Haven of Grace

Onward Christian Soldiers!

2009-02-08T21:43:00.010-05:00

Job 12:18-21
He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes (ESV)

I truly believe that our now Leftist Marxist President Barack Obama is only in office at this time by God’s temporary permission. First of all I believe, as I have gathered from information available, that this President is not in office legitimately. He has denied the people of America proofs that he was truly eligible according to the laws of the constitution of the US which is of the People, by the People, and for the People. The government is supposed to be accountable to and answer to We the People. There was no excuse for his failure to supply this proof to the USA People yet at the same time he paid a very large sum of money out to cover up his true identity. I believe, as do those who have their eyes clearly open, that Barack Obama is a part of those (see Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky) who schemed and worked long ago to help deteriorate the morals and the morale of this country so as to -by design- subvert the government from its original intentions to another form of communistic control over the people which strips them of their rights as citizens and demoralizes this once great country. Hypocritically they are accusing others of what they actually do and also claiming things like "hope" which they have worked to steal from the people and replace with the fear they accused others of instilling. Many of those out there who blindly deny this and accuse everyone else of the failures in this country will likely not even honestly consider this until it is way too late. That is if God permits this work towards communist control to develop unchecked. This is where faith of believing Christians comes in.

Those of us who believe our God is the absolute and complete Sovereign over all of the affairs of the earth know that no man (or woman) can or will stand in any office of authority any longer than our Lord pleases for His purposes. This Scripture passage has been shared many times by Christians and I would hope not to wear it out in the hearts of people but rather to see God truly revive the heart of what He has said here:

2Chron 7: 13-14
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (ESV)

In context we know that this was specifically spoken for Israel in that time yet I believe the principle of God’s response is the same today for His people through Christ. At that time of Israel the nation was a theocracy with a king, prophet, and priests under the direct rule and laws of God. At this time, in this country, I believe as I have heard pastor/teacher John MacArthur say that there is no such thing as a Christian nation and there never was nor will be until Christ has subdued all enemies under His feet in the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus our Lord. There are Christians within this country shining the Light of Christ’s call to Salvation by repentance through faith in Him and we are to be His salt and light in our personal and corporate witness of Him. And through this influence of our prayers, life styles, morals, and declaring the Gospel of Salvation God may grant mercy by stirring the hearts of His people and saving other souls from this world’s corruption which is inevitably heading for a further judgment from God. Obviously if God wills this mercy to happens enough in this country the result may be a change in the government reflecting the will of the people and maintaining honest and godly laws which keep the people’s lives (including those in the womb) protected from evil men and impostors. If, however, the majority of people in this country keep calling good evil and evil good (Is 5:20)-as is happening so much these days- we will know the result of an unchanging Holy God who rules over the affairs of all men and the result will be disastrous to say the least. For He has promised this found in Gal 6:7-9:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

As I consider the truth of Job 12:18-21 I will be praying along with my brothers and sisters who take God at His Words (ALL OF THEM! Not just those few bible quotes spoken with other godless words to please men and pervert the gospel as those spoken by the likes of Rick Warren and company) that God will work a work of true Salvation in the souls of many who will come to Him for Life. And the truly changed hearts will produce enough salt and light to influence the removal of those in offices of this government who are full of corruption and death and then see fit to place in authority those who will govern as God intends through godly laws and sound and strong defense for this country's well being (Rom 13:4).

At this time verse 20 of Job 12 is understood in this country; “He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders”. Due to the ill will of so many in this country who choose to ignore God and His Truth I believe God has given them what they wanted. And that is men and women ruling without conscience and with hard hearts. Yet may God have mercy on us and reveal His Power by turning the tide before it is too late and much more (as it has been severe to this time already) ungodliness hits and destroys beyond repair. And we hope as the Scripture says:

Is 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. (NKJV)

This has been misunderstood because of the difficulty of the original language so it is said like this in the ESV:

So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives.

I believe the meaning of this is that when the enemy gains strength against true followers of Christ and even increases persecution on the true Church, the Sovereign Spirit of God will come in like a flood with His wind which will overcome with spiritual and effective force to accomplish victory over the enemy. Though the victory may include hard times for the Church She will shine brightly in this dark world and promote the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which will bring new souls into the Kingdom of God (Phil 2:14-16, 2Tim 2:24 - 3:1). This is a spiritual battle (not of flesh and blood) which we can and will eventually win as we will not be overcome by evil but rather overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21) never confusing the two (evil and good) with ungodly twisted words or ideas.

Onward Christian Soldiers!

Thanksgiving everyday and pray...Keeping alert in it!

2008-11-27T22:30:00.012-05:00

Every day is a day for thanksgiving and every day is a day to pray.

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; … (Col 4:2 -NAS)

I am looking at this verse on this day those of us in America call “Thanksgiving Day”. This country may or may not be considered much of great country in the days to come but we know that the founding fathers intended on those born or legal immigrants in this nation -including those in the generations to come- to offer thanksgiving to the Sovereign God for His providence and protection. This will not likely continue with those seeking to “change” this nation into far left liberal cesspool of legalized and enforced sin but I will stand with those true Christians who love God and oppose evil. For those of you who do not think “evil” is a choice word to use these days because it is an extreme word, I promise you that when the enemies of America gain a foothold and come in to torture, murder, or rape because we let them through an administration working to weaken our defenses, and this happens directly to you, you will then understand that evil is not so far from your vocabulary.

Going back to the Scripture from Colossians, I like the NAS rendering through the words “attitude of thanksgiving” because attitude is something from the heart and not just the lips. God sees our hearts and knows if there is real genuine faith in His True Person there and not just lip service for the sake of PR as we so clearly found from the tongue of the President-elect Barack Obama. Let us face it, the next president of the USA has given clear evidence of having no real faith in the Holy Words of God but rather clear evidence of very much opposing the mandates of our Lords Words. Consequences for this will follow as we continue to see a decline of moral strength in this country greatly influenced by such a man as this next president and those who endorse or back him. Yes, we must respect his position of authority by acknowledging him for the good he does (if he does any good) but never are we to give in to demands for Christians to accept evil policies or laws clearly contradicting Gods Word. As the apostle Peter said to those in authority at his time “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5). And John the Baptist lost his life under the rule of Herod for publicly denouncing Herod’s sinful immorality (Mt 14).

We cannot yield to those with a double tongue who are gently hissing the words “has God really said?” On one side they present to the world that they are such a loving and sweet family –as Stalin and Hitler in their day attempted to do through propaganda- beguiling so many who swallow this foolishly and even harshly defend their appearance. And yet on the other side we know –and I mean KNOW- that it is clearly expressed from Barack Obama’s own words that he is willing to enforce through laws the killing of babies to the extreme and the rights for immorality as that found in the homosexual choice of living. Any human with a brain KNOWS that these behaviors and actions (abortion and homosexual rights) all stem from selfish desires caring less for others lives all in the name of "HAPPINESS". And this coming President is willing to spend through taxation the hard earned money of others for this as he takes away from the much needed security for the USA where this country needs to spend. And of course we know that we do not have the money in the first place so to say that paying for the willful sins of some is more important than using that particular money for our security is bound to be deadly to this country's well being and the lives here including those who would rather have their selfish and irresponsible pleasures paid for by Americans. Will Barack Obama stop at the murder of those who are yet alive from a botched abortion which is -by any honest definition- infanticide? They sure know how to say they love their own children and some others but they clearly are heartless toward the very existanse of these most innocent and voiceless people. Obviously because they will never be given the right to vote! Why would he need to stop there if he believes that the life of an innocent human being –who otherwise would be rocked in his mother’s arms within minutes- is not important at that time!? Will those demanding that they have the right to sin in homosexuality by undermining the family unit -as God ordained it- stop there? The activity of homosexuality is a choice not something you are born with like the color of your skin or the sexual organs you have. For these people to say that they have equal rights under our constitution for their choice of activities is a blatant sham! If you think all this evil will stop there you may be dead wrong!!! The limit is on the evil imaginations of man and how far God will have patience before correcting His willfully sinful human race.

I have heard the utter perversion and insanity of some in the media defending the rights of homosexuals because they say it is right that these people should have some pursuit of "HAPPINESS". Saying out of absolute dumbness of the true meaning that this is granted to them in the constitution. If the majority says pedophilia, bigamy, and bestiality must be made legal because this is what "gives people happiness" do you really think it will stop there? THESE CERTAIN BIG MOUTHS IN THE MEDIA -HARPING FOR ATTENTION FROM THOSE WHO HAVE THE ITCHING EARS FOR IT- ARE DUMB, BLIND, STUPID, AND MAYBE WILLFULLY SO AT THAT! If the life of the most innocent and voiceless of humans is not to be acknowledged because of "my right to happiness" and the will for pleasure without responsibility or care for another life, do you really suppose that your life can not be seen as disposable by a people trained to think of life this way? If you think this evil will be limited you may be dead wrong as those in the days of Hitler or Stalin!!! And if you have any conscience at all you know I am right even as you fight against it. God will permit this evil to go so far and then He will act in His own justice and no defense on earth will stop Him then. All the laughter, sick jokes, and mocking will come to a SUDDEN AND TERRIFYING STOP as you will see that you have promoted terrorism to come to you personally and to those of us who have been warning you all along while you enjoy your fame in being a foolish mocker!

So why all of this after starting a Thanksgiving Day post with a verse from the Scriptures? Well, I intended to keep with the idea of showing our need for continued thanksgiving and prayer everyday but as I look back on my words here I realize I may have responded to the mandate in this verse which seems to be overlooked too much. Not only do many of us tend to forget the daily need for prayer and thanksgiving to God but what of the words “keeping alert in it”. If we don’t know what is going on in this world at this time how will we know what to pray? And the foundation of understanding what is going on is based on knowing God’s Words and their balance and application.

I am very thankful today –and I should be every day- for the grace and mercy God has shown to me in my life in every way as I have sinned and failed like the rest of us. God tells me I must acknowledge and turn from my sin to Him and this is what I choose to do. If it was not for His grace and mercy I would be completely lost and a spiritually blinded man or I would be in Hell by now. And I do pray today –and I should pray every day- that God’s will is done on earth as in Heaven. That evil is exposed and innocent lives are spared and protected. That immorality will not continue to undermine the strength of this country. These are some of the prayers I will pray along with other true Christians of our day. God will grant us justice in His way and time; meanwhile He may permit some evil to increase to test our faith and also He may prepare to judge those promoting the evil unless they too come to know the grace and mercy of God through repentance.

On a more personal note I am thankful to God for my wife who has been faithful and loving to me all these years even when I have not been the best husband to her at times. And I am thankful that God has been faithful to meet all the needs of my family and He has given us the direction and strength to work a small family owned business for going on 13 years now. Only He knows what the days ahead have for us and yet I want to have a heart that will trust Him in the good and the difficult. May I always pray, be aware of what is happening, and have an attitude of thanksgiving every day.
AMEN

He makes counselors walk barefoot...

2008-11-27T04:19:00.001-05:00

Job 12:17

"He makes counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges. (NAS)

He leads counselors away plundered, And makes fools of the judges. (NKJV)

He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. (ESV)

Consider this commentary by John Trapp:

Ver. 17. He leadeth counsellors away spoiled] viz. Of wit, wealth, and honour. This should be a warning to them, not to take ill causes in hand, not to call evil good and good evil, not to justify the wicked for a reward, and to take away the righteousness of the righteous from him; not to bolster out a bad cause, and to outface a good, lest if they improve their wits and parts to so evil an end, God make them as despicable as before they were honourable. They may see what the Lord did to Ahithophel, that oracle of his time; to Pharaoh’s counsellors, #Isa 9:11,12; to Pharaoh himself, #Ex 1:10 with #Pr 28:15.

And he maketh the judges fools] Broughton rendereth the verse thus, He brings counsellors to badness, and judges to stark madness. He infatuateth them, not by infusing folly into them, anymore than the sun, when he shineth not in our horizon, causeth darkness in the air, which of itself and of its own nature is dark. But when God withholdeth that light of wisdom which he had imparted to a man, his inbred darkness must needs show itself. More than this, it sometimes cometh to pass, that when God delivereth a man up for his sins to a reprobate and injudicious mind, he is thenceforth deprived sometimes of natural wisdom and common sense, that the divine revenge may be the more apparent.

I truly believe the more I read Holy Scripture -as I believe it is applied to today- that this man Barack Obama is certainly going to be judged by God in due season if there is no repentance of his will to use the power granted him on an evil course. I read this Scripture from Isaiah chapter 3 and believe there is relevant truth here as well:

1 ¶ For behold, the Lord GOD of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water;
2 The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere lads their princes, And capricious children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be oppressed, Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder And the inferior against the honorable. (NAS)

God can and does as He will make life difficult for a nation turned away from Him. America is seeing this happen to her now. And I know about half (maybe more) of America has thought just before the elections that Obama is mature but I have to say he fits with the "capricious children" as Isaiah saw it.

And what is the definition of "capricious"? ...tending to make sudden unexpected changes

As we heard from Barack throughout his campaign "change" was the buzz word. And a constant chameleon is ready to be sworn into the office of the President of what was once -before all this horrible mess the leftist media and ungodly liberals have promoted- considered a great nation. Of course the balance to the truth that the leftist media and the ungodly and godless liberals have worked hard to undermine the integrity of this country is that we Christians sat back and let it happen. Prayer is vital now as we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (Obama and his human cohorts) but we do spiritually fight against the controlling and blinding spirits behind them.

This is where we need to be and stay as it is stated in Ephesians chapter 6...

10 ¶ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,... (NAS)

The misled and the misleader are His...

2008-11-20T01:17:00.007-05:00

Job 12:16 "With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him. (NAS)

The NKJV and the ESV uses these words: “The deceived and the deceiver are His”

This verse brings some light on the extent of our Lord’s Sovereignty. I want to mention some other verses that seem to uncover the endless reach of the Sovereignty of God over all of His creatures or any persons within His Creation. I believe that Scripture interprets Scripture and seeing other references that bring out the truth of God’s Sovereignty over all beings will give a clearer picture of what is meant in Job 12:16. These are only a few of the multiple references regarding the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His Father.

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Col 1:16-17 -NAS)

Our souls will comprehend only that which God gives light to. I pray God will give light to our understanding of this passage of Scripture. This verse –speaking of Jesus Christ and His Power- covers all, everything, and everyone in any existence at any time without any exception including those things or beings yet to be created. What more is there to reign over than what has been summed up in those few words found in Colossians? “…, and in Him all things hold together”. This tells me that He has not only created all things but He maintains and rules over all He has created or that which He will yet create.

Now going back to my initial post of Obama is not on the throne...GOD IS!!! If we have any concerns about those in authority over us just know that God is ruling over them and we may go directly to the very Highest of all authorities -Jesus Christ Himself- to intercede and ask that justice and correction is served for the sake of righteousness.

“…now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7-8 –NAS)

Consider this verse:

The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. (Prov. 16:4 -NAS)

And this passage was penned by the Apostle Peter to those Christians of his time who were going through great difficulties:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1Pet 4:12-14 -NAS)

As this world closes in on true believers -in The One True and Only Christ Jesus- and demands that all join in with acceptance of sin, we must not compromise. True Christian (not those in name only) who wish to be salt and light to a world that is corrupt will hold fast to all the truths of God’s Word and let no one steal their reward through being forced to go against what God said is right and to accept what is wrong. What God said is sin IS SIN! It is an offense against His unchanging Living and Eternal Character and Person. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8 –NAS) Men may work hard to insist that God has changed as they pervert His Holy Words through taking away, adding, or changing the meanings. But when His Power and Holiness is revealed from Heaven they will bow their knees with inconceivable shame on their faces. Their hardened hearts will be crushed as they realize too late that they have denied the only hope of salvation found through Christ Jesus. Those who practice and accept sins like homosexuality, fornication, adultery, murder of their own offspring, lying, or any other sin -clearly spoken by God through His Word as SIN- will no longer have a big month demanding their rights to sin full force in the face of others for they will not be able to speak then. They are load and boisterous now and they may have their way for a season and to a degree but God’s Wrath will come to them in fullness if their hearts are not softened and turned to Him with repentance and acceptance of the death Christ died for them and the New Life He offers them.

The misled and the misleader are His and they will stand before Him and give an account for the life they chose to live before His all-seeing Eyes. If they have rejected His Son and stubbornly held to their selfish sins they will know what it is like to see the One who has gracefully sustained their life suddenly pull back all support and protection that He has been so patiently giving to them through each breath of their life. They will know that Hell is for those who don’t choose Life. Hell is not something true Christians will bring to you but it is something you chose as you reject His Salvation. True followers of our Lord will pray for you and ask God to show them how to speak the truth in love but they will not compromise the true character of God's spoken Word. Christ Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! The Devil came to steal, kill, and destroy through lies of promising ease and pleasures without any obligation to a standard of morals. We each must choose Life or we will know the only alternative. Will your heart respond to Him before it is too late?

Obama is not on the throne...GOD IS!!!

2008-11-13T02:32:00.007-05:00

Think of what is happening in America today and realize God our Great Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ is Sovereign. The more we come to know Who is really in control here the less we will have to fear. I am asking God to grant me insight into the truth of the following passage as it pertains to today in this country which was once known by the rest of the world as free (yet with relative restaint from evil or immorallity) and different. Consider this excerpt of some final words from a writer in the UK after he witnessed what America has chosen. The article is titled:

The night we waved goodbye to America... our last best hope on Earth

Written by Peter Hitchens and posted on the Daily Mail in the UK

................They preferred to posture on the world stage. Scared of confronting Left-wing teachers and sexual revolutionaries at home, they could order soldiers to be brave on their behalf in far-off deserts. And now the US, like Britain before it, has begun the long slow descent into the Third World. How sad. Where now is our last best hope on Earth?

He who has ears to hear will hear...

Job 12:
16 "With Him are strength and sound wisdom, The misled and the misleader belong to Him.
17 "He makes counselors walk barefoot And makes fools of judges.
18 "He loosens the bond of kings And binds their loins with a girdle.
19 "He makes priests walk barefoot And overthrows the secure ones.
20 "He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 "He pours contempt on nobles And loosens the belt of the strong.
22 "He reveals mysteries from the darkness And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 "He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 "He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
25 "They grope in darkness with no light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.

I plan to study this passage in depth and wish to welcome any one else who will do this with me here in the following weeks. Personally I believe this is true...Barack Obama is not the last hope of America but rather he is standing with those who are attempting to steel the last hope of this world as far as a once relatively responsibly free country goes. But true freedom really comes in knowing Christ Jesus and knowing that He has already overcome and is the owner of the misleader and the misled as we witness their part in History. There is no way the discerning will trust Obama as the days ahead will prove, but we can trust in the LORD Jesus Christ! For though we can not see Him, we have a True Hope that will not fade away like the fool's gold hope will which America has just consumed possibly to her own end.

You hired President Obama...

2008-11-09T02:48:00.006-05:00

Now you will see what you have bought!

President Elect Barack Obama wins by having enough Americans willing to buy the product he is selling. He has no real experience to speak of for this job so my question is, how did he win? Why did people buy the product? Barack Obama is a lawyer who has just played his excellent salesman tactics –with the help of David Axelrod- on unsuspecting and very naïve Americans who have swallowed his lies along with all of its poison. Many of his voters were of those thinking not of “the content of his character” but rather of the selfish goodies promised them by the government and also the color of his skin. Neither are wise motivations for voting in an inexperienced man to the highest office during the trying times which lay ahead for this country and its people.

I will preface this post with a word on racism because this has been brought up so much against people who see Barack Obama as unfit for the office of Presidency of the USA. First of all I will say that Barack Obama is not even black enough to actually be called black considering one of his parents is white and the other black. It is my understanding that he is not even considered to be anywhere near half black. SO WHAT!!! What is this big deal made over the color of someone’s skin as we forget the ONLY important factor in this matter which is “the content of one’s character”? But since so many want to push this accusation of racism onto any of the wise who see the danger of an Obama presidency I want to say something about another election here in PA. I and my wife both voted for the man Lynn Swann very enthusiastically when the election for State Governor came up here 2 years ago. I don’t recall thinking of the color of his skin but I do recall thinking much about what the man was made of and this is why we voted for him. Those of you who keep setting your minds on skin color as an excuse and trying to keep others thinking about it are misleading others and very foolish indeed. By the way, Lynn Swann did not back Barack Obama and color had nothing to do with this.

As a believer in the Word of God I will pray for this man that we may live as described in this passage of Scripture:

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1Tim 1:1-4

Also, this passage gives me understanding of how God wants me to think:

“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.” Rom 13:1-4

As I look into these passages in their own context and the context of the rest of God’s Word, I must say something in regards to this man who will be in authority over me as far as the government goes. In the first verse referenced the Apostle Paul tells us what “is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior”. It is “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity”. This makes me think of the security of our nation and also causes me to want to know what God meant when He inspired Paul to also say the words “in all godliness and dignity”. There are many Biblical concerns -which I may look into here later- regarding the security of our nation as it relates to this next President of the USA. Concerns about deadly terrorists and concerns about how we deal with what God calls “the apple of My eye” which is Israel. We know FOR A FACT that Barack Obama is very much for the killing of innocent and voiceless people; he is for the assistance of ungodly and unnatural affection between people of the same sex. This is just some of what can be said is FACT about this man. So if we are to pray for this man and our country we must consider what “godliness” is and what “dignity” is. Godliness and dignity here basically means having the fear of God in your ideas and conduct. For what we know about Barack Obama, does he have godliness or dignity? Not according to God’s Word. Maybe according to those who have been foolishly taken by his mere talk and the way he has falsely presented himself as a messiah like character. My prayers are that God will expose this man for who he really is and that people in this country may become more aware of the danger of having him as our commander and chief.

There you go again...

2008-11-04T02:04:00.006-05:00

The following is a reply to a commenter on my last post here.

I believe the things said here should be out in the open better than just is another comment...

James,
There you go again...

My point on this whole issue with Barack Obama is that I believe he is worthy of being distrusted as an American President. And though I can not fully agree with the only other truly possible option we have, at least he is not given as great of a concern for danger as Obama has. All the points I have made are of the same as many who question Obama's motivation and ideas. He has absolutely no proven experience -certainly nothing that merits becoming the commander and chief in war as needed- except that he has learned how to sway many people with his tongue and money.

I believe in a Holy and Just God and His only Son Jesus Christ our Savior. I believe in EVERY Word that has come out of His mouth in the Holy Scriptures. I wish to take none away and I add no more. If you do either of these (take away or add) you have some other God that is alien to the true God of the Holy Bible because He does not contradict Himself. God clearly states that the killing of our own offspring - those never given a chance to do right or wrong and never having a voice- is a great sin in His sight. Woman can do what they want with their bodies even if it means destroying other human beings rights and bodies in the process? Knowing Barack accepts and pushes this idea of permitting the execution of some innocent and voiceless humans for the convenience of others causes me to be absolutely certain he can not be trusted in any other way. The God of the Scriptures as He first uttered them (without any of today's perversions from men) also makes it very clear that Homosexuality is contrary to the nature of man as He has ordained and created them to be.

The preservation of our great country is at stake in these days of subtle trickery coming from those who wish all of us -except those who bow to the false god Alla- to be executed no differently than the babies in the womb who are hacked to death each day in America. You know as well as I do that what I say is undeniable fact here. If we trust Obama to so-called "talk" with our enemies and find peace, we are fools indeed. We know they are determined and we know their tactics are to come in through stealth smiling at us as if they are our friends all the while plotting and then preparing to play out their violent attacks on Americans, Jews, and any who will not yield to their religion. I can't help but recall how excited some were in World War to hear Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain say that he has talked with Hitler and produced peace and then suddenly far more hell broke out on them from a man who built his career on propaganda and sweet sounding promised of how his government will help the people out.

I could go on but it makes no sense to when we know the above facts about this man Barack Obama. Placing a man with Obama's mentality in the highest office of our government is dangerous indeed for the future of Americans.

For the sake of this generation and the next I now pray that others will not be as duped as those from World War 2.

A follow-up of my last post regarding Barack Obama..

2008-11-01T03:27:00.004-04:00

As a follow up to my last post I wish to share about the matter of racism in this country as well as a wider view of all that may be happening in this country. As I was looking into some information on the man Alan Keyes I came across some interesting things. The following is a quote regarding Alan Keyes and the Illinois Senate campaign in 2004 which is found on Wikipedia:

During the campaign, Keyes outlined an alternative to reparations for slavery. His specific suggestion was that, for a period of one or two generations, African-Americans who were descended from slaves would be exempt from the federal income tax (though not from the FICA tax that supports Social Security). Keyes said the experiment "would become a demonstration project for what I believe needs to be done for the whole country, which is to get rid of the income tax.

Then when you look into the term reparations for slavery we find this on Wikipedia:

Reparations for slavery is a proposal by some in the United States that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people, in consideration of the labor provided for free over several centuries, which has been a powerful and influential factor in the development of the country.

Can we as Americans deny this fact of slavery which happened in our country? Is it not truth that these slaves worked very hard under difficult, harsh, and even brutal conditions and that, at least in part, because they did this this county grew to the place it is in today? I am not a black man nor am I aware of any slavery in my ancestry but the idea of reparations for the slavery of certain ancestries sounds fair to me if it is not taken to some perverted end of taking too much from those who have worked very hard and giving it to those who are not working when they can to earn a living well on their own if they could just get motivated. As far as details to how this "reparations" is fair that is another matter. Too many capable adults of all colors -including white people- are spoon fed by a foolish socialist government mentality which keep some unnecessarily dependent and unmotivated to do well for themselves. This country under it's conservative side offers the right USA views on how to encourage and motivate people to do what they really can and yet will have to give to those who are truly in need like the genuinely disabled, weak, or elderly of our land.

This brings me to the follow up of my last post regarding Barack Obama. It has been proven that this man Barack Obama is affiliated with some who wish to provoke and promote racism in another form all over again in this country of ours. For instance, his so-called pastor Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. -whom I see as none other than a minister of Satan and is no way is to be considered reverend- has been clearly doing this for some time. There is too much clear evidence that Barack Obama has racism motivating his plans for America. This is just another of the many dangers involved with permitting a racist and murderer of innocent offspring of the human race into the office of the highest Governing position of this country. Keep this man out of this high office as he is unfit for the position and will work to undermine any good morals left standing in the USA.

The following found in Lev. 26:14-17 is of the Old Covenant but I want to bring out a point from it:

‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. ‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.

“Those who hate you will rule over you” is the key point I bring out here. If the people who call themselves God’s children do not hold fast to and stay sensitive to the true ways of God set forth in all of His Words as found in the New Covenant, and if the unbelievers –including those who have stolen the name of “Christian” in falsehood- continue to promote ungodly and wicked ways then I believe we need to be aware of God’s response of judgment.

I am looking at these words from Isaiah 3:4-5:

And I will make mere lads their princes, and capricious children will rule over them, and the people will be oppressed, each one by another, and each one by his neighbor; The youth will storm against the elder and the inferior against the honorable.

And I will leave the rest for John Calvin to bring insight to what may be happening in America now and in the near future…

And I will appoint children to be their princes. {1} That the vengeance of God may be more manifest, he now describes how sad and wretched will be the change, when competent and faithful rulers shall be taken from among them and God shall put cowardly and worthless persons in their room. By children are meant not only those who are so by age, but also by mind and conduct, such as delicate and effeminate persons, who are destitute of courage and cannot wield the sword entrusted to them. He does not here carry out the contrast, clause by clause; for he thought it enough to point out one way in which a commonwealth is speedily ruined; that is, when its rulers are weak and foolish men like children, who have no gravity or wisdom. But it must be laid down as a principle, that no man is qualified for governing a commonwealth unless he have been appointed to it by God, and be endued with uncommon excellence. Plato, too, understood this matter well: for though, being a heathen, he had no true knowledge of this kind, yet his quick sagacity enabled him to perceive that no man is fit and qualified for public government which has not been prepared for it by God in an extraordinary measure; for public government proceeds from God alone, and in like manner every part of it must be upheld by him. Besides, they whom the Lord does not govern have nothing left for them but to be children, or rather to be twice children, that is, destitute of all skill and of all wisdom.
Now the Lord executes this vengeance in two ways; because it frequently happens, that when we appear to have those who are grave and skillful in business, no sooner do they come to action than they stumble like blind men, and have no more wisdom than children; for the Lord deprives them of that remarkable ability which they had formerly received from him, and stuns them, as if he had struck them with a thunderbolt. But sometimes the Lord proceeds more gently, and gradually removes men of extraordinary ability, who were fit for ruling, and commits the reins of government to those who were unable to govern a family, or even a single child liken these things happen, it is very certain that destruction is not far off.
Besides, it deserves our notice, as I lately mentioned, that a well-regulated commonwealth is a singular gift of God, when the various orders of judges and senators, soldiers, captains, artificers, and teachers, aid each other by mutual intercourse, and join in promoting the general safety of the whole people. For when the Prophet threatens, and pronounces it to be a very severe punishment, that these things shall be taken away, he plainly shows that those eminent and uncommon gifts of God are necessary for the safety of nations. Accordingly, he here commends the office of magistrates, and captains, and soldiers, and likewise the office of teachers. This deserves our notice in opposition to fanatics, who endeavor to banish from the world the power of using the sword, together with all civil government and order. But the Prophet declares that these things are not taken away or removed unless when God is angry. It follows, therefore, that they who oppose, and, as far as lies in their power, set aside or destroy such benefits, are wicked men and enemies of the public safety.
He likewise commends instruction, without which a commonwealth cannot stand; for, as Solomon says,

where prophecy is not, the nation must be ruined. (#Pr 29:18).

At the same time, he commends the mechanical arts, agriculture, manual occupations of every description, architecture, and such like, which we cannot dispense with; for all artisans of every kind, who contribute what is useful to men, are the servants of God, and have the same end in view with those who were formerly mentioned, namely, the preservation of mankind
The same thing must be said about war; for, although lawful, war ought to be nothing else than an attempt to obtain peace; yet sometimes an engagement is unavoidable, that they who have the power of the sword may use it, and defend themselves and their followers by arms. War, therefore, is not in itself to be condemned; for it is the means of preserving the commonwealth. But neither must eloquence be despised; for it is often needed, both in public and in private life, that something may be clearly and fully explained and demonstrated to be true. This is also reckoned among the gifts and important blessings of God, when a state abounds in wise and eloquent men,
who can contend with the adversaries in the gate. (#Ps 127:5).

This passage may be thus summed up, "When God takes away those gifts, and alters the condition of a people, in whatever way this takes place, either by changing the form of government, or by taking away the rulers, the anger of God ought to be acknowledged;" for, as Hosea says,

He Taketh Away Kings In His Wrath, And Appointeth Them In His Indignation. (#Ho 13:11).

Let us not, therefore, ascribe these changes to chance or other causes.

Obama will lead astray, if possible, even the elect...

2008-10-31T00:48:00.003-04:00

Mt 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Obviously I haven’t been posting here for a very long time now. I am planning to spend some time blogging as I can in the near future but for now I wanted to place a link to share for whomever may happen to visit this blog.

With the upcoming elections next week in the USA I, as many other believers in Christ Jesus, have certain concerns about the man Barrack Obama becoming president of our country. I know God is Sovereign and He will cause everything to work out in His will no matter who He sets in the White House. Yet I believe that through this government which God has ordained, as is clear in Romans 13, He has given all of us citizens a voice through a vote. This vote may be a drop in the bucket but a bucket does fill if drops are many. So, in essence, I see God has given the responsibility of this country's government into the citizen’s hands.

For the sake of those who might think that everyone who opposes Barrack Obama is racist I will preface my vote against him with this. If Alan Keyes ran for President against Obama I would have ran to the booths and voted for him and likely more enthusiastically than I will vote for McCain. This is a fact that many would agree with as well proving that this play on saying so many are prejudiced is just propaganda to work to place in the office of President a man who is willing to see the death of the most voiceless and innocent people in the country… children who are still needing their mothers umbilical cord to survive. This is only one of the many evils this man will push upon Americans. If we really are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we will know and be sensitive to these facts and do what we can to prevent Obama from becoming the next President. If, however, too many Christians have become too numb to the voice of God and His Word in their lives God may permit such an evil leader over us to be used as Pharaoh was to move us into His will with Him. We are to be salt and light whatever comes of this election and believers should be serious and sober and intercede that God’s will is done on earth as in Heaven.

I leave it there and also leave this serious word from someone who deserves an ear from us.

5 Random Questions Meme

2007-07-13T22:41:00.000-04:00

1. What is your most cherished memory as a child?

Summer vacation. No questions to answer!

2. What is the most interesting thing you have ever done?

I'm not sure. But I do recall taking a 3 day stay on a deserted Island near the coast of Clearwater Beach, FL. Me and 2 other Christian guys took a kayak out to this and then we saw dolphins swim by. We also speared some sting ray as we waded on the shore of this Island and then cooked and ate them. I slept on the Beach of this place to stay cool at night. It was fun!

3. If you could have or do one seemingly impossible thing, what would it be?

Answer questions to MEMEs

4. What is the most meaningful gift you have ever received?

Salvation through Christ... Unspeakable!

5. What is the most difficult thing you have ever had to do?

Answer a MEME!

I liked playing tag as a child but this one is too tough. Thanks for thinking of me though.

Humility in God’s Mercy

2007-05-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Titus 3:1-8

This passage of Scripture is very interesting for me to think about. First, I consider who wrote it. Paul, when speaking of his past said to the Philippians “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” and here he says speaking of his past “we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another”. How many think they are righteous in their own eyes --as Paul once thought before really knowing God-- not realizing that they are as Paul wrote of his past days in the epistle to Titus? Many really believe they are doing God service being very righteous in their own eyes and also putting others down for not following their man made rules of righteousness. All the while they have yet to come to know the Living God and His Salvation from this very deep and sick sin of self-righteousness.

If it isn’t by grace then it isn’t from God. Man has in many ways attempted to mimic the work of God’s grace so as to appear to the eyes of others to be righteous. But they all fall far short of God’s righteousness because man has no ability in himself to imitate God without the true grace of God affecting this change. As Paul also says in the above passage “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit”. This is when the eyes of those --having been believing they are righteous in themselves-- are opened by God’s mercy and they see that they are actually as sick and sinful or even more so and in need of a Savior as those which Paul describes as “foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another”. In God’s sight this is their real state of being even though they may have practiced well at appearing godly in the sight of men. You can fool many men but you won’t fool God and the time will likely come --if it hasn’t already-- that our Lord will expose you and you will know your shame unless you repent beforehand.

As believers truly born of God’s mercy and grace, we must always keep in mind --when we are relating to others who don’t yet know this grace-- that we ourselves were lost and in the dark spiritually. Whether in the form of obvious carnal worldliness or in the form of deceptive self-righteousness which denies the power of God’s grace to save and keep us, either way we were lost. And we should pray for these people who are where we were and also “be peaceable, gentle, and showing all humility to all men”. May we pray for God’s grace to prevail in the lives of those we know personally. Family members, neighbors, associates, and all who we regularly come in contact with need God’s grace and mercy as much as we have and do. We should be praying that God's "kindness and the love of God" would appear to them--as we have received it-- “according to His mercy” that “He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”.

Let us not be arrogant nor selfish in this mercy and grace from our Lord and Savior.

Nature vs. Grace

2007-04-22T17:24:00.000-04:00

Remember the times that you've read something which unexpectedly spoke loudly to your heart? Something that brought a sense of conviction from the Holy Spirit? We know God's Word does this work with the Holy Spirit, yet God will use words which fall in line with His Words and therefore bring conviction to our souls. I have just read something which has done this to me. I am thankful for these times for they are times of refreshing from the Lord. Not because conviction itself feels good but rather the knowledge that my Shepherd is faithfully watching out for me in revealing truth to my soul. I know He is always faithful but when He blesses me with conviction it becomes a present experience of having God's grace working in my life.

The following is that which recently brought conviction to my soul. I found it in "The Imitation of Christ" Book Three chapter 54 called "The Different Motions of Nature and Grace"...

The Voice of Christ

MY CHILD, pay careful attention to the movements of nature and of grace, for they move in very contrary and subtle ways, and can scarcely be distinguished by anyone except a man who is spiritual and inwardly enlightened. All men, indeed, desire what is good, and strive for what is good in their words and deeds. For this reason the appearance of good deceives many.

Nature is crafty and attracts many, ensnaring and deceiving them while ever seeking itself. But grace walks in simplicity, turns away from all appearance of evil, offers no deceits, and does all purely for God in whom she rests as her last end.

Nature is not willing to die, or to be kept down, or to be overcome. Nor will it subdue itself or be made subject. Grace, on the contrary, strives for mortification of self. She resists sensuality, seeks to be in subjection, longs to be conquered, has no wish to use her own liberty, loves to be held under discipline, and does not desire to rule over anyone, but wishes rather to live, to stand, and to be always under God for Whose sake she is willing to bow humbly to every human creature.

Nature works for its own interest and looks to the profit it can reap from another. Grace does not consider what is useful and advantageous to herself, but rather what is profitable to many. Nature likes to receive honor and reverence, but grace faithfully attributes all honor and glory to God. Nature fears shame and contempt, but grace is happy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus. Nature loves ease and physical rest. Grace, however, cannot bear to be idle and embraces labor willingly. Nature seeks to possess what is rare and beautiful, abhorring things that are cheap and coarse. Grace, on the contrary, delights in simple, humble things, not despising those that are rough, nor refusing to be clothed in old garments.

Nature has regard for temporal wealth and rejoices in earthly gains. It is sad over a loss and irritated by a slight, injurious word. But grace looks to eternal things and does not cling to those which are temporal, being neither disturbed at loss nor angered by hard words, because she has placed her treasure and joy in heaven where nothing is lost.

Nature is covetous, and receives more willingly than it gives. It loves to have its own private possessions. Grace, however, is kind and openhearted. Grace shuns private interest, is contented with little, and judges it more blessed to give than to receive.

Nature is inclined toward creatures, toward its own flesh, toward vanities, and toward running about. But grace draws near to God and to virtue, renounces creatures, hates the desires of the flesh, restrains her wanderings and blushes at being seen in public.

Nature likes to have some external comfort in which it can take sensual delight, but grace seeks consolation only in God, to find her delight in the highest Good, above all visible things.
Nature does everything for its own gain and interest. It can do nothing without pay and hopes for its good deeds to receive their equal or better, or else praise and favor. It is very desirous of having its deeds and gifts highly regarded. Grace, however, seeks nothing temporal, nor does she ask any recompense but God alone. Of temporal necessities she asks no more than will serve to obtain eternity.

Nature rejoices in many friends and kinsfolk, glories in noble position and birth, fawns on the powerful, flatters the rich, and applauds those who are like itself. But grace loves even her enemies and is not puffed up at having many friends. She does not think highly of either position or birth unless there is also virtue there. She favors the poor in preference to the rich. She sympathizes with the innocent rather than with the powerful. She rejoices with the true man rather than with the deceitful, and is always exhorting the good to strive for better gifts, to become like the Son of God by practicing the virtues.

Nature is quick to complain of need and trouble; grace is stanch in suffering want. Nature turns all things back to self. It fights and argues for self. Grace brings all things back to God in Whom they have their source. To herself she ascribes no good, nor is she arrogant or presumptuous. She is not contentious. She does not prefer her own opinion to the opinion of others, but in every matter of sense and thought submits herself to eternal wisdom and the divine judgment.

Nature has a relish for knowing secrets and hearing news. It wishes to appear abroad and to have many sense experiences. It wishes to be known and to do things for which it will be praised and admired. But grace does not care to hear news or curious matters, because all this arises from the old corruption of man, since there is nothing new, nothing lasting on earth. Grace teaches, therefore, restraint of the senses, avoidance of vain self-satisfaction and show, the humble hiding of deeds worthy of praise and admiration, and the seeking in every thing and in every knowledge the fruit of usefulness, the praise and honor of God. She will not have herself or hers exalted, but desires that God Who bestows all simply out of love should be blessed in His gifts.

This grace is a supernatural light, a certain special gift of God, the proper mark of the elect and the pledge of everlasting salvation. It raises man up from earthly things to love the things of heaven. It makes a spiritual man of a carnal one. The more, then, nature is held in check and conquered, the more grace is given. Every day the interior man is reformed by new visitations according to the image of God.

Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1996.

The LORD upholds him with His hand...

2007-04-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand. Ps 37:24

Unless this blog is read by those who have already been perfected in Christ and their mortality has been swallowed up by immortality then all of us will likely fail at some point in some way before our Perfectly Holy God. If you don’t believe this then you are presently failing by accepting deception into your heart. For the Word of God makes it clear that until our bodies are redeemed we will be going through a process of renewal of our minds and the resulting behavior. Those who call on the name of Christ, know Him, and are known by Him will have to face this struggle of falling short of God’s perfection until Christ removes our mortal fleshly bodies and replaces them with a body like unto His own… Perfect and Holy. Yet God’s Word tells us to “Be holy, for I am holy” (1Pet 1:15) and “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2Tim 2:19). So we have been given the command and the goal but how do we come to live it? By Grace ALONE! It is Grace that calls us, forgives us, transforms and renews us, and it is Grace alone that will keep us from falling or failing as we know this Grace in Truth which comes through Christ alone. But until that Grace is perfected in us by our bodies being transformed into the Son of God’s likeness we are in a process of renewal and transformation until our death or Christ’s return.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom 12:2

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

You might meditate on these Scriptures and see God’s Grace which He has provided for all who know Him in Truth.

If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul. Ps 94:18-19

The LORD upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down. Ps 145:14

Therefore I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The LORD will be a light to me.
I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness. Micah 7:7-9

struck down, but not destroyed— 2Cor 4:9b

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2Pet 1:10-11

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen. Jude 24-25

Jesus came to give you Life not legalism...

2007-03-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

I want to speak of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I wish to let others know Whom I have believed and Who has persuaded me to know that I have Eternal Life in Him. I will testify to the Living Jesus Christ of the Holy Scriptures. I will Glorify His Name over everything and everyone else. He ALONE is worthy. He ALONE is GOD!

I was lost...

Prior to my salvation in Christ, in the deep darkness of this world I was alone and without hope. I groped the walls of my heart trying to know what this life was about. Deep depression settled in when I was a young teenager. I knew I was guilty of many wrongs. The sins of my youth were consuming my conscience and eating me alive as I inwardly longed for forgiveness and cleansing. The Holy Spirit began His work. The Devil took his side and tried to keep me in despair and unbelief as he condemned me for all the sin in my conscience. As the law of sin and death gripped my soul, I had a desire to leave this world and all of its pain, I came very near to an actual suicide at the age of 16 when I overdosed on a drug. Fear of death kept me from completing this, and therefore my stomach was pumped before the drugs could take full affect. I was placed in an adolescent ward and told that I was chronically depressed. Of course, I knew this before any one else in the world, but now it was known by my attempt to take my life. You see, no one perceived that I was depressed, not even my family because I hid this well through my shyness.

This world's doctors tried everything and so did I. Self help books, therapies of different sorts, counseling, anti-depressant drugs. It now reminds me of the feeling I spoke of above regarding someone who would usurp the role of Christ with their own imitation. The thought of those days and months I spent trying to find help from this world not realizing I needed to be free from myself, my sin, my darkness. All they could do is compound and suppress the void this troubled and wretched soul knew.

A Light has dawned...

Released from the hospital after one year, they successfully suppressed the need of my soul to the point of numbness just enough to keep me from acting on suicide. Still alone and depressed and full of the shame of my past and present sins, I went on for a few months suffering in silence and darkness through the shyness of my soul. Once again, no one knew what was going on. I don't know how to explain very well the next chapter in my life as it happened at that time. It is best for me to speak of it in retrospect while interjecting some of my thoughts as they were happening at the time. The supernatural world, as I now understand it to the degree that I do, was becoming more and more known to me. Not that I knew then what was happening but activity was obvious to my soul. I knew something was happening that never happened to me before. This is where God's Word comes in. God's angels were sent to minister to me as He promises will occur to those who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14). At the same time Satan was working hard to keep me from coming to know the Truth about my sin. He distracted me with many false spiritual things like ESP, telepathy and the like. But when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

2 Tim 2:26
"Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants."

2 Cor 4:3-4
"If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they are perishing. Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."

God did have mercy on me!

He shined the glorious Light of the Good News into my soul. His Light dawned on me. Conviction of sin was very present and yet condemnation was removed as I came to see that Jesus died for my sins. All of them! He first loved me even when I was yet a sinner. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! It is conviction with God's Grace and Mercy that saves from the start. As Paul said to the Galatians, "Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away?
I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ."

It is the same throughout our walk with Christ on this earth prior to Glory as it was the very first day you received Him as Savior and Lord.

My spirit cries with the Holy Spirit as I see others living in this condemnation of their sins. Christ was condemned for the sins prior to accepting His Grace as well as every sin you commit after receiving His Grace. He is Holy, Holy, Holy! PURE and without any sin at all. Except through Christ's imputed righteousness, NO ONE else can claim holiness like this but GOD, Jesus Christ Himself. If we have wandered from His Grace and yielded to sin or the law, then we must regain that precious and pure fellowship with Him through conviction leading to repentance. Not condemnation leading to legalistic control. There is a vast difference here and the Devil blurs the two together well in the minds of the naive. The Devil is "the accuser of the brethren". Christ is the Merciful High Priest and Forgiver of the brethren. You must see the difference or you may blindly follow the Devil, even as a Christian. I beg you to ask God to make this Truth clear to your soul. It will make the difference between life and death.

Rom 8:1-2
"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death."

And what is "the power of sin"?

1 Cor 15:56-57
" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

When you are born again you are always free from the power of sin:

Rom 6:7
"For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin."

There is no more sacrifice for sin needed. No works, no penance, NOTHING!

Heb 9:26
"If that had been necessary, he would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But no! He came once for all time, at the end of the age, to remove the power of sin forever by his sacrificial death for us."

Don't be fooled by "another Jesus", "another gospel" or anything trying to convince you to submit to man-made legalism to please a wrathful god. Christ completed the work of satisfying God's wrath for our sinfulness. No matter what contrary form it takes, it is not of Jesus Christ Who is FULL of Grace and Mercy for ALL of your SIN... PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE! Fear God alone, for His Great Mercy on you and this alone will truly and effectively draw you out of sin by conviction and preserve you from it. Not the power of sin or legalism which now has no more dominion over you. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ! Live this Good News for His Glory and you will know FREEDOM beyond your sweetest imagination and be a testimony to the Person, Character, and Glory of the Living God.

For He came to give you Life and Life more abundant! Don't waste it on an imitation. Live well in Christ's LIFE!

Good motives for Christian Bloggers...

2007-03-20T00:43:00.006-04:00

With all that I have been involved with over this past year, I have had to ask myself as a believer in Christ Jesus, why blog? Motives are undeniably important here as God looks at my heart. I can’t speak for other’s motives but I can speak for myself as God’s Light from His Words search my heart in this matter. Yet --from some things of which I have been a witness to-- I believe there is also something to be said about others who call themselves Christian and blog. I wish to share some of what I am aware of regarding both myself and other Christian bloggers today.

First of all, I wish to establish something about motives. I’ve been blessed in hearing some mp3 messages from David Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the topic of “Spiritual Warfare”. He said something in this which many have heard before but it relates to what I am sharing here. It goes something like this…

Just because we have temptations in our thoughts this does not mean they are our own willing thoughts. Of course, the enemy of our soul would have us believe they are all ours so as to discourage us. The test is in asking ourselves if we desire the thoughts or if we hate them and find them disturbing and wrong. For the Devil does have his “fiery darts” which may come in the from of tempting or deceptive thoughts in our minds. We must distinguish our born-again spiritual thoughts coming from abiding in Christ and His Word as opposed to those thoughts coming from the enemy of our soul which are meant to deceive, mislead, or tempt us. And something to note here right away is just how the Word of God makes it clear to us that Satan will even use Scripture to attempt to mislead and tempt us as in the case of the Son of God (Mt 4:1-11).

My Lord, Jesus Christ, is my friend who sticks closer than a brother. I am never alone when no other human is around. He is faithful all the time every time to be with me, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Keeping this in mind and being willing to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” is really how God works in our hearts to reform us into His true image. This is also how God reveals to us which motives are from Him and which are from the Devil or our old nature. I consider more of God’s Words here:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. Jer 17:10

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Rom 8:27

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Gal 5:24-26

I have at times wrestled with some distracting thoughts in blogging. For instance, I may think that this is worthless or of no value. And yet I really believe God would have me use this blogging experience as a means of sharing my faith and love in Him as well as a means of growing in His grace and knowledge by using blogs to share some personal study of God's Word. No matter which of the various forms of communication we are using, we are always called by God to do some of the following things in it depending on who we are communicating with:

For our like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ:

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Rom 14:19

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 1Thes 5:11

For those who are not yet realizing there dire need for Christ Jesus' free Salvation from sin and Hell:

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:
“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.” Rom 10:14-18

For those who stray from the Truth into lies, yet claim to be of Christ:

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2Tim 4:1-5

For those who attack us for being His children and exposing darkness:

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 1Pet 3:15-16

And most importantly for God’s glory:

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1Cor 10:31

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col 3:17

And this is what each of us who profess to know Christ Jesus should yield to in Him:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Phil 2:1-4

These passages from Scripture --along with the rest of God's Words-- shall be my guide in all I do as a Christian Blogger. And my prayer is that God will have His way completely in all I say and do. And that whatever God wishes to do with the blogs --of which I am responsible for-- He may have complete control without my grieving or quenching His Holy Spirit by my own flesh or selfish desires. He may take this wherever He wishes without my pushing it in the flesh or holding back the active use of godly wisdom for the advancement of His purposes for my blogs as He compels me. I say "my blogs" but really they are His and for His glory and purposes. I am simply the person responsible for their content. I am a steward of God, an ambassador of Christ Jesus. If only one or two are touched by God through these blogs or if many are touched by God in them this must be up to His own working and will. I am free to grow in the grace and knowledge of God here as He does what He wants with that. I am accountable to all Christians who follow our Lord in sincerity and have the whole Gospel as their reference for any corrections to be made to the things I say on any blog.

May I maintain pure motives in His sight for these blogs...

NoahLot... A place exposing darkness with Christ's Light of Truth to defend God's glory and protect the innocent and unwary.

Haven of Grace... A haven of edification, exhortation, and comfort for Believers in Christ Jesus.

The Truth of the Gospel... A place for sharing Truth with those searching and unsaved that they may be freed from Satan's lies.

Amen

Life’s a vapor…then Eternity!

2007-03-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

I do believe God’s Word speaks well enough on this in which we could do well to meditate upon...

First comes the vapor:

“Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.”
“Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.”
Job 14:1-2,5

“LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah" Ps 39:4-5

“So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Ps 90:12

“For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.
The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Ps 90:9-10

“Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah” Ps 89:46

“For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.” Ps 78:39

“My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.” Ps 102:10

“As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.” Ps 103:15-16

“Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.” Ps 144:4

“whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

I have been meditating on these words lately. In another post here, I plan to look at God’s Word which also speaks much of the Eternity which will follow after this vapor of mortal life has disappeared.

Oh God, help us to ponder this brief and passing life. And help us to keep our focus on that which is to come very soon for all of us that we may consider how vital it is for each of us to know and follow You faithfully now. Amen

Is your fruit ripe?

2007-03-05T02:42:00.000-05:00

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Gal 5:22-23

There is so much which can be said regarding the symbolisms of fruit as it is written in Scripture. I wish to concentrate in this post on one aspect of the allegory of fruit, and that is the word ripe as it pertains to believers bearing fruit. I am not referring to the allegory of fruit as it speaks in the Word of knowing whether one is truly of Christ or not. I am speaking of those who are truly born-again of God’s Holy Spirit and saved. Or as the Scriptures also refer to as the elect. I wish to share thoughts regarding knowing when our fruit is fully ripe and ready, and when we have held back from sharing this fruit after it was ready.

First of all, as believers we certainly want to be in this group of people which Jesus referred to here:

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. Mark 4:20

And within this group of true believers we should desire to be of those who will bear the most possible fruit through Christ Jesus… The hundredfold.

Also, we must acknowledge that we can not bear any fruit of our own, but all fruit is produced by the True Vine’s Life. Without the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ we are as fruitless as when we were unsaved. For only in and through Him is the will of God played out through our spirit, soul, and body.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Jn 15:4-5

Lord, You will establish peace for us,
For You have also done all our works in us. Is 26:12

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13

And fruit by definition must involve the idea of inner growth. If there is no inner growth there is no outer fruit. For we will reap what we sow. If we sow to the Spirit, we will reap from the Spirit eternal life.

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1Pet 2:1-3

"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen." 2Pet 3:13

We have the desire to bear fruit for Christ, the acknowledgment that we can not bear fruit without the working of God in us, and the fact that inner nourishment and growth must occur for the fruit to be produced. Lets say we have done all of this and fruit is being produced in us. This fruit is not always visible to others eyes as some fruit comes in the form of godly actions which bless the needs of others or well formed words which edify, encourage, or exhort others. So this type of good fruit has the element of timing to it. Now we need to know when this specific fruit is ripe to share or when it is a bit late in sharing. Consider these words about when the fruit from our lips is ripe for sharing:

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver. Prov 25:11

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! Prov 15:23

“The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned. Is 50:4

And consider these words when it come to the right time to bear the fruit of godly deeds:

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you. Prov 3:27

The people will curse him who withholds grain,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Prov 11:26

“looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:13-14

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them,
“Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? James 2:14-16

Do not quench the Spirit. 1Thes 5:19

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ep 4:26

If God has been producing His works in your heart, ask Him to give you the grace to know when to share this fruit and He will move you to do so in due time. If you are sure it is in line with His Word then go forward and do it in His Name.

The Potter and the clay...

2007-02-11T19:37:00.000-05:00

Surely you have things turned around!
Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay;
For shall the thing made say of him who made it,
“He did not make me”?
Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”? (Is 29:16)

“Woe to him who strives with his Maker!
Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!
Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ” (Is 45:9-10)

“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! (Jer 18:6)

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? #Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make #one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom 9:20-21)

But now, O LORD,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand. (Is 64:8)

And all of us creatures should say, Amen…

For the Day will come when we will all -without fail-- bow to the Living Christ Jesus and confess with our tongues that He ALONE is the LORD of all Heaven and earth.

The Potter and the clay...

If we are true believers in the Salvation of the Son of God we must be as pliable clay yielding to the work of the Potter’s Hand. Our hearts should be crying "Abba, Father!" in desperation for His Love, Mercy, and Grace. We are spiritually and eternally lost, dead, blind, and deceived without this mercy of God. What can we say about this? We must shut our mouths in silence before Him and not utter in our hearts a bitter or unbelieving complaint, for there is none who can successfully overcome the Lord's will. He is God and He is exalted above the heavens, and all things are upheld by the Word of His Power. Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God, is the only hope we have on this earth. For this, He is worthy of our praise and worship and a complete yield to Him as the Potter. Our flesh will fail and die --as all mankind from the beginning, barring those taken up without the death of the body-- but His Salvation for souls is Eternal and redemption for the bodies of those saved is near.

God’s Law was given to show us a picture of His perfection and to make us realize our great and dire need of His Mercy and Grace for never being able --in our own strength-- to be holy as He is. The Holy Scriptures say:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Rom 3:19-20)

For none can keep the Law of God except Christ Jesus the God-man. A man who claims he can keep the laws of God without 100% reliance on God’s Grace is an absolute liar. And he who has the Grace of God to maintain a holy life must show grace to those in need of grace for they themselves have received mercy. It is His loving-kindness shown through Christ which leads us to repentance as we see our sinfulness before a Holy and Righteous God. We must come to the point of acknowledging our failure to live up to the image of God --as seen through the Law of God-- and fall before Him and Him ALONE to find Grace to help us overcome this world with it’s influences, our fleshly passions, and the god of this world. The Law is our tutor to bring us to Christ’s Mercy seat that we may find grace to help in time of need.

The greater point I wish to observe here is that the Potter would have us yield not to the Law but to His intended affect of the Law, or we may say the purpose of the Law of God. For Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe. And we must yield to His Grace to transform and keep us in the holiness of God. And if we sin, we have this advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. The purpose of the Law is to bring us to Christ's Salvation. If we are not found coming to the REAL Christ ALONE as we see the picture of God through His Law then we are fighting against the work of the Potter. To enter the narrow gate means we must go through this narrow path all ALONE --without anyone else-- after witnessing the picture of God through the Law. This must be without any others there to thwart our entrance as we must see the path our merciful God has supplied through His Son ALONE. Jesus spoke of those who could effectively thwart your entrance through “the Door” into the Kingdom of God:

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” ( Luke 11:50)

There are those who would interpret the scriptures with their own understanding and inflict others with the mindset of coming to God via their own design of laws and regulations. This will keep your eyes fixed on the “power of sin” which is the law so you may not see the Salvation provided in the direction of looking solely unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. As the Scriptures say… He is the Father, the Maker, the Potter. We are the sons, the creatures, and the clay. Do not let man keep you from personally knowing the Salvation of God through His Son because they offer a false system of belief turning from the Living God.

In Christ Jesus ALONE is our Salvation. Look to Him and His Hand of change. Let Him mold you into the image of His Son, for no other human can do this work. All others will keep you from this if they keep your eyes on sin and other sinful men under the pretense of “another Jesus”. This “other Jesus” may be painted as holy and righteous but he has no mercy or grace, only the condemning law to keep you subject to the will of the men who produce their own god's laws and regulations as they twist the scriptures and deny Christ's Power to save and keep. This “other Jesus” --which keeps you from seeing the True Door into Salvation through the Living Christ ALONE-- will never offer you the Key to “the Door”. They will do all they can to keep you from becoming aware of this Key, for they love the control they have over you. BEWARE! Jesus said this word so many times and for a very good reason.

Look to the Door! He is there waiting as He is calling you to enter into the Freedom of the sons of God. He is the only Way and no other who claims to have His name --no other Jesus-- has this power over sin, self, and Satan. The True Christ Jesus came to set the captives FREE! Has your Jesus done this? Yes, look to the Law to realize your need of His Mercy and Grace as a sinner, but don’t remain there for this is NOT God’s design. God has provided a Lamb for the Sacrifice. Look to the Door. Come to the Door. Use the Key of knowledge in His Salvation. Enter by Grace through Faith and be FREED in the Power of the Living God. If you have truly entered this Way then you have been given the right by God to be called a son of God (John 1:12).

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:34-35)

If your Jesus does not offer freedom from slavery to sin, but only condemnation and endless frustration in it,then you do not know the Living Christ in Truth yet.

In all of this, YIELD to the will and work of the Potter!

To my wife, Jen... Happy 10th Anniversary!!!

2007-02-01T02:57:00.000-05:00

Prov 31:10 “Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.”

I found one 10 years ago!

Prov 12:4 “A good wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.”

I am wearing my crown and she has never brought shame.

Prov 19:14 “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.”

My inheritance from the Lord has been good. For I have a very prudent wife.

Prov 31:30
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

I have been taken by her charm and beauty but I am captured by her love and fear of God.

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!

Let's shoot for the 50th! May we continue to grow in God’s grace and knowledge together for another 40 years if the Lord tarries.

Waiting on the Lord...

2007-01-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. (Is 40:31)

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. (Ps 123:2)

Waiting on the Lord… What does this mean? Evidently to “wait on the Lord” here means to look eagerly for the Lord. If we do look to Him in faith, patiently trusting Him to answer us as we study His Word and yield to His Holy Spirit with prayer doing all we know to do, then He will give us the answer through this promised strength in the heart.

My soul and spirit will mount up with wings like eagles, I will run the race of faith and not be weary and I will walk in His Spirit and not faint, if I just wait on the Lord, forsaking my own wisdom and will. May our God grant His marvelous grace in the waiting...

Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2 )

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord! (Ps 27:14)

Working with my hands...

2007-01-11T03:47:00.000-05:00

Its been over a month since I've posted to this blog. I've been quite busy catching up on some work of which I am responsible for in our business. Much of this is hands on labor in the shop but we have also completed our new redesigned website at www.aplusredemption.com . We had some trouble being able to edit our old business site because our server is filtered but we have now overcome this problem. Feel free to visit our revised website for A+ Redemption.

The Lord has been working in my heart as I've had time to work with my hands. I look forward to getting back into blogging again here and sharing some thoughts from what I learn in God's Word. It is true that we are preparing for our busy season which is from March to July but I am hoping to continue some sort of work here as well.

God Bless!

"This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before. As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs." (1Thes 4) NLT

The two sides of "Cheap Grace"

2006-11-27T02:35:00.000-05:00

To begin, I will define the words "grace" and "cheap" as I am looking at them here:

Grace: freedom from sin: in Christianity, the condition of being free of sin

Cheap: poor quality, inexpensive, worth little, undeserving of respect, dishonorable, offensive

Unfortunately, there are some who claim to be Christian and yet camp out on one or both sides of “cheap grace” as explained below. According to the Word of God, both are deserving of the Hell our Lord and Savior suffered through His Cross for us.

The first side of Cheap Grace:

“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) -nkjv

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Gal 5:13) -nkjv

The other side of Cheap Grace:

"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." (Gal 1:6-9) -nkjv

"accursed" in the original lanquage means "a person or thing doomed to destruction"

Please don't get onto me for being so abrasive. I didn't write the Bible, God did. I just believe it and speak it as it is. Paul was inspired by God to repeat himself twice for some reason...eh?

“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (Gal 2:21) -nkjv

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Gal 3:1-3) -nkjv

When I began this study of the two sides of “Cheap Grace“, I tried to separate the two with two different explanations. But I found they were so closely related in nature --as expressed in God’s Word-- that I could not divide two sides of the same coin. Maybe you will see what I mean here.

Those who say they are of the Lord Jesus Christ will prove it by their inner desires and outward choices to depart from iniquity. In the case of a truly born again believer it will not be because they “have to” under some rules, regulations, laws, and definitely not because of externally conforming to “the watchful eyes of others” . If you think you NEED any of those, then you may NEED to ask God for His Grace. For through subjecting yourself to those means of attempting to live right you have fallen from Grace, and you will find it is impossible to achieve His righteousness in these ways. With this kind of fruit you are proving that you don’t really know the Grace of God in Truth yet. For Christ imparts, through His work of the Holy Spirit, the will and desire to do what is right without the rules, regulations, laws, or the watchful eyes of others being necessary at all. Yes, God can and does use other believers to confirm what He is saying in our heart if it is in line with His Word. But Christ's righteousness is NEVER-EVER produced by this and it is NOT always necessary to have others near at all times when you KNOW God's Grace in Truth. Listen to this:

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12-13) -nkjv

“In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.” (Prov 16:6) -nkjv

In the ABSENCE of Paul and with the PRESENCE of “the fear of the Lord” we are to yield to the work of Salvation as God ALONE produces both the will for and the doing of good at all moments of our life --for His own pleasure and plan-- whether we are ALONE or not. Legalist attempt to steal this pleasure from God and this is why God absolutely HATES any form of legalism, for “in vain” they are using His Great Name. They are teaching, in effect, that “Christ has died in vain” when they attempt to be justified by their own good works or behavior and insist that others to do the same.

“But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.” (Is 64:6) -nkjv

The word “righteousnesses” simply means “righteous acts”. And this is clearly very, very “Cheap Grace” to think that “filthy rags” will save you or anyone else from the Hell due to all of us because of our own sinfulness. It is an extreme error and gross sin in and of itself to say that you can live and do right by your own legalism as it is displayed before “the watchful eyes” of other sinful men. And all the while legalism ignores the Glory of God due to Christ ALONE for His work on the Cross in which Christ completed our Salvation. And any form of strict adherence to law in Christianity is denying the work of the Holy Spirit in and through believers. Grace ALONE produces genuine love. We abide in Christ by faith ALONE and works follow by His Holy Spirit's Power and influence working in us. Christ’s resurrection and ascension resulted in the release of His Holy Spirit from the Most High of Heaven, as the Son of God presented His own Blood at the Mercy Seat. And now He is once again seated on the “Throne of Grace” and is now making intercession for us and imparting this Divine Power of Grace to us for everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Christ's mercy was given to us to reveal His Father’s Glory to all Creation in due season, for God so loved this world of sinners that He gave us His only Son to redeem us back to Himself. And the thieves of this Grace and Mercy will one Day look upon Him --whom they have pierced again through their legalism-- and mourn in their shame for having self-righteous pride and blindness as they see only their fleshly self-glorifying works as displayed in the watchful eyes of other mere men.

The Devil came to steal, kill, and destroy. Steal God's Grace from man's heart through legalism, kill the work of the Holy Spirit by having men deny it’s power through "a form of godliness", and destroy the lives of those who could otherwise know the freedom found in the Grace of God in which they reflect the Life of Christ productively to God's Glory ALONE. Christ came to give us Life and Life more abundant through His Holy Grace and Power.

It was said of the faith of our father Abraham:

“And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Rom 4:22-25) -nkjv

“Imputed” here means that it is a fact that Christ’s “rightness with God” is granted to us as well, for the payment of our debt of sin towards a Holy God is PAID IN FULL!

When we are truly saved by and living in God’s Grace, we will be filled with the fruits of righteousness found in Christ Jesus.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:9-11) -nkjv

There is no way we could be "without offense" when we're without God’s Grace, for it is Grace ALONE which produces “the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ”. We are as filthy as ever --and more so-- when we think we can please God in our own good behavior. You may please the sight of some men but it is a stench and an offense to God, for you have denied His only Son’s Work on the Cross and counted it as in vain.

Believers Bible Commentary speaks of Gal 2:21...
The grace of God is seen in His unconditional gift of salvation. When man tries to earn it, he is making it void. It is no longer by grace if man deserves it or earns it. Paul’s final thrust at Peter is effective. If Peter could obtain favor with God by Jewish observances, then Christ died for nothing; He literally threw His life away. Christ died because man could obtain righteousness in no other way—not even by law-keeping.

Accept God’s FREE gift of Grace as it was paid for by “The Highest” price possible and the ONLY WAY possible. And realize that His Righteousness can only be known by faith in the work of Christ. The work He has completed on the Cross and the work He is now performing on the Throne of Grace through intercession for you. Live by faith with a holy fear of God as you see His love and mercy and you will not need any form of legalism to keep you in line, for against such Holy Life inducing Grace there is no need for law.

Grace is not to be cheapened by willfully sinning so that it may abound. And Grace is not to be cheapened by legalistically denying the Divine Power Christ produces which grants believers the will and strength to do right to the glory of God.

HIS WORK...NOT MINE!

2006-11-23T23:47:00.000-05:00

I think of some times in which I fell short of God’s best in my life as a believer. Like an occasion that I lost control of my temper and said or did something that wasn’t of the fruit of the Spirit but more like a mess in the flesh. I MUST have the True Grace of God to turn me back and cause me to agree with God that this was wrong and unlike Him, to know His promised cleansing by faith and let His Spirit empower me with His good fruit so I may live in such a way that glorifies Christ. This was HIS WORK NOT MINE!

So just who got the glory for getting me out of the mess? Not my own works. So then, what is one to do if they aren’t taught of God’s Grace under any circumstance of missing the mark of God’s high calling in our life, yet they have the law thrown in their face with full force of condemnation to every possible wrong? How oppressive! Such heavy bondage! We all know we are prone to wrongdoing as Paul said:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Rom 7:15)

Yet he exclaimed:
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:24-25a)

It would be no wonder if those naively subjected under some form of legalism started to lose their minds a bit, for no human can live under the power of legalism without something breaking inside in a very unholy way. We are not designed to reproduce the image of God without God...without His Grace! It is impossible!

The virus of legalism can not stand the voice of Grace for the pride in legalism is cut down by the fact that God ALONE gets all the glory for Grace. In legalism the law makers are highly praised --and they love it so-- for they produce laws as they see fit and demand others to follow. In Grace, God is so highly praised and exalted for His Mercy on helpless and hopeless sinners as HE SAVES and KEEPS them from sin. Perfection will not come until we have left this mortal tent. But meanwhile Grace progressively creates in us an ever increasing likeness of Jesus in our lives where He ALONE is glorified and we find that we are sinning less and less as we abide in the Holy productive Vine of His Righteousness and Strength. And this is by faith ALONE through Grace ALONE through the cleansing power of His Living Word ALONE.

So I encourage you to get ALONE with God as you draw your strength from His Grace to help you in all your times of need.

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:14-16)

God Bless your time with Him!

The Grace of God sets “the called” Apart...

2006-11-17T18:01:00.000-05:00

“Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said,“Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. “For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 33:13-16)

God’s Grace IS His Holy Spirit’s presence with God‘s approval. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, you do not have the Grace of God. And no people could even slightly begin to do the work of the Holy Spirit without the Holy Spirit, no matter how hard they try to mimic it through the will of the carnal mind and the work of the flesh using all the Scripture they can muster up to attempt to impress the naive.

It is the Grace of God which sets true believers in Christ Jesus apart from all other humans on the earth. If you do not have the Grace of God in your heart, you are not a born-again Christian in the eyes of the Living God. Many claim to be “Christian” but lack the Grace to prove it. Grace is in stark contrast to legalism or licentiousness. The Grace of God is the active presence of His Holy Spirit in someone’s heart and life working from the Mind of Christ. His Grace contains all we need to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. And God receives ALL the glory because we can not do what only He can.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ep 2:9)

“Lord, You will establish peace for us,
For You have also done all our works in us.” (Is 26:12)

This Grace is only given because of the work that the resurrected and ascended Christ has finished on His Cross and it is His Holy Spirit which does all our works which God has pre-ordained before time. It is nothing of our doing which has made us deserving of this Grace. This Grace is given to all types of people. All races, all cultures, all colors. God is no respecter of persons as He chooses the poor and the rich, the great and the small, the intelligent and the simple. Yet it should be said at this time that according to God’s own words, NOT MANY of those we deem as having great assets like wisdom, riches, or fame will enter the Kingdom of God by Grace --the ONLY WAY possible-- for they have chosen to rely on those things God gave them. Yet they often will not even acknowledge that God gave them all they have in that.

When Moses said “if I have found grace in Your sight” he was showing to us how those who are the chosen of God appear to Him from Heaven’s sight. We have found or “attained” grace from God. The NT says in the introduction of Jesus Christ brought to us from the beloved Disciple John:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of GRACE AND TRUTH. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and GRACE FOR GRACE. For the law was given through Moses, but GRACE AND TRUTH came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:14-18) -emphasis added

The Apostle Paul said:
“But BEFORE faith came, we WERE kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would AFTERWARD be revealed. Therefore the law WAS our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But AFTER FAITH has come, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A TUTOR.” -emphasis to show God’s eras through time

You know you are living by grace alone when you live through the power of the Holy Spirit. For legalism attempts to “live the life” without God’s Grace to help, as it is full of condemnation and bondage. And licentiousness attempts to have men give up and give in to the power of sin because Grace in the Holy Spirit is not there to teach us and give us the victory which His Divine Power has given to believers in Christ.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ep 2:8-9)

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,” (2 Pet 1:2-3)

Legalism and licentiousness both work to block “the knowledge of Him who called us” from being known through knowing the Person of Jesus Christ. “Another Jesus” made by men will never help, as it is void of the True Grace of our Lord and Savior. Where you find no Grace you find no Holy Spirit. Where you will find no Holy Spirit you will find no Grace to help in times of need.

I look forward to sharing more on the Grace of God the next time here on HAVEN OF GRACE.