I find it interesting when I read about people's responses to all the turmoil in the world today. But there is one response in particular that I am having an issue with. I will explain.
During the elections, I was on Facebook quite a bit, and reading people's posts about the election. There were some of my friends, interestingly enough, that weren't going to vote for Obama's opponent, simply because he didn't take a strong stand against abortion. As a result of their not voting (and there were some who didn't vote at all), guess who we end up with as president *again*?
But, the thing that distresses me most is the whole thinking of us living out the book of Revelation, at present, and giving up, or, at least saying that there is no need to do anything because Jesus is going to come back any day.
Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here. I believe the book of Revelation is included in the Canon. I believe it is truly God's word to us. What disturbs me is the whole doctrine of Dispensationalism.
Dispensationalism is fairly new to us. It didn't start in the book of Acts or with the church fathers. It probably came about around 1830, started by a man named J.N Darby, and was made popular by
Schofield.
There are different time periods in Dispensationalism, and many things in the book of Revelation are taken literally. Books like 'The Late Great Planet Earth' are examples of the theology of Dispensationalism.
In Dispensationalism, there will be a literal 7 year period of Tribulation. There will be a literal AntiChrist known as the 'Beast'. People will literally have a number on their forehead or hand. According to Dispensationalism, Jesus will actually return twice. Once before the Tribulation, and again after the Tribulation.
According to this web site, http://understanding-ministries.co.uk/origins-of-dispensationalism.html , History is divided into specific dispensations where God deals with men in a certain way.
As you can see, while in some ways, Dispensationalism seems to make things clearer as it puts things into categories, but it makes things more confusing at the same time. It brings up a lot of questions as well.
My point isn't to go into depth about Dispensationalism here, but instead I want to bring up the problems it has created in causing many Christians to become indifferent toward issues going on in our society today. For example, when the elections were going on last year (maybe two years ago now), I was reading a post on the damage that Obama would bring. A commenter wrote and said that it didn't matter anyway about voting because we are living in the last days and the AntiChrist will be here and Jesus will come back for His people.
Do we realize what harm this teaching is doing to us today? I can't believe someone would actually respond that way. First of all, if that were true, that would be all the more incentive to vote intelligently. But this woman had a defeatist attitude about the whole thing for in her mind there was nothing we could do since we are living in the last days and everything, according to her understanding, was written in the book of Revelation and would happen (on our timetable, of course) whether we took responsibility or not. In other words, since we are living out the book of Revelation right now, there's nothing we can do to change anything because all the evil coming from the government is God's plan and that can't be thwarted.
If I were that woman and believed that was true, I would be getting my family ready for the rapture and coming Tribulation. But I don't see these people doing that. That is what is so puzzling about it. Maybe they really don't believe it, or maybe they really don't care. I don't know.
If you really believe this is true, then you should be on your knees praying hard. You need to be praying for the strength to go through the Tribulation, or, for your loved ones to come to Christ at this time. You would be living like this is your very last day on earth.
Part of me doubts that they people really believe in this. I think they are just looking for the spectacular. Like one guy I talked to put it, 'I'm just going to sit back and watch the fireworks.'. Really? If Dispensationalism is true, you should be concerned. You just might even be afraid. Are you preparing yourself for the really hard times ahead for you and your family?
Don't misunderstand me again here. I am not saying that we won't face persecution or hard times because I believe we will. I believe we also need to be preparing for the coming hardships, not just sitting back waiting for the fireworks to happen.
Our trust in Jesus Christ as Lord/Savior could cost us our lives. But to categorize all the current events in a way that ties in with Bible prophecy in a literal way is dangerous. I just see these people either not caring or not really believing what is supposed to be happening, for if they did believe it, they would be responding differently. Something is wrong with this picture.
Anyway, if anyone can enlighten me on this, please feel free to comment. I just know that we still need to be praying for the church (first of all), and for the country. And we need to take responsibility for our part in society, even if Jesus comes back tomorrow. Didn't Jesus say 'occupy until I come'?
History is divided into specific dispensations where God deals with men in a certain way.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Recent Events of Darkness That Have Been Exposed
The Bible talks about a time when things that are good will be called 'evil' and things that are evil will be called 'good'. We live in such a time. But we live in a time and place where there are two opposite groups of people, so the one group is able to see activities being carried out that really are evil, and are able to identify those activities as evil. It's a good thing that we still have people who can discern the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness, and, truth and error. If we didn't, our society would crumble rapidly. It is only being preserved because of the small amount of light we have left.
Some of the incidences that have taken place:
* Teacher instructs students to stomp on a paper with Jesus' name written on it.
* Student gets in trouble while in school for saying, 'bless you'.
* Two evangelists who were in Scotland were arrested for telling people what the Bible says about homosexuality.
* Christin Scarlet, a human rights activist, states that a doctor should not call a newborn baby a boy or girl, depending on its genitals, but, should let the child have the right to decide if it is a boy or girl when it is old enough to decide. http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/06/26/infant_gender_assignment_unnecessary_and_potentially_harmful.html
* Teacher wearing a pin that says, 'I love Jesus' was told to remove the pin by the school principal.
* A teenage girl who is sick/dying was taken away from her parents and delegated to health officials when the parents wanted a second opinion concerning her medical care.
I just find it very interesting to note that in some ways, we seem to be rather apathetic to what is going on. Perhaps we are just going through our own struggles. Maybe we are distracted with too many activities. Even so, something should be burning within us, concerning this trend.
There is a saying, probably by Edmund Burke, which says something like this, 'All the is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." That is exactly what we are doing. Nothing.
If my kid were in a public school, and he was directed to do something to promote the lie of 'separation of church and state', you better be sure I would make a trip to the school, and voice my thoughts!
The whole irony of this is that there is no such thing as 'separation of church and state' the way it is promoted in our culture today. In the Constitution, the First Amendment was written to protect the people and the church from being run or controlled by the government. That's not the same as taking God and prayer out of schools. But the Progressives would have you to think otherwise. Then again, they also would want you to believe that whenever a person accumulates wealth, it is because he or she is robbing someone else. How far fetched that is!
The phrase 'separation of church and state' actually comes from a document that was written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist church. It had to do with the concern of the government running the church, just as the Pilgrims and other early Americans came to America for, to escape the rulership of the king of England over the church. How would you like for the President of America to run the church? That would be unthinkable. That is what early Americans were concerned about.
But if you look at the Constitution and read the words of the Founding Fathers, you will find tons of references to God and the church. The goal was not to take God out of the government, but to protect the church from being controlled by the government.
So next time you hear people talk about the need for taking God out of government, go back to some old History books (new ones are being rewritten by the Liberals) and see what really took place in Early America.
The things we allow for today, will affect our children, grandchildren, and further descendants. We have lost the wisdom from God, and have turned to culture as the final authority. This is a spiritual battle between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and error, and, right and wrong. If these issues are not important enough for us to stand up for the truth, evil will take over. Not only will evil take over, but, evil will be called, 'good'. Good things will be called, 'evil'. For example, if you believe the Bible is true, and God is the authority behind the Scriptures, you will know that homosexuality is a sin. But if you try to promote healthy marriages between one man and one woman, you will be called a 'Gay Basher'. In some states, it is even illegal for a licensed counselor to teach what the Bible says about homosexuality. You are required by law (if you are a licensed counselor) to help a gay man to live in his 'orientation', and you are not allowed to tell him what God says about his condition, even if he wants Biblical help. The same issue happens concerning child discipline. The Bible says to 'spank' your children when they need discipline. There is a vast difference between child abuse and spanking your children because they have done wrong. But the culture won't allow for those differences, and if you are seen spanking your children (I don't think this should be done in public, but nevertheless) you could be arrested. A licensed counselor cannot teach what the Bible says about discipline.
Today, we are seeing many episodes of evil coming to the light. Social media has helped quite a bit with this. Social media has also destroyed people because it gives people the opportunity to slander others in a large way. So, we need to be careful how we use this opportunity to present the truth instead of hate.
Other things that have been exposed are people, particularly women, who have been held hostage by a man or by men for sexual purposes. Some are able to get out of the sex slave trade. There are people today who have experienced Satanic Ritual Abuse, and are able to tell others of what goes on in dark, hidden places, all over America today, and actually around the world. What's interesting though, is that people who practice these rituals are doctors, police, morticians, and other everyday people. So, when a person is being taken to be used as a human sacrifice, the cops will not get involved. Many already know and approve of what is going on. There are doctors in hospitals throughout America right now, that intentionally give patients too much medicine. When the patient dies, the coroner already knows what happens and just gives his approval by saying the person died of a heart attack. There is a whole network of people who work behind the scenes to enhance the powers of darkness. They are very well hidden though, and rarely caught or brought to justice.
The reason I write this is because we do need to pray. We see how God did expose those who were working in darkness. I ask myself, 'how did we ever get to this point?' and I think I know the answer.
I was talking with someone yesterday and she pointed out the years ago, children would be missing, but no one went to look for them. This ties in with what I heard from another person who knows that children were being used in governmental experiments that were cruel. Many children died while the Nazi doctors who were brought over to America in the 1950s, worked on them. These 'doctors' were experimenting on children and using mind control procedures on them. As a result, these children, who are now adults in their 50s-70s, and who have survived this ordeal, are either homeless, in mental institutions, or in prison. Some who have survived are able to tell of their horrific stories. But why did God allow all this to happen to us? Why in America where we are in a land of 'freedom'?
I believe the reason is simple. The church was asleep. Satan lulled the church to sleep and now the church is waking up and seeing what happened. Many things happened while the church was asleep. The Gospel message became one of simplification, 'Make a decision for Christ and really mean it'. What is that supposed to mean? Whatever happened to the Cross or the issue of sin? No wonder our churches are filled with people who can't wait for lunch, or who just daydream during the worship time!
That leads me to believe the reason why people aren't involved (in their hearts) in church. I've gone to churches where there is no zeal at all. Why? Probably because their hearts are not touched by the Gospel message. They are not experiencing a relationship with God, but, they are doing their duty to fulfill church attendance. It is much like joining a social club today, in many church circles. No one really gets to know the others who are members, that is, until someone does something to offend another person. No wonder so many people claim to be Christians, yet do not go to any church.
Salvation is expressed as a relationship between God and the human being, who has sinned before a holy God. Salvation required an atonement which was fulfilled when God sent His Son to live on earth, around 2,000 years ago. He not only lived a perfect life, but died the death that each person should die, because of his or her own sin. The penalty for sin is always death. That is why Jesus died. Either a person will pay for his or her own sin in hell forever, or, the person will receive the atonement for their sins by trusting in Jesus Christ as their payment for sin.
Much of the church today, believes in what is called 'Universalism'. All that Universalism requires for salvation is that a person believes the facts about Jesus in the Bible are true. It doesn't require a person to respond to God by repentance and faith. This doctrine says that God is all loving and all forgiving. People go to abortion clinics and say that God has already forgiven them for what they are about to do. The big problem with this is, the devil believes everything that is true about Jesus, yet he is not saved. He will pay for his sins in the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Salvation is knowing God, not just believing facts about God. Having a relationship with God, through the Cross of Jesus Christ is what's necessary. The church has missed this for many, many years, and sadly, many have bought into a wrong understanding of the Gospel. As a result, we have a church made up of people who are still in their sins, trying to believe that God will take them to heaven anyway, after they die. There is no power in a church that doesn't know God.
And finally, the authority of Scripture is undermined. Colleges and Universities will see to that. Talk to almost any college age student, and you will find this person enmeshed with the culture, and believe that culture is higher in authority than Scripture is. Then there is another whole area of thinking that claims that the Bible was just written by men. Some also believe that the Gospels were written in the 4th Century, and then there are others who actually believe that Jesus never existed, and that the Bible is a book of fairy tales.
I'm not going to go into details here on that issue, but may cover that in another blog sometime. For now, this is a good reason to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'.
Some of the incidences that have taken place:
* Teacher instructs students to stomp on a paper with Jesus' name written on it.
* Student gets in trouble while in school for saying, 'bless you'.
* Two evangelists who were in Scotland were arrested for telling people what the Bible says about homosexuality.
* Christin Scarlet, a human rights activist, states that a doctor should not call a newborn baby a boy or girl, depending on its genitals, but, should let the child have the right to decide if it is a boy or girl when it is old enough to decide. http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/06/26/infant_gender_assignment_unnecessary_and_potentially_harmful.html
* Teacher wearing a pin that says, 'I love Jesus' was told to remove the pin by the school principal.
* A teenage girl who is sick/dying was taken away from her parents and delegated to health officials when the parents wanted a second opinion concerning her medical care.
I just find it very interesting to note that in some ways, we seem to be rather apathetic to what is going on. Perhaps we are just going through our own struggles. Maybe we are distracted with too many activities. Even so, something should be burning within us, concerning this trend.
There is a saying, probably by Edmund Burke, which says something like this, 'All the is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." That is exactly what we are doing. Nothing.
If my kid were in a public school, and he was directed to do something to promote the lie of 'separation of church and state', you better be sure I would make a trip to the school, and voice my thoughts!
The whole irony of this is that there is no such thing as 'separation of church and state' the way it is promoted in our culture today. In the Constitution, the First Amendment was written to protect the people and the church from being run or controlled by the government. That's not the same as taking God and prayer out of schools. But the Progressives would have you to think otherwise. Then again, they also would want you to believe that whenever a person accumulates wealth, it is because he or she is robbing someone else. How far fetched that is!
The phrase 'separation of church and state' actually comes from a document that was written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist church. It had to do with the concern of the government running the church, just as the Pilgrims and other early Americans came to America for, to escape the rulership of the king of England over the church. How would you like for the President of America to run the church? That would be unthinkable. That is what early Americans were concerned about.
But if you look at the Constitution and read the words of the Founding Fathers, you will find tons of references to God and the church. The goal was not to take God out of the government, but to protect the church from being controlled by the government.
So next time you hear people talk about the need for taking God out of government, go back to some old History books (new ones are being rewritten by the Liberals) and see what really took place in Early America.
The things we allow for today, will affect our children, grandchildren, and further descendants. We have lost the wisdom from God, and have turned to culture as the final authority. This is a spiritual battle between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and error, and, right and wrong. If these issues are not important enough for us to stand up for the truth, evil will take over. Not only will evil take over, but, evil will be called, 'good'. Good things will be called, 'evil'. For example, if you believe the Bible is true, and God is the authority behind the Scriptures, you will know that homosexuality is a sin. But if you try to promote healthy marriages between one man and one woman, you will be called a 'Gay Basher'. In some states, it is even illegal for a licensed counselor to teach what the Bible says about homosexuality. You are required by law (if you are a licensed counselor) to help a gay man to live in his 'orientation', and you are not allowed to tell him what God says about his condition, even if he wants Biblical help. The same issue happens concerning child discipline. The Bible says to 'spank' your children when they need discipline. There is a vast difference between child abuse and spanking your children because they have done wrong. But the culture won't allow for those differences, and if you are seen spanking your children (I don't think this should be done in public, but nevertheless) you could be arrested. A licensed counselor cannot teach what the Bible says about discipline.
Today, we are seeing many episodes of evil coming to the light. Social media has helped quite a bit with this. Social media has also destroyed people because it gives people the opportunity to slander others in a large way. So, we need to be careful how we use this opportunity to present the truth instead of hate.
Other things that have been exposed are people, particularly women, who have been held hostage by a man or by men for sexual purposes. Some are able to get out of the sex slave trade. There are people today who have experienced Satanic Ritual Abuse, and are able to tell others of what goes on in dark, hidden places, all over America today, and actually around the world. What's interesting though, is that people who practice these rituals are doctors, police, morticians, and other everyday people. So, when a person is being taken to be used as a human sacrifice, the cops will not get involved. Many already know and approve of what is going on. There are doctors in hospitals throughout America right now, that intentionally give patients too much medicine. When the patient dies, the coroner already knows what happens and just gives his approval by saying the person died of a heart attack. There is a whole network of people who work behind the scenes to enhance the powers of darkness. They are very well hidden though, and rarely caught or brought to justice.
The reason I write this is because we do need to pray. We see how God did expose those who were working in darkness. I ask myself, 'how did we ever get to this point?' and I think I know the answer.
I was talking with someone yesterday and she pointed out the years ago, children would be missing, but no one went to look for them. This ties in with what I heard from another person who knows that children were being used in governmental experiments that were cruel. Many children died while the Nazi doctors who were brought over to America in the 1950s, worked on them. These 'doctors' were experimenting on children and using mind control procedures on them. As a result, these children, who are now adults in their 50s-70s, and who have survived this ordeal, are either homeless, in mental institutions, or in prison. Some who have survived are able to tell of their horrific stories. But why did God allow all this to happen to us? Why in America where we are in a land of 'freedom'?
I believe the reason is simple. The church was asleep. Satan lulled the church to sleep and now the church is waking up and seeing what happened. Many things happened while the church was asleep. The Gospel message became one of simplification, 'Make a decision for Christ and really mean it'. What is that supposed to mean? Whatever happened to the Cross or the issue of sin? No wonder our churches are filled with people who can't wait for lunch, or who just daydream during the worship time!
That leads me to believe the reason why people aren't involved (in their hearts) in church. I've gone to churches where there is no zeal at all. Why? Probably because their hearts are not touched by the Gospel message. They are not experiencing a relationship with God, but, they are doing their duty to fulfill church attendance. It is much like joining a social club today, in many church circles. No one really gets to know the others who are members, that is, until someone does something to offend another person. No wonder so many people claim to be Christians, yet do not go to any church.
Salvation is expressed as a relationship between God and the human being, who has sinned before a holy God. Salvation required an atonement which was fulfilled when God sent His Son to live on earth, around 2,000 years ago. He not only lived a perfect life, but died the death that each person should die, because of his or her own sin. The penalty for sin is always death. That is why Jesus died. Either a person will pay for his or her own sin in hell forever, or, the person will receive the atonement for their sins by trusting in Jesus Christ as their payment for sin.
Much of the church today, believes in what is called 'Universalism'. All that Universalism requires for salvation is that a person believes the facts about Jesus in the Bible are true. It doesn't require a person to respond to God by repentance and faith. This doctrine says that God is all loving and all forgiving. People go to abortion clinics and say that God has already forgiven them for what they are about to do. The big problem with this is, the devil believes everything that is true about Jesus, yet he is not saved. He will pay for his sins in the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Salvation is knowing God, not just believing facts about God. Having a relationship with God, through the Cross of Jesus Christ is what's necessary. The church has missed this for many, many years, and sadly, many have bought into a wrong understanding of the Gospel. As a result, we have a church made up of people who are still in their sins, trying to believe that God will take them to heaven anyway, after they die. There is no power in a church that doesn't know God.
And finally, the authority of Scripture is undermined. Colleges and Universities will see to that. Talk to almost any college age student, and you will find this person enmeshed with the culture, and believe that culture is higher in authority than Scripture is. Then there is another whole area of thinking that claims that the Bible was just written by men. Some also believe that the Gospels were written in the 4th Century, and then there are others who actually believe that Jesus never existed, and that the Bible is a book of fairy tales.
I'm not going to go into details here on that issue, but may cover that in another blog sometime. For now, this is a good reason to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'.
 |
| The Bibles which were placed by the Gideons, are now being removed from some of the motels. |
Monday, August 25, 2014
Why Divorce Is Harmful
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
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 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.
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