Hello Guys and Gals!
I have been contemplating on whether on why more people do not hear the voice of God within them like I do. If you do not understand what I am talking about, let me explain. I hear God's voice very clearly within me. It is not audible in my head, or ears, or mind. It is within my very being! I do not know quite how to explain it other than that and those who also hear it will know exactly what it is I am speaking about; and those that do not hear it will simply not understand!
But back to the contemplation of why more do not hear God's voice, I believe there are some very likely answers to talk about; and maybe even some which I have not thought upon. But the one I want to tackle today is the one in which I am wondering if you are keeping your line too busy for God to get through to you on it.
We live in a world where technology is progressing by leaps and bounds. It seems just yesterday that Al Gore invented the internet! (Chuckles to myself) Still, that small humor aside, technology is advancing at a very speedy rate. It also seems to me that so many people have smart phones that they are making society dumber as a result of it. But let's think even more critically on what we are filling our eyes, ears, and minds with. If people are not listening to music of some sort in the car, then they are listening to talk radio or letting their children watch some dvd or other streaming media. And at home it's football, football, football... and occasionally another sport thrown in during the football off season. Then comes the TV shows, movies, soaps, news, and our all time favorite of CARTOONS!
Is there ever a time when we turn every thing off and be still? Is there ever a time where we truly listen and think? Scripture tells us to, "Be still, and know that I am God." ~ ESV. Is there ever a time in which you turn everything off and think upon what God has shown you today? What about when you read His word? Are you meditating upon it in silence?
As for me, I have made it a habit to have silence about me when I read His Word in the morning and make sure that the only thing entering in at that time is His Word. I think upon it. I talk to what it is I read in the morning with my friends and family throughout the day. At times in the middle of the day, I take the time to meditate upon it. And even when I do not understand a particular text, I ask God to help me to understand it in the times when I meditate upon it. He has always been good to me and has always answered every single one of my requests.
I have always stated that God will answer any and every question one asks of Him. It may be that the answer is No or not yet; it may be the answer is Yes but not yet; it may be that the answer is I have something better for you; and it may be a very specific thing as to how something works that you do not know; but He will always answer any and every prayer request given unto Him!
My main prayer of late is simply to draw closer to Him, as when I think upon Him, and I do think upon Him a lot, I do not feel as if I know Him as well as I would like to know Him and I simply ask to draw closer to Him! He has been continually drawing me closer and closer to Him to such a degree that, if I am listening or reading or watching something, and it does not happen to be about Him, I feel a void there that I used to enjoy, a void that is only filled by learning more about Jesus!
And now I hear His voice, the voice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and one third of the Triune God! He is my Lord, my King; He is my Everything!
I encourage you today to turn everything off! I encourage you to do this when you read scripture, when you pray, or when you simply want to meditate upon what you read or prayed about. I make you a promise: if you do this, and if you ask sincerely with a heart seeking an answer, and if you listen with every part of your being, you will also hear His voice when He answers you!
So are you keeping the line so busy that you cannot hear God's voice when He speaks to you? If you are, then hang up and turn everything off so that you can keep the line open for that call from God, the Creator of all Creation and He will assuredly bless you in what He has to tell you!
May the Lord Jesus shine His light upon your path today and may you hear His voice as He tells you of His love for you!
07 August 2014
25 July 2014
Canon Of Scripture!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Do y'all know what Canon of Scripture is or where it started? I thought I knew once. I was wrong. I have been reading a book called The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy that defines and explains what Canon of Scripture truly is and how it truly started. Let me just say that it is truly an eye opener. Now I will refer to what is in this book and specifically in the chapter on Canon that Eric Ludy wrote; yet it will only be a few references and I hope to say something new which I think we all know already with this blog today.
Canon started when Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt and they had not yet come to the Promised Land. It was called The Korah Rebellion. It was when the leaders and those of good reputation of the Hebrews: the learned and well thought of leaders of the Hebrews, came to Moses and Aaron and said, "Who gave you the authority to rule over us? Who picked you to be in charge? Why is it you are so special and what you say is deemed truth?" ~ page 187 of The Bravehearted Gospel.
What eventually happened is each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel each wrote their name upon their rod of rulership (often known as a sceptre) and they put them in the tabernacle (where dwelt God in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day: also known as the Shekinah), and whosoever's rod budded would be shown to be the one whom God appointed to be holding the chosen authority of God in the camp of Israel.
Needless to say, it was Aaron's rod, which not only budded, but also bloomed and bore almonds. Thus was the authority of Moses and Aaron established in the camp of Israel to have the divine right (chosen by God Himself) to rule and control Israel. This was how the first 5 books of the bible became the first Canon, or measuring rod, of scripture itself.
Thus, with the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Old Testament) being the first Canon of Scripture, all of the books of the Old Testament had to meet a very specific and very strict measurement in order to be considered Canon in the eyes of the Hebrews. So with each new book of the bible, it had to meet those measurements and not contradict (disagree with) anything that preceded it within the bible.
This is why the Apocrypha is not considered as Canon because it could not stand up to the Canon Test of the Old Testament, as many points in the Apocrypha contradict the first 39 books of the bible, and as such are not considered Canon!
The Old Testament promised of a Messiah to come which would be the One Branch which would meet and pass the Canon Test and become the measurement of God as to what all Scripture should attain to. It would be impossible for one man to ever meet that Canon Test (Note that the Canon Test came and existed before the man who did meet it resided upon the Earth) unless they had help in meeting that test by God Himself! Yet Jesus Christ did meet that test as a man to become the very Branch, or Rod of Measurement, by which the Word of God, or Scripture, is shown to the world.
And yet, with all that being said, none of that matters to another person until the Holy Spirit confirms within their very own heart or spirit, the truth of Jesus Christ being the only way they can attain to salvation and forgiveness given in the world, so that they can enter into a loving and guiltless relationship with God Almighty and then begin to live a triumphant life in Christ as He lives in us with all His power available to us in our relationship with Him!
Do you have that confirmation? Have you felt that sure knowledge within your very being? If not, pray and ask God for it! Not only that, but also pray and ask Him to help you in your unbelief! He is faithful and sure to give it! If you do not take my word for it, then do something else: Be BOLD and CHALLENGE God to prove you wrong in your unbelief! I guarantee it is one challenge He will always answer!
I guess what I am saying is this: if you do not have that confirmation within your soul, ask for it or dare God to prove it to you, and watch what my God will also do for you as He has done for me!
May God bless you all this day with that very confirmation within your soul (inner being)!
Do y'all know what Canon of Scripture is or where it started? I thought I knew once. I was wrong. I have been reading a book called The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy that defines and explains what Canon of Scripture truly is and how it truly started. Let me just say that it is truly an eye opener. Now I will refer to what is in this book and specifically in the chapter on Canon that Eric Ludy wrote; yet it will only be a few references and I hope to say something new which I think we all know already with this blog today.
Canon started when Moses had led the Hebrews out of Egypt and they had not yet come to the Promised Land. It was called The Korah Rebellion. It was when the leaders and those of good reputation of the Hebrews: the learned and well thought of leaders of the Hebrews, came to Moses and Aaron and said, "Who gave you the authority to rule over us? Who picked you to be in charge? Why is it you are so special and what you say is deemed truth?" ~ page 187 of The Bravehearted Gospel.
What eventually happened is each of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel each wrote their name upon their rod of rulership (often known as a sceptre) and they put them in the tabernacle (where dwelt God in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day: also known as the Shekinah), and whosoever's rod budded would be shown to be the one whom God appointed to be holding the chosen authority of God in the camp of Israel.
Needless to say, it was Aaron's rod, which not only budded, but also bloomed and bore almonds. Thus was the authority of Moses and Aaron established in the camp of Israel to have the divine right (chosen by God Himself) to rule and control Israel. This was how the first 5 books of the bible became the first Canon, or measuring rod, of scripture itself.
Thus, with the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Old Testament) being the first Canon of Scripture, all of the books of the Old Testament had to meet a very specific and very strict measurement in order to be considered Canon in the eyes of the Hebrews. So with each new book of the bible, it had to meet those measurements and not contradict (disagree with) anything that preceded it within the bible.
This is why the Apocrypha is not considered as Canon because it could not stand up to the Canon Test of the Old Testament, as many points in the Apocrypha contradict the first 39 books of the bible, and as such are not considered Canon!
The Old Testament promised of a Messiah to come which would be the One Branch which would meet and pass the Canon Test and become the measurement of God as to what all Scripture should attain to. It would be impossible for one man to ever meet that Canon Test (Note that the Canon Test came and existed before the man who did meet it resided upon the Earth) unless they had help in meeting that test by God Himself! Yet Jesus Christ did meet that test as a man to become the very Branch, or Rod of Measurement, by which the Word of God, or Scripture, is shown to the world.
And yet, with all that being said, none of that matters to another person until the Holy Spirit confirms within their very own heart or spirit, the truth of Jesus Christ being the only way they can attain to salvation and forgiveness given in the world, so that they can enter into a loving and guiltless relationship with God Almighty and then begin to live a triumphant life in Christ as He lives in us with all His power available to us in our relationship with Him!
Do you have that confirmation? Have you felt that sure knowledge within your very being? If not, pray and ask God for it! Not only that, but also pray and ask Him to help you in your unbelief! He is faithful and sure to give it! If you do not take my word for it, then do something else: Be BOLD and CHALLENGE God to prove you wrong in your unbelief! I guarantee it is one challenge He will always answer!
I guess what I am saying is this: if you do not have that confirmation within your soul, ask for it or dare God to prove it to you, and watch what my God will also do for you as He has done for me!
May God bless you all this day with that very confirmation within your soul (inner being)!
17 July 2014
Leave And Cleave!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Have you ever considered what it means to 'Leave and Cleave'? In Matthew 19:5-6, Jesus speaks about this:
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ~ KJV
When a man and woman join together in marriage, they both are instructed to leave their former relations behind and join themselves to their new relation of their spouse so tightly that the two are now considered one. I have been thinking upon this for some time now. I know most of us think of this as leaving their parents and brothers and sisters behind to become married to their new spouse so that they can form a family together. But I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
Before I get to the deeper aspect of this command, let's take a close look at what the command is like under the popular view of marriage. When a man, or woman, enters into a covenant relationship with their new spouse, they are to leave behind their parents and brothers and sisters, right? But what if they do not? They still remain tied to their old relationships and still yearn for and desire to depend upon their parents and brothers and sisters when trouble comes. Well, trouble comes and instead of the man and woman depending upon each other for an answer to their solution, you have one or both of them returning to their family for support and/or a solution to their problem. Say that one family has money and can easily afford to help out the newlyweds, and do so. Then the one, whose family did not help, becomes a touch jealous, yet also relieved, that the problem was solved by the other's family. Well the two people who were joined did not face this trouble on their own and did not depend upon each other for their own security in this problem. Eventually, jealousy rears it's ugly head and they end up fighting over going to the other's family for help when they were just trying to help. Basically, the newlyweds had a chance of growing stronger together as a single unit, or family, and instead of doing so, one or both of them depended on their family for the strength to solve the problem at hand. In the end, you have a marriage which is loosely bound together and eventually ends in divorce; much like many marriages today do!
Earlier in this post I quoted from the King James Version so that we could see where the term, 'Leave and Cleave', comes from. I'd like to take a look at those same verses again in the English Standard Version which I believe gives the clearest meaning in our modern day English language of what it means to Leave and Cleave. Here are the verses again:
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ~ ESV
In this translation or version of the scripture, we see that when you leave the father and mother you are to 'hold fast' to the spouse of whom you left your family to join. Hold fast: An interesting concept! Think about how this worked before the modern age of telephones and automobiles and jet airliners and things which allow you to communicate or travel long distances in very short periods of time. When a man, or woman, left their family, they left and were unable to stay in close communication with them and had no choice but to hold fast to their new spouse if they were to find success in their new marriage. They could not easily turn to their parents for help. They could not go stay at their parent's house because of an argument and cool off. They did not have close communication and so, if they did not hold fast to their new spouse, then they would be either a far distance, or unable to communicate with those they wanted to in order to solve their problems. They had NO CHOICE but to work it out with each other and grow stronger as a family and learn to depend wholly upon each other so that they could be seen as a single family, one unit, in the eyes of the world.
Now, let's take a look at the deeper level of meaning which I was referring to. Were you aware that the Church is considered the Bride of Christ Jesus? Doesn't Jesus refer to the Church as being the Bride in his telling of the Parable of the Ten Virgins as seen in Matthew Chapter 25:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ~ ESV
The deeper aspect of meaning to the principle of Leave and Cleave that I am referring to is this worldly realm compared to the Heavenly realm! When we become Christians, or give ourselves to Jesus Christ by seeking forgiveness for our sins, we become the Bride of Jesus Christ as we become a member of the Body of Christ, otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ. If we, being the Bride of Christ, are meant to Leave and Cleave for our marriage to Jesus, what exactly are we leaving and what exactly are we cleaving to? We are leaving all the worldly relations we now have for that greater relation with Jesus Christ. Jesus testifies to the reward of those who leave their family and riches for his name's sake in Matthew 19:29 as it is shown here:
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ~ ESV
The Apostle Paul as much as declares it boldly in the following passage:
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:29-32 ~ ESV
So my question to you tonight is simple: have you left all of everything: your former relations, your riches, your homes, your hobbies, your sports trophies, your accolades, your desires, and all your dreams; behind to hold fast to your new marriage with your new groom, Jesus Christ, who gave his very life to enter into this covenant with you? If you haven't, maybe consider what you haven't given up so that you can move into that deeper relationship with Jesus Christ!
May the Lord Jesus Christ indwell each and every one of you who reads these words to the saving grace of salvation!
Have you ever considered what it means to 'Leave and Cleave'? In Matthew 19:5-6, Jesus speaks about this:
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ~ KJV
When a man and woman join together in marriage, they both are instructed to leave their former relations behind and join themselves to their new relation of their spouse so tightly that the two are now considered one. I have been thinking upon this for some time now. I know most of us think of this as leaving their parents and brothers and sisters behind to become married to their new spouse so that they can form a family together. But I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
Before I get to the deeper aspect of this command, let's take a close look at what the command is like under the popular view of marriage. When a man, or woman, enters into a covenant relationship with their new spouse, they are to leave behind their parents and brothers and sisters, right? But what if they do not? They still remain tied to their old relationships and still yearn for and desire to depend upon their parents and brothers and sisters when trouble comes. Well, trouble comes and instead of the man and woman depending upon each other for an answer to their solution, you have one or both of them returning to their family for support and/or a solution to their problem. Say that one family has money and can easily afford to help out the newlyweds, and do so. Then the one, whose family did not help, becomes a touch jealous, yet also relieved, that the problem was solved by the other's family. Well the two people who were joined did not face this trouble on their own and did not depend upon each other for their own security in this problem. Eventually, jealousy rears it's ugly head and they end up fighting over going to the other's family for help when they were just trying to help. Basically, the newlyweds had a chance of growing stronger together as a single unit, or family, and instead of doing so, one or both of them depended on their family for the strength to solve the problem at hand. In the end, you have a marriage which is loosely bound together and eventually ends in divorce; much like many marriages today do!
Earlier in this post I quoted from the King James Version so that we could see where the term, 'Leave and Cleave', comes from. I'd like to take a look at those same verses again in the English Standard Version which I believe gives the clearest meaning in our modern day English language of what it means to Leave and Cleave. Here are the verses again:
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ~ ESV
In this translation or version of the scripture, we see that when you leave the father and mother you are to 'hold fast' to the spouse of whom you left your family to join. Hold fast: An interesting concept! Think about how this worked before the modern age of telephones and automobiles and jet airliners and things which allow you to communicate or travel long distances in very short periods of time. When a man, or woman, left their family, they left and were unable to stay in close communication with them and had no choice but to hold fast to their new spouse if they were to find success in their new marriage. They could not easily turn to their parents for help. They could not go stay at their parent's house because of an argument and cool off. They did not have close communication and so, if they did not hold fast to their new spouse, then they would be either a far distance, or unable to communicate with those they wanted to in order to solve their problems. They had NO CHOICE but to work it out with each other and grow stronger as a family and learn to depend wholly upon each other so that they could be seen as a single family, one unit, in the eyes of the world.
Now, let's take a look at the deeper level of meaning which I was referring to. Were you aware that the Church is considered the Bride of Christ Jesus? Doesn't Jesus refer to the Church as being the Bride in his telling of the Parable of the Ten Virgins as seen in Matthew Chapter 25:
1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ~ ESV
The deeper aspect of meaning to the principle of Leave and Cleave that I am referring to is this worldly realm compared to the Heavenly realm! When we become Christians, or give ourselves to Jesus Christ by seeking forgiveness for our sins, we become the Bride of Jesus Christ as we become a member of the Body of Christ, otherwise known as the Church of Jesus Christ. If we, being the Bride of Christ, are meant to Leave and Cleave for our marriage to Jesus, what exactly are we leaving and what exactly are we cleaving to? We are leaving all the worldly relations we now have for that greater relation with Jesus Christ. Jesus testifies to the reward of those who leave their family and riches for his name's sake in Matthew 19:29 as it is shown here:
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ~ ESV
The Apostle Paul as much as declares it boldly in the following passage:
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:29-32 ~ ESV
So my question to you tonight is simple: have you left all of everything: your former relations, your riches, your homes, your hobbies, your sports trophies, your accolades, your desires, and all your dreams; behind to hold fast to your new marriage with your new groom, Jesus Christ, who gave his very life to enter into this covenant with you? If you haven't, maybe consider what you haven't given up so that you can move into that deeper relationship with Jesus Christ!
May the Lord Jesus Christ indwell each and every one of you who reads these words to the saving grace of salvation!
18 June 2014
Which Path Do You Walk?
There is a way in life that seems right and the world looks at you and says you are winning. This is the wrong path and full of the snares of Satan!
Many of you might not like this, but the truly right path will have the world hating you for the truth you speak and you literally need to take up your cross, that you will be crucified upon, and follow Jesus to get to where he is.
Following Jesus is not about having 2.5 children and a house in suburbia. Following Jesus means leaving your mother and father, brothers and sisters, family and friends, going to feed and care for the homeless, elderly, orphaned, and widowed, speaking the truth always about what sin is, what salvation is, the only path to attaining it being through Jesus Christ, and standing in the truth of God's Word against any and all attacks to it, never giving in to criticism or political correctness or any other satanic attack.
Jesus stood and was condemned by the world, hung on a tree to become a curse for us, and died one of the most painful deaths imaginable. Are you ready to FOLLOW Jesus where he went and suffer like he suffered? That, my friends, is the narrow path that Jesus has called his followers to follow him down.
The good news is that by trailblazing this path, Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, the Father and now has everything else under his feet, his authority! If Jesus has entered into you, and you abide in him, then that same authority extends to you and the path you walk for him in this life! Are you living your life on the right path?
May God bless you all this night with His light shining upon the right path for you!
17 May 2014
Talents, Minas', And Branches: The Fruit Of The Kingdom Of God!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Did you ever wonder what the currency in Heaven is? The bible speaks of talents, and minas, and fruit to be both received and returned to their master having increased what is given. Well, God has been speaking to me about these things and I believe that it has finally become something worth writing about.
Lord, please let my understanding of these passages, which was given to me by you through the Holy Spirit, be clearly written and understood by the reader so that it touches the reader's hearts as it has touched mine!
The parable of the talents:
14 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 25:14-30
This is a parable showing that Jesus has invested talents in us and that we should also use that which he invested in us to also invest in others people so that we produce more of the talents which he invested in us. Yet, the wicked, lazy slave did not produce with what he was given and therefore even the talent which was invested in him was taken from him and given to the one who did invest the entrusted talents wisely.
The parable of the ten minas:
11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.' 18 The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' 24 Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.' 26 I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." ~ Luke 19:11-27
Likewise, this is also a parable of wise investment with a warning. In this one, the faithful slaves produced more minas with the wise investment of the minas which the nobleman invested in them. Yet again, the worthless slave did not even try to invest the minas he had been given, but instead, just held onto it and did not try and invest it in other people so that it might bring increase for the nobleman's cause.
Jesus Christ is the true vine:
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ~ John:15:1-6
Jesus Christ tells us that he is the true vine of Israel. He is the one through whom the promise of the seed of Abraham is fulfilled in and as such, that seed has become a mighty vine that will produce fruit and be pruned of all the branches that do not produce fruit so that the vine can be a healthy and vibrant vine in which all the branches produce the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
But what is the currency which Jesus has invested in us? Is it truly a talent or a minas? I have come to believe that the currency which Jesus is speaking of is grace and forgiveness. He has forgiven us graciously for our sins, which we did not earn in any way. But have we invested that grace in others in order to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God which is his earnest desire for us. Now we know that it is the Holy Spirit that does the harvesting. But that should never stop us from working the fields from which the Holy Spirit will harvest the fruit of the kingdom. We should all diligently work the fields and the crops so that the Father will see that we, through the help of the Holy Spirit, will be producers of the fruit which Jesus called us to increase.
But take a closer look at the end of each of these three passages. In each one a severe warning exists for the readers if they only understand clearly what is being said.
In the parable of the talents, the worthless slave was thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is clearly a reference to Gehenna, the lake of fire, where the second death will occur: the death of the soul.
In the parable of the ten minas, they were brought before the nobleman and slain because they did not want him to reign over them. This is also a picture of being judged and executed for their defiance against their rightful lord.
In the passage where Jesus states that he is the true vine, the fruitless branch is cast into the fire to be burned. This is like the other two and combines the two thoughts into one. The fire it is speaking of here is also Gehenna, the lake of fire, which will burn those thrown into it for they were not worth anything for not having produced any fruit.
With the currency of God being the grace He has given to us (our salvation), ask yourself this question: will you be cast into the outer darkness for not producing more of that which was invested within you?
Please understand that I am not talking about Calvinism versus Arminianism. Anyone who knows me knows that I am strong in my statement that one's salvation cannot, by any effort of man, be lost or removed from the one in whom the salvation was given. But I am not talking about man here, but instead I am talking about God, the Father.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." ~ John 10:27-30
Jesus clearly states here that no man is able to snatch out of the Father's hand what has been placed within it. But it also states that his sheep know his voice!
Do you know his voice? Are you one of his sheep? Have you been placed in his hand?
What I am trying to make clear is that, for everyone who has asked forgiveness from God for their sin can only find that forgiveness in Jesus Christ. But have you hoarded that forgiveness and not sought to share what gift of grace you have been given with other people so that they might also receive grace from Jesus and also be forgiven of their sins and join us in Heaven so that they will not be cast into Gehenna?
Are you doing what God has called every one of us to do and striven to produce the fruit of the kingdom?
Or will that which has been given to you be taken away from you because you were found worthless in His eyes?
No man can undo what God has done. But God the Father is the ultimate judge and the ultimate decision on whether or not you have been faithful rests. He will ask His son, Jesus, if he truly knows and is known by the sinner who stands before Him. Do you know how Jesus will answer that question to the Father about you?
May God bless each one of you who reads this with fruit as you labor in His vineyard!
Did you ever wonder what the currency in Heaven is? The bible speaks of talents, and minas, and fruit to be both received and returned to their master having increased what is given. Well, God has been speaking to me about these things and I believe that it has finally become something worth writing about.
Lord, please let my understanding of these passages, which was given to me by you through the Holy Spirit, be clearly written and understood by the reader so that it touches the reader's hearts as it has touched mine!
The parable of the talents:
14 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 25:14-30
This is a parable showing that Jesus has invested talents in us and that we should also use that which he invested in us to also invest in others people so that we produce more of the talents which he invested in us. Yet, the wicked, lazy slave did not produce with what he was given and therefore even the talent which was invested in him was taken from him and given to the one who did invest the entrusted talents wisely.
The parable of the ten minas:
11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.' 18 The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' 24 Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.' 26 I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." ~ Luke 19:11-27
Likewise, this is also a parable of wise investment with a warning. In this one, the faithful slaves produced more minas with the wise investment of the minas which the nobleman invested in them. Yet again, the worthless slave did not even try to invest the minas he had been given, but instead, just held onto it and did not try and invest it in other people so that it might bring increase for the nobleman's cause.
Jesus Christ is the true vine:
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ~ John:15:1-6
Jesus Christ tells us that he is the true vine of Israel. He is the one through whom the promise of the seed of Abraham is fulfilled in and as such, that seed has become a mighty vine that will produce fruit and be pruned of all the branches that do not produce fruit so that the vine can be a healthy and vibrant vine in which all the branches produce the fruit of the Kingdom of God.
But what is the currency which Jesus has invested in us? Is it truly a talent or a minas? I have come to believe that the currency which Jesus is speaking of is grace and forgiveness. He has forgiven us graciously for our sins, which we did not earn in any way. But have we invested that grace in others in order to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God which is his earnest desire for us. Now we know that it is the Holy Spirit that does the harvesting. But that should never stop us from working the fields from which the Holy Spirit will harvest the fruit of the kingdom. We should all diligently work the fields and the crops so that the Father will see that we, through the help of the Holy Spirit, will be producers of the fruit which Jesus called us to increase.
But take a closer look at the end of each of these three passages. In each one a severe warning exists for the readers if they only understand clearly what is being said.
In the parable of the talents, the worthless slave was thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is clearly a reference to Gehenna, the lake of fire, where the second death will occur: the death of the soul.
In the parable of the ten minas, they were brought before the nobleman and slain because they did not want him to reign over them. This is also a picture of being judged and executed for their defiance against their rightful lord.
In the passage where Jesus states that he is the true vine, the fruitless branch is cast into the fire to be burned. This is like the other two and combines the two thoughts into one. The fire it is speaking of here is also Gehenna, the lake of fire, which will burn those thrown into it for they were not worth anything for not having produced any fruit.
With the currency of God being the grace He has given to us (our salvation), ask yourself this question: will you be cast into the outer darkness for not producing more of that which was invested within you?
Please understand that I am not talking about Calvinism versus Arminianism. Anyone who knows me knows that I am strong in my statement that one's salvation cannot, by any effort of man, be lost or removed from the one in whom the salvation was given. But I am not talking about man here, but instead I am talking about God, the Father.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." ~ John 10:27-30
Jesus clearly states here that no man is able to snatch out of the Father's hand what has been placed within it. But it also states that his sheep know his voice!
Do you know his voice? Are you one of his sheep? Have you been placed in his hand?
What I am trying to make clear is that, for everyone who has asked forgiveness from God for their sin can only find that forgiveness in Jesus Christ. But have you hoarded that forgiveness and not sought to share what gift of grace you have been given with other people so that they might also receive grace from Jesus and also be forgiven of their sins and join us in Heaven so that they will not be cast into Gehenna?
Are you doing what God has called every one of us to do and striven to produce the fruit of the kingdom?
Or will that which has been given to you be taken away from you because you were found worthless in His eyes?
No man can undo what God has done. But God the Father is the ultimate judge and the ultimate decision on whether or not you have been faithful rests. He will ask His son, Jesus, if he truly knows and is known by the sinner who stands before Him. Do you know how Jesus will answer that question to the Father about you?
May God bless each one of you who reads this with fruit as you labor in His vineyard!
07 May 2014
The Treasure Of Grace!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Did you know that the treasure which Jesus spoke of is not money or jewels or priceless art or anything material at all? The treasure Jesus spoke of is the grace he gives to us. Do we strive to increase that grace by applying it to everyone we meet; or do we simply hold onto it for ourselves and do not seek to increase the grace given so that we can return to Jesus more than he has given to us because of our wise investment of other people whom we invest the grace given to us in?
May God bless you all with grace today through His son, Jesus Christ! Go forth and invest it wisely!
Did you know that the treasure which Jesus spoke of is not money or jewels or priceless art or anything material at all? The treasure Jesus spoke of is the grace he gives to us. Do we strive to increase that grace by applying it to everyone we meet; or do we simply hold onto it for ourselves and do not seek to increase the grace given so that we can return to Jesus more than he has given to us because of our wise investment of other people whom we invest the grace given to us in?
May God bless you all with grace today through His son, Jesus Christ! Go forth and invest it wisely!
22 April 2014
The Right And Proper Response To Pain And Persecutions!
Hello Guys and Gals,
I am writing today about how one should act when under persecution and malicious treatment. The world has ceased to be courteous to each other. Morality is going out the window with anything else that leads to a civilized society. Our current administration is pushing to institute Islamic Socialism. If you are not aware of what that is, let me explain. Islamic Socialism is when people of the Islamic faith move to a country to escape the Islamic extremism of the country they move away from. But when they come to a country where the people have the liberty to worship how they choose in the freedom that many died to obtain for that country, they have a change of heart. They do not like our brand of freedom, so they seek to change our country into something that is Islamic, yet not so extreme as the country they fled from.
The problem with this is that most countries with liberty have a conservative (morally responsible) side and a liberal (paganistic and hedonistic lifestyle) side. So what the Islamic people who move to those countries do is team up with the liberal people of that country to bring about change that the liberals have wanted for so long.
Why would they team up with liberals to move their agenda forward? Because liberals never do their homework. They do not seek after or adhere to such good morals as truth, respect, courtesy, and accountability. So these people who have fled from tyranny in their old country, work toward changing the new country so that they can rise in power in the new land. They team up with liberals because they are more likely to believe the false rhetoric that they will be speaking in their attempt to overthrow the new country.
But what makes a person go liberal or become an extremist like most of those in the Islamic faith? Typically, in the research I have done, these people, in both those camps, have been tragically hurt in some way by someone they have trusted and they either no longer care about such things as morality and accountability as the liberals of any given country do, or they go so far in opposing that behavior that contributed to what allowed the hurt to be done to them that they become extremists.
Now everyone has been treated badly in their past, and everyone has also had wonderful times as well. But how we choose to deal with our pain is what makes the world either a better place or a worse place.
Take the typical homosexual person. In nearly every single case, if not every single case, the homosexual person has chosen their lifestyle because of some hurt a person of the opposite sex has done to them that left a grievous wound in their heart. These people have a wound of such great pain within them that they want nothing more to do with a member of the opposite sex and seek to attack in some form of revenge every one of the opposite sex.
Also take the extremist of any philosophy. Again the same behavior comes from a grievous wound. Athiests are so adamant in their statements against God that it is obvious that the hurt they bear was caused by someone who was supposed to be an upstanding person of the Christian faith held in somewhat esteem by those leaders of the church where the person was attending at the time of the affliction of the wound to their heart, that grievous hurt that they do not ever want to be reminded of.
But using the pain you have from your past to attack people or religions or anything else is simply wrong. Ask anyone who has extreme pain why they are so filled with joy or happiness or are always trying to make other people feel better in their struggle with their own problems. I bet you will get this answer every time: I simply do not want others to have to deal with the pain that I now experience because of (insert any cause here)!
Right now I have a kidney stone giving me fits. As painful as a stone is, it is but a dull ache compared to the rest of my body. I get up every morning and the first thing I have to do is overcome the pain it will take to toss back the covers and turn on the light. Then I have the lovely torture of walking on two feet that would cause anyone else to scream in agony. After a hot shower to ease the muscles in my neck a little bit, I am able to pop my neck about 10-20 times because of how distorted it gets with just my muscles tensing up during the short time I am asleep. I do this every single morning and choose to get out and exercise, work around the house, and have something of a real life despite the constant pain. So I have pain, a lot of pain, pain that far exceeds anything anyone else is suffering from with few exceptions. And while many people do have pain in one particular spot or another, and while some do have this pain so frequently as to be considered chronic pain, I doubt anyone has the pain that I have with very few exceptions. You few know who you are!
It has been said of me that I am arrogant in how I speak about my pain or my walk with Christ. Now before anyone thinks I am calling any particular person out, know right now that I am not because I have gotten that same message from far too many people to call out any single person whom I have in my life!
So I have been questioning the specialists who help me understand and deal with the pain that I have about whether I am arrogant. They tell me that I am so far removed from the common equation of how people deal with pain that I am a category to myself and that if anyone doubts what I say about my pain, repeating what the doctors have told me, then for me to give out their phone numbers and have them call and they would bear witness that the pain I am in is literally the most pain any human being can be in. They also tell me that I should be writing a book specifically about my battle with this pain and how I have overcome it with the help of Jesus Christ. They tell me that I should be shouting my victory from the rooftops and making it a bold statement with my every action because I am a living testament to what can be overcome with the worst pain any human can have! Praise be to God above for gracing me with this pain so that I may also be graced with His strength and mercy to overcome this pain to give all the glory of overcoming this pain to Jesus Christ who paid the price for my sin!
I have neck pain that is withing 1/4-1/2 inch away from my spinal cord on both sides, bone on bone grating with every movement I make. Each movement aggravates the greater occipital nerves that run along side the spinal cord in the neck area. Because of the proximity of these nerves to the bone on bone grating in the two joints at the base of my skull, I have had an intense migraine headache that has not lessened in over 4 years now; I also have neck, shoulder, back, and chest muscles that are constantly tightening to the point where I have to perform my wiggle dance, as Jim Patty likes to call it, just to keep the muscles limber enough that I am able to keep moving them; also the pain travels through my central nervous system to produce severe aching and throbbing pain in every single joint in my body. Do you still think yours compares? On top of that, I have diabetic neuropathy in both my feet and both my hands to the point where any pain there is magnified about 10 times what a normal person without neuropathy would feel.
Does yours still compare? Added to even that is the fact that I have a rare kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy which, if I am very careful with my diet, will produce kidney stones which I have to pass on the minimum of every 6 months or so.
Do you still think yours compares with mine? Let's dig a tad bit further shall we? I also have a broken finger on my left hand that I ignore mostly because the pain of moving it is so minute that I still have full use of the finger. I also have a hyper extended tendon in my right elbow that flares intense shooting pain through my elbow and arm with every movement it makes.
When I was first diagnosed with this problem, I was told that of all the places I could have bone on bone grating, the place I have it is absolutely the worst possible place. I was informed that I had only a 5% chance to live past 6 months with pain like this. I was informed that of those 5% of people who do make it past 6 months, 99% of them die from their constant battle with the pain in the next 3 years. Have you ever been given odds of such a minute scale to live through and over come? I am literally 1% of 5% of the people who have survived having this same neck problem which I have. And I am pretty sure that the others do not have all my other problems that add into my pain.
Now please be aware that I am not bragging here. I am simply stating facts about my health and what I live with on a daily basis. The only way I get through even a single hour of any given day, is by the grace and strength Jesus fills me with so that the pain does not overwhelm me. Jesus Christ is the sole reason for my ability to deal with this pain which is at the highest pain level in every part of my body at all times. My pain is sometimes so very great that parts of my body literally go numb and the muscles vibrate with the intense pain that exists there.
I am called to boast in my ability to overcome my pain though. I am called to boast about it by God. I am called to boast about it because, through my boasting, I am encouraging others who have pain or will have pain, that there is a way to overcome that pain.
Still, no matter what caused my pain in my body, or even the pain in the wounds of my life that others have inflicted upon me, I am always willing to reconcile with those who have brought me harm. I am always willing, at a moments notice, to do whatever I can to help others in their distresses. I do not have much. I probably have much less than the majority of people I help. Yet, if it is help that you need, I encourage you to freely reach out to me and I will pray for you, encourage you, and stand between you and those that desire to maliciously use you to keep you safe.
I literally hate my life! I hate it because I am the one responsible for my mistakes and sins through the course of my life and I know that I did most everything wrong. But there is one thing I did get right: I sought after my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ with all my heart, and soul, and mind; but only because He sought after me with all His heart, and His soul, and His mind! I can claim Him as Lord only because He claimed me as His servant before He even taught me how to serve properly, my fellow man!
I encourage you today, that no matter what pain you have, whether it be physical, mental, heart, betrayal, or whatever else pain you have, to not react with hate or envy or spite because of it. I encourage you to instead, act with love to others because of it. Now you will fail at this many, many times. I also encourage you to seek after my Lord and Savior, in the same manner I have sought after Him, so that you may also call upon His grace and strength to help you to overcome your pain as well.
I leave you tonight with a passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12:
1 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows.
3 I know that this man — whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know, God knows —
4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak.
5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.
6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,
7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.
8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.
9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
So I will boast of my pain, for it is my weakness, and through it, Jesus saw fit to give me His grace and strength, so that I could be made strong in my pain for His glory!
May God bless you all with the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ, and may you all be granted the strength to believe Jesus Christ over Satan in your walk with Him!
I am writing today about how one should act when under persecution and malicious treatment. The world has ceased to be courteous to each other. Morality is going out the window with anything else that leads to a civilized society. Our current administration is pushing to institute Islamic Socialism. If you are not aware of what that is, let me explain. Islamic Socialism is when people of the Islamic faith move to a country to escape the Islamic extremism of the country they move away from. But when they come to a country where the people have the liberty to worship how they choose in the freedom that many died to obtain for that country, they have a change of heart. They do not like our brand of freedom, so they seek to change our country into something that is Islamic, yet not so extreme as the country they fled from.
The problem with this is that most countries with liberty have a conservative (morally responsible) side and a liberal (paganistic and hedonistic lifestyle) side. So what the Islamic people who move to those countries do is team up with the liberal people of that country to bring about change that the liberals have wanted for so long.
Why would they team up with liberals to move their agenda forward? Because liberals never do their homework. They do not seek after or adhere to such good morals as truth, respect, courtesy, and accountability. So these people who have fled from tyranny in their old country, work toward changing the new country so that they can rise in power in the new land. They team up with liberals because they are more likely to believe the false rhetoric that they will be speaking in their attempt to overthrow the new country.
But what makes a person go liberal or become an extremist like most of those in the Islamic faith? Typically, in the research I have done, these people, in both those camps, have been tragically hurt in some way by someone they have trusted and they either no longer care about such things as morality and accountability as the liberals of any given country do, or they go so far in opposing that behavior that contributed to what allowed the hurt to be done to them that they become extremists.
Now everyone has been treated badly in their past, and everyone has also had wonderful times as well. But how we choose to deal with our pain is what makes the world either a better place or a worse place.
Take the typical homosexual person. In nearly every single case, if not every single case, the homosexual person has chosen their lifestyle because of some hurt a person of the opposite sex has done to them that left a grievous wound in their heart. These people have a wound of such great pain within them that they want nothing more to do with a member of the opposite sex and seek to attack in some form of revenge every one of the opposite sex.
Also take the extremist of any philosophy. Again the same behavior comes from a grievous wound. Athiests are so adamant in their statements against God that it is obvious that the hurt they bear was caused by someone who was supposed to be an upstanding person of the Christian faith held in somewhat esteem by those leaders of the church where the person was attending at the time of the affliction of the wound to their heart, that grievous hurt that they do not ever want to be reminded of.
But using the pain you have from your past to attack people or religions or anything else is simply wrong. Ask anyone who has extreme pain why they are so filled with joy or happiness or are always trying to make other people feel better in their struggle with their own problems. I bet you will get this answer every time: I simply do not want others to have to deal with the pain that I now experience because of (insert any cause here)!
Right now I have a kidney stone giving me fits. As painful as a stone is, it is but a dull ache compared to the rest of my body. I get up every morning and the first thing I have to do is overcome the pain it will take to toss back the covers and turn on the light. Then I have the lovely torture of walking on two feet that would cause anyone else to scream in agony. After a hot shower to ease the muscles in my neck a little bit, I am able to pop my neck about 10-20 times because of how distorted it gets with just my muscles tensing up during the short time I am asleep. I do this every single morning and choose to get out and exercise, work around the house, and have something of a real life despite the constant pain. So I have pain, a lot of pain, pain that far exceeds anything anyone else is suffering from with few exceptions. And while many people do have pain in one particular spot or another, and while some do have this pain so frequently as to be considered chronic pain, I doubt anyone has the pain that I have with very few exceptions. You few know who you are!
It has been said of me that I am arrogant in how I speak about my pain or my walk with Christ. Now before anyone thinks I am calling any particular person out, know right now that I am not because I have gotten that same message from far too many people to call out any single person whom I have in my life!
So I have been questioning the specialists who help me understand and deal with the pain that I have about whether I am arrogant. They tell me that I am so far removed from the common equation of how people deal with pain that I am a category to myself and that if anyone doubts what I say about my pain, repeating what the doctors have told me, then for me to give out their phone numbers and have them call and they would bear witness that the pain I am in is literally the most pain any human being can be in. They also tell me that I should be writing a book specifically about my battle with this pain and how I have overcome it with the help of Jesus Christ. They tell me that I should be shouting my victory from the rooftops and making it a bold statement with my every action because I am a living testament to what can be overcome with the worst pain any human can have! Praise be to God above for gracing me with this pain so that I may also be graced with His strength and mercy to overcome this pain to give all the glory of overcoming this pain to Jesus Christ who paid the price for my sin!
I have neck pain that is withing 1/4-1/2 inch away from my spinal cord on both sides, bone on bone grating with every movement I make. Each movement aggravates the greater occipital nerves that run along side the spinal cord in the neck area. Because of the proximity of these nerves to the bone on bone grating in the two joints at the base of my skull, I have had an intense migraine headache that has not lessened in over 4 years now; I also have neck, shoulder, back, and chest muscles that are constantly tightening to the point where I have to perform my wiggle dance, as Jim Patty likes to call it, just to keep the muscles limber enough that I am able to keep moving them; also the pain travels through my central nervous system to produce severe aching and throbbing pain in every single joint in my body. Do you still think yours compares? On top of that, I have diabetic neuropathy in both my feet and both my hands to the point where any pain there is magnified about 10 times what a normal person without neuropathy would feel.
Does yours still compare? Added to even that is the fact that I have a rare kidney disease called IgA Nephropathy which, if I am very careful with my diet, will produce kidney stones which I have to pass on the minimum of every 6 months or so.
Do you still think yours compares with mine? Let's dig a tad bit further shall we? I also have a broken finger on my left hand that I ignore mostly because the pain of moving it is so minute that I still have full use of the finger. I also have a hyper extended tendon in my right elbow that flares intense shooting pain through my elbow and arm with every movement it makes.
When I was first diagnosed with this problem, I was told that of all the places I could have bone on bone grating, the place I have it is absolutely the worst possible place. I was informed that I had only a 5% chance to live past 6 months with pain like this. I was informed that of those 5% of people who do make it past 6 months, 99% of them die from their constant battle with the pain in the next 3 years. Have you ever been given odds of such a minute scale to live through and over come? I am literally 1% of 5% of the people who have survived having this same neck problem which I have. And I am pretty sure that the others do not have all my other problems that add into my pain.
Now please be aware that I am not bragging here. I am simply stating facts about my health and what I live with on a daily basis. The only way I get through even a single hour of any given day, is by the grace and strength Jesus fills me with so that the pain does not overwhelm me. Jesus Christ is the sole reason for my ability to deal with this pain which is at the highest pain level in every part of my body at all times. My pain is sometimes so very great that parts of my body literally go numb and the muscles vibrate with the intense pain that exists there.
I am called to boast in my ability to overcome my pain though. I am called to boast about it by God. I am called to boast about it because, through my boasting, I am encouraging others who have pain or will have pain, that there is a way to overcome that pain.
Still, no matter what caused my pain in my body, or even the pain in the wounds of my life that others have inflicted upon me, I am always willing to reconcile with those who have brought me harm. I am always willing, at a moments notice, to do whatever I can to help others in their distresses. I do not have much. I probably have much less than the majority of people I help. Yet, if it is help that you need, I encourage you to freely reach out to me and I will pray for you, encourage you, and stand between you and those that desire to maliciously use you to keep you safe.
I literally hate my life! I hate it because I am the one responsible for my mistakes and sins through the course of my life and I know that I did most everything wrong. But there is one thing I did get right: I sought after my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ with all my heart, and soul, and mind; but only because He sought after me with all His heart, and His soul, and His mind! I can claim Him as Lord only because He claimed me as His servant before He even taught me how to serve properly, my fellow man!
I encourage you today, that no matter what pain you have, whether it be physical, mental, heart, betrayal, or whatever else pain you have, to not react with hate or envy or spite because of it. I encourage you to instead, act with love to others because of it. Now you will fail at this many, many times. I also encourage you to seek after my Lord and Savior, in the same manner I have sought after Him, so that you may also call upon His grace and strength to help you to overcome your pain as well.
I leave you tonight with a passage of scripture from 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12:
1 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows.
3 I know that this man — whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know, God knows —
4 was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak.
5 I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.
6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me,
7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself.
8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me.
9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
So I will boast of my pain, for it is my weakness, and through it, Jesus saw fit to give me His grace and strength, so that I could be made strong in my pain for His glory!
May God bless you all with the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ, and may you all be granted the strength to believe Jesus Christ over Satan in your walk with Him!
10 April 2014
What I have been shown!
Hello Guys and Gals,
I am looking at things and I have seen some things, and there are things I have yet to see.
I see a nation reveling in their sin and God is overdue in punishing that sin.
I see men acting like women and women leading their families like men should be. I see women pushing men to be softer and then get upset when they are no longer chivalrous. I see children being cast away so that someone's life, be it man or woman, is not interrupted by a 'burden' that would stop them from achieving their own glory.
I see a man on the throne of America weakening the Armed Forces of America, yet strengthening the Armed Forces of other nations. I see this same man telling America that we should give up our rights to bear arms while arming the people of other nations. I see a public attack on our children in some way every time this man on the throne of America wants to push these issues. I see that man succeeding in his attempt to devalue American Values and Strength!
I see America invaded by the United Nations. I see the great bear spearheading that invasion... to bring peace back to America and also bring America into line with the rest of the world as if America were some willful child.
I see true Americans not afraid to go armed in public anymore. I see men walking around with guns on their hips and yes, swords also. I see manliness returning to those who are not afraid of being men.
I see war coming to America as the main battlefields of the world until it also comes to Israel, as if Israel hasn't been fighting a war for thousands of years already. I see America laid waste and fallen before Israel is accosted by all the hosts of the world.
I also see the Christian Church purified through the fire of God of all those who would pervert the Word of God to meet the Political Correctness perverting our society across the whole world. I see valiant men and women protecting those in need of protection in secret places that are hidden from the war machine that will soon come! I see these hidden places in the mountains and forests all across the world as Christians are persecuted because they will not bend the knee to the Anti-Christ or the Beast that bears witness of the Anti-Christ. I see those who do support a more open government slaughtered by the Islamic radicals who wrestle power from those duly elected for this world government. I see the world government becoming an Islamic Tyranny with a council of kings ruling at it's head.
The good news is that I also see Jesus Christ coming in power to rightfully judge those who willfully still persist in their denial of Him as rightful Lord of all Creation! I see every knee that ever lived, every knee that lives now, and every knee that ever will live; bending their knees and bowing low, acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord, and King, and God!
I also see many whom I truly love grieve the Holy Spirit and become lost because they did not repent when the Word of God came into their lives! I am also grieved by this, but not as much as the Lord God Almighty is grieved. But my God is a just God, righteous and true; and because He is just and righteous and true, He must rightly and with great power, judge those who did not repent and condemn their souls to eternal damnation in Gehenna, the Lake of Fire, where He will withdraw His presence from completely as the final punishment for those cast into it and they will never behold the face of God!
All these things I have seen, and am seeing! I wonder what He will show me next! I give this testimony of my witness, bearing true faith to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who commands it of me, for His sake and His glory!
May God bless you all this day with understanding needed to see what is coming!
I am looking at things and I have seen some things, and there are things I have yet to see.
I see a nation reveling in their sin and God is overdue in punishing that sin.
I see men acting like women and women leading their families like men should be. I see women pushing men to be softer and then get upset when they are no longer chivalrous. I see children being cast away so that someone's life, be it man or woman, is not interrupted by a 'burden' that would stop them from achieving their own glory.
I see a man on the throne of America weakening the Armed Forces of America, yet strengthening the Armed Forces of other nations. I see this same man telling America that we should give up our rights to bear arms while arming the people of other nations. I see a public attack on our children in some way every time this man on the throne of America wants to push these issues. I see that man succeeding in his attempt to devalue American Values and Strength!
I see America invaded by the United Nations. I see the great bear spearheading that invasion... to bring peace back to America and also bring America into line with the rest of the world as if America were some willful child.
I see true Americans not afraid to go armed in public anymore. I see men walking around with guns on their hips and yes, swords also. I see manliness returning to those who are not afraid of being men.
I see war coming to America as the main battlefields of the world until it also comes to Israel, as if Israel hasn't been fighting a war for thousands of years already. I see America laid waste and fallen before Israel is accosted by all the hosts of the world.
I also see the Christian Church purified through the fire of God of all those who would pervert the Word of God to meet the Political Correctness perverting our society across the whole world. I see valiant men and women protecting those in need of protection in secret places that are hidden from the war machine that will soon come! I see these hidden places in the mountains and forests all across the world as Christians are persecuted because they will not bend the knee to the Anti-Christ or the Beast that bears witness of the Anti-Christ. I see those who do support a more open government slaughtered by the Islamic radicals who wrestle power from those duly elected for this world government. I see the world government becoming an Islamic Tyranny with a council of kings ruling at it's head.
The good news is that I also see Jesus Christ coming in power to rightfully judge those who willfully still persist in their denial of Him as rightful Lord of all Creation! I see every knee that ever lived, every knee that lives now, and every knee that ever will live; bending their knees and bowing low, acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord, and King, and God!
I also see many whom I truly love grieve the Holy Spirit and become lost because they did not repent when the Word of God came into their lives! I am also grieved by this, but not as much as the Lord God Almighty is grieved. But my God is a just God, righteous and true; and because He is just and righteous and true, He must rightly and with great power, judge those who did not repent and condemn their souls to eternal damnation in Gehenna, the Lake of Fire, where He will withdraw His presence from completely as the final punishment for those cast into it and they will never behold the face of God!
All these things I have seen, and am seeing! I wonder what He will show me next! I give this testimony of my witness, bearing true faith to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who commands it of me, for His sake and His glory!
May God bless you all this day with understanding needed to see what is coming!
28 March 2014
The Cherubim And A Flaming Sword!
Hello Guys and Gals!
When Adam sinned, he fell from innocence and became a sinner, through which all of mankind inherited this sinful state. As a result of his sin, God drove him out of the Garden of Eden.
24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. ~ Genesis 3:24 (ESV)
Did you take notice of the cherubim and the flaming sword that guarded the way to the tree of life?
Most hold the view that being driven out of the Garden of Eden was a punishment. Well, it was... and it wasn't! You see, God is so holy that none can come into His presence who have sin in their life. The driving out of the Garden of Eden was about man having to live with the consequences of his sin and protecting him from the destruction that would happen to him if he tried to enter the presence of God in his sinful state. God was protecting Adam and Eve from destruction of themselves so that they would not be destroyed by entering into the holiness of God in their sinful state.
Yet so many believe that man was punished for his sin in the driving him out of the Garden of Eden. This is a lie from Satan. You see, the primary punishment for sin is the second death, burning in eternal hellfire, also known as Gehenna! That is the punishment for sin that God has ordained. All other things that happen because of sin are consequences. Now those who receive punishment for sin from other men are receiving manly punishment, or punishment from those in authority over other men; yet the punishment from God is Gehenna! Anything that happens because of your sin are consequences of sin in the view of God.
God has always wanted us to not have to live under the consequences of sin. This is why God has sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the consequences of His wrath for the sins of man.
Jesus Christ is God's answer to the problem of sin and how He chose to redeem the sinful man unto Himself; how He chose to bring man back into a loving relationship with Himself! Without Jesus Christ, it is impossible to enter into His presence and attain salvation. In society today, there is going about this belief that there are many ways to Heaven and you can enter Heaven through many different ways of worship. This is one of the biggest lies Satan ever told. If you believe that there is any other way to Heaven other than Jesus Christ, then you have believed the lies that Satan has whispered into your ears!
That's right, I said Satan has been whispering into your ears!
For if you do not believe the whole of the Word of God, the manifestation of Jesus Christ in text, then you have believed Satan over God!
How do you return to a right relationship with God? It's so simple: you believe in the Word of God in flesh, Jesus Christ!
That's it! That's all it takes! You believe in Him!
But saying you believe is not enough. You must believe within your heart, the very core of your being; and walk in that belief so that just you walking by someone else can look upon you and see that Jesus Christ is in you!
Do you believe in Jesus Christ in such a way that others see Him inside you as you walk by?
May God the Father love you so much that He sends His Son, Jesus Christ, to you so that you may be filled with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and you may know His peace!
God bless you all this day!
When Adam sinned, he fell from innocence and became a sinner, through which all of mankind inherited this sinful state. As a result of his sin, God drove him out of the Garden of Eden.
24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. ~ Genesis 3:24 (ESV)
Did you take notice of the cherubim and the flaming sword that guarded the way to the tree of life?
Most hold the view that being driven out of the Garden of Eden was a punishment. Well, it was... and it wasn't! You see, God is so holy that none can come into His presence who have sin in their life. The driving out of the Garden of Eden was about man having to live with the consequences of his sin and protecting him from the destruction that would happen to him if he tried to enter the presence of God in his sinful state. God was protecting Adam and Eve from destruction of themselves so that they would not be destroyed by entering into the holiness of God in their sinful state.
Yet so many believe that man was punished for his sin in the driving him out of the Garden of Eden. This is a lie from Satan. You see, the primary punishment for sin is the second death, burning in eternal hellfire, also known as Gehenna! That is the punishment for sin that God has ordained. All other things that happen because of sin are consequences. Now those who receive punishment for sin from other men are receiving manly punishment, or punishment from those in authority over other men; yet the punishment from God is Gehenna! Anything that happens because of your sin are consequences of sin in the view of God.
God has always wanted us to not have to live under the consequences of sin. This is why God has sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the consequences of His wrath for the sins of man.
Jesus Christ is God's answer to the problem of sin and how He chose to redeem the sinful man unto Himself; how He chose to bring man back into a loving relationship with Himself! Without Jesus Christ, it is impossible to enter into His presence and attain salvation. In society today, there is going about this belief that there are many ways to Heaven and you can enter Heaven through many different ways of worship. This is one of the biggest lies Satan ever told. If you believe that there is any other way to Heaven other than Jesus Christ, then you have believed the lies that Satan has whispered into your ears!
That's right, I said Satan has been whispering into your ears!
For if you do not believe the whole of the Word of God, the manifestation of Jesus Christ in text, then you have believed Satan over God!
How do you return to a right relationship with God? It's so simple: you believe in the Word of God in flesh, Jesus Christ!
That's it! That's all it takes! You believe in Him!
But saying you believe is not enough. You must believe within your heart, the very core of your being; and walk in that belief so that just you walking by someone else can look upon you and see that Jesus Christ is in you!
Do you believe in Jesus Christ in such a way that others see Him inside you as you walk by?
May God the Father love you so much that He sends His Son, Jesus Christ, to you so that you may be filled with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and you may know His peace!
God bless you all this day!
26 March 2014
Reorienting The Way We Think!
Hello Guys and Gals,
Have you ever had to change your thinking? Have you ever had to reorient your mind so that you can properly see what is right and what is wrong? Let me explain.
I am usually very good at orienting my mind to an area by figuring out the roads of a certain area with the directions from a compass. So, when I moved up to Wisconsin, I was having a hard time determining rightly the directions of East and West. For some reason I was seeing East as West, and West as East. So I finally figured out why it was that I was thinking incorrectly about these directions.
You see, I grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. As a result, I had linked the directions of East and West to the way I perceived people in that area. On the West side of the Metroplex is Fort Worth, Texas. And on the East side of the Metroplex is Dallas, Texas. In my mind, I had somehow linked my views of the people in these two cities, directly to the directions of East and West. In Fort Worth, I view the people as being the country lifestyle personalities or of the conservative mindset. In Dallas, I view the people as being the city lifestyle personalities or of the progressive/liberal mindset.
So when I moved up to Wisconsin, keeping in mind that I had lived in Minnesota previously, I was having a hard time setting the directions of East and West in my mind because of the people in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wisconsin, where I am living, is a very conservative area and the people here are wonderful and loving and they love the country living lifestyle. And in Minnesota, the total opposite is true: it is very progressive/liberal in their mindset and the people there are not really concerned with helping other people and more concerned with pursuing their own goals and life is all about them and what they can get as quickly as they can get it. This becomes very evident in just driving from Wisconsin to Minnesota and how the people driving on the highways which connect the two states, behave towards other drivers on the road.
Please understand that there are some very loving people in Minnesota and I still have a wonderful and loving relationship with many of them. Yet I am talking about the majority of people there whom I have witnessed.
So with Wisconsin being East of Minnesota, my mind was having a hard time grasping that to the West was the progressive/liberal people and to the East was the conservative people. My mind could not get the directions right and when I finally figured out the problem, I was able to overcome my inability to perceive the directions of East and West within my mind to better able to navigate this area of Wisconsin.
I know many of you are getting a good chuckle out of this! =)
However, did you know that we all have the same problem in our thinking about God? Do you realize that, because of how we grew up, and how we lived in sin (all of us), we have a big problem in how we think to such a degree that we cannot rightly discern what it is that God is saying to us through His Word!
Everywhere in society today is this thought, that there is no absolute truth! Well the first thing I would ask someone that says that to me would be, 'Is that statement true?'! Yet that thought still invades our mind. Add to that the fact that we naturally perceive everyone as being not completely truthful about anything. We have this thought in our minds whenever we have any dealings with someone whom we are not familiar with. Why? Because we guard against them cheating us through deception in some way. Why do we guard against it? Because we, in our thinking, naturally are aware that this unfamiliar person may try to cheat us through deception or some other form of guile!
I have good news though: not everyone has deception built into them. There is one who has truth and no deceit in all that He is: Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ never told a lie. Jesus Christ never deceived anyone! Jesus Christ never had false dealings with anyone! Jesus Christ will always tell you the truth! Jesus Christ will never deceive you! Jesus Christ will never deal falsely with you!
In coming to the full understanding of Jesus Christ, I had to reorient my thinking in regards to Him and His Word. As a result, much of the stuff I write about is not understood for the truth it is. The source of this misunderstanding comes from Satan and the lies he has flooded the world with the idea that truth can be different to different people. There is one truth that stands true no matter who is perceiving it, that is the truth that comes from Jesus who is the source of all truth that exists in all creation.
Society has taken Satan's lie as their personal truth and as such, when they hear the Word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they feel justified in their claim that the Word of God, either all of it, or one specific area of it, is not true for them! Society has to reorient it's thinking in order to fully understand that they are sinners and under the just penalty of the law for their sin, which is death! Until our society comes to that understanding, they cannot truly come to Jesus Christ and repent of their sins so that they can receive the loving grace and forgiveness that only Jesus Christ can offer!
In John 14:6 Jesus declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." ~ HCSB
Jesus is the only way to salvation and Jesus is also the only way to truth for He is the very source of all truth! The Word of God in text is nothing more than words describing the Word of God in flesh: Jesus Christ! The whole of the bible, the Word of God, is doing nothing more than pointing those who read it towards Jesus Christ as the only answer for returning to a right relationship with God, the Father! The idea that the Word of God is not relevant today, like it was 2,000 years ago, is simply another lie of Satan who is using all his power to keep you in bondage to him!
Are you going to stay a slave to Satan by refuting the Word of God?
Or are you going to willingly bend your knee to the rightful Lord of all Creation, Jesus Christ, and find true liberty and freedom from the guilt and shame that Satan lords over you?
I am praying for you all, whether you are currently saved, or have yet to be saved, or even if you refuse Jesus Christ completely; still I will pray for you!
May the love and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all today!
Have you ever had to change your thinking? Have you ever had to reorient your mind so that you can properly see what is right and what is wrong? Let me explain.
I am usually very good at orienting my mind to an area by figuring out the roads of a certain area with the directions from a compass. So, when I moved up to Wisconsin, I was having a hard time determining rightly the directions of East and West. For some reason I was seeing East as West, and West as East. So I finally figured out why it was that I was thinking incorrectly about these directions.
You see, I grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. As a result, I had linked the directions of East and West to the way I perceived people in that area. On the West side of the Metroplex is Fort Worth, Texas. And on the East side of the Metroplex is Dallas, Texas. In my mind, I had somehow linked my views of the people in these two cities, directly to the directions of East and West. In Fort Worth, I view the people as being the country lifestyle personalities or of the conservative mindset. In Dallas, I view the people as being the city lifestyle personalities or of the progressive/liberal mindset.
So when I moved up to Wisconsin, keeping in mind that I had lived in Minnesota previously, I was having a hard time setting the directions of East and West in my mind because of the people in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Wisconsin, where I am living, is a very conservative area and the people here are wonderful and loving and they love the country living lifestyle. And in Minnesota, the total opposite is true: it is very progressive/liberal in their mindset and the people there are not really concerned with helping other people and more concerned with pursuing their own goals and life is all about them and what they can get as quickly as they can get it. This becomes very evident in just driving from Wisconsin to Minnesota and how the people driving on the highways which connect the two states, behave towards other drivers on the road.
Please understand that there are some very loving people in Minnesota and I still have a wonderful and loving relationship with many of them. Yet I am talking about the majority of people there whom I have witnessed.
So with Wisconsin being East of Minnesota, my mind was having a hard time grasping that to the West was the progressive/liberal people and to the East was the conservative people. My mind could not get the directions right and when I finally figured out the problem, I was able to overcome my inability to perceive the directions of East and West within my mind to better able to navigate this area of Wisconsin.
I know many of you are getting a good chuckle out of this! =)
However, did you know that we all have the same problem in our thinking about God? Do you realize that, because of how we grew up, and how we lived in sin (all of us), we have a big problem in how we think to such a degree that we cannot rightly discern what it is that God is saying to us through His Word!
Everywhere in society today is this thought, that there is no absolute truth! Well the first thing I would ask someone that says that to me would be, 'Is that statement true?'! Yet that thought still invades our mind. Add to that the fact that we naturally perceive everyone as being not completely truthful about anything. We have this thought in our minds whenever we have any dealings with someone whom we are not familiar with. Why? Because we guard against them cheating us through deception in some way. Why do we guard against it? Because we, in our thinking, naturally are aware that this unfamiliar person may try to cheat us through deception or some other form of guile!
I have good news though: not everyone has deception built into them. There is one who has truth and no deceit in all that He is: Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ never told a lie. Jesus Christ never deceived anyone! Jesus Christ never had false dealings with anyone! Jesus Christ will always tell you the truth! Jesus Christ will never deceive you! Jesus Christ will never deal falsely with you!
In coming to the full understanding of Jesus Christ, I had to reorient my thinking in regards to Him and His Word. As a result, much of the stuff I write about is not understood for the truth it is. The source of this misunderstanding comes from Satan and the lies he has flooded the world with the idea that truth can be different to different people. There is one truth that stands true no matter who is perceiving it, that is the truth that comes from Jesus who is the source of all truth that exists in all creation.
Society has taken Satan's lie as their personal truth and as such, when they hear the Word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they feel justified in their claim that the Word of God, either all of it, or one specific area of it, is not true for them! Society has to reorient it's thinking in order to fully understand that they are sinners and under the just penalty of the law for their sin, which is death! Until our society comes to that understanding, they cannot truly come to Jesus Christ and repent of their sins so that they can receive the loving grace and forgiveness that only Jesus Christ can offer!
In John 14:6 Jesus declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." ~ HCSB
Jesus is the only way to salvation and Jesus is also the only way to truth for He is the very source of all truth! The Word of God in text is nothing more than words describing the Word of God in flesh: Jesus Christ! The whole of the bible, the Word of God, is doing nothing more than pointing those who read it towards Jesus Christ as the only answer for returning to a right relationship with God, the Father! The idea that the Word of God is not relevant today, like it was 2,000 years ago, is simply another lie of Satan who is using all his power to keep you in bondage to him!
Are you going to stay a slave to Satan by refuting the Word of God?
Or are you going to willingly bend your knee to the rightful Lord of all Creation, Jesus Christ, and find true liberty and freedom from the guilt and shame that Satan lords over you?
I am praying for you all, whether you are currently saved, or have yet to be saved, or even if you refuse Jesus Christ completely; still I will pray for you!
May the love and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all today!
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