What were God's thoughts, as piece by angel piece,
He fashioned in beauty Lucifer fair?
Would this angel chief maintain heaven's peace?
He knew better; this one'd her fabric tear!
Fie! He knew it, ere the traitor was made!
Did He pause, and gaze, in sudden sorrow.
On this fairest of all, who'd men degrade?
No! He knows twists and turns of tomorrow,
And intended this vile cause of duress,
To test all men through evil to ensue!
He wants men free to choose Him under stress.
By their choice unbribed, His love to pursue!
God created it all, even foul sin;
That it, or Jesus, be the choice of men!
Revelation 12:7-9 describes the war that occurred in heaven, when Lucifer chose to rebel against God in order to wrest His throne away. This was the first sin (remember 'sin' means to disobey a commandment of God), because it took place in heaven before God created Adam and Eve. Ezekiel quotes God as saying that Lucifer's ill-fated attempt was rooted in his pride of beauty.
"Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings."
(Ezekiel 28:17)
The 'spectacle before kings' is not to occur until Jesus returns to earth and Satan (his name was changed from Lucifer to Satan when he was expelled from heaven) is chained after being defeated in the battle of Armageddon. God could have killed Satan after he rebelled, but He didn't; instead He expelled the traitor from heaven to earth and gave him freedom to do his utmost to tempt men to sin rather than to choose to live according to the commandments of God. He could have created man to automatically obey Him, but God doesn't want to be worshiped by automatons that don't have complete freedom of will. Therefore, Satan's power to wrest men away from being followers of God's law actually is provided by the very God he hates! Do you see the picture? You, a man or woman with perfect freedom of choice, are the prize over which Satan and God are battling; Satan is free to lie, get inside your head and tempt you to do the very things your body wants you to do---such as sexual lust, appetite for foods you cannot afford, alcohol, to drown out guilt feelings, etc.---while God merely provides the beauty of His creation in nature and His word contained in the Bible, which you may never read. The battle is one-sided, for sure, but the prize is eternal life in heaven, or eternal disaster in hell.
Every person has free will in making this most important of choices, and everyone must choose while living in this life on this earth! While Satan seems to have the upper hand, God's quiet invitation is found in John 1:12.
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God."
The passage is speaking of Jesus who lived as a man for a little more than 33 years, and who was actually God Who came in the form of a man, so that all who believed that He was God and that He was resurrected from the dead after being crucified, could become adopted as children of God and receive eternal life in heaven after death. It is your choice to accept or reject.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
For Which Truth?
They built their own god, the men made of clay;
Gave him attributes they admired the most;
Making sure he'd let them have their own way,
No matter what, and no matter the cost.
A clone of god was planted in each man,
To tell him what he ought, and ought not do;
That man's desires he must never amend,
And no sin or guilt to him could accrue.
Truth was disallowed ever to exist,
The opinion of each was set in stone,
Though unlike views were true and did subsist;
All must 'feel good'; neither is ever wrong.
If men created god, would all be deceived,
For which truth, god's or God's, must be believed?
God is the source of all truth. When science learns everything there is to learn about the world, it will coincide with God's truth of how it was made. Philosophy is hardly bound by the methods of science, and it changes from one great delusion for the next, for it is the product of men's thoughts devoid of the truths of the Bible. At this time, the world's dominating philosophy is postmodernism, the belief that truth is relative to the thoughts of each thinker. It is unfashionable for a person to make an unequivocal statement of truth, yet for a believer in Jesus Christ, who is grounded in the knowledge that everything in the Bible is true, it is difficult for him to accept conflicting statements as both being true.
Sigmund Freud is very influential in psychological therapy, which seems to be the main thought today---let all people conduct themselves as they think proper; there is no single 'best' way of acting, if every person is to be mentally and emotionally healthy. It is more popular to make statements that can be construed ecumenically than to make statements of absolute truth. For example, John 14:6 states that the only way for any person to be 'saved'---that is, to be resurrected after death and spend eternity in heaven with God---is through Jesus. That is a true statement of fact with no exceptions. To the postmodernist, however, all religious roads lead to heaven. Modern society, more and more, points to the Bible as too dogmatic and the cause of much mental disease that stems from guilt feelings.
However, believers find true happiness and no mental disease in following the teachings of Jesus. Heaven for us begins right here on earth, plus we have faith in the promises of the Bible for an afterlife that will be unimaginably better than this one. The Bible doesn't cause mental distress except for those persons who refuse to read it and follow Jesus in loving others.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 16:25)
Please don't fall for the lie. It will not solve this life's problems, and will lead to disaster in the hereafter. It is a lie of Satan intended to keep you from Jesus Christ.
Gave him attributes they admired the most;
Making sure he'd let them have their own way,
No matter what, and no matter the cost.
A clone of god was planted in each man,
To tell him what he ought, and ought not do;
That man's desires he must never amend,
And no sin or guilt to him could accrue.
Truth was disallowed ever to exist,
The opinion of each was set in stone,
Though unlike views were true and did subsist;
All must 'feel good'; neither is ever wrong.
If men created god, would all be deceived,
For which truth, god's or God's, must be believed?
God is the source of all truth. When science learns everything there is to learn about the world, it will coincide with God's truth of how it was made. Philosophy is hardly bound by the methods of science, and it changes from one great delusion for the next, for it is the product of men's thoughts devoid of the truths of the Bible. At this time, the world's dominating philosophy is postmodernism, the belief that truth is relative to the thoughts of each thinker. It is unfashionable for a person to make an unequivocal statement of truth, yet for a believer in Jesus Christ, who is grounded in the knowledge that everything in the Bible is true, it is difficult for him to accept conflicting statements as both being true.
Sigmund Freud is very influential in psychological therapy, which seems to be the main thought today---let all people conduct themselves as they think proper; there is no single 'best' way of acting, if every person is to be mentally and emotionally healthy. It is more popular to make statements that can be construed ecumenically than to make statements of absolute truth. For example, John 14:6 states that the only way for any person to be 'saved'---that is, to be resurrected after death and spend eternity in heaven with God---is through Jesus. That is a true statement of fact with no exceptions. To the postmodernist, however, all religious roads lead to heaven. Modern society, more and more, points to the Bible as too dogmatic and the cause of much mental disease that stems from guilt feelings.
However, believers find true happiness and no mental disease in following the teachings of Jesus. Heaven for us begins right here on earth, plus we have faith in the promises of the Bible for an afterlife that will be unimaginably better than this one. The Bible doesn't cause mental distress except for those persons who refuse to read it and follow Jesus in loving others.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 16:25)
Please don't fall for the lie. It will not solve this life's problems, and will lead to disaster in the hereafter. It is a lie of Satan intended to keep you from Jesus Christ.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Man's Brief Fling
Time turns all men's flesh back into the dust
And deigns not to pause at re-birth of clay,
But gnaws the crypt in which the man was thrust;
Then the stone which boasts of his living's way.
E'en the church, whose ivied walls heard him plea,
Heaves a sigh, and yields to creeper and moss;
Gibraltar sinks slowly under the sea,
Her long years of vigil forever lost.
Does aught remind of man's heroic deeds;
The wars; the loves, of billions of men?
Of his trials and trysts; his unmet needs;
Of his wars and ships; does any attend?
Nay! So bare the record of man's brief fling,
Heaven marks not his reign, nor does she sing!
We who live now and are entangled amid our lives; so zealous and active in our different quests for the various longed-for goals; so immersed in the never-ending excitement of the moment; that we cannot faintly imagine how God views our frantic comings and goings; our extreme excitements, anticipations, ecstasies, and grievings; we need to call a halt to everything; relax; meditate upon how He sees this earthly anthill.
"How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less is man, who is but a maggot---a son of man, who is only a worm?" (Job 25:4-5)
Jonathan Edwards, a preacher of the 17th century in Massachusetts, preached a sermon named "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", which is remembered today as a sermon which so frightened people of God's wrath that they fainted, falling down in the pews and out of windows. Surely we don't need that kind of preaching to impress upon a people how they are thinking more highly of themselves than they ought and more lowly of their Creator and ultimate judge than they ought.
NASA sent a camera space probe (unmanned) to the outer reaches of the solar system, all the way to Pluto, which is so far from earth it took five and one-half years, at 186,000 miles per second, for any transmission it sent back to earth to reach us. The last picture it took and sent back, was of the earth itself at that distance away. The picture of earth showed just a speck, a pin-point so tiny that it was dwarfed by the other heavenly bodies nearby; remember, the picture was taken within our solar system, which, relatively speaking, is in our neighborhood. Imagine how insignificant our little planet would look to God, Who lives beyond the finite universe! Carl Sagan, the late atheistic scientist that popularized science with a television show, asked this question: If God wanted to show that He created the universe in order to provide a safe place for His creature man to inhabit, why didn't He put a 100-kilometer cross in orbit around the earth?"
"What is man, that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)
Gordon Hugenberger, senior pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, answered Carl Sagan's question by saying: "A 100-kilometer cross whirling around the earth in space would be too small for God. He is so much greater than that, He would have put a cross big enough to be seen from beyond the Milky Way." Then he said, "But God wants man to have faith, not absolute proof." What we must keep in mind is that God lived long before He created the universe by one small burst of energy; He is living now and intervening in our lives; and He will live eternally after the earth, man, and this universe is a distant memory.
So drop everything that you're doing; sit down; close your eyes; and meditate on how great God is and how small man is. Work on developing patience and the knowledge that God is on His throne; "all's right with the world'.
And deigns not to pause at re-birth of clay,
But gnaws the crypt in which the man was thrust;
Then the stone which boasts of his living's way.
E'en the church, whose ivied walls heard him plea,
Heaves a sigh, and yields to creeper and moss;
Gibraltar sinks slowly under the sea,
Her long years of vigil forever lost.
Does aught remind of man's heroic deeds;
The wars; the loves, of billions of men?
Of his trials and trysts; his unmet needs;
Of his wars and ships; does any attend?
Nay! So bare the record of man's brief fling,
Heaven marks not his reign, nor does she sing!
We who live now and are entangled amid our lives; so zealous and active in our different quests for the various longed-for goals; so immersed in the never-ending excitement of the moment; that we cannot faintly imagine how God views our frantic comings and goings; our extreme excitements, anticipations, ecstasies, and grievings; we need to call a halt to everything; relax; meditate upon how He sees this earthly anthill.
"How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less is man, who is but a maggot---a son of man, who is only a worm?" (Job 25:4-5)
Jonathan Edwards, a preacher of the 17th century in Massachusetts, preached a sermon named "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", which is remembered today as a sermon which so frightened people of God's wrath that they fainted, falling down in the pews and out of windows. Surely we don't need that kind of preaching to impress upon a people how they are thinking more highly of themselves than they ought and more lowly of their Creator and ultimate judge than they ought.
NASA sent a camera space probe (unmanned) to the outer reaches of the solar system, all the way to Pluto, which is so far from earth it took five and one-half years, at 186,000 miles per second, for any transmission it sent back to earth to reach us. The last picture it took and sent back, was of the earth itself at that distance away. The picture of earth showed just a speck, a pin-point so tiny that it was dwarfed by the other heavenly bodies nearby; remember, the picture was taken within our solar system, which, relatively speaking, is in our neighborhood. Imagine how insignificant our little planet would look to God, Who lives beyond the finite universe! Carl Sagan, the late atheistic scientist that popularized science with a television show, asked this question: If God wanted to show that He created the universe in order to provide a safe place for His creature man to inhabit, why didn't He put a 100-kilometer cross in orbit around the earth?"
"What is man, that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4)
Gordon Hugenberger, senior pastor of Park Street Church in Boston, answered Carl Sagan's question by saying: "A 100-kilometer cross whirling around the earth in space would be too small for God. He is so much greater than that, He would have put a cross big enough to be seen from beyond the Milky Way." Then he said, "But God wants man to have faith, not absolute proof." What we must keep in mind is that God lived long before He created the universe by one small burst of energy; He is living now and intervening in our lives; and He will live eternally after the earth, man, and this universe is a distant memory.
So drop everything that you're doing; sit down; close your eyes; and meditate on how great God is and how small man is. Work on developing patience and the knowledge that God is on His throne; "all's right with the world'.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
How Can Any Other Escape?
Adam, the touch of God was still so fresh,
The feel of His hands when you stood upright;
Where the rib was taken, sore ached your chest,
Lungs stinging yet as life His breath excite.
Of all men, you should have been the most fit,
Satan's tempting falsehood quick to reject.
How could you yield, dooming all to the pit,
When daily walks with God you could expect?
So soon your love of evil cut the tie;
Compelled God your descendants condemn;
Forced them to labor in sweat; and then die;
Enlarged the scope of hell; and heaven trim!
Foolish Adam! If you so soon forgot,
How can any other escape the plot?
God created the first man and the first woman. Whether they were made as a result of His command or by His own hands from the dust of the ground really doesn't matter.
"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7)
After man was made and before the woman was made, God gave the man some commands; he was to do certain things, and he was not to do one thing.
"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17)
Surely Adam and Eve must have talked about God's command that the fruit of one tree was not to be eaten. Anyhow, Satan tempted Eve first, and she yielded to temptation; then she encouraged Adam, who was beside her all the time, and he followed suit. Before they sinned, they had no knowledge of good and evil, and had lived nude; as soon as they ate the forbidden fruit, they saw that they were naked.
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8)
God hates sin (disobedience). When Adam and Eve disobeyed, He cast them out of the garden, and they had to work for their food the rest of their lives. From that terrible moment on, there would be no walking and talking with God by any human being. All men would die physically and spiritually. Jesus had to come to earth to live and be crucified to pay for the sins of men. To regain fellowship with God, men have to accept Jesus as their Lord and love others as He loved us.
The feel of His hands when you stood upright;
Where the rib was taken, sore ached your chest,
Lungs stinging yet as life His breath excite.
Of all men, you should have been the most fit,
Satan's tempting falsehood quick to reject.
How could you yield, dooming all to the pit,
When daily walks with God you could expect?
So soon your love of evil cut the tie;
Compelled God your descendants condemn;
Forced them to labor in sweat; and then die;
Enlarged the scope of hell; and heaven trim!
Foolish Adam! If you so soon forgot,
How can any other escape the plot?
God created the first man and the first woman. Whether they were made as a result of His command or by His own hands from the dust of the ground really doesn't matter.
"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7)
After man was made and before the woman was made, God gave the man some commands; he was to do certain things, and he was not to do one thing.
"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17)
Surely Adam and Eve must have talked about God's command that the fruit of one tree was not to be eaten. Anyhow, Satan tempted Eve first, and she yielded to temptation; then she encouraged Adam, who was beside her all the time, and he followed suit. Before they sinned, they had no knowledge of good and evil, and had lived nude; as soon as they ate the forbidden fruit, they saw that they were naked.
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3:8)
God hates sin (disobedience). When Adam and Eve disobeyed, He cast them out of the garden, and they had to work for their food the rest of their lives. From that terrible moment on, there would be no walking and talking with God by any human being. All men would die physically and spiritually. Jesus had to come to earth to live and be crucified to pay for the sins of men. To regain fellowship with God, men have to accept Jesus as their Lord and love others as He loved us.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wearing Our Ephesian Armor
Sin invites us all of its wares partake,
Each day and each hour that our lives prevail;
None is able to reject the mistake;
All of us sin, thus at times all do fail.
We should all wear our Ephesian armor,
To help us stand firm in heat of the day.
Fate does not protect, or lucky karma,
From the devil's arrows that come your way.
You need not fall, for God can keep you strong,
At least enough your redemption protect;
No tenpting's so great to force doing wrong,
If His path of escape you will select.
Ask Him to equip you for sin's defense,
So when it comes, you can withstand offense.
To love as Jesus loved, you need to avoid sin if you can; He gave us armor to help us do that. This equipment is listed in the letter Paul wrote to the Christians who were members of the church he began at the city of Ephesus, located in present-day Turkey.
That's where the phrase "Ephesian armor" comes from that I used in the poem above.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, agaqinst the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast-plate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Please read this again. Isn't it beautiful? God has provided these things as armor for Christians in the spiritual (not physical) warfare against the fallen angels that swarm around us with temptations. There is truth: God's Bible is all true. There is righteousness: Righteousness comes from obeying God and loving others. There is faith: Trust enough to love like Jesus loved. There is salvation: The knowledge that if we love like Jesus loved, we will be alive again and be with Him for eternity. There is the Bible: The word of God is revealed in the pages of the Bible, and it is sharper than any two-edged sword.
NOTE: To you who are learning to love like Jesus loved---Look in my blog archive to find Call Him Not Thief. The commentary lists many names of Jesus you will need to know to understand the scriptures in the Bible. It is a vital tool for you. WJBC
Each day and each hour that our lives prevail;
None is able to reject the mistake;
All of us sin, thus at times all do fail.
We should all wear our Ephesian armor,
To help us stand firm in heat of the day.
Fate does not protect, or lucky karma,
From the devil's arrows that come your way.
You need not fall, for God can keep you strong,
At least enough your redemption protect;
No tenpting's so great to force doing wrong,
If His path of escape you will select.
Ask Him to equip you for sin's defense,
So when it comes, you can withstand offense.
To love as Jesus loved, you need to avoid sin if you can; He gave us armor to help us do that. This equipment is listed in the letter Paul wrote to the Christians who were members of the church he began at the city of Ephesus, located in present-day Turkey.
That's where the phrase "Ephesian armor" comes from that I used in the poem above.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, agaqinst the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast-plate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Please read this again. Isn't it beautiful? God has provided these things as armor for Christians in the spiritual (not physical) warfare against the fallen angels that swarm around us with temptations. There is truth: God's Bible is all true. There is righteousness: Righteousness comes from obeying God and loving others. There is faith: Trust enough to love like Jesus loved. There is salvation: The knowledge that if we love like Jesus loved, we will be alive again and be with Him for eternity. There is the Bible: The word of God is revealed in the pages of the Bible, and it is sharper than any two-edged sword.
NOTE: To you who are learning to love like Jesus loved---Look in my blog archive to find Call Him Not Thief. The commentary lists many names of Jesus you will need to know to understand the scriptures in the Bible. It is a vital tool for you. WJBC
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Love That God Condone
Tell me not of a woman's right to choose,
Unless God alters the Ten set in stone;
"You shall not murder," we cannot abuse,
If God's good will our nation hopes to own.
No leave is given for unmarried state;
Or folly of adding new mouths to drain
A larder too meager hunger to slake.
If not his spouse, God asks both to refrain.
Does He ask too much of the human race,
That men and women keep their bodies chaste,
Reserving for one's spouse the nude embrace,
Those two alone enjoy the private taste?
If life results from love that God condone,
That life is guarded, not in the trash thrown.
What has become of marriage and the family in America? Its decline is matched by the increase in abortions; that upsurge is marked by prolific extramarital sex. When the Bible speaks of wickedness, it is most often referring to unrestrained lust or the killing of infants.
"But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." (1 Corinthians 7:2)
The Bible teaches that sexual relations should be reserved for husband and wife only. Sex outside of marriage is sinful, and men are as guilty, if not more so, than women. Of course, God forgives, even up to many times. But he or she who seeks the forgiveness of God, in order to obtain it, must be truly repentant (meaning, to be sorry enough not to repeat it without rigorous effort).
When there is copulation between male and female, there is a chance that a new life will be created by God in the womb of the female. The more copulation outside of marriage means there will be more lives begun, and more of these lives will be unwanted. That is happening in America today, resulting in the abortion of an estimated 4000 babies every day. God hates sin; He hates lust more than most, and He hates the killing of infants most of all. When will America realize that God is angry with us, and we must stop aborting babies or face punishment for it? We grieve when an American soldier is killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. How many shed tears for the unborn children who die?
Unless God alters the Ten set in stone;
"You shall not murder," we cannot abuse,
If God's good will our nation hopes to own.
No leave is given for unmarried state;
Or folly of adding new mouths to drain
A larder too meager hunger to slake.
If not his spouse, God asks both to refrain.
Does He ask too much of the human race,
That men and women keep their bodies chaste,
Reserving for one's spouse the nude embrace,
Those two alone enjoy the private taste?
If life results from love that God condone,
That life is guarded, not in the trash thrown.
What has become of marriage and the family in America? Its decline is matched by the increase in abortions; that upsurge is marked by prolific extramarital sex. When the Bible speaks of wickedness, it is most often referring to unrestrained lust or the killing of infants.
"But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." (1 Corinthians 7:2)
The Bible teaches that sexual relations should be reserved for husband and wife only. Sex outside of marriage is sinful, and men are as guilty, if not more so, than women. Of course, God forgives, even up to many times. But he or she who seeks the forgiveness of God, in order to obtain it, must be truly repentant (meaning, to be sorry enough not to repeat it without rigorous effort).
When there is copulation between male and female, there is a chance that a new life will be created by God in the womb of the female. The more copulation outside of marriage means there will be more lives begun, and more of these lives will be unwanted. That is happening in America today, resulting in the abortion of an estimated 4000 babies every day. God hates sin; He hates lust more than most, and He hates the killing of infants most of all. When will America realize that God is angry with us, and we must stop aborting babies or face punishment for it? We grieve when an American soldier is killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. How many shed tears for the unborn children who die?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Foolish Dusty Clod
Men, look at yourselves through eyes of God;
He sees you thread cavorting as the spool;
The pottery calling the Potter odd,
For expecting dolts not to play the fool!
What right, asks men, does One unseen possess,
To sway men's law, or in his schools reside?
But God sees the mess you made: The distress,
The evil, how men bulldoze good aside;
How you quit reading scripture, threw out prayer!
Earthshaking troubles rage, and riots beseige,
You ignore the only Source that can bear
The load, and the raging torrent relieve!
He sees you as a foolish, dusty clod,
Ungrateful, spurning the salvage of God.
The American Civil Liberties Union has served the role of undertaker to Jehovah God from having any influence on government, society, and schools in America; instead of adding civil liberty to Christian American citizens and school children, they have denied them those rights; but for other minorities they have won for them the same civil rights they've taken from Christians.
But it is not the ACLU's fault alone; Christians have made the funeral of God in America easier by their declining faith. There is nothing surprising about the decline of Christianity in America. The Bible has prophesied that these things would happen, as knowledgeable Christians have long known. The rank and file members in our churches constantly rail about the decline of Christian America; after soul-searching autopsies, they proclaim that America needs revival; they say we were once Christian and it is up to government, media, and social pressure groups and Christian churches to follow the prescription contained in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." After such purging sessions, nothing happens except the influence of God on America declines all the more.
You see, that promise was never made to Americans. We are not His people; we were never a Christian nation. Does our Constitution begin with the proclamation that this nation belongs to Christ? No. Were Christians ever a majority of the voting citizenry and did they elect Christians to govern according to Christian principles? No. Were the Founding Fathers mostly Christian men? Yes. Did many American immigrants come here for freedom of worship? Yes. None of this made America a Christian nation. The scripture quoted above was intended for the citizens of Judah or Israel thousands of years ago. America is not Israel.
The Bible does have a passage that applies to America.
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
A large part of the problem of our nation's widening gap from Christianity has come from Christians whose faith is slowly draining away. The culprit again is postmodernism, a pervasive philosophy of psychological therapy that denies truth, because truth cannot be tolerated by a people characterized more and more by a desire to "feel good" about themselves and to avoid any personal responsibility.
He sees you thread cavorting as the spool;
The pottery calling the Potter odd,
For expecting dolts not to play the fool!
What right, asks men, does One unseen possess,
To sway men's law, or in his schools reside?
But God sees the mess you made: The distress,
The evil, how men bulldoze good aside;
How you quit reading scripture, threw out prayer!
Earthshaking troubles rage, and riots beseige,
You ignore the only Source that can bear
The load, and the raging torrent relieve!
He sees you as a foolish, dusty clod,
Ungrateful, spurning the salvage of God.
The American Civil Liberties Union has served the role of undertaker to Jehovah God from having any influence on government, society, and schools in America; instead of adding civil liberty to Christian American citizens and school children, they have denied them those rights; but for other minorities they have won for them the same civil rights they've taken from Christians.
But it is not the ACLU's fault alone; Christians have made the funeral of God in America easier by their declining faith. There is nothing surprising about the decline of Christianity in America. The Bible has prophesied that these things would happen, as knowledgeable Christians have long known. The rank and file members in our churches constantly rail about the decline of Christian America; after soul-searching autopsies, they proclaim that America needs revival; they say we were once Christian and it is up to government, media, and social pressure groups and Christian churches to follow the prescription contained in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." After such purging sessions, nothing happens except the influence of God on America declines all the more.
You see, that promise was never made to Americans. We are not His people; we were never a Christian nation. Does our Constitution begin with the proclamation that this nation belongs to Christ? No. Were Christians ever a majority of the voting citizenry and did they elect Christians to govern according to Christian principles? No. Were the Founding Fathers mostly Christian men? Yes. Did many American immigrants come here for freedom of worship? Yes. None of this made America a Christian nation. The scripture quoted above was intended for the citizens of Judah or Israel thousands of years ago. America is not Israel.
The Bible does have a passage that applies to America.
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
A large part of the problem of our nation's widening gap from Christianity has come from Christians whose faith is slowly draining away. The culprit again is postmodernism, a pervasive philosophy of psychological therapy that denies truth, because truth cannot be tolerated by a people characterized more and more by a desire to "feel good" about themselves and to avoid any personal responsibility.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Much Is Wasted
Once I heard a preacher say, "Man should be
Like the mosquito, his life one day long;
How careful would he plan his destiny,
Quickly choosing God instead of the wrong!"
The more I considered that odd remark,
The wiser that old minister became;
For if men knew that death was sure at dark,
Virtue would loom larger than fleeting fame!
How many wasted days and wasted nights,
Would he discard, striving not to be lost?
Each tick of his watch drives him to new heights;
As shadows lengthen, he clings to the cross!
But man's life is now desperately brief,
And much is wasted,bringing on him grief!
God steadily shortened man's life in the years after Adam's sin. Adam himself lived for 930 years. (See Genesis 5:5) All those who lived before the flood lived long lives. God grew sorry for making man, because there was so much sin in the world; He caused it to rain steadily for forty days, and everybody drowned except the eight members of Noah's family. The man who is recorded as living the longest was Methusaleh, who died after a life of 969 years. (See Genesis 5:27)
After the flood, lives were much shorter. Abraham lived 175 years, about 4000 years ago, in 2000 B.C. (See Genesis 25:7) Abraham's grandson, Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel, lived 147 years. (See Genesis 47:28)
By David's time, about 1000 B. C., the age of 70 years was declared by God as the average age of a man (see Psalm 90:10), but most people didn't live that long until modern medicine began to lengthen the average age.
I think God reduced the length of time men lived for the same reason the old preacher said. The longer we live, the more opportunity there is for us to do evil things. Satan and his other fallen angels are all around us. We can't see them, but their intention is to plant evil desires in our minds.
Like the mosquito, his life one day long;
How careful would he plan his destiny,
Quickly choosing God instead of the wrong!"
The more I considered that odd remark,
The wiser that old minister became;
For if men knew that death was sure at dark,
Virtue would loom larger than fleeting fame!
How many wasted days and wasted nights,
Would he discard, striving not to be lost?
Each tick of his watch drives him to new heights;
As shadows lengthen, he clings to the cross!
But man's life is now desperately brief,
And much is wasted,bringing on him grief!
God steadily shortened man's life in the years after Adam's sin. Adam himself lived for 930 years. (See Genesis 5:5) All those who lived before the flood lived long lives. God grew sorry for making man, because there was so much sin in the world; He caused it to rain steadily for forty days, and everybody drowned except the eight members of Noah's family. The man who is recorded as living the longest was Methusaleh, who died after a life of 969 years. (See Genesis 5:27)
After the flood, lives were much shorter. Abraham lived 175 years, about 4000 years ago, in 2000 B.C. (See Genesis 25:7) Abraham's grandson, Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel, lived 147 years. (See Genesis 47:28)
By David's time, about 1000 B. C., the age of 70 years was declared by God as the average age of a man (see Psalm 90:10), but most people didn't live that long until modern medicine began to lengthen the average age.
I think God reduced the length of time men lived for the same reason the old preacher said. The longer we live, the more opportunity there is for us to do evil things. Satan and his other fallen angels are all around us. We can't see them, but their intention is to plant evil desires in our minds.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
When Men Choose God
A lesser God would have made a better
Than man for fellowship in Paradise.
That new-made would have obeyed to the letter
And have no failings; no lust, to entice.
Attending faithfully upon the Lord;
Grateful to be made; living ev'ry day,
A note tuned in pitch to the minor chord
Prescribed by God; sin not having its way.
Not like men, unfit even to replace
The angel traitors cast down for their sin;
Not like men, prone to stray, their God disgrace;
His kindness spurned, His name shamed among men!
But, men were made weak, and God glorified;
When they chose God, His strength caused them rise!
Evil began in heaven when archangel Lucifer led one third of the angels to rebel against God. (See Revelation 12:7-9) This a mystery, because angels, as a rule, do not have free will; its explanation will have to wait until we see God in heaven. However, being cast to earth, where they have dwelled since being cast out, Satan was already here when Adam and Eve, the first human beings, were made. He enticed them to sin immediately, and they fell to temptation, as has each person since.
This poem speaks of the weakness of men. All of us are guilty of sin by our own choice. Every sin we commit is an offense against God and brings disgrace upon His name. Even after a person chooses Jesus as his Lord and seeks to love as He loved, that person continues to sin. Marianne Williamson, speaking on Oprah's daily radio program, will delude the person by saying there is no sin, but she is wrong, according to the Bible. We sin, and we should feel guilty; however, we have God's strength to make our weaknesses get stronger and eventually go away.
The Bible tells us that God intentionally chooses the weak things of this world to shame the mighty; He made man weak on purpose so that he could become strong by choosing God.
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things---and the things that are not---to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
Why was man made so weak? So that when by free will we choose God, His strength causes us to become strong, and we give him the credit and glory, not we ourselves.
Than man for fellowship in Paradise.
That new-made would have obeyed to the letter
And have no failings; no lust, to entice.
Attending faithfully upon the Lord;
Grateful to be made; living ev'ry day,
A note tuned in pitch to the minor chord
Prescribed by God; sin not having its way.
Not like men, unfit even to replace
The angel traitors cast down for their sin;
Not like men, prone to stray, their God disgrace;
His kindness spurned, His name shamed among men!
But, men were made weak, and God glorified;
When they chose God, His strength caused them rise!
Evil began in heaven when archangel Lucifer led one third of the angels to rebel against God. (See Revelation 12:7-9) This a mystery, because angels, as a rule, do not have free will; its explanation will have to wait until we see God in heaven. However, being cast to earth, where they have dwelled since being cast out, Satan was already here when Adam and Eve, the first human beings, were made. He enticed them to sin immediately, and they fell to temptation, as has each person since.
This poem speaks of the weakness of men. All of us are guilty of sin by our own choice. Every sin we commit is an offense against God and brings disgrace upon His name. Even after a person chooses Jesus as his Lord and seeks to love as He loved, that person continues to sin. Marianne Williamson, speaking on Oprah's daily radio program, will delude the person by saying there is no sin, but she is wrong, according to the Bible. We sin, and we should feel guilty; however, we have God's strength to make our weaknesses get stronger and eventually go away.
The Bible tells us that God intentionally chooses the weak things of this world to shame the mighty; He made man weak on purpose so that he could become strong by choosing God.
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things---and the things that are not---to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
Why was man made so weak? So that when by free will we choose God, His strength causes us to become strong, and we give him the credit and glory, not we ourselves.
Friday, November 21, 2008
God Is Not Linear
Time was created just for men's benefit;
God is not servant to a fixed order;
Chronology's a mortal requisite;
Divine events occur in disorder.
Do you think He Who created it all,
Cannot take a second step before the first?
Don't dress God in garments that are too small;
He spread the cosmos only for the earth!
The past, the future, are the same to God;
He can drain the cup before it's filled;
Men's future unreels ere history's trod,
Yet all occurred exact as He willed!
God is not linear in thought or deed;
He can pluck the fruit ere sowing the seed.
God can do any number of things at once and leave nothing undone. He told Abraham and Sarah that she would bear him a child. She was 90 years old and he 100. It sounded humorous to them because Sarah was beyond the age of child-bearing. In Genesis 18:14 God said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
Not only did His promise come true in this instance, but the entire Bible contains numerous other deeds of God that were contrary to the laws of nature and time, which itself is His creation that will last only as long as men live. The universe was launched by God from a single small point in an absolute void. He spoke in the void 13.7 billion years ago, using a burst of energy that created all matter, including the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. In Genesis 1 the account of the six-day creation of the earth and man tells of God's creation of the sun and moon on the fourth day, to divide day from night, and give men a way of counting days and years. He doesn't need time, but we do.
Although Jesus is God's only begotten son (John 3:16), and was born of a virgin about 2,000 years ago, John 1:1 tells us He was with God in the beginning; that is, before our time was ever begun.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
God is not servant to a fixed order;
Chronology's a mortal requisite;
Divine events occur in disorder.
Do you think He Who created it all,
Cannot take a second step before the first?
Don't dress God in garments that are too small;
He spread the cosmos only for the earth!
The past, the future, are the same to God;
He can drain the cup before it's filled;
Men's future unreels ere history's trod,
Yet all occurred exact as He willed!
God is not linear in thought or deed;
He can pluck the fruit ere sowing the seed.
God can do any number of things at once and leave nothing undone. He told Abraham and Sarah that she would bear him a child. She was 90 years old and he 100. It sounded humorous to them because Sarah was beyond the age of child-bearing. In Genesis 18:14 God said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
Not only did His promise come true in this instance, but the entire Bible contains numerous other deeds of God that were contrary to the laws of nature and time, which itself is His creation that will last only as long as men live. The universe was launched by God from a single small point in an absolute void. He spoke in the void 13.7 billion years ago, using a burst of energy that created all matter, including the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. In Genesis 1 the account of the six-day creation of the earth and man tells of God's creation of the sun and moon on the fourth day, to divide day from night, and give men a way of counting days and years. He doesn't need time, but we do.
Although Jesus is God's only begotten son (John 3:16), and was born of a virgin about 2,000 years ago, John 1:1 tells us He was with God in the beginning; that is, before our time was ever begun.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Not In View
I looked, but I saw no God, said the fool,
Tumbling knee-deep on the porch of earth,
As if that ended eternal Yahweh's rule,
When man teetered upon space travel's birth.
You won't find God tied on a toy kite string,
So the first to blast the edge of space
Can expect to see the Maker of things,
Like a rubber-necker touring the place!
He's no kewpie doll you win at a fair,
Or a keepsake to age along with you;
His word alone made space, but He's not there;
God indwells the saved, and is not in view.
He's no idol, that must be seen to be;
The fool would have died, if God he did see!
Yuri Gargarin was the first human to orbit the earth. He was the Soviet cosmonaut who circled the earth in space on April 12, 1961. Upon his return, he announced that he looked all around up there but did not see God anywhere. I imagine God laughed at the impertinence. Yuri must not have known the Bible very well. However, his statement must have been politically inspired, because the Soviet Union was communist. That philosophy was antagonistic to Christianity. Karl Marx, the founder of communism, was reported to have said, "Religion is the opiate of the people."
A Christian cosmonaut would have known that God could not be seen in space, or by any human being.
"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only [Begotten], who is at the Father's side, has made him known." [Brackets added] (John 1:18)
"God the One and Only" is a phrase referring to Jesus, the Son of God Who made the Father known. He told the Apostles:
"Jesus said, 'Don't you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father'. ..." (John 14:9)
This verse, combined with the one quoted above, makes the true, but astounding, statement that Jesus is God the One and Only, and is the Father as well.
God, the Holy Spirit, dwells in each believer, or each human being who has accepted Jesus as Messiah, and who is following Jesus' command to learn to love others as He has loved us.
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)
If Yuri had been a Christian, to find God, all he had to do was to look within himself without risking his life in space! Oprah Winfrey and her Miracles guru, Marianne Williamson, seems to have perverted this reality by applying it to every human being that lives. In the verse, Paul is speaking only to the Christian believers at Corinth. Marianne Williamson, sonsored by Winfrey, has misinterpreted this verse to mean that God lives in every person. This is the foundation verse on which the world's dominant present-day philosophy, postmodernism. gets its therapeutic practice of making everyone feel good about himself. Certainly, if you hoodwink an individual into believing the lie that God lives within himself; that he can get in touch with Him by inward introspection; and then to act upon what his inner self wants him to do; he will find peace and happiness. There is no sin, is there, if God tells Him to do something, no matter how evil it may be? Without sin, there is no damaging guilt feelings; thus he himself is at peace, and it doesn't matter about the rest of the world. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, and you will see that he has fallen for a false delusion that will send him to hell.
Tumbling knee-deep on the porch of earth,
As if that ended eternal Yahweh's rule,
When man teetered upon space travel's birth.
You won't find God tied on a toy kite string,
So the first to blast the edge of space
Can expect to see the Maker of things,
Like a rubber-necker touring the place!
He's no kewpie doll you win at a fair,
Or a keepsake to age along with you;
His word alone made space, but He's not there;
God indwells the saved, and is not in view.
He's no idol, that must be seen to be;
The fool would have died, if God he did see!
Yuri Gargarin was the first human to orbit the earth. He was the Soviet cosmonaut who circled the earth in space on April 12, 1961. Upon his return, he announced that he looked all around up there but did not see God anywhere. I imagine God laughed at the impertinence. Yuri must not have known the Bible very well. However, his statement must have been politically inspired, because the Soviet Union was communist. That philosophy was antagonistic to Christianity. Karl Marx, the founder of communism, was reported to have said, "Religion is the opiate of the people."
A Christian cosmonaut would have known that God could not be seen in space, or by any human being.
"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only [Begotten], who is at the Father's side, has made him known." [Brackets added] (John 1:18)
"God the One and Only" is a phrase referring to Jesus, the Son of God Who made the Father known. He told the Apostles:
"Jesus said, 'Don't you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father'. ..." (John 14:9)
This verse, combined with the one quoted above, makes the true, but astounding, statement that Jesus is God the One and Only, and is the Father as well.
God, the Holy Spirit, dwells in each believer, or each human being who has accepted Jesus as Messiah, and who is following Jesus' command to learn to love others as He has loved us.
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16)
If Yuri had been a Christian, to find God, all he had to do was to look within himself without risking his life in space! Oprah Winfrey and her Miracles guru, Marianne Williamson, seems to have perverted this reality by applying it to every human being that lives. In the verse, Paul is speaking only to the Christian believers at Corinth. Marianne Williamson, sonsored by Winfrey, has misinterpreted this verse to mean that God lives in every person. This is the foundation verse on which the world's dominant present-day philosophy, postmodernism. gets its therapeutic practice of making everyone feel good about himself. Certainly, if you hoodwink an individual into believing the lie that God lives within himself; that he can get in touch with Him by inward introspection; and then to act upon what his inner self wants him to do; he will find peace and happiness. There is no sin, is there, if God tells Him to do something, no matter how evil it may be? Without sin, there is no damaging guilt feelings; thus he himself is at peace, and it doesn't matter about the rest of the world. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, and you will see that he has fallen for a false delusion that will send him to hell.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Needless Neglect
Some might say, in honest zealous vein,
It was His flesh that wept before the tomb,
As if a friend's death should not vex God's mien;
Or that sorrow is sin for those who wound.
Wrong! Such error needs to be refuted;
Let heaven ring and the whole earth resound---
He who grieves has no offense imputed,
Nor does mourning mark where evil is found.
The Father must have sobbed when angels sinned,
Expelled from heav'n to cause earth's perdition;
He grieved when His Son to the cross was pinned,
And when men turned their backs on contrition.
Yes, God has a heart, and it often groans
At needless neglect from His redeemed ones.
(Special Note to Pastor Adam: Thank you, sir, for reading my blog, Suffice This Wee World; and praises to the Messiah. I am very interested in your suggestion and will follow it. I will comment after consideration.)
The poem above, Needless Neglect, speaks of the weeping of Jesus before His friend Lazarus' tomb. (See John 11:37) This brother of Mary and Martha had been dead four days; the Savior could have healed him but was delayed.
Many Christians wonder at the fact that Jesus the Messiah could cry. Of course God can cry and mourn like man, because men are made in His image. He can do anything we can do, but we can't do anything He can do. He could have healed Lazarus from a distance. Jesus probably wanted to send a message of hope across the centuries that He is able to defeat death and the grave no matter how long it has been since death.
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out---those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (John 5:28-29)
We will all come forth from wherever our bodies are---whether in the grave, cremated and the ashes scattered, lost at sea, blown to bits in war or explosion; none of the ways death occurred makes any difference, His power will call us back to life. Oh, yes, everyone will come forth (but not all at the same time) and live again. Since a judgment is coming for everyone, to separate the "good" from the "evil", and you must be in one group or the other, now is the time to make sure you're in the first group---the one that lives.
It was His flesh that wept before the tomb,
As if a friend's death should not vex God's mien;
Or that sorrow is sin for those who wound.
Wrong! Such error needs to be refuted;
Let heaven ring and the whole earth resound---
He who grieves has no offense imputed,
Nor does mourning mark where evil is found.
The Father must have sobbed when angels sinned,
Expelled from heav'n to cause earth's perdition;
He grieved when His Son to the cross was pinned,
And when men turned their backs on contrition.
Yes, God has a heart, and it often groans
At needless neglect from His redeemed ones.
(Special Note to Pastor Adam: Thank you, sir, for reading my blog, Suffice This Wee World; and praises to the Messiah. I am very interested in your suggestion and will follow it. I will comment after consideration.)
The poem above, Needless Neglect, speaks of the weeping of Jesus before His friend Lazarus' tomb. (See John 11:37) This brother of Mary and Martha had been dead four days; the Savior could have healed him but was delayed.
Many Christians wonder at the fact that Jesus the Messiah could cry. Of course God can cry and mourn like man, because men are made in His image. He can do anything we can do, but we can't do anything He can do. He could have healed Lazarus from a distance. Jesus probably wanted to send a message of hope across the centuries that He is able to defeat death and the grave no matter how long it has been since death.
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out---those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (John 5:28-29)
We will all come forth from wherever our bodies are---whether in the grave, cremated and the ashes scattered, lost at sea, blown to bits in war or explosion; none of the ways death occurred makes any difference, His power will call us back to life. Oh, yes, everyone will come forth (but not all at the same time) and live again. Since a judgment is coming for everyone, to separate the "good" from the "evil", and you must be in one group or the other, now is the time to make sure you're in the first group---the one that lives.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Suffice This Wee World
Our God takes on many forms, yet stays One.
As Jesus John dipped, the Father onlooked,
And the Spirit in a dove, all three done,
But no divine function was left forsook;
No work undone over the rest of earth.
In Job's whirlwind, the Father spoke, and yet
The planet's work went on, o'er all its girth;
None called on Him that He failed to abet.
The mind of God is not a single-track,
That He must end one job to start anew;
He's never so busy His children must lack;
Or a lost one's plea's unattended to.
He Who spoke the stars to be and append,
Suffice this wee world its affairs attend!
New Christians often become confused and discouraged at the many names the Bible uses for God. They may even get the wrong idea that our one God is really three. If you will go to the archives of my blogs and click on Call Him Not Thief, the commentay will explain and list a number of different names used at various places for God.
The poem above refers to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, found in Matthew 3:13-16. There are all three forms of the Trinity---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit---appearing simultaneously. The main subject of the poem is the greatness of our God. and how, even though He may appear in two or three different forms at the same instant, He is so magnificent that all of the affairs He customarily deals with are cared for efficiently and equally well.
The Muslims' god is Allah and is considered by them emphatically to be one being. Perhaps their biggest criticism of Christianity is that we have three gods. Some Christians are confused and they might say, "Christians and Muslims worship the same god." This is a definite falsehood. If we who think that are simply uninstructed and not just being kind or politically correct, we ought to read an English translation of the Qur'an, or any book about Islam. We will see quickly that the characteristics and attributes of Allah are violent, impersonal, and unattached, while those of Jehovah God, are loving, personal, and deeply involved in the affairs of men. They are not the same. God is getting very angry at the impertinence of Muslims who deny that He is God by their substitution of Allah. Even President Bush is quoted as saying that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same god. It is doubtful that he is confused with the expert advisors he has; I think he was speaking as president and being politically correct. It is a tremendous benefit to Islam to keep that kind of fuzzy thinking prevalent in America, because it keeps us asleep to the danger we face.
Christians, let's be precise about what we're supposed to do about Islam. We are told to love everybody, friends, enemies, and non-acquaintances. We are not to hate them. As a nation, though, we must be alert to enemies of freedom. Our nation has fought many wars and lost many soldiers in war defending our liberty. There is evidence that Islam hates us, not only by the September 2001 attack that killed more Americans than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but by the numerous other attacks in the last 40 years. More than that, the Qur'an explicitly includes Christians as Islam's target to take over our nation and subject us to the dictatorship of shari'a law and religion, and all followers of Islam, radical and moderate are deeply involved in everything in the Qur'an. Beheading is specifically endorsed for those who have been conquered and who refuse to worship Allah. So, what do we do? Paraphrasing a WW2 popular song, we "praise God and pass the ammunition", and when we win, we love them and try to convert them.
As Jesus John dipped, the Father onlooked,
And the Spirit in a dove, all three done,
But no divine function was left forsook;
No work undone over the rest of earth.
In Job's whirlwind, the Father spoke, and yet
The planet's work went on, o'er all its girth;
None called on Him that He failed to abet.
The mind of God is not a single-track,
That He must end one job to start anew;
He's never so busy His children must lack;
Or a lost one's plea's unattended to.
He Who spoke the stars to be and append,
Suffice this wee world its affairs attend!
New Christians often become confused and discouraged at the many names the Bible uses for God. They may even get the wrong idea that our one God is really three. If you will go to the archives of my blogs and click on Call Him Not Thief, the commentay will explain and list a number of different names used at various places for God.
The poem above refers to the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, found in Matthew 3:13-16. There are all three forms of the Trinity---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit---appearing simultaneously. The main subject of the poem is the greatness of our God. and how, even though He may appear in two or three different forms at the same instant, He is so magnificent that all of the affairs He customarily deals with are cared for efficiently and equally well.
The Muslims' god is Allah and is considered by them emphatically to be one being. Perhaps their biggest criticism of Christianity is that we have three gods. Some Christians are confused and they might say, "Christians and Muslims worship the same god." This is a definite falsehood. If we who think that are simply uninstructed and not just being kind or politically correct, we ought to read an English translation of the Qur'an, or any book about Islam. We will see quickly that the characteristics and attributes of Allah are violent, impersonal, and unattached, while those of Jehovah God, are loving, personal, and deeply involved in the affairs of men. They are not the same. God is getting very angry at the impertinence of Muslims who deny that He is God by their substitution of Allah. Even President Bush is quoted as saying that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same god. It is doubtful that he is confused with the expert advisors he has; I think he was speaking as president and being politically correct. It is a tremendous benefit to Islam to keep that kind of fuzzy thinking prevalent in America, because it keeps us asleep to the danger we face.
Christians, let's be precise about what we're supposed to do about Islam. We are told to love everybody, friends, enemies, and non-acquaintances. We are not to hate them. As a nation, though, we must be alert to enemies of freedom. Our nation has fought many wars and lost many soldiers in war defending our liberty. There is evidence that Islam hates us, not only by the September 2001 attack that killed more Americans than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, but by the numerous other attacks in the last 40 years. More than that, the Qur'an explicitly includes Christians as Islam's target to take over our nation and subject us to the dictatorship of shari'a law and religion, and all followers of Islam, radical and moderate are deeply involved in everything in the Qur'an. Beheading is specifically endorsed for those who have been conquered and who refuse to worship Allah. So, what do we do? Paraphrasing a WW2 popular song, we "praise God and pass the ammunition", and when we win, we love them and try to convert them.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Embrace The Cross
Why treat men with so much dignity,
When of all God's creatures he's most the fool?
The rulers of earth they pretend to be,
Yet history shows men the weaker tool.
Man rises so important in God's clear sight
That the universe was made just for him.
If men had remained unmade, the devil might
Have been long chained, no prey easy as them.
But God loves men; in His image they're made;
God gives grace to them only, of gifts
The best; but if good works bloom, they soon fade;
God holds His patience, and ever uplifts.
Some good men, by free will, redeem the race;
They choose Christ as Lord, and the cross embrace.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to a large crowd who had come out to hear Him teach. (Matthew 5-7) He used the occasion to describe how a Christian should live so as to enter the Kingdom of God. Near the end of His talk, He made a curious remark that is extremely important for us all to keep in mind. By far the greatest number of people who live on earth will be lost; only a few will be saved. He said it in the following words.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
Well, you might look around and try to gauge whether you are in the large crowd instead of going it on your own, because if you're going with what everybody else is doing, you could be on the wrong road. If you choose to follow Jesus and learn to love as He loved, you will be in a very small crowd. Furthermore, the Bible tells us that in the last days, many Christians will fall away by being deceived by great lies spread by Satan. All the members of any church are not truly going to be saved, even though they might think so. Maybe less than half of church members are traveling the narrow road.
God created man by first creating the entire universe and solar system. He did all this knowing exactly how few men from among the billions who have lived on the earth would actually take advantage of Christ's offer of salvation in return for their free will choice of the narrow road.
What is important to God about man is that each one has free will and can choose for himself which road to follow. He did it all for the few and doesn't regret it one bit!
Why? I think, because Satan has wanted God's throne for himself and God lets him freely roam earth and do his best to deceive men into choosing the wrong road. God knows that the few who choose His way did it freely; they are worth everything He paid, including the life of His own Son. If Satan ruled, he would give no free choice.
Islam is a religion based on fear. If America lets herself come under Islamic rule, each of us will be forced to worship Allah, a god that gives no free will.
When of all God's creatures he's most the fool?
The rulers of earth they pretend to be,
Yet history shows men the weaker tool.
Man rises so important in God's clear sight
That the universe was made just for him.
If men had remained unmade, the devil might
Have been long chained, no prey easy as them.
But God loves men; in His image they're made;
God gives grace to them only, of gifts
The best; but if good works bloom, they soon fade;
God holds His patience, and ever uplifts.
Some good men, by free will, redeem the race;
They choose Christ as Lord, and the cross embrace.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to a large crowd who had come out to hear Him teach. (Matthew 5-7) He used the occasion to describe how a Christian should live so as to enter the Kingdom of God. Near the end of His talk, He made a curious remark that is extremely important for us all to keep in mind. By far the greatest number of people who live on earth will be lost; only a few will be saved. He said it in the following words.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
Well, you might look around and try to gauge whether you are in the large crowd instead of going it on your own, because if you're going with what everybody else is doing, you could be on the wrong road. If you choose to follow Jesus and learn to love as He loved, you will be in a very small crowd. Furthermore, the Bible tells us that in the last days, many Christians will fall away by being deceived by great lies spread by Satan. All the members of any church are not truly going to be saved, even though they might think so. Maybe less than half of church members are traveling the narrow road.
God created man by first creating the entire universe and solar system. He did all this knowing exactly how few men from among the billions who have lived on the earth would actually take advantage of Christ's offer of salvation in return for their free will choice of the narrow road.
What is important to God about man is that each one has free will and can choose for himself which road to follow. He did it all for the few and doesn't regret it one bit!
Why? I think, because Satan has wanted God's throne for himself and God lets him freely roam earth and do his best to deceive men into choosing the wrong road. God knows that the few who choose His way did it freely; they are worth everything He paid, including the life of His own Son. If Satan ruled, he would give no free choice.
Islam is a religion based on fear. If America lets herself come under Islamic rule, each of us will be forced to worship Allah, a god that gives no free will.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saved By Blood
You squeamards who deplore the spill of blood
Shed on the cross that set the price of grace,
Don't you know none e'er enjoyed freedom's bud
Who lost none o' the ruddy juice of the race?
If thieves bleed for stealing another's gold,
Or men's veins slashed while holding their lands,
What's the price for heav'n, where you'll not grow old?
The greater gems the greater price commands;
How much more the gore we should gladly yield!
Don't ask God to hide Christ's dear precious stain;
The cost to Him was too great for a shield,
That do-gooders be spared the sight of pain!
Wash me in the blood He shed on the cross
Save me because of the blood Jesus lost.
The American people collectively have hearts that have grown more tender in the 21at century than they were in the first centuries of the life of the nation. That may sound good; maybe we are growing in Christ's love and becoming more spiritual. But we would be wrong to draw such a conclusion. The tenderness is displayed by the barrage of front-page stories by the print media and the video of television showing bombings of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. But where are the news stories showing the hundreds of unborn babies whose lives are taken every day in this country behind shuttered doors and windows. The soldier's life is valuable, of course, but at least he has lived 20 or more years and is fighting to protect the citizens of this country. What did the infants die for? I suppose they died for the convenience of the mothers and to provide income to the doctors and investors. Our tenderness for our soldiers is a growing obstacle that endangers the continued existence and liberty of the nation, and the growing callousness toward aborting infants' lives does nothing for the nation except increase God's anger at us, because He detests the sin of killing infants.
I fear that the citizenship of America will fail in a time of testing such as we faced in the 1940s. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the recruiting stations were flooded for weeks and months with volunteers for military service. We face the continuing threat of Islamic terrorism, and it will only grow worse. Will we fight to keep our freedom? If there was a way to move time back, I wish you could walk down any street in small-town America in 1944 and look at every house. Each had one or two banners hanging proudly in the front window. Some banners were trimmed in red and had 1, 2, 3, or 4 red stars, proclaiming the number of service men and women away in military service from that house. Some had a gold-trimmed banner also. It always had one gold star which meant a soldier from that house had bled and died in the service of his country. Every American in this nation today should take that walk. We were a united people willing to give our lives to extend the life of the freest country on earth. I fear this people will not feel that way when their trial-by-fire comes.
God is not one to regard human life as so precious, either for believers or non-believers. His Bible is not a book that is politically correct, environmentalist, or psychological feel-goodness. When the Pharaoh's army pursued the escaping Jews down into the divided Red Sea, God allowed the waters to drown the whole army. When Israel prayed to God to help them defeat Amalek in the desert, He told them He would, and He told them to kill everyone of the Amalekites. When He told the Israelites to cross the Jordan, invade Canaan, and take the land as their own forever, He told them to kill every one of the Canaanites. They were to make no peace treaty, not let one escape, kill all the captured livestock, not taking even one goat for themselves. So it goes through the whole history of man. In the battle of Armageddon at the end-time, Christ is goind to slay five-sixths of the 200 million-man army besieging Israel. I know God has His good reasons for giving such brutal commands to His people, but I can't tell you what those reasons are. The blood Jesus shed for lost men on the cross is the means that saved my soul to heaven, and it's there for you, too.
Shed on the cross that set the price of grace,
Don't you know none e'er enjoyed freedom's bud
Who lost none o' the ruddy juice of the race?
If thieves bleed for stealing another's gold,
Or men's veins slashed while holding their lands,
What's the price for heav'n, where you'll not grow old?
The greater gems the greater price commands;
How much more the gore we should gladly yield!
Don't ask God to hide Christ's dear precious stain;
The cost to Him was too great for a shield,
That do-gooders be spared the sight of pain!
Wash me in the blood He shed on the cross
Save me because of the blood Jesus lost.
The American people collectively have hearts that have grown more tender in the 21at century than they were in the first centuries of the life of the nation. That may sound good; maybe we are growing in Christ's love and becoming more spiritual. But we would be wrong to draw such a conclusion. The tenderness is displayed by the barrage of front-page stories by the print media and the video of television showing bombings of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. But where are the news stories showing the hundreds of unborn babies whose lives are taken every day in this country behind shuttered doors and windows. The soldier's life is valuable, of course, but at least he has lived 20 or more years and is fighting to protect the citizens of this country. What did the infants die for? I suppose they died for the convenience of the mothers and to provide income to the doctors and investors. Our tenderness for our soldiers is a growing obstacle that endangers the continued existence and liberty of the nation, and the growing callousness toward aborting infants' lives does nothing for the nation except increase God's anger at us, because He detests the sin of killing infants.
I fear that the citizenship of America will fail in a time of testing such as we faced in the 1940s. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the recruiting stations were flooded for weeks and months with volunteers for military service. We face the continuing threat of Islamic terrorism, and it will only grow worse. Will we fight to keep our freedom? If there was a way to move time back, I wish you could walk down any street in small-town America in 1944 and look at every house. Each had one or two banners hanging proudly in the front window. Some banners were trimmed in red and had 1, 2, 3, or 4 red stars, proclaiming the number of service men and women away in military service from that house. Some had a gold-trimmed banner also. It always had one gold star which meant a soldier from that house had bled and died in the service of his country. Every American in this nation today should take that walk. We were a united people willing to give our lives to extend the life of the freest country on earth. I fear this people will not feel that way when their trial-by-fire comes.
God is not one to regard human life as so precious, either for believers or non-believers. His Bible is not a book that is politically correct, environmentalist, or psychological feel-goodness. When the Pharaoh's army pursued the escaping Jews down into the divided Red Sea, God allowed the waters to drown the whole army. When Israel prayed to God to help them defeat Amalek in the desert, He told them He would, and He told them to kill everyone of the Amalekites. When He told the Israelites to cross the Jordan, invade Canaan, and take the land as their own forever, He told them to kill every one of the Canaanites. They were to make no peace treaty, not let one escape, kill all the captured livestock, not taking even one goat for themselves. So it goes through the whole history of man. In the battle of Armageddon at the end-time, Christ is goind to slay five-sixths of the 200 million-man army besieging Israel. I know God has His good reasons for giving such brutal commands to His people, but I can't tell you what those reasons are. The blood Jesus shed for lost men on the cross is the means that saved my soul to heaven, and it's there for you, too.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Safe For Today
I heard the preacher say with solemn mien,
"Take your version of the Bible and read."
I glanced about at the most reverent scene,
Each with open book, all ready to feed
On the word of God; from Satan, quick fear
Stabbed my mind, upset the worshipful state;
"Can people today be sure words we hear
Are from God? A tortured path is the fate
Of the Bible---tongue to tongue, age by age;
Copied by many, passed from hand to hand.
Some scrolls struck as fakes, some kept as God's page;
How can we know all this Your word withstand?"
"My Spirit kept each word safe for today,
That you won't mistake what I have to say."
Though we don't have a single page in the Bible that can be verified by comparing it to the author's own handwritten manuscript, we do have the results of years of archeology that have brought us closer to the original manuscripts. Though several different "versions" of modern Bibles, like the American Standard, the New International, the New King James, etc., exist, they show such small variances in wording that any one of them will serve quite well. Internal evidence, such as the lack of contradictory passages and the fulfillment of prophecy, also serves to verify trustworthiness. Linguists have improved their skills in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic, so that modern translations are more trustworthy than earlier ones.
Of course we must not expect the Bible to be a book of scientific precision. Approximately 40 authors are represented in the Bible, and they were ordinary men of their times. They used expressions in the vernacular of their day. For example, Psalm 19 states that the sun makes a circuit of the heavens every day, implying that it is the sun that revolves about the earth. In the 16th century, the world still believed Aristotle's statement that the earth was the center of the universe; all heavenly bodies revolved around earth. You really can't blame the church for accusing Galileo of heresy when he reported the results of his observations with his homemade telescope that had the earth and other planets circling the sun. Galileo was convicted of heresy and forced to recant. On his knees before the assembled cardinals, Galileo said he was wrong; Aristotle was correct; the sun did revolve about the earth. But as he arose from his knees, he was heard to mutter, "but the earth does move around the sun." Which, of course, it does.
Later the Catholic Church apologized to him, but Galileo was long deceased by then.
There might be occasions on earth, and in this life, when science and the Bible seem to contradict each other, but do not worry: when we reach heaven at the end of time, and know things we don't know now, there will be exact agreement between science and religion.
"Take your version of the Bible and read."
I glanced about at the most reverent scene,
Each with open book, all ready to feed
On the word of God; from Satan, quick fear
Stabbed my mind, upset the worshipful state;
"Can people today be sure words we hear
Are from God? A tortured path is the fate
Of the Bible---tongue to tongue, age by age;
Copied by many, passed from hand to hand.
Some scrolls struck as fakes, some kept as God's page;
How can we know all this Your word withstand?"
"My Spirit kept each word safe for today,
That you won't mistake what I have to say."
Though we don't have a single page in the Bible that can be verified by comparing it to the author's own handwritten manuscript, we do have the results of years of archeology that have brought us closer to the original manuscripts. Though several different "versions" of modern Bibles, like the American Standard, the New International, the New King James, etc., exist, they show such small variances in wording that any one of them will serve quite well. Internal evidence, such as the lack of contradictory passages and the fulfillment of prophecy, also serves to verify trustworthiness. Linguists have improved their skills in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic, so that modern translations are more trustworthy than earlier ones.
Of course we must not expect the Bible to be a book of scientific precision. Approximately 40 authors are represented in the Bible, and they were ordinary men of their times. They used expressions in the vernacular of their day. For example, Psalm 19 states that the sun makes a circuit of the heavens every day, implying that it is the sun that revolves about the earth. In the 16th century, the world still believed Aristotle's statement that the earth was the center of the universe; all heavenly bodies revolved around earth. You really can't blame the church for accusing Galileo of heresy when he reported the results of his observations with his homemade telescope that had the earth and other planets circling the sun. Galileo was convicted of heresy and forced to recant. On his knees before the assembled cardinals, Galileo said he was wrong; Aristotle was correct; the sun did revolve about the earth. But as he arose from his knees, he was heard to mutter, "but the earth does move around the sun." Which, of course, it does.
Later the Catholic Church apologized to him, but Galileo was long deceased by then.
There might be occasions on earth, and in this life, when science and the Bible seem to contradict each other, but do not worry: when we reach heaven at the end of time, and know things we don't know now, there will be exact agreement between science and religion.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Worth My Trust
Dear Lord, earth is covered with praise of thee,
In the tuneful warbling of bird to bird;
Rustling leaves whisper regret for each tree
That on one like them hung the holy Word;
Even the serpent's hiss broadcasts your fame
And asks your pardon for his Garden role.
I can do no less than sing your acclaim
For your matchless grace that redeemed my soul,
And sing with nature the gospel divine;
Point all the earth to Jesus on the cross,
Who saves believing men with love sublime;
He died to retake what mankind had lost.
I love you, Jesus, not because I must,
But you loved me first, and are worth my trust.
God's love for men can be seen and heard in nature. C. S. Lewis called Psalm 19 the greatest lyric ever written. It begins like this:
"The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where
their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent
for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming forth
from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run
his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other,
nothing is hidden from its heat."
No words come from nature, but its presentation to the eye of the beholder is like many volumes of books explaining God. its Creator. In fact, the Bible says that no man can be excused from belief in God, for His creation has displayed all God's unspoken attributes.
In Romans 1:20 is written by Paul:
"For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Of all people scientists should believe in God, for they are clearly aware of the fact that the universe was begun at a single point, before which there was nothing---NOTHING!!! How could they not discern the hand of God in creating all matter---everything that is anything---out of nothing, not even light or heat? Even Einstein grudgingly admitted, when it was proved that nothing existed before the universe suddenly began, there had to be a supernatural power who provided the first burst of energy, out of which everything was made.
Do you understand what Paul is saying? You are a dweller on the earth; it and the universe have been created by God. You should recognize His power and divinity, because you can see what He has made. Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the stars, all of it, should be sufficient evidence for you to believe in God, and His Son Christ Jesus.
In the tuneful warbling of bird to bird;
Rustling leaves whisper regret for each tree
That on one like them hung the holy Word;
Even the serpent's hiss broadcasts your fame
And asks your pardon for his Garden role.
I can do no less than sing your acclaim
For your matchless grace that redeemed my soul,
And sing with nature the gospel divine;
Point all the earth to Jesus on the cross,
Who saves believing men with love sublime;
He died to retake what mankind had lost.
I love you, Jesus, not because I must,
But you loved me first, and are worth my trust.
God's love for men can be seen and heard in nature. C. S. Lewis called Psalm 19 the greatest lyric ever written. It begins like this:
"The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where
their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent
for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming forth
from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run
his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other,
nothing is hidden from its heat."
No words come from nature, but its presentation to the eye of the beholder is like many volumes of books explaining God. its Creator. In fact, the Bible says that no man can be excused from belief in God, for His creation has displayed all God's unspoken attributes.
In Romans 1:20 is written by Paul:
"For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities---his eternal power and divine nature---have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
Of all people scientists should believe in God, for they are clearly aware of the fact that the universe was begun at a single point, before which there was nothing---NOTHING!!! How could they not discern the hand of God in creating all matter---everything that is anything---out of nothing, not even light or heat? Even Einstein grudgingly admitted, when it was proved that nothing existed before the universe suddenly began, there had to be a supernatural power who provided the first burst of energy, out of which everything was made.
Do you understand what Paul is saying? You are a dweller on the earth; it and the universe have been created by God. You should recognize His power and divinity, because you can see what He has made. Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the stars, all of it, should be sufficient evidence for you to believe in God, and His Son Christ Jesus.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Its Name Is Grace
All men sing the matchless mercies of grace
And praises to God Whose love gave it birth.
It gives men a new chance to see His face,
Heaven's stairway reaching over all earth.
Yahweh talked with Moses for many days,
But kept His face hidden from any man.
Grace admits believers to give Him praise
Daily, face to face, in the Promised Land.
No song is deserved by human kind,
But for those redeemed by the blood of Christ.
It is grace that permitted them to find
The Father's face; salvation will suffice.
If e'er a debt was too great to displace,
The redeemed owe it, and its name is grace.
Perhaps the most difficult thing for us to understand about God is grace. Our human nature cannot fathom how even the most degrading of sins committed by anybody can be freely offset without a lot of hard work. It is free; you don't have to pay anything or to do any work; all you have to do is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and busy yourself learning how to love other people. Jesus made this possible by taking our sins upon Himself and dying (remember, "the wages of sin is death") for them. He didn't die for Himself, because He never committed sin.
Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it this way: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast."
This means we are saved by our faith, which comes to us from God, and because of His grace. That is why I hope you are reading my blogs and the Bible passages that are cited for your reference. The blogs are showing you how to love others, friends and enemies and non-acquaintances all, because through our love to others God will know that we have been taught this by His Son, and He will increase our faith. This was promised by Jesus to His disciples in John 15:10, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love..." His "commands" are found in the Bible; reduced to simplest terms, they are to love others as we love ourselves.
And praises to God Whose love gave it birth.
It gives men a new chance to see His face,
Heaven's stairway reaching over all earth.
Yahweh talked with Moses for many days,
But kept His face hidden from any man.
Grace admits believers to give Him praise
Daily, face to face, in the Promised Land.
No song is deserved by human kind,
But for those redeemed by the blood of Christ.
It is grace that permitted them to find
The Father's face; salvation will suffice.
If e'er a debt was too great to displace,
The redeemed owe it, and its name is grace.
Perhaps the most difficult thing for us to understand about God is grace. Our human nature cannot fathom how even the most degrading of sins committed by anybody can be freely offset without a lot of hard work. It is free; you don't have to pay anything or to do any work; all you have to do is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and busy yourself learning how to love other people. Jesus made this possible by taking our sins upon Himself and dying (remember, "the wages of sin is death") for them. He didn't die for Himself, because He never committed sin.
Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it this way: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast."
This means we are saved by our faith, which comes to us from God, and because of His grace. That is why I hope you are reading my blogs and the Bible passages that are cited for your reference. The blogs are showing you how to love others, friends and enemies and non-acquaintances all, because through our love to others God will know that we have been taught this by His Son, and He will increase our faith. This was promised by Jesus to His disciples in John 15:10, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love..." His "commands" are found in the Bible; reduced to simplest terms, they are to love others as we love ourselves.
Killing For Convenience
How can we who dine at Jesus' table
Remain silent as innocents are slain;
And cast votes for those whose laws enable
Pregnant women to choose not to so remain?
Helpless babies denied a chance to live
Is not a choice but murder by the state!
Who knows what wonders that child was to give?
He's torn apart with no chance to create,
His brain ripped out by one sworn to protect,
The lying doctor vowed "I will do no harm"!
God is angry at Yankee disrespect
For life in the womb, our love so unwarm!
How long, O Lord, 'til this nation wake
And stop killing babes for convenience' sake!
God has made His attitude crystal clear about the killing of infants in the Bible, and He is holding "Christian" and non-Christian nations equally responsible. If you read no more of this commentary, please look up these references to Biblical passages and read them: Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31; 2 Kings 3:26-27; 2 Kings 16:1-3; 2 Chronicles 28:3; and Isaiah 57:5. God detests any nation that kills babies.
In respect for the founding fathers of the United States and the many Christian citizens who live here, if not for our self-respect as moral human beings, we should not have legal abortion in America. Killing unborn babies for convenience' sake is worse than any of the disgraceful things our nation has done, such as slavery and destroying the native American civilization.
Life begins at conception, regardless of how abortion supporters twist the truth. The heart is beating; human shape is formed; the brain has thoughts. The baby is killed no less than the adult is murdered. According to the Catholic Church, 48,000,000 babies have been mercilessly slaughtered in America during the last 40 years. That is enough people to make up a small nation. America owes all our convicted murderers an apology.
The reason God gave Israel the Promised Land of Canaan, the former peoples practiced their worship by burning babies alive. God commanded the Israelites to kill every Canaanite, and turned their land over to Israel forever. What does He have in store for the United States of America? Abortion is not simply an election issue; it is a cancer destroying the republic.
Remain silent as innocents are slain;
And cast votes for those whose laws enable
Pregnant women to choose not to so remain?
Helpless babies denied a chance to live
Is not a choice but murder by the state!
Who knows what wonders that child was to give?
He's torn apart with no chance to create,
His brain ripped out by one sworn to protect,
The lying doctor vowed "I will do no harm"!
God is angry at Yankee disrespect
For life in the womb, our love so unwarm!
How long, O Lord, 'til this nation wake
And stop killing babes for convenience' sake!
God has made His attitude crystal clear about the killing of infants in the Bible, and He is holding "Christian" and non-Christian nations equally responsible. If you read no more of this commentary, please look up these references to Biblical passages and read them: Leviticus 18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31; 2 Kings 3:26-27; 2 Kings 16:1-3; 2 Chronicles 28:3; and Isaiah 57:5. God detests any nation that kills babies.
In respect for the founding fathers of the United States and the many Christian citizens who live here, if not for our self-respect as moral human beings, we should not have legal abortion in America. Killing unborn babies for convenience' sake is worse than any of the disgraceful things our nation has done, such as slavery and destroying the native American civilization.
Life begins at conception, regardless of how abortion supporters twist the truth. The heart is beating; human shape is formed; the brain has thoughts. The baby is killed no less than the adult is murdered. According to the Catholic Church, 48,000,000 babies have been mercilessly slaughtered in America during the last 40 years. That is enough people to make up a small nation. America owes all our convicted murderers an apology.
The reason God gave Israel the Promised Land of Canaan, the former peoples practiced their worship by burning babies alive. God commanded the Israelites to kill every Canaanite, and turned their land over to Israel forever. What does He have in store for the United States of America? Abortion is not simply an election issue; it is a cancer destroying the republic.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Presence of God
What a foolish charade would this life be
Without God, and His call for men to soar.
Absent the good, evil would rampage free;
Without the Bible, no prophets of yore,
Where's our hope, or a cure for death?
Can nature teach mercy, or ways to love?
Do animals give thanks for having breath?
What tree is so tall as to rise above?
This would not be a kinder, better place,
If God were replaced by majority rules;
It would be Bedlam, a moral disgrace;
Lost, and no compass, a shipload of fools!
Earth has no better than Hell's grim prospect,
If here the presence of God men reject!
It is the height of irony that the only nation ever established by Godly men to insure freedom of religion forever turns about-face after only two centuries and becomes hellbent on divorcing the nation from any mention of Him. The United States was a safe haven for refugees from England, where the established church used the power of government to kill and imprison any person who professed a belief at variance with approved doctrine.
Now the great-great grandchildren of the founders of the country, together with a huge mass of immigrants, legal and illegal, do not want God or Jesus Christ to be mentioned in public schools, government facilities, or even in private yards of homeowners. This poem is written as a warning to the nation's majority; if public opinion, driven by the media and political and social leaders, has its way, God would be banished from America. They should stop their foolish initiative and think of the consequences of removing God from this society.
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1)
It is true that everyone will not believe in God, not even a majority. However, the United States, in thinking majorically, should not abolish God from our Constitution or the rest of society. A nation without the presence of God is a nation doomed to suffer increased evil.
Without God, and His call for men to soar.
Absent the good, evil would rampage free;
Without the Bible, no prophets of yore,
Where's our hope, or a cure for death?
Can nature teach mercy, or ways to love?
Do animals give thanks for having breath?
What tree is so tall as to rise above?
This would not be a kinder, better place,
If God were replaced by majority rules;
It would be Bedlam, a moral disgrace;
Lost, and no compass, a shipload of fools!
Earth has no better than Hell's grim prospect,
If here the presence of God men reject!
It is the height of irony that the only nation ever established by Godly men to insure freedom of religion forever turns about-face after only two centuries and becomes hellbent on divorcing the nation from any mention of Him. The United States was a safe haven for refugees from England, where the established church used the power of government to kill and imprison any person who professed a belief at variance with approved doctrine.
Now the great-great grandchildren of the founders of the country, together with a huge mass of immigrants, legal and illegal, do not want God or Jesus Christ to be mentioned in public schools, government facilities, or even in private yards of homeowners. This poem is written as a warning to the nation's majority; if public opinion, driven by the media and political and social leaders, has its way, God would be banished from America. They should stop their foolish initiative and think of the consequences of removing God from this society.
"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1)
It is true that everyone will not believe in God, not even a majority. However, the United States, in thinking majorically, should not abolish God from our Constitution or the rest of society. A nation without the presence of God is a nation doomed to suffer increased evil.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
God Spoke The Universe
If God commands the lump to become man,
And after many years, it so elect,
How is He less divine than if His hand
Mixed the dust, shaped, and stood Adam erect?
Greater is He Whose voice the waves obey,
Than one who must calm the waters by feel;
And One Who spoke stars, then ended with clay,
The sun, moon, earth, and everything that's real!
As the acorn owns the mightiest tree,
So God proclaimed but once, and it was done:
All was made; all that science will ever see,
And what force the universe needs to run!
God is not limited by time or space,
That, to create, He must be at the place!
Most scientists agree that there was a time in the distant past when nothing at all existed. If all that we see started from nothing, what caused the universe to begin creating matter (things)? It was God, of course; He spoke and what the world calls the "Big Bang" began in a mammoth burst of energy originating at a single small point. Hurling itself outward in all directions, the tremendous heat began creating gases; atoms began combining into clumps of matter and Bingo: The result is what we see day and night, stars, the sun, planets, and our earth, which is in the only small area in all of space that is safe for man to live. Even Einstein, a non-believing Jew, grudgingly admitted that the universe had to have a creator, some supernatural force not detectable to science.
Hebrews 11:3 states that God commanded the universe to be formed using voice only. We have another example of how nature obeys God's commands. When a sudden storm arose in the Sea of Galilee, the disciples feared for their lives and called on Jesus to save them. He rebuked the wind and the waves by voice, and the waters calmed down. (See Matthew 8:26) When Jesus returns to earth, as He promised He would do, He will face an army of more than 200,000,000 soldiers, and He will defeat them by use of His voice only.
And after many years, it so elect,
How is He less divine than if His hand
Mixed the dust, shaped, and stood Adam erect?
Greater is He Whose voice the waves obey,
Than one who must calm the waters by feel;
And One Who spoke stars, then ended with clay,
The sun, moon, earth, and everything that's real!
As the acorn owns the mightiest tree,
So God proclaimed but once, and it was done:
All was made; all that science will ever see,
And what force the universe needs to run!
God is not limited by time or space,
That, to create, He must be at the place!
Most scientists agree that there was a time in the distant past when nothing at all existed. If all that we see started from nothing, what caused the universe to begin creating matter (things)? It was God, of course; He spoke and what the world calls the "Big Bang" began in a mammoth burst of energy originating at a single small point. Hurling itself outward in all directions, the tremendous heat began creating gases; atoms began combining into clumps of matter and Bingo: The result is what we see day and night, stars, the sun, planets, and our earth, which is in the only small area in all of space that is safe for man to live. Even Einstein, a non-believing Jew, grudgingly admitted that the universe had to have a creator, some supernatural force not detectable to science.
Hebrews 11:3 states that God commanded the universe to be formed using voice only. We have another example of how nature obeys God's commands. When a sudden storm arose in the Sea of Galilee, the disciples feared for their lives and called on Jesus to save them. He rebuked the wind and the waves by voice, and the waters calmed down. (See Matthew 8:26) When Jesus returns to earth, as He promised He would do, He will face an army of more than 200,000,000 soldiers, and He will defeat them by use of His voice only.
My Word Told You
The deceiver charms hearts of all who hear
With his 'feel-good' lies and 'no-pain' pathway.
"Of a loving God, you need have no fear;
Hell is a lie; all men are free today."
He says, "Man has changed, from ape to erudite;
God, from lawgiver to a kind old man;
All mankind has grown closer to the 'Light';
Scholars are leading to the Promised Land."
Hearing, true believers, astounded, pled,
"Have creatures of dust the Maker replaced,
Changing truth to lie that leaves all men dead,
Teaching delusion that leaves God disgraced?"
"Let it be so now," a voice answered me;
Remember, my word told you this would be."
Our society has come under the powerful influence of postmodernism. This belief is best described as "therapy"; that is, a method of relieving oneself from any responsibility for his own actions, whatever those might be. A person must feel good about himself, at whatever cost. He must not feel guilty, or sinful, or depressed, or denied anything, or in any way. This pervasive belief is especially resistant to the teachings of the Bible, for God does not mince words that tag a sinner with responsibility for his evil or disobedient actions; nor does He relieve a believer from feeling a sense of guilt for sin---unless he repents. Thus, the 'puppetmasters', or leaders who promote this practice, do not hesitate to use Biblical terminology to promote this great delusion; they believe it is of greater value to relieve individuals from responsibility than to maintain the truths of scripture.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives them who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie..." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)
Our human nature enjoys this therapeutic treatment, which teaches that there is no sin; no one should feel guilty about anything he has done, or feel inclined to do, because God is somewhere inside of the person, and He approves anything that comes into the mind. This is a lie; God, in any of His many forms, does not dwell within a person who has not accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and repented of his wrongdoing as described in the Bible.
With his 'feel-good' lies and 'no-pain' pathway.
"Of a loving God, you need have no fear;
Hell is a lie; all men are free today."
He says, "Man has changed, from ape to erudite;
God, from lawgiver to a kind old man;
All mankind has grown closer to the 'Light';
Scholars are leading to the Promised Land."
Hearing, true believers, astounded, pled,
"Have creatures of dust the Maker replaced,
Changing truth to lie that leaves all men dead,
Teaching delusion that leaves God disgraced?"
"Let it be so now," a voice answered me;
Remember, my word told you this would be."
Our society has come under the powerful influence of postmodernism. This belief is best described as "therapy"; that is, a method of relieving oneself from any responsibility for his own actions, whatever those might be. A person must feel good about himself, at whatever cost. He must not feel guilty, or sinful, or depressed, or denied anything, or in any way. This pervasive belief is especially resistant to the teachings of the Bible, for God does not mince words that tag a sinner with responsibility for his evil or disobedient actions; nor does He relieve a believer from feeling a sense of guilt for sin---unless he repents. Thus, the 'puppetmasters', or leaders who promote this practice, do not hesitate to use Biblical terminology to promote this great delusion; they believe it is of greater value to relieve individuals from responsibility than to maintain the truths of scripture.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives them who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie..." (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)
Our human nature enjoys this therapeutic treatment, which teaches that there is no sin; no one should feel guilty about anything he has done, or feel inclined to do, because God is somewhere inside of the person, and He approves anything that comes into the mind. This is a lie; God, in any of His many forms, does not dwell within a person who has not accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and repented of his wrongdoing as described in the Bible.
Monday, November 10, 2008
All Shall Kneel
In space, nothing! God spoke the universe;
Next came stars, who hung in place, one by one;
Then the sun, that earth its orbit traverse
Safely; no other planet can so run.
His Word called on the dusty land to rise
From watery depths that compassed the void,
Changed damp clay to flesh, and shaped it to size
Of man, and quickened him by His breath convoyed;
Fashioned immortal a soul inside man;
Poured grace on him, that he be freed from sin;
That those who choose may have a promised land:
A pit and lake of fire for stubborn men.
He is Jehovah, one Lord over all;
To Him, all shall kneel; His name, all will call.
Scientists have found that at a point in space 13.7 billion years ago, there was
nothing: No air, no elements, no gases, no matter, no energy. Nothing! Suddenly there was a burst of energy, and from that one burst of energy, all gases, all atoms, all molecules, all energy, all matter including stars, planets, heavenly bodies, and the earth formed from just that one burst of energy. After 13,700,000,000 years, man appeared on earth. If you think of a 365-day year, January through December, as equal to that 13.7 billion years, the burst of energy appeared at 12:00:01 seconds on January 1st, and man appeared on earth at 11:56:15 on December 31st. In other words, God went to an humongous amount of trouble to fix everything just right for man to live about 3 minutes 45 seconds!
We live in the only small space in the entire universe that would allow us to live at all!
Not luck. God. How great He is! He SPOKE all this into existence, so that a few of us could choose to follow Christ and thus enter heaven at death, while the vast majority of people lived their lives ignoring and rejecting the God that did all this for us, and they will spend an eternity in hell for their stubbornness!
Please read Psalm 19:1-6 and think about the words. It says that all of nature shouts to us day and night about the Creator who made nature, but does it without saying a word. Go outside tonight, and look up at the starry sky. Think about Who made all of this, and how it wasn't just chance!
Next came stars, who hung in place, one by one;
Then the sun, that earth its orbit traverse
Safely; no other planet can so run.
His Word called on the dusty land to rise
From watery depths that compassed the void,
Changed damp clay to flesh, and shaped it to size
Of man, and quickened him by His breath convoyed;
Fashioned immortal a soul inside man;
Poured grace on him, that he be freed from sin;
That those who choose may have a promised land:
A pit and lake of fire for stubborn men.
He is Jehovah, one Lord over all;
To Him, all shall kneel; His name, all will call.
Scientists have found that at a point in space 13.7 billion years ago, there was
nothing: No air, no elements, no gases, no matter, no energy. Nothing! Suddenly there was a burst of energy, and from that one burst of energy, all gases, all atoms, all molecules, all energy, all matter including stars, planets, heavenly bodies, and the earth formed from just that one burst of energy. After 13,700,000,000 years, man appeared on earth. If you think of a 365-day year, January through December, as equal to that 13.7 billion years, the burst of energy appeared at 12:00:01 seconds on January 1st, and man appeared on earth at 11:56:15 on December 31st. In other words, God went to an humongous amount of trouble to fix everything just right for man to live about 3 minutes 45 seconds!
We live in the only small space in the entire universe that would allow us to live at all!
Not luck. God. How great He is! He SPOKE all this into existence, so that a few of us could choose to follow Christ and thus enter heaven at death, while the vast majority of people lived their lives ignoring and rejecting the God that did all this for us, and they will spend an eternity in hell for their stubbornness!
Please read Psalm 19:1-6 and think about the words. It says that all of nature shouts to us day and night about the Creator who made nature, but does it without saying a word. Go outside tonight, and look up at the starry sky. Think about Who made all of this, and how it wasn't just chance!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Only For Adam
If the race was condemned when Adam fell,
What about one who lives a guiltless life today?
Surely God would not sentence him to hell
Just because Adam refused to obey.
Has an innocent man yet been condemned
On account of the Garden sin alone,
Only for Adam, his bright record dimmed,
His lifelong good deeds for that not atone?
No one but Jesus has lived without sin;
All others by choice have disobeyed, too,
And must love Jesus as Lord, heav'n to win;
No other escape; nothing else will do.
It is good to try for sinless perfection,
But choose Christ Lord for endless protection.
There is a lot of Bible mentioned in this poem; it would be good for a person, trying to love as Jesus wants him to love, to fix these facts in his mind. A list might be helpful.
1. Adam was the first man on earth; we are all descended from him.
2. Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. This was the first sin.
3. The wages of sin is death, said the Lord. Death means eternity in hell.
4. Because our blood is Adam's blood, we are guilty of sin at birth. (See Psalm 51:5)
5. Unless God intervened after Adam sinned, all of us would be condemned to hell.
6. God intervened: He sent Jesus to live on earth as a man. Jesus was sinless, at His birth and during His life. He died for us; God placed our sins on Him.
7. Jesus was resurrected from death and waits in heaven now, but He's coming back.
8. God offered us free salvation (escape hell by going to heaven) if we choose to love Jesus and follow His commands in the Bible.
9. Though we are all guilty of Adam's sin, we are also guilty of our own sins of disobedience. (See Psalm 58:3-5)
Therefore, God does not condemn us to hell only because of Adam's guilt; He would have done so, if anyone could have lived without sin and without choosing Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus told His disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (See John 14:6)
Reminder: Review the many names of God in the poem, "Call Him Not Thief" and in the commentary.
What about one who lives a guiltless life today?
Surely God would not sentence him to hell
Just because Adam refused to obey.
Has an innocent man yet been condemned
On account of the Garden sin alone,
Only for Adam, his bright record dimmed,
His lifelong good deeds for that not atone?
No one but Jesus has lived without sin;
All others by choice have disobeyed, too,
And must love Jesus as Lord, heav'n to win;
No other escape; nothing else will do.
It is good to try for sinless perfection,
But choose Christ Lord for endless protection.
There is a lot of Bible mentioned in this poem; it would be good for a person, trying to love as Jesus wants him to love, to fix these facts in his mind. A list might be helpful.
1. Adam was the first man on earth; we are all descended from him.
2. Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. This was the first sin.
3. The wages of sin is death, said the Lord. Death means eternity in hell.
4. Because our blood is Adam's blood, we are guilty of sin at birth. (See Psalm 51:5)
5. Unless God intervened after Adam sinned, all of us would be condemned to hell.
6. God intervened: He sent Jesus to live on earth as a man. Jesus was sinless, at His birth and during His life. He died for us; God placed our sins on Him.
7. Jesus was resurrected from death and waits in heaven now, but He's coming back.
8. God offered us free salvation (escape hell by going to heaven) if we choose to love Jesus and follow His commands in the Bible.
9. Though we are all guilty of Adam's sin, we are also guilty of our own sins of disobedience. (See Psalm 58:3-5)
Therefore, God does not condemn us to hell only because of Adam's guilt; He would have done so, if anyone could have lived without sin and without choosing Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus told His disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (See John 14:6)
Reminder: Review the many names of God in the poem, "Call Him Not Thief" and in the commentary.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Others Have Bled
Our love for Christ should not inflate His death
As cruel above all who've died. More unjust,
Yes, for One Who loved with each indrawn breath,
And One Who proved worthy for men to trust.
Their trust best not rest on how much He pained;
He wore flesh only to prove Himself man;
The flesh was killed; His eternal Self remained.
Our sins hurt Him more than lost men ever can.
In more appaling ways have others bled,
Though not guiltless, for their brothers' sake;
All their pain combined is a mior dreg
To the monstrous load He did freely take.
He did not fear the dread pain of the tree,
When He asked God, 'Let this cup pass from Me'.
Dying for us was easy for Jesus compared to living for us and facing rejection, denial and inflexible hostility. Christians have an almost irresistible urge to over-emphasize the atrocious pain inflicted upon the body of Jesus by the Romans who crucified Him. It was more painful though that His own people influenced the Romans to crucify Him.
The horrible suffering of Jesus depicted in the movie, The Passion of the Christ, mistakenly emphasized the agony of the flesh in the crucifixion, and minimized the suffering that the Creator and King of the universe went through emotionally in order to leave the glory of His throne and place Himself in the hands of the wayward creatures He had made in the beginning. The 33 years He lived was more agonizing mentally and spiritually than the killing of His flesh was painful. He loved men while they were yet immersed in sin, yet most of them turned their backs to His pleas.
As cruel above all who've died. More unjust,
Yes, for One Who loved with each indrawn breath,
And One Who proved worthy for men to trust.
Their trust best not rest on how much He pained;
He wore flesh only to prove Himself man;
The flesh was killed; His eternal Self remained.
Our sins hurt Him more than lost men ever can.
In more appaling ways have others bled,
Though not guiltless, for their brothers' sake;
All their pain combined is a mior dreg
To the monstrous load He did freely take.
He did not fear the dread pain of the tree,
When He asked God, 'Let this cup pass from Me'.
Dying for us was easy for Jesus compared to living for us and facing rejection, denial and inflexible hostility. Christians have an almost irresistible urge to over-emphasize the atrocious pain inflicted upon the body of Jesus by the Romans who crucified Him. It was more painful though that His own people influenced the Romans to crucify Him.
The horrible suffering of Jesus depicted in the movie, The Passion of the Christ, mistakenly emphasized the agony of the flesh in the crucifixion, and minimized the suffering that the Creator and King of the universe went through emotionally in order to leave the glory of His throne and place Himself in the hands of the wayward creatures He had made in the beginning. The 33 years He lived was more agonizing mentally and spiritually than the killing of His flesh was painful. He loved men while they were yet immersed in sin, yet most of them turned their backs to His pleas.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Call Him Not Thief
Call Him not thief Who took your sins away;
Christ unlocked the chains that tethered you fast;
The Lake of Fire awaited you some day
But for the Savior; Friend of the Outcast;
Redeemer; Counselor; God's Holy Lamb;
Prince of Peace; Mighty God; Rose of Sharon;
Name him the Creator; the great I Am;
Everlasting Father; Rod of Aaron;
The One Whose Own Heart David was after;
The Sacred Judge; Maker Who never sleeps;
Rabbi; Teacher; Lion of Judah; Master;
The Word; Anointed; He Whose Safe Hand keeps!
Call Him not thief Who took your sins away
And pardoned you fo good against that day!
The names of God are many and can often be confusing. God is only one divine being, but He is called by many names in the Bible. A few other names not listed above are: Moshiach, Messiah, Yahweh, Jehovah, Scourge of Zion, Ancient of Days, Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of man, King, Son of David, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, Father, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, etc. When Jesus came to earth to live with us, He was God inhabiting the body of a man. When God enters your body and dwells within when you are saved, He is called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost. All of these names when used in the Bible refer to the same divine being.
There are even passages in the Bible that portray multiple beings as God at the same instant, but all of these refer to the one divine being.
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:13-16)
Yes, it is confusine, but you must not believe in multiple gods. It will be helpful if you think of one name, like Christ, or God, or Lord, and use it in your mind every time you read or hear one of the many names of God.
Christ unlocked the chains that tethered you fast;
The Lake of Fire awaited you some day
But for the Savior; Friend of the Outcast;
Redeemer; Counselor; God's Holy Lamb;
Prince of Peace; Mighty God; Rose of Sharon;
Name him the Creator; the great I Am;
Everlasting Father; Rod of Aaron;
The One Whose Own Heart David was after;
The Sacred Judge; Maker Who never sleeps;
Rabbi; Teacher; Lion of Judah; Master;
The Word; Anointed; He Whose Safe Hand keeps!
Call Him not thief Who took your sins away
And pardoned you fo good against that day!
The names of God are many and can often be confusing. God is only one divine being, but He is called by many names in the Bible. A few other names not listed above are: Moshiach, Messiah, Yahweh, Jehovah, Scourge of Zion, Ancient of Days, Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of man, King, Son of David, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, Father, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, etc. When Jesus came to earth to live with us, He was God inhabiting the body of a man. When God enters your body and dwells within when you are saved, He is called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost. All of these names when used in the Bible refer to the same divine being.
There are even passages in the Bible that portray multiple beings as God at the same instant, but all of these refer to the one divine being.
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:13-16)
Yes, it is confusine, but you must not believe in multiple gods. It will be helpful if you think of one name, like Christ, or God, or Lord, and use it in your mind every time you read or hear one of the many names of God.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Vengeance For Israel
Shall Arab rage wipe Israel fore'er from the globe,
The fruit of Judah's life erased by fears
Of bombs hidden beneath each Muslim robe,
Herod's babe-killing reprised in our years?
Shall Islam's rockets streak the starry sky,
Hurling death upon those who've known it long?
Will murder end, or must death be nigh,
Until God's Chosen from earth fully gone?
The enemies of Israel best beware,
The Lion of Judah stands upon His feet;
The trumpet of God is raised high to blare;
Vengeance for Israel her foes will soon meet!
The Bible contains many prophecies that describe the devastation God is to pour out upon the enemies of the nation of Israel. The Arabic/Islamic nations that have hated Israel since the days of Abraham are predicted to receive God's vengeance for the seven wars and countless acts of terrorism since 1948, the year Israel was reconstituted a nation. The natural enmity that began when Ishmael, the forefather of Arabs, was expelled by Abraham in favor of Isaac, who founded the Jews, was multiplied fourfold when Muhammed formed the religion called Islam in 610 A.D., and designed it to be in direct contrast to Judaism and Christianity.
To become a Muslim, the prospect, whether a convert or a defeated enemy trying to avoid beheading, must recite the words, "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet". Muhammad was not a prophet, for he claimed only to recite the words spoken to him by the angel Gabriel, supposedly exactly as Allah spoke them. His function was to repeat them, not create them, as a prophet would have done. To further antagonize the God of the Jews, Yahweh, those same key words are shouted heavenward five times a day by almost 2 billion Muslims estimated to be in the world today.
The God of the Bible is angry at hearing Muslims deny His Lordship, and He is angry at their oft-repeated cry to exterminate Israel from the face of the earth. All you have to do to sense God's anger is to read the words of Ezekiel, a prophet in the Bible, foretelling what is going to happen to Israel's enemies when Jesus Christ returns to the earth the second time. The words of God, "Then they shall know that I am God!", repeated 67 times, show His anger. One of many prophecies is quoted:
"I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declared the Sovereign Lord. Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:21-23)
You can read between the lines and sense God's anger at being told that Allah is the only god, and that He is interested in proving to the world that the Islamic claims for Allah are false.
The fruit of Judah's life erased by fears
Of bombs hidden beneath each Muslim robe,
Herod's babe-killing reprised in our years?
Shall Islam's rockets streak the starry sky,
Hurling death upon those who've known it long?
Will murder end, or must death be nigh,
Until God's Chosen from earth fully gone?
The enemies of Israel best beware,
The Lion of Judah stands upon His feet;
The trumpet of God is raised high to blare;
Vengeance for Israel her foes will soon meet!
The Bible contains many prophecies that describe the devastation God is to pour out upon the enemies of the nation of Israel. The Arabic/Islamic nations that have hated Israel since the days of Abraham are predicted to receive God's vengeance for the seven wars and countless acts of terrorism since 1948, the year Israel was reconstituted a nation. The natural enmity that began when Ishmael, the forefather of Arabs, was expelled by Abraham in favor of Isaac, who founded the Jews, was multiplied fourfold when Muhammed formed the religion called Islam in 610 A.D., and designed it to be in direct contrast to Judaism and Christianity.
To become a Muslim, the prospect, whether a convert or a defeated enemy trying to avoid beheading, must recite the words, "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet". Muhammad was not a prophet, for he claimed only to recite the words spoken to him by the angel Gabriel, supposedly exactly as Allah spoke them. His function was to repeat them, not create them, as a prophet would have done. To further antagonize the God of the Jews, Yahweh, those same key words are shouted heavenward five times a day by almost 2 billion Muslims estimated to be in the world today.
The God of the Bible is angry at hearing Muslims deny His Lordship, and He is angry at their oft-repeated cry to exterminate Israel from the face of the earth. All you have to do to sense God's anger is to read the words of Ezekiel, a prophet in the Bible, foretelling what is going to happen to Israel's enemies when Jesus Christ returns to the earth the second time. The words of God, "Then they shall know that I am God!", repeated 67 times, show His anger. One of many prophecies is quoted:
"I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declared the Sovereign Lord. Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:21-23)
You can read between the lines and sense God's anger at being told that Allah is the only god, and that He is interested in proving to the world that the Islamic claims for Allah are false.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Honored In A Million Ways
"Church is for assembling, to preach and sing,
To pray, to give, and tarry 'til He come",
Said a deacon, who frowned on everything
The church did new, and not under his thumb.
Younger members answered wiser than most,
"In heaven what will we do all those years,
Just sing, pray and preach, like our Sunday host?
Surely the Lord will lead changing of gears,
So that we can draw, and dream, work, and play,
Enjoy wholesome activities, at will.
The church on earth need not in four walls stay,
When in heaven He'll not keep us so still!"
God can be honored in a million ways
Other than gathering and singing praise.
You can honor God in many ways that are different from attending church services and the commonly seen things seen in churches today. Jesus will say to many He welcomes into heaven on Judgment Day, "You gave me water when I was thirsty, food when I was hungry; you visited me when I was sick and in prison. Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into the Kingdom of God." They will be surprised and say, "Lord, when did we do these things?" He will answer, "Inasmuch as you did it for the least of these my brothers, you did it for Me." (Matthew 25:31-46)
Love for others, both family and friends, strangers, and any who might hate us, is the key that unlocks the heart of Christ; it pleases Him, and if we show love by helping kindness in the name of Jesus Christ, it will open the doors of heaven. Church attendance is one way to show our love for Christ, but it is not the only way.
To pray, to give, and tarry 'til He come",
Said a deacon, who frowned on everything
The church did new, and not under his thumb.
Younger members answered wiser than most,
"In heaven what will we do all those years,
Just sing, pray and preach, like our Sunday host?
Surely the Lord will lead changing of gears,
So that we can draw, and dream, work, and play,
Enjoy wholesome activities, at will.
The church on earth need not in four walls stay,
When in heaven He'll not keep us so still!"
God can be honored in a million ways
Other than gathering and singing praise.
You can honor God in many ways that are different from attending church services and the commonly seen things seen in churches today. Jesus will say to many He welcomes into heaven on Judgment Day, "You gave me water when I was thirsty, food when I was hungry; you visited me when I was sick and in prison. Well done, My good and faithful servant. Enter into the Kingdom of God." They will be surprised and say, "Lord, when did we do these things?" He will answer, "Inasmuch as you did it for the least of these my brothers, you did it for Me." (Matthew 25:31-46)
Love for others, both family and friends, strangers, and any who might hate us, is the key that unlocks the heart of Christ; it pleases Him, and if we show love by helping kindness in the name of Jesus Christ, it will open the doors of heaven. Church attendance is one way to show our love for Christ, but it is not the only way.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Christ You Love
Is the pastor absent this Sabbath day,
Or the scruffy youth's turn to fill the choir?
Is the dear soul that serves in Mandalay
To show endless slides of its muck and mire?
'Tis Satan who tempts you at home to stay
With day-old beard and idle feet kicked back,
Saying, "No one will miss us this one day;
God can be worshipped from pew or shack.
I am so faithful the rest of the year
That Christ won't care if this once I stay out."
Then tell Him why your conscience is unclear,
And why to wife and kids you're quick to shout.
Foolish one! You cannot delude yourself
That the Christ you love is easy to shelf!
The words of Jesus to the apostles in John 14:21 are: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
The love of Jesus has been shown for us in that when we knew and cared nothing for Him, He came to us as a human being like us, lived a sinless life, healed all manner of handicapped people, taught us to live a love-filled life, and steadfastly went to His death nailed to the cross that our sins, not His, would be forgiven forever. Who of us don't want to learn to love Him? If we do, we will surely be loved by His Father, and Christ Himself will not only love us more than before, but He will show Himself to us. Not to mention that He will also redeem us and give us wonderful eternal life in a wonderful place.
In such case, why wouldn't we want to gather in church with others who love as we do? There we are more apt to see Him in person, in the lives of those who love him best and most. Wouldn't our faithfulness be a testimony to Him of how much we love Him?
Or the scruffy youth's turn to fill the choir?
Is the dear soul that serves in Mandalay
To show endless slides of its muck and mire?
'Tis Satan who tempts you at home to stay
With day-old beard and idle feet kicked back,
Saying, "No one will miss us this one day;
God can be worshipped from pew or shack.
I am so faithful the rest of the year
That Christ won't care if this once I stay out."
Then tell Him why your conscience is unclear,
And why to wife and kids you're quick to shout.
Foolish one! You cannot delude yourself
That the Christ you love is easy to shelf!
The words of Jesus to the apostles in John 14:21 are: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
The love of Jesus has been shown for us in that when we knew and cared nothing for Him, He came to us as a human being like us, lived a sinless life, healed all manner of handicapped people, taught us to live a love-filled life, and steadfastly went to His death nailed to the cross that our sins, not His, would be forgiven forever. Who of us don't want to learn to love Him? If we do, we will surely be loved by His Father, and Christ Himself will not only love us more than before, but He will show Himself to us. Not to mention that He will also redeem us and give us wonderful eternal life in a wonderful place.
In such case, why wouldn't we want to gather in church with others who love as we do? There we are more apt to see Him in person, in the lives of those who love him best and most. Wouldn't our faithfulness be a testimony to Him of how much we love Him?
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Believer's Prayer
Dear Lord, help me subdue my trouble spots
That endless strive my actions to control;
I must imprison my swift anger's darts;
Make vain pride lie dormant instead of bold;
Let my greed wither on giving's lush vine;
Teach my tongue never to gripe or complain;
Or my ears to listen when gossips malign;
May I void vengeance, which is Your domain;
Guide me to spurn hatred; or to despise;
Stay alert to this alien world's deceit;
Train my mind to discern the devil's lies,
Nor to dwell on lust; idleness defeat.
Keep me from loving the ways of this world,
Where hell's delusions at people are hurled.
The apostle Peter , born an uneducated Gallilean fisherman, was taught by Jesus Christ and became a key leader in Christianity. In one of his letters to the new believers, he said, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:7-9)
As far as the world in which we live, we are warned repeatedly by many Bible passages that this world is not our home, that it is full of deception furnished by Satan, and that we are not to love it. Love the people of this world, whether friend or enemy, but hate the things of it. John wrote these words:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world---the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does---comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)
Oprah Winfrey sponsors a daily radio series on Miracles that is a great deluder, and if you become trapped in its teachings, you will be following a great lie. It is but one of many such perversions of the truth of God being spread over the people today. They are manifestations of a great deception called postmodernism, a false belief that dominates society today. It uses the terminology of the Bible to spread the lie that every person possesses God somewhere in his being; that one only has to think inwardly to reach God; that when one does this, he is free to do anything he wills himself to do; and that there is no sin or guilt, no matter what a person does. God does not live in a person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ. Believe Oprah's teaching on Miracles and spend eternity in hell.
That endless strive my actions to control;
I must imprison my swift anger's darts;
Make vain pride lie dormant instead of bold;
Let my greed wither on giving's lush vine;
Teach my tongue never to gripe or complain;
Or my ears to listen when gossips malign;
May I void vengeance, which is Your domain;
Guide me to spurn hatred; or to despise;
Stay alert to this alien world's deceit;
Train my mind to discern the devil's lies,
Nor to dwell on lust; idleness defeat.
Keep me from loving the ways of this world,
Where hell's delusions at people are hurled.
The apostle Peter , born an uneducated Gallilean fisherman, was taught by Jesus Christ and became a key leader in Christianity. In one of his letters to the new believers, he said, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:7-9)
As far as the world in which we live, we are warned repeatedly by many Bible passages that this world is not our home, that it is full of deception furnished by Satan, and that we are not to love it. Love the people of this world, whether friend or enemy, but hate the things of it. John wrote these words:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world---the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does---comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)
Oprah Winfrey sponsors a daily radio series on Miracles that is a great deluder, and if you become trapped in its teachings, you will be following a great lie. It is but one of many such perversions of the truth of God being spread over the people today. They are manifestations of a great deception called postmodernism, a false belief that dominates society today. It uses the terminology of the Bible to spread the lie that every person possesses God somewhere in his being; that one only has to think inwardly to reach God; that when one does this, he is free to do anything he wills himself to do; and that there is no sin or guilt, no matter what a person does. God does not live in a person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ. Believe Oprah's teaching on Miracles and spend eternity in hell.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Nothing More To Prove
How Lucifer plotted to murder Him!
Think you the sword was sent by Herod alone,
When innocents were slain at Bethlehem;
Or the Nazarenes, so eager to stone?
Yes, but, in the end, he did it, you say,
At Golgotha, when He was nailed to the tree?
That was not His last, but His winning day!
Satan thought he'd won; instead, bent his knee!
Again, the Fiend will try to bring Him down,
When Armageddon's drums in sorrow beat;
That ending's writ; the King will keep His crown;
The devil burn fore'er, his fall complete!
His flesh was slain, that redeeming grace live:
Nothing more to prove; nothing more to give!
Lucifer was chief of all the angels in heaven; he was beautiful, the Angel of Morning Star. He brought evil into the world by rebelling against God, trying to take His throne. He persuaded one third of the angels to fight with him against Michael and the good angels. He lost the battle and was cast out of heaven, together with the angels who fought with him. (See Revelation 12:7-9)
Angels evidently don't die. His name was changed to Satan, and God gave him freedom to roam at will on the earth, and he continued his war against God. When man was created, Satan fought God by causing Adam and Eve to sin, and through the years since, he has blocked as many as he can from accepting Christ's free offer of salvation. Peter advised Christians to, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (2 Peter 5:8)
Satan has tried to kill Jesus. When He was born in Bethlehem, Satan caused King Herod to have all male children under two years of age at Bethlem killed with the sword (Matthew 2:16). When Jesus spoke to the people of his home town at Nazareth, they became enraged at him for claiming to be the Son of God and tried to kill him (Luke 4:14-28).
But when Jesus died on the cross at Golgotha, He came back to life on the third day, defeating death. For that reason we have hope that we, too, will live again after we die.
Death was Satan's last chance to keep people from being redeemed to heaven.
Think you the sword was sent by Herod alone,
When innocents were slain at Bethlehem;
Or the Nazarenes, so eager to stone?
Yes, but, in the end, he did it, you say,
At Golgotha, when He was nailed to the tree?
That was not His last, but His winning day!
Satan thought he'd won; instead, bent his knee!
Again, the Fiend will try to bring Him down,
When Armageddon's drums in sorrow beat;
That ending's writ; the King will keep His crown;
The devil burn fore'er, his fall complete!
His flesh was slain, that redeeming grace live:
Nothing more to prove; nothing more to give!
Lucifer was chief of all the angels in heaven; he was beautiful, the Angel of Morning Star. He brought evil into the world by rebelling against God, trying to take His throne. He persuaded one third of the angels to fight with him against Michael and the good angels. He lost the battle and was cast out of heaven, together with the angels who fought with him. (See Revelation 12:7-9)
Angels evidently don't die. His name was changed to Satan, and God gave him freedom to roam at will on the earth, and he continued his war against God. When man was created, Satan fought God by causing Adam and Eve to sin, and through the years since, he has blocked as many as he can from accepting Christ's free offer of salvation. Peter advised Christians to, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (2 Peter 5:8)
Satan has tried to kill Jesus. When He was born in Bethlehem, Satan caused King Herod to have all male children under two years of age at Bethlem killed with the sword (Matthew 2:16). When Jesus spoke to the people of his home town at Nazareth, they became enraged at him for claiming to be the Son of God and tried to kill him (Luke 4:14-28).
But when Jesus died on the cross at Golgotha, He came back to life on the third day, defeating death. For that reason we have hope that we, too, will live again after we die.
Death was Satan's last chance to keep people from being redeemed to heaven.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Deer Hunter's Prayer
My flesh soon will give up its losing fight,
Having trekked mournfully from birth to dust;
Undaunted hope spins webs of visions bright,
That a perch on high waits for me, I trust,
Which in sweetest bliss He and I can share,
And once more view with Him the break of day.
As dawn's light dispels the night's hidden snare,
And sylvan cool entices deer out to play.
I think He'll beckon me with a knowing smile,
From His own lofty seat of sweeping view,
Where rapt we sit and let nature beguile
For countless morns yet to dawn fresh and new.
Who knows but what He'll give me leave to stay
Near Him to hail the start of every day?
November marks the start of deer hunting season in some places. Countless hunters
sitting high and alone in stands, amid pitch-black darkness and nothing but their own thoughts to keep them company, surrounded by stillness and silence deep in the woods, can't help but get closer to God. Of all people, the hunter knows Who created nature; if he doesn't when he begins to hunt, he will after some experience. Many a hunter's soul has been won to the Lord in the inky darkness of a deep-woods deer house in the hour before the first ray of light from the east.
My best prayers and deepest communion with God have occurred during the hours spent in a deer stand. I know other hunters have similar experiences, because it is easier to talk about spiritual truths in the woods where God is close. I have gotten into new hunting stands and seen the 5 crosses carved into the wood that have aided some hunter to say his prayers, and to remind him of his Savior.
But, in truth, we know there won't be days and nights as we know them on earth in heaven. There will be no sun, and the light in heaven emanates from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Having trekked mournfully from birth to dust;
Undaunted hope spins webs of visions bright,
That a perch on high waits for me, I trust,
Which in sweetest bliss He and I can share,
And once more view with Him the break of day.
As dawn's light dispels the night's hidden snare,
And sylvan cool entices deer out to play.
I think He'll beckon me with a knowing smile,
From His own lofty seat of sweeping view,
Where rapt we sit and let nature beguile
For countless morns yet to dawn fresh and new.
Who knows but what He'll give me leave to stay
Near Him to hail the start of every day?
November marks the start of deer hunting season in some places. Countless hunters
sitting high and alone in stands, amid pitch-black darkness and nothing but their own thoughts to keep them company, surrounded by stillness and silence deep in the woods, can't help but get closer to God. Of all people, the hunter knows Who created nature; if he doesn't when he begins to hunt, he will after some experience. Many a hunter's soul has been won to the Lord in the inky darkness of a deep-woods deer house in the hour before the first ray of light from the east.
My best prayers and deepest communion with God have occurred during the hours spent in a deer stand. I know other hunters have similar experiences, because it is easier to talk about spiritual truths in the woods where God is close. I have gotten into new hunting stands and seen the 5 crosses carved into the wood that have aided some hunter to say his prayers, and to remind him of his Savior.
But, in truth, we know there won't be days and nights as we know them on earth in heaven. There will be no sun, and the light in heaven emanates from the Lord Jesus Christ.
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