Finish what you begin
Labels:
From My Heart
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.
“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.
Religion and Politics Don't Mix?
Labels:
Current Events,
From My Desk
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.
"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.
Language: An Uncommon Threat
Labels:
From My Heart
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)
“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)
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