the pain I was going through was some of the worst pain I've had. But Jesus was right there with me. He comforted me through my pain. I knew, even though the pain was as intense as it was, that I could bear it because Jesus was there helping me through it.

Then, just a few days later, I have to fly down to Texas to testify against my older brother for attacking me back in January. I have testified solely for the reason that I saw it was a way for my brother to start getting the help he needs to control his uncontrollable temper which he refuses to get help for.

During my time on the stand, my brother was staring me down and smirking the whole time I was testifying. Whenever he thought his attorney made a point about my testimony being at fault for one thing or another, he would raise his eyebrows at me, smile real big, and nod his head vigorously showing his complete and utter contempt of me as I was relaying the truth about his attack upon me and my property that day.

Let me be clear here. I did seek after a judgement on him. Yet I know that I will probably never receive anything out of it. But I am hoping for a stipulation in his sentencing that will require him to seek medical and/or mental help. I do love my brother and the rest of my family. They are not talking to me right now because they think that I am wrong in testifying against my brother. I can only do what my heart is telling me to do, and that is striving to get him help in the only way I see it being possible.

Prior to the trial, on the night before, I was unable to sleep well. I was so tense that I was just not feeling completely right. I remember praying to the Lord about Him being my rock, my mighty fortress, Who leads me to still waters and makes me lie down in green meadows under shady trees. I know that this probably is stated by many different authors in the bible. However, it became very important for me to cry out to God in my time of need. He heard me and comforted me during this time.

I was able to stay calm through my testimony and simply relate the truth of that day back in January. I found a peace up there on the stand that day. It was a peace directly from God. One where, as I told the truth, I knew that the truth would be shown and that God was supporting me in my relaying of that truth.

'In my distress I called upon the Lord, yes, I cried to my God; and from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.' 2 Samuel 22:7. This is just one of the verses from King David's song of deliverance.

Another one is this, 'The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, the God who executes vengeance for me, and brings down peoples under me, Who also brings me out from my enemies; You even lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.' 2 Samuel 22:47-49.

I feel that these verses apply directly to me and what I went through down in Texas. In my time of need, the Lord God was there for me. He placed Himself around me and becoming for me a mighty fortress, unassailable by those who would seek to do me harm. He kept me safe!

I pray for my brother and my family every day. I ask that the Lord heals that which is broken and restores the relationships that were damaged in this affair. But I did what the Lord led me to do and I was found blameless in the eyes of the court and my brother was convicted on both counts he was charged with. I hope they order some sort of medical or mental treatment for him so that he can get better. But through it all, the Lord was my fortress!

I cannot tell you what comfort I have that the Lord is willing to protect me like this. I hope that you also find this wonderful comfort in knowing that the Lord is a mighty fortress in your life as well.

May God bless you all this day!