Today, we live in a society where we believe we have certain 'rights' that belong to us. Many of these so called rights are really just our belief of entitlement. We think everyone owes us everything. Well, there is no teaching in the Bible of this way of thinking, but we also live in a culture which doesn't fear God, and believes that the culture shapes truth, rather than God's word.
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve. He created a man and a woman to live in a special relationship called, 'marriage'. There bodies were created to match anatomically, and they were made to compliment one another. Out of that relationship, children would come.
Marriage was the first institution by God. The family unit is the foundation for any society. Throughout the Bible, you will find instructions from God on how the different members of the family are to relate to each other.
There are instructions given to moms and dads, as well as to children. Marriage has always been in existence throughout History, even in remote civilizations. I remember hearing of one such remote civilization where there was a stiff penalty for committing adultery. This was a society that didn't even have God's word, yet they knew intuitively that committing adultery is wrong. This verifies the fact that God's word is already written in our hearts.
So, why the phenomena of divorce, and why is it so bad? The phenomena of divorce goes back to what I wrote at the beginning of this article. We have an expectation of entitlement. Somehow, we missed the places in the Bible where Jesus tells us that whoever does not forsake everything he has, is not worthy to be His disciple.
The whole crux of what the Bible says about our problem is simply this; we are selfish. We are autonomous, and we will do whatever we want to do to get what we want, no matter who we hurt, or how much it costs someone else. We want to call the shots, and we don't want anyone telling us what to do.
God created the first man and woman without flaws. Of course, they were tempted by the Enemy of our souls, and fell. Now all of us think sin is great and we don't want to give up our 'rights' to ourselves. We think we have rights to do whatever we think will make us happy. If we are unhappy in a marriage, we think we should get out, because our 'happiness' is the most important thing around. What does God say about that though?
God created us to love and worship Him. We were made to have a relationship with Him, but because of sin, we don't have a relationship with God. God is in the light, but we are in darkness. Our selfishness causes us to want to get a divorce. We reason with ourselves that we can find someone better to take our spouse's place. God has a lot to say about that in His word.
God takes seriously the sin of committing adultery. When it comes to sexual sins, those are more serious in God's eyes. When we take vows to marry a person, God takes that seriously. We need to be very sure that the person we plan to marry is a person whom we will want to spend the rest of our lives with. We can't go into marriage thinking that if the marriage doesn't work, we can get out of it. We really can't. When we marry, we marry for life.
I'm not going to go into any kind of specific reasons that might be valid for divorce. The Bible talks about separating from a spouse if there is an unresolved conflict that would cause harm to a person. Now I am not talking about just being unhappy in a marriage. There are reasons, such as physical abuse, that would provide a valid reason for a person not staying with the abusive spouse. But today, we think that if we are not happy in a marriage, then we should get out of it.
Divorce breaks the family unit apart, and people suffer. Women are forced to go to work, and many cannot find jobs that pay enough to support the children. Sons need a dad to help them mature properly. Dads provide security for the family, while moms provide tender loving care for the family members.
In 1970, when Ronald Reagan was governor of California, he made legal 'no fault divorce', and ever since that time, the family unit has broken down. Society will end up crumbling if this is not remedied.
What's amazing to me is the group of men who divorce their wives and leave their children, and never even support their family after they are gone. Men commit adultery and leave everyone in the family high and dry. I know of one family where this happened, and the daughter became suicidal. This particular man was so set on leaving his wife for another woman, that he even looked upon his precious children with disdain. Why? Because they got in the way of what he wanted. He felt 'entitled' to have his way. Friends, this is so far from how God's word tells us to live.
Women are just as bad, I must say. I know of several who found another lover and left their husbands for the other man. Have you ever thought of how this affects children?
My parents didn't believe in divorce, nor did they really argue very much, but they had two very serious arguments that I can remember. I was about seven or eight, and I remember feeling devastated while the argument went on. I felt insecure and afraid. I didn't know what it meant. It was terrifying to me, and it was only an argument. I can't imagine how I would have felt if that argument would have ended in divorce!
Friends, we need to take our marriages seriously. We don't have options to get out of marriage once we are in it. But, God will give us wisdom and grace if we seek Him, in our relationships with our spouses.
Nobody's marriage is going to be perfect. No one will live 'happily ever after'. That is a deceptive lie that we subtly believe in. Marriage is hard work, and there is nothing wrong with hard work! Society will tell you to take the easy way out, but that is not what the Bible says! Anything that is precious, is worth fighting for.
The Bible says we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and we really do love ourselves already! Our love for God is measured by how we love our neighbor. In marriage, our spouse is our 'neighbor'. We cause divorce to happen because we don't love. Love is not self serving. Love is sacrificing our wants and desires so that others can be blessed and successful. But in America today, we think we love, when we really are just being selfish. Yes, we do love. We love ourselves, and if anyone gets in our way, we don't love them. Our spouses get in the way of our loving ourselves, and that is why there are so many divorces, even among Christians who say they believe the Bible is God's word.
The answer to the dilemma is simple, yet it takes a work of God, and a desperation of our hearts to want to be changed. We can love God and our spouse, but only with a new heart that God gives us, when we repent and come to Christ. That heart can persevere through marriage and relational difficulties. That heart can say, 'not my will, but Yours, O God'. God gives us the grace to say, 'no' to sin, and 'yes' to righteousness. Only with a new heart from God will we be filled with the love of God.
Of course, we can't be responsible for a spouse who has a hardened heart. But we can love him or her and faithfully pray for this spouse. I think if we pray for one another, and serve on another in humility, we could spare many marriages from breaking up.
So, when marriage becomes difficult, don't give up! Marriage is difficult, but God gives the grace for us to change. Our marriages can become beautiful pictures of Christ's relationship to the church. May we all learn to love our spouses and build a legacy for our children by creating a secure family unit for them to grow up in and develop in.
God doesn't give us relationships to make us happy. He gives us relationships to make us holy. If we think this is boring, we might want to check our hearts and see if we really do have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If the love of God is not in our hearts for one another, we need to be concerned.
For more information on repentance and sin, please go to http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com
Monday, August 25, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Gideon Bibles Are Being Removed From Travelodge Hotels in the U.K.
I think this is happening in the U.K. and I am not sure that it is happening in any other country yet, but this is something we can be praying for.
Travelodge, a motel chain, has taken all the Gideon Bibles out of their rooms, due to the refurbishing of the rooms, according to Travelodge.
"A spokesman for Travelodge said: “The reason is because of diversity. With the country being increasingly multicultural, we didn’t feel it was appropriate to just have the Bible”.
The practice of placing Bibles in hotel rooms started over 120 years ago. Today, the Gideons International is continuing to carry on this tradition, and their work is spread out to over 190 countries world-wide.
Today, God is no longer feared, and we are in danger of living in a Godless society, with all the harm and difficulties that come with that. It will get increasingly harder as time goes on, to live in a place where God is no longer acknowledged. That is why we need to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/travelodge-removes-bibles-from-its-rooms/
Travelodge, a motel chain, has taken all the Gideon Bibles out of their rooms, due to the refurbishing of the rooms, according to Travelodge.
"A spokesman for Travelodge said: “The reason is because of diversity. With the country being increasingly multicultural, we didn’t feel it was appropriate to just have the Bible”.
The practice of placing Bibles in hotel rooms started over 120 years ago. Today, the Gideons International is continuing to carry on this tradition, and their work is spread out to over 190 countries world-wide.
Today, God is no longer feared, and we are in danger of living in a Godless society, with all the harm and difficulties that come with that. It will get increasingly harder as time goes on, to live in a place where God is no longer acknowledged. That is why we need to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/travelodge-removes-bibles-from-its-rooms/
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Thumbs Up on Dinesh D'souza's Movie, America
I missed seeing the movie, 2016, but I did get to see the movie, America, Imagine a World Without Her, a couple of weeks ago. It was sad that there were only 4 people in the movie theater, and that Costco decided to remove the book by D'Souza from their shelves (I have heard that they changed their minds).
It was so enlightening, because I have heard many people complaining about how America stole their land from the Native Americans and how Columbus killed thousands of people, meaning that America is a country that was established by conquest. The movie explains why this is a falsehood.
People have been conquering other nations since the time of the fall of Adam. That is the effect of the fall on mankind. God was angry with people and destroyed everyone, except 8 people. Once everyone got out of the Ark, and civilization started again, so did fighting and conquering.
Our current president wants us to believe that America is a nation that was started because of conquest. If you know anything about History, you know that this is not true. There were many conquerors who did try to win America, but were not successful.
America is a nation that was built upon the ambition of many people. People used their talents and skills and created a society where we could all live together and benefit each other. That is what free enterprise is all about. We use our skills to build and to serve, not to conquer and overcome other people groups.
Most certainly, there were people who lived in Early America, who were users and abusers. But they did not found our country. They did not have good work ethics. Their goal was to become rich by finding gold, not by working hard at a job which in turn helps build the community.
There were a lot of good points in the movie, and I was so intrigued, that I bought the audio book of America, Imagine A World Without Her. It's not hard to find the hidden agenda that is in the hearts of the united Liberals today.
It was so enlightening, because I have heard many people complaining about how America stole their land from the Native Americans and how Columbus killed thousands of people, meaning that America is a country that was established by conquest. The movie explains why this is a falsehood.
People have been conquering other nations since the time of the fall of Adam. That is the effect of the fall on mankind. God was angry with people and destroyed everyone, except 8 people. Once everyone got out of the Ark, and civilization started again, so did fighting and conquering.
Our current president wants us to believe that America is a nation that was started because of conquest. If you know anything about History, you know that this is not true. There were many conquerors who did try to win America, but were not successful.
America is a nation that was built upon the ambition of many people. People used their talents and skills and created a society where we could all live together and benefit each other. That is what free enterprise is all about. We use our skills to build and to serve, not to conquer and overcome other people groups.
Most certainly, there were people who lived in Early America, who were users and abusers. But they did not found our country. They did not have good work ethics. Their goal was to become rich by finding gold, not by working hard at a job which in turn helps build the community.
There were a lot of good points in the movie, and I was so intrigued, that I bought the audio book of America, Imagine A World Without Her. It's not hard to find the hidden agenda that is in the hearts of the united Liberals today.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
God Intended Us For Pleasure? Really? What Saith The Scriptures?
I'm going to put this article on this particular blog, as I have lots of blogs to choose from. I want to put it on the blog that corresponds best with the topic at hand.
I am troubled by something, and I can't quite pinpoint what it is. But, after reading an article a little while ago, I think I have come closer to identifying what the problem is.
The foundation of why I am writing has to do with the condition of the church. (By church, I mean the body of Christ, in general, not any particular church). I know I sound like a complainer, at times, but I want to communicate something on my heart, that I believe we could pray for and see God at work in.
The condition/health of our nation is related to the condition/health of the church. If the church generally believes that the Bible is no longer authoritative, in the way it used to be, then we are in trouble. If the church loses the 'fear of the Lord' it will no longer be the light in the community it was intended to be, and it will no longer be the salt that preserves what is valuable in society.
About 40 years ago, Madeline Murray O'Hair went to court and succeeded in having prayer taken out of our schools. Also, the 10 Commandments were no longer allowed to be in our school systems as well as in any governmentally owned buildings. This was unfortunate, for now, all kinds of chaos has been taking place in our society, and God is being mocked every day, while the authority of Scriptures declines.
Today, people commit all kinds of crimes, yet never get caught. Even if the speed limit is 50, and someone goes 75, police do not care anymore. Many of them will go 75 in a 50 miles speed limit zone. The standard of right and wrong is disappearing.
Let's get to what is bothering me though. I hear supposed Christians saying things like, 'When Scripture and culture are at odds with each other, Scripture must bow to the culture." No wonder people think it is ok to sleep together or get an abortion. In their minds, God must not have known how hard life would be in America, in the 21st Century!
Why is this thinking so prevalent? I will give you an example of something I read tonight, from an article in 'Christianity Today'. See what you think.
"To counter hook-up culture, Christians remind young people if they follow God's good design, it will actually be better for them. The hook-up culture promises freedom, excitement, and the occasional orgasm, Christians promise something more. Within the confines of a loving, committed, marital relationship sex is actually the most satisfying and enjoyable.
I am troubled by something, and I can't quite pinpoint what it is. But, after reading an article a little while ago, I think I have come closer to identifying what the problem is.
The foundation of why I am writing has to do with the condition of the church. (By church, I mean the body of Christ, in general, not any particular church). I know I sound like a complainer, at times, but I want to communicate something on my heart, that I believe we could pray for and see God at work in.
The condition/health of our nation is related to the condition/health of the church. If the church generally believes that the Bible is no longer authoritative, in the way it used to be, then we are in trouble. If the church loses the 'fear of the Lord' it will no longer be the light in the community it was intended to be, and it will no longer be the salt that preserves what is valuable in society.
About 40 years ago, Madeline Murray O'Hair went to court and succeeded in having prayer taken out of our schools. Also, the 10 Commandments were no longer allowed to be in our school systems as well as in any governmentally owned buildings. This was unfortunate, for now, all kinds of chaos has been taking place in our society, and God is being mocked every day, while the authority of Scriptures declines.
Today, people commit all kinds of crimes, yet never get caught. Even if the speed limit is 50, and someone goes 75, police do not care anymore. Many of them will go 75 in a 50 miles speed limit zone. The standard of right and wrong is disappearing.
Let's get to what is bothering me though. I hear supposed Christians saying things like, 'When Scripture and culture are at odds with each other, Scripture must bow to the culture." No wonder people think it is ok to sleep together or get an abortion. In their minds, God must not have known how hard life would be in America, in the 21st Century!
Why is this thinking so prevalent? I will give you an example of something I read tonight, from an article in 'Christianity Today'. See what you think.
"To counter hook-up culture, Christians remind young people if they follow God's good design, it will actually be better for them. The hook-up culture promises freedom, excitement, and the occasional orgasm, Christians promise something more. Within the confines of a loving, committed, marital relationship sex is actually the most satisfying and enjoyable.
In some ways, they're right. God intended us for pleasure. He created sex, and he made sex good."
Did you catch it? I hope as you read the excerpt, you will see it right away. If you didn't, here it is: "God intended us for pleasure". Really?? Where is that in the Bible? I thought the Bible says that God created us for His pleasure?
Here is another one. This one is written by a 'Christian' Blogger who is struggling with the CCM director on his decision to dismiss Amy Grant due to her having an affair, and divorcing Gary Chapman. The blogger is pleading with this director to allow Amy Grant to stay in CCM, but the director believes that divorce is not an option for people who want to get out of their marriage (except for the case of adultery).
"Amy Grant made a very bad choice in divorcing Gary
Chapman. But from what she says in the CCM piece that I linked, it seems
that her relationship with Gary Chapman had deteriorated to the point where
there were no good choices left for her to make. In our fallen world,
sometimes that’s how it is. Sometimes there just aren’t any good choices;
sometimes one is forced to choose the “least worst” alternative.
But whatever the case may be, God’s grace and redemptive power
is big enough to cover all of it. This is the big idea in Turner’s piece,
that Amy Grant had found redemption for her failure to fulfill her marriage
vows to Gary Chapman by leaning hard into the Gospel. Too bad that his
boss was blinded to this by his concern for upholding what he understood to be
God’s moral absolutes."
Really? Again? What is wrong with holding up God's moral absolutes? C'mon people. Do we really believe that God made us so we can have a blast and ignore His statutes when they violate our fun? Do we think God is some kind of cosmic Santa Claus waiting to bless us with pleasure and fun all the time? How have we gotten so far away from the truth? Who are we to not uphold His laws any more?
Do you see a problem here? Do you see that many in the modern church do not know God? They do not know what He is like. God doesn't change. He wants us to have a relationship with Him, but He is holy and we are selfish. These people think that God made us to be selfish and that He caters to us, but nothing is further from the truth!
What God has is so much better, and so much higher than any of us can imagine. First of all, God is uncreated. Everything in existence is here because He made it. God never had a beginning, nor will He have an end. God is all knowing. He knows the beginning and the end. He knows what will happen 20 billion years from now. God is all powerful. God is sovereign and in control. God is holy and perfect. God is love. God is judge. Every person will give account of his or her life to God.
God does not bend to the culture. If 100% of the people believe it is ok to sleep around and have abortions, guess what? God says 'no'. Culture will have to submit to God, if not now, it will in the future. Every knee will bow to God, and acknowledge that God is God. Richard Dawkins will bow one day and acknowledge that God is God. Hitler will face God one day. Every one of us will be before the throne of God, giving account of our lives.
If God commanded us to not commit adultery, 4,000 years ago, the same command applies to us today. We live in recycled sin. It is the same things people were doing from the time of the fall, until today, just repackaged differently.
If God says he will judge the sexually immoral, 2,000 years ago, the principle still applies today. It will apply as long as it is in existence. God's word will be valid throughout eternity.
This, of course, is why we need to 'Pray for the church, and pray for the country'.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Thoughts on D'Souza's Movie 'America; Imagine A World Without Her'
I love the idea of being an entrepreneur and have lots of ideas on how I can make this happen in my life.
I was talking with a young man yesterday who has a 'dream room' (which was a closet) filled with pictures he dreams of doing or owning in the future.
I believe God designed people to use their talents and skills to help build a society, and also the creative side of people is evidence of their being created in God's image.
Throughout History, nations have been lost due to being conquered by other nations. This has been going on since the fall of mankind, recorded in Genesis 3, and will continue until the King of Kings returns to earth to rule and reign.
In American History, situations have been written down of people coming in who have conquered other people groups and won. These would include the Native Americans, and also, in a sense, African Americans who were brought over to America as slaves. In American History, some connections have never been made, nor were they taught in our History classes that would be helpful for us to know. One of those things that needs to be brought out is the fact that, while people came over from England, primarily to be freed from a king who wanted to rule in the church, other people groups were coming to the New World as well. On the Mayflower, for example, half the people were the Pilgrims, but the other half were called, 'Adventurers'. The Pilgrims and the Adventurers did not get along well, as the Adventurers were coming to America to find gold and for adventure. They did not know the Lord, nor did they live out what the Scriptures taught. But both groups landed in America in the early 1600s.
Throughout our known History, America has always had people come to try to conquer the land. Spanish conquerers were always arriving on the shores, usually wanting to find gold. They were ruthless and heartless people. But they did not ultimately take over America. The ones who took over America did not take over the land by conquest! They settled here and built their kingdom based on peaceful principles. Unfortunately, the acts of conquest that others used are all woven into the story of the establishment of Early America, and this is an unfair understanding of what really happened and how our country came into being.
In the movie, America, D'Souza brings this out. He starts with the accusations that are used by our current president and other influential authority figures. Even college professors write books framing early America as a nation that is wealthy because of the supposed conquest of our Forefathers.
America has really been built on the work of industrious people who want to make a community work properly. There are two ways to build a kingdom. One of them is through conquest and the other is through industry. America was not built by stealing the wealth from others! America was built by people who loved to work and build their businesses. That is the way God intended for people to build their communities.
So, next time you hear the famous quote by Obama, saying 'you didn't build that', know that that statement is false. People are building businesses all around us and are being successful. They are successful because they are creating products and services that people will use. Obama's plan is to destroy all of that and build large corporations that people will have to work for instead. Pretty soon, the government will support all these large corporations, and people will not really have much choice of what they want to do for a career. Creativity will be lost. Entrepreneurship will be gone. Schools to train people for a trade will disappear. Those who grow vegetables and fruits will not be able to do so anymore, because large industrial farms will replace local farms.
This is why we need to be aware of what is going on in our government. This is why we need to pray for the church and the country. It starts in our own hearts first, then the church. The health of the church will determine the health of the nation. This is a good reason to be on our knees before the Lord of All today.
I was talking with a young man yesterday who has a 'dream room' (which was a closet) filled with pictures he dreams of doing or owning in the future.
I believe God designed people to use their talents and skills to help build a society, and also the creative side of people is evidence of their being created in God's image.
Throughout History, nations have been lost due to being conquered by other nations. This has been going on since the fall of mankind, recorded in Genesis 3, and will continue until the King of Kings returns to earth to rule and reign.
In American History, situations have been written down of people coming in who have conquered other people groups and won. These would include the Native Americans, and also, in a sense, African Americans who were brought over to America as slaves. In American History, some connections have never been made, nor were they taught in our History classes that would be helpful for us to know. One of those things that needs to be brought out is the fact that, while people came over from England, primarily to be freed from a king who wanted to rule in the church, other people groups were coming to the New World as well. On the Mayflower, for example, half the people were the Pilgrims, but the other half were called, 'Adventurers'. The Pilgrims and the Adventurers did not get along well, as the Adventurers were coming to America to find gold and for adventure. They did not know the Lord, nor did they live out what the Scriptures taught. But both groups landed in America in the early 1600s.
Throughout our known History, America has always had people come to try to conquer the land. Spanish conquerers were always arriving on the shores, usually wanting to find gold. They were ruthless and heartless people. But they did not ultimately take over America. The ones who took over America did not take over the land by conquest! They settled here and built their kingdom based on peaceful principles. Unfortunately, the acts of conquest that others used are all woven into the story of the establishment of Early America, and this is an unfair understanding of what really happened and how our country came into being.
In the movie, America, D'Souza brings this out. He starts with the accusations that are used by our current president and other influential authority figures. Even college professors write books framing early America as a nation that is wealthy because of the supposed conquest of our Forefathers.
America has really been built on the work of industrious people who want to make a community work properly. There are two ways to build a kingdom. One of them is through conquest and the other is through industry. America was not built by stealing the wealth from others! America was built by people who loved to work and build their businesses. That is the way God intended for people to build their communities.
So, next time you hear the famous quote by Obama, saying 'you didn't build that', know that that statement is false. People are building businesses all around us and are being successful. They are successful because they are creating products and services that people will use. Obama's plan is to destroy all of that and build large corporations that people will have to work for instead. Pretty soon, the government will support all these large corporations, and people will not really have much choice of what they want to do for a career. Creativity will be lost. Entrepreneurship will be gone. Schools to train people for a trade will disappear. Those who grow vegetables and fruits will not be able to do so anymore, because large industrial farms will replace local farms.
This is why we need to be aware of what is going on in our government. This is why we need to pray for the church and the country. It starts in our own hearts first, then the church. The health of the church will determine the health of the nation. This is a good reason to be on our knees before the Lord of All today.
Monday, June 30, 2014
When God is Left Out, We Feel The Effects
When I was pregnant in 1980, I thought it was just me reacting to morning sickness, but looking back, I know now that it wasn't.
It started when I noticed people breaking the speed limit wherever I went. No one was concerned about getting a ticket or hurting anyone else.
I would be seething because I knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Why did I have to obey the speed limit, yet everyone else seemed to get away with breaking it?
As one friend pointed out, today there are not consequences for wrong doing. Very few cops are actually out there giving tickets. Plus, the speeders have radar detectors in their cars, even though they are illegal to use in many places.
I have recently been perplexed by the way people live. When I was a teenager, people slept together, but they knew it was wrong, and they did it in secret. Not many were doing that, but a few did. But today, this is just a way of life for people. What happened that makes it easy for people to do this today? What happened to the human conscience?
There are a couple of reasons. I figured out what one of them is, recently. I graduated high school in 1974, and right around that time, prayer was taken out of the school system. The 10 Commandments were not allowed up in school systems anymore, and a new concept of 'separation of church and state' came about.
Separation of church and state came about when the Pilgrims came over to America in the early 1600s. In the church of England, the king made the decisions in the church. There were many restrictions that the Pilgrims did not want to cooperate with, so, they came to America with the hopes of having a church which was run by a pastor, or pastors instead of a king. This would be a valid reason for leaving a country and going to a new land. Yet, as time went on, there was always a fear that the government would once again be in control of the church. Could you imagine Obama making the decisions which govern your church?
There was concern from a group of Baptist people who lived in Danbury, CT. They were corresponding with Thomas Jefferson on this issue, and in a letter back to these people, Thomas Jefferson assured them that they would be protected from ever having the government interfere with the life of their church and the decisions the church would be making. Here is an excerpt from his letter:
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties
The government was not to make the decisions for the church, and there was a lot of fear that that would happen again.
How does this tie in with today? First of all, it has been established that the government will not interfere with the church, especially in the area of running the church and making decisions. That's not what the government is for, yet in England, that is what was happening, and why people escaped to be in a land where they could do church the way they knew God wanted it to be done.
But today, people want to take that out of text and reverse it. Instead of the government running the church, the idea has been twisted to mean that nothing of religious value is allowed to be in or part of the government, or of any governmental body or establishment. So, for a school system, that would be twisted to mean that nothing that has religious connotation can be in a school system, since the school system is supported by the government.
Madeline Murray O'Hair made a case, took it to court, and won. She made a case that ended up taking prayer out of school. It went further than that though. Now principals are telling the teachers that they can't wear a pin saying 'I love Jesus'. The 10 Commandments were taken out of the schools and aren't allowed to be put up because they have to do with 'religion' and religion cannot mix with government. How far do you think this is going to go?
It will go as far as we allow. The ball is in our court. We are either ignoring the ball, or not seeing the seriousness of the danger. We are more wrapped up in going to Disney or the beach than we are to see that our rights (as in the Bill of Rights) are protected. Some of us say that God is in control, and we give up our responsibility as stewards of what God gives us. That would be like letting our kids do anything they want, but believing that God will protect them and nothing harmful will happen to them.
Here is the connection: The 10 Commandments disappeared from our school walls. Today, a lot of people do not even know that it is wrong for men and women to sleep together outside of a marriage relationship. They are surprised when they find out. How could they know? We have kept the 10 Commandments out of view, because we have fallen for the silly lies that entered into our government about 40 years ago.
In the mid 1900s, most everyone had a Bible in their homes. Just about everyone knew what the 10 Commandments were. Almost everyone had either been a church member, or attended a church or synagogue in their lifetime. And almost everyone was familiar with John 3:16. There was a notable difference between right and wrong. But that is not so, today.
There are even 'Christian' groups who question the validity of Scripture. Some would say that when there is a conflict between Scripture and the culture, the Scriptures must bow to the culture. Some believe the Bible is outdated, or, that God wasn't aware of what problems that people in America would be facing in the 21st century. What does this say about God?
Is it any wonder people don't fear God anymore? If God isn't powerful enough or knowledgable about what we would be going through, then He isn't to be trusted. But the God of the Bible is all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere at all times, uncreated, Creator, sovereign, and a host of other things that people don't know, and churches don't teach today.
So, this is a good reason to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'. Praying begins with us, and we must take responsibility for educating people on the truth of who God is and what His word says to us. We pray and follow God, and He produces the results.
It started when I noticed people breaking the speed limit wherever I went. No one was concerned about getting a ticket or hurting anyone else.
I would be seething because I knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Why did I have to obey the speed limit, yet everyone else seemed to get away with breaking it?
As one friend pointed out, today there are not consequences for wrong doing. Very few cops are actually out there giving tickets. Plus, the speeders have radar detectors in their cars, even though they are illegal to use in many places.
I have recently been perplexed by the way people live. When I was a teenager, people slept together, but they knew it was wrong, and they did it in secret. Not many were doing that, but a few did. But today, this is just a way of life for people. What happened that makes it easy for people to do this today? What happened to the human conscience?
There are a couple of reasons. I figured out what one of them is, recently. I graduated high school in 1974, and right around that time, prayer was taken out of the school system. The 10 Commandments were not allowed up in school systems anymore, and a new concept of 'separation of church and state' came about.
Separation of church and state came about when the Pilgrims came over to America in the early 1600s. In the church of England, the king made the decisions in the church. There were many restrictions that the Pilgrims did not want to cooperate with, so, they came to America with the hopes of having a church which was run by a pastor, or pastors instead of a king. This would be a valid reason for leaving a country and going to a new land. Yet, as time went on, there was always a fear that the government would once again be in control of the church. Could you imagine Obama making the decisions which govern your church?
There was concern from a group of Baptist people who lived in Danbury, CT. They were corresponding with Thomas Jefferson on this issue, and in a letter back to these people, Thomas Jefferson assured them that they would be protected from ever having the government interfere with the life of their church and the decisions the church would be making. Here is an excerpt from his letter:
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties
The government was not to make the decisions for the church, and there was a lot of fear that that would happen again.
How does this tie in with today? First of all, it has been established that the government will not interfere with the church, especially in the area of running the church and making decisions. That's not what the government is for, yet in England, that is what was happening, and why people escaped to be in a land where they could do church the way they knew God wanted it to be done.
But today, people want to take that out of text and reverse it. Instead of the government running the church, the idea has been twisted to mean that nothing of religious value is allowed to be in or part of the government, or of any governmental body or establishment. So, for a school system, that would be twisted to mean that nothing that has religious connotation can be in a school system, since the school system is supported by the government.
Madeline Murray O'Hair made a case, took it to court, and won. She made a case that ended up taking prayer out of school. It went further than that though. Now principals are telling the teachers that they can't wear a pin saying 'I love Jesus'. The 10 Commandments were taken out of the schools and aren't allowed to be put up because they have to do with 'religion' and religion cannot mix with government. How far do you think this is going to go?
It will go as far as we allow. The ball is in our court. We are either ignoring the ball, or not seeing the seriousness of the danger. We are more wrapped up in going to Disney or the beach than we are to see that our rights (as in the Bill of Rights) are protected. Some of us say that God is in control, and we give up our responsibility as stewards of what God gives us. That would be like letting our kids do anything they want, but believing that God will protect them and nothing harmful will happen to them.
Here is the connection: The 10 Commandments disappeared from our school walls. Today, a lot of people do not even know that it is wrong for men and women to sleep together outside of a marriage relationship. They are surprised when they find out. How could they know? We have kept the 10 Commandments out of view, because we have fallen for the silly lies that entered into our government about 40 years ago.
In the mid 1900s, most everyone had a Bible in their homes. Just about everyone knew what the 10 Commandments were. Almost everyone had either been a church member, or attended a church or synagogue in their lifetime. And almost everyone was familiar with John 3:16. There was a notable difference between right and wrong. But that is not so, today.
There are even 'Christian' groups who question the validity of Scripture. Some would say that when there is a conflict between Scripture and the culture, the Scriptures must bow to the culture. Some believe the Bible is outdated, or, that God wasn't aware of what problems that people in America would be facing in the 21st century. What does this say about God?
Is it any wonder people don't fear God anymore? If God isn't powerful enough or knowledgable about what we would be going through, then He isn't to be trusted. But the God of the Bible is all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere at all times, uncreated, Creator, sovereign, and a host of other things that people don't know, and churches don't teach today.
So, this is a good reason to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'. Praying begins with us, and we must take responsibility for educating people on the truth of who God is and what His word says to us. We pray and follow God, and He produces the results.
Graceful Actions We Can Take To Bring Back Food That is Safe To Eat
I am writing this today because I see so many of us just sitting back complaining because of the way things are, and we are either just apathetic or defeated, and I don't know which one it is (maybe both).
Or, it could be a wrong belief system, which says that God is sovereign and whatever will be will be. This happens in the political realm often during elections where people won't vote because they assume the circumstances mean that Jesus is coming back tomorrow, so it won't matter anyway.
In spite of the reasons why we don't do anything to improve society in the spiritual realm specifically, people have spoken up and their voices are being heard.
There is an interesting dynamic when it comes to living a natural life, the way God originally intended, but has been distorted by technology combined with our desire for convenience. Some liberal groups as well as Biblical Christians are both fighting for protection for genuine food, and are opposed to the unnatural processes that are available to make our food stretch to feed many while losing nutritional value, such as GMO processing and industrialized farming (Big Ag).
Somebody is speaking up, for food companies are now pursuing ways that food can be produced naturally, without having to be genetically modified, and are seeking ways for food to be in its most natural form without having additives put into their products.
We are all greedy people, and left to ourselves, we could be controlled by greed. What we earn from our work will not be enough, and we will find ways to get more money from what we do for a living. The food companies, for the past several years, have not had a 'checks and balances' system in place, or if they did, the standard was not one that would serve people well. Those outside of the food industry had no idea of what was going on, and we were eating food that was bad for us, without having any idea of what we were eating. But people began to question why Americans are so sick today. Could there be a connection between what we eat and our health?
I think the answer is obvious, and many have taken steps to fight against food that is unsafe or unfit for us to eat, but is promoted by the FDA and other authorities as acceptable.
Here are some of the things which have been done to food, to make it unhealthful; genetic modification, irradiation, preservatives, growth hormones & antibiotics which are added to meat and affect milk and milk products as well, meat and milk that is fed with grain instead of grass, and food that has been sprayed with pesticides, such as produce.
Our current president appoints people who do harm, into our government, such as Michael Taylor being appointed to the FDA as head. Michael Taylor has also been the lawyer for Monsanto, in case you didn't know. Monsanto is the company which came up with creating the process of genetic modification, and has been known to sue those whom they would accuse of stealing their patent (a farmer went to jail because of his soybean crop which Monsanto accused him of using their patented soybean without having a license to do so). If Monsanto has their way, the local farmers will go out of business, and anyone who does farming will have to use their patented seeds.
There is a lot of talk about GMO products and people are stepping up to the plate, letting authorities know that they do not want to buy GMO products. Of course, the government is trying to keep people from knowing if the product in question is genetically modified, by not mentioning it. Also, the government is making statements that aren't true about the benefits of genetically modified food. 'Authorities' are writing articles and getting on talk shows defending Monsanto and genetic modification. Many of these 'authorities' are the same ones in the governments 'checks and balances' system.
But now the public are protesting and making their voices known that they want food to be labeled genetically modified, if it is, but the government is opposing that. People spoke up and now products sold in Hawaii must be labeled genetically modified if they are.
What will happen if food is labeled genetically modified and what will it mean for companies like Monsanto? Companies like Monsanto will lose money. The love of money is the bottom line for the products they sell, and we are the losers if we just sit back and say, 'whatever will be, will be'. People are speaking up and it is making a difference.
One well-known company is going to stop using food that has preservatives and artificial ingredients by the year 2016. This company is Panera Bread. I believe they are responding to the many voices who are proclaiming their reluctance to eat food that is not pure. I have seen a few other companies take steps to go in the right direction.
Here are some steps to take action with:
* Ask your butcher if he knows if the beef has been grass-fed, and if the cows were treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.
* Ask the produce clerk if the corn is genetically modified.
* Write to senators and representatives about your concern for unsafe food.
* Support restaurants and stores which intentionally do not carry GMO products.
* Grow your own food using heirloom or organic seeds
* 'Like' pages on Facebook that have to do with fighting against GMOs or Monsanto.
* Share articles on Facebook with others to inform them of the harm that is done to genetically modified food, preservatives, additives, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and food that has been irradiated.
* While at restaurants, request food that has not been genetically modified.
At first, these suggestions will seem radical. Store clerks will look at you as if you were talking in Greek. Don't give up. If enough people ask a clerk in the produce section if the corn is genetically modified, they will bring it up to the managers. After all, they don't want to lose money due to informed customers.
Of course, all this should be done with prayer. The devil wants us sick, and when we let our voices be make known, we are exposing the works of darkness. The devil would love nothing more than to destroy the whole human race. He hates us because we are created in God's image, and he hates God. If he can lie to us and feed our idols, he has us in his grip. But God wants us healthy, so we can serve Him and make His name known in truth. We can't do that very well when we are sick, although God can redeem our sicknesses and use them for His glory. God wants us to take care of our bodies so that we can have strength to serve Him with.
This is one thing we can pray for concerning the church and the country. Without prayer, nothing good is going to happen.
Or, it could be a wrong belief system, which says that God is sovereign and whatever will be will be. This happens in the political realm often during elections where people won't vote because they assume the circumstances mean that Jesus is coming back tomorrow, so it won't matter anyway.
In spite of the reasons why we don't do anything to improve society in the spiritual realm specifically, people have spoken up and their voices are being heard.
There is an interesting dynamic when it comes to living a natural life, the way God originally intended, but has been distorted by technology combined with our desire for convenience. Some liberal groups as well as Biblical Christians are both fighting for protection for genuine food, and are opposed to the unnatural processes that are available to make our food stretch to feed many while losing nutritional value, such as GMO processing and industrialized farming (Big Ag).
Somebody is speaking up, for food companies are now pursuing ways that food can be produced naturally, without having to be genetically modified, and are seeking ways for food to be in its most natural form without having additives put into their products.
We are all greedy people, and left to ourselves, we could be controlled by greed. What we earn from our work will not be enough, and we will find ways to get more money from what we do for a living. The food companies, for the past several years, have not had a 'checks and balances' system in place, or if they did, the standard was not one that would serve people well. Those outside of the food industry had no idea of what was going on, and we were eating food that was bad for us, without having any idea of what we were eating. But people began to question why Americans are so sick today. Could there be a connection between what we eat and our health?
I think the answer is obvious, and many have taken steps to fight against food that is unsafe or unfit for us to eat, but is promoted by the FDA and other authorities as acceptable.
Here are some of the things which have been done to food, to make it unhealthful; genetic modification, irradiation, preservatives, growth hormones & antibiotics which are added to meat and affect milk and milk products as well, meat and milk that is fed with grain instead of grass, and food that has been sprayed with pesticides, such as produce.
Our current president appoints people who do harm, into our government, such as Michael Taylor being appointed to the FDA as head. Michael Taylor has also been the lawyer for Monsanto, in case you didn't know. Monsanto is the company which came up with creating the process of genetic modification, and has been known to sue those whom they would accuse of stealing their patent (a farmer went to jail because of his soybean crop which Monsanto accused him of using their patented soybean without having a license to do so). If Monsanto has their way, the local farmers will go out of business, and anyone who does farming will have to use their patented seeds.
There is a lot of talk about GMO products and people are stepping up to the plate, letting authorities know that they do not want to buy GMO products. Of course, the government is trying to keep people from knowing if the product in question is genetically modified, by not mentioning it. Also, the government is making statements that aren't true about the benefits of genetically modified food. 'Authorities' are writing articles and getting on talk shows defending Monsanto and genetic modification. Many of these 'authorities' are the same ones in the governments 'checks and balances' system.
But now the public are protesting and making their voices known that they want food to be labeled genetically modified, if it is, but the government is opposing that. People spoke up and now products sold in Hawaii must be labeled genetically modified if they are.
What will happen if food is labeled genetically modified and what will it mean for companies like Monsanto? Companies like Monsanto will lose money. The love of money is the bottom line for the products they sell, and we are the losers if we just sit back and say, 'whatever will be, will be'. People are speaking up and it is making a difference.
One well-known company is going to stop using food that has preservatives and artificial ingredients by the year 2016. This company is Panera Bread. I believe they are responding to the many voices who are proclaiming their reluctance to eat food that is not pure. I have seen a few other companies take steps to go in the right direction.
Here are some steps to take action with:
* Ask your butcher if he knows if the beef has been grass-fed, and if the cows were treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.
* Ask the produce clerk if the corn is genetically modified.
* Write to senators and representatives about your concern for unsafe food.
* Support restaurants and stores which intentionally do not carry GMO products.
* Grow your own food using heirloom or organic seeds
* 'Like' pages on Facebook that have to do with fighting against GMOs or Monsanto.
* Share articles on Facebook with others to inform them of the harm that is done to genetically modified food, preservatives, additives, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and food that has been irradiated.
* While at restaurants, request food that has not been genetically modified.
At first, these suggestions will seem radical. Store clerks will look at you as if you were talking in Greek. Don't give up. If enough people ask a clerk in the produce section if the corn is genetically modified, they will bring it up to the managers. After all, they don't want to lose money due to informed customers.
Of course, all this should be done with prayer. The devil wants us sick, and when we let our voices be make known, we are exposing the works of darkness. The devil would love nothing more than to destroy the whole human race. He hates us because we are created in God's image, and he hates God. If he can lie to us and feed our idols, he has us in his grip. But God wants us healthy, so we can serve Him and make His name known in truth. We can't do that very well when we are sick, although God can redeem our sicknesses and use them for His glory. God wants us to take care of our bodies so that we can have strength to serve Him with.
This is one thing we can pray for concerning the church and the country. Without prayer, nothing good is going to happen.
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