The core of my testimony is this.
I was raised among outlaws, bikers and saints.
I ran from God until I ran into Jesus.
I was a poor example of a father, and a poor example of a husband.
Due the prayers of a praying Dad…and a praying Grandmother, that just went to be with the Lord.
I fell under conviction for years. It was the invitation of one of my old drinking buddies that brought me to church.
When was the last time you invited someone to church….let alone seriously talked to them about the wrath they face if they don't accept the freely offered rescue.
Look….they say about 150,000 people die daily. My question is not, how many are going to face the wrath of a justifiably angry god,.but how many have even been told that they are law breakers?
Jesus commanded that we go forth and make disciples. Are you sitting there fat, dumb and happy in your padded pews while everybody else suffers?
If God is love….where is the love in that sort of thinking?
"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for."
Charles Spurgeon
You may say, I am not my brother’s keeper. I would say that your name is Cain. You are your brother’s murderer; for every professing Christian, who is not his brother’s keeper, is his brother’s killer; and you can be sure of that! You may kill by neglect quite as surely as you may kill by a gun.
We cannot be fishers of men if we remain among men in the same element with them. Fish will not be fishers. The sinner will not convert the sinner. The ungodly man will not convert the ungodly man; and, what is more to the point, the worldly Christian will not convert the world….Charles Spurgeon
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Disrespecting His Temple
I have had this on my mind for awhlie and tonight I finally organized my thoughts enough to bring it before you. I am working on another one that I have touched on briefly about "Don't Try Jesus"...but that will come later....
I grew up in church and I was taught that you respected the church, the inside santuary and the outside. We were not allowed to drink anything at all inside the santuary and eating was strictly forbidden. No snacks, no sodas and absolutely no chewing gum! No smoking was allowed inside or outside. There were certain clothes that were not allowed to be worn and certain clothes that was expected of the regular attender.
We were not to dress casual and we were to dress in our "Sunday best". For some of us that "best" was better than others of us.
We were taught to bow our heads in reverence when it was time to pray, and to pay attention the the preaching of God's Holy Word. Again, it was a reverent respect.
We were taught all of that because we were taught that the church was the house of God.
But in reality, the real house of God get's disrespected constantly, by Christians.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Cor 6:19-20 (Holy Bible)
The above verse teaches us that we are not our own. We were purchased and therefore we do not have the right to our own.
For all the respect we pay at church, as if God is there, we are NOT respecting his temple, his residence. And where is that residence?
It is in US!
We are told to glorify God in our body and our spirit, but for some reason that I have yet to understand, many are DISRESPECTING our Holy God. By using our bodies in unholy ways, by using his temple for unholy use. Would you consider having sex at the alter of a church? getting drunk or high in the pulpit? Does that not make you cringe to think of doing something like that? Yet the reality is that we are doing far worse by engaging in immoral behavior. Whether it be getting high, or getting drunk, or having sex outside of marriage. It is worse than painting graffitti on a church building, or fornicating in the pews.
Yet I see it constantly among those that supposedly have repented and put their faith in Jesus to avoid the wrath of God Almighty on judgement day. Getting drunk, using foul language, getting high, and committing fornication...among other unrepentant sins.
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor 6:9-11 (Holy Bible)
You are washed, sanctified, and justified in Jesus. You have been cleaned of the filth, stay out of the pig pen!
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication.
1 Cor 6:15-18 (Holy Bible)
People who are saved don't do those things, only the unsanctified would commit a sin such as asking the Holy Spirit that resides in you to look the other way while you use God's habitation for your pleasure. Does that make you feel dirty? It should.
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Cor 6:16-17 (Holy Bible)
You can't come out from among sinners by acting like a sinner, no matter how much you attend church or even do other "religious" activities.
God compares us to spiritual adulterers when we live in unrepentant sin.
You might notice that I used the word "unrepentant" often in this diatribe.
There is good news in what can be taken as a fairly condemning message...God forgives.
BUT, there is a condition to his forgiveness...it is called repentance. To repent means to go the other way.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 4:17 (Holy Bible)
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3 (Holy Bible)
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:19 (Holy Bible)
I want to say at this point, with repentance comes conversion. If you have not converted, then you have not repented.
And what happens after you have repented?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (Holy Bible)
This verse is often misquoted...or not fully quoted.
"There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" is what is usually quoted. Of course I might reply to that with a question for some people, ....are...you IN Christ Jesus?
But to finish up the verse... to get to the "rest of the story" the ending of that verse says, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the the Spirit."
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (Holy Bible)
How are you walking?
Is it after the flesh?
Is it after the Spirit?
Respect the Temple that God lives in, and walk after the Spirit.
I grew up in church and I was taught that you respected the church, the inside santuary and the outside. We were not allowed to drink anything at all inside the santuary and eating was strictly forbidden. No snacks, no sodas and absolutely no chewing gum! No smoking was allowed inside or outside. There were certain clothes that were not allowed to be worn and certain clothes that was expected of the regular attender.
We were not to dress casual and we were to dress in our "Sunday best". For some of us that "best" was better than others of us.
We were taught to bow our heads in reverence when it was time to pray, and to pay attention the the preaching of God's Holy Word. Again, it was a reverent respect.
We were taught all of that because we were taught that the church was the house of God.
But in reality, the real house of God get's disrespected constantly, by Christians.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Cor 6:19-20 (Holy Bible)
The above verse teaches us that we are not our own. We were purchased and therefore we do not have the right to our own.
For all the respect we pay at church, as if God is there, we are NOT respecting his temple, his residence. And where is that residence?
It is in US!
We are told to glorify God in our body and our spirit, but for some reason that I have yet to understand, many are DISRESPECTING our Holy God. By using our bodies in unholy ways, by using his temple for unholy use. Would you consider having sex at the alter of a church? getting drunk or high in the pulpit? Does that not make you cringe to think of doing something like that? Yet the reality is that we are doing far worse by engaging in immoral behavior. Whether it be getting high, or getting drunk, or having sex outside of marriage. It is worse than painting graffitti on a church building, or fornicating in the pews.
Yet I see it constantly among those that supposedly have repented and put their faith in Jesus to avoid the wrath of God Almighty on judgement day. Getting drunk, using foul language, getting high, and committing fornication...among other unrepentant sins.
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Cor 6:9-11 (Holy Bible)
You are washed, sanctified, and justified in Jesus. You have been cleaned of the filth, stay out of the pig pen!
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication.
1 Cor 6:15-18 (Holy Bible)
People who are saved don't do those things, only the unsanctified would commit a sin such as asking the Holy Spirit that resides in you to look the other way while you use God's habitation for your pleasure. Does that make you feel dirty? It should.
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2 Cor 6:16-17 (Holy Bible)
You can't come out from among sinners by acting like a sinner, no matter how much you attend church or even do other "religious" activities.
God compares us to spiritual adulterers when we live in unrepentant sin.
You might notice that I used the word "unrepentant" often in this diatribe.
There is good news in what can be taken as a fairly condemning message...God forgives.
BUT, there is a condition to his forgiveness...it is called repentance. To repent means to go the other way.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matt 4:17 (Holy Bible)
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3 (Holy Bible)
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:19 (Holy Bible)
I want to say at this point, with repentance comes conversion. If you have not converted, then you have not repented.
And what happens after you have repented?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (Holy Bible)
This verse is often misquoted...or not fully quoted.
"There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" is what is usually quoted. Of course I might reply to that with a question for some people, ....are...you IN Christ Jesus?
But to finish up the verse... to get to the "rest of the story" the ending of that verse says, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the the Spirit."
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (Holy Bible)
How are you walking?
Is it after the flesh?
Is it after the Spirit?
Respect the Temple that God lives in, and walk after the Spirit.
Appreciating Expensive Gifts Enough to Value Them
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:
John 15:16
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8-9
We did not choose Him. He chose us, ...miserable and wretched sinners. Not because of any good thing in us, because there is none. Even our good deeds offend him apart from our faith.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
Isaiah 64:6
...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 14:23
When we truly know who we are, then we can truly know who He is. At this point the depth of our appreciation, and the actions that show it have no bottom. This is when we get serious and forget what we want and what our desires are and place that selfishness under the subjection of our primary reason for living, the pre-eminence of spreading the good news of God.
This is when we remember that we are not our own, but bought with an extremely high price. Salvation may be free to us, but it was not cheply purchased. And we realize that our hands are not ours...our eyes, our feet, our ears...all belong to God...and that Holy Spirit lives within us.
What are your hands doing?
What are we letting our eyes see?
Where are we letting our feet take us?
What are we allowing to let our ears hear?
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Phil 4:8
I scream it from the rooftop....QUIT PLAYING!
John 15:16
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:8-9
We did not choose Him. He chose us, ...miserable and wretched sinners. Not because of any good thing in us, because there is none. Even our good deeds offend him apart from our faith.
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
Isaiah 64:6
...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 14:23
When we truly know who we are, then we can truly know who He is. At this point the depth of our appreciation, and the actions that show it have no bottom. This is when we get serious and forget what we want and what our desires are and place that selfishness under the subjection of our primary reason for living, the pre-eminence of spreading the good news of God.
This is when we remember that we are not our own, but bought with an extremely high price. Salvation may be free to us, but it was not cheply purchased. And we realize that our hands are not ours...our eyes, our feet, our ears...all belong to God...and that Holy Spirit lives within us.
What are your hands doing?
What are we letting our eyes see?
Where are we letting our feet take us?
What are we allowing to let our ears hear?
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Phil 4:8
I scream it from the rooftop....QUIT PLAYING!
Shining In Adversity
I got to spend this weekend with my Dad.
We talked about adversity. As you know he is fighting pancreatic cancer.
He has not once questioned God about his pain and his possible form of exit from this world into the next.
I have been thinking about troubles...sometimes what seems to be extreme troubles that people go through. I believe that a majority of time the troubles come by our own hands. We are suffering the consequences of our own actions....yet God get's in the middle of it and we learn.
I am firmly convinced that a god that is so detailed as to know the very number of hairs on a persons head is also God Almighty whom directly or indirectly guides every happening in our lives. My experience, powers of observation and the very Word of God tells me that He works best in us through adversity.
It seems to be the only time we are willing to pay attention. I pray that whenever I suffer adversity that it will bring glory to God. And that I don't embarrass myself, but even more so, it does not bring a reproach on the Gospel.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of...
2 Cor 7:10
In other words, godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.
Sometimes it is to bring about repentance...other times it is a shaking to produce sanctification in the behavior of the Christian.
And let us not forget that it sometimes has nothing to do with you, but has something to do with someone observing you. In other words, glory is brought to God teaching a person through another person's adversity. It is all for His glory...and believe it or not, our benefit.
Everything is geared to the gospel....the good news.
We talked about adversity. As you know he is fighting pancreatic cancer.
He has not once questioned God about his pain and his possible form of exit from this world into the next.
I have been thinking about troubles...sometimes what seems to be extreme troubles that people go through. I believe that a majority of time the troubles come by our own hands. We are suffering the consequences of our own actions....yet God get's in the middle of it and we learn.
I am firmly convinced that a god that is so detailed as to know the very number of hairs on a persons head is also God Almighty whom directly or indirectly guides every happening in our lives. My experience, powers of observation and the very Word of God tells me that He works best in us through adversity.
It seems to be the only time we are willing to pay attention. I pray that whenever I suffer adversity that it will bring glory to God. And that I don't embarrass myself, but even more so, it does not bring a reproach on the Gospel.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of...
2 Cor 7:10
In other words, godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.
Sometimes it is to bring about repentance...other times it is a shaking to produce sanctification in the behavior of the Christian.
And let us not forget that it sometimes has nothing to do with you, but has something to do with someone observing you. In other words, glory is brought to God teaching a person through another person's adversity. It is all for His glory...and believe it or not, our benefit.
Everything is geared to the gospel....the good news.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Satan Trembles
James 2:19 of the Holy Bible says ,"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
And they should!
Question....If some of the fallen angels were to ask for forgiveness, would God forgive them if they were truly repentant?
Answer...NO!
Follow up question.....But since an attribute of God is love, would not His love demand that He show grace to all repentant hearts?
Answer...NO!
Explanation.....True, one of God's attributes is love, and another is justice. His justice is what allows us to see his love....and grace.
God became a man so that man could trust God. Jesus died for man to satisfy the justice, and the wrath that was bearing down on us. Justice demands satisfaction...and it was satisfied in the wrath of God placed on Jesus in our place. God did not became an angel to satisfy his wrath against their rebelling against him. They will recieve the just wrath of their rebellion in due time and they do NOT have a way of escape, as we do.
1st Corinthians 10:13 of our Holy Bible states, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
Many people wrongfully use this verse to say that God will not place anymore on us than we can bear. Read it....it does not say that. It says that when we are tempted to sin God has made a way of escape, that you would be able to bear and overcome that temptation..and that way is Jesus.
Fallen angels don't have that.
Their doom is set in place and cannot be rescinded.
And something else to think about. We are born with the predisposition to sin.
Angels were created and made conscience decisions to follow in the great rebellion.
Yes the fallen angels Do tremble, and there is nothing they can do about it.
That is why they are so jealous of us, and therefore do EVERYTHING they can to take us down.
1st Peter 5:8 of our Holy Bible states, " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Yes....the devil has an attitude problem, his doom is ever before him.
If YOU have not taken Jesus up on his offer of escape, then your doom is also ever before you, but it does not have to be that way.
And they should!
Question....If some of the fallen angels were to ask for forgiveness, would God forgive them if they were truly repentant?
Answer...NO!
Follow up question.....But since an attribute of God is love, would not His love demand that He show grace to all repentant hearts?
Answer...NO!
Explanation.....True, one of God's attributes is love, and another is justice. His justice is what allows us to see his love....and grace.
God became a man so that man could trust God. Jesus died for man to satisfy the justice, and the wrath that was bearing down on us. Justice demands satisfaction...and it was satisfied in the wrath of God placed on Jesus in our place. God did not became an angel to satisfy his wrath against their rebelling against him. They will recieve the just wrath of their rebellion in due time and they do NOT have a way of escape, as we do.
1st Corinthians 10:13 of our Holy Bible states, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
Many people wrongfully use this verse to say that God will not place anymore on us than we can bear. Read it....it does not say that. It says that when we are tempted to sin God has made a way of escape, that you would be able to bear and overcome that temptation..and that way is Jesus.
Fallen angels don't have that.
Their doom is set in place and cannot be rescinded.
And something else to think about. We are born with the predisposition to sin.
Angels were created and made conscience decisions to follow in the great rebellion.
Yes the fallen angels Do tremble, and there is nothing they can do about it.
That is why they are so jealous of us, and therefore do EVERYTHING they can to take us down.
1st Peter 5:8 of our Holy Bible states, " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
Yes....the devil has an attitude problem, his doom is ever before him.
If YOU have not taken Jesus up on his offer of escape, then your doom is also ever before you, but it does not have to be that way.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Core of my Testimony
The core of my testimony is this.
I was raised among outlaws, bikers and saints.
I ran from God until I ran into Jesus.
I was a poor example of a father, and a poor example of a husband.
Due the prayers of a praying Dad…and a praying Grandmother, that just went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago.
I fell under conviction for years. It was the invitation of one of my old drinking buddies that brought me to church.
When was the last time you invited someone to church...let alone seriously talked to them about the wrath they face if they don't accept the freely offered rescue.
Look, they say about 150,000 people die daily. My question is not, how many are going to face the wrath of a justifiably angry god, but how many have even been told that they are law breakers?
Jesus commanded that we go forth and make disciples. Are you sitting there fat, dumb and happy in your padded pews while everybody else suffers?
If God is love…where is the love in that sort of thinking?
"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for." Charles Spurgeon
You may say, you are not your brother’s keeper. I would say that your name is Cain. You are your brother’s murderer; for every professing Christian, who is not his brother’s keeper, is his brother’s killer; and you can be sure of that! You may kill by neglect quite as surely as you may kill by a gun.
"We cannot be fishers of men if we remain among men in the same element with them. Fish will not be fishers. The sinner will not convert the sinner. The ungodly man will not convert the ungodly man; and, what is more to the point, the worldly Christian will not convert the world." Charles Spurgeon
I was raised among outlaws, bikers and saints.
I ran from God until I ran into Jesus.
I was a poor example of a father, and a poor example of a husband.
Due the prayers of a praying Dad…and a praying Grandmother, that just went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago.
I fell under conviction for years. It was the invitation of one of my old drinking buddies that brought me to church.
When was the last time you invited someone to church...let alone seriously talked to them about the wrath they face if they don't accept the freely offered rescue.
Look, they say about 150,000 people die daily. My question is not, how many are going to face the wrath of a justifiably angry god, but how many have even been told that they are law breakers?
Jesus commanded that we go forth and make disciples. Are you sitting there fat, dumb and happy in your padded pews while everybody else suffers?
If God is love…where is the love in that sort of thinking?
"If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for." Charles Spurgeon
You may say, you are not your brother’s keeper. I would say that your name is Cain. You are your brother’s murderer; for every professing Christian, who is not his brother’s keeper, is his brother’s killer; and you can be sure of that! You may kill by neglect quite as surely as you may kill by a gun.
"We cannot be fishers of men if we remain among men in the same element with them. Fish will not be fishers. The sinner will not convert the sinner. The ungodly man will not convert the ungodly man; and, what is more to the point, the worldly Christian will not convert the world." Charles Spurgeon
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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