I just learned about this tonight and don't have a whole lot of information on it yet, but I think this is a good time to make this known so that we can be praying that God will intervene on our behalf. We live in a society where people have forgotten the Lord and there is very little fear of God today in our country. So, we have people being the top influences for our country by being in the media, as well as other places, where people who have little or no convictions about issues will follow whatever fad comes their way. I will copy and paste the information here, along with the corresponding web sites.
Can we see that this is just not a funny story. This is serious. The devil would like nothing more than to steal the minds of our children. This is just one reason why we need to 'Pray for the church and pray for the country'.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Children's Network Launches Transsexual Superhero Show
Nothing says “child-appropriate material” quite like gender-bending underage superheroes. At least that’s the theory over at the Hub http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-hub-20130528,0,5722419.story , the network co-owned by Discovery and Hasbro, which is trotting out its latest soon-to-be-dud, SheZow. That show follows the adventures of a 12-year-old boy named Guy who uses a magic ring to transform himself into a crime-fighting girl. Yes, you read that correctly. When Guy says the magic words – “You go girl!” – he becomes SheZow, wearing a purple skirt and cape, as well as pink gloves and white boots.
The chief executive of the Hub, who may or may not have been high (and leftist) when she greenlit this project, is Margaret Loesch. Loesch commented, “When I first heard about the show, my reaction was ‘Are you out of your minds?’ Then I looked at it and I thought, ‘This is just funny.’”
The target audience for the Hub is children aged two to eleven.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Pray For Oklahoma
This is a time for grieving and mourning the loss of lives of human beings who lived in Oklahoma killed in the tornado yesterday. Many lost homes and cars, but nothing compares to losing a loved one. Furniture and houses can be replaced and repaired, but lives that are lost can never be replaced. Many will suffer in unimaginable grief, and we are touched today because of their losses, but in the months and years to come, we will not remember the tragedy that took the lives of these people. The shock will wear off and our lives will go back to normal soon.
The Bible has a lot to say about remembering. We need to remember God's faithfulness to us. We need to look back on our lives and see the milestones that we placed there as memorials of God's faithfulness to each of us. We also need to remember those who are suffering. Their grief will continue as time goes on. We need to be praying for those who are afflicted and who have been affected by the recent tragedies in our country.
We as human beings are continually trying to come up with an answer that will suffice when it comes to suffering. We get bits and pieces of the puzzle, and sometimes we get answers. But we will never really be satisfied until we are content with Him. God is not distant to those who are suffering. In fact, the Bible says the He is near to the brokenhearted. He saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). God weeps with us when we are weeping. The church is to weep with those who are weeping. Can we do that? We can't do the grieving for those who are grief stricken, but we can walk along side them as they grieve, and grieve with them. That is what they need most. They need to know that God loves them and hasn't abandoned them, nor is He punishing them. He isn't on some remote planet, unavailable to us. He is here in our midst. He wants to comfort the grieving.
We can pray for the restoration of the material things that were lost. We can also pray that God will heal their broken hearts and reveal Himself to those who don't know Him yet. We can show mercy and compassion to the hurting. That is what we should do as a body of believers.
The Bible has a lot to say about remembering. We need to remember God's faithfulness to us. We need to look back on our lives and see the milestones that we placed there as memorials of God's faithfulness to each of us. We also need to remember those who are suffering. Their grief will continue as time goes on. We need to be praying for those who are afflicted and who have been affected by the recent tragedies in our country.
We as human beings are continually trying to come up with an answer that will suffice when it comes to suffering. We get bits and pieces of the puzzle, and sometimes we get answers. But we will never really be satisfied until we are content with Him. God is not distant to those who are suffering. In fact, the Bible says the He is near to the brokenhearted. He saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). God weeps with us when we are weeping. The church is to weep with those who are weeping. Can we do that? We can't do the grieving for those who are grief stricken, but we can walk along side them as they grieve, and grieve with them. That is what they need most. They need to know that God loves them and hasn't abandoned them, nor is He punishing them. He isn't on some remote planet, unavailable to us. He is here in our midst. He wants to comfort the grieving.
We can pray for the restoration of the material things that were lost. We can also pray that God will heal their broken hearts and reveal Himself to those who don't know Him yet. We can show mercy and compassion to the hurting. That is what we should do as a body of believers.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Why Westboro is Wrong
"These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town." Matthew 10:5-15 ESV.
While the Bible talks about severe punishment upon those who commit immorality of any kind, I never realized that the punishment for the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah would be lighter than the punishment for those who reject the Gospel.
When Jesus was living on earth, He did many wonderful things. He did things that no other person had ever done before His coming, nor after He was resurrected and ascended back up to heaven. People knew there was a difference. In fact, many looked forward to encountering Jesus because they knew He could heal them, or miraculously feed them. It was when Jesus started teaching people that they turned away from Him, and ultimately rejected Him.
All sin is serious before God. In Proverbs 6:16-19, there is a list of things that God hates. They are; 1. a lying tongue, 2. haughty eyes, 3. hands that shed innocent blood (this applies to abortion as well), 4. a heart that devises wicked plans, 5. feet that make haste to do evil, 6. a false witness who breathes out lies, and 7. one who sows discord among brothers. In Revelation 21:8, we read of a list of people who will be thrown in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. They are listed as, the cowardly, the unfaithful, detestable and murders, the sexually immoral, idolators, sorcerers and liars. And finally, although the list is not exhaustive, we can read in 1 Corinthians 6 a list of people who practice certain things that will keep them out of heaven. These things are; immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greediness, swindling, drunkenness, and those who practice reviling (not really sure what that is). So we have some listings of what God hates and will punish. Included, among many other things, is homosexualism. Homosexualism is one form of immorality. Committing adultery, as well as flirting in a sexual, lustful way are acts of immorality as well. In the Old Testament, God also prescribed punishments for certain acts, such as stoning for blasphemy. God is angry with sin and will ultimately punish all sin, One Day.
What does this have to do with Westboro? For those of you who are not familiar with who Westboro is, you have probably seen them on T.V. when the news is on. This group of Primitive Baptists are known for their protests at funerals announcing God's hatred for Gay people, who they refer to as 'fags'.
There are a number of things wrong with what Westboro does. If you look at the Scripture passage at the top of the page from Matthew 10, you will see that Jesus has something interesting to say to the people about God's judgments. He is telling us that God is going to judge people more severely who reject the Gospel, than those who are Gay. I have to wonder why Jesus said that the people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented in sackcloth and ashes if they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, and heard His message of salvation. Can Gay people really repent and be saved? Jesus seemed to indicate that they could and they would have. Westboro doesn't preach a message of repentance and hope. They only inform people that America is going to be destroyed because of the Gay people who are here. If you were a Gay person, and you heard or watched Westboro's activities, would you feel like there is hope for you to repent and be saved, or would you feel like just throwing in the towel and responding by believing that God hates you because you are Gay?
Another thing wrong with Westboro and their message, is that they fail to represent what God is like. One of God's characteristics is love. Does Westboro's activities manifest God's love? God's love provided the Ultimate Sacrifice that paid completely for our sins. Does Westboro preach that? I haven't heard it yet. All I have seen is their signs indicating that God hates people (I also saw one of their signs that says 'God Hates Islam'). It's true that God hates sin, but if we left it at that, we would have no hope. God loves us and wants us to experience salvation and a new heart. Westboro does not offer that.
Here is something else wrong, seriously wrong; When Jesus confronted the Scribes and Pharisees on their hypocrisy, He had some hard words for them. For one thing, they would receive the greater condemnation. The judgment upon them was going to be greater than on other people in other generations. These people really tried hard to perfectly keep the Law, yet they missed the heart of the matter. We see this too, with Westboro. Westboro focuses on mainly one type of sin, and, because they do not practice that particular type of sin, they think they are off the hook. They don't realize that their sins go even deeper than those of homosexualism. They are the ones who need to repent. In Proverbs 6, as listed above, one of the abominations that God hates is 'haughty eyes'. Haughty eyes are a description of pride. Do a search at http://www.biblegateway.com on the word 'pride'. See what God thinks of that. The opposite of pride is humility. Humility admits that we don't know everything and that we don't have everything perfectly in order in our lives. It makes room for love and servanthood. Pride goes before a fall, and God resists prideful people. We certainly don't see humility in Westboro, but pride. There is no power of God behind them. They act like a cult, and if someone were to leave, they would not make it easy for that to happen.
There were a couple of girls, from families who were the main people heading up this organization called Westboro. These girls, which I believe were cousins, were able to escape. Their families cut them off. This is exactly what cults do when their members try to leave. It is a form of manipulation to get the person to do what the leadership wants them to do. In organizations like Westboro, people do not respond because they are envisioned with what the movement is doing, but because they have been brought in and they will obey the leaders out of being controlled by them, rather than by being loved by them.
Finally, in Matthew 7, the first several verses talk about judging people. At first, Jesus warns not to judge others. He goes on to explain that we will be judged in the same way we judge others. Then He continues to explain that we need to look first at our own hearts and sin, before we can help others to see their own sin. Once we do that, we can judge others, because we will show mercy and compassion, and our motives will be right. Westboro doesn't do that. They would be like the Pharisees and think they do not have any sin to deal with. Our own sins are invisible to us, many times, but others can see them. That is why we need fellowship, relationships, and accountability. These can help us find our sins, and we can serve others effectively in dealing with sin. Westboro doesn't look at their own logs. They are trying to make notice of the splinters in the lives of other people, yet they totally disregard the logs in their own eyes, and think they are doing God's will.
So let's recap. Westboro focuses on one type of sin, and disregards other sins. Westboro doesn't offer repentance to the sinner, but just the announcement of judgment without hope. The main characteristic of Westboro is pride, which God is opposed to. The sin of Westboro, which is similar to the Scribes and Pharisees, is more serious to God, than the sin of Sodomy. Westboro deals with the splinters of the Gay community, without removing the logs in their own eyes. Their sin is invisible to them.
If you are a person who has mistakenly thought that Westboro is a group of Christians doing evangelism, take heart. The story of the Gospel is beautiful. God's love is manifested in the Gospel. Westboro doesn't represent the God who loves and sent His Son to pay the price for sinners, so they don't have to be damned. This group totally misrepresents the true and living God.
If you are Gay, and you have listened to their message, take heart. God doesn't desire for anyone to perish, whether you are Gay, or a murderer, or a liar, adulterer, and so on. Yes, God will punish sin. No one is good enough for heaven. We all deserve to die and go to hell. God has made a way out. We don't have to face His judgment. If you want more information on this, please visit http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com, http://test4gp.wordpress.com, or, http://thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com There is hope for the worst types of sinners in the Gospel bathed in God's love.
While the Bible talks about severe punishment upon those who commit immorality of any kind, I never realized that the punishment for the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah would be lighter than the punishment for those who reject the Gospel.
When Jesus was living on earth, He did many wonderful things. He did things that no other person had ever done before His coming, nor after He was resurrected and ascended back up to heaven. People knew there was a difference. In fact, many looked forward to encountering Jesus because they knew He could heal them, or miraculously feed them. It was when Jesus started teaching people that they turned away from Him, and ultimately rejected Him.
All sin is serious before God. In Proverbs 6:16-19, there is a list of things that God hates. They are; 1. a lying tongue, 2. haughty eyes, 3. hands that shed innocent blood (this applies to abortion as well), 4. a heart that devises wicked plans, 5. feet that make haste to do evil, 6. a false witness who breathes out lies, and 7. one who sows discord among brothers. In Revelation 21:8, we read of a list of people who will be thrown in the Lake of Fire for all eternity. They are listed as, the cowardly, the unfaithful, detestable and murders, the sexually immoral, idolators, sorcerers and liars. And finally, although the list is not exhaustive, we can read in 1 Corinthians 6 a list of people who practice certain things that will keep them out of heaven. These things are; immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greediness, swindling, drunkenness, and those who practice reviling (not really sure what that is). So we have some listings of what God hates and will punish. Included, among many other things, is homosexualism. Homosexualism is one form of immorality. Committing adultery, as well as flirting in a sexual, lustful way are acts of immorality as well. In the Old Testament, God also prescribed punishments for certain acts, such as stoning for blasphemy. God is angry with sin and will ultimately punish all sin, One Day.
What does this have to do with Westboro? For those of you who are not familiar with who Westboro is, you have probably seen them on T.V. when the news is on. This group of Primitive Baptists are known for their protests at funerals announcing God's hatred for Gay people, who they refer to as 'fags'.
There are a number of things wrong with what Westboro does. If you look at the Scripture passage at the top of the page from Matthew 10, you will see that Jesus has something interesting to say to the people about God's judgments. He is telling us that God is going to judge people more severely who reject the Gospel, than those who are Gay. I have to wonder why Jesus said that the people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented in sackcloth and ashes if they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, and heard His message of salvation. Can Gay people really repent and be saved? Jesus seemed to indicate that they could and they would have. Westboro doesn't preach a message of repentance and hope. They only inform people that America is going to be destroyed because of the Gay people who are here. If you were a Gay person, and you heard or watched Westboro's activities, would you feel like there is hope for you to repent and be saved, or would you feel like just throwing in the towel and responding by believing that God hates you because you are Gay?
Another thing wrong with Westboro and their message, is that they fail to represent what God is like. One of God's characteristics is love. Does Westboro's activities manifest God's love? God's love provided the Ultimate Sacrifice that paid completely for our sins. Does Westboro preach that? I haven't heard it yet. All I have seen is their signs indicating that God hates people (I also saw one of their signs that says 'God Hates Islam'). It's true that God hates sin, but if we left it at that, we would have no hope. God loves us and wants us to experience salvation and a new heart. Westboro does not offer that.
Here is something else wrong, seriously wrong; When Jesus confronted the Scribes and Pharisees on their hypocrisy, He had some hard words for them. For one thing, they would receive the greater condemnation. The judgment upon them was going to be greater than on other people in other generations. These people really tried hard to perfectly keep the Law, yet they missed the heart of the matter. We see this too, with Westboro. Westboro focuses on mainly one type of sin, and, because they do not practice that particular type of sin, they think they are off the hook. They don't realize that their sins go even deeper than those of homosexualism. They are the ones who need to repent. In Proverbs 6, as listed above, one of the abominations that God hates is 'haughty eyes'. Haughty eyes are a description of pride. Do a search at http://www.biblegateway.com on the word 'pride'. See what God thinks of that. The opposite of pride is humility. Humility admits that we don't know everything and that we don't have everything perfectly in order in our lives. It makes room for love and servanthood. Pride goes before a fall, and God resists prideful people. We certainly don't see humility in Westboro, but pride. There is no power of God behind them. They act like a cult, and if someone were to leave, they would not make it easy for that to happen.
There were a couple of girls, from families who were the main people heading up this organization called Westboro. These girls, which I believe were cousins, were able to escape. Their families cut them off. This is exactly what cults do when their members try to leave. It is a form of manipulation to get the person to do what the leadership wants them to do. In organizations like Westboro, people do not respond because they are envisioned with what the movement is doing, but because they have been brought in and they will obey the leaders out of being controlled by them, rather than by being loved by them.
Finally, in Matthew 7, the first several verses talk about judging people. At first, Jesus warns not to judge others. He goes on to explain that we will be judged in the same way we judge others. Then He continues to explain that we need to look first at our own hearts and sin, before we can help others to see their own sin. Once we do that, we can judge others, because we will show mercy and compassion, and our motives will be right. Westboro doesn't do that. They would be like the Pharisees and think they do not have any sin to deal with. Our own sins are invisible to us, many times, but others can see them. That is why we need fellowship, relationships, and accountability. These can help us find our sins, and we can serve others effectively in dealing with sin. Westboro doesn't look at their own logs. They are trying to make notice of the splinters in the lives of other people, yet they totally disregard the logs in their own eyes, and think they are doing God's will.
So let's recap. Westboro focuses on one type of sin, and disregards other sins. Westboro doesn't offer repentance to the sinner, but just the announcement of judgment without hope. The main characteristic of Westboro is pride, which God is opposed to. The sin of Westboro, which is similar to the Scribes and Pharisees, is more serious to God, than the sin of Sodomy. Westboro deals with the splinters of the Gay community, without removing the logs in their own eyes. Their sin is invisible to them.
If you are a person who has mistakenly thought that Westboro is a group of Christians doing evangelism, take heart. The story of the Gospel is beautiful. God's love is manifested in the Gospel. Westboro doesn't represent the God who loves and sent His Son to pay the price for sinners, so they don't have to be damned. This group totally misrepresents the true and living God.
If you are Gay, and you have listened to their message, take heart. God doesn't desire for anyone to perish, whether you are Gay, or a murderer, or a liar, adulterer, and so on. Yes, God will punish sin. No one is good enough for heaven. We all deserve to die and go to hell. God has made a way out. We don't have to face His judgment. If you want more information on this, please visit http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com, http://test4gp.wordpress.com, or, http://thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com There is hope for the worst types of sinners in the Gospel bathed in God's love.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
We Still Need To Pray For The Captives To Be Set Free
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answastinger;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:6-12 ESV
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answastinger;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
12 And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:6-12 ESV
I wonder if sometimes, we are just a naive people. Perhaps we think people are basically good unless they are put in a bad environment. We fail, so many times, to see that 'every inclination of man is evil'. Being in a civilized society helps us to live, well, civilized. If we weren't civilized, we would probably kill each other. Maybe we wouldn't even have been born because everyone would have killed each other by the time we came along (or would have come along)!
What we don't realize, or maybe we just don't want to believe it, but, child abductions, child abuse, sex trade victims, black market kidnappings, Satanic Ritual Abuse, abortion, rape, spousal abuse, and a host of many other things are rampant in our society. The problem behind all of these things is simply that they remain 'hidden'.
The problem is that society doesn't have the means of detecting child abuse or finding people that are held hostage by a captor. We need to take this subject seriously though, for many, many people are affected by it. Many more down the road will also be affected by these crimes.
One reason why this kind of criminal activity is high, is because it is easy to keep it hidden. Take for example, the three women who were found in a house in Cleveland, Ohio, who were held there as hostages for ten years. No one really knew what was going on. But, when we pray, look what God can do. He can "bring to light those things which are hidden." Think about how grateful these women are today. Did you catch the one who was too ashamed to look at the camera, but as she knew the cameras were on her, she gave a big thumbs up to show her appreciation.
Do you realize how many people walking around us today, are like the man who kidnapped these women? Don't look at appearances. They will fool you. There are probably scores of men, and even women who carry out these kinds of activities. They are beyond being ashamed. They have been so damaged in their lives, by people who have abused them, that they don't even know which end is up anymore (I am not saying that they aren't accountable. They will stand before God and be judged for their sins, as will everyone else). Many of them are perverted because someone who was perverted destroyed them. This cycle will continue to go on, unless God intervenes and breaks it.
God was showing His mercy to these three Cleveland women. I believe those who are His are praying for those held captive. The reason people continue to do this kind of criminal activity, is because there is no fear of God in their eyes. There is no fear of God, partly because they can sin and get away with it. A big reason they get away with it is because we have not been praying for that.
We live in a land of prosperity and God has blessed us with so much, but instead of being faithful with what He has given us, we spend it on ourselves and want (and expect) more. This is what happened with the Israelites throughout History. They pulled away from God. They sinned. They reaped the terrible consequences of their sins. They repented and turned back to God. God blessed them. They prospered. Then they forgot God again. They sinned. They reaped the terrible consequences of their sins again. This cycle happened over and over again. This is what happens when we have too much. It will never be enough and we will always want more. Then we forget God. Then people suffer. We suffer. Terrible crimes are committed and the criminals get away with it. It's all part of the territory of being selfish. We can't have God's blessings and be selfish. Either we will serve God, or we will serve ourselves. We can't do both.
Part of our response to hidden acts of crime, should be to pray and seek God. We should humble ourselves before God, once again. God created us for a relationship with Him. We try everything else, but this one. But what does the Bible say? When we truly turn to God, the chains will be broken. The darkness will be exposed to the light. People will be set free. The power of the Cross will be available to people. People will worship God instead of living for crime. People will see something greater than themselves to give their lives for.
This is why it is time to pray for the church in America. It is time to pray for our country. We need to pray for the hidden works of darkness to be exposed. We need the fear of God restored to our country. Those who are being held captive right now, will thank you one day for praying.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Blending In and Being A Light?
The Bible tells us that we are to 'become all things to all me' that we might win some of them to the Lord. What was Paul trying to do here? He was becoming all things to all men, so that he might win them. But win them to what? He might win some of them, so they could be saved.
In order for us to 'win' people to the Lord, so that they might be saved, we have to become all things to them. People will be able to relate to us, if we can relate to them. The Gospel will be more accessible to them. It will make more sense to them.
But we have to be careful here as well. This verse found in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 is not telling us to sin in order to save sinners. We can become like other people, and we don't have to sin in order to accomplish this.
Other verses give a different perspective on this, and can be confusing to us, if we don't understand them properly. The Bible tells us, "“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-18. ESV
Some people think that these verse mean that we have to take ourselves out of the world. After all, God says that we need to be 'separate' from people who are sinners, right? If we take the verses before verses 16-18, they are talking about being involved in relationships that would involve a commitment, such as marriage or perhaps business. It makes a reference to worship. Christians cannot worship and have that level of fellowship with nonbelievers. It just doesn't work. That's why marriages with one person being a believer and the other a non-believer, is extremely hard. We aren't to become involved in marriage relationships with unbelievers if we know the Lord. But people who are not taking those verses in context, mean them to say that we should not even be friends with people who don't know the Lord. But if we aren't friends with people in the world, how can we expect to win them to the Lord? How will they ever feel comfortable coming to us, should they be interested in the things of God? They would see us as 'above' them, although in reality, they will see right through us and we would appear to be hypocrites, because whether we believe it or not, we have our own sins to deal with. We might not see our sin, but be assured, others do. See Matthew 7, the first 5 verses.
So then, how is the church to be a light? It would seem that if we are relatable to people, as Paul recommends, then wouldn't we blend in? Not necessarily. Remember that becoming all things to all people doesn't mean participating in their sin. Jesus was a friend of sinners, but He never participated in their sin. Many who were living in flagrant sin, understood the Gospel, and were changed people during the time Jesus ministered to them.
What would make people in the church appear to the darkened world as a light? There are certain characteristics that mark the true church. One of them is love. 1 Corinthians 13 describes what love is. Bible Gateway - 1 Corinthians 13 . We think of love as something that makes us happy. Love can make us happy, but the kind of love we are familiar with is a selfish love. That is not what the Bible is talking about. We have to be in relationship with one another to express love.
Another noble trait that makes the church shine, is humility. Without humility, you can forget about God being glorified in the church. We either lift up God, or we exalt ourselves. Do we want our church to point to us, and make us look glamorous, or do we want God to be shown for who He is, as we live out our lives together? God's presence isn't even there where there is pride. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Servanthood ties in with humility and love. The Bible tells us to esteem others better than ourselves. There are a multitude of different ways of serving one another. When the Apostles got together, they pulled all their resources together and distributed them as needed. The Bible tells us that there was no needy person among them. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6, to bear one another's burdens. With the grace of God, we can help pull a brother or sister who has been entangled in sin, out of their bondage. We are to put other people before ourselves. Jesus gave the best example of serving by laying down His life for us. We can lay down our lives for one another as we seek to serve them instead of ourselves. One person put it this way; 'We live our lives in order to make others successful.' This, of course, doesn't mean we quit our jobs so others can take our place and be promoted. Success encompasses all areas of life, especially the spiritual. We can help make others spiritually successful by serving them.
We are in the world, but not of it. We have Christian plumbers, as well as unbelievers for our plumbers. We live in neighborhoods with Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Hindus, and an assortment of all kinds of people. We don't go to a remote island to get away from them. We live in their neighborhoods, and God uses those positions in order for us to 'win' them so they might be saved. We don't blend in with a darkened world of sin. The light that is set on a hill is not camouflaged in a world of darkness. In fact, there is a striking difference. The light doesn't go out when we build relationships with people who don't know God. The light will grow dim and disappear, when we go so far as to participate in sin. Participation in sinful activities is not a way of relating to sinners. They need to break free from sin. You might be the only Bible they ever read. We don't identify with other people in their sins. What we do have in common though, is that we are all created in God's image, though marred by sin.
Jesus says that 'By their fruits you will know them.' He also says that He is the true vine, and we are the branches. If we abide in the vine, we will bear fruit. It is the kind of fruit that resembles God. Everyone bears fruit of some sort. It is either bad fruit or good fruit. What kind of fruit are you bearing today?
17
In order for us to 'win' people to the Lord, so that they might be saved, we have to become all things to them. People will be able to relate to us, if we can relate to them. The Gospel will be more accessible to them. It will make more sense to them.
But we have to be careful here as well. This verse found in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 is not telling us to sin in order to save sinners. We can become like other people, and we don't have to sin in order to accomplish this.
Other verses give a different perspective on this, and can be confusing to us, if we don't understand them properly. The Bible tells us, "“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-18. ESV
Some people think that these verse mean that we have to take ourselves out of the world. After all, God says that we need to be 'separate' from people who are sinners, right? If we take the verses before verses 16-18, they are talking about being involved in relationships that would involve a commitment, such as marriage or perhaps business. It makes a reference to worship. Christians cannot worship and have that level of fellowship with nonbelievers. It just doesn't work. That's why marriages with one person being a believer and the other a non-believer, is extremely hard. We aren't to become involved in marriage relationships with unbelievers if we know the Lord. But people who are not taking those verses in context, mean them to say that we should not even be friends with people who don't know the Lord. But if we aren't friends with people in the world, how can we expect to win them to the Lord? How will they ever feel comfortable coming to us, should they be interested in the things of God? They would see us as 'above' them, although in reality, they will see right through us and we would appear to be hypocrites, because whether we believe it or not, we have our own sins to deal with. We might not see our sin, but be assured, others do. See Matthew 7, the first 5 verses.
So then, how is the church to be a light? It would seem that if we are relatable to people, as Paul recommends, then wouldn't we blend in? Not necessarily. Remember that becoming all things to all people doesn't mean participating in their sin. Jesus was a friend of sinners, but He never participated in their sin. Many who were living in flagrant sin, understood the Gospel, and were changed people during the time Jesus ministered to them.
What would make people in the church appear to the darkened world as a light? There are certain characteristics that mark the true church. One of them is love. 1 Corinthians 13 describes what love is. Bible Gateway - 1 Corinthians 13 . We think of love as something that makes us happy. Love can make us happy, but the kind of love we are familiar with is a selfish love. That is not what the Bible is talking about. We have to be in relationship with one another to express love.
Another noble trait that makes the church shine, is humility. Without humility, you can forget about God being glorified in the church. We either lift up God, or we exalt ourselves. Do we want our church to point to us, and make us look glamorous, or do we want God to be shown for who He is, as we live out our lives together? God's presence isn't even there where there is pride. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Servanthood ties in with humility and love. The Bible tells us to esteem others better than ourselves. There are a multitude of different ways of serving one another. When the Apostles got together, they pulled all their resources together and distributed them as needed. The Bible tells us that there was no needy person among them. The Bible tells us in Galatians 6, to bear one another's burdens. With the grace of God, we can help pull a brother or sister who has been entangled in sin, out of their bondage. We are to put other people before ourselves. Jesus gave the best example of serving by laying down His life for us. We can lay down our lives for one another as we seek to serve them instead of ourselves. One person put it this way; 'We live our lives in order to make others successful.' This, of course, doesn't mean we quit our jobs so others can take our place and be promoted. Success encompasses all areas of life, especially the spiritual. We can help make others spiritually successful by serving them.
We are in the world, but not of it. We have Christian plumbers, as well as unbelievers for our plumbers. We live in neighborhoods with Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Hindus, and an assortment of all kinds of people. We don't go to a remote island to get away from them. We live in their neighborhoods, and God uses those positions in order for us to 'win' them so they might be saved. We don't blend in with a darkened world of sin. The light that is set on a hill is not camouflaged in a world of darkness. In fact, there is a striking difference. The light doesn't go out when we build relationships with people who don't know God. The light will grow dim and disappear, when we go so far as to participate in sin. Participation in sinful activities is not a way of relating to sinners. They need to break free from sin. You might be the only Bible they ever read. We don't identify with other people in their sins. What we do have in common though, is that we are all created in God's image, though marred by sin.
Jesus says that 'By their fruits you will know them.' He also says that He is the true vine, and we are the branches. If we abide in the vine, we will bear fruit. It is the kind of fruit that resembles God. Everyone bears fruit of some sort. It is either bad fruit or good fruit. What kind of fruit are you bearing today?
17
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Things That Are Hidden Will Come To Light - Why I Think Being Caught is a Good Thing
I was excited as I heard the news of the three young women who were found alive in the home of a man who had taken them captive ten years ago. I don't know all the details of what happened, but I do know that God is answering prayers.
I have had a burden for those who are being held in captivity, ever since I met someone who was set free from being in a home where Satanic Ritual Abuse took place. My friend explained to me that this happens all the time, and the people (parents usually) who are doing the abuse rarely, if ever, get caught. They are calling on the Powers of Darkness to keep them hidden, and he does. That is, until someone comes out from being held captive by them, and tells on them. Also, keep in mind that these children are told that if they ever tell anyone what is going on inside their homes, they will be punished or killed. These people are so ruthless, that they are not afraid of killing people if they deem it necessary. Again, the Powers of Darkness keep them hidden. And the law, many times, is too afraid to deal with them.
Today, in our country, child abuse is a serious issue, that remains hidden. Every part of society has this going on, whether they know it or not. Those in our churches practice it, but it remains unknown to all the other members most of the time. Sometimes, we hear a news report of someone who we thought was nice and safe, who has been arrested for being a pediophile. Again, we are surprised because we thought better of that person. That nice man who is always laughing with his kids and has a good job, provides well for his family, cleans his car every Saturday, we wonder how he could do something so evil.
Why do people get away with this? Why are at least 50% of the people who are murdered, never found the murderer? Why are the Satanic cults getting away with practicing Satanic Ritual Abuse and never getting caught? Why are children kidnapped and many never found?
It probably never dawned on us that we could be praying for God to be at work in all of this. We know that God is sovereign. We know that He knows everything. We know that He uses all things for the good of His people and for His glory. But we still see people getting away with murder, literally.
God's word has a lot to say about prayer. Perhaps we overlook it because it seems too simple. Maybe the problem seems so big to us, and God seems so small to us. I don't know, but I do know that it is our responsibility to pray for everything. I believe the three girls who were found yesterday was an answer to prayers. I have been praying for this kind of thing to happen. This is how God is glorified.
Now its time to pray for those who kidnapped the girls. They need the Gospel. Some people, I'm sure, are going to be tempted to think something like this; "These guys need to be punished most severely. They don't deserve to hear the Gospel. Let them burn in hell forever and ever." I can understand how a person would feel that way. These men did a very serious crime, that could have ended even worse, but thank God it didn't. I think it is a good thing the men were caught. Now they will be off the streets and made to face their crime. Others will look on and begin to respect the Law.
The Bible talks about people who don't fear God and how they go about doing evil thinking that God does not see. God does see. He will never let us get away with sin. Either we will be found out now, or we will face God in judgment, which will be so much worse. All of us deserve to be judged by God. Every little sin matters to God. That's why He sent Jesus to earth. He came to take all the punishment for our sins, whether they are big or small. He didn't do that so we could continue in sin though. He died on the Cross to break the power of sin in our lives, as well. That is what these men who kidnapped the three girls need to understand. They lived their lives out of the bondage of their sinful hearts. They need new hearts. It's not as easy as turning over a new leaf. We can't make our hearts new. Only God can. Yes, these men deserve hell for what they did. We all deserve hell for the bad things we do too. But God had mercy on us, and we don't have to get what we deserve, That is good news.
Yes, when people are found out, when they get caught in their crimes, it is an act of God's mercy. God does this to help us learn the 'fear of the Lord'. It helps to strengthen the law, and the law is here to protect people. It helps us to know that there is a difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
We pray for men and women to be caught and brought to justice, but not for revenge. God will avenge His people. If we take revenge, God will not act on our behalf. Let God do His work. The justice system is in place to take care of the criminal. It is there to protect the people from harming one another. It is God's delegated authority on earth. That is why we need to be praying for the church and praying for the country. When men and women fear God, there will be peace in the land. But it begins with us, in the church. The world is not going to pray for God to be glorified and work out His plan when tragedy strikes. That is our responsibility. We have to represent God well, and we have to be in communion with Him 24/7.
I have had a burden for those who are being held in captivity, ever since I met someone who was set free from being in a home where Satanic Ritual Abuse took place. My friend explained to me that this happens all the time, and the people (parents usually) who are doing the abuse rarely, if ever, get caught. They are calling on the Powers of Darkness to keep them hidden, and he does. That is, until someone comes out from being held captive by them, and tells on them. Also, keep in mind that these children are told that if they ever tell anyone what is going on inside their homes, they will be punished or killed. These people are so ruthless, that they are not afraid of killing people if they deem it necessary. Again, the Powers of Darkness keep them hidden. And the law, many times, is too afraid to deal with them.
Today, in our country, child abuse is a serious issue, that remains hidden. Every part of society has this going on, whether they know it or not. Those in our churches practice it, but it remains unknown to all the other members most of the time. Sometimes, we hear a news report of someone who we thought was nice and safe, who has been arrested for being a pediophile. Again, we are surprised because we thought better of that person. That nice man who is always laughing with his kids and has a good job, provides well for his family, cleans his car every Saturday, we wonder how he could do something so evil.
Why do people get away with this? Why are at least 50% of the people who are murdered, never found the murderer? Why are the Satanic cults getting away with practicing Satanic Ritual Abuse and never getting caught? Why are children kidnapped and many never found?
It probably never dawned on us that we could be praying for God to be at work in all of this. We know that God is sovereign. We know that He knows everything. We know that He uses all things for the good of His people and for His glory. But we still see people getting away with murder, literally.
God's word has a lot to say about prayer. Perhaps we overlook it because it seems too simple. Maybe the problem seems so big to us, and God seems so small to us. I don't know, but I do know that it is our responsibility to pray for everything. I believe the three girls who were found yesterday was an answer to prayers. I have been praying for this kind of thing to happen. This is how God is glorified.
Now its time to pray for those who kidnapped the girls. They need the Gospel. Some people, I'm sure, are going to be tempted to think something like this; "These guys need to be punished most severely. They don't deserve to hear the Gospel. Let them burn in hell forever and ever." I can understand how a person would feel that way. These men did a very serious crime, that could have ended even worse, but thank God it didn't. I think it is a good thing the men were caught. Now they will be off the streets and made to face their crime. Others will look on and begin to respect the Law.
The Bible talks about people who don't fear God and how they go about doing evil thinking that God does not see. God does see. He will never let us get away with sin. Either we will be found out now, or we will face God in judgment, which will be so much worse. All of us deserve to be judged by God. Every little sin matters to God. That's why He sent Jesus to earth. He came to take all the punishment for our sins, whether they are big or small. He didn't do that so we could continue in sin though. He died on the Cross to break the power of sin in our lives, as well. That is what these men who kidnapped the three girls need to understand. They lived their lives out of the bondage of their sinful hearts. They need new hearts. It's not as easy as turning over a new leaf. We can't make our hearts new. Only God can. Yes, these men deserve hell for what they did. We all deserve hell for the bad things we do too. But God had mercy on us, and we don't have to get what we deserve, That is good news.
Yes, when people are found out, when they get caught in their crimes, it is an act of God's mercy. God does this to help us learn the 'fear of the Lord'. It helps to strengthen the law, and the law is here to protect people. It helps us to know that there is a difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
We pray for men and women to be caught and brought to justice, but not for revenge. God will avenge His people. If we take revenge, God will not act on our behalf. Let God do His work. The justice system is in place to take care of the criminal. It is there to protect the people from harming one another. It is God's delegated authority on earth. That is why we need to be praying for the church and praying for the country. When men and women fear God, there will be peace in the land. But it begins with us, in the church. The world is not going to pray for God to be glorified and work out His plan when tragedy strikes. That is our responsibility. We have to represent God well, and we have to be in communion with Him 24/7.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)