A Healthy Church Leads To A Healthy Country

 "Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 ESV
   These words were penned around 2,000 years ago, and they still apply today. Human beings, being the way we are, have a tendency toward selfish ambition and pride. But in the church, this goes in disguise. We rarely see the impure motives in our own hearts, but we can see them usually in others.
  This teaching is so good and helpful for us today in the church. None of us is above this kind of temptation, and we really do need to guard against it in our lives. The Bible is very clear about God operating in peace and love, yet we still have this bent toward selfish ambition and pride, but it is just renamed. 
 I need to hear this as well as everyone else does, for it is so easy to fall into a trap. It is so easy to listen to the voice of the Enemy who would like us to believe that we have to 'warn' others about the bad people in our churches, especially church leaders who we disagree with. There are many in Christian leadership who are led by selfish ambition and do not appreciate others who are having effective ministries. We need to be careful if we are serving the Lord with the ministry and place of service He gave us, to not use this as a competition of some sort. 
   I am not going to talk about slander in this blog today, but suffice it to say that selfish ambition leads to slander if it goes unchecked, which can spread like gangrene. The Bible, and especially the book of James, has much to say about slander and its poison. It is a warning to Christians to not use their tongues in such a way.
   God wants His church to be healthy. Our words can bring health and healing or they can bring sickness and death. Wisdom from God is peaceable and open to reason. The church in America can be healthy and our words can make a big difference in that. Also, the Bible has a lot to say about how we are to treat one another. When the church in America is healthy, it will affect other areas in our country, such as government. The key to a healthy nation is a healthy church. And when the church is healthy, then it will be in a place to help other churches in other places. God will truly be glorified when that happens. That's why we need to 'pray for the church and pray for the country'.

Division Making Reveals the Condition of Our Hearts - When Identifying Heretics Becomes Idolatry

    I am always curious as to what the condition of the church in America is today. How healthy is the church? An unhealthy church will result in an unhealthy society. Could we be in an unhealthy state in this country from the church being unhealthy? I think there are some connections.
   If I were an unbeliever or someone who hasn't yet put my trust in Jesus Christ as my Savior from sin, I would not be impressed with the group of people who call themselves 'Christians'. I have to say that the Biblical description of what a Christian is, and what I see in the modern day church are way different. You probably are wondering what I am talking about. Let me explain.
  When Jesus spent the last three years of His life on earth training men in discipleship, one of the main things He taught on was the fruit of what a Christian looks like. He taught us to love one another. He said that the mark of those who are true believers would be their love for one another. He explained that the greatest way a person can show love for another is by laying his or her life down for another. That involves dying to ourselves and making others successful in God. It involves ministering and serving each other. It involves living for others instead of ourselves. It takes the power of God living in us to help us overcome sin and selfishness. Our love for God is revealed in the way we love one another. We are to treat each other with dignity and respect, even when we disagree.
   I'm not saying we shouldn't stand up for the truth when the truth is in danger. We need to. But I think what is wrong is that we hold on to the truth in such a way that we end up hating each other and wounding our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let me further explain.
   When I was a young believer in Christ, I started to see some ugly things in the body of Christ. Media was limited to TV, mail, or the radio. Because I was searching for every tract company I could find, somehow I got on some mailing list of a newspaper looking mail that would come to me on a regular basis. It was written by Fundamental, Independent, Separated Baptists, and it was full of viciousness toward those who did not hold their views. If you were not in their group, and if your name was well known as a pastor or Bible teacher, you were considered by them as a false teacher. I didn't see any kind of ministry or edification for the body of Christ in this newspaper thing.
   Fast forward to the last five years or so. I thought by now the body of Christ had figured out that hating people and causing divisions was not the way to go, but I was wrong. I have been on Facebook for at least 5 years by now, and I still see this trend there today. Not only is there a large emphasis on false teachers but, depending upon who you are and what you believe is theologically correct, you will find all kinds of false teachers and prophets that are being identified every day by some theologically correct Christian out there. It's coming to the point where everybody and their brother is a heretic. Some of the declarations of these heretics that makes them a heretic in someone's opinion is simply a difference in the way they interpret the Bible. Another is the maturity level of someone. For example, if a professing Christian is popular and well known, and if they use bad language at times, there are considered a heretic. Of course, the person shouldn't use bad language, but that doesn't make someone a heretic. Another one I saw tonight was as I recommended a book written by David Wilkerson, someone commented saying he was a heretic. One of the reasons she gave was because he gave prophetical words that didn't come to pass. This person who made this accusation doesn't understand the nature of the gift of prophecy in the New Testament and how it is different than the way the prophets used prophecy in the Old Testament. So that makes David Wilkerson a heretic. Because he used a gift in faith and either it wasn't used properly or it wasn't interpreted properly by the onlookers. Either way, that doesn't make a person a heretic. A heretic is one who has denied the faith. Paul addressed this but didn't spend a whole lot of time on it like Christians do today.
   Here is what I think the problem is; I think we are basically, what Paul calls 'Carnal Christians'. We as a body of believers in Jesus Christ have somewhat of a good knowledge of the Scriptures, but we haven't died to ourselves yet. Many times we are playing God. We pass judgments on people that we have no right to do. Here is the crux of it all; We still love ourselves. We are full of pride. We love to hate. We love to slander. We love to rip people apart. Let's face it, we are not representing Christ. We are betraying Him with our hate for one another. We have well known Bible teachers who are eliminating large groups of Christians by calling them false converts, just because they don't believe in the doctrines they believe in. We have today Calvinists who hate Arminians. We have Fundamentalists who hate Charismatics. We have Pelagians who hate Reformed believers. The list goes on.
    I like what Paul Washer said one time. He made mention of some Pentecostals and referred to them as brothers, then made the assertion that yes, they are brothers. I have heard someone else say something like this recently as well about those who were in another denomination. We really can disagree on non-essentials. I can still love people who believe that we can lose our salvation, or those who believe and hold to infant baptism. I have seen wonderful believers who believe that the way of baptism is pedobaptism. I don't agree with the doctrine at all, but for me to spend time arguing with these people and calling them names is totally unproductive. Plus, God's word tells us not to do that.
   I am so tired of seeing name calling on the Internet. No wonder people are hostile to listening to our message. The Gospel message is hard enough to listen to, but if people have experienced the wrath of these Christians who are so hateful to those they disagree with, no wonder they are repulsed by the word 'Gospel'. No one is going to see God when we are backbiting and resort to name calling. There is a book available with a title that asks a good question. It's called, 'Why Do Christians Shoot Their Wounded?' That's a good question because we do it all the time. What is wrong with us? Where is God's love in this? What kind of a battle do we think we are fighting anyway?

   The weapons of our warfare are not carnal! They are spiritual. We are not going to win any wars by name calling or manipulation. The devil is laughing at us because we are using the weapons he is giving us. They tie in with the pride in our hearts. Pride goes before destruction and God will resist us when we are prideful. Listen to what the Bible says:
  "Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." Titus 3: 1-10 ESV
   Do you see it? Salvation is so great. God is so powerful, merciful, and amazing. Why aren't we in awe of God, but rather in awe of the things that are wrong with others in the body of Christ? If we have truly experienced salvation, and we are ministering the Gospel to people, why is there so much hate for others in our hearts? And don't call it 'warning the flock' because that is not what it is. It is an excuse for reacting in the flesh, but doing it under the guise of 'serving God' and 'love'.
   I'm sorry if I come off irritated, but, in reality I am irritated. If I read another post on a Christian being called a heretic, I think I'm going to croak. Can't somebody stop this? The well known Bible teachers aren't much help either, for many of them seem to be leading the body of Christ into this. 
   Can we get back to the love of God for once? Can we stop picking on people who don't agree with us doctrinally? Can we carefully and skillfully expose those who really are false teachers and leave it be once that is done? Can we get back to the point where we can grow spiritually once again? Can the church ever be healthy again? Can we repent of our pride and superiority and our rejection of others? Can the church once again be the place of ministry that is was intended to be, or will it continue to be a place where it needs ministry?
      

False Teacher, False Prophets, and False Converts

  The reason I am writing this blog is because this issue has taken top priority in the church. The Bible tells us to expose the works of darkness, the schemes of the devil, and we have to do that, but we have to do that carefully, or we will be playing along with the devil's game.
   I have read so many Facebook posts on false teachers and false prophets. While I think we need to expose false teaching in the church, could it be that we have gone way overboard in our activity in trying to hunt down every false teacher that exists? Wouldn't it be better for us to teach truth and correct doctrine along with teaching others how to be discerning?
   Don't get me wrong, I believe in exposing things that are wrong, especially when they are in the church. I am especially concerned where there is false doctrine which seems to blend in with everything else we believe in, as taught at our churches (see my post beneath this one).
 I think that probably 75% of what I see on Facebook in my Christian circles has to do with exposing false teachers. Maybe more. I see people wanting to make blog pages on false teachers. I see groups with names like 'Heresy Hunter' or with descriptions like 'We shred wolves to pieces'.
   Do you think that God really wants us to go hunting for false teachers, and if so, should we shred them to pieces? Do we see Paul or Jesus doing this? Paul named those who were causing problems this way, but their names were only mentioned occasionally.
   Do you think it is ok to destroy someone if they really are a false teacher? Does this give us permission to hate someone and smear his or her name on the Internet? Could it be, that we really enjoy doing this because of indwelling sin in our own hearts? We are to be marked by the love of God, as well as love for the Truth.
 I have exposed a few false teachers and will continue to do so, as I think their teaching could harm the church. One of them is Rob Bell, and the other is Amy Grant. I will explain further what I mean.
   One day, I ran into 4 young adults who tried to convince me that evangelism was wrong. Two of them were professing Christians. They told me that when I give out a tract to someone, it means I put a check mark in the box. I guess the goal was supposed to be to get a lot of check marks? They recommended that I read a book written by Rob Bell, which led me on a search for Rob Bell and 'Velvet Elvis'. I was amazed that so many reasons they told me that evangelism was wrong, were in Rob's book. They got their information right out of 'Velvet Elvis'! Even the thing about giving out a tract and putting a check mark in the box was in the book, only instead of a check mark in the box, Rob Bell used the illustration of putting another notch in your belt. I studied more about Rob Bell and what he believed in (or didn't believe in) and found that he hates evangelism and claims that Jesus hates evangelism as well. I never saw anything about the Gospel or his relationship with the Lord in his writings or video. It doesn't appear that he understands the Gospel, and sadly, what he has seen done by 'evangelists' has a lot to be desired.
   Amy Grant is a different kind of false teacher, and I put her in this category because people, for whatever reason, look to her as a spiritual authority and a Godly influence.
  Amy started her career as a young woman around 18, I believe, and was recognized by a man who was in the Christian music industry. Her career blossomed overnight. She complained about a fear she had that she was gaining a reputation of being a 'female Billy Graham', so, she makes it clear that she can 'kiss, flirt, and date' guys. She also made mention of how people would ask her deep theological questions to which she had no idea what the answer was to the question.
  OK, we can give her some slack. She is young and has a lot of growing to do. But life continues for her, and so does her lack of Biblical principles when it comes to relationships with men and her concept of marriage. She was married to a man who professed to love God, and appeared to be a good husband and father to her children. But she wanted out of the marriage, as she was seeing another man. One of the quotes I found on marriage that she stated was one that said something along this line: 'God created marriage so that each person can enjoy their spouse to the fullest......If you are not happy in your marriage, I say, 'get out'. She believes the false doctrine that God wants us happy.
   Again, the reason this is so concerning is that people have a high regard for Amy Grant. She took a break from being in the lime-light for 10 years, and when she was coming back on the scene, the radio DJs were very excited to have her back. Again, I had the feeling that they were equating her talent with her commitment to God. Her teaching (through her valued quotes) is dangerous. If people adopt that kind of belief system, they will think it is ok to be immoral. Why, if I am not happy in my marriage, Amy Grant recommends to get out of it. Whether we want to accept this or not, there is some authority behind what she says, just because of her position.
   I will expose these kinds of teachings, but while I believe in exposing them, I am not going to hate Rob Bell or Amy Grant. I will not go around telling people about them except that their teaching is wrong and how it doesn't line up with what the Scriptures say. I'm not going to resort to name calling or ripping them up. I am also not going to say that they aren't saved, although I will say that I don't see any Christian fruit coming from their lives.
If we take these people and rip them up, aren't we doing what the devil wants us to do? It's one thing to explain to people what they are teaching as wrong, but it is another thing to put a high priority on destroying the person. We can destroy the doctrine, while not destroying the person. Plus, we enter into slander when we do that. I know Christians justify doing this because false teachers are a special case. Well, we don't find it in the Bible, and we shouldn't do it either.
   Yes, I know Jesus was blunt with the Scribes and Pharisees. He was able to see deep, deep into their hearts, and bring out what was in them. Jesus was trying to show people what His Father was like. The Scribes and Pharisees were getting in the way and were dishonoring His Father while trying to promote their own agenda. God was trying to reach us with His Gospel message and saving power, but the Pharisees interrupted that. But, some of the Pharisees did get it.
   We need to protect the church against false teachers. We need to use all means to do this with. But, when we resort to slander and name calling, hating, causing harm, etc., we need to be careful because we could easily overstep the boundary. Could it be Satan's ploy to get us to believe that false converts never get saved? Could it be a lie of the enemy that leads us to believe that false teachers will never come to Christ? The way we handle this issue could make the difference in eternity for some.

Infection In The Church?

  I am writing the blog today, because I have a strong concern for the church in America to become healthy once again, and I am seeing something go on that appears to be unnoticed by most of us, yet, it is there and if not dealt with, will cause the church to become weak and not develop properly.
  The Bible tells us to not be ignorant of the devil's tactics. First of all, we need to learn the truths in God's word for ourselves, then we can, more easily, separate the truths from the lies.
  I'm involved in large Christian circles made up of people all over the world. In my opinion, it seems like at least 75% of what I hear from other Christians as they communicate over the internet, is about false teachers. I am not going to go into too much detail here about this topic, but will cover it on another blog later. Christians seem to be onto this 'false teacher', 'false prophet', and 'false convert' hunt today. More and more names come up every day on this, indicating that so and so is a false teacher. So and so is a false prophet, etc. While we need to expose false teachings, and those who clearly teach false doctrine, this seems to have taken more priority than preaching the Gospel!
   I said all that simply to say that, while the church seems to notice who the false teachers are, there is a category that seems to have been totally overlooked.
  It is subtle. That person who made the post I am reading certainly can't be implying that we are saved by keeping the Commandments, could he? I can't tell you how many questionable posts and blogs I have seen lately, and I'm sure some of them are just miscommunication. But I have done research now and found that there is a sect in Christianity, that does teach that a person is saved by faith in Christ and by keeping the Commandments.
   You are probably thinking, as I was, that certainly isn't true. Nobody that I personally know, who knows the Lord believes that part of our salvation depends upon our keeping the Commandments. We have been well taught that we are saved by grace, through faith, nothing of ourselves because it is a gift of God. Everyone knows that, right? Wrong.
  You see, the Bible tells us we are saved by God's grace as provided in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our good works do not atone for our sins. We also must repent in order to respond to God. We turn away from living for ourselves and our sinful desires, and trust in Jesus because of what He did on the Cross for us.
  Repentance involves turning away from our sins and turning toward God. The belief system that concerns me tells us that repentance means to 'stop sinning'.
  Also, this strange belief system being embraced by many believes that original sin is a lie. Original sin is the sin that is in all of our hearts because of Adam's fall. This belief system says that Adam was responsible for his sin, and his sin does not get passed onto his descendants. It also teaches that people are able to keep the Commandments. As one of them recently said, Jesus wouldn't give us a Commandment if we weren't able to keep it. "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
John 14:20-22 ESV 

  So far, I have found 4 different things they believe in that are contrary to Scripture. 1. Doctrine of Original Sin  2. Doctrine of man  3. Doctrine of Salvation 4. Doctrine of Sin (Definition of sin). 

   These people are the ones, for the most part, that are giving evangelism a bad name. They are the ones who are yelling at people to repent. They are the ones who come down hard on people. Also, they never, ever talk or tell people about God's love, only His judgment to come. Plus, when they tell people to 'repent' they explain that as 'stop sinning'.

   A couple of months ago, I was working on some blogs based on the concept, 'Jesus Friend of Sinners'. I studied this topic and wrote about it. But while on Facebook, I saw a post that had to do with the song from 'Casting Crowns' It was a video done by an open air preacher criticizing the song, and showing its errors. It was interesting to watch the video, for whenever this preacher was giving his critique, people in the audience were making nasty comments about Casting Crowns. 'I turn the radio off when they come on' says one man. These people really do believe that they are without sin. They remind me of the Pharisee in Luke 18 who was thankful to God because he wasn't like others. According to this teaching, Jesus was not a friend of sinners, but only to those who were His disciples.

   I think we need to be on the lookout for this kind of teaching. The main way we can guard ourselves from becoming deceived is by learning and knowing the truth. The truth is the only thing that can keep us from being deceived. 

   Good works and commandment keeping are the results of a work done in the heart by God. We don't do good works in order to receive God's favor, but if we don't understand the doctrine of Original Sin, or if we are ignorant of our indwelling sin, we will be deceived. We will have logs in our own eyes, and not be able to see our sins as they truly are. Neither will we be able to help other people come out of their sins and repent. We will be like the Rich Young Ruler who came to Jesus asking Him how one inherits the kingdom of God. Jesus told him that he knew the commandments, to which the Rich Young Ruler replied that he had kept them. Then Jesus said something startling. He told the Rich Young Ruler that he lacked one thing, and told him to sell everything he had so he could give his money to the poor. 

     The Rich Young Man went away very sad. He kept the commandments. Why would he be sad? Because he missed the Great commandment which says to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength' and 'love your neighbor as yourself'. The Rich Young Ruler was challenged to love his neighbor, and wasn't ready to meet the demands of the challenge. So, what was the Rich Young Ruler Missing? It was a 4 letter word called, 'love'.

  

I didn't think it would matter if you knew or didn't know the name of this belief system, but in case you are curious or want to do your own research, the name of this belief system is:

Pelagian

National Concerns

   I am posting something that is concerning to me. Not too long ago, I posted a message about the FDA raiding a health food store (they were armed, as well) and confiscating all of the Morningland cheese that was made from raw milk, then taking it to be tested, claiming that they believed that the cheese was possibly containing bad bacteria. The cheese was taken out of all the stores that carried the product and the farm that produced the cheese has been shut down, if I understand correctly.
   The cheese was tested and the results were fine. But the farm is not reopened yet, to my knowledge. The FDA shut it down and has not allowed it to be opened up again.
Morningland Dairy Shut Down
   This is definitely something to pray about. This is not the only case where the FDA steps in and shuts things down. Farmers are going to jail, simply because they sell raw milk to the public. Farmers are going to jail because the soy plants they have growing happen to have been affected by the GMO soy plants produced by Monsanto, which are patented. We need to pray for our farmers.
  But this last item I want to bring up doesn't have to do with farming or food. It has to do with a bizarre story that involves the Secret Service and a gospel tract called, the 'Million Dollar Bill' tract.
   People love this tract, and it is put out by a company called, 'Living Waters' based in California. It has a simple Gospel message on it and is eye catching. Not everyone uses this tract, and it is a matter of preference for those doing evangelism as to whether they will use this tract or some other one. But it is definitely an eye-catcher and a good ice-breaker as well.
  The Million Dollar Bill tract is perfectly legal to use, simply because there is no such thing as a million dollar bill. I have seen tracts that look like $20, but those, if they are the same size as a regular dollar bill, could possibly be illegal to use, because they would resemble a genuine $20 bill. But the million dollar bills are safe, or should be safe, because there is no such thing as a million dollar bill.
  Around six years ago, supposedly someone gave a teller one of the Million Dollar Bill tracts in North Carolina, and the teller called in the authorities concerning the tract. OK, this is where something really strange is happening. Why in the world didn't the teller confront the person who was trying to cash in the Million Dollar Bill tract first? I am sure that people have tried to cash this tract in for money, but you have to be a pretty naive teller to know that there is really no such thing as a million dollar bill in the first place. In the second place, a short glance at the tract makes it obvious that it is not real money. It says on the front that it is not 'legal tender' and has some of the commandments written on it. Something bogus is going on here.
   Well, the Secret Service found a Texas address for the Great News Network, an organization which trains people to do evangelism, on the tract, and made a trip out there. But, there were many things wrong about this. They came in without a search warrant. They stole over 8,000 of the tracts. When the Secret Service found out that the tracts were originally from Living Waters, they threatened to go out there and shut the place down.
   Over a long period of time, many court sessions took place. You see, the Secret Service was the group that was at fault. They should have been arrested. I think there were eight court hearings on this, and finally the Great News Network won its case.
   Here is the gist of my concern: These cases are totally bogus. They are made up and carried out by people (in authority positions) who are angry and want to stop certain thing from continuing (like the production of Gospel tracts or raw milk). This is why we need to pray for those in authority. We need to become knowledgable about the issues. We have key people working out of our government to promote agendas that we will not find desirable. So far, we have seen a couple of cases where it is obvious that key people are beginning to abuse their authority and use it for their own ends. This is why we need to pray for the church and for the country. We also need to get involved in those areas where God has called us to. It might be farming. It might be producing tracts. It is probably something else though.
   This is the call to die to ourselves. Their is a greater cause than our own leisures and comforts. We are in a battle, and if we are not properly clad and armored, we will become casualties.
   I am not going to write and complain about people in government who are abusing their authorities, but I am going to encourage us to pray, and not give up. America needs a healthy church and we make up the body of Christ (if we have trusted in Christ) and need to function as a body of related believers.
   I also believe that if we were a healthy body of related believers, and if we are truly affected by the Gospel, we would be doing the work of evangelism. We need Godly people in government. We need Godly schoolteachers. We need Godly businessmen and women. We need Godly judges in our court systems. Let's pray for God to raise them up. Let's pray for the health of the church.

Aquilla Report on Secret Service Raid

Living Waters Celebrates Victory

Answers to Prayers - God is Moving - Support Businesses Owned By God Fearing People

   I have been praying lately for our country, and more specifically for Godly men and women to be raised up to give vital leadership throughout America (this suggestion on praying for Godly leadership comes from Bill Bright of Campus Crusade, many years ago). But even more specifically, I have been praying for God fearing men and women to have their own businesses. Much of America today is made up of corporations, not that that is so bad in itself, but America started off successfully by men and women developing their own business. In the olden days, there were farmers, and farmers and more farmers. But today, we have a wide variety of careers people can choose from and excel in. The goal is not to be rich, but to grow and develop the skills in our children to prepare them for their 'future stations'.
  I think the day will come when we should have a network made up of born again craftsmen, farmers, accountants, musicians, tree cutters, ice-cream store owners, Laundromat owners, etc. We could support one another like those in a community. I even saw a granary mill in GA that still deals with bartering. If you don't know what bartering is, it is simply trading your goods or services for someone else's goods or services. In the olden days, you could bring a dozen eggs in and trade them at the mercantile for paper or other goods that you need and they carry. If the economy does fail, we would have each other to help ourselves out and could run our own community if we do it right.
   With that in mind, I am pleased to announce three places that I know of (I am sure there are more) that seem to promote Christian values. We all know about Chick-Fil-A because of the stand they took for marriage being made up of one man and one woman. Another place we went to tonight is called, 'Sweet Frog" and it is a frozen yogurt place. I am not really a frozen yogurt fan, but will admit that the food I ate tonight was excellent. The F.R.O.G. letters represent Fully Rely On God. It looks like a kid friendly place and the people who worked there seemed friendly. One other place that comes to mind is Hobby Lobby. I'm sure that most people know the struggle they went through this past year, because they do not want to support the new insurance demands that would help supply money for those who want an abortion as a way of birth control. This whole episode cost Hobby Lobby tons of money because they took a stand for what it right. They are opening new stores in our area, so we would be wise to support this company if we use their products. They sell arts and craft supplies and they also sell children's toys and musical instruments. They carry Christmas decorations and have boldly taken a stand for God in America. We could pray for God to bless these businesses. They will probably have some type of difficulty or persecution in the future as our nation becomes more godless.
   There is also one other place that comes to mind, that has suffered much loss at the hands of the FDA and the legal system. Morningland Dairy produced cheese that was made from raw milk, and sold in various stores. The FDA came in one of the stores, and at gunpoint, demanded all the Morningland Dairy cheese. They claimed that it might be tainted and took all the cheese out of all the stores that carried the cheese, and shut down the dairy. The cheese had been tested and it was fine, but the authorities still will not allow Morningland Dairy to operate and sell cheese. Those who own Morningland Dairy asked for prayer. Here is a url on it:
Morningland Dairy Raw Cheese government raid
May God bless the farmers who trust in Him. May God raise up men and women who fear His name to have businesses and prosper. May God bless Morningland Dairy and help them to reopen for business. May God bless Chick-Fil-A, Hobby Lobby, and Sweet Frog and cause them to prosper. May God give each one the grace to boldly stand up for the truth always. In Jesus' name.

God's Judgments

   I have a concern about the way we talk about God's judgments, especially in America today. What I am hearing people say, is that some well known Christian authorities speak about God doing certain acts of judgment against people who do certain activities. We assume, and many times wrongly, that if a person is doing some type of sin and something bad happens to that person, then it means God has judged that person. Well, maybe, but very possibly not. These authorities would say that because such as such happened, it was because of a sin that those people were doing. There are a lot of fine lines here, and I will attempt to separate them.
  Let's go back to the Scriptures and look at God's judgments. The big one was the worldwide flood of Noah's day. You can read about the in Genesis 6. At the beginning of the chapter, the Scriptures tell us that mankind was so wicked that they were inventing ways of evil! This was not too far from the time of the Fall of Adam and Eve. Through each generation, people just got more blatant and creative with sin. By the time Noah came, God decided to destroy the earth by means of a world wide flood. You might think this is cruel, but what would have been cruel was living in a society of people who were wicked like this. These people knew what was coming, yet, they refused to repent. The flood came and went killing everyone, except Noah and his family. God promised to never again destroy the world by means of a world wide flood. He even gave us the rainbow as a sign of His promise to us. But, there will be another judgment like this, only it will be done by means of a fire. Everything will be burned up and destroyed. Again, we have the option to repent and turn to God. We can trust in the Cross of Jesus Christ who died to pay for all our sins and iniquities. Not only that, but we can also become new creatures in Christ. We don't have to live as slaves to sin any more. In spite of that fact, most people will not repent and turn to Christ for salvation. They will suffer under God's judgment. God's desire is for us to repent. Our hearts desire is to stay selfish and get away with it.
   There will be a final Judgment on Judgment Day, when all our sins will be revealed. Those who are in Christ will be safe, just like Noah and his family were safe because they were inside the Ark. Those who are outside of Christ will not be safe, and will be thrown in the Lake of Fire for eternity, never having a chance to get out.
   But my concern is this; Today, Christians try to make a connection between tragedy and a person's sin. We do this by default, I believe, probably because we tend to have a 'works' mentality when it comes to everything, including our relationship with God. Job's friends did it, when God was testing Job. We do it today, when a disaster happens or when a bomb explodes or a sniper kills a group of people. But the Bible says that God causes the sun to rise on the just as well as the unjust (those who are justified for their sins by the blood of Christ, and those who remain unjustified and are outside of Christ). For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 ESV
   Some people came up to Jesus one time and told Him about a tragedy that had happened. Jesus asked them some questions. Basically, after they informed Him of the tragedy, He asked the people if they thought that the groups of people who suffered in tragedies were worse sinners than others. In other words, was God punishing them because of their sin. Jesus wanted them to look at their own hearts instead. People almost always try to make a connection between tragedy and God's judgment on them. But that isn't how God works in tragedies and difficulties. Job's friends thought the same thing. They were sure that Job had some sin in his life and that was why he was experiencing the trials he was going through. We have got to be so careful as to not make wrong connections with things like that.
   So, was the Boston bombings a result of God's judgment? How about the Twin towers? Are all the school shootings a  result of someone's sins, maybe the parents of the children who were killed? No, that is not God sending His judgment on these people. We have to keep that in mind because most Christians think that there is a connection between the two, and that kind of thinking will bring dishonor to the Body of Christ, and harm to people who don't know the Lord yet.
   But I do want to separate a fine line with this. When a person who is part of a church goes into sin, that person is no longer under God's umbrella of protection. When a society decides it is best to leave God out of its context, there will be consequences. There are natural consequences from our sin. That is not the same as God sending down His judgment upon us. If I were to live a lifestyle where I believed it was ok to have sex with anyone I wanted to, chances are good that I would end up with an STD or maybe even AIDS. If I got pregnant and had an abortion, I would live with the consequence of a guilty conscience the rest of my life. The reason we think we can get away with things and not experience consequences is because we don't fear God. We either put Him out of our minds, or we don't understand how big and powerful God is. He loves us too much to let us get away with our sins. But there are also consequences to our sins, because God is holy, and whether we like it or not, we are subject to Him and His principles. 
   God's mercy extends to us as long as we are living. Any time His judgments occur, He is communicating to us His hatred for wickedness and sin. Yet, He continues to be merciful to us, so that we will repent of our sins and turn to Him. 
   Let's be careful next time we try to make a direct connection between a tragedy and sin in that person's life. Tragedies come to all of us in one form or another. The body of Christ is supposed to be there when tragedies occur. Like one Biblical counseling teacher stated, 'Suffering is the entrance to counseling (which could lead to evangelism)'*. How many more people would be reached if we showed love instead of judgment in crisis times? 
   I don't believe God was punishing families at Newport when their children were killed at school. I don't believe God was punishing the people of Boston when the bombs went off and killed some of the runners. I don't believe God's judgment came down when the Twin Towers were destroyed. But I do believe that difficult things will happen to our nation, if we take ourselves out from under the umbrella of God's protection. We can turn back to Him in repentance and faith. Difficult things will happen, even when many people are Christian, but God's grace is there to sustain us. 
   God is sovereign over all activities that happen. The Bible tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who know Him. God will take these tragedies and turn them around for the good of His people, but only if we know Him and trust in Him. If we don't know Him, and continue to walk in our sinful ways without repentance and a desire to turn to God, we will live in a world where wickedness will increase. We will see increased shootings and murders. We will see this nation, which is supposedly one of the most powerful nations in the world, crumble. All these things will happen as a consequence of sin more than God's judgment upon us. But, there is hope, and our hope is in God. That is why we 'pray for the church, and pray for the country.'

*Ed Welch

True History: Separation of Church and State Issue Again - Artic...

True History: Separation of Church and State Issue Again - Artic...:   I'm going to post a url to a web site explaining about the issue of Separation of Church and State, but before I do that, I want to explain a few things first....

 In very early America, before America was even a country, there was a group of people that came over here on a ship called the Mayflower. There were actually two groups of people who were on the Mayflower as it made its way across the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1620. One group was called, 'Pilgrims' and the other group was known as 'Adventurers'. The Pilgrims were coming to America because of having to live in a stressful environment in which they weren't allowed the freedom to do what they felt God was telling them to do based upon Scripture. In England, the church and government were tied in with each other. Basically, the church had to do whatever the king wanted. And if you are in a church where the Bible is the final authority, and you want to follow that, you would be in conflict in England because you would have to follow the king and whatever he wanted or believed the Bible said. So, the Pilgrims made their way over to this land, far away from England, with the hopes of being able to establish a church that isn't headed by a king! The Adventurers came over to America with the hopes of finding gold and and whatever they could find that would make them happy. They did not profess to be Christian and at times, they made fun of the Pilgrims. It helps to keep this all in mind when dealing with the issue of Separation of Church and State. What originally was intended to provide freedom for the Pilgrims, is now taking a reverse role in America to try to eradicate Christianity, especially when the Christian is communicating Biblical truths on any governmental property. This is NOT how this principle was intended to be used.
   Today, there are cases in which Christians (in particular) cannot even express opinions or share beliefs on God, because it violates something called, 'Separation of Church and State'. This principle is not found in the Constitution, yet, future lawyers are taught that it is, while they are in law school.
   Take for example this ridiculous situation. A teacher was wearing a button that says 'I love Jesus'. When the principle of the school noticed it, he ordered her to remove it. Now, let me ask a question here. If a female teacher comes into her classroom fully garbed in Middle Eastern attire, will she get into trouble. Probably not. And rightly so. In America, she has the freedom to dress according to her religious convictions and she shouldn't be stopped. So, what am I saying? I believe that this whole concept of Separation of Church and State is really to silence the Christian. It holds a belief that Christianity is a threat to other people because of the demands it makes on a person's life.
   When I was in school, it was a lot different (I'll admit, it was a very long time ago). We did the pledge of Allegiance (with one nation under God in it) and we even had prayer, I believe. I am not necessarily advocating having someone say a prayer ever morning over the intercom, as people will be praying to different gods possibly, and its not necessary to do that, but, in the early American days, we could get away with it because everyone in a community, during that era, was on the same page as far as religious beliefs went. I am not saying that everyone was a Christian either. Some were. Others were just in that environment and went along with it.
   But today, there are groups who seem to search out anything that relates to Christianity, and remove it from the schools, and many times, will punish the person responsible for bringing it into the school.
   Yes, we should not ever 'make' people believe in Christianity or the Bible. Only God can change a heart. But there is a great difference between trying to convert people against their will, and just living out a life based upon Scriptures. I find it interesting when I ask people if they ever got one (one, meaning a tract), and they ask me what it is, and I tell them that it has the Gospel message on it, occasionally, they will accuse me of 'shoving religion down their throats' (This phrase is always exactly the same. Must be some kind of anti-Christian conspiracy : )  So, if I give someone a tract, I am shoving religion down their throats? Kind of a stretch, isn't it? But this is exactly what is happening with the concept of 'Separation of Church and State'. It's not in the Constitution, but it is in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. These people were very concerned because the memory of the Church of England was still fresh in their minds. They had a valid reason to be concerned. Here is an excerpt from the article I mentioned on the top of the page:
Well, in October 1801 the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote to President Jefferson, and in their letter they voiced some concerns over religious freedom. They were concerned as to whether the government would ever interfere with the practicing of their faith. Bear in mind that these early Americans had just gained independence from England’s government as well as from its established church. These Baptists had a valid reason for being concerned.
You can read the whole article at Separation of Church and State 2 - Examiner.com
Keep in mind that 'Separation of Church and State' is not in the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is the First Amendment, which places the restriction on the government, not on the people. Now we don't have to worry about the government deciding what we should believe in or what our churches should be teaching. Government cannot interfere with religious practices.
"The intent of the First Amendment was well understood during the founding of our country. The First Amendment was not to keep God out of government; it was to keep Government from establishing a “national denomination,” like the Church of England."
Very well said, Mr. Harker. A far cry from complaining about a Nativity scene in the front yard of a public, government owned building. Sad.
 

Rend Collective Experiment

A group from Ireland wrote this song. I'm sure they are envisioned for God to visit Ireland, in much the same way we are envisioned to have God visit America. The words to this song express what is in my heart concerning God and our country. If we repent and turn back to God, God says He will heal our land. Does America need healing? The answer is obvious. This is why we pray for the church and pray for the country.
   I think about the three girls who were rescued in Ohio from horrific situations. Each girl was taken into the home of a man who tortured them and abused them. One young woman was there for a decade. I believe God allowed these girls to be found, and their captor caught and put in prison. This is an answer to prayers that God would set people free from their captors. We don't know how many more children and young adults are being held captive right at this moment, but God does. And we have the responsibility and privilege to pray that God will expose the evil deeds that are hidden. We pray for kidnappers and murderers to be caught. That is an expression of God's mercy, for if people can commit serious crimes and get away with them, they will not fear God, and neither will the people who are watching.
  There has been another report that 105 children that were taken by pedophiles have been found. The pedophiles were arrested. The interesting thing about this one is that the children who were taken and used for the sexual purposes of the pedophiles, either were runaways or they came from foster homes. Basically, these children came from homes where they really weren't wanted, and the pedophiles are skilled in detecting children who are in this situation. Now these 105 children are free, but do they have a loving home to go to? That is something to pray about in our society. We need to get back to the basics and build loving, secure homes. But that takes the grace of God, and will never happen apart from humility. Only when we can give up our rights to ourselves can we work together to build strong, healthy marriages.
   Read the words to this song. See how they apply to our church and country.

Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
We need Your power
In us

We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church
We pray revive
This Earth

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray

Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope 
On Earth
Song by Rend Collective Experiment

Muslims Rewriting American History Through School Textbooks

  I came across an article tonight, describing and uproar over a textbook on world History, which depicted the authenticity of Islam and credited it with things that weren't totally accurate (they talk about how wonderful Islam is for women). I will copy and paste the article and url, and you can see for yourself what is going on. Has the church lost the salt and light that it once had? This is why we need to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'!

Public School Textbook Filled With Muslim Bias?

A world history textbook being used in Florida public schools is raising serious concerns over its alleged Islamic bias. The textbook, used in ninth grade Advanced Placement classes in Brevard County for the past three years, is now under review by the school board.

The book contains an entire chapter devoted to “Muslim Civilizations.” Sean Hannity noted that it has zero chapters on Christianity or Judaism. The chapter teaches about the Prophet Muhammad and how he became God’s messenger. It even describes jihad as a “holy war to defend Islam […] much like the Crusades to defend Christianity.”

Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes has obtained a copy of the textbook. He told Hannity, “Through the entire chapter, Sean, Islam is defended. They talk about how wonderful Islam is to women. I mean, you’d think that they were having Victoria’s Secret stores over there.”

Starnes said the book attempts to re-write history by likening bad things in Christianity’s history to a “massacre,” but for Islam it’s referred to as an “occupation.”

Hannity asked why the text didn’t cover comparative religions if it was going to discuss religion at all. Starnes said he hasn’t received an answer from the publishing company, Pearson, on that question. In a prepared statement, they told Starnes,  “A review of the book shows there is balanced attention given to the beliefs of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.”

Starnes said this problem is bigger than Brevard County, Florida. He cited a survey by the Citizens for National Security that found that at least 80 textbooks currently in use are filled with Muslim bias. 

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias
Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agaBSBwT

Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2aga1w3Ih

Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/07/31/brevard-county-public-schools-review-textbook-muslim-bias#ixzz2agZvDqRf

Tension Between Homosexuality And The Church

  I am writing this article because there is so much tension and misunderstandings in the church when in comes to issues of sin, and in this case, homosexuality.
   How do we handle this situation from the standpoint of the church? How have we handled it in the past, and how can we learn from our mistakes?
  First, we all need to agree on the authority of the Scriptures and what they tell us when it comes to right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness, and, truth and error. We need to know what the Scriptures say to us, and we need to be careful when it comes to the many doctrines floating around, to be discerning enough to know what is truth and how to separate it from the lies.
  Homosexuality, from what we read in Scriptures, is sin. Both Old Testament and New Testament talk about this sin, and how God will punish this sin, along with all other sins, one day in judgment.
  Homosexuality isn't new, nor is 'coming out of the closet', although in American History, we could say that coming out of the closet is more recent, because the standard has always been, 'marriage is made up of one woman and one man'. There was shame in being Gay, at one time. Now that Gay people can come out of the closet, and that psychologists are telling their patients that they were born with a sexual orientation that they cannot change, even if they wanted to, the Gay person believes he is living in freedom without guilt and can pursue his long, faithful, sexual desires. Not only that, but the church has been negligent in reaching out to these people, and some church authorities actually have said that the Gay community should be exterminated.
  Gay people lump themselves with blacks and Jews who have been discriminated against, throughout History. They see themselves as victims of bigotry and they believe that they are designed and destined to be Gay, even though they never chose their orientation. Society has fed them lies, along with the lies of the devil to keep them from being delivered from homosexuality.
   As David Powlison (CCEF) would ask, "How can we help?" What can the church do to change this tide of lies that is keeping thousands upon thousands in bondage?
   Let's look at some of the attitudes of the church in the middle of the 20th Century. People made fun of Gays. There was name calling. Churches didn't respond to people when they found out they were Gay. I learned a lot of things from Mel White's book, 'Stranger At The Gate'. I would recommend to anyone who wants to find out how a 'Christian' Gay person thinks, to read this book. It is very detailed and Mel White gives tons of examples of things that were said or happened to him throughout his life, along with his fears. He describes his relationship with Christian men, such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, D. James Kennedy, and James Dobson. These men, although very effective in their own particular ministries, were hostile to homosexuals. After many years, Mel White sent them letters telling them that he was Gay, and wanting to provide an opportunity to get with them to discuss homosexuality. Not one responded back. Not even a reply indicating that they were sorry but wouldn't be able to make that appointment. This is where the church went wrong. We were so strong on pointing out why homosexuality is a sin, but failed to help the homosexual to see his sin so he could repent. Our silence basically said that we don't want to have anything to do with them.
   Homosexuals are people who, like us, are created in God's image, but the image is marred because of sin. I think, without realizing it, we might think that these people are less than human. We might think that if we punish them by our silence, they will get the hint and either go away or repent. Or, we could just be afraid or ignorant. We don't know what to do. Would you know what to do if someone in the church confided in you and told you his secret sin of homosexuality? Would you know what to say to him? Would you show him love or would you put him at a distance? Do we really believe that Gay people can repent and be saved? Our response to them shows what we believe about them.
   I don't want to go into too much detail on this letter, but a lesbian wrote a letter to the church, and it is reprinted and published by Hunter Baker, on the Gospel Coalition's web site.Gospel Coalition - Lesbian Letter to the Church
  I would encourage you to read this. I understand that this person doesn't have a clear understanding of the Gospel yet, but, she is honest in admitting what she sees in the church today, concerning the way homosexuals and lesbians are treated. Listed here are some questions this lady asks. Notice her admission of the church not giving hope to Gays.
"When the word “homosexual” is mentioned in the church, we hold our breaths and sit in fear. Most often this word is followed with condemnation, laughter, hatred, or jokes. Rarely do we hear any words of hope. At least we recognize our sin. Does the church as a whole see theirs? Do you see the sin of pride, that you are better than or more acceptable to Jesus than we are? Have you been Christ-like in your relationships with us? Would you meet us at the well, or restaurant, for a cup of water, or coffee? Would you touch us even if we showed signs of leprosy, or aids? Would you call us down from our trees, as Christ did Zacchaeus, and invite yourself to be our guest? Would you allow us to sit at your table and break bread? Can you love us unconditionally and support us as Christ works in our lives, as He works in yours, to help us all to overcome?"
  She, like all other people we try to share the Gospel with, can detect our hypocrisy. Can we look at the logs in our own eyes and take them out (deal with our own sins first) so we can help others to see their sin? Do you see the sin of pride, that she is seeing? Everyone of us has pride, and each of us individually does not usually see our own pride. We can see the sins of others clearly, but we can't see our own. 
   Can we love these people unconditionally and would we go out with them for coffee, or are we afraid of getting AIDS? Or, are we afraid of what other Christians might think of us if they see us associating with a Gay person? 
  If we did treat people with respect (not only Gays, but all lost people), and if we cared for others properly, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them would come to know the Lord. Gay people could be set free and delivered. Those who sat in darkness would now be able to live in the light. Society would feel the positive effects of the love of the church.
  One more thing to consider; I think we put the cart before the horse. I never knew what that phrase meant until now. I believe the general, evangelical, church today believes that we have to come clean before God before we can be saved. Many Christians believe that repenting involves the action of the stopping of sin in our lives. We all agree that God will judge sin, and that sin separates man from God, and people do need to repent when they come to Christ, but we can't 'stop sinning'. When a person comes to Christ, he or she has the grace to say 'no' to sin, but that comes as a person walks with God and grows in faith. It is not the requirement before we come to God. As C.J. Mahaney says, 'The only thing I can bring to the Cross is my sin'. Yes, we do let go of those sins as we are being saved. God gives us new hearts with new desires, and His Holy Spirit lives inside us and gives us the power to say no to temptation. It is God's will for us to be saved and free from sin, but we can't do it ourselves. To me, it looks like many in the church, including church leaders, have this belief that we need to 'stop sinning' and come to Christ in order to be saved.
   What would that look like for a Gay person? He probably has prayed thousands of times for God to take the desire away from him. At first, he really didn't want to be Gay. But after years of having this desire, and having the fear of reprisal from the church, he stayed in his closet until it was ok to come out. It was ok to come out when psychologists told him that he was disobeying God by not following the desires he was created with. So, the Gay person hears a message that tells him to repent. He tries. He's tried that over and over again. The church won't have anything to do with him and treat him like a leper. How can we change?
   Can you see the struggle? The church treats him like a leper. The devil keeps him bound with lies. He is desperate because he really doesn't want to be Gay, but the church says he is unrepentant, because if he truly repented, he wouldn't be Gay anymore. 
  How far should the church go to extend hospitality to this man (or woman)? Obviously, it is not good to allow the Gay person membership in the body of Christ at this point. I remember a woman who was joining our church, who was living with her boyfriend. During the church interview, they told her that she would have to not live with her boyfriend anymore if she wanted to be a member. That is not exclusiveness. If the church believes in the sanctity of marriage, and purity of relationships between men and women, then allowing a person who is living in a relationship that is forbidden in the Bible to join the church, would be hypocrisy. It is the same way with homosexuality. If a person is living in homosexual relationships, and if the church is aligned with the Bible, then a homosexual should not be allowed to be a member of that body. That is ok. Nothing wrong with that. That is not rejection. We need to be there to help these people come to their senses. We also want them to be free to be honest and not feel like they have to hide anything from us. Simply speaking, we need to show the love of Christ to them, with the hopes that they will come to know the Lord in repentance and faith.

"But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them
There is a way? There is a way?
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>" Casting Crowns

"Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to
swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided"
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>

Are you a sinner? Did Jesus befriend you? Shouldn't you befriend other sinners?