WHY ARE "CHRISTIANS" DECONSTRUCTING?

TEXT:  GENESIS 3:1-4

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF BIBLE TRUTHS - DAY 9 (CHOICE)

BIBLE VERSE: For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10)

TRUTH: We have been talking about Light, standing firm and resting on the promises of God. But what if someone grows up their entire life in church; or walked some aisle; or raised their hand when some preacher gave an invitation etc. Then one day, this same person looks in a spiritual mirror and notices that everything we have spoken about these past several days comes up “not applicable”. What then?! What is obvious at that point is there was never a conversion. That is, the person was never saved from darkness to light. This verse gives us the only two options from God Himself. Either there is sorrow over the realization that such a person is lost, lost, lost and faces eternity AWAY from God at it leads to a “change of mind and direction” (definition of Repentance) or the person becomes a complete rebel at that point. There is absolutely no middle road. There are only those who are with God and those who ain’t. Which choice will it be?

(Image Credit Here)

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

JUDGMENT DAY COMING
Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!  Why would you have the day of the LORD?  It is darkness, and not light,  as if a man fled from a lion,  and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,  and a serpent bit him.  
Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20 ESV)

There is a large segment of western church-goers who are extremely fond of saying the following:
"I can't wait..."; "Come take me away, Jesus (also known as "Calgon Theology") or "I wish the Rapture would happen right now" or name your variation of any of this. Usually these statements are made by pew-sitters. These are the majority of Christians in our churches who come in weekly for an hour or so, in order to get their weekly inoculation of what they think they need. They then go about their lives for the rest of Sunday and the following days, thereby leaving no distinguishing mark between then and the next guy. We all know people like this.

We have all been around enough sincere believers to know that weak pewsitter from the "real deal" or the remnant. The remnant are very few as Jesus Himself said when He spoke about the "elect". When He prayed in John 17 for this future followers - the saved, the elect - He said "I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours." in John 17:9. This is absolutely correct. 

There are two truths - God does NOT hear the prayer of an unrighteous man (unless he is seeking forgiveness and salvation) and secondly, Jesus is our Advocate and Intercessor before the Father. The Savior only becomes one's Advocate (or defense attorney if you will), if you and I are one if His Children, His elect. We become that by being born again,  by repentance , by believing the Gospel and being saved.

In Amos 5, we read of the coming Judgment day of the LORD (YHWH, Jehovah, Jesus) on the northern Kingdom of Israel. However we know that ALL Scripture is God-breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit and meant for OUR INSTRUCTION FOR ALL TIME. There are more End Times (now) prophesy written by the "Old" Testament prophets than the New Testament Scriptures. The modern Christian ignores that truth to his/her peril and should NEVER neglect the Holy Word sent to the ancient prophets who longed to see this day, and are awaiting the fulfillment of the Age.

This passage above (Amos 5:18-20) jumped off the page as relevant for today's wayward church. This is the church full of cultural corruption and doctrinal decay.  We can read through the entire chapter of Amos 5 and replace every mention of the word "Israel" with "America" or "The West"! Like those idol-worshiping 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, to whom the prophet Amos was sent, we have people who have absolutely NO knowledge of the Holiness, Power and Majesty of God, sitting in churches feeling good about themselves.

They know not because they are not taught by a widening pool of building managers called pastors and because they are not shepherded correctly, they know not the Word of the Lord! This is affecting more and more so-called Bible teaching churches in North America! By calling for the "Rapture" or for "Jesus to take them away" when most of them have never been born-again, in your church and mine, or could name a time or place when God. through Christ radically changed their lives from a child of hell to a child of the King, they are basically setting themselves up for a huge, eternally-fatal disappointment!

When a person, who is not really right with God, no matter what nice clothes they wear on Sunday, have the whitest teeth and the fattest check-book or even helps serve donuts and coffee, calls for "THE DAY OF THE LORD" - they are calling down Judgment! God Himself in Amos 5:18 asks them "do you really know what you're asking for"?! You're asking for perpetual darkness, dread, devastation and divine separation for eternity!

So may some of our friends in the seats or pews over from us....or those who even sit next to us, may one to reconsider their wishes, and search their own hearts to see if they are really qualified to call upon the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY for His return, in such a way. When He first came, He came as a Baby to save the world. This time His Return will herald the fearful "DAY OF THE LORD" which was testified of, over 5000 years ago. It will not be a good day, for those who do not belong to Jesus Christ, and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

#AMERICA'S GONE NUTS - BLACK FRIDAY MAYHEM 2013

Exactly one year ago, on Black Friday 2012, we looked at some of crazy antics of a people out of control in their idolatry - namely the god of reckless consumerism. This is the kind of garbage that gives seemingly "liberation theology" popes the license to attack the Free Market system which feeds the world, clothes the cold and shows up after natural diasters strike. While it may seemingly affirm their belief, this extreme consumerism is not indicative of an orderly system of free enterprise.
HEADLINES FROM THE DRUDGE REPORT- BLACK FRIDAY MAYHEM:

Mall mayhem...
Suspected shoplifter shot after dragging cop through KOHL's parking lot...
Brawls...
Man stabbed over parking spot...
Shopper Kicked Out Of WALMART For Filming Fight...
Man shot walking home with big screen...
SALVATION ARMY kettles stolen...
REPORT: Profit margins jump for sales 'hoax'...

FROM NBC NEWS:

Violence flares as shoppers slug it out for the best Black Friday deals

FROM ABC NEWS:

Black Friday Mayhem: Fights Over Doorbuster Sales

FROM ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (a summary):

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national/black-friday-shopping-chaos-violence-surfaces-acro/nb7KX/

While our children and great children-to-be are being saddled with unpayable debt due to state and national politicians, the following uncivilized behavior is what we see....for a cheap flat screen TV or $10 DVD player, which will break in less than 3 years!!!! Yet these same people will create their own theology about "being a good person"; "going to heaven which they all are, according to them" or ...you know where this is heading.  You cannot get them into a discussion about their own eternal souls and its destination because they are so clouded their self conscious lust for the natural over the eternal.

The world's system and its godless media celebrity culture and political leadership have the majority of people so thinking more of filling their stomachs and appetites for the latest gadget or reality show, they have no concept of the True God. They had better wake up fast! Tomorrow is not promised to ANYBODY so we can enjoy that cheap flat screen TV watching the immorality of Hollywood and its associated freak shows. They will come face to FACE with the Holiness of God in less than fifty years and what are they going to do then?!!

The answer can be found in Mark 1:15 NLT :"The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"  OR - make your peace with God TODAY, while there is still time - realize that all of this mayhem is getting nowhere but eternal punishment away from Heaven; ask the Lord Jesus to forgive you and your sins. He will, if you are truly sorry (or repentant). THEN believe Jesus Christ is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7) and that He was born as a child to save the World (see: Christmas and John 3:16); that He ministered for three years and they are all recorded in the four gospels. It was then He showed us how to live and make our own relationship right with God. THEN believe that He was persecuted for Righteousness; nailed to a Cross by evil men; shed His own Blood for our sins; was buried and on the Third Day, He rose from the dead. He was seen by 500 people in those 40 days after the Resurrection. Many of those who voted to executed Him, ended up believing in Him. The secular historian Josephus was a friend of Jesus' half-brother, James and recorded some of these events.

If these people, whose current god is a 1080p HDTV; an X box or whatever, would seek out this Truth which is available to all NOW for FREE, they would not be doing this sort of thing we see all over America this weekend! All they have to do is accept the Jesus I just described as their own personal LORD and SAVIOR and they will be saved from eternal damnation....and you know what, they'll be able to enjoy that television yet with peace in their hearts. Why? Anyone who is truly saved has the Holy Spirit of God as their witness to that fact, and He is the giver of all good things, including contentment. 

Now, isn't this better than getting trampled by these hordes of the unwashed (in the Blood, that is)?

DAY 32/40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR AMERICA

COMFORT THE BROKEN HEARTED

There are many ways one can be involved in one of these extended periods of prayer. Several times this year, I have either led, joined or prayed along with 31 Days of Praying the Names of God; A Fortnight of Prayer for (Religious Freedom); Thirty Days of Prayer for Marriages; Prayer with saints from South Africa and America and now this Forty Days of Prayer for America. Each prayer movement has been grassroots led and completely different.

For this election season, many ministries, from the San Antonio-based Max Lucado and John Hagee to Dave Butts of the National Prayer Committee and others have called for and are executing the Forty Day of Prayer according to a preset format. There are thousands of prayer conference call groups and intercessory groups in the Houses of Prayer nationwide. What may frustrate some about the 40 Days on this blog is that it may appear to follow no organized format and it does not personally attack this or that politician personally, by name or behavior. The reason for that is simple:
1. We are all sinners
2. We are called to be gracious
3. We should be very careful with imprecatory prayers against a certain group or person.

That being said, we do not take this lightly. A year of prayer has made a difference in our lives, at least mine and has covered me when I feel the weakest...and it is the same for any praying believer. At the same time, we do not shy from intercessory confrontation with darkness, evil and any stronghold which goes against the wishes and Perfect Will of God. Therefore today, Day 32 of 40, there is a burning need to pray hard on parallel tracks. There is a confluence of events....and events are prayed about here, which if looked at through the Lens of a Biblical Worldview, and an understanding of these last Days, would/should scare/encourage us. By us, I mean believers....for the majority- it is devastating, because they are unredeemed! These days were spoken of, two thousand years ago and not many have been paying attention.

#1
Our fellow citizens are literally under a wet blanket of judgment (thankfully temporary) of the big storm Sandy which has sat over one fifth of this massive country for two days now. People are literally shaking in high rise apartments in New York city where 120 mph winds are rocking buildings and the streets of Lower Manhattan are now under 10 plus feet of water. Almost no one there, or in coastal regions, or the dear poor folks of West Virginia (facing snow storms now) have lived through even a third of what is now hitting them. How do they persevere through this? Here is an answer:
PSALM 91: Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler^[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

#2
Then for the past few days, Charles Woods, the distraught father of the most talked about late Navy Seal killed in the 9/11/2012 terrorist attack in Bengazi - (Tyrone Woods) has been telling everyone who would hear, what he had heard happened to his now-famous son on that horrible day. Prayer intercessors are caught in a dilemma, in a sense...but we should not be. Several things are in the mix here which are way above our pay grade and while we discuss Religious Liberty and Freedom issues here, as well as the persecution of the church, it is not the goal to get into details of military politics. What is important are people and How the Lord will deal with this.

Therefore, here is what we do: most importantly, we pray for Mr. Charles Woods who lost his hero son - Tyrone - in Bengazi, after rescuing several other people who were under fire from the terrorists.  We pray for his protection, peace of mind and not a long, drawn out he said/she said contre-temps between officials whose stories keep changing. We pray for the Woods family, in our own private prayer time.
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Revelation 21:4 : He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
John 16:22: So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
John 14:27-29: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

#3
Finally, we pray for those who have the answers for this man who lost his son and all the other relatives of those whose lives were lost on September 11 of this year. While something does not seem right and there are various stories and levels of untruths from different quarters, God knows the truth to give Mr. Woods and the families closure and comfort. We pray for those in authority in the civilian and military branches on whose shoulders these burdens are on, that they will follow the Lord and speak truth and grace, no matter where the chips fall.  May the Lord and their conscience, as it is with all of us, be their guide.
Psalm 78:72: With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. 

Matthew 20:26: But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. 

Philippians 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

Father in the Name of Jesus, I pray all these issues into Your capable Hands as You look down on the pitiful state of man, Your potential best creation. Help us process all of these merging events and their meaning in to us, Your people, as we seek to comprehend more about You and the events of the current time. Assist to proclaim and pronounce the Word of God. Seal that Word in our hearts. Sanctify us by Your Spirit. Empower us in Your Strength. Ordain our footsteps this wonderful day.  Anoint our heads with the Oil of Joy, even in these troubled times, in Jesus' Holy Name, amen!

(image by google)

ARE YOU TOM BRADY OR APOSTLE PAUL?

This just-concluded Super Bowl 46 game between the New England Patriots and the upstart New York Giants was the most captivating for its worldwide audience, than most!

What stood out, to me,  was how one man handled adversity and another lived. NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning, the latest of the successful Manning football clan, had become well-known for last minute comeback wins. This most exciting of Super Bowls was no different, as it went down to the last second! The super-rich and seemingly unbeatable Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was a different story.

Brady is a man who has everything: from three Super Bowl rings to a new $20 million dollar mansion outside Hollywood to a famous international supermodel wife. In Boston, he has almost the divine right of kings and treated as local royalty. So it was, after leading in the game, for most of it, after a rough start, Tom Brady soon got in a dazed and confused state. He was suddenly watching a team with no outstanding celebrity being led by a good old boy from Mississippi, who lives in the deep south as a regular guy in the off season!

Because of his superior talents, this man, Tom Brady, expected to win and win big. However, because football was his god, when things went south towards the end of his pending loss, Brady got in a surreal funk. This has also led his celebrity wife into a controversy of her own, when she used four letter words to blast Brady's fellow team members for costing her husband the game by dropping catches. The media seemed captivated by a beaten man, who could not even speak, as this loss shook him to the core.

None of these sports teams - from the Giants to the Patriots or even last year's baseball World Series winners St. Louis Cardinals - could be classified as full of born again Christians. In fact when they win, not one of them give credit to the Holy God Who gave them their gifts. But what is evident is that these teams are full of men who are narcissists and so full of themselves that they think themselves to be godlike.

Jesus said in Mark 8:36 NLT "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" We have people here who, while possessing every worldly benefit and all the riches they desire, are unhappy to the core, because their joy and happiness is completely dependent on WHAT they do. The object of their happiness is their opinion of themselves. The core of their being is defined by how many trophies and wins they have over the other guy. They define winning by, well, winning this thing at all costs.

Because they have no core set of true beliefs....because their lives are not enriched by the knowledge of the wonder of the eternal God of Heaven....because their sins are not washed away by surrendering to the Blood of the Lamb of God, when it all goes south, they are devastated.

The Apostle Paul was the Tom Brady of the great Religious order of the day. He was on a path to be high priest of Jerusalem one day. But God had another plan. He took this man, then called Saul, knocked him off his high horse, just like Brady was,  and humbled him to the point of blindness. Saul came to realize not just how spiritually blind he was, but how much he saw once he looked a life through the very Eyes of Christ! When God changed Saul's name to Paul, He gave him a new heart of flesh and hope in his heart which he carried through the end.

Nobody was persecuted, beaten and almost killed many times before his actual beheading in Rome, than the Apostle Paul. Yet he kept his eyes on the real prize - the Prize of Christ. Paul was the opposite of Tom Brady. How many men would have the following last words as they face execution for winning millions of souls to Christ from then until, now, with his writings. Here, we see Paul's final words  "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.(2 Timothy 4:6-8 ESV)

Now, the choice is before us, folks - do we chase after the world and its games, its fame and its disappointments or do we empty ourselves of ourselves then run the marathon of life well, while keeping our focus on Christ - the Author and Perfecter of our Faith???!!! Do we place our entire hope and faith in some team members catching our passes or sacking the other guy's quarterback, or do we fight the daily fight of Faith, knowing our Great God has already fought and won for us at the Cross, and all WE have to do is get to the finish line, completely in His Will, knowing our real Crown and Trophy is life in the Eternal Kingdom of God???!!!

We know what the world chooses. The question is - what do you choose? Is your happiness and hope is in what do you, or is your hope built on nothing else, than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness...and who HE says you are?! The choice is yours, and yours alone!

(photo from Reuters)

BAD FOR THE SOUL?

Even the most grounded in the Bible Christian can feel the oppressive darkness..even evil...of the time.  Those who are walking in Light, know the presence of darkness when we are near or even in the middle of it!


I would not get into details here, but I have seen dead souls, bound for hell, in the eyes of women and men you would not believe. Driving through Rhode Island a couple decades ago, the spirit of death was so heavy in this one part outside Providence, we could not wait to leave that area. On further research, I found out this area was once an Indian burial ground. Their 'medicine men', as most of us know, are nothing more than witch doctors in feathers. Anyone who denies the absence of evil or the existence of Satan has already lost.


On October 31, America and a few other countries is getting fired up about the prospect of Halloween in a few weeks. All kinds of parties are planned. Costumes of ghouls, and devils and sleazy nurses and bloody beings from the netherworld are all over our stores and in our faces. October 31 carries the same high profile in marketing as Christmas, "Easter", Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July.


But people have no idea what they are doing and celebrating. If you mention this to average christian, they would accuse you of wanting to deny other people fun. Anyone is free to disagree with me and post their disagreement here. This is just what my spirit speaks to me, from the Oracles of God. This is just what I must share.

But think on these words for a minute. Think on them from NOW until October 31. Closer to Halloween, I will explain more about the origins of Halloween; why it is the Holiday from Hell and then how we were lulled into accepting this as normal.


THINK ON THESE (FROM PHILIPPIANS 4:8 KJV):
Whatsoever things are true........TRUTH!
Whatsoever things are honest.....INTEGRITY!
Whatsoever things are just.........JUSTICE!
Whatsoever things are pure........PURITY!
Whatsoever things are lovely.......BEAUTY!
Whatsoever things are of good report....REPUTATION!
...... if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.