John 8:31-59
If you are one of those people that ascribe to the notion that Jesus was weak, I must send you to this passage of Scripture. This was recorded during the ministry time in Galilee. His brothers has just left Him to go to Judea to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was not ready to go there and stayed in Galilee a little longer. A little later, He did go up and went into the Temple and began to teach in His usual manner. The Bible states that there were many Jews that believed his message and believed on Him, but knowing their hearts, he accosted them and began to speak to their sins and called them slaves to sin. There became a loud discussion between Jesus and some of the Jews that they were free men, sons of Abraham, and were never slave to any man. This is where it gets interesting. Jesus basically calls them liars. He calls them slaves to Satan, who He states is their father, not Abraham. The reason Jesus said that is that they did not accept Him as the Messiah. There had been an allusion to this fact earlier in the 7th chapter of John, but he was not accepted for the Messiah. His own brothers did not even believe Him. Jesus didn't back down from his asertion that of who the Jews really belonged to. The truth of the Word was on His side and from that position of strength, He was able to debate with these Jewish men to prove their lack of knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. They were considered elders in their community and exacted their dominance on the people and were leading people astray, eventhough they may have been earnest in their assumptions.
A lesser man would have backed down and run away from what was certain to lead to nothing good for a man who was claiming to be the Messiah. I wonder how many of our so called strong men today would have been so bold to stand up to these men, knowing that the end of this confrontation could lead to being stoned. I tell you that takes a strong, powerful man that has no fear. Jesus challenged their authority. He challenged their right to be where they were. He exposed their lack of knowledge of the truth of the Word. And He opening showed the fraud that they perpetrated. This is not the act of a spineless human. Don't forget that Jesus was taught the trade of carpentry by his earthly father. He obviously practiced his trade prior to His start of His earthly ministry. The last time we hear about Him in Scripture was when He was approximately thirteen. The next time we see Him is at the age of thirty when he appeared in Galilee and was baptized by John the Baptist. That's seventeen years that are not accounted for in Jesus' life. It was during that time that He did the work of a carpenter with His father, Joseph and honed his relationship with His Heavenly Father and accepted the ministry He was born to complete. He also built the body that would be needed to carry out His trade. His hands no doubt were callosed and rough. His arms powerful and most likely ripped and cut. His legs were strong and muscular. This was no man to cross swords with. Its possible that he was around six feet tall, which would have made Him as much as one foot taller then most. That in itself would have made Him intimidating to stand against. No one man would have dared approach Him without the help of his buddies. (This is conjecture on my part, but I have my opinion and I'm sure you have yours)
Jesus was not weak. He was committed. He was armed with the knowledge of who He was and the authority that had been given Him by His Father. He knew the hearts of men and He knew how to deal with them. Here is where I turn this story toward my readers. Do you really know to whom you belong? Are you convinced that you have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to be more than conquerors in this life? First of all, if you have not taken the time to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are still of your father the Devil. Regardless of what the world will tell you today, there isn't any good thing in the unregenerate man. If you doubt that just watch a two year old and see how quickly he or she will lie when caught doing something that is wrong. Then move your thoughts to your so called good people co-workers who will lie, cheat, and steal to cover themselves when they are caught in some devious act. Man is inheritantly evil in nature and that nature must be changed before he will ever be ready for God to use. No man in his own strength can stand against the Satan of this world or the people who serve him. Just as Jesus could not answer the accusers in His own flesh, we are no better. Jesus moved under the power of Almighty God. He was thoroughly engulfed by the Holy Spirit and only did and said what the Spirit led Him to do and say. Jesus is our example and when we approach situations like He did, if we totally lean on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be as bold as our Lord. Truth gives you power. Truth gives you leaverage. When you stand in truth you can stand against any foe, especially when they are only armed is a lie. The men that tried to stone Jesus could not get it done. The Bible says that He hid Himself from them and just went out of the Temple. If you look at the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, you would see that there was no place for him to hide. The Holy Spirit just made Him invisible to the men and He was able to just walk away from them with without problem.
Armed with this information, I don't understand why we have problems being a witness today. We are indwelt by the power of Jesus Christ through the Comforter that He sent to us when He ascended. What more could you ask for? Could it be that you are lacking the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? I have known people who try to be a witness for the Lord and fail, because they are operating in their own limited power. They do have a small percentage of success, but if they had been empowered by God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, their witness would have been so much more successful at reaching the sinners and transforming them into people of the Kingdom of God. Earthly wisdom cannot stand against the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Read the Gospels. Read the Epistles. You will find men and women who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the then known world. Today we have the same Holy Spirit coursing in our spirit that they had, therefore we can expect the same results today that they had. So, what's holding you back?
What's holding you back is your lack of commitment. Does that sound hard to you. Well, its the truth. You will never be a success in anything that you are not committed to. Do you believe that Jesus was committed. I'll tell you He was committed. There was no turning back for Jesus. He had one plan and He expected that plan to succeed. If you want to succeed as a witness and a soul winner, then you better be committed. Committed to the Lord. Committed to the consistent study of the Word of God and hiding that Word in your heart. Committed to be bold and relying on God to produce what His Word says it will produce. When you are armed with the knowledge of the Bible, having it memorized in your spirit, there aren't any people who can prevent you from enlarging the Kingdom of God in your community, city, state, and nation. No matter where you go, God will be with you and before you to make sure that you win. Write your own life for others to follow. You can be an epitath read by others. You can stand no matter who comes against you. Oh, and by the way, you will be able to see just how insignificant Satan really is.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Do You Really Pray?
IT'S TIME TO PRAY. This has been a mantra call for Christians for a long, long time, but something that is seemingly seldom actually done. How many times have you had some good intentioned person say to you that they will pray for you and never does. How many time have you said the same thing to others. It's so easy to say those words, but it takes effort to follow through. Well, its time to pray. The state of our nation is critical. It has waffled further away from the biblical principles that it was founded upon, to the point that we can't even recognize a Godly horizon. We see violence increasing nation-wide. There are more and more teenagers being involved in pre-marital sex, even within what I call committed churches. We see an increased level of child rebellion and a courts system that wants to punish parents at the drop of a hat. The family unit has been de-valued and now the homo-sexual community wants to redefine what a marriage is. My government has gotten out of control trying to explode the spending limits and putting the tax burden on us. The truth be known, our representatives aren't even coming to our defense. I know this to be true. I have written my senators several times only to be told that what the government is doing is for my own good. To that statement I say, "bologna."
I say again, "It's time to pray." We don't need some influential Christian figure to call a national prayer assembly on the Capital steps. What we need is every Christian taking time every day to pray for our country and cry out in repentance. Repentance for our lack of biblical guidelines in our lives. Repentance for not being the godly responsible parents that we should be to teach our children the values of family and showing them what true love and respect is all about. Repentance for not teaching our children why pre-marital sex is wrong and above all a SIN. At the root of all the problems in this country today is the disappearance of the family and that family worshipping in a church that preaches the pure Word of God and live a Godly example before the community.
We have allowed the world to slip into our churches and it has eroded the teaching of Godly principles to a level of tolerance rather then separation from worldly compromise. Some may not like my next statement, but I have formulated my belief over the 30 plus years of my Christian life and years of ministry. "If you see children of Christian families that are rebellious and being involved in illicit sexual activity, running with other young people that have questionable morals and are involved in the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, the problem is with the father and mother. The family is disfunctional and has not truly taught their children what love and family is all about." The family unit is held together on four things. They are: a feeling of acceptance, a sense of self-worth, discipline, and a sense of protection. If these are lacking in the fiber of the home, the children will find it somewhere else. This is one of the reasons that gangs work so well. It is distorted, but they get that in the structure of the gang. Parents your children need to be loved and see that attitude of love in the parents in their relationship. I'm talking about open embracing and show of affection. They need to be disciplined when they are disobedient. None of the time out scenario. For goodness sake, take them to their room and span them. The buttocks have been created with plenty of padding and will not damage the child. They need to understand what behavior is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Also, in the administration of the discipline, always end the punishment with an outward sign of love. HUG YOUR CHILD AND TELL HIM THAT YOU STILL LOVE THEM YOU JUST DON'T CONDONE THE ACTIVITY.
Its time to pray. We need to pray for our elected officials. They are bombarded daily with decisions that must be made within our government process. We need to lift them up in prayer asking for God to lead them in what they decide. Pray that godly men and women will come around them to give them true godly information and not be wolves in sheep's clothing. Pray for the President of the United States. We may not like his policies, but we must keep him in prayer. The Word of God commands us to pray for those who are in authority over us. Pray that he will be open to the leading of the Lord in his decisions. Pray that God will shut the mouths of those who are only looking for self gain and would destroy the framework of the work of our founding fathers. Pray that the President would appoint godly men and women to our courts that will judge according to our Constitition and not try to change or water down our Constitution. We do not need someone who will attempt to legislate from the bench. Pray for our troops that are in harm's way overseas protecting our freedom everyday. Those men and women are there of their own free will willing to put their lives on the line to keep the evil of groups like the Taliban and other radical groups from trying to take away the freedoms that we enjoy in the U. S. Pray for your family each day. Thank God that they are serving the Lord and will be the next godly generation. Pray for our policemen that they will be covered and protected. I'm sure that you can come up with other areas that need to be covered in prayer. The important thing is that we actually pray. Don't allow yourself to flippantly say, "I'll be praying" if you don't mean it. And if you say that you will pray, by golly PRAY.
Finally pray for the restoration of the family in our society. The biblical standard of family, one man and one woman. Pray for our country to return to the biblical principles that we established at the birth of the great nation. We need them now more than ever.
I say again, "It's time to pray." We don't need some influential Christian figure to call a national prayer assembly on the Capital steps. What we need is every Christian taking time every day to pray for our country and cry out in repentance. Repentance for our lack of biblical guidelines in our lives. Repentance for not being the godly responsible parents that we should be to teach our children the values of family and showing them what true love and respect is all about. Repentance for not teaching our children why pre-marital sex is wrong and above all a SIN. At the root of all the problems in this country today is the disappearance of the family and that family worshipping in a church that preaches the pure Word of God and live a Godly example before the community.
We have allowed the world to slip into our churches and it has eroded the teaching of Godly principles to a level of tolerance rather then separation from worldly compromise. Some may not like my next statement, but I have formulated my belief over the 30 plus years of my Christian life and years of ministry. "If you see children of Christian families that are rebellious and being involved in illicit sexual activity, running with other young people that have questionable morals and are involved in the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, the problem is with the father and mother. The family is disfunctional and has not truly taught their children what love and family is all about." The family unit is held together on four things. They are: a feeling of acceptance, a sense of self-worth, discipline, and a sense of protection. If these are lacking in the fiber of the home, the children will find it somewhere else. This is one of the reasons that gangs work so well. It is distorted, but they get that in the structure of the gang. Parents your children need to be loved and see that attitude of love in the parents in their relationship. I'm talking about open embracing and show of affection. They need to be disciplined when they are disobedient. None of the time out scenario. For goodness sake, take them to their room and span them. The buttocks have been created with plenty of padding and will not damage the child. They need to understand what behavior is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Also, in the administration of the discipline, always end the punishment with an outward sign of love. HUG YOUR CHILD AND TELL HIM THAT YOU STILL LOVE THEM YOU JUST DON'T CONDONE THE ACTIVITY.
Its time to pray. We need to pray for our elected officials. They are bombarded daily with decisions that must be made within our government process. We need to lift them up in prayer asking for God to lead them in what they decide. Pray that godly men and women will come around them to give them true godly information and not be wolves in sheep's clothing. Pray for the President of the United States. We may not like his policies, but we must keep him in prayer. The Word of God commands us to pray for those who are in authority over us. Pray that he will be open to the leading of the Lord in his decisions. Pray that God will shut the mouths of those who are only looking for self gain and would destroy the framework of the work of our founding fathers. Pray that the President would appoint godly men and women to our courts that will judge according to our Constitition and not try to change or water down our Constitution. We do not need someone who will attempt to legislate from the bench. Pray for our troops that are in harm's way overseas protecting our freedom everyday. Those men and women are there of their own free will willing to put their lives on the line to keep the evil of groups like the Taliban and other radical groups from trying to take away the freedoms that we enjoy in the U. S. Pray for your family each day. Thank God that they are serving the Lord and will be the next godly generation. Pray for our policemen that they will be covered and protected. I'm sure that you can come up with other areas that need to be covered in prayer. The important thing is that we actually pray. Don't allow yourself to flippantly say, "I'll be praying" if you don't mean it. And if you say that you will pray, by golly PRAY.
Finally pray for the restoration of the family in our society. The biblical standard of family, one man and one woman. Pray for our country to return to the biblical principles that we established at the birth of the great nation. We need them now more than ever.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Do Good and Live
King Solomon is credited with the writing of Ecclesiastes. He is also acclaimed as the wisest man ever to live. We have recorded in the Book of Proverbs, 31 chapters of the wisdom that he received from Almighty God. The writings of Ecclesiastes is sometimes looked upon as very negative in its approach to life, but when you study this book, you find the great wisdom in its writing. Solomon calls himself the "Preacher" and so he is. It is his last words in this book that I want to focus on. Here are his words:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work in judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil."
As we look at the events playing out in our country and the world today, we see the signs of an ending world on the horizon. The Bible foretells of this impending doom, as it is called by many who don't understand. The end of this world is not the end. It is the beginning. It is the beginning of what God intended from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. It is eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three beings of the Godhead have longed for the communion that they had with man in the Garden to be restored again. We have seen the plan unfold over the centuries of time with the final victory coming with Jesus' defeat over death, hell, and the grave. Our salvation has been purchased and awaits for our reunion with the Father in eternal life. This is not a pipe dream. It is truth stated and proven in the Holy Scriptures. This is the most important thing we must understand and believe.
Our country has recently been launched into a new era of politics. The new President, Barack Obama, has been singled out as the problem or the cure, depending who you listen to on the the subject. There is enough blame to go around on both sides of the issues, but the issues of economy and government are not where we will find the answers. The answers are found in the Word of God and our adherence to its principles. "Here O Israel, the Lord your God is one God and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." These two commandment of the Word of God are the one that Jesus Christ told us were the most important. These are the one that we must put in the forefront of our life. The problem in the United States is that we have turned away from these two commandments as a country. Politics has forced prayer out of our schools. It has a campaign to have "In God We Trust" removed from our money. No longer can the Ten Commandments be displayed in the court houses of our land. And the norm today is to find out how you can sue your neighbor rather than to love and prefer him.
Our nation rotates around greed. The capitalist system that has made our nation the greatest in history has worked over the centuries because it was built on the liberties of every man. The profit motive was was there, but was held in check by the biblical principle of treating the other fellow just as you would like to be treated. Our constitution speaks of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but not at the expense of someone else's same liberties. Yes, today our nation moves under the banner of greed. Government is not the answer. Conservativism is not the answer. The answer is found in the Word of God and a return to moral values. The values on which our founding fathers established this country. Our people need to return to earning a wage because of a day labor, not from a government that seeks to keep the poor in slavery to the government. Welfare was never meant to be a source of income, it was meant to provide a stop gap in times of trouble beyond an individual's control. However, politicians over the last generation have found it advantageous to keep people dependent on welfare as a way of increasing their votes for re-election. That's what I said. By making it possible for people without initative to receive benefits and income from the welfare programs in this country, they build their coffers of votes. They campaign on the promise of making more funds available to these people to keep them in their poor and needy lifestyle. President Reagan, during his term in office, worked very hard to reduce the welfare rolls. He tied welfare to an individual's work habits. They had to have a job to be qualified to receive welfare. Interesting enough the people on welfare went down during his tenure. Imagine that!
Our country will always go through cyclical progressions. Its the nature of the free enterprise system. There will always be ups and downs. Economy rises and falls on the principle of supply and demand. That will always waiver. Profit will follow this principle. Government will never be able to prop up business because they don't provide demand and supply. Government intervention will never be anything but a bandaid. The sore beneath will still have to heal on its own. We the bandaid comes off, the problem will still be there until the wound is allowed to heal on its own. Businesses that don't provide a viable product or service that is needed by society will fall by the wayside. Businesses that make bad decisions and over-extend their finances in unsound products and services will soon fail. The only way they can stay in business is through government subsidies and if you look at history in this country, businesses that operate for profit never succeed when they have had to rely on government money to keep them afloat. The downside of the government funding a business is that they want to control how that business does their business and it is well documented that government doesn't know how to do that. Today, we have career politicians that have never been involved in business and know nothing of how to manage such. It is my belief that politicians today are the ultimate leeches of society. If it were up to me, I would limit the term of congressmen and congresswomen to two terms. After that they have to return to society and earn their income from a chosen profession in the marketplace. I would also put them on their own retirement plan and medical insurance that they have to raise just like everyone else, not one provided by the government that they instituted and voted into existence. By the way, where is the mindset to sacrifice in our congress. They recently voted themselves a pay increase in an economy where these same people are requiring the rest of the country to sacrifice and by the way, having to pay increase taxes. So much for my soapbox.
I adjure everyone who reads this blog to really search themselves to see if they truly are living by the golden rule and truly are involved in a committed relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you find any small percentage of doubt in your mind, drop to your knees and ask the Father to forgive you and come into your heart. Then pray that the Father will show you how to love Him and love your neighbor as yourself. Return to the study of the Bible and fellowshipping at a church that believe the Bible as its only source and works hard to care for its members in time of crises. This is the only answer. If you will do this and diligently seek the Lord in your life, then you won't have to look to some government program to bail you out. God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory and He will give you the desires of your heart. Selah!!
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work in judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil."
As we look at the events playing out in our country and the world today, we see the signs of an ending world on the horizon. The Bible foretells of this impending doom, as it is called by many who don't understand. The end of this world is not the end. It is the beginning. It is the beginning of what God intended from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. It is eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three beings of the Godhead have longed for the communion that they had with man in the Garden to be restored again. We have seen the plan unfold over the centuries of time with the final victory coming with Jesus' defeat over death, hell, and the grave. Our salvation has been purchased and awaits for our reunion with the Father in eternal life. This is not a pipe dream. It is truth stated and proven in the Holy Scriptures. This is the most important thing we must understand and believe.
Our country has recently been launched into a new era of politics. The new President, Barack Obama, has been singled out as the problem or the cure, depending who you listen to on the the subject. There is enough blame to go around on both sides of the issues, but the issues of economy and government are not where we will find the answers. The answers are found in the Word of God and our adherence to its principles. "Here O Israel, the Lord your God is one God and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." These two commandment of the Word of God are the one that Jesus Christ told us were the most important. These are the one that we must put in the forefront of our life. The problem in the United States is that we have turned away from these two commandments as a country. Politics has forced prayer out of our schools. It has a campaign to have "In God We Trust" removed from our money. No longer can the Ten Commandments be displayed in the court houses of our land. And the norm today is to find out how you can sue your neighbor rather than to love and prefer him.
Our nation rotates around greed. The capitalist system that has made our nation the greatest in history has worked over the centuries because it was built on the liberties of every man. The profit motive was was there, but was held in check by the biblical principle of treating the other fellow just as you would like to be treated. Our constitution speaks of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but not at the expense of someone else's same liberties. Yes, today our nation moves under the banner of greed. Government is not the answer. Conservativism is not the answer. The answer is found in the Word of God and a return to moral values. The values on which our founding fathers established this country. Our people need to return to earning a wage because of a day labor, not from a government that seeks to keep the poor in slavery to the government. Welfare was never meant to be a source of income, it was meant to provide a stop gap in times of trouble beyond an individual's control. However, politicians over the last generation have found it advantageous to keep people dependent on welfare as a way of increasing their votes for re-election. That's what I said. By making it possible for people without initative to receive benefits and income from the welfare programs in this country, they build their coffers of votes. They campaign on the promise of making more funds available to these people to keep them in their poor and needy lifestyle. President Reagan, during his term in office, worked very hard to reduce the welfare rolls. He tied welfare to an individual's work habits. They had to have a job to be qualified to receive welfare. Interesting enough the people on welfare went down during his tenure. Imagine that!
Our country will always go through cyclical progressions. Its the nature of the free enterprise system. There will always be ups and downs. Economy rises and falls on the principle of supply and demand. That will always waiver. Profit will follow this principle. Government will never be able to prop up business because they don't provide demand and supply. Government intervention will never be anything but a bandaid. The sore beneath will still have to heal on its own. We the bandaid comes off, the problem will still be there until the wound is allowed to heal on its own. Businesses that don't provide a viable product or service that is needed by society will fall by the wayside. Businesses that make bad decisions and over-extend their finances in unsound products and services will soon fail. The only way they can stay in business is through government subsidies and if you look at history in this country, businesses that operate for profit never succeed when they have had to rely on government money to keep them afloat. The downside of the government funding a business is that they want to control how that business does their business and it is well documented that government doesn't know how to do that. Today, we have career politicians that have never been involved in business and know nothing of how to manage such. It is my belief that politicians today are the ultimate leeches of society. If it were up to me, I would limit the term of congressmen and congresswomen to two terms. After that they have to return to society and earn their income from a chosen profession in the marketplace. I would also put them on their own retirement plan and medical insurance that they have to raise just like everyone else, not one provided by the government that they instituted and voted into existence. By the way, where is the mindset to sacrifice in our congress. They recently voted themselves a pay increase in an economy where these same people are requiring the rest of the country to sacrifice and by the way, having to pay increase taxes. So much for my soapbox.
I adjure everyone who reads this blog to really search themselves to see if they truly are living by the golden rule and truly are involved in a committed relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you find any small percentage of doubt in your mind, drop to your knees and ask the Father to forgive you and come into your heart. Then pray that the Father will show you how to love Him and love your neighbor as yourself. Return to the study of the Bible and fellowshipping at a church that believe the Bible as its only source and works hard to care for its members in time of crises. This is the only answer. If you will do this and diligently seek the Lord in your life, then you won't have to look to some government program to bail you out. God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory and He will give you the desires of your heart. Selah!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Out of Control Government
Our government is out of control. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are drunk with their new found power and they are trying to ram through every bit of legislation they can before the people of this nation see just how fraudulent they are. They have shut out all Republicans from any consultation on the Stimulus Bill that is about to be voted upon. Not only that they are trying to push this bill throughby 6:00pm tonight, Feb. 13th, before Nancy Pelossi, I hope I mispelled it, goes on an eight day trip to Europe. The arrogance of these people. President Obama promised us that no bill would be voted on until the American people had a change to read the bill, that would be made available to us on the internet for 5 days. Here is this Stimulus Bill that has 1400 pages, plus hand written notes added, that will take more than a week to read, reading 8 hours a day, that will be voted on tonight without anyone having the time to read it, let alone the American people. The President once again has lied to us.
Is this the change that people voted for? Everyone that voted for Obama should be furious. He promised you the world and you won't even see a square foot of terra firma of promise. The Democrats have become so drunk on their new found power that they can't seem to reframe themselves from putting you in debt that your great, great, great grandchildren will have to pay taxes for. Are you really so ignorant and blind that you will let your elected officials get away with this fraudulent ploy? Its time to revolt. Its time that we learned to use the tools that we have to bring a peaceful overthrow of these gold-diggers. The internet is our gun and we need to be sure that we fire as many shots as we can to bring these idiots to defeat.
Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelossi, Harry Reed, any many more are the ones that have put us in the recession and financial crisis and they send up smoke screens by pointing the finger at our financial institutions and major corporations. It was government that forced our banks and mortgage institutions to take questionable mortgage loans telling them that the government would back them, which we find out they didn't. It was the government that told us that everyone should have the opportunity to own a home when it is not an entitlement that everyone should have. To own a home, one should be able to afford it, not only the home but all the expenses that come with a home and the responsibility to maintain that investment for future resale. Now we have slums showing up all over the place, because these same people that were basically given these houses have abandoned them and left them to deteriorate and become an eyesore. Thank you, you left wing, radical Democrats that are nothing more that lemmings being told to run over the cliff by special interest groups that are set on making as many people as they can become dependent on government for everything they have. We are looking at our free enterprise system quickly being thrown away for a fascist Socialistic Society where the only people who will be free are the politicians who are in power. If that sounds familiar it should. You're looking at Communist Russia, France, and their neighboring countries. How long with it be before we see the crowning of a ruling party and a king being put in place. I thought that is why we left England and came to this land to establish a new free society where every man has life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its going away people. When are you going to wake up and make a difference by opening your mouth and complaining to your congressman. When are you going to engage and become vocal in your county, city, and state letting people know what going on?
I have opened my mouth and it will stay open until I see the return of this country to the principles that it was founded on and once again we see statesmen and stateswomen in our government houses who are part time politicians and not career moochers on our taxpayers. Join me in taking this message to the masses. Do it today, we can't wait.
Is this the change that people voted for? Everyone that voted for Obama should be furious. He promised you the world and you won't even see a square foot of terra firma of promise. The Democrats have become so drunk on their new found power that they can't seem to reframe themselves from putting you in debt that your great, great, great grandchildren will have to pay taxes for. Are you really so ignorant and blind that you will let your elected officials get away with this fraudulent ploy? Its time to revolt. Its time that we learned to use the tools that we have to bring a peaceful overthrow of these gold-diggers. The internet is our gun and we need to be sure that we fire as many shots as we can to bring these idiots to defeat.
Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelossi, Harry Reed, any many more are the ones that have put us in the recession and financial crisis and they send up smoke screens by pointing the finger at our financial institutions and major corporations. It was government that forced our banks and mortgage institutions to take questionable mortgage loans telling them that the government would back them, which we find out they didn't. It was the government that told us that everyone should have the opportunity to own a home when it is not an entitlement that everyone should have. To own a home, one should be able to afford it, not only the home but all the expenses that come with a home and the responsibility to maintain that investment for future resale. Now we have slums showing up all over the place, because these same people that were basically given these houses have abandoned them and left them to deteriorate and become an eyesore. Thank you, you left wing, radical Democrats that are nothing more that lemmings being told to run over the cliff by special interest groups that are set on making as many people as they can become dependent on government for everything they have. We are looking at our free enterprise system quickly being thrown away for a fascist Socialistic Society where the only people who will be free are the politicians who are in power. If that sounds familiar it should. You're looking at Communist Russia, France, and their neighboring countries. How long with it be before we see the crowning of a ruling party and a king being put in place. I thought that is why we left England and came to this land to establish a new free society where every man has life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its going away people. When are you going to wake up and make a difference by opening your mouth and complaining to your congressman. When are you going to engage and become vocal in your county, city, and state letting people know what going on?
I have opened my mouth and it will stay open until I see the return of this country to the principles that it was founded on and once again we see statesmen and stateswomen in our government houses who are part time politicians and not career moochers on our taxpayers. Join me in taking this message to the masses. Do it today, we can't wait.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Proverbs 14:12, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Have you ever wondered about this scripture? I have. King Solomon was and is known as the wisest man on earth. God gave Solomon tremendous wisdom to rule the nation of Israel. Obviously that wisdom carried over into life in other cultures. His fame was widespread and heads of state from other countries came to sit under the wisdom under this man. But I digress.
As I was thinking about this scripture, the picture of the story of the prodigal son came to mind. There were two brothers in that parable, the prodigal son and the elder brother. The path that the prodigal took initially is the obvious wrong path. Many commentaries and expositions dwell on the pitfalls of wasting a life on self-indulged living, squandering one's wealth and inheritance. That is an important story to hear and teaches us many good lessons. But the story of the elder son is the one that we should learn from also.
In the dialogue between the father and this elder son, we see an attitude of jealousy and greed. He was the heir of all that the father had. His only responsibility was to be faithful to the father to do his will and all was his. But he got all out of joint because the prodigal came home and was given such a great feast. He couldn't see the forest for the trees.
As Christian individuals we are influenced by two kinds of love. One kind is a love that is centered in the Father. A love that has no agenda other than to give all that he has without ever expecting anything in return. In other words a love without any hooks. The other type of love is based in self gain, giving one's love in an agenda of getting something in return. In the Greek, this word is "eros." The picture of this word as depicted in Greek writings is one of a snake eating its own tail, which will eventually cause it to consume itself.
Both of these brothers had love for their father. The younger brother probably understood that his older brother was going to inherit all that his father had and he would be subservient to him. It was the custom in Israel in biblical times that the eldest son would receive the father's blessing. The younger brothers, whereas they would have an inheritance, would be under the leadership of the oldest brother. I can see the wheels turning in the prodigal's mind. "I'll get my father to give me what I've got coming to me and I'm get out from under my older brother. There is no way I want to live the rest of my life being told by him what I can do and what I can't. I'm going to make my own way. I'll show father how it should be done. Just because he's older doesn't mean that he knows what best to do." I know that you've known men just like this. I know I have. Well, along the way to his destruction, the prodigal came to his senses and came home. That's the obvious lesson of the parable.
The elder brother was just as eaten up with eros as the prodigal was. The only difference is that he stayed home because he knew if he just hung around it would be all his. He had an agenda all of his own. He didn't serve his father out of an attitude of love, love that was the God kind of love. That love in the Greek language is "agape'." This is the love that has no hooks in it. The total purpose of those that exhibit agape' love is to give solely for the purpose of giving. There is no thought of what could be received in return for their giving. This elder brother loved his father only because of what he was going to get when the father passed away. This is the way that seemed to be the right way, but its end is death.
If we serve the Father because of what He can give us in return, there will be nothing laid up for us in heaven. We will receive reward only here on earth. However, if our intention is only to do the will of the Father without any thought of what we could receive in return, the Father tells us that no only will we receive reward in this life, but also in the life to come. The elder son, was upset because he didn't have a party thrown for him like the one the prodigal got. He couldn't see beyond his own nose. His love had all kinds of hooks attached. The interesting thing is that the prodigal came back with the understanding that even if he had to live as a servant in his father's house he was satisfied to do so. Now he had no hooks. He knew that he had already blown his inheritance and had nothing else coming. He still came back to serve.
All of us have two paths that we can follow as a Christian. We are wooed by the television evangelists that promise the hundred-fold return if we would serve their ministries by supporting them financially. They appeal to the eros nature in us the give so that we can receive. Not all public ministries are like this, unfortunately there is a percentage out there that gives the rest a bad name. I want you to understand that kind of ministry is not the pattern that we see in the Bible. The evangelist is supposed to be under the accountability of the local church and submitted to the local church when they come into a town to win souls. The men on the TV are trying to build their own ministries. They basically have established a mobile church. The bad news is that if you become a member of that church, you will not have a pastor that will come to you home when you need him to pray with you and wipe your tears away. The only thing that TV pastor wants from you is money to keep him on the air, or promote a book that he has written. He has hooks.
The path that the Father desires for us is one that will give us an eternal reward. When we can give to the kingdom without expecting any return, we are walking in the will of the Father. The Father is looking for servants. Servants have no other agenda than to please the Master. Bob Dillan had it right in his song, "You Got to Serve Somebody." We are made to serve, but the Father is looking for servants that will serve of their own free will. The father of the elder son was looking for free will service from him. What he received was a servant that had an agenda to outlast the old man to get what was coming to him.
Make it your goal to serve the Lord out of your agape' love for Him. Don't look for a return. Do your service for your reward to be laid up in heaven. That's where it will do the most good. This life in years in a mere drop in the bucket compared to eternity. Oh, by the way, when you give out of an agape' heart, you will receive reward in this life too, but please understand that what you receive in this life is not for your consumption only. God expects the blessings that He give to you to be given to those that are in need. That's why he prospers us.
Stay tuned. There will be more!
As I was thinking about this scripture, the picture of the story of the prodigal son came to mind. There were two brothers in that parable, the prodigal son and the elder brother. The path that the prodigal took initially is the obvious wrong path. Many commentaries and expositions dwell on the pitfalls of wasting a life on self-indulged living, squandering one's wealth and inheritance. That is an important story to hear and teaches us many good lessons. But the story of the elder son is the one that we should learn from also.
In the dialogue between the father and this elder son, we see an attitude of jealousy and greed. He was the heir of all that the father had. His only responsibility was to be faithful to the father to do his will and all was his. But he got all out of joint because the prodigal came home and was given such a great feast. He couldn't see the forest for the trees.
As Christian individuals we are influenced by two kinds of love. One kind is a love that is centered in the Father. A love that has no agenda other than to give all that he has without ever expecting anything in return. In other words a love without any hooks. The other type of love is based in self gain, giving one's love in an agenda of getting something in return. In the Greek, this word is "eros." The picture of this word as depicted in Greek writings is one of a snake eating its own tail, which will eventually cause it to consume itself.
Both of these brothers had love for their father. The younger brother probably understood that his older brother was going to inherit all that his father had and he would be subservient to him. It was the custom in Israel in biblical times that the eldest son would receive the father's blessing. The younger brothers, whereas they would have an inheritance, would be under the leadership of the oldest brother. I can see the wheels turning in the prodigal's mind. "I'll get my father to give me what I've got coming to me and I'm get out from under my older brother. There is no way I want to live the rest of my life being told by him what I can do and what I can't. I'm going to make my own way. I'll show father how it should be done. Just because he's older doesn't mean that he knows what best to do." I know that you've known men just like this. I know I have. Well, along the way to his destruction, the prodigal came to his senses and came home. That's the obvious lesson of the parable.
The elder brother was just as eaten up with eros as the prodigal was. The only difference is that he stayed home because he knew if he just hung around it would be all his. He had an agenda all of his own. He didn't serve his father out of an attitude of love, love that was the God kind of love. That love in the Greek language is "agape'." This is the love that has no hooks in it. The total purpose of those that exhibit agape' love is to give solely for the purpose of giving. There is no thought of what could be received in return for their giving. This elder brother loved his father only because of what he was going to get when the father passed away. This is the way that seemed to be the right way, but its end is death.
If we serve the Father because of what He can give us in return, there will be nothing laid up for us in heaven. We will receive reward only here on earth. However, if our intention is only to do the will of the Father without any thought of what we could receive in return, the Father tells us that no only will we receive reward in this life, but also in the life to come. The elder son, was upset because he didn't have a party thrown for him like the one the prodigal got. He couldn't see beyond his own nose. His love had all kinds of hooks attached. The interesting thing is that the prodigal came back with the understanding that even if he had to live as a servant in his father's house he was satisfied to do so. Now he had no hooks. He knew that he had already blown his inheritance and had nothing else coming. He still came back to serve.
All of us have two paths that we can follow as a Christian. We are wooed by the television evangelists that promise the hundred-fold return if we would serve their ministries by supporting them financially. They appeal to the eros nature in us the give so that we can receive. Not all public ministries are like this, unfortunately there is a percentage out there that gives the rest a bad name. I want you to understand that kind of ministry is not the pattern that we see in the Bible. The evangelist is supposed to be under the accountability of the local church and submitted to the local church when they come into a town to win souls. The men on the TV are trying to build their own ministries. They basically have established a mobile church. The bad news is that if you become a member of that church, you will not have a pastor that will come to you home when you need him to pray with you and wipe your tears away. The only thing that TV pastor wants from you is money to keep him on the air, or promote a book that he has written. He has hooks.
The path that the Father desires for us is one that will give us an eternal reward. When we can give to the kingdom without expecting any return, we are walking in the will of the Father. The Father is looking for servants. Servants have no other agenda than to please the Master. Bob Dillan had it right in his song, "You Got to Serve Somebody." We are made to serve, but the Father is looking for servants that will serve of their own free will. The father of the elder son was looking for free will service from him. What he received was a servant that had an agenda to outlast the old man to get what was coming to him.
Make it your goal to serve the Lord out of your agape' love for Him. Don't look for a return. Do your service for your reward to be laid up in heaven. That's where it will do the most good. This life in years in a mere drop in the bucket compared to eternity. Oh, by the way, when you give out of an agape' heart, you will receive reward in this life too, but please understand that what you receive in this life is not for your consumption only. God expects the blessings that He give to you to be given to those that are in need. That's why he prospers us.
Stay tuned. There will be more!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
No Substitute For Character
It really gets under my skin to see how people with character seem to be disappearing from our elected officials. It appears that they have sold their souls for position and power. I'm sure there are many out there that would agree that the founding fathers of this country would turn over in their graves if they could see the low level of integrity that is accepted all levels of government in America. First and foremost, this country was founded on the principles of the Word of God, the Holy Bible. They wanted this country to be a place that integrity reigned. They wanted to see this country founded on whatsoever was pure, true, trustworthy, and of a good report to mention a few. Too many today are basing their public lives on whatsoever works to serve their own desires, not to serve the people that voted them into office.
At the founding of our country, politicians laid aside their personal endeavors to handle the necessary things of a government by the people, for the people, without the view to personal gain. Once the necessary was done, they took off their political robes and returned to private life to carry on business. Those of you that have read about our history will remember that when George Washington was voted our first president, there were those that wanted to make him our king, making his election permanent for life. George, himself, nixed that idea and helped set the term of the president at a four year term with elections at the end of each term to vote for a new leader of our country. The center focus was not to be a professional politician. It was to be a temporary statesman to steer this country in the direction of our constitution and bill of rights. I wonder today if our congressmen and congresswomen even know what our constitution and bill of rights even say. They get elected, take their seat in their respective houses of government and immediately begin to campaign for their next term in office. All of their decision seem to be made around what will return them to their seats. What their constituents have voted them into office to accomplish for them has been put aside.
I think its time to limit the number of terms that a congressman get serve in our government houses at all levels. Let them serve two terms and then be required to return to private life and required to stay out of office for at least two terms. This country needs to have integrity returned to the halls of government and I believe that this would be a good start.
Christian men founded this country. They based our government from the Word of God and it needs to return to the principles of the Word of God if we ever want to return to the blessed nation it has been in the past. American is a mere shell of what she used to be because she has turned her back on the Lord, God Almighty. Let's return to prayer in public places. Let's return to Christian values in our schools. Let's return to the church taking care of the needy instead of our govenment having to set up welfare programs. Let's return to becoming self-reliant and trust-worthy. Let's return to the Lord and lean of His wisdom and word to lead us into the future. Its time people. Its time.
Stay tuned for more...........
At the founding of our country, politicians laid aside their personal endeavors to handle the necessary things of a government by the people, for the people, without the view to personal gain. Once the necessary was done, they took off their political robes and returned to private life to carry on business. Those of you that have read about our history will remember that when George Washington was voted our first president, there were those that wanted to make him our king, making his election permanent for life. George, himself, nixed that idea and helped set the term of the president at a four year term with elections at the end of each term to vote for a new leader of our country. The center focus was not to be a professional politician. It was to be a temporary statesman to steer this country in the direction of our constitution and bill of rights. I wonder today if our congressmen and congresswomen even know what our constitution and bill of rights even say. They get elected, take their seat in their respective houses of government and immediately begin to campaign for their next term in office. All of their decision seem to be made around what will return them to their seats. What their constituents have voted them into office to accomplish for them has been put aside.
I think its time to limit the number of terms that a congressman get serve in our government houses at all levels. Let them serve two terms and then be required to return to private life and required to stay out of office for at least two terms. This country needs to have integrity returned to the halls of government and I believe that this would be a good start.
Christian men founded this country. They based our government from the Word of God and it needs to return to the principles of the Word of God if we ever want to return to the blessed nation it has been in the past. American is a mere shell of what she used to be because she has turned her back on the Lord, God Almighty. Let's return to prayer in public places. Let's return to Christian values in our schools. Let's return to the church taking care of the needy instead of our govenment having to set up welfare programs. Let's return to becoming self-reliant and trust-worthy. Let's return to the Lord and lean of His wisdom and word to lead us into the future. Its time people. Its time.
Stay tuned for more...........
Monday, January 5, 2009
Competition
It's a good thing to be competitive. Competition raises our level of achievement. It pushes us to excellence. Remove competition and we all fall into mediocrity. I am amazed at the opposition I hear and read about from the more liberal Americans, especially in education circles, wanting to eliminate competitive activities in our schools. Their excuse is that some children will experience rejection and develop a poor self-image. What a ton of hogwash. Can you imagine a school with no grading system so that no one will have to endure failure. What a crock. I believe that comes from someone who never wanted to compete and probably didn't have the ambition to achieve anything.
We are challenged in the Bible to compete. The Apostle Paul said that he pressed toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. He competed. He also wrote from the approach of the athlete running a race for a prize. His point was that the runner didn't enter the race to be an also ran. He entered to win. Our Heavenly Father put the competitive element in our makeup and He expected us to win. He gave us dominion over the earth to rule and subdue it.
If you look at the world when God gave that command, there wasn't anything to rule over, except one being. Satan! The Father had banished Satan to earth as his judgment for trying to exalt himself over God's throne. When he was sent here it wasn't to be the ruler of the earth. Adam, after his creation, was told to rule over Satan and keep him subdued in his personal prison. The reason we have so much problem with Satan and his kingdom today is because Adam was not obedient to the Father and did not rule his household well. His wife, lured by the Serpent, convinced Adam that to partake of the fruit of the forbidden tree, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, against the command of God. In eating the fruit, Adam allowed Satan to surplant God as his Father and became enslaved to his own will that was ruled by a sin nature, placed there by Satan when he took authority over man.
The only way that this dominion, that was taken through deceitfulness, can be restored is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The reason that God chose this method is far beyond my comprehension. However, I don't question my God who through His knowledge, power, and presence was able to create all that we see today in the universes. He chose that method to return Satan to the place of his imprisonment. Satan held the keys to death, hell, and the grave. No one had ever been resurrected from the dead without the intervention of a prophet, according to the Bible and its comtemporary writings. When Jesus raised himself up, he took the keys from Satan and returned him to his place of prison. He also gave us back the authority over Satan and the earth that was given to us at creation.
I am well aware that there are those in our world that think that this is idiot logic, but I don't think it has anything to do with logic. The Bible, written by anointed men over the centuries, has never been proven false. Not one verse has ever been disputed so that it could be removed from its writings. Of the over 500 prophecies accounted in the Scriptures all have been fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled without error. The cities of the world that have been chronicled in the Scriptures have all been verified as existing. No other spiritual writing can make that claim and back it up with evidence. Its not logic, it is verified fact.
I challenge anyone to take the time to read the Bible and try to dispute it. You can try, but you will find not only is it true, but you will probably find that you need Jesus Christ as your Savior. Notice that I challenged you. That's a competitive word. You will have to compete to try and discredit the Word of God. I will tell you that you will loose, but in loosing there will be a great transformation. You will find the Lord and you will win, but your win will be found in eternal life with the Lord through the salvation provided by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Don't ever stop competing. Compete in your job. Compete in your play. Compete in your destiny. Never give up even if you fail. Remember that failure only sets you up for the next success. The Bible says that a righteous man falls seven times, but get back up and continues to compete. We are fortunate today that we don't have to compete to the death to share our convictions like the Apostles were subjected. We have the freedom to share without the fear of death. We may experience some rejection, but that is a small pitance in comparison. Make this your motto: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The only thing that is impossible is nothing.
We are challenged in the Bible to compete. The Apostle Paul said that he pressed toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. He competed. He also wrote from the approach of the athlete running a race for a prize. His point was that the runner didn't enter the race to be an also ran. He entered to win. Our Heavenly Father put the competitive element in our makeup and He expected us to win. He gave us dominion over the earth to rule and subdue it.
If you look at the world when God gave that command, there wasn't anything to rule over, except one being. Satan! The Father had banished Satan to earth as his judgment for trying to exalt himself over God's throne. When he was sent here it wasn't to be the ruler of the earth. Adam, after his creation, was told to rule over Satan and keep him subdued in his personal prison. The reason we have so much problem with Satan and his kingdom today is because Adam was not obedient to the Father and did not rule his household well. His wife, lured by the Serpent, convinced Adam that to partake of the fruit of the forbidden tree, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, against the command of God. In eating the fruit, Adam allowed Satan to surplant God as his Father and became enslaved to his own will that was ruled by a sin nature, placed there by Satan when he took authority over man.
The only way that this dominion, that was taken through deceitfulness, can be restored is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The reason that God chose this method is far beyond my comprehension. However, I don't question my God who through His knowledge, power, and presence was able to create all that we see today in the universes. He chose that method to return Satan to the place of his imprisonment. Satan held the keys to death, hell, and the grave. No one had ever been resurrected from the dead without the intervention of a prophet, according to the Bible and its comtemporary writings. When Jesus raised himself up, he took the keys from Satan and returned him to his place of prison. He also gave us back the authority over Satan and the earth that was given to us at creation.
I am well aware that there are those in our world that think that this is idiot logic, but I don't think it has anything to do with logic. The Bible, written by anointed men over the centuries, has never been proven false. Not one verse has ever been disputed so that it could be removed from its writings. Of the over 500 prophecies accounted in the Scriptures all have been fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled without error. The cities of the world that have been chronicled in the Scriptures have all been verified as existing. No other spiritual writing can make that claim and back it up with evidence. Its not logic, it is verified fact.
I challenge anyone to take the time to read the Bible and try to dispute it. You can try, but you will find not only is it true, but you will probably find that you need Jesus Christ as your Savior. Notice that I challenged you. That's a competitive word. You will have to compete to try and discredit the Word of God. I will tell you that you will loose, but in loosing there will be a great transformation. You will find the Lord and you will win, but your win will be found in eternal life with the Lord through the salvation provided by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Don't ever stop competing. Compete in your job. Compete in your play. Compete in your destiny. Never give up even if you fail. Remember that failure only sets you up for the next success. The Bible says that a righteous man falls seven times, but get back up and continues to compete. We are fortunate today that we don't have to compete to the death to share our convictions like the Apostles were subjected. We have the freedom to share without the fear of death. We may experience some rejection, but that is a small pitance in comparison. Make this your motto: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The only thing that is impossible is nothing.
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