"Preach the Word,

I received this in my email inbox and thought it was too good to keep to myself.

Notwithstanding this evident plan and purpose of a divine redemption which runs through the Scriptures, there are today many professedly Christian writers who treat the Israelitish religion as if it were a purely natural development. They diligently pick out every instance of a superstitious observance, or of a departure from the law, or of a disobedience to the divine commands, as if these represented the true religion of ancient Israel. They cut up the books and doctor the documents and change the text and wrest the meaning, to suit the perverted view of their own fancy. They seem to think that they know better what the Scriptures ought to have been than the prophets and apostles and even the Lord Himself! They tell us when revelations must have been made, and how and where they must have been given, and what their contents could have been, as if they knew more about such matters than God himself. Imagine a man's writing the history of the last eighteen hundred years and denying that the New Testament had been in existence during all that time, denying that the Christian church with all its saving doctrines and benevolent institutions and beneficent social system derived from the New Testament had been active and, in a sense, triumphant for at least fifteen hundred years, simply because he could select thousands of examples of superstitious customs, and hellish deeds, and impious words, and avowed agnostics, and heaven-defying atheists, that have disgraced the pages of history during this time!

Let us not grovel for the beetles and the earth worms of almost forgotten faiths which may perchance be discovered beneath the stones and sod of the Old Testament, while the violets and the lilies- of-the-valley of a sweet and lowly faith are in bloom on every page and every oracle revealed within the Word of God is jubilant with songs of everlasting joy. The true religion of Israel came down from God arrayed in the beautiful garments of righteousness and life. We cannot substitute for this heaven made apparel a robe of human manufacture, however fine it be.

(Robert Dick Wilson, Ph.D., D.D., "Is the Higher Criticism Scholarly?", Originally Published in 1922).

Genesis 4:9 "And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"

Who was the first man ever born? If you said Adam you're off just a bit...it was Cain (Adam's oldest son). Now who was the first murderer? Sadly, its Cain again. It didn't take mankind very long to start off on the wrong foot with killing of each other, did it?! This had nothing to do with a "broken home" or a "bad environment" as many like to blame for sin and violence. This was simply just selfishness and anger on his part. Think about it: the very first man that was ever born became a murderer. That says a load about the true nature of man, doesn't it?!?
As God did with Adam in the Garden of Eden, He asked Cain a rhetorical question. He said, "Where is Abel thy brother?" Did God really need that information? No-He knew exactly where Abel was at that moment. The one who needed to be "enlightened" was Cain. God asked him that question to pinpoint his sin-to help Cain see what he had done.
Many times, questions can be more piercing than accusations, and so it was with Cain. He responded to God with the famous line, "I know not: am I my brother's keeper?" Many times, we use this line in sarcasm to distance ourselves from responsibility. And that is exactly why Cain said what he did! Instead of acknowledging his guilt, he pled ignorance. And he lied-plain and simple-when he said, "I know not." He refused to come face to face with his sin.
Though most of us have never literally murdered anyone, we tend to do just what Cain did. We turn a blind eye to the sin in our lives and act as if it is not there. Though acting innocent before others may be convincing, we cannot plead ignorance before an all-knowing God. He knows the sins of our hearts; He sees what we think we have hidden.
Notice the second part of Cain's reply. Not only did he plead ignorance, but then he exaggerated God's demands to turn the focus away from his responsibility: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Was Cain put on this earth by God for the sole purpose of taking care of his brother? The answer is obviously no. But does that clear him from any responsibility for his brother? Again, the answer is no. Cain was trying to evade responsibility altogether.
Mankind today still does this. For instance, if someone is confronted about a sin in his life, he might respond, "So now I'm the biggest sinner in the world, huh? Who are you to say?" Is he truly the "biggest sinner in the world"? I would dare say no. But does that mean his "little" sin is not important to God? The truth is, Cain was responsible to God for his actions toward his brother. He did need to answer for his brother's welfare.
Pleading ignorance never works with God. It didn't work for Cain, and it doesn't work for any of us. Are you your "brother's keeper"? Well, like Cain, you do have responsibility before God for how you treat those around you. Don't shirk that responsibility by pleading ignorance. Face up to your responsibilities. Get right what you need to get right. Be honest with yourself and with God. You'll be the better for it, and so will those around you.

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

What would a perfect world be like? In Scripture, we get glimpses of a perfect world at the beginning in Genesis and at the end in Revelation. In Genesis, we see what the world was like at creation, before the fall of man and before the curse of sin. In Revelation, we see what the world will be like someday when God creates a "new heaven and a new earth" free from sin.

Are there any similarities between the two? Well, among others, the glaring similarity is that both perfect worlds are perfect because they remain just the way God made them! No sin, and no individuals demanding their own way over God's. And guess what? In both perfect worlds, everything runs smoothly in perfect harmony. We can summarize the whole first chapter of Genesis with eight words: "God created...it was so...it was good."

Everything that God does is "good" just the way he made it. Nothing that comes from God's hand ever needs improvement or adjustment. That may seem like an obvious truth to emphasize, yet many of us live each day as if God's plan for us needs some manipulation and improvement. We want to order our days according to what we think is important and according to what our own ideals are.

If you take a few minutes to watch the news on any given day, you will see that mankind is completely inept! We vote for candidates that we think will solve all of our problems, and then we find that nothing really changes when they take office. And every day there are plenty of other examples of mankind messing things up! Take a look at the first perfect world. What messed things up? Was it God's plan that eventually went awry? No! Things went terribly wrong when man started making decisions independently of God.

So what does this mean for you today? You should set out to order your day according to God's ideals. You should submit to God's Word today, even in the small areas today. When you truly believe that God's way is best, you will submit, even when you don't understand. Don't manipulate your life to fit your own ideals, because you won't succeed at making it turn out right.

When the day is all done, who will be pleased with your decisions? Start your day praying, "Lord, you are the Creator; I am the creation. Help me to depend upon you for all that I need, and help me to submit to your plan for me." Trust God and obey-this is the way to get a glimpse of what that perfect world will be like someday.

I apologize to those who were regular readers of this blog. My absence from here was unavoidable as our life was going through some turmoil and ultimately change. I no longer pastor in South Carolina as the Lord has opened doors of change and allowed us to move to Nebraska to continue serving Him as a pastor. PTL! As we are getting settled here in both our home and the church, I do plan on continueing this blog because it is both an encouragement to me and I pray that it encourages you as well.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When you might have won had you stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worse, that you must not quit.

Author Unknown

John Newton, a man moved from disgrace (former slave trader) to a preacher of God's Word.

Author of many songs the most famous of course, is Amazing Grace


From John Newton's Letters:

Dear friend,
Allow me to say, that it excites both my wonder and concern, that a Christian minister such as yourself, should think it worth his while to attempt political reforms. When I look around upon the present state of the nation, such an attempt appears to me, to be no less vain and foolish, than it would be to paint the cabin--while the ship is sinking! Or to decorate the parlor--while the house is on fire!

When our Lord Jesus was upon earth, He refused to get involved in disputes or politics, "Friend, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" Luke 12:14. "My kingdom is not of this world! If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight!" John 18:36. God's children belong to a kingdom which is not of this world; they are strangers and pilgrims upon earth, and a part of their Scriptural character is, that they are the "quiet in the land." Psalm 35:19.

Satan has many contrivances to amuse people, and to divert their thoughts from their real danger!

My dear sir, my prayer to God for you is--that He may induce you to employ the talents He has given you, in pointing out sin as the great cause and source of every existing evil; and to engage those who love and fear Him, (instead of wasting time in political speculations, for which very few of them are competent,) to sigh and cry for our abounding abominations, and to stand in the breach, by prayer, that God's wrath may yet be averted, and our national mercies prolonged! This, I think, is true patriotism--the best way in which people in private life may serve their country.

I consider the ungodly as saws and hammers in the hand of the Lord. So far as they are His instruments, they will succeed--but not an inch further! Their wrath shall praise Him, and be subservient to His designs!

If our lot is so cast that we can exercise our ministry free from stripes, fines, imprisonments, and death--it is more than the gospel has promised to us! If Christians were quiet when under the cruel governments of Nero and other wicked persecutors, when they were hunted down like wild beasts--then we ought to be not only quiet but very thankful now! It was then accounted an honor to suffer for Christ and the 'offence of the cross'!

Those are to be greatly pitied, who boast of their 'liberty'--and yet they do not consider that they are in the most deplorable bondage as the slaves of sin and Satan, under the curse of God's law and His eternal wrath! Oh! for a voice to reach their hearts, that they may know their true and dreadful state--and seek deliverance from their horrific thraldom! May you and I labor to direct them to the one thing, which is absolutely needful, and abundantly sufficient.

If I had the wisdom or influence to soothe the angry passions of mankind--I would gladly employ them! But I am a stranger and a pilgrim here in this world. My charter, my rights and my treasures, are all in heaven--and there my heart ought to be. In a very short time, I may be removed (and perhaps suddenly) into the unseen and eternal world--where all that now causes so much bustle upon earth--will be of no more importance to me--than the events which took place among the antediluvians!

In the hour, when death shall open the door into eternity--many things which now assume an 'air of importance', will be found as light and unsubstantial as a child's dream!

How crucial then, is it for me--to be found watching, with my lamp burning, diligently engaged in my proper calling! For the Lord has not called me to set governments right--but to preach the gospel, to proclaim the glory of His name, and to endeavor to win souls! "Let the dead bury their own dead--but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God!" Luke 9:60. Happy is that servant, whom his Master finds so doing, when He returns!

As you have forced me to respond--both duty and love have obliged me to be faithful and free in giving you my thoughts.

I recommend you to the care and blessing of the great Shepherd and Savior; and remain for His sake, your affectionate friend and brother,
John Newton

Read More Here

”Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

God has established the institution of the parent as one of His ruling authorities on earth. To this position has been delegated both the right to rule children and all the power necessary to succeed in training children according to God’s plan. Whomever God places in the position of being a parent is accountable directly to God for how he or she rules.

No other institution has rulership rights over children. The child is not responsible to the “state” rather than to the parents. Parents must not allow government to usurp their authority in those areas in which God holds the parents alone accountable. There are no instructions in the Bible that grant authority to government over children (except that of upholding the parents’ position of authority). There is no such thing as “child rights” sanctioned by the Word of God.

(Quoted Source: What the Bible Says About Child Training -J. Richard Fugate Copyright 1980)

Brethren, where do you stand on this issue? Where does our government stand on this issue?

We’ve just read where God stands on the issue now read this:

A proposed parental rights amendment has been introduced in Congress. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, notes that, "Now we're finding that parental rights are being attacked by courts all over the country," he contends. "And as we look at where this country is going, particularly more association with the United Nations and the U.N. Convention on the rights of the Child, these treaties would supercede all the laws in 50 states." And it would challenge parental rights in different ways, he argues.

Download the UN Treaty

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) said, "[It would] outlaw spanking and prohibit parents from raising children in the family religion, negates legal assumptions that parents act in the best interest of their kids," he points out. "Things [like these] that are inconceivable in America are now being contemplated and planned by a number of people." (Source: OneNewsNow.com)

"Walk a little slower daddy,"
said a child so small.
"I'm folowing in your footsteps
and I don't want to fall.

Sometmes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
You'ree what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So, walk a little slower,
Daddy, For I must follow you."

The battle for this generation of youth is intensifying. Dave Hunt (of The Berean Call) addresses another onslaught, the new militant atheism, in his soon-to-be published book, Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny, and notes a particular assault that is without precedent: "The Blasphemy Challenge":

The Rational Response Squad (an atheist activism group) is giving away 1001 DVDs of The God Who Wasn't There, the hit documentary that the Los Angeles Times calls "provocative—to put it mildly." There's only one catch: We want your soul. It's simple. You record a short message damning yourself to Hell, you upload it to YouTube, and then the Rational Response Squad will send you a free The God Who Wasn't There DVD. It's that easy.

What can we do to prevent our young people from being seduced by the advancement of the apostasy? Teach them the Word. Disciple them. Teach them to be sound in doctrine.


Dave Hunt has this to say:

I recently spent some time with young adult leaders here and in England. Many feel overwhelmed by what's taking place but are not without hope. They see the apostasy as a flood that cannot be turned back (outside of a sovereign act of God), yet they are optimistic that many can be rescued. They are aware that most of their peers who profess to be Christians have not been grounded in the faith, many are distracted by and attracted to the world, and some even think they are Christians because of their family ties. Nevertheless, these committed leaders are hopeful that the older generation—those mature in the Lord and who love His Word—will reach out to the younger generation, whether in Bible studies or one-on-one situations, as disciplers, mentors, teachers, and encouragers in Christ. They believe that the Lord will help them to reach those who He knows are willing to take up their crosses and follow Him. Their continual prayer is for more seasoned laborers from the older generation to come alongside their peers.

The Bible is the most exciting book there is, yet for years here in the U.S. our children have been fed a "let me entertain you" diet with only a hint of scriptural nutrition. That's part of Satan's "Yea, hath God said...?" strategy. The consequence is an upcoming generation that is, for the most part, spiritually anemic and ripe for the various schemes of apostasy. Deprived of the objective truths of Scripture, they are easy prey for those who would entice them through the subjective and experiential, that is, their "feelings." Nevertheless, our marching orders involve a rescue operation as found in 2 Timothy 2:24-25:

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth."

Pray for our young people that they would have a heart for truth, but then seek out those of their generation to whom the Lord would have you minister His love and truth.

[I found this article in an email from a non-religious oriented newspaper. So I guess it is not just us preachers who try to warn against the consequences of sin]

It was bound to happen. With the bright lights of reality shows zooming in on every aspect of human life, it was inevitable that someone would create a show about unwed teen mothers. And who better than MTV, which has catered to teen viewers since its creation in the 1980s.

MTV has a history of risqué programming, from racy music videos to the bisexual dating show "Tila Tequila." But its new show, "16 and Pregnant," is no less than a ringing endorsement of a national travesty that robs teens of their youth and contributes to child poverty and neglect.

One of the show's subjects is a high school student named Maci. The cameras follow Maci as she deals with her child, Bentley, and the baby's father, Ryan, with whom she has a rocky relationship. Yet according to Maci, things couldn't be better. She speaks about the fact that her friends are jealous because she and Ryan have gotten their own apartment, and she refers to herself as an "over-achiever" who gets good grades, plays softball and is a cheerleader.

Education
*Only 50 percent of teenage mothers finish high school.
*Only 70 percent of teenage fathers finish high school
*90 percent of mothers under the age of sixteen will never finish high school.
*Less than two percent of women who become mothers before the age of twenty will complete college.
*Lack of education usually results in an inability to get adequate jobs.

Employment
*Teenage parents are more likely to have low status jobs, lower hourly wages or be unemployed.
*The younger the mother at childbirth, the lower her family income will be.

Poverty
*There is a direct link between poverty and teenage parenting. Families headed by young mothers are seven times more likely to be poor.
*71 percent of AFDC recipients under thirty were teenagers when their first child was born.
*Of all families with young children headed by women who gave birth as teenagers, 67 percent live below the officially designated poverty level.
*A study found that only one in ten children in two-parent families were poor while two out three children living in single parent homes were poor.

Future Pregnancies
*Teenage mothers are likely to raise large unplanned families alone. 60 percent of teenagers gave birth before the age of sixteen will be pregnant again before the age of eighteen.

Concerns About Children of Single Parents
*Children of single parents are likely to have lower I.Q scores and are more likely to repeat school grades than children raised in two parent families.
*Children from single parent homes have more physical and psychological problems than children raised in two parent homes
*When children of teenage parents grow up, they are more likely to become teenage parents themselves, receive welfare, or become divorced.

Concerns About Teenage Marriage
*Marriages that result from an unplanned pregnancy often fail.
*At least 60 percent of young people who marry before the age of twenty will be divorced within five years.
*When pregnancy is the major reason for marriage, the failure rate could reach 90 percent within the first six years of marriage.
*Even if a husband is working, it is not likely that he has a well paying job.
*Because the young mother will likely drop out of school to care for her child, she will find herself with no education or job skills.
*Marriage will not solve the problem of an unplanned pregnancy. A good marriage demands hard work and commitment from each partner. This is often difficult for young people still working on developing their own identities.
*If you do not receive support from your family and will not be able to finish high school because you parent your child, consider these facts carefully. It may predict your future life and that of your child.

Hey MTV - how long will the good times last? Sadly, according to the above statistics not very long. It's no wonder, then, that two-thirds of families started by unwed mothers are poor. In fact, the increase in childhood poverty in recent decades is caused almost exclusively by out-of-wedlock births. Think MTV will mention that?

Having preached for less than a decade, Joel Osteen, 46, presides over a Houston church in a former basketball arena that draws 40,000 people on Sundays. His televised sermons are seen by more than 7 million Americans a week and millions more around the world.

He's had two best-selling books and a third, "It's Your Time," will come out in November. He's only been preaching on the road for five years, but is taking the stage at the new Yankee Stadium before A-Rod for what he calls "A Night of Hope."

He appeals to conservatives and liberals, Texas Republicans and Nancy Pelosi, Pentecostal Christians filled with the Holy Spirit and atheists filled with none.

"I wish I could explain it better," he said of his appeal in a recent interview with The Journal News at the swanky Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle. "I don't have an answer. I guess it's that my message is positive and hopeful. People stop me on the street, whether they are bikers or bankers. I've had atheists tell me that they watch me on TV."

"It's got to be God," he said, "because it's not me."

Tulane University's Shayne Lee, an expert on superstar evangelists, said Osteen is young, fresh, likable and doesn't have the baggage of the televangelists of old.

"He understands the importance of TV and uses the language of contemporary American society - the language of psychotherapy, the language of Americans who watch Oprah and Dr. Phil," said Lee, whose new book, "Holy Mavericks," profiles Osteen and four other pastors with national followings. "Osteen understands that his brand is not to condemn, but uplift. If the caricature of the typical evangelist is a fingerpointing loudmouth, Osteen seems so trustworthy that he's the boy next door."

"My message is not about doctrine. I don't have to get 50 references from Scripture in a sermon for it to be a good sermon. Churches that are helping people live out a Christian life are growing and flourishing."

Read More Here

[But Mr. Osteen what's the Bible say? "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables." II Timothy 4:2-4]

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).

The natural Jews of Paul’s day had to rid their hearts of being justified by the law. They needed to accept and understand the grace extended by God through the Son. Outwardly they may not have appeared as sinful as the Gentiles but still they had to put their faith in Jesus Christ to be saved.

“The Judaizers’ objection to this doctrine of justification by faith alone is this: If a Jew seeks to be justified by Christ apart from the law he is then outside the law and thus a sinner. They feared that a Christian outside the law will lead an immoral life since his conduct is no longer restrained by the law.” (King James Study Bible notation)

Is your heart guilty of establishing a bar of moral conduct or doctrine added to faith in Jesus Christ as necessary for salvation? Indeed, it can be challenging for obedient believers to remember grace, and grace alone. But, if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died in vain. He died once, for all. His atoning work is what brings salvation, not our meritorious works.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6).

Have you noticed that God finishes what He starts? He didn’t stop creating the heavens, the earth, the sea and all that is in them until He was finished. Jesus did not give up the Ghost until “it was finished”. God's Word says He won't stop until He ushers in the millennial reign followed by the new heaven, new earth, and the new Jerusalem.

God is not finished with us either. He is shaping us for eternity in heaven. We may be tempted to think that the good work begun in us was our idea (wrong!). We may be tempted to think that the good work we are doing in His Name will not be completed (wrong again!). God has ordained our times and seasons.

It can be tempting to give up the good fight when we have so much going against us. We may find that our zeal for evangelism fizzles because we are overwhelmed with the resistance of Satan. Resolve to keep your eyes on Jesus. Press on to finish the race, forgetting what lies behind.

Be a finisher.

"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time."
--Thomas Jefferson

For all of our nation's history, there have been tactical battles between opposing political ideologies -- liberals (leftists) who want to liberate us from constitutional rule of law, and conservatives who strive to conserve rule of law. Great political capital has been, and continues to be, expended by the Left in order to offend our Constitution, and by the Right in order to defend it.

Amid the din and rhetoric of the current lineup of tactical contests, I ask that you venture up to the strategic level and consider a primal issue that transcends all the political noise.

How many times have you heard the rejoinder, "Religion and politics don't mix"?
Most Americans have, for generations now, been inculcated (read: "dumbed down") by the spurious "wall of separation" metaphor and believe that it is a legitimate barrier between government and religion. So effective has been this false indoctrination that even some otherwise erudite conservatives fail to recall that religion and politics not only mix, but are inseparable.

Recall that our Founders affirmed in the Declaration of Independence "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
In other words, our Creator bestowed the rights enumerated in our Declaration and, by extension, as codified in its subordinate guidance, our Constitution. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are natural rights; they are not gifts from government.

To that end, Alexander Hamilton wrote, "The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power."

But the Left has, for many decades, made its primary objective the eradication of God from every public quarter, and routinely relied on judicial activism to undermine constitutional rule of law and, thus, the natural rights of man.
The intended consequence of this artificial barrier between church and state is to remove knowledge of our Creator from all public forums and, thus, over time, to disabuse belief in a sovereign God and the natural rights He has endowed.

Read more here or download the whole document in a PDF.

Satan is tirelessly working against God by seeking to destroy His children. That threat is common to every Christian. The Enemy’s persecution appears in varying forms, even deceiving the elect.

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Col 2:8).”

These last days call for discernment and wisdom. Something that appears good can be nothing more than a facade concealing the evil lurking behind it. Be warned. Satan’s attack is increasing while he is cleverly disguising his deceptive tactics. His tactics now on the socio-political front on found in every-day, common language...wording such as "Hate Crimes" or "Fundamentalist" or "Freedom of Choice" are all simple things with deadly meanings and consequences. Just as God can speak through people, Satan also can use people to voice his lies. Be careful what you believe, Christian.

“Extremism” is the present-day code word used to label people as an enemy whether of the State or the religious norm. I believe that God would refer to the world's tag of "extreme Christians" as those who are merely faithful and obedient. Are you increasing in your obedience to the One who sits on the throne? “Intolerance” and “hate” are other words Satan uses to cause Christians to compromise, without them realizing it.

The Truth is the utmost picture of love and liberty...but the devil (being the father of lies) will blur the lines of truth, tolerance, and love in our socio-political world to corrupt the message of Truth and to discredit the proclaimers of Truth. Never, never, never compromise the Truth. Jesus said he is "the way, the truth, and the life..." (John 14)

Forget Evian or Vitaminwater. The latest beverage trend: 'Holy Water.'

You need only go back to the first chapter of Genesis to see how elemental water is to the observance of faith: "And the Spirit of God," the Bible says, "moved upon the face of the waters." In the Torah, water is used to ordain priests and to purify the sons of Aaron before they enter the temple. In the New Testament, John baptizes Jesus with water from the Jordan River. Observant Muslims wash hands and feet before they pray, orthodox Jewish women take ritual baths once a month -- and every Christian denomination still uses water as part of its sacred rites. Mormons, when they take the weekly sacrament, drink water instead of wine.

So it's not surprising that a few savvy marketers would seize on this universal symbol of purity for financial gain. Inspired, perhaps, by vitamin and energy waters, a number of new companies have begun making more explicit claims: their water doesn't just promote good health, it actually makes you good. Holy Drinking Water, produced by a California-based company called Wayne Enterprises, is blessed in the warehouse by an Anglican or Roman Catholic priest (after a thorough background check). Like a crucifix or a rosary, a bottle of Holy Drinking Water is a daily reminder to be kind to others, says Brian Germann, Wayne's CEO. Another company makes Liquid OM, superpurified bottled water containing vibrations that promote a positive outlook. Invented by Kenny Mazursky, a sound therapist in Chicago, the water purportedly possesses an energy field that Mazursky makes by striking a giant gong and Tibetan bowls in its vicinity. He says the good energy can be felt not just after you drink the water but before, when you're holding the bottle.

Read more of this Newsweek article here


[1 Timothy 6:10 tells us "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."]

The title really says it all as long as you understand the context and the parties involved in presence and awareness. Simply put when we draw closer to God or rather seek His presence then and only then are we able to operate with full awareness. Awareness of His grace! Awareness of His blessings. Awareness of His mercy and long-suffering. Awareness of His desire for us to obey Him. Awareness of our need to tell others of His presence. Read what one of our missionaries wrote recently.

The book of James in chapter one and verse eighteen says that, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." It was God out of His pure love and mercy that made me realize His verdict on my awful rebellion and to feel the awful guilt that I was justly condemned because of my sins. It was His grace that stopped me in my foolish race toward separation and brought me to my knees to seek His free grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh, His great grace has set my heart on fire for Him and made me give up myself to Him forever. Oh, that we be more grateful, more aware, and walk holy in these last evil days.

George Kinsey
Missionary to South Africa

This is a picture of a changing world both by societal standards and religious influence. This is a call to action, indeed!!

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

Americans have become very dependent on email, texting, and the internet. These tools each require electricity. Have you ever considered how you would make it through the day without electricity? What about a week or a month?

Imagine not being able to access your checking or savings account. Imagine no lights or television at night when you get home from work. Imagine that you could not get gasoline from the station. You would not be able to cook on your stove or have a hot shower. Try one hot August Sunday at church without electricity.

Our relationship with Jesus is very similar. He is our vine, our source. Without Him we can do nothing. Life without our Savior would be miserable. We would be thrown into confusion trying to figure out how to live without Him.

Of course we could live without electricity, but not without Jesus!

Stay “plugged in”.

“For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.” Psalm 92:4

Do you find that you are grumpy and critical, always complaining about how bad things are?

The Joy of the Lord is our strength. What does this mean, really? Does it mean we walk around with happy faces all the time? (I hope your answer is, "Much of the time!") No, the joy of the Lord is much deeper than that. It is an everlasting joy. A complete joy. It is a joy based on Him, not our circumstances.

Has your joy been stolen? Reclaim it! Consider the works of His hands. Look at the relationship you have with the Almighty! God’s Word reveals what our present is and what our future will be. We shall not fear. God will prevail.

Have you left your first love? Remember the joy you had upon your second birth. Let joy do it’s work in your heart as you contemplate the work of God’s hands.

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Psalm 5:11

Hiv/aids infection rates are higher in our nation’s capital than in West Africa. This shocking statistic comes from the 2008 Epidemiology Annual Report, which found that Washington, D.C.’s rates are twice as high as those of New York City and five times higher than Detroit’s.

The definition of a “generalized and severe” epidemic is 1 percent infection. Washington, D.C.’s rate triples that figure at 3 percent.

The report found that over 15,000 residents have hiv or aids. Nearly 10 percent of all residents between 40 and 49 have the virus. Black men have been most affected, with infection rates of 7 percent. The primary means of transmission, confirmed by the report, remains men having sex with men. The incidence of transmission through heterosexual sex or needle sharing is also rising.

Perhaps most alarming is that the 3 percent rate is based only on people who have been tested.

If history is our guide, finding that the U.S. capital has more hiv/aids infections than West Africa will lead only to more “solutions” that do not address the cause—solutions that have already failed, like distribution of free condoms, handing out clean needles, promoting so-called safe sex, and funding it all with tax dollars.

The simple solution escapes the intellectual mindset completely: Do not use intravenous drugs, do not have premarital or extramarital sex, do not participate in homosexuality. For more on how these types of diseases could have been prevented in the first place and how they could be totally wiped out, read “The Simple Solution to the aids Epidemic.”

Such language is ridiculed by the "New Atheists" such as Richard Dawkins, who says the atheists must "spread the good news. Evangelism [to convert the world to atheism] is a moral imperative." Although the Bible clearly distinguishes Christianity from all religions and separates their leaders (Buddha, Muhammad, et al.) from Christ, who is unique, atheists make no such distinction. Consequently, most of their arguments are irrelevant. The Bible denounces all religions as instruments of Satan to keep mankind in darkness, shut off from the light of the gospel by which alone one can be saved, for "the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not" (2 Cor 4:4).

Atheism is just one of the world's religions, and Satanic blindness is reflected in its arguments against God and Christianity. A recent secular article about the New Atheists was titled, "The Church of the Non-Believers." And it is a church-a church to which everyone must belong, if atheists get their way. In their religious fervor to destroy "religious faith" and to convert the entire world to their religion, they are blind to the true faith that motivates biblical Christians.
Dawkins says, "Faith is one of the world's great evils....[It is] belief that isn't based on evidence [and] the principal vice of any religion." Francis Collins, however (in charge of the Human Genome Project involving 2,300 scientists), who turned from unbelief to faith in Christ, says that Dawkins' definition of faith "certainly does not describe the faith of most serious believers of history nor of most of those of my personal acquaintance."

Many famous scientists, Nobel Prize winners, and some of the greatest historians and legal experts have turned from atheism to faith in the resurrected Christ-not by mystical or emotional experience but from verifiable evidence. The early pioneers in science, like Kepler, claimed that it was precisely their conviction that there was a creator that inspired their science to ever-greater heights. "Religion is not only wrong; it's evil," atheists fume, unaware that biblical Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Leading atheists harangue against religion, blind to the fact that the Bible is not about religion. In its more than 1,000 pages, the phrase "religious faith" is not found once, the word "religion" appears only five times, all in one verse, and the word "religious" twice in the next verse. All but one of these seven references is critical of "religion." Furthermore, in these few times that it mentions religion, the Bible never means what atheists foolishly denounce.

In their war against God, Dawkins and his fellow crusaders dishonestly equate Christian "fundamentalists" with murderous Muslims. In fact, atheists are themselves fundamentalists, seeking to impose their warped interpretation of the fundamentals of science on the world. Nor can the New Atheists be ignorant of the fact that the fundamentals of Islam (according to the Qur'an, Hadith, the dogmas and example of Muhammad, and 1,300 years of history) teach that Islam must be forced upon the entire world by murdering all who refuse to submit to Allah. Christ taught and lived entirely otherwise. Yet the New Atheists persist in equating Islam and Christianity simply because each is considered to be a "faith." Such irresponsible accusations permeate their arguments.

Yes, some who have called themselves Christians (Roman Catholic popes, Eastern Orthodox leaders, crusaders, numerous televangelists, et al.) have been guilty of all manner of evil. In the process, they have violated the teachings and example of Christ. But Muslim terrorists follow both Islamic teaching and the example of Muhammad and his successors who tortured and slaughtered millions from France to China for 13 centuries. Today's terrorism is just a hint of what Islam would continue to do if it could. The fundamentals of true Christianity promote love, freedom of choice, and forgiveness, not hatred and violence. The latter are the trademark of fundamentalist Islam. To equate the fundamentals of Islam with those of Christianity is reprehensible.

Atheists also perversely equate Christianity with the fanaticism and violence of the Crusades and Inquisition. Yet the crusaders were not biblical Christians; they violated everything Christ taught and slaughtered His brethren, the Jews, everywhere they went. It is gross dishonesty to attribute the crusaders' misconduct to biblical Christianity. From the days of Christ, multitudes of Christians have never given allegiance to Rome but to the Bible and to Christ alone. They were martyred by the millions by the church of Rome for centuries before the birth of Luther. From the 16th-century Reformation onward, millions of Roman Catholics embraced faith in the Bible and Christ alone and were martyred by the hundreds of thousands by the popes and their armies. To fail to distinguish between martyrs and their murderers is unconscionable.

The New Atheists, led by Dawkins, call themselves "the brights" and look upon theists as dimwits. Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg recently said, "The world needs to wake up from the long nightmare of religion....Anything we scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done, and may in fact be our greatest contribution to civilization." Richard Dawkins says: "I am utterly fed up with the respect we have been brainwashed into bestowing on religion." Religion? As we've seen, atheists are tilting at windmills. In their fervor to convert the world to their religion, atheists betray their complete ignorance of biblical Christianity. The Bible is not a religious book and does not promote "religion."

Many Christians try to be "scientific" by adopting theistic evolution as compatible with Christianity. Their compromise does not impress atheists. Unashamedly, Dawkins declares that "evolution must lead to atheism" and "the atheist movement has...a moral imperative...to aggressively spread the good news...." Dawkins declares, "Should [theists] be free to impose their beliefs on their children? Is there something to be said for society stepping in?" This is dangerous totalitarian talk that makes one fear for parents and children alike. James Perloff put it well:

"But remember; 'The princess kissed the frog, and he turned into a handsome prince.' We call that a fairy tale. Evolution says frogs turn into princes, and we call it science....Is that science? Or is it, like the fraud of Piltdown Man, the forgeries of Haeckel's embryos, the misrepresentations of Inherit the Wind, and the coercions of the Supreme Court, merely part of a long effort to deny God?"

Atheists who end up in hell cannot blame the God they hate for excluding them from heaven. We need to rescue as many as we can from atheism's lies.

As we all know, the "Lord's prayer" was never prayed by our Lord. It was a pattern for prayer: "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name..." (Mt 6:9). To repeat these words over and over (instead of using them as a pattern for prayer from the heart) would be to disobey our Lord and to engage in what He strictly forbade: "vain repetition" (6:7).

Certainly this prayer is only for those who know God as their heavenly Father. It is a grievous error common to pseudo-Christianity to assume the universal Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. The typical Unity church service, for example, includes this affirmation repeated in unison, "I am a child of God and therefore I do not inherit sickness." Such "positive confessions" have led multitudes astray. Paul declared that we become "the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26).

The fact that this relationship with God as one's Father does not come by natural birth is clear. To those who boasted of being "Abraham's children," Christ countered, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" (Jn 8:44). The rebellion of Adam and Eve, by which they became the followers of Satan as "the god of this world" (2 Cor 4:4), made the devil the patriarch of mankind. That is why Christ told Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:3). This spiritual birth is an absolute requirement, allowing no exceptions. No one will be in heaven who has not been "born again," both "of water and of the Spirit" (v. 5).

There is a common abuse of this prayer among American athletic teams. A high percentage of teams across America (especially in high school football) pray the "Lord's Prayer" either before or after games. Attitudes of participants vary from skepticism, to suppressed ridicule, to a shrugging acquiescence to something that might now and then bring "good luck." This American tradition is an abomination to God. Phil Jackson, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, turned from the Pentecostalism in which his co-pastor parents raised him to Zen Buddhism and the occultism of Lakota Indian "spirituality." Yet he still repeats the "Lord's prayer" and has for years encouraged his teams to do so without knowing God or Christ. This unbiblical practice has been one of Satan's major tools of deception.

Confusion reigns over what it means to be "born again." The teaching is rather common that Christ's words, "of water," refer to the protective amniotic water sac that breaks in natural birth, while "of the Spirit" refers to being born of the Spirit of God at the second birth. The latter is true, but the former is false. Everyone enters via the amniotic fluid into the human race. "Born of water" must mean more than that. It would be redundant to say that in order to be born again one must have already been born once. Furthermore, that doctrine would place an unbiblical restriction upon entrance into heaven! Such a proposition would mean that there would be no salvation for anyone who had not experienced natural birth. Thus no fetus that died by whatever means before coming to full-term delivery could be considered a real person eligible for the second birth and heaven, thus allowing abortion at any stage.

The biblical teaching of the "new birth" (becoming a "born-again" Christian) has caused much controversy. Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and others believe this occurs at baptism. Every Lutheran church follows Luther's Small Catechism. At baptism (usually as a baby), one receives a certificate stating, "In baptism full salvation has been given unto you; God has become your Father, and you have become His child through this act...."

In fact, the Bible teaches that baptism (like the "Lord's prayer") is only for those who have believed the gospel. Baptism testifies to the faith by which one was born again. Otherwise it is meaningless. Infant baptism defies Scripture, denies the gospel, and is a major net by which "the god of this world" gathers multitudes into his kingdom, providing them with false assurance that prevents them from seeing their need to receive Christ as Savior and Lord.

How could a church defend baptizing an infant that cannot understand or believe? It was necessary to claim some efficacy, as the Catechisms say, "in this act of baptism...." This occult lie of spiritual power innate in and released by baptism, burning a candle or incense, doing rituals, priestly hand motions, voice tones, etc., has been for thousands of years the essence of ritual magic, witchcraft, paganism, etc., which anthropologists now call shamanism.

This pernicious delusion is also known as sacramentalism-a heresy so vital to Roman Catholicism that it has its own Latin term: ex opere operato (i.e., "in the act itself"). To deny this doctrine concerning any official sacrament is to deny Roman Catholicism, for which the penalty is automatic excommunication (tantamount to being sentenced to hell). Here it is from The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent: Seventh Session...third day of March, 1547, Decree Concerning the Sacraments...Canons on the Sacraments in General [still in full force]:

Can. 4. If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but...that without them or without the desire of them men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification...let him be anathema.
Can. 8. If anyone says that by the sacraments of the New Law grace is not conferred ex opere operato, but that faith alone in the divine promise is sufficient to obtain grace, let him be anathema.

The grievous heresy of sacramentalism continues to seduce in various forms most "Reformed" churches. R.C. Sproul, for example, justifies infant baptism by likening it to circumcision: "The scriptural case for baptizing believers' infants rests on the parallel between [O.T.] circumcision and N.T. baptism as signs and seals of the covenant of grace....The Old Testament precedent requires it" (Geneva Study Bible, p. 38).

The Ethiopian to whom Philip had just preached Christ from Isaiah 53 (Acts 8:29-35) asked, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (8:36,37). Philip then baptized him-not by sprinkling or pouring water over him but, obviously, by immersion, for "they went down both into the water" (v. 38). Baptism publicly declares one's faith, identifying the believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. One does not sprinkle dirt on a corpse. One buries it.

If "born of water" does not refer to amniotic fluid or to baptism, what could it mean? The second birth is by the Spirit of God and by water (Jn 3:5), symbolic of the Word of God, as in "the washing of water by the word" (Eph 5:26), and "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (Jn 15:3). When we believe the gospel, we are regenerated and washed clean. "He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Peter declares: "Being born again...by the word of God...which by the gospel is preached unto you" (1 Pt 1:23-25).

Having been brought into the family of God, we address Him as "Father" in prayer. In His high priestly prayer (the true "Lord's prayer" that Christ prayed), He declared, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (Jn 17:3). So the new birth involves knowing the only true God-not being "born again" through baptism, especially of infants. There are millions of so-called gods and numerous prayers to each of them in the various religions they represent. The Bible condemns every one in unmistakable terms:
For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens....Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name....[F]ear before him, all the earth....[H]e cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. (Ps 96:5-13)

According to many of his modern followers, Darwin is the world's greatest scientist, and his theory is the cornerstone of modern biology - if not the whole of modern science.

What, exactly, is Darwin's theory? It is not just "evolution." Evolution can mean "change over time," which no sane person denies. Or it can mean life on Earth has a long history, documented by the fossil record. Yet the general outlines of the fossil record were established before "The Origin of Species" appeared in 1859. And biblical chronology did not play a major role in the 19th-century Darwinian controversies, because by 1859 most educated Christians had accepted geological evidence for an old Earth.

Darwin's theory is that all living things are descendants of a common ancestor, modified by unguided processes such as random variation and natural selection. Although nobody doubts that variation and selection can produce minor changes within existing species ("microevolution"), Darwin claimed that microevolution leads to the origin of new species, organs and body plans ("macroevolution").

Eighty years after "The Origin of Species," evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky acknowledged there was still no hard evidence connecting microevolution and macroevolution. Unfortunately, since only microevolution can be observed within a human lifetime, Mr. Dobzhansky wrote, "We are compelled at the present level of knowledge reluctantly to put a sign of equality between the mechanisms of macro- and microevolution, and proceeding on this assumption, to push our investigations as far ahead as this working hypothesis will permit."

This assumption is still an assumption. No one has ever observed the origin of a new species by variation and selection - much less the origin of new organs and body plans. Not even modern genetics has solved the problem. No matter what we do to the DNA of a fruit fly embryo, there are only three possible outcomes: a normal fruit fly, a defective fruit fly or a dead fruit fly. Although Darwin's modern followers claim there is "overwhelming evidence" for his theory, nothing could be further from the truth.

Nor is Darwin's theory the cornerstone of modern biology. Most of the basic disciplines in biology were founded before Darwin's birth - including anatomy, physiology, botany, zoology, microbiology, systematics, embryology and paleontology. During Darwin's lifetime, Gregor Mendel founded genetics and Louis Agassiz and Richard Owen pioneered comparative biology. But none of these scientists accepted Darwinism.

Actually, Darwinism has always been more philosophy than science. Darwin called "The Origin of Species" "one long argument," and it took the following form: The features of living things are "inexplicable on the theory of creation" but fully explicable as products of unguided natural forces. Darwin lacked sufficient evidence for the latter, however, so he ruled out the former by simply declaring that only natural explanations are "scientific."

[Some] atheists want to establish Darwin Day as a secular alternative to Christmas.

Unfortunately, once in power Darwinism (like Marxism) tolerates no dissent. As the 2008 movie "Expelled" documented, scientists and teachers who criticize Darwinism risk ostracism, character assassination and termination of their employment. School boards that encourage students to learn the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolutionary theory are besieged by militant atheists who do not want students to question Darwinism.

<READ MORE HERE>

In vain our fancy strive to paint
The moment after death,
The glories that surround the saints,
When yielding up their breath.


One gentle sigh their fetters breaks;
We scarce can say, “They’re gone!”
Before the departed Christian takes
His mansion near the throne.


Sorrow strives, but all its efforts fail
To trace him in his heavenly flight!
No eye can pierce within the veil
Which hides that city of light.


Thus much (and this is all) we know,
They are completely blest;
Are done with worry, sin, and woe,
And with their Saviour rest.


On streets of gold they praise His name,
His face they always view;
Then let us foll’wers be of them,
That we may praise Him too.


Their faith and patience, love and zeal
Should make their mem’ry dear;
And, Lord, do Thou the pray’rs fulfill
They offer for us remaining here.


While they have gain’d, we losers are,
We miss them day by day;
But thou canst ever’y heart repair,
And wipe our tears away.


We pray, as in Elisha’s case,
When great Elijah went,
May double portions of thy grace
To us who are left, be sent.




Adapted by M. Coon, March 2009

Vatican teaching holds that Roman Catholicism and evolutionary theory are not necessarily at odds. The church under Benedict has been trying to stress that, along with its overall belief that there is no incompatibility between faith and reason.

Pope John Paul II articulated the church's position most clearly in a 1996 address to the Pontifical Academy for Sciences, saying the theory of evolution is "more than a hypothesis."


<READ MORE HERE>

Hmmmm? But what does the Bible say? It doesn't matter to the Vatican they've been ignoring the Bible for generations. Just because it's that 'book' with the whole "only-one-mediator-between-God-and-men" idea anyways. Read 1 Timothy 2:4-6; I John 1:5- 2:2

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."

Webster defines complacency as an attitude of ‘unconcern or self-sufficiency’. In theological terms, one who is complacent shows little concern for things of God...or exhibits an attitude of self-sufficiency which shows no real need for God, or no relationship with God.

How in the world could a Christian fall into such a state? It certainly wouldn’t be intentional!? No, when it happens, it happens gradually, unintentionally.

With the rush of schedules, importance of social things (jobs, school, investments, popularity, multiplicity of activities, etc., etc.) a personal relationship with God in, with, and through His Word and prayer... just gradually gets crowded farther aside day by day. What was once important becomes of no importance. What was first, now becomes last.

For God, the relationship He desires to have with us is always His first importance. He has focused His will on that relationship from eternity. He sent His Son to suffer, die, be raised from the dead to reestablish that relationship with Him that was broken by sin in the Garden so many generations ago. His Son now reigns at his right hand to effect that relationship when we are reunited with Him in ressurected flesh at his Second Coming.

J. C. Ryle, in his writings "The Danger of Christian Complacency" states this:

"Mark what I say. If you want to do good in these times, you must throw aside indecision, and take up a distinct, sharply-cut, doctrinal religion. If you believe little, those to whom you try to do good will believe nothing. The victories of Christianity, wherever they have been won, have been won by distinct doctrinal theology; by telling men roundly of Christ's vicarious death and sacrifice; by showing them Christ's substitution on the cross, and His precious blood; by teaching them justification by faith, and bidding them believe on a crucified Savior; by preaching ruin by sin, redemption by Christ, regeneration by the Spirit; by lifting up the brazen serpent; by telling them to look and live-to believe, repent, and be converted. This-this is the only teaching which for centuries God had honored with success, and is honoring at the present day both at home and abroad.

It is doctrine-doctrine, clear, ringing doctrine which, like the ram's horn at Jericho casts down the opposition of the devil and sin. Let us cling to decided doctrinal views, whatever some may please to say in these times, and we shall do well for ourselves, well for others, and well for Christ's cause in the world." Read More Here

For the eternal benefit of his people, God does not react complacently to those who treat a relationship with him complacently. We see God’s concern reflected in the following passages: "And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." Zeph. 1:12 and also "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!" Amos 6:1

God’s strong reaction to a complacent attitude about a relationship with him is not limited to the Old Testament Scriptures. The book of Revelation also shows God’s keen interest in maintaining a viable strong vibrant relationship between him and his people today. Thus the following warnings are written: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev. 3:14-16 and also this passage "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Rev. 2:1-4

There are many things that can rob a Christian of their service for Christ. We have already said busyness, the quantity of things, seeking material things, multiple activities, etc. But Jesus also lists other items which we must be ‘on guard’ against. Jesus lists the external pressures from society: "But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;" Matt. 10:17. Jesus lists the false doctrine (teaching) in Matt. 16:6 where he says, "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." And the Apostle Peter warns in 2 Peter 3:17 "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

So how are we to now walk in the Lord and avoid complancency? It's simple: "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." 1 Cor. 16:13

Many try and argue and convince others of their false teachings and distract thousands of people with an unscriptural application of "God is love".







In fact the phrase "God is Love" is found only twice in the Bible both times in I John 4 verses 8 and 16. But as the false religious like to throw this phrase in the face of those who protect the truth I would like to point out two other verses from I John 4:

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

So if one "believes in God" apart from acknowledging Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh then one is in error and shows no evidence of believing in God.
Okay not satisfied with that answer then how about these verses:

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

So verse 8 is that often misused verse confirming that God is love but notice verses 9 and 10 which further clarify how exactly God manifested His love to mankind, by sending His Son (Jesus Christ) to be our propitiation which is The act of appeasing the wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person. God is offended by mankind's sin and our replacement who appeased God's wrath...can only be found in Jesus Christ.
So to believe in God one has to believe in who Jesus is and then to believe Jesus one would have to believe what He has said. So it would be a contradiction if one thought that anyone apart from Jesus could give them access to God when very clearly Jesus says that He is the truth and the only way to the Father (John 14:6). So in summation while God is love He is also holy and righteous and only allows unholy, unrighteous man access to Him and Heaven through Jesus Christ. Who loved us so much that He laid down His life for us as that appeasement to God’s righteous, holy wrath…boy that is LOVE!

Many fan sites have been created and many "religious leaders" have embraced the book "Conversations with God" and its author. Many have defended the negative views as coming from narrow-minded, hypocritical people who don't think that God could be revealed this way. One fan site said this:

Now that's one provocative title for a book - Conversations with God. The idea of some guy having a conversation with God can be disturbing/uneasy in several different ways.

Some people, the ones taking religion too seriously have been taught that God does not speak to regular people, and even if he did, he would never sound like the God in Neale's books, but above all he would NEVER say the things written in these books. A God that loves unconditionally, and forgives us everything by default - that is absurd! Heresy! Blasphemy!

I take God seriously when He speaks of His impending judgment and His plan for escaping this judgment. Or His willingness to forgive and yet He holds us accountable for our sin. I pay attention when He speaks of His love and when He mentions the things He despises. I take God serious and so should all of us. And someday all of us will be faced with that reality of who Jesus is (Romans 14:10-13).

The truth is that it doesn't really matter what you believe about God, or if you believe in a God at all. It is the content of the book that is important, not the source! Neale asks God the questions that have been asked by all of us - questions about money, sex, relationships, prosperity, happiness, health, death, the soul, love. And as the book itself says: "believe nothing I say. Simply live it. Experience it. Then live whatever other paradigm you want to construct. Afterward, look to your experience to find your truth." Personally, I have not found better answers. I do not know a better way to live.

My answer to this...simply put it does matter what you believe about God.

God would never contradict Himself. He would not be disgusted by a sin (homosexuality) 3,000 years ago and then suddenly embrace that sin today...God is not an author of lies or contradicts, but we know another spiritual being is the 'father of lies' Jesus answers the 'religiously open-minded leaders of his day with this argument recorded in John 8-

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

So you cannot say "I believe in God" and then deny Jesus as God's Son and the only way to have access to the Father (God) whether that access is a spiritual life, an access through prayer, or a future home in heaven...to deny Jesus Christ is to deny God and any relationship with God! Then is this author replacing Jesus and revealing God apart from Jesus? Is the author revealing God the same way that Jesus did? Or rather is this author revealing God seemingly as a liar and a person of contradictions? I Cor 14:33 in dealing with how God works in the church says that "God is not the author of confusion" and yet we see a very contradictory and confusion God presented in this book and by those who defend the author and his writings.

This is a strong warning to Christians (those who believe in both God and Jesus Christ) to be even more faithful and obedient in these days of the spirit of those who are anti Christ as John wrote "even now already is it in the world" (I John 4:3).

A few days ago I received this email:

If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you have neighborhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it along to others. Schools are distributing this book to children through the Scholastic Book Club. And a movie is being developed based on this book.

The name of the book is Conversations with God. James Dobson talked about this book twice this week. It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to Church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.

Please pay special attention not only to what your kids watch on TV, in movie theaters, on the internet, and the music they listen to, but also be alert regarding the books they read.

Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."

The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase),

When a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.

Another girls poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?"

His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."

Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."

Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.

And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.

The children of our nation are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.

As most email-chains go if I'm interested in them or their content I often research them online to see if they are in fact fully true or just partially true and which part of course is true. This email sent me on a dizzy search across the internet and what I found out is both the partial truth of this email and the full truth of this book.

First, the area of partial truth from this email and another similar one floating out there in someone else's inbox...this letter is not from James Dobson or Focus on the Family even though some emails allude to it or have Dr. Dobson's signature on it. That is the partial truth.

Now the rest of the email and the description of the book "Conversations With God" is spot on. This book purports to be a true-ish story of a time in the author's life that he was at his 'rock-bottom' suffering lost job, wages, health, etc and it was at this point of his life that God revealed himself. God supposedly gave the author permission to ask God any question he wanted and God would honestly answer it. Funny how some of this makes sense, God is in fact often only 'revealed' to mankind when man is at their lowest point...not because God likes to see us suffer but that is often the only time that we seek Him when all other means and abilities and options are exhausted. Another funny thing is that God already reveals Himself and provides all the answers through the Bible and/or through the Holy Spirit.




Parents do indeed need to be aware of what their children read, see, listen to, etc but pastors you also need to be aware of what your people read and warn them against not just the 'smoking and drinking' kind of "big" sins but also (or rather more boldly) warn them against supposed religious works, too. This author has multiple books out from children's animated books/videos "Little Soul and the Sun" to multiple variants of his "With God" series to a hollywood developed 'lifestory' movie. Remember to be fore-warned is to be fore-armed.

Personal work is the hand-to-hand dealing with men, women and children. It is the simplest form of Christian work, the kind that everyone can do. It is also the most effective method of winning lost souls. This world can be reached and evangelized far more quickly and thoroughly by personal work than by public preaching. Indeed, it can be reached and evangelized only by personal work. When the whole church of Jesus Christ shall rouse to its responsibility and privilege in this matter, and every individual Christian becomes a personal worker, the evangelizing of the world will be close at hand. When the membership of any local church shall rouse to its responsibility and privilege in this matter, and each member becomes a personal worker in the power of the Holy Spirit, a great revival will be close at hand for the community in which that church is located. Personal work is a work that wins but little applause from men, but it accomplishes great things for God.

It's Advantages
1. All can do it. It would be a great blessing if all would become personal workers. Any child of God can do personal work, and all can learn to be effective in personal work.

2. It can be done anywhere. There are but a few places where one can preach. We can do personal work everywhere.

3. It can be done anytime.

4. It reaches all classes. Some cannot and others will not attend church, but personal work can reach them all.

5. It hits the mark. Personal work is direct and personal.

6. It avails where other methods fail.

7. It produces very large results. There is no comparison whatever between what good preaching will effect and what will be affected by constant personal work. A church that depends upon the pastor alone to win men to Christ by his preaching, would not accomplish anything like what would be accomplished by a church with a comparatively poor preacher, where a membership generally were personal workers.

Nothing else would do so much to promote a revival in any community. Every pastor should urge this duty upon his people, train them for it, and see that they do it.



**edited from "How to Work For Christ" by R.A. Torrey, pp. 9-13. This work is public domain.

Married Parents, Church Attendance Spell Success for Kids

'Policymakers should strongly consider whether their policy proposals give support to such a family structure.'


Children have fewer problems at school and home when they live with their biological parents and frequently attend religious services, according to a study released today by the Family Research Council's Mapping America Project.

Drs. Nicholas Zill and Philip Fletcher analyzed data from the National Survey of Children's Health and found the benefits hold up even after controlling for family income and poverty, low parent education levels, and race and ethnicity.

Among their findings: children in this group are five times less likely to repeat a grade, less likely to have behavior problems at home and school, and are more likely to be cooperative and understanding of others' feelings. Parents of these children report less stress, healthier parent-child relationships and fewer concerns about their children's achievement.

"Social-science data continue to demonstrate overwhelmingly that the intact married family that worships weekly is the greatest generator of human goods and social benefits and is the core strength of the United States," said Dr. Pat Fagan, senior fellow and director of FRC's Center for Family and Religion.

"Policymakers should strongly consider whether their policy proposals give support to such a family structure. Children are not the only beneficiaries but also their parents, families, communities and all of society."

FOR MORE INFORMATION
A free copy of the study is available online.


So now you can listen to your pastor since he not only has Biblical support for your family's attendance to church but an "official" survey agrees with God's guidelines.

That was tongue-in-cheek for those noticing...either way get in church even if our humanistic society says it is unhealthy...God promises to bless our faithfulness and obedience. See ya Sunday!