Celebrate Thanksgiving
We are blessed in so many ways in this country that we often take our blessings for granted. If you have never driven or riden over dirt roads filled with pot-holes and big stones which are main highways, you may not appreciate the wide, paved roads we drive on here in America. If you never had to travel miles to get to a working phone, you may not appreciate the instant communications we have. Here there is never a thought about going to the grocery store and finding all you need, but in many countries the store shelves are almost empty. Even though we may not like what our government does we at least get the chance every two, four or six years to change it. Many countries do not.
Will this change? It can - if we do not understand what causes our prosperity. And we are prosperous! Even the poorest of us is richer than most of the rest of the world.
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." - Deut. 8:18
It is not that we are any better or smarter than other people that is responsible for our prosperity, although individual effort and responsibility are important. We are enjoying the fruit of the choices made by those who went before us - our forefathers. They were glad to risk all to come to this new land believing God would bless them. They were willing to even come as indentured servants knowing that where "the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty". They depended on God's mercy and they were not disappointed. Many times His soveriegn oversight was all that delivered this fledgling country. They knew it and they were thankful.
The recent drama with the Chilean miners rescue illustrates once again how God can change the unchangeable and save the unsaveable. Did you notice that all the miners expressed abundant thankfullness to be back in the sunlight. Over and over they thanked Jesus and God for their deliverance?
I wonder how many Americans exhibit this kind of thankfullness. Scripture exhorts,
"Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" - Psalm 107:8.
Instead of following this admonition, many are actively repressing any public praise of God, especially Jesus. Many of our elected officials mock the idea that they have any moral obligation to obey God's rules, saying things like, "we are a plural people and we must not offend those who don't believe in our God." I guess they think it is OK to offend the living God instead? Or perhaps they really don't believe He is God? May all such be removed from office because they did not understand the true source of all their blessings.
Once again we have the oportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving by giving thanks to the Almighty God of the Bible for the abundant blessings and promises He has given us. Let us not be ashamed to Honor God in public and give thanks to Him alone for our blessings. If that offends someone, well being a free country with open borders (for which we have to thank God), they are free to go somewhere that does not honor and thank God and His Son Jesus Christ.
posted November 5, 2010
Divide and Destroy
Jesus taught that a house divided could not stand (Mark 3:24), yet, the church today finds itself in that position. A recent article highlighted this problem for me.
Catholic League spokeswoman Kiera McCaffrey says Hagee is a "larger problem" than Farrakhan because Farrakhan is "small potatoes and old news" compared to Hagee and his huge following. McCaffrey says her group is calling on McCain to repudiate Hagee, a Christian leader spokeswoman McCaffrey claims has a long history of "anti-Catholic bigotry." - Jim Brown - Catholic League: Hagee's endorsement worse than Farrakhan's- OneNewsNow - 3/3/2008
Let me see if I have this right: John Hagee professes belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior - Farrakhan does not; Hagee believes the Bible is the word of God - Farrakhan believes the Koran is; Hagee believes the Jews are God's chosen people - Farrakhan believes they are pigs; Hagee believes God is not finished with Israel and is making them a nation once again - Farrakhan wants to cast them all into the sea! I'm having a hard time seeing how Hagee is a "larger problem" for true Christians than Farrakhan is.
I personally know many fine Catholics who are Christians. Are they all Christians? I don't think so, and neither do many of the Catholics that I know. But, I could say the same thing about Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, etc. It takes more than belonging to a particular church to qualify for being a Christian. The key issue is whether Jesus is Lord in your life and whether you keep His word. He said "If you love me. keep My word." not "If you love Me, go to church!" We are living at a time in the United States when the true Church of Jesus Christ is languishing, needing a fresh vision of our purpose and calling in God. Not a time for partisan bickering and name calling.
This article highlights an issue that I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking plainly about in our day - Denominations are not of God! The very word means "to divide and name" but, Jesus prayed in John 17:21 that His followers, the ones God gave to Him, would be one even as He and the Father were one. I include in this problem all of the early confessions as well as the later denominations that have formed since the Reformation. There is only one "divide and name" process that God is going to do and that is the separation of the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32) when Jesus returns.
How does one get into the "sheep" group? A few thoughts come to mind: 1) Know the truth, because that alone can set you free and Jesus said "My word is truth" - not church tradition but, My word. 2) Act and live as Jesus did. He said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me." (Matthew 25:40). What is your attitude toward Jewish people? Jesus' attitude was to forgive them and to work for their salvation. 3) Work for the Jews to come into the true Church, not as Gentile "wild olive' branches but, as the "natural branch" grafted back in through faith in Jesus. After all, this is why Jesus died on the cross, to make "one new man" and break down the barrier between Jew and Gentile ( Ephesians 2:11-18). 4) Humble yourself and repent whenever "the truth" illuminates your sin. We all have sinned and continue to sin, because we are not perfected yet. But, if we are willing to bow to the sword of the Spirit, which is the illuminating, piercing, convicting word of God, God will finish in us the good work He began (Philippians 1:6).
There are many other points that could be made, finer points of truth that are necessary for healthy growth in the Lord, but, if we begin with these four, the Holy Spirit will direct our education to include what we need, when we need it. To all those, like the Catholic League, who feel they have to defend their position and their church, I would remind you of the words of our great leader - "I will build My church" - Jesus. Don't get all bent out of shape arguing whether Peter was the rock or whether Peter's confession was the rock, just know that Jesus is going to work it all out if we just follow Him. Meanwhile, the fields are white unto harvest and the Lord is looking for those who will go into the fields and harvest. Not for your church but, for His Church!
Since there is no 'separation of church and state' in the kingdom of God, He takes an equally dim view of those who try to separate their secular life from their spiritual life. Many today seem to think because an activity is political, or work related, they need not apply the same rules as they would toward their religious life. But, Scripture reveals clearly that we will be judged by the same standards for our secular endeavors as for our religious ones. Some political examples come easily to mind: (1) abortion, and those who support it are transgressing a fundamental rule of the kingdom of God - death of the innocent, (2) taxation for the sake of 'earmarks', which is just another form of stealing and no thief will enter the kingdom of heaven, and remember, God does not care whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent the same rule will apply. (3) Knowingly lying or breaking your word will also keep you out of the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, it is hard to understand how a modern politician playing by typical political standards will ever get into heaven!
It is time to begin following the teaching of Jesus as revealed in the Holy Bible and not church dogma, which is often just the traditions of men or worldly philosophy, which is just Humanism in religious skin. The world tries to separate us into 'liberal' Christians or 'conservative' Christians but God only recognizes those born of 'blood birth' - in other words, by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. May you become one of them.
posted 11/11/2010
The Issue is Control
"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." - Revelations 13:16,17
This is a famous passage from the Book of Revelations used in movies, books, and the Bible. Most concentrate on the mark, the name, or 666. However, I suggest that the stage for this final act of rebellion against God is set before this "man of sin" is ever revealed and the driving issue is control. We have been hearing about "the New World Order" from several Presidents now and they have been putting laws and regulations into place, mostly behind the scenes carefully shielded by a false news media. They eveidently feel they are so successful that the need for secrecy is no longer needed. U.S. Representative Maxine Waters threatens big oil executives openly that they will soon be out of job after governments takes them over.
For years the anti-gun loby has been trying to do away with, or de-nude the 2nd Amendment but they have always been unsuccessful. Now the Obama administration plans to go around the Congress by using Presidential Orders. In a bureaucratic block the Obama Administration secretly banned the re-importation of American made M-1 Garand and Carbine rifles being stored in South Korea. These rifles were used by the US military during the Korean War and left there after the war was over. With one stroke of his pen, Barack Obama bypassed the Constitution and single-handedly banned nearly a million American made rifles by executive fiat. They have also banned the resale of used military shell casings to private American companies, favoring countries like China.
The U.S. Congress recently passed a health care bill that will remove another key to individual freedom, the right to choose our health care. Hidden provisions are being revealed almost daily and they all give evidence of one thing - government control over individual rights.
Now the 'lame-duck Senate is trying to pass Senate Bill S 510 the Food Safety Modernization Act . Not only does this bill take away your "right to grow, trade and transport any food" it gives big government the right to regulate what you grow and what seeds you save.
If you remove the people's right to grow their own food, get their own health care, and arm themselves you have taken giant steps toward controlling the people! As President Ronald Reagan said, "America is the last hope of freedom in the world" but forces are actively working to reduce America to a 3rd-rate nation. President Obama never loses an oportunity to downgrade America before the world and so-called American liberals never lose a media chance to 'trash' America. Our Christian foundations, which are so evident to any honest person, are daily denagrated and even so-called Christians are openly preferring Muslims to Christians. Some are even equating Jehovah with Allah. We need to ask our selves a question before we timidly submit to these idiots - "Where in history or modern times do you find a Muslim country that practices freedom for all within their borders?"
Remember one basic teaching of Christianity is , "For freedom Christ has made us free: stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1. You only find the teaching of 'freedom' in Christianity and our liberty and prosperity does not come from government - it comes from God!
posted 11/18/2010