I will keep this blog for a bit, but down the road this will transition into my website, ETVFC.org.
The website has a place to put a blog and I just posted a new article there. There is a lot of potential for the website, so I ask any loyal readers to keep it in prayer. A major vision for it is a place where people can convert any tract idea into one they can pull up and add their church info and print their own tracts.
Eventually these posts here will be moved over. I can also categorize my posts on the website and this will allow me to easier publish books, tracts, etc.
Thanks for viewing here. For now you can bounce between both!
Blessings,
Mike
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Faith to move Mountains vs. Faith to try Mountain Dew
We all have faith.
Some of us have more faith than others. Most of us don't realize it. And most folks don't realize you have more faith than me.
I simply have the Bible which has truths that have been tested and have changed people's lives for thousands of years. My faith may be small but it is in a very large object. Contrast that with someone who voted for Obama. For the second time. They believed Obama was the answer to America's problems. It does not matter what reality holds. Jobs are down, except for bankruptcy firms and pawn shops and cardiologists. America is losing it's influence and reputation. America is not getting out of debt. America is being hit with storm after storm that the silly scientists who believe we came from a monkey believe have to do with global warming. Or that this is just Mother Nature. Yes, they have all the faith in the world, no matter how bad things get, that Obama is the man for the job. That is strong faith but the object is weak.
The key to faith is having it in the right spot. And then just acting on it. It is often rejected because it seems to simple. What must I DO to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved says the Bible. Yes repentance is in there too but ultimately it is putting your trust in the real Jesus of the Bible.
Believe the author and he will come to dwell in you forever. You will know that you know that you know. If yow are truly in you will know. If you believe and obey the gospel, coming with a child like heart and child like hunger. Jesus said Come unto me. The Bible says Call unto me. The Bible says Look unto me. Seek and ye shall find. Catch? There is none, but you won't find your life until you are ready to lose it.
A Medal of Honor recipient preached at our church on Sunday. Good good stuff, and you can find it on OldTimeBaptist.com's website on previous sermons. He quoted from a sign he had seen in Vietnam, "To really live you must almost die." That happens with salvation. You die of your dreams and plans and let Jesus move in and put his desires inside you and live through you. I don't always have that victory but it is exciting to find God's will and do it. Before I was saved I just tried to make it through life. Then I found eternal life.
After I put the little faith I had in the true and living God. HE is able. HE is wonderful. He is worth dying for.
And he already died for us.
I could have all the faith in the world that I can save money on gas by using Mountain Dew in my gas tank. That won't save my car. I just need the small faith of a child but I have a BIG heavenly Father and Jesus is the entire power of God downsized to a human being. The object of my faith is what changed my life. HE did the work of salvation, and he did the work of drawing me, revealing himself, putting people in my path and more.
It was an easy leap of faith once I got to know him.
And that I think is the key. Salvation is a person, not a prayer or performance. Get to know him and spend time in the gospels, Matthew Mark Luke and John, and be hungry to meet him. Pray and ask God to reveal himself in the pages and to make real Jesus Christ.
Faith will then be easy. Once you get to know him you can trust him with your life.
And once you see how wonderful and awesome Jesus really is, you don't have that high a leap. And you will know he will catch you once you take the plunge.
Christianity is easy. Jesus paid it all. We just receive it. All we need is to admit we are lost when we in our own understanding try to find out how to get to heaven. That opens the door for God to start showing us the way.
The way of saving faith is much easier than the way of damning religion. It takes a lot of faith to believe Jesus is in the wafer because it looks the same after. That is a lie of the devil. It takes a lot of faith to believe Jesus is in most Christians because they act the same after. But I know in whom I believe and he changed my life in every way I can imagine.
And it all began when I started to want to get to know him.
Jesus is God. IS he your God? Just turn off the computer and get on the FaithBook.
Some of us have more faith than others. Most of us don't realize it. And most folks don't realize you have more faith than me.
I simply have the Bible which has truths that have been tested and have changed people's lives for thousands of years. My faith may be small but it is in a very large object. Contrast that with someone who voted for Obama. For the second time. They believed Obama was the answer to America's problems. It does not matter what reality holds. Jobs are down, except for bankruptcy firms and pawn shops and cardiologists. America is losing it's influence and reputation. America is not getting out of debt. America is being hit with storm after storm that the silly scientists who believe we came from a monkey believe have to do with global warming. Or that this is just Mother Nature. Yes, they have all the faith in the world, no matter how bad things get, that Obama is the man for the job. That is strong faith but the object is weak.
The key to faith is having it in the right spot. And then just acting on it. It is often rejected because it seems to simple. What must I DO to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved says the Bible. Yes repentance is in there too but ultimately it is putting your trust in the real Jesus of the Bible.
Believe the author and he will come to dwell in you forever. You will know that you know that you know. If yow are truly in you will know. If you believe and obey the gospel, coming with a child like heart and child like hunger. Jesus said Come unto me. The Bible says Call unto me. The Bible says Look unto me. Seek and ye shall find. Catch? There is none, but you won't find your life until you are ready to lose it.
A Medal of Honor recipient preached at our church on Sunday. Good good stuff, and you can find it on OldTimeBaptist.com's website on previous sermons. He quoted from a sign he had seen in Vietnam, "To really live you must almost die." That happens with salvation. You die of your dreams and plans and let Jesus move in and put his desires inside you and live through you. I don't always have that victory but it is exciting to find God's will and do it. Before I was saved I just tried to make it through life. Then I found eternal life.
After I put the little faith I had in the true and living God. HE is able. HE is wonderful. He is worth dying for.
And he already died for us.
I could have all the faith in the world that I can save money on gas by using Mountain Dew in my gas tank. That won't save my car. I just need the small faith of a child but I have a BIG heavenly Father and Jesus is the entire power of God downsized to a human being. The object of my faith is what changed my life. HE did the work of salvation, and he did the work of drawing me, revealing himself, putting people in my path and more.
It was an easy leap of faith once I got to know him.
And that I think is the key. Salvation is a person, not a prayer or performance. Get to know him and spend time in the gospels, Matthew Mark Luke and John, and be hungry to meet him. Pray and ask God to reveal himself in the pages and to make real Jesus Christ.
Faith will then be easy. Once you get to know him you can trust him with your life.
And once you see how wonderful and awesome Jesus really is, you don't have that high a leap. And you will know he will catch you once you take the plunge.
Christianity is easy. Jesus paid it all. We just receive it. All we need is to admit we are lost when we in our own understanding try to find out how to get to heaven. That opens the door for God to start showing us the way.
The way of saving faith is much easier than the way of damning religion. It takes a lot of faith to believe Jesus is in the wafer because it looks the same after. That is a lie of the devil. It takes a lot of faith to believe Jesus is in most Christians because they act the same after. But I know in whom I believe and he changed my life in every way I can imagine.
And it all began when I started to want to get to know him.
Jesus is God. IS he your God? Just turn off the computer and get on the FaithBook.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
The Jody Trial and other tragedies
For those of you who have been within a 5,000 mile radius of either a newspaper or CNN, you likely have heard bits and pieces of the Jody Arias trial. I am thinking the publicity of the case was causing jealousy and that is why OJ Simpson was back in the news this week. Well, Jody's glove did fit, and Jody Arias was convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander and she could now face the death penalty. I wrote an article about this a while back, Jody Arias, lessons from a killer girlfriend.
I don't have a lot more to ad but there are some things that from God's perspective really will make you think. First, Travis suffered horribly for 2 minutes. 120 seconds. That can feel like an eternity in those conditions. He seemed like an innocent victim in the wrong place at the wrong time. He grew up in very sad conditions as his family were amphetamine addicts. He shared stories of growing up with no food and only finding some moldy bread to eat when he was a young child. His life was turned around when he went to live with family in Arizona who were devoted Mormons and he credits that for giving him something to live for. He met Jody at a work conference and they followed their hearts and did what felt good and seemed like it was harming no one, and he introduced her to the Mormon religion and she was baptized.
From the world's perspective things seemed fine. What find upstanding religious citizens! What a great turn around from a life of hopelessness! What a happy couple just following their heart! They are in love! What potential! What a future!
And the world is in shock because of how evil someone like Jody was and how innocent Travis was.
Jody really wants to die instead of life imprisonment. She stated that once she is dead she will be free. That is a lie of the devil and if she never gets saved she will end up in hell. Dying lost catapults you into the lake of fire where you experience the second death. But the bible says your torment lasts forever.
But if you want to really see how the justice of God defies the common sense of man here it is. Travis is in hell right now. The suffering he felt when murdered in comparison to hellfire is closer to remembering a small paper cut or a hang nail. He trusted a false religion and a false Christ and he trusted a gospel of good works instead of the Bible. He ignored God's warnings Paul gives in Galatians that even if an angel from heaven were to preach another gospel, he was to be accursed. The Bible is the soul authority and it is blasphemy to share it's authority with anything else. The Mormon religion puts it on par or below the book of Mormons. The catholic church puts the Bible below church tradition and church teaching. The Jehovah Witnesses put the Bible below the Watchtower. They might give the Bible lip service but by their works they deny it. Further Travis ignored God's warnings about fornication. And to beware of the adulterous woman. The book of Proverbs says that "Her house is the way to hell". That is where Travis is tonight. It is where Travis will be a billion years from now. Travis is burning in hell. That is far worse than the 2 minutes he suffered on his way out of here. Hell is forever. Travis is never getting out.
God's thoughts are not our thoughts and God's ways are not our ways. Jody was a wicked cruel jealous girlfriend but God says He does not delight in the death of the wicked. God says he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God's desire is still that Jody Arias would turn from her sin and turn to Jesus Christ.
Jody Arias could still get saved on her way to death row. The murderer could end up in heaven while the one murdered is burning in hell. It seems unfair if we are honest. Let's say a bunch of Christians start praying for her salvation instead of her damnation. God would start drawing her and convicting her of her guilt. She could soon end up attending a Bible study at the prison. If she starts seeing the truth compared with the lies she was taught in the Mormon faith, and starts seeing Jesus loves her when all she felt was rejection her whole life, she might embrace the Jesus of the Bible. She could get humbled and become afraid of death and would now see her need for the true and living God. Like the thief on the cross, she could look to Jesus in saving faith and be born again.
Regardless of what she did before that point.
And because of what she did, her need for salvation would seem larger in her eyes.
And that would produce a greater love for JESUS ONCE SHE WAS SAVED THAT "minimal sinners" would rarely comprehend. He that is forgiven much loveth much.
That is why America really does not understand the Bible.
That is a strong possibility. Especially if someone mails this to Jody in prison. Wouldn't that be the kicker? Every self righteous American Christian waiting for a Death Penalty Verdict would get something they didn't expect. Justice. Only the Justice found at the cross. This is why the cross is so offensive. Surely, Jesus would not have died for her. Ok, you must be a Calvinist. The Bible says Whosover. The Bible is full of the outcasts of society and those committing all kinds of horrible crimes in both the eyes of men and of God repenting and getting saved. God is not a respecter of persons.
This though shows 1. the grace of God and 2. the hopelessness of man apart from Jesus Christ. The world is shocked at how evil someone like Jody is. I just heard about this couple from Canada selling their pick up truck. Another couple went to check it out and asked to test drive it. The prospective buyers and the owner went for a drive. His wife was confused because he never came home. The buyers murdered him, dumped his body, and took off with the truck. In Ohio a man was just caught who had chained up and raped 3 women over a 10 year period. This world is messed up. Human beings can commit horrible crimes that Hollywood can't even think up.
What humanity doesn't want to examine is that Jody Arias might be just like anyone of us. None of us can say that if we grew up the same way she did, and had the same morals instilled in her and the same abuses we could never fall to that level. Apart from the grace of God, any one of us is capable of anything. I can prove it. Imagine if you were born in the jungles of Papau New Guinea and from a young child were taught that after you kill your enemy you cook him up and eat him to capture his powers. Cannibalism would be a normal way of life and if your whole family had someone over for dinner, and literally had someone over for dinner, you would be the odd ball if you announced you became a vegetarian. I am by no means removing personal responsibility, but I am merely saying that the Bible is true when it says there is none righteous no not one.
And Jesus is a lot harder on the religious than the murderer, adulterer and publican (who cheated men). Why?
I think there are several reasons. First is that sins against God are worse than sins against men. The Pharisees produced a false religion and boasted how they knew God and were full of pride. They could not be helped because they thought they were good. Someone that falls into horrible sin and is suddenly hit with the bill are often humbled and remorseful and begging for mercy. They often think they are too bad to be forgiven, but if someone who is truly humbled and truly broken hears the good news that God saves sinners and God died in their place, they just may look to Jesus Christ for salvation. The self righteous Pharisee looks at "those kind of people" and says, "They don't deserve nothing" and they refuse to extend the hand of grace out. Not that they have any grace to give.
Jody Arias did something wicked and deserving of Hell. But so do we. The Bible says hatred is murder. Yet we don't believe that because we think we are something. We don't see the true enormity of our sinful and deceitful hearts and how wicked we really are. And we see a sinner like Jody Arias and cry, "kill her! she is wicked! she murdered!". Yet we murdered 8 people in our minds on our way to work on a daily basis. And lust is adultery and we committed adultery a half dozen times in the checkout line at the grocery store ogling at the models on the magazine covers.
Part of America's problem is we have more in common with the Pharisees than real Christianity. We who profess to know God think we must be doing pretty good because we are going to church. Yet Jesus ran to sinners. We seem to turn our noses on them. If there is any doubt, how do we act when we run into a queer? Yes sodomy is an abomination according to the bible, but most sodomites were raped or abused by older men and basically picked up a demonic hitchhiker that will only leave if they get saved. Would Jesus minister to them and want them saved? Or would he call down fire from heaven? Are you secure in your own sexuality to reach out to a sodomite with compassion yet believe the Bible enough to know that unless there is repentance of the lifestyle, there is no salvation?
Today's Christianity is truly messed up. The latest Rick Warren issue involves homosexuality. He gave a wishy washy modern explanation for gays that "profess Christ." He claims they will go to heaven if they are still gay but believed on Jesus. That is today's Christianity. It is so powerless and so blind that it doesn't understand the supernatural work of God. When you get saved you get new desires and new direction and God really moves in. We are insecure in that fact because our results are so compromised so we water down our doctrine to fit our results. If you are teaching false salvations you will not see homosexuals delivered. So you will reinvent the Bible to match your experience. Yet no one thinks to question their results by the bible. So you have one Christianity camp that sees no repentance but says everyone is saved, so the natural deduction is homosexuals who stay homosexuals after believing in Jesus must be saved. The next conclusion for them is then homosexuality can't be a sin.
The other camp is so insecure in their results that they don't want to touch homosexuality with a 10 foot poll. Except to say how much they hate it. God hates sin. The cross is proof. Yet we offer no hope to a group that is taking over the world Not everyone wants to embrace this curse. Yet they feel that is their only option. I believe it is the devil's counterfeit to someone who is born again. They hear the "plan of sodomy" and get recruited to try it or it is forced on them. Then it seems some evil spirit then hounds them and won't let up. Then they give in completely and they get turned into a sodomite. They talk the same, they are united in their beliefs, they have a new way of living and there seems to be a moment when they embrace this and accept it and they care more about embracing it then what people might think. Yet God I think would be extending mercy and offering hope to those in bondage. You can get victory over this lifestyle. When you get saved that demon leaves and the desires for normal sexuality start to return. But it is not to become straight, it is to become saved they must turn. True freedom from homosexuality is in falling in love with the right man-- the Lord Jesus Christ.
Are we secure enough in our salvation to truly bring a message of deliverance to the lost? The lesbian? The lust filled ladies? The losers in society? The left out to dry? Or are we so comfortable creating false converts that we just avoid those who we just wouldn't want sitting next to us in case this was the week they backslide?
Church, Jesus is supposed to set the captives free. The murderer becomes a magnificent mom. The homosexual becomes a happy husband. The drunkard becomes a dedicated deacon. The crack addict becomes a caring counselor. And so on.
The true gospel delivers. The problem is the church is better today at producing conforming cookie cutter Pharisees than truly compassion converts. So we see a sodomite or a Jody Arias and thank God we are not as they are.
In God's eyes, we just might be worse.
It is time church to repent, and truly say, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
I don't have a lot more to ad but there are some things that from God's perspective really will make you think. First, Travis suffered horribly for 2 minutes. 120 seconds. That can feel like an eternity in those conditions. He seemed like an innocent victim in the wrong place at the wrong time. He grew up in very sad conditions as his family were amphetamine addicts. He shared stories of growing up with no food and only finding some moldy bread to eat when he was a young child. His life was turned around when he went to live with family in Arizona who were devoted Mormons and he credits that for giving him something to live for. He met Jody at a work conference and they followed their hearts and did what felt good and seemed like it was harming no one, and he introduced her to the Mormon religion and she was baptized.
From the world's perspective things seemed fine. What find upstanding religious citizens! What a great turn around from a life of hopelessness! What a happy couple just following their heart! They are in love! What potential! What a future!
And the world is in shock because of how evil someone like Jody was and how innocent Travis was.
Jody really wants to die instead of life imprisonment. She stated that once she is dead she will be free. That is a lie of the devil and if she never gets saved she will end up in hell. Dying lost catapults you into the lake of fire where you experience the second death. But the bible says your torment lasts forever.
But if you want to really see how the justice of God defies the common sense of man here it is. Travis is in hell right now. The suffering he felt when murdered in comparison to hellfire is closer to remembering a small paper cut or a hang nail. He trusted a false religion and a false Christ and he trusted a gospel of good works instead of the Bible. He ignored God's warnings Paul gives in Galatians that even if an angel from heaven were to preach another gospel, he was to be accursed. The Bible is the soul authority and it is blasphemy to share it's authority with anything else. The Mormon religion puts it on par or below the book of Mormons. The catholic church puts the Bible below church tradition and church teaching. The Jehovah Witnesses put the Bible below the Watchtower. They might give the Bible lip service but by their works they deny it. Further Travis ignored God's warnings about fornication. And to beware of the adulterous woman. The book of Proverbs says that "Her house is the way to hell". That is where Travis is tonight. It is where Travis will be a billion years from now. Travis is burning in hell. That is far worse than the 2 minutes he suffered on his way out of here. Hell is forever. Travis is never getting out.
God's thoughts are not our thoughts and God's ways are not our ways. Jody was a wicked cruel jealous girlfriend but God says He does not delight in the death of the wicked. God says he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God's desire is still that Jody Arias would turn from her sin and turn to Jesus Christ.
Jody Arias could still get saved on her way to death row. The murderer could end up in heaven while the one murdered is burning in hell. It seems unfair if we are honest. Let's say a bunch of Christians start praying for her salvation instead of her damnation. God would start drawing her and convicting her of her guilt. She could soon end up attending a Bible study at the prison. If she starts seeing the truth compared with the lies she was taught in the Mormon faith, and starts seeing Jesus loves her when all she felt was rejection her whole life, she might embrace the Jesus of the Bible. She could get humbled and become afraid of death and would now see her need for the true and living God. Like the thief on the cross, she could look to Jesus in saving faith and be born again.
Regardless of what she did before that point.
And because of what she did, her need for salvation would seem larger in her eyes.
And that would produce a greater love for JESUS ONCE SHE WAS SAVED THAT "minimal sinners" would rarely comprehend. He that is forgiven much loveth much.
That is why America really does not understand the Bible.
That is a strong possibility. Especially if someone mails this to Jody in prison. Wouldn't that be the kicker? Every self righteous American Christian waiting for a Death Penalty Verdict would get something they didn't expect. Justice. Only the Justice found at the cross. This is why the cross is so offensive. Surely, Jesus would not have died for her. Ok, you must be a Calvinist. The Bible says Whosover. The Bible is full of the outcasts of society and those committing all kinds of horrible crimes in both the eyes of men and of God repenting and getting saved. God is not a respecter of persons.
This though shows 1. the grace of God and 2. the hopelessness of man apart from Jesus Christ. The world is shocked at how evil someone like Jody is. I just heard about this couple from Canada selling their pick up truck. Another couple went to check it out and asked to test drive it. The prospective buyers and the owner went for a drive. His wife was confused because he never came home. The buyers murdered him, dumped his body, and took off with the truck. In Ohio a man was just caught who had chained up and raped 3 women over a 10 year period. This world is messed up. Human beings can commit horrible crimes that Hollywood can't even think up.
What humanity doesn't want to examine is that Jody Arias might be just like anyone of us. None of us can say that if we grew up the same way she did, and had the same morals instilled in her and the same abuses we could never fall to that level. Apart from the grace of God, any one of us is capable of anything. I can prove it. Imagine if you were born in the jungles of Papau New Guinea and from a young child were taught that after you kill your enemy you cook him up and eat him to capture his powers. Cannibalism would be a normal way of life and if your whole family had someone over for dinner, and literally had someone over for dinner, you would be the odd ball if you announced you became a vegetarian. I am by no means removing personal responsibility, but I am merely saying that the Bible is true when it says there is none righteous no not one.
And Jesus is a lot harder on the religious than the murderer, adulterer and publican (who cheated men). Why?
I think there are several reasons. First is that sins against God are worse than sins against men. The Pharisees produced a false religion and boasted how they knew God and were full of pride. They could not be helped because they thought they were good. Someone that falls into horrible sin and is suddenly hit with the bill are often humbled and remorseful and begging for mercy. They often think they are too bad to be forgiven, but if someone who is truly humbled and truly broken hears the good news that God saves sinners and God died in their place, they just may look to Jesus Christ for salvation. The self righteous Pharisee looks at "those kind of people" and says, "They don't deserve nothing" and they refuse to extend the hand of grace out. Not that they have any grace to give.
Jody Arias did something wicked and deserving of Hell. But so do we. The Bible says hatred is murder. Yet we don't believe that because we think we are something. We don't see the true enormity of our sinful and deceitful hearts and how wicked we really are. And we see a sinner like Jody Arias and cry, "kill her! she is wicked! she murdered!". Yet we murdered 8 people in our minds on our way to work on a daily basis. And lust is adultery and we committed adultery a half dozen times in the checkout line at the grocery store ogling at the models on the magazine covers.
Part of America's problem is we have more in common with the Pharisees than real Christianity. We who profess to know God think we must be doing pretty good because we are going to church. Yet Jesus ran to sinners. We seem to turn our noses on them. If there is any doubt, how do we act when we run into a queer? Yes sodomy is an abomination according to the bible, but most sodomites were raped or abused by older men and basically picked up a demonic hitchhiker that will only leave if they get saved. Would Jesus minister to them and want them saved? Or would he call down fire from heaven? Are you secure in your own sexuality to reach out to a sodomite with compassion yet believe the Bible enough to know that unless there is repentance of the lifestyle, there is no salvation?
Today's Christianity is truly messed up. The latest Rick Warren issue involves homosexuality. He gave a wishy washy modern explanation for gays that "profess Christ." He claims they will go to heaven if they are still gay but believed on Jesus. That is today's Christianity. It is so powerless and so blind that it doesn't understand the supernatural work of God. When you get saved you get new desires and new direction and God really moves in. We are insecure in that fact because our results are so compromised so we water down our doctrine to fit our results. If you are teaching false salvations you will not see homosexuals delivered. So you will reinvent the Bible to match your experience. Yet no one thinks to question their results by the bible. So you have one Christianity camp that sees no repentance but says everyone is saved, so the natural deduction is homosexuals who stay homosexuals after believing in Jesus must be saved. The next conclusion for them is then homosexuality can't be a sin.
The other camp is so insecure in their results that they don't want to touch homosexuality with a 10 foot poll. Except to say how much they hate it. God hates sin. The cross is proof. Yet we offer no hope to a group that is taking over the world Not everyone wants to embrace this curse. Yet they feel that is their only option. I believe it is the devil's counterfeit to someone who is born again. They hear the "plan of sodomy" and get recruited to try it or it is forced on them. Then it seems some evil spirit then hounds them and won't let up. Then they give in completely and they get turned into a sodomite. They talk the same, they are united in their beliefs, they have a new way of living and there seems to be a moment when they embrace this and accept it and they care more about embracing it then what people might think. Yet God I think would be extending mercy and offering hope to those in bondage. You can get victory over this lifestyle. When you get saved that demon leaves and the desires for normal sexuality start to return. But it is not to become straight, it is to become saved they must turn. True freedom from homosexuality is in falling in love with the right man-- the Lord Jesus Christ.
Are we secure enough in our salvation to truly bring a message of deliverance to the lost? The lesbian? The lust filled ladies? The losers in society? The left out to dry? Or are we so comfortable creating false converts that we just avoid those who we just wouldn't want sitting next to us in case this was the week they backslide?
Church, Jesus is supposed to set the captives free. The murderer becomes a magnificent mom. The homosexual becomes a happy husband. The drunkard becomes a dedicated deacon. The crack addict becomes a caring counselor. And so on.
The true gospel delivers. The problem is the church is better today at producing conforming cookie cutter Pharisees than truly compassion converts. So we see a sodomite or a Jody Arias and thank God we are not as they are.
In God's eyes, we just might be worse.
It is time church to repent, and truly say, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Saturday, May 11, 2013
In the Slough of Despond
My previous post reminded me of an article I posted a while back on my first blog, ETVFC.blogspot.com. I ended up creating this new blog as for some reason every article I wrote posted as one gigantic run-on paragraph. And the spell checker wouldn't work. Readers must have assumed my blog was written by a spiritual seven year old. (Not sure if I am ahead being a semi-spiritual 37 year old. And I was really humbled as one of our high school homeschoolers at our church published her first book already! God really can use any of us and it is more availability than ability. I am the writer at my church! I have over 100 posts written! I have been published! I have 4 blogs! I have 10 book ideas in my head! Yet here is a girl who just published her first book! Availability is the greatest ability.)
------------------------
How shall you escape from the wrath to come?
If you have ever read Pilgrim's Progress, it reads, " Christian because of the burden on his back, began to sink into the mire." Hence he was in the Slough of Despond for a time.
I admit I am in the slough of Lake Laodicean. It is a lukewarm lake, a very rich lake. It has high salt content, which causes people to easily lose their vision in no time. The sands are very appealing, but often trap those that swim there and suck them down forever in it's grip. It is a very worldly and seductive lake, a lake that seems to welcome everyone but frees no one from it's clutches. It is very strange too, it seems all drains today flow into it's currents.
I was swimming against the current in the deep Camp Meeting Creek but after a week I was so tired that I just thought I would float a bit. Next thing I knew I was back in that dreaded Lake. Later, I was fasting and witnessing boldly out in the pond of purity, but I got afraid and took my eyes off the horizon and slowly floated back in.
At one time, I was walking on the path of Holiness and started wandering off a bit and the thorns around the outskirts full of the affairs of this life and the cares and riches started to choke me and as I pulled desperately to get out I fell in again.
How shall we escape? Is there a way out? Sometimes I feel there is but it seems like only an illusion. It seems if we are content to be ostriches and be blind to the lack of true repentance around, we are good. If we just stop fighting the current and stop making a big deal of Lake Laodicea, we can enjoy the waters with all the others all aboard the FellowShip.
Lukewarm is very comfortable and the salt keeps you afloat with no or little effort. Lot pitched his boat toward that lake and found it well watered there. I don't know honestly the answer today. I think the church today likes to live in Lake Laodicea, but they know it as De Nile. Denying there is a problem.
We get decisions so things must be good.
Kingdom bound gets decisions in a pot-polluted stadium with pumped up heavy metal playing. Decisions don't mean anything. I decided after a great sales pitch to let my wife buy a $2,000 Rainbow vacuum. I still would return it today if I could. That is not the same as a conversion.
In the great awakening people were awakened to their sin! To their rebellion against God! Who really is being awakened today? We get flash in the pan professors....back then they had saved from the fire possessors.
Yet the church wants to swim and not be pointed out there is something wrong. (Whitney) Houston, there is a problem! I NEVER KNEW YOU! Yet her Baptist church raved about how talented she was. Our circles are just as clueless it seems. We have professors who don't witness, love pro sports, don't hate sin, yet they are "saved."
We must wake up! You can't say you love God yet not hate sin and hate evil. Yet church today says you are too radical. They label you a nut. Critical. A divider. Hey, if everyone unites around the Bible and conforms to the book there will be true unity.
We mistake today pacifism and cowardliness for unity. We expect real Christians to be warm and fuzzy and not make waves because everyone is trying to sleep on their pleasure rafts in Lake Laodicea.
Judgment must begin at the house of God. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Until the church today wants to wake up and examine ourselves and get out of the slough ourselves we have no ability to rescue the perishing.
Nor do we have any business to.
------------------------
How shall you escape from the wrath to come?
If you have ever read Pilgrim's Progress, it reads, " Christian because of the burden on his back, began to sink into the mire." Hence he was in the Slough of Despond for a time.
I admit I am in the slough of Lake Laodicean. It is a lukewarm lake, a very rich lake. It has high salt content, which causes people to easily lose their vision in no time. The sands are very appealing, but often trap those that swim there and suck them down forever in it's grip. It is a very worldly and seductive lake, a lake that seems to welcome everyone but frees no one from it's clutches. It is very strange too, it seems all drains today flow into it's currents.
I was swimming against the current in the deep Camp Meeting Creek but after a week I was so tired that I just thought I would float a bit. Next thing I knew I was back in that dreaded Lake. Later, I was fasting and witnessing boldly out in the pond of purity, but I got afraid and took my eyes off the horizon and slowly floated back in.
At one time, I was walking on the path of Holiness and started wandering off a bit and the thorns around the outskirts full of the affairs of this life and the cares and riches started to choke me and as I pulled desperately to get out I fell in again.
How shall we escape? Is there a way out? Sometimes I feel there is but it seems like only an illusion. It seems if we are content to be ostriches and be blind to the lack of true repentance around, we are good. If we just stop fighting the current and stop making a big deal of Lake Laodicea, we can enjoy the waters with all the others all aboard the FellowShip.
Lukewarm is very comfortable and the salt keeps you afloat with no or little effort. Lot pitched his boat toward that lake and found it well watered there. I don't know honestly the answer today. I think the church today likes to live in Lake Laodicea, but they know it as De Nile. Denying there is a problem.
We get decisions so things must be good.
Kingdom bound gets decisions in a pot-polluted stadium with pumped up heavy metal playing. Decisions don't mean anything. I decided after a great sales pitch to let my wife buy a $2,000 Rainbow vacuum. I still would return it today if I could. That is not the same as a conversion.
In the great awakening people were awakened to their sin! To their rebellion against God! Who really is being awakened today? We get flash in the pan professors....back then they had saved from the fire possessors.
Yet the church wants to swim and not be pointed out there is something wrong. (Whitney) Houston, there is a problem! I NEVER KNEW YOU! Yet her Baptist church raved about how talented she was. Our circles are just as clueless it seems. We have professors who don't witness, love pro sports, don't hate sin, yet they are "saved."
We must wake up! You can't say you love God yet not hate sin and hate evil. Yet church today says you are too radical. They label you a nut. Critical. A divider. Hey, if everyone unites around the Bible and conforms to the book there will be true unity.
We mistake today pacifism and cowardliness for unity. We expect real Christians to be warm and fuzzy and not make waves because everyone is trying to sleep on their pleasure rafts in Lake Laodicea.
Judgment must begin at the house of God. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. Until the church today wants to wake up and examine ourselves and get out of the slough ourselves we have no ability to rescue the perishing.
Nor do we have any business to.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
That swinging pendulum
The Christian is the true schizophrenic. We have 2 natures and they will never get along. They will never reconcile their differences. They will never learn to put their agendas aside and take one for the team.
The Christian has 3 enemies, the World, the Flesh, and the devil. They are closely intertwined, and often hard to tell what is the root cause of the trouble I am in.
The devil is the accuser of the brethren. Sometimes what he accuses us of, we actually are guilty of. At times I am lazy, angry, moody, carnal, worldly, full of wrath, bitterness, pride, lust, greed, envy. My flesh wants me to live there. My spirit says put that junk aside, man! You are saved! You are bought with a price! Your flesh may like it but God doesn't! Get your heart right! Get right with God!
I joke that I bounce between revival and suicidal. In one day. Several times a day at times. The world has their diagnoses for chronic christian conditions. When we give into the flesh, the battle is on, and we act like schizophrenics. We don't need medication, we need mediation! On the Word of God!!! The bible says a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. When we don't act in faith and get stuck looking at the overwhelming events in our lives we get depressed. When we look inward we get depressed, when we get stuck on ourselves we get discouraged by what we find. We don't need a psychiatrist, we need the Great Physician. And the Bible says Jesus is a wonderful counselor as well.
Then we get an unexpected check in the mail and get on a high. Then the unexpected bill falls out of the grocery ad circular. And we are on a low. And we are fasting and going through withdrawal of our soda addiction, and then we talk ourselves into an all liquid fast, and down a Coke, and have a high again. Then the sugar goes out of our bloodstream and we crash and are depressed again. So we go get a bowl of ice cream. And since we just crashed our fast, we might as well now eat. And then we make a sandwich. Of the kind a can of Coke sure would go good with it.
I am a mess at times. They don't last long, but I go from really seeing God do wondrous things and I am so thankful for everything I have in one breath and want everyone saved to experience what I have. And then the next day I am irritable for no reason and hate the world and could care less if they go to hell.
Am I the only one up and down?
Elijah calls down fire from heaven in one verse. A chapter later Jezebel wants to kill him and he is whining beside a juniper tree wishing he was dead. Peter says I will die for you, Jesus. Next chapter he is denying him 3 times. That encourages me because I think that is normal Christianity. Prone to wander Lord I feel it. This stupid flesh comes back when we least expect it and it is capable of anything. Except helping our Christianity. We need to see this is a war and not let a defeat kill you.
Is it any wonder God can use any of us? The world and the world's religions think that God will save everyone. If you truly get to know God, you will start to see how wicked and selfish and deceitful and hell deserving you really are. And you will wonder why he would save any of us!!! But that doesn't get me to quit. It makes me in awe of how good he is and it makes me desperate to conform to his image and stop being the useless cement I was before I was saved. And now be clay in the potter's hand.
I still can get suicidal, but it doesn't last. Praise the Lord. I recognize it and see the lie that it is. I used to wallow in defeat for weeks when I would get down and out. Now as I walk along on my Christian walk, and I accidentally fall in the slough of despond, I won't want to wallow in it. I get out, I grab a bible, and I run to God instead of my sinful comforts that only caused more problems.
The up and down spiritually syndrome.
Is it from Satan?
Is it from sugar?
From stress?
From SIN?
Just an "out of SEASON"??
too focused on STUFF?
That we are not soulwinning?
To much SELF centeredness?
Not being SINGLE minded?
Or is it simply not SEEING Jesus in our Situation?
(originally I was going to say not seeing Jesus in our SIRcumstances.)
What I see is I can over analyze the WHY IS THIS GOING ON? and GOD WHAT DID I DO WRONG? to the point of paralysis by analysis.
Or I just not justify it, confess it, and run to God no matter the reason I am experiencing it.
No matter the reason for it, only he can fix it.
And his grace is sufficient for thee. I cannot handle it, but the Bible says when I am weak, then am I strong.
His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Oh, how I hate to see how weak I really am.
I am just a weakling but I am connected to all the strength I could ever need.
That dependency is how he wants it.
Oh, but how much our flesh wants to do it ourselves.
The arm of flesh will fail you, but I am thankful God not only puts up with our antics, and our frantics, but he loves us. In spite of us!
Our God really is an awesome God.
The Christian has 3 enemies, the World, the Flesh, and the devil. They are closely intertwined, and often hard to tell what is the root cause of the trouble I am in.
The devil is the accuser of the brethren. Sometimes what he accuses us of, we actually are guilty of. At times I am lazy, angry, moody, carnal, worldly, full of wrath, bitterness, pride, lust, greed, envy. My flesh wants me to live there. My spirit says put that junk aside, man! You are saved! You are bought with a price! Your flesh may like it but God doesn't! Get your heart right! Get right with God!
I joke that I bounce between revival and suicidal. In one day. Several times a day at times. The world has their diagnoses for chronic christian conditions. When we give into the flesh, the battle is on, and we act like schizophrenics. We don't need medication, we need mediation! On the Word of God!!! The bible says a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. When we don't act in faith and get stuck looking at the overwhelming events in our lives we get depressed. When we look inward we get depressed, when we get stuck on ourselves we get discouraged by what we find. We don't need a psychiatrist, we need the Great Physician. And the Bible says Jesus is a wonderful counselor as well.
Then we get an unexpected check in the mail and get on a high. Then the unexpected bill falls out of the grocery ad circular. And we are on a low. And we are fasting and going through withdrawal of our soda addiction, and then we talk ourselves into an all liquid fast, and down a Coke, and have a high again. Then the sugar goes out of our bloodstream and we crash and are depressed again. So we go get a bowl of ice cream. And since we just crashed our fast, we might as well now eat. And then we make a sandwich. Of the kind a can of Coke sure would go good with it.
I am a mess at times. They don't last long, but I go from really seeing God do wondrous things and I am so thankful for everything I have in one breath and want everyone saved to experience what I have. And then the next day I am irritable for no reason and hate the world and could care less if they go to hell.
Am I the only one up and down?
Elijah calls down fire from heaven in one verse. A chapter later Jezebel wants to kill him and he is whining beside a juniper tree wishing he was dead. Peter says I will die for you, Jesus. Next chapter he is denying him 3 times. That encourages me because I think that is normal Christianity. Prone to wander Lord I feel it. This stupid flesh comes back when we least expect it and it is capable of anything. Except helping our Christianity. We need to see this is a war and not let a defeat kill you.
Is it any wonder God can use any of us? The world and the world's religions think that God will save everyone. If you truly get to know God, you will start to see how wicked and selfish and deceitful and hell deserving you really are. And you will wonder why he would save any of us!!! But that doesn't get me to quit. It makes me in awe of how good he is and it makes me desperate to conform to his image and stop being the useless cement I was before I was saved. And now be clay in the potter's hand.
I still can get suicidal, but it doesn't last. Praise the Lord. I recognize it and see the lie that it is. I used to wallow in defeat for weeks when I would get down and out. Now as I walk along on my Christian walk, and I accidentally fall in the slough of despond, I won't want to wallow in it. I get out, I grab a bible, and I run to God instead of my sinful comforts that only caused more problems.
The up and down spiritually syndrome.
Is it from Satan?
Is it from sugar?
From stress?
From SIN?
Just an "out of SEASON"??
too focused on STUFF?
That we are not soulwinning?
To much SELF centeredness?
Not being SINGLE minded?
Or is it simply not SEEING Jesus in our Situation?
(originally I was going to say not seeing Jesus in our SIRcumstances.)
What I see is I can over analyze the WHY IS THIS GOING ON? and GOD WHAT DID I DO WRONG? to the point of paralysis by analysis.
Or I just not justify it, confess it, and run to God no matter the reason I am experiencing it.
No matter the reason for it, only he can fix it.
And his grace is sufficient for thee. I cannot handle it, but the Bible says when I am weak, then am I strong.
His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Oh, how I hate to see how weak I really am.
I am just a weakling but I am connected to all the strength I could ever need.
That dependency is how he wants it.
Oh, but how much our flesh wants to do it ourselves.
The arm of flesh will fail you, but I am thankful God not only puts up with our antics, and our frantics, but he loves us. In spite of us!
Our God really is an awesome God.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Nightly Nuggets
I was heading for bed, doing my Bible reading for the night and came across notes I wrote on the Good Samaritan passage in Luke 10. Verse 30 said a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped him...wounded him..departed...leaving him half dead.
Then the religious priest and likewise a Levite came and saw the wounded man and passed by on the other side.
Then the Samaritan had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds and took care of him.
Just a couple simple points from that story.
First, I see the thieves represent the world. Satan is the god of this world and the Bible says he came to steal, devour, and destroy. Second, the priest and levite represent religion. Religion is pious and clean and avoids anything that requires something you truly need God for. Finally, the good Samaritan represents Jesus. Only Jesus had the compassion.
My notes were that:
The world destroys you.
Religion deserts you.
Only Jesus delivers you.
The World disillusions you.
Religion disappoints you.
Jesus hence deserves our worship.
The phoniness of religion usually is not always noticeable. The priest probably just finished a lecture on how to help the stranded person who gets beat up and robbed. The Levite was likely on the way to a men's meeting where he could brag how holy he was and how many gifts of the spirit he had.
Jesus wants us to be honest. Our natural desires is selfishness. We need God to smote our hearts so we honestly care. We need God to change our minds so we think like he does. We need God to use us and break us and get us to care.
Without Him I can do nothing.
With God all things are possible.
The two-sided coin again.
We need to know both. We can experience them in our failed moments if we don't quit. He wants us to be honest and see our need and our hopelessness.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I can't do anything without him.
Oh, but his grace is sufficient. When I am weak, he is strong.
I hate seeing how weak I really am. Just let me work some overnight shifts or bring home a new box of Oreos (has to be the double stuff) and I reveal how unspiritual I really am. But when I am weak, he is strong.
Man, that is humbling.
Man, my flesh doesn't like it.
Man, it's embarrassing.
But Oh God, it is wonderful to see him move junk and road blocks and fears and failures out of my heart.
I am still under construction. There is a Ron Hamilton song about it. Maybe the paint is still wet. God is not finished yet.
Little by little inch by inch. By the yard it is hard, by the inch its a cinch.
Then the religious priest and likewise a Levite came and saw the wounded man and passed by on the other side.
Then the Samaritan had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds and took care of him.
Just a couple simple points from that story.
First, I see the thieves represent the world. Satan is the god of this world and the Bible says he came to steal, devour, and destroy. Second, the priest and levite represent religion. Religion is pious and clean and avoids anything that requires something you truly need God for. Finally, the good Samaritan represents Jesus. Only Jesus had the compassion.
My notes were that:
The world destroys you.
Religion deserts you.
Only Jesus delivers you.
The World disillusions you.
Religion disappoints you.
Jesus hence deserves our worship.
The phoniness of religion usually is not always noticeable. The priest probably just finished a lecture on how to help the stranded person who gets beat up and robbed. The Levite was likely on the way to a men's meeting where he could brag how holy he was and how many gifts of the spirit he had.
Jesus wants us to be honest. Our natural desires is selfishness. We need God to smote our hearts so we honestly care. We need God to change our minds so we think like he does. We need God to use us and break us and get us to care.
Without Him I can do nothing.
With God all things are possible.
The two-sided coin again.
We need to know both. We can experience them in our failed moments if we don't quit. He wants us to be honest and see our need and our hopelessness.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
I can't do anything without him.
Oh, but his grace is sufficient. When I am weak, he is strong.
I hate seeing how weak I really am. Just let me work some overnight shifts or bring home a new box of Oreos (has to be the double stuff) and I reveal how unspiritual I really am. But when I am weak, he is strong.
Man, that is humbling.
Man, my flesh doesn't like it.
Man, it's embarrassing.
But Oh God, it is wonderful to see him move junk and road blocks and fears and failures out of my heart.
I am still under construction. There is a Ron Hamilton song about it. Maybe the paint is still wet. God is not finished yet.
Little by little inch by inch. By the yard it is hard, by the inch its a cinch.
Monday, April 22, 2013
If I had Six Million Dollars....
To dream the impossible dream.......
and with God all things are possible.
My dream is....
If I had six million dollars I could reach the world.
Seems like a lot of money and the money is not really the purpose of this post. I am mostly getting my ideas on paper. I am not looking for money here, but if you do know a couple billionaires send them my way, please. (ETVFCO@GMAIL.com!) Note I did get an email a while back that I was the sole beneficiary of a $12 million dollar inheritance. Funny it was sent out to many undisclosed recipients.
But I do want to at least get the thoughts on paper so if I do send out letters or have people praying then it at least is out there.
This is my vision.
Mostly I am looking for something to change my fate. Like in the Disney movie Brave. The girl in brave was destined for a life of royalty and had her whole life mapped out but in her was the desire for adventure and something less binding. I am content where I am at. If God wants me as a pharmacist the rest of my life that is something I can live with. I enjoy working the pharmacy job, it is very busy and productive and satisfying in an earthly sense. It is well respected by the world and well paying and it takes care of my family. However in reality I am no more than a Christian Bartender. There are some serious issues with pharmacy that are very ungodly and fly in the face with the God of the Bible. Antidepressants, anti anxiety, anti psychotics, hormones for sex changes, birth control (which causes abortions and miscarriages), the morning after pill (called Plan B and you can get it covered by Medicaid without a prescription for free), narcotics, ADHD meds, HIV meds (that our taxes pay for and remove the fear of the disease-- and get this, I was filling HIV meds for a guy and filling VIAGRA for him!), etc.
I want though the freedom to pursue my dreams. I basically am locked in this life for 3 reasons until some miracles come through.
1. I am a pharmacist and every church I have visited and attended thinks that God surely can't be calling me because I am a pharmacist. If I lied from the beginning and said I flipped burgers at Burger King I would have been ushered into the ministry.
2. A prophet is not accepted in his home country. I am not like I said the same as the prophets in the Old Testament. Today there are not really any prophets in that sense, but if you preach on the street or have some sense about you, and read the Bible and read the newspaper and are not asleep to what is going on, you have a lot to say that will ring out like a prophet. Things are going to get worse, this world is going to hell, most folks are going to be burning forever, and Jesus is coming. The average church knows some of that in their heads but their hearts are far from embracing that and they are content to holy huddle until the rapture and not live like they believe it. I love the church, but the church wants a warm and cozy speaker not an on fire full of the Holy Ghost PREACHER, especially one that isn't a guest Preacher that won't be back for another year.
3. I am tied down like the donkey was that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. I didn't intentionally get tied down, but I think the Lord tied me to teach me some lessons. I have no problem working the next 10 years to get my debt down to zero and maybe save enough to get 1/8th of the dream going. However through circumstances I think the Lord is doing something else. My plan initially was to retire from the prison pharmacy after 25 years and live off the pension and work full time. Then the boss left and a new boss ran me out of there and the timing was the Lords as the closest pharmacy to my house happened to be one they suddenly had an opening for. I was hired there as manager and was content and it was the town I grew up in. Well 2 years later my good boss left and a new one took over. She fired 18 of us in 6 months for petty stuff. The company forgot an emergency order of prescription paper so I contacted a store by my mom and had her deliver one the next day when I was working and they fired me because she wasn't an employee. That was the smokescreen because the real reason, according to my old boss, was because I was against the morning after pill. It took me 6 months to find a job and I landed an overnight position. I worked it for 6 months but had to give it up when my wife got pregnant and we both were on our last nerves. I was put now into a part time position and only had 2 shifts in January and February. I like the part time but we don't have any health insurance so that is a bit of a faith tester and God is meeting our needs but I am not able to get ahead on the debt roller coaster.
Why the debt? Good question. I might have made some rash decisions but I thought that if I obeyed God he would come through when I needed him. We have always tried to give instead of just holding onto our money. When I was newly saved I loaned a Pastor $3000 that turned into a gift and a while later secretly paid my neighbors $800 apartment rent one month when he was struggling. When I was single, 7 years ago, I had felt the Lord calling me into full time ministry. I had $20,000 saved up to live on and so I quit my job. I found I had money but no message. This was February 2006. In March 2006 God put on my heart to just give that away during our mission conference. I wrote a $20,000 check. Now I had no message, no money and no job! Yet the Lord knows. I soon was hired by the prison I had been preaching at and worked full time soon after. I met my wife Feb 2006 at my new church and we were engaged May 2006, married Sept 2006, and soon to be 5 kids later in 2013. In that time, I gave most of a tax refund to my brother in law to buy a car, we gave $50,000 to our building project ($35,000 of which came from an inheritance from my grandfather), we took on a loan we are still paying for $33,000 of which we gave a Pastor $30,000, I gave the asst pastor my wife's Ford Focus, we were giving $1000 a month to missions for a year or two, and we gave $1000 a year to the camp meeting for several years. On top of tithing. And giving and buying my tracts and Chick tracts. I just bought $200 worth of Chick tracts last month and gave almost the last bit of them out tonight. Mostly I want more to give more.
God will give THROUGH YOU what he won't give TO YOU.
If 1,000 churches gave me $1000 dollars I would have a million dollars.
If 5,000 churches gave me $1000 dollars I would have 5 million dollars.
There are 50 states and you would just need 100 churches per state to do it. Well, not including the states that have less than 100 churches in the whole state!
If 10,000 churches gave me $20 I would have $200000! (minus $5000 in postage mailing letters!).
If 400,000 people gave me 50 cents I would have $200,000!
$200000 would be nice because it would open major doors up if I could have everything paid for, and my wife happy with me being able to provide some of her wants. She has been a great sport, but I gave her car away when she wasn't looking and I don't even have the money now that I am part time to bring my pregnant wife the the 5th time a brand new mattress so she can sleep comfortably! But I did find money to buy my tracts. So maybe I am not as spiritual as I think. We bash guys who spend every dollar on the latest gun but won't buy their wives anything decent to drive and here I am doing the same thing!
If I had $200,000 right now, I would immediately do the following. 1. $20,000 tithe. 2. $10,000 for 10 titles of 10,000 Chick tracts for the church. 3. $20,000 more for the church building project. 4. $5,000 to get my tracts and books printed. 5. $33,000 to pay off my mortgage 6. $10,000 for the state health insurance I thought was free when I was starting my new job but didn't have insurance for 90 days so I called and found out I still had the state income based insurance. And then I find out I didn't report though my new income so I am now hit with a bill! 7. $4000 to pay my aunt back for the used van we bought when I had no job and $1000 to pay my brother back 8. $12000 to get now a bigger used van as we need more seating!!! 9. Some home improvements my wife would appreciate as I gave so much to the church she feels neglected!!! New furnace, replace bay windows that mold have eaten, new king sized bed and mattress; our fridge leaks and freezes all our vegetables; our dryer shakes and moves across the basement; our dishwasher leaks all over the kitchn; etc. 10. $8000 left on credit cards etc from when i was unemployed 11. $16000 to pay off the church loan. 12. $10000 to my Evangelist friend who is a prayer warrior and lives on pennies and prayers. 13. Money to get my website finished and polished. 14. Money to cover my son's next tuition and cover bills, taxes, insurances, and expenses 15. money to rent an office and start the ETVFC part of the ministry 16. money for upcoming mission trips to Scotland, St. Lucia, etc.
If I had 6 million I would (note I do not work for the church!) pay off the church loan/mortgage. We currently renovated an old Tops Supermarket and haven't sold our old building. I would pay off all the mortgages,and give money to renovate the other half of the new building. I would ask for offices to be built with 12 cubicles and a conference room for discipleship and meetings. This would be for the workers of the End Times Vol Fire Co. Extra money would be for tracts, pay roll, equipment, etc. I would love to get a radio broadcast up, get media production rolling and videos out etc.
Then after that is up and running, phase 2 would begin and run simultaneously. The Old Time Health Care Co. I also see a great need to start a new off shoot for evangelism, something new the Lord gave me. Health Care Evangelism. Giving health care seminars at churches with a push toward turning from prescription medication and getting healthier but also tying that to spiritually and preaching the gospel with the pharmacy theme ideas God gave me, like Jesus is not a flu shot. It would have plenty of facts on how bad modern health care is for us, etc.
That is my dream.
In the meantime, pharmacy is my fate.
I am content doing either but I know my days are numbered being a pharmacist.
I emptied my bank accounts, and got filled with the spirit, and am now waiting on God to open the windows of heaven.
Until then, I will not buy a ticket for this weeks $93 million dollar Mega Millions lottery.
But if you win, know that God has a good place to send some of the winnings. (I know, 50 cents!)
After the $60 million in taxes of course.
and with God all things are possible.
My dream is....
If I had six million dollars I could reach the world.
Seems like a lot of money and the money is not really the purpose of this post. I am mostly getting my ideas on paper. I am not looking for money here, but if you do know a couple billionaires send them my way, please. (ETVFCO@GMAIL.com!) Note I did get an email a while back that I was the sole beneficiary of a $12 million dollar inheritance. Funny it was sent out to many undisclosed recipients.
But I do want to at least get the thoughts on paper so if I do send out letters or have people praying then it at least is out there.
This is my vision.
Mostly I am looking for something to change my fate. Like in the Disney movie Brave. The girl in brave was destined for a life of royalty and had her whole life mapped out but in her was the desire for adventure and something less binding. I am content where I am at. If God wants me as a pharmacist the rest of my life that is something I can live with. I enjoy working the pharmacy job, it is very busy and productive and satisfying in an earthly sense. It is well respected by the world and well paying and it takes care of my family. However in reality I am no more than a Christian Bartender. There are some serious issues with pharmacy that are very ungodly and fly in the face with the God of the Bible. Antidepressants, anti anxiety, anti psychotics, hormones for sex changes, birth control (which causes abortions and miscarriages), the morning after pill (called Plan B and you can get it covered by Medicaid without a prescription for free), narcotics, ADHD meds, HIV meds (that our taxes pay for and remove the fear of the disease-- and get this, I was filling HIV meds for a guy and filling VIAGRA for him!), etc.
I want though the freedom to pursue my dreams. I basically am locked in this life for 3 reasons until some miracles come through.
1. I am a pharmacist and every church I have visited and attended thinks that God surely can't be calling me because I am a pharmacist. If I lied from the beginning and said I flipped burgers at Burger King I would have been ushered into the ministry.
2. A prophet is not accepted in his home country. I am not like I said the same as the prophets in the Old Testament. Today there are not really any prophets in that sense, but if you preach on the street or have some sense about you, and read the Bible and read the newspaper and are not asleep to what is going on, you have a lot to say that will ring out like a prophet. Things are going to get worse, this world is going to hell, most folks are going to be burning forever, and Jesus is coming. The average church knows some of that in their heads but their hearts are far from embracing that and they are content to holy huddle until the rapture and not live like they believe it. I love the church, but the church wants a warm and cozy speaker not an on fire full of the Holy Ghost PREACHER, especially one that isn't a guest Preacher that won't be back for another year.
3. I am tied down like the donkey was that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. I didn't intentionally get tied down, but I think the Lord tied me to teach me some lessons. I have no problem working the next 10 years to get my debt down to zero and maybe save enough to get 1/8th of the dream going. However through circumstances I think the Lord is doing something else. My plan initially was to retire from the prison pharmacy after 25 years and live off the pension and work full time. Then the boss left and a new boss ran me out of there and the timing was the Lords as the closest pharmacy to my house happened to be one they suddenly had an opening for. I was hired there as manager and was content and it was the town I grew up in. Well 2 years later my good boss left and a new one took over. She fired 18 of us in 6 months for petty stuff. The company forgot an emergency order of prescription paper so I contacted a store by my mom and had her deliver one the next day when I was working and they fired me because she wasn't an employee. That was the smokescreen because the real reason, according to my old boss, was because I was against the morning after pill. It took me 6 months to find a job and I landed an overnight position. I worked it for 6 months but had to give it up when my wife got pregnant and we both were on our last nerves. I was put now into a part time position and only had 2 shifts in January and February. I like the part time but we don't have any health insurance so that is a bit of a faith tester and God is meeting our needs but I am not able to get ahead on the debt roller coaster.
Why the debt? Good question. I might have made some rash decisions but I thought that if I obeyed God he would come through when I needed him. We have always tried to give instead of just holding onto our money. When I was newly saved I loaned a Pastor $3000 that turned into a gift and a while later secretly paid my neighbors $800 apartment rent one month when he was struggling. When I was single, 7 years ago, I had felt the Lord calling me into full time ministry. I had $20,000 saved up to live on and so I quit my job. I found I had money but no message. This was February 2006. In March 2006 God put on my heart to just give that away during our mission conference. I wrote a $20,000 check. Now I had no message, no money and no job! Yet the Lord knows. I soon was hired by the prison I had been preaching at and worked full time soon after. I met my wife Feb 2006 at my new church and we were engaged May 2006, married Sept 2006, and soon to be 5 kids later in 2013. In that time, I gave most of a tax refund to my brother in law to buy a car, we gave $50,000 to our building project ($35,000 of which came from an inheritance from my grandfather), we took on a loan we are still paying for $33,000 of which we gave a Pastor $30,000, I gave the asst pastor my wife's Ford Focus, we were giving $1000 a month to missions for a year or two, and we gave $1000 a year to the camp meeting for several years. On top of tithing. And giving and buying my tracts and Chick tracts. I just bought $200 worth of Chick tracts last month and gave almost the last bit of them out tonight. Mostly I want more to give more.
God will give THROUGH YOU what he won't give TO YOU.
If 1,000 churches gave me $1000 dollars I would have a million dollars.
If 5,000 churches gave me $1000 dollars I would have 5 million dollars.
There are 50 states and you would just need 100 churches per state to do it. Well, not including the states that have less than 100 churches in the whole state!
If 10,000 churches gave me $20 I would have $200000! (minus $5000 in postage mailing letters!).
If 400,000 people gave me 50 cents I would have $200,000!
$200000 would be nice because it would open major doors up if I could have everything paid for, and my wife happy with me being able to provide some of her wants. She has been a great sport, but I gave her car away when she wasn't looking and I don't even have the money now that I am part time to bring my pregnant wife the the 5th time a brand new mattress so she can sleep comfortably! But I did find money to buy my tracts. So maybe I am not as spiritual as I think. We bash guys who spend every dollar on the latest gun but won't buy their wives anything decent to drive and here I am doing the same thing!
If I had $200,000 right now, I would immediately do the following. 1. $20,000 tithe. 2. $10,000 for 10 titles of 10,000 Chick tracts for the church. 3. $20,000 more for the church building project. 4. $5,000 to get my tracts and books printed. 5. $33,000 to pay off my mortgage 6. $10,000 for the state health insurance I thought was free when I was starting my new job but didn't have insurance for 90 days so I called and found out I still had the state income based insurance. And then I find out I didn't report though my new income so I am now hit with a bill! 7. $4000 to pay my aunt back for the used van we bought when I had no job and $1000 to pay my brother back 8. $12000 to get now a bigger used van as we need more seating!!! 9. Some home improvements my wife would appreciate as I gave so much to the church she feels neglected!!! New furnace, replace bay windows that mold have eaten, new king sized bed and mattress; our fridge leaks and freezes all our vegetables; our dryer shakes and moves across the basement; our dishwasher leaks all over the kitchn; etc. 10. $8000 left on credit cards etc from when i was unemployed 11. $16000 to pay off the church loan. 12. $10000 to my Evangelist friend who is a prayer warrior and lives on pennies and prayers. 13. Money to get my website finished and polished. 14. Money to cover my son's next tuition and cover bills, taxes, insurances, and expenses 15. money to rent an office and start the ETVFC part of the ministry 16. money for upcoming mission trips to Scotland, St. Lucia, etc.
If I had 6 million I would (note I do not work for the church!) pay off the church loan/mortgage. We currently renovated an old Tops Supermarket and haven't sold our old building. I would pay off all the mortgages,and give money to renovate the other half of the new building. I would ask for offices to be built with 12 cubicles and a conference room for discipleship and meetings. This would be for the workers of the End Times Vol Fire Co. Extra money would be for tracts, pay roll, equipment, etc. I would love to get a radio broadcast up, get media production rolling and videos out etc.
Then after that is up and running, phase 2 would begin and run simultaneously. The Old Time Health Care Co. I also see a great need to start a new off shoot for evangelism, something new the Lord gave me. Health Care Evangelism. Giving health care seminars at churches with a push toward turning from prescription medication and getting healthier but also tying that to spiritually and preaching the gospel with the pharmacy theme ideas God gave me, like Jesus is not a flu shot. It would have plenty of facts on how bad modern health care is for us, etc.
That is my dream.
In the meantime, pharmacy is my fate.
I am content doing either but I know my days are numbered being a pharmacist.
I emptied my bank accounts, and got filled with the spirit, and am now waiting on God to open the windows of heaven.
Until then, I will not buy a ticket for this weeks $93 million dollar Mega Millions lottery.
But if you win, know that God has a good place to send some of the winnings. (I know, 50 cents!)
After the $60 million in taxes of course.
We could reach 6 Billion with 6 million
I wouldn't be an honest Preacher if I wasn't asking for money.
I am not exactly on here begging for money, but if you happen to know any billionaires I think God gave me a plan for truly turning this world around.
I remember when I was a lost heathen there was this song, If I had a million dollars....he sang If he had a million dollars, I would buy you a house (and repeats...I would buy you a house....) If I had a million dollars I would buy you furniture for your house...maybe a nice chesterfield or an automan.......i would buy you a monkey...haven't you always wanted a MONKEEEE?
The downside of this post was that song has been in my mind most of the night!
Anyway, before I share my vision, here is one thought.
12 disciples sold out to Jesus Christ turned the world upside down. 12 million or however many actual Christians in this world today are basically not making a dent. True revival as I stated before, and as AW Tozer stated, impacts the morality of the community around you. Back in the day, when Billy Sunday preached a year later liquor stores were closed and bosses knew their employees were changed. One young servant girl was asked how she knew that Jesus was now real to her. "I sweeps the floors clean now" was her reply. Jesus sweeps in and you are never the same.
Today's shiny polished glowing evangelists come through town and a year later their converts are new additions to the bars and strip clubs. And give one more reason for no one in America to take us seriously. The Muslims are dead wrong and they will kill you once they get to be the majority and their laws are the laws of the land. One major thing the Muslims have is due to their unity and refusal to back down is they are taken seriously. If you have any doubt, ask anyone who lives in England.
In America we think we are persecuted because the toll lady said no thank you when you offered her a track. Speaking of tolls the funniest encounter I had at the toll booth witnessing was coming home from soulwinning with my friend Greg some years ago. We were at the Grand Island Bridge tolls and he handed the toll booth guy a "Ticket to Heaven" track. These are designed by Ray Comfort's Living Waters ministry in California. They have neat gimmick tracks and are excellent ice breakers, though they use his Evidence Bible translation instead of the KJV. He uses the good manuscripts of the KJV but "modernizes" the thees and thous and ye's. However, God translated the KJV when English was at the purest form. The plural version of You is important. The poetic reading of the KJV is unsurpassed. The THUS SAITH THE LORD is authoritative. We don't need new translations but we need transformations from those reading the original bible and we might have some hope.
Anyway, the ticket to heaven tract is meant to be unrippable. It has a thin plastic piece inserted in the single page tract so if you tear it, it will not rip. It says "If you don't think you need this, rip it up." Then it gives a message on the back. Well Greg handed the guy this tract and he started laughing this devilish laugh and said, "I worship SATAN!!!!" and he went to rip it up in front of our noses. He was shocked it wouldn't tear and in his frustration he threw it out his window and it blew away down the bridge. It was funny on one hand and on the other you saw the supernatural work of God. I remember preaching at intermission at the Sabres game with some guys and the crowd was outside drinking, smoking, and not wanting to be preached to. They started tossing their lit cigarettes and beer bottles at us. I am convinced that God protected us because these cigarettes were going right toward us and would fall flat like they hit an invisible wall.
Before I go down any more rabbit trails, I will share the vision.
Like I said 12 disciples turned the world upside down.
We can't get the job down now with over a million times that today. What gives?
There is a combination of things, which by God's grace I will address with my initial ministry, the End Times Vol. Fire Co. The idea was that of a volunteer firefighter mindset and pulling the lost from the fire.
If I had 12 volunteers who were sold out to God, like John Wesley had stated, I could shake up the world.
However, 6 years later I see how the affairs of this life have taken its toll on the time I can be a volunteer firefighter!!! I love my job as a pharmacist, as a father, and as a husband. Despite my business the Lord still has been able to give me time to keep up with 3 blogs, I have a website (ETVFC.org), I published several tracts (the 13 Firemen, Stanley Cup Trivia, Taste and See, How God brought us together --the story of Mike and Michelle, Game 7 Sudden death overtime, What in the World happened to Mike?, Fish Oil Salesmen, and Yes Virginia there's been a savior born. The next tracts to get out there will likely be Jesus is Not a flu shot, Don't recruit with the Fatted Calf, 2 minute warning, Inside Information and Global WARNING. I have preached in several countries and on the street corners and in a few pulpits. I have been on a radio broadcast in Guyana. I have 500 possible hits on my blog each month. I have given out with some help a couple thousand tracts at least in just a week preaching on the streets of St. Lucia. Yet, I don't think I have done enough for the one who did everything for me. I am not saved by works, I am saved for works. I am not buying God's acceptance. I am not working to earn God's love.
Yet something is in me that wants this whole world saved. Today I was about to take my son to school in my car but last minute my other boys woke up and I ended up taking the van with two of my boys. We gave out all the tracks yesterday that I had in my wifes car when we went to Wendy's after church and went and bought the boys cowboy boots. They think they are cowboys!!! I took the van this morning and forgot any tracts. Our church is right by a Tim Hortons and today after I dropped my son off I saw a huge drive thru line at Tim Hortons. I saw windows open. I so much wished I had tracts on me to bring them. I probably gave out 30 tracts last night in WalMart as I shopped. I had some need encounters and ran into a guy who used to work with my brother in law that lives right by our church. I invited him and my brother in law had invited him before. That was a good seed. I gave out the website to people and told people to hold on to these tracts because things are going to get worse. When things get worse as the Bible promises, they will remember this encounter. I didn't lead 30 in prayer but I did plant some legitimate seeds by the grace of God.
By the end though I was out of tracts and so much wanted to get more witnessing in. I wrote my website on half my receipt and gave it to a guy in line with a fireman t shirt on!
Anyway is the theme of this post today.
Anyway.....
I thought about the disciples. You had a lot of men united for a cause and they didn't have constant conflicts with their professions. They left their professions. Peter had a wife but he didn't leave his wife. But he did give up his fishing profession.
You will not be able to get 12 guys to be able to just go off and quit their jobs today. You basically can't survive in America without some sort of income. Well, you can and it is called welfare. But really you need to work and you need an income.
However if you had a full time job that was your ministry your job would be getting the gospel out.
I will tell you what I would do with 5 million dollars in the next post.
But one vision is this.
Hire a bunch of on fire guys who are out in the secular world full time to be PAID firefighters. Our full time jobs would be preaching the gospel, giving out tracts, traveling to events and churches, sharing testimonies at churches, praying and fasting together weekly, and disciplining people. The possibilities are endless. We could still maintain a part time job just so we have a door to those workers but everything would be tied to witnessing and evangelizing and reaching the world.
To reach the world you can use the Internet, send bibles, go on mission trips, etc.
If I had 5 million dollars, I could hire you full time!
Maybe I will soon be taking applications!
I am not exactly on here begging for money, but if you happen to know any billionaires I think God gave me a plan for truly turning this world around.
I remember when I was a lost heathen there was this song, If I had a million dollars....he sang If he had a million dollars, I would buy you a house (and repeats...I would buy you a house....) If I had a million dollars I would buy you furniture for your house...maybe a nice chesterfield or an automan.......i would buy you a monkey...haven't you always wanted a MONKEEEE?
The downside of this post was that song has been in my mind most of the night!
Anyway, before I share my vision, here is one thought.
12 disciples sold out to Jesus Christ turned the world upside down. 12 million or however many actual Christians in this world today are basically not making a dent. True revival as I stated before, and as AW Tozer stated, impacts the morality of the community around you. Back in the day, when Billy Sunday preached a year later liquor stores were closed and bosses knew their employees were changed. One young servant girl was asked how she knew that Jesus was now real to her. "I sweeps the floors clean now" was her reply. Jesus sweeps in and you are never the same.
Today's shiny polished glowing evangelists come through town and a year later their converts are new additions to the bars and strip clubs. And give one more reason for no one in America to take us seriously. The Muslims are dead wrong and they will kill you once they get to be the majority and their laws are the laws of the land. One major thing the Muslims have is due to their unity and refusal to back down is they are taken seriously. If you have any doubt, ask anyone who lives in England.
In America we think we are persecuted because the toll lady said no thank you when you offered her a track. Speaking of tolls the funniest encounter I had at the toll booth witnessing was coming home from soulwinning with my friend Greg some years ago. We were at the Grand Island Bridge tolls and he handed the toll booth guy a "Ticket to Heaven" track. These are designed by Ray Comfort's Living Waters ministry in California. They have neat gimmick tracks and are excellent ice breakers, though they use his Evidence Bible translation instead of the KJV. He uses the good manuscripts of the KJV but "modernizes" the thees and thous and ye's. However, God translated the KJV when English was at the purest form. The plural version of You is important. The poetic reading of the KJV is unsurpassed. The THUS SAITH THE LORD is authoritative. We don't need new translations but we need transformations from those reading the original bible and we might have some hope.
Anyway, the ticket to heaven tract is meant to be unrippable. It has a thin plastic piece inserted in the single page tract so if you tear it, it will not rip. It says "If you don't think you need this, rip it up." Then it gives a message on the back. Well Greg handed the guy this tract and he started laughing this devilish laugh and said, "I worship SATAN!!!!" and he went to rip it up in front of our noses. He was shocked it wouldn't tear and in his frustration he threw it out his window and it blew away down the bridge. It was funny on one hand and on the other you saw the supernatural work of God. I remember preaching at intermission at the Sabres game with some guys and the crowd was outside drinking, smoking, and not wanting to be preached to. They started tossing their lit cigarettes and beer bottles at us. I am convinced that God protected us because these cigarettes were going right toward us and would fall flat like they hit an invisible wall.
Before I go down any more rabbit trails, I will share the vision.
Like I said 12 disciples turned the world upside down.
We can't get the job down now with over a million times that today. What gives?
There is a combination of things, which by God's grace I will address with my initial ministry, the End Times Vol. Fire Co. The idea was that of a volunteer firefighter mindset and pulling the lost from the fire.
If I had 12 volunteers who were sold out to God, like John Wesley had stated, I could shake up the world.
However, 6 years later I see how the affairs of this life have taken its toll on the time I can be a volunteer firefighter!!! I love my job as a pharmacist, as a father, and as a husband. Despite my business the Lord still has been able to give me time to keep up with 3 blogs, I have a website (ETVFC.org), I published several tracts (the 13 Firemen, Stanley Cup Trivia, Taste and See, How God brought us together --the story of Mike and Michelle, Game 7 Sudden death overtime, What in the World happened to Mike?, Fish Oil Salesmen, and Yes Virginia there's been a savior born. The next tracts to get out there will likely be Jesus is Not a flu shot, Don't recruit with the Fatted Calf, 2 minute warning, Inside Information and Global WARNING. I have preached in several countries and on the street corners and in a few pulpits. I have been on a radio broadcast in Guyana. I have 500 possible hits on my blog each month. I have given out with some help a couple thousand tracts at least in just a week preaching on the streets of St. Lucia. Yet, I don't think I have done enough for the one who did everything for me. I am not saved by works, I am saved for works. I am not buying God's acceptance. I am not working to earn God's love.
Yet something is in me that wants this whole world saved. Today I was about to take my son to school in my car but last minute my other boys woke up and I ended up taking the van with two of my boys. We gave out all the tracks yesterday that I had in my wifes car when we went to Wendy's after church and went and bought the boys cowboy boots. They think they are cowboys!!! I took the van this morning and forgot any tracts. Our church is right by a Tim Hortons and today after I dropped my son off I saw a huge drive thru line at Tim Hortons. I saw windows open. I so much wished I had tracts on me to bring them. I probably gave out 30 tracts last night in WalMart as I shopped. I had some need encounters and ran into a guy who used to work with my brother in law that lives right by our church. I invited him and my brother in law had invited him before. That was a good seed. I gave out the website to people and told people to hold on to these tracts because things are going to get worse. When things get worse as the Bible promises, they will remember this encounter. I didn't lead 30 in prayer but I did plant some legitimate seeds by the grace of God.
By the end though I was out of tracts and so much wanted to get more witnessing in. I wrote my website on half my receipt and gave it to a guy in line with a fireman t shirt on!
Anyway is the theme of this post today.
Anyway.....
I thought about the disciples. You had a lot of men united for a cause and they didn't have constant conflicts with their professions. They left their professions. Peter had a wife but he didn't leave his wife. But he did give up his fishing profession.
You will not be able to get 12 guys to be able to just go off and quit their jobs today. You basically can't survive in America without some sort of income. Well, you can and it is called welfare. But really you need to work and you need an income.
However if you had a full time job that was your ministry your job would be getting the gospel out.
I will tell you what I would do with 5 million dollars in the next post.
But one vision is this.
Hire a bunch of on fire guys who are out in the secular world full time to be PAID firefighters. Our full time jobs would be preaching the gospel, giving out tracts, traveling to events and churches, sharing testimonies at churches, praying and fasting together weekly, and disciplining people. The possibilities are endless. We could still maintain a part time job just so we have a door to those workers but everything would be tied to witnessing and evangelizing and reaching the world.
To reach the world you can use the Internet, send bibles, go on mission trips, etc.
If I had 5 million dollars, I could hire you full time!
Maybe I will soon be taking applications!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
The Good Old Gospel Ship
It is neat how the Lord opens doors. I worked at this one pharmacy a few weeks ago and wanted to get a conversation going with the assistant manager. He was talking about buying gold and silver because the whole economy is going to collapse soon. He has more sense than all of congress. Just last week I was working with a young lady and as I was working overnight, she was my overlap tech help til 11 pm. The 9pm tech help left and I was able to get into a spiritual conversation. The open door was she had just moved from Haines City Florida. That is where my brother and sister in law went to bible college. That opened a door and I found out she was the fiance of that manager and they are trying to be self sufficient, in the sense of being able to support themselves when Armageddon hits. It was neat because I could literally see God orchestrating that event and at the very least some good seeds were planted.
This past Friday the talk was all about the bombings. I gave a little witness but it was too busy for anything major. I worked 830am to 9pm and literally had something going on all the time. In the evening we were catching up and I was left with 2 techs and tried knocking to see if God would open up any doors. The female tech had an interesting history. She had a life long health issue that caused her to have to quit high school and she was in this job training place where she could now graduate. I asked her if she ever thought she was going go die. Before there was any opportunity for any serious witnessing, it was time to go. I had to run on the way home and get almond milk for my little ones (hence it is called Obie Milk or Zech Milk! as both boys drink it) so I stopped at the grocery store and got in line there. Well, in my checkout lane checking out ahead of me was the female tech! I am thick headed but I could tell God made another divine appointment. I gave her one of my tracts I wrote and it had my website on it (ETVFC.org) so I was able to plant some more seeds here.
Here is a quick witnessing idea. When you get gas and you are at a pump that you can automatically lock the trigger so the gas pumps without you squeezing the handle, walk away and hand out tracts to everyone around getting gas. I go to the clerk and ask if he is good at directions. Yes? Do you know how to get to heaven? If I see two guys my age or younger in a truck, I will knock on their window and most of the time they open up to see what I want. If I ever get shot, I would end up in heaven so that wouldn't be too bad a consolation prize.
Summer is nice because they leave their windows open and I will toss in tracts if no one is there or hand them to whoever is in the car. Busy drive thrus are great in the summer!!!! Grab some tracts and walk by and give them to everyone in line. They think you are giving out free samples. Or grab some cheap mini chocolate bars or generic cold Soda or bottled water and hand them out with tracts to people in the drive thru. I once went on the hood of the car through the drive thru and another time I walked my boys in the stroller through the drive through. They take the tracts because they know you are a bit off but crazy enough to believe in what you are doing.
Try it sometime! I will take living breathing Christianity over dead religion any day!
This past Friday the talk was all about the bombings. I gave a little witness but it was too busy for anything major. I worked 830am to 9pm and literally had something going on all the time. In the evening we were catching up and I was left with 2 techs and tried knocking to see if God would open up any doors. The female tech had an interesting history. She had a life long health issue that caused her to have to quit high school and she was in this job training place where she could now graduate. I asked her if she ever thought she was going go die. Before there was any opportunity for any serious witnessing, it was time to go. I had to run on the way home and get almond milk for my little ones (hence it is called Obie Milk or Zech Milk! as both boys drink it) so I stopped at the grocery store and got in line there. Well, in my checkout lane checking out ahead of me was the female tech! I am thick headed but I could tell God made another divine appointment. I gave her one of my tracts I wrote and it had my website on it (ETVFC.org) so I was able to plant some more seeds here.
Here is a quick witnessing idea. When you get gas and you are at a pump that you can automatically lock the trigger so the gas pumps without you squeezing the handle, walk away and hand out tracts to everyone around getting gas. I go to the clerk and ask if he is good at directions. Yes? Do you know how to get to heaven? If I see two guys my age or younger in a truck, I will knock on their window and most of the time they open up to see what I want. If I ever get shot, I would end up in heaven so that wouldn't be too bad a consolation prize.
Summer is nice because they leave their windows open and I will toss in tracts if no one is there or hand them to whoever is in the car. Busy drive thrus are great in the summer!!!! Grab some tracts and walk by and give them to everyone in line. They think you are giving out free samples. Or grab some cheap mini chocolate bars or generic cold Soda or bottled water and hand them out with tracts to people in the drive thru. I once went on the hood of the car through the drive thru and another time I walked my boys in the stroller through the drive through. They take the tracts because they know you are a bit off but crazy enough to believe in what you are doing.
Try it sometime! I will take living breathing Christianity over dead religion any day!
Boston Massacre Part II
Folks,
I am not a prophet like the old testament ones. They had a direct phone line to God and communicated verbatim what God wanted communicated.
I am a prophet in the sense that anyone can be. Meaning, if you take the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in another, you can look like you have a fortune ball in your hands.
I had no idea those two brothers were dedicated Muslims. But if it looks like a rat, and smells like a rat, and acts like a rat it is a rat.
I mention this because I wrote on the post about Muslim terrorists. I can't even remember what I said, but even before I knew who the bombers were I thought that they would turn out to be Muslims. The day after the bombing before they caught the suspects, I remember handing out the chick track "Camels in the Tent" about the deadly religion called Islam. I was in our local Tim Hortons and handed a few out and said, "this will tell you who was behind the marathon bombings." I was surprised when I heard they were Russians. Communist bombers? I now wasn't so sure.
Yet, it did turn out to be they were indeed Muslims. Not that it matters. The same devil that can get people to crash 747's into buildings is the same devil that gets fired police officers to go postal and fired postal workers to act like renegade cops.
But there is something to be feared from the Muslims. They follow a pattern that they followed for thousands of years. They first infiltrate a nation. Then they populate there. Then they propagate their message. Then finally they annihilate any opposition.
The media is calling them radical Muslims. And I am a radical Christian. The difference is one is a vessel of Satan's and he plants his desires in them and the fruit of the rotten tree is explosive. Radical followers of a "religion" are merely doing what they are taught. Note that Biblical Christianity is not the same thing as Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic church has the power to damn anyone as a heretic if they don't believe Jesus is literally in the wafer. The Spanish Inquisition was the Catholic Church torturing mostly Jews and Christians and thinking they were doing that for God.
Sounds like the Muslim faith doesn't it?
Of course, in America, since the NFL is around and the money is flowing no one wants to be too radical. Radical Christians start blogs and preach on the street and are accused of being hateful and a fanatic. Radical Muslims end their church week with a bang. I heard of two Muslim fathers talking one day, and the one was showing off pictures of his teen age sons. "They blow up so fast," said the 2nd Muslim.
But in general, no one would be truly considered radical in America because whether we are in the truth or in a cult we all have it so good that few want to rock the boat. Especially when that boat is the U.S.S. Pleasure Ship. In the middle east when you can die at any moment and you aren't addicted to junk food so it really doesn't matter if you miss a meal because the food is so bland, you have less at stake if you were to lose everything for your cause. You have no choice but to sell out to your religion. In the Middle East, you don't compete as much with the Boy Scouts, after school Tball practice and ballet and dance class and gymnastics and ice hockey and skiing and tiddly wink championships and 500 channels of cable and 30 chain restaurants in a 5 mile radius, 100 edge-of-your-seat thriller attractions at your nearest amusement park, Splash Lagoon, Americal Idol, the MLB/NFL/NBA/MLS/NILL/NASCAR/NHL/Olympics/PBA/MLG/MLB's that numb our consciences and give men a false substitute for adventure, and the 25 screen super multi plex Regal Cinema with surround sound and IMAX screen.
In America, do I really want to risk it all when no one else wants to risk it all? That is our challenge and why so few bother giving it all for God. Whether the true and living God or the
'god of this world', the devil himself. If you want to see Islam in action, look at the Middle East where Muslims blow themselves up on a regular basis. If you want to see Christianity in action, look at the Middle East where Muslims are torturing and beheading Christians on a regular basis.
Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments. Jesus calls me to love my neighbor as myself, live for others, and give my life for him and the gospel, and go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. Islam basically says go into all the world and destroy every unbeliever. All they are doing is taking their religion seriously and following the teachings of their founder Mohammad. He said to cut them, kill them, and destroy all who oppose.
That is different than the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught the truth. Mohammad taught a lie. Jesus was the life. Mohammad is death. Period.
The bomber is already in hell tonight, there with the founder. And one day both will bow before Jesus Christ.
The Bible says Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.
First they believe a lie. Then they bomb for a lie. Then they take bullets for a lie. Then they are bound hand and foot and tossed into hell for a lie. Then they bow to the TRUTH. Then they burn forever in the lake of fire.
In fact it would be better had they never been born. For them. And for any that died in the bombings that were nice people but lost.
Unsaved innocent casualties still end up in hell.
Seems unfair, but Jesus wants those with the truth to actually believe it and not bury it.
Give it out. Act on your faith with the truth to a greater degree that the Muslims act on their lies.
And maybe then the Muslims would meet their match.
Before they meet their maker.
I am not a prophet like the old testament ones. They had a direct phone line to God and communicated verbatim what God wanted communicated.
I am a prophet in the sense that anyone can be. Meaning, if you take the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in another, you can look like you have a fortune ball in your hands.
I had no idea those two brothers were dedicated Muslims. But if it looks like a rat, and smells like a rat, and acts like a rat it is a rat.
I mention this because I wrote on the post about Muslim terrorists. I can't even remember what I said, but even before I knew who the bombers were I thought that they would turn out to be Muslims. The day after the bombing before they caught the suspects, I remember handing out the chick track "Camels in the Tent" about the deadly religion called Islam. I was in our local Tim Hortons and handed a few out and said, "this will tell you who was behind the marathon bombings." I was surprised when I heard they were Russians. Communist bombers? I now wasn't so sure.
Yet, it did turn out to be they were indeed Muslims. Not that it matters. The same devil that can get people to crash 747's into buildings is the same devil that gets fired police officers to go postal and fired postal workers to act like renegade cops.
But there is something to be feared from the Muslims. They follow a pattern that they followed for thousands of years. They first infiltrate a nation. Then they populate there. Then they propagate their message. Then finally they annihilate any opposition.
The media is calling them radical Muslims. And I am a radical Christian. The difference is one is a vessel of Satan's and he plants his desires in them and the fruit of the rotten tree is explosive. Radical followers of a "religion" are merely doing what they are taught. Note that Biblical Christianity is not the same thing as Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic church has the power to damn anyone as a heretic if they don't believe Jesus is literally in the wafer. The Spanish Inquisition was the Catholic Church torturing mostly Jews and Christians and thinking they were doing that for God.
Sounds like the Muslim faith doesn't it?
Of course, in America, since the NFL is around and the money is flowing no one wants to be too radical. Radical Christians start blogs and preach on the street and are accused of being hateful and a fanatic. Radical Muslims end their church week with a bang. I heard of two Muslim fathers talking one day, and the one was showing off pictures of his teen age sons. "They blow up so fast," said the 2nd Muslim.
But in general, no one would be truly considered radical in America because whether we are in the truth or in a cult we all have it so good that few want to rock the boat. Especially when that boat is the U.S.S. Pleasure Ship. In the middle east when you can die at any moment and you aren't addicted to junk food so it really doesn't matter if you miss a meal because the food is so bland, you have less at stake if you were to lose everything for your cause. You have no choice but to sell out to your religion. In the Middle East, you don't compete as much with the Boy Scouts, after school Tball practice and ballet and dance class and gymnastics and ice hockey and skiing and tiddly wink championships and 500 channels of cable and 30 chain restaurants in a 5 mile radius, 100 edge-of-your-seat thriller attractions at your nearest amusement park, Splash Lagoon, Americal Idol, the MLB/NFL/NBA/MLS/NILL/NASCAR/NHL/Olympics/PBA/MLG/MLB's that numb our consciences and give men a false substitute for adventure, and the 25 screen super multi plex Regal Cinema with surround sound and IMAX screen.
In America, do I really want to risk it all when no one else wants to risk it all? That is our challenge and why so few bother giving it all for God. Whether the true and living God or the
'god of this world', the devil himself. If you want to see Islam in action, look at the Middle East where Muslims blow themselves up on a regular basis. If you want to see Christianity in action, look at the Middle East where Muslims are torturing and beheading Christians on a regular basis.
Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments. Jesus calls me to love my neighbor as myself, live for others, and give my life for him and the gospel, and go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. Islam basically says go into all the world and destroy every unbeliever. All they are doing is taking their religion seriously and following the teachings of their founder Mohammad. He said to cut them, kill them, and destroy all who oppose.
That is different than the teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught the truth. Mohammad taught a lie. Jesus was the life. Mohammad is death. Period.
The bomber is already in hell tonight, there with the founder. And one day both will bow before Jesus Christ.
The Bible says Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.
First they believe a lie. Then they bomb for a lie. Then they take bullets for a lie. Then they are bound hand and foot and tossed into hell for a lie. Then they bow to the TRUTH. Then they burn forever in the lake of fire.
In fact it would be better had they never been born. For them. And for any that died in the bombings that were nice people but lost.
Unsaved innocent casualties still end up in hell.
Seems unfair, but Jesus wants those with the truth to actually believe it and not bury it.
Give it out. Act on your faith with the truth to a greater degree that the Muslims act on their lies.
And maybe then the Muslims would meet their match.
Before they meet their maker.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Boston Massacre Terrorist -- Still at Large
The Boston Massacre Terrorist is Still at Large. Yes, they caught the 2 men allegedly responsible for the bombing that killed 3 and terrorized thousands at the Boston Marathon last week. My brother trained for the NY Marathon that ended up being postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. They rescheduled it in Central Park and they ran the perimeter multiple times to go the same distance. Had they not scheduled the replay of it, I could just see my crazy brother spontaneously entering the Boston Marathon race after training hard for the one in NY. What was scary was I was working when the bomb went off and a customer informed us that a bomb just went off at JFK airport. It turned out later to be a hoax, but that brought flashbacks to 9/11 when I remembered hearing about a plane hitting the first twin tower, and my impression was a stupid 4 passenger propeller plane didn't know what it was doing. Then the 2nd tower was hit, then the pentagon, and I didn't know what was going on. I was not the only one. Bush didn't either.
They caught the alleged bombers. Good. The 2nd one may very well die before any more info could be conveyed. Justice seemed to be served. Did the guys act alone? Were they set up? Was there more to it?
I don't know those answers but anything is possible. The parents in Russia think their boys could never do such a thing and were set up. That is an option. However, first, my thoughts on the Russian mom. In our churches today, there are young people all over the place doing things that the parents have no clue about. My older 2 boys are 5 y.o. and 4 y.o. I can put on something Godly on YouTube (seems like an oxymoron) like Tiny Shoes (the Jack Chick tract 15 minute cartoon) and go and do something (like um, blogging!) and come back and somehow they have now Transformers on the computer. A young guy at our church was singing in the choir, smiling at church, and looking at gay porn secretly at home. Soon he "came out" and left the church, and moved in with another guy. My wife has horror stories. In our circles they don't believe in dating (which is smart, as God intended no sex until marriage which is between 1 man and 1 woman for life! He designed it, who are we to redefine it?) so if a guy and girl like each other they need a chaperon to go out. Seems safe, but our sinful hearts find loopholes. Unless your heart is right with God and you want to do things God's way, external laws will only cause the rebel to rise up in you. My wife would be left alone in the car as the chaperon and told to wait, and the couple she was chaperoning would be having sex on the beach while she was alone in the car! My point is that if kids are doing wicked things right in front of our noses today, how can a mom all the way in Russia have any clue what her sons are into? Maybe they met some Muslim guys at college, went to some "innocent" meetings, and before you know it became full fledged Muslims and wanted to start a jihad in America.
Regardless of who did it or why they did it, the puppet master and the man behind the curtain is the devil himself. When Adam rebelled, God removed his position and instead Satan became the god of the this world. He is 2nd in power only to God himself, and Jesus is God, so really only Jesus is more powerful. Satan wanted to become God and wanted to rule. He knows he cannot win, he knows that his days are numbered, but until then he wants to make the Christians miserable, and keep as many lost on their hell-bound path as possible.
Satan is the ultimate terrorist and he plants ideas for any willing vessel to plant bombs, kill, and destroy. Behind every idol is a demon, and he is behind the damning idolaters of all shapes and sizes. Whether it is in a Ouija board or Dungeons and Dragons, or from the Catholic Church. He created his own false religion and false church when he paganized Christianity and turned ceasers into popes and Satan also has his own altered Bibles and his own music and method. There may be more lost "Christians" in the world than lost "heathen". He also creates other cults like the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism and the most powerful cult in the world, Islam.
The difference between a Cult and Christ is just as much the difference between religion and real Biblical Christianity.
In religion you kill, seek, and destroy for your god. Whether it is the god of evolution or the god of mammon (money), you step on people up the ladder to the wrong wall. You might kill them literally but the bible teaches hatred is murder anyway. In true Christianity, you give your life for your God. You lay down your life and live a life for others.
That is only possible if you are saved. Lost religious folks are just as hell bound as lost devil worshippers.
Because both worship the devil. One knows it. One will be in for shock for all eternity.
If I sound angry, I am just mad at the devil. My ancestors are burning in hell because of false religion. My family is so caught up with the affairs of this life, and satisfied with their humanistic man-centered salivations that still have them damned, that if Jesus came right now everyone besides my household would end up in hell.
I so much wish the lost would see. But if the church is blind and deaf to the cries of hell, how can I expect anything more from the lost?
Oh church, can you not see the necessity of the hour? Can you not hear the trumpet warming up that Jesus will blow before he cries out, COME UP HITHER?
Jesus is coming. Until then the terrorist will get more and more out of the lost and perilous times will come and get worse and worse. If you don't read your Bible, watch the news! Watch the weather channel! You would have to be blind and deaf to not see things are getting worse.
Why do we prefer to live ignorant? Why can't we wake up?
Are we waiting for the next time the terrorist strikes to do anything? But next time, what if your family is the one he is targeting?
Or what if it is you?
O friend, what is your life but a vapor? Our time here is so brief. Are we wasting it? Or will it count when you check out of here?
Time is short. And America is on a ticking time bomb. The ultimate terrorist attack could be coming at any moment. Just look up E-Bombs. For several hundred dollars and technology from 1950 you can make a bomb that can wipe out all the electricity in America for months and years. Do you know how to survive without a fridge? A car? Heat in the winter? Getting to your bank? Digging a well to get water?
We would all be in trouble.
America is not mentioned in the end times. Russia (Magog) is a big player. Israel is a big player, the middle east, etc.
America is not there. And maybe because literally AMERICA IS NOT THERE.
Are you ready? Are you warning others? Are you doing anything about it?
I don't know what to write. All I had was a thought, basically the title to this post. I am nothing but when I write, things come to me and I just write what is on my heart. I read and pray and just get behind the computer and out comes a blog post a half hour later. CNN would think I am a terrorist by what I write. I like to think of me as Mike the Baptist, crying in the wilderness for AMERICA TO REPENT!!! Get out of the sinning business America!
Close the bars, shut down the 4 HUNDRED million porno websites, shoot the television, chuck the filth and clean up our minds and our hearts and our homes! Burn down the casinos, take a wrecking ball to the false churches, tear down the mosques, board up the strip joints! Get sin out of America! Jail the abortionists and Washington politicians together and don't let them out. Let Hollywood drift out to sea. Have a big bon fire and toss on all the Hustlers and Playboys and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues in print. And put every Koran and book of Mormons in print on the fire. Let it burn! Let it burn! And maybe then most of America won't burn for eternity.
Until then we need to cry out against sin.
And stop playing church.
And start praying in church.
Oh America, you are so blind. You are so clueless to what is coming. You are so caught up in the next sporting event and so mesmerized by the latest concert that you literally have no idea that Jesus is real and ready to return at any moment. You are so busy chasing the dollar and so busy running after pleasure.
America you are a generation of frogs being cooked alive, clueless that that the water you once were comfortable in is now past the boiling point. You didn't get out when you could and now are getting cooked alive. Oh America, can't you see we have a problem?
They caught the alleged bombers. Good. The 2nd one may very well die before any more info could be conveyed. Justice seemed to be served. Did the guys act alone? Were they set up? Was there more to it?
I don't know those answers but anything is possible. The parents in Russia think their boys could never do such a thing and were set up. That is an option. However, first, my thoughts on the Russian mom. In our churches today, there are young people all over the place doing things that the parents have no clue about. My older 2 boys are 5 y.o. and 4 y.o. I can put on something Godly on YouTube (seems like an oxymoron) like Tiny Shoes (the Jack Chick tract 15 minute cartoon) and go and do something (like um, blogging!) and come back and somehow they have now Transformers on the computer. A young guy at our church was singing in the choir, smiling at church, and looking at gay porn secretly at home. Soon he "came out" and left the church, and moved in with another guy. My wife has horror stories. In our circles they don't believe in dating (which is smart, as God intended no sex until marriage which is between 1 man and 1 woman for life! He designed it, who are we to redefine it?) so if a guy and girl like each other they need a chaperon to go out. Seems safe, but our sinful hearts find loopholes. Unless your heart is right with God and you want to do things God's way, external laws will only cause the rebel to rise up in you. My wife would be left alone in the car as the chaperon and told to wait, and the couple she was chaperoning would be having sex on the beach while she was alone in the car! My point is that if kids are doing wicked things right in front of our noses today, how can a mom all the way in Russia have any clue what her sons are into? Maybe they met some Muslim guys at college, went to some "innocent" meetings, and before you know it became full fledged Muslims and wanted to start a jihad in America.
Regardless of who did it or why they did it, the puppet master and the man behind the curtain is the devil himself. When Adam rebelled, God removed his position and instead Satan became the god of the this world. He is 2nd in power only to God himself, and Jesus is God, so really only Jesus is more powerful. Satan wanted to become God and wanted to rule. He knows he cannot win, he knows that his days are numbered, but until then he wants to make the Christians miserable, and keep as many lost on their hell-bound path as possible.
Satan is the ultimate terrorist and he plants ideas for any willing vessel to plant bombs, kill, and destroy. Behind every idol is a demon, and he is behind the damning idolaters of all shapes and sizes. Whether it is in a Ouija board or Dungeons and Dragons, or from the Catholic Church. He created his own false religion and false church when he paganized Christianity and turned ceasers into popes and Satan also has his own altered Bibles and his own music and method. There may be more lost "Christians" in the world than lost "heathen". He also creates other cults like the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism and the most powerful cult in the world, Islam.
The difference between a Cult and Christ is just as much the difference between religion and real Biblical Christianity.
In religion you kill, seek, and destroy for your god. Whether it is the god of evolution or the god of mammon (money), you step on people up the ladder to the wrong wall. You might kill them literally but the bible teaches hatred is murder anyway. In true Christianity, you give your life for your God. You lay down your life and live a life for others.
That is only possible if you are saved. Lost religious folks are just as hell bound as lost devil worshippers.
Because both worship the devil. One knows it. One will be in for shock for all eternity.
If I sound angry, I am just mad at the devil. My ancestors are burning in hell because of false religion. My family is so caught up with the affairs of this life, and satisfied with their humanistic man-centered salivations that still have them damned, that if Jesus came right now everyone besides my household would end up in hell.
I so much wish the lost would see. But if the church is blind and deaf to the cries of hell, how can I expect anything more from the lost?
Oh church, can you not see the necessity of the hour? Can you not hear the trumpet warming up that Jesus will blow before he cries out, COME UP HITHER?
Jesus is coming. Until then the terrorist will get more and more out of the lost and perilous times will come and get worse and worse. If you don't read your Bible, watch the news! Watch the weather channel! You would have to be blind and deaf to not see things are getting worse.
Why do we prefer to live ignorant? Why can't we wake up?
Are we waiting for the next time the terrorist strikes to do anything? But next time, what if your family is the one he is targeting?
Or what if it is you?
O friend, what is your life but a vapor? Our time here is so brief. Are we wasting it? Or will it count when you check out of here?
Time is short. And America is on a ticking time bomb. The ultimate terrorist attack could be coming at any moment. Just look up E-Bombs. For several hundred dollars and technology from 1950 you can make a bomb that can wipe out all the electricity in America for months and years. Do you know how to survive without a fridge? A car? Heat in the winter? Getting to your bank? Digging a well to get water?
We would all be in trouble.
America is not mentioned in the end times. Russia (Magog) is a big player. Israel is a big player, the middle east, etc.
America is not there. And maybe because literally AMERICA IS NOT THERE.
Are you ready? Are you warning others? Are you doing anything about it?
I don't know what to write. All I had was a thought, basically the title to this post. I am nothing but when I write, things come to me and I just write what is on my heart. I read and pray and just get behind the computer and out comes a blog post a half hour later. CNN would think I am a terrorist by what I write. I like to think of me as Mike the Baptist, crying in the wilderness for AMERICA TO REPENT!!! Get out of the sinning business America!
Close the bars, shut down the 4 HUNDRED million porno websites, shoot the television, chuck the filth and clean up our minds and our hearts and our homes! Burn down the casinos, take a wrecking ball to the false churches, tear down the mosques, board up the strip joints! Get sin out of America! Jail the abortionists and Washington politicians together and don't let them out. Let Hollywood drift out to sea. Have a big bon fire and toss on all the Hustlers and Playboys and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues in print. And put every Koran and book of Mormons in print on the fire. Let it burn! Let it burn! And maybe then most of America won't burn for eternity.
Until then we need to cry out against sin.
And stop playing church.
And start praying in church.
Oh America, you are so blind. You are so clueless to what is coming. You are so caught up in the next sporting event and so mesmerized by the latest concert that you literally have no idea that Jesus is real and ready to return at any moment. You are so busy chasing the dollar and so busy running after pleasure.
America you are a generation of frogs being cooked alive, clueless that that the water you once were comfortable in is now past the boiling point. You didn't get out when you could and now are getting cooked alive. Oh America, can't you see we have a problem?
One Door and Only one
The gospel can be found if you look at road signs. We need to be saved because Hell has a No U-Turn sign on it. You are there forever. The lost man needs to STOP and see his sin. Jesus's sign is ONE WAY. The devil's sign is DEAD END. The way a Christian lives for God is to YIELD. God says He will lead so DO NOT PASS. The Christian life is one where God says in Philippians that God hath begun a good work in you. God will keep working on his children, conforming them to his image. That means there is CONSTRUCTION AHEAD.
Imagine if you had cancer but didn't know it. Imagine there is only one cure. Imagine if you neglect or reject the cure you will die at any moment.
You find out the cure is locked up where no one in the world can obtain it.
Imagine I had found a way to bring the cure to you.
Would you at the very least research this cure? Be grateful for the people who sacrificed to bring you the good news?
Jesus is the cure once you know you are sick. The law sheds light on your sin.
Get convinced of the disease. Then you will want the cure.
Jesus saves anyone who knows they are lost.
The catch is men don't want to admit they are lost. That means they might have to stop and ask for directions.
Even if it means their eternity.
That is sad and foolish.
How are you? Are you willing to make sure you have the real directions to heaven?
Imagine if you had cancer but didn't know it. Imagine there is only one cure. Imagine if you neglect or reject the cure you will die at any moment.
You find out the cure is locked up where no one in the world can obtain it.
Imagine I had found a way to bring the cure to you.
Would you at the very least research this cure? Be grateful for the people who sacrificed to bring you the good news?
Jesus is the cure once you know you are sick. The law sheds light on your sin.
Get convinced of the disease. Then you will want the cure.
Jesus saves anyone who knows they are lost.
The catch is men don't want to admit they are lost. That means they might have to stop and ask for directions.
Even if it means their eternity.
That is sad and foolish.
How are you? Are you willing to make sure you have the real directions to heaven?
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Are we talking about the same Jesus?
I love my 4 children. I also have learned some new terms for things I had become familiar with. Popcycles in our house are known as opcorns. They eat GRARNOLER bars, not granola. Toaster struddles are called toaster guthers. Wal Mart is WEHRMERT. And the man who paved the way for the Lord Jesus Christ is John the Bapsmith. My son Zechariah calls Elijah "Guys" and Josiah he calls "Sy-EE". Bottles are bahbahs.
My sons have a special language, but even though they say things different, they are talking about the same thing.
This is not so in most churches today.
The Bible says salvation is repentance and faith. If you talk to a catholic they will say yes, it is repentance and faith. You will say you need to receive Jesus Christ and they will say yes they did that. You can ask if they know where they will go when they die. They can say for sure they know where they are going. They believe Jesus is God.
What is the problem?
In these examples, they have the same names for biblical terms, but they fooled you. They have different definitions.
Here are the basic catholic definitions.
1. Repentance = penance
2. Faith = Works based "faith"
3. Receive Jesus by faith = receive Jesus in the wafer
4. When they die = go to purgatory.
5. Jesus is God = Jesus is God, equal to Mary is God, and both share in my salvation.
This is where the confusion lies. They say the same words but mean something completely different. If you don't know that, you will forever think that Catholics are Christians and that us who try to convert Catholics are mean and offensive.
We care enough about Catholics to tell them the truth.
There is no salvation in the Catholic Church. Their different definitions are damning definitions.
In fact, they teach that it is only through their church that there is any salvation. I teach the Bible where Jesus says he is the only way to salvation. I say salvation is a person, not a prayer or performance. HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE says the Bible. I say salvation is in a person, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, not in a pew of church membership, not in a pool of baptism, not in a Priest, not in Purgatory.
Ever see any Catholic concerned enough about your soul to try and convert you to their religion? Or do they only want to win an argument? Try that one on for size. They are offended by us actually believing and acting on what we "believe". They literally believe "We are the WAY" (ie the Catholic Church) not "I am the WAY" (The Lord Jesus). They are wrong, and there is no hope in the Pope. But my point is if they only believe that "WE" are the way, and they never bother to tell you that "false truth that would be true in their eyes" how even colder they truly are!!!! If you don't truly believe that lie that your church is the only way, GET OUT! If you do truly believe that lie and don't act on it and tell the whole world we are all going to Hell because we don't go to your CHURCH, what kind of selfish hateful person are you? You literally, if you are Catholic, go to a church that teaches 1. If you are not Catholic you are going to burn in Hell. 2. If you are catholic you are going to burn in Purgatory. And this is appealing, why?
You can't give what you don't have. If you don't have the truth, you aren't going to go out and tell people that you have the only way to heaven.
Catholics believe that even if they don't know what they believe. However I am a Baptist. And in my BAPTIST CHURCH there are LOST Baptists and SAVED Baptists. Being baptist doesn't save, but if you are saved you want a GOOD PREACHING AND TEACHING CHURCH. Jesus is the trump card in this game of life. The Catholic church teaches church tradition, Mary, the Pope, church doctrine, etc are all above the Bible and what Jesus says.
That is blasphemous.
There is no salvation in the Catholic church, and if you have any ancestors, like I do, in that church, they are not right now burning in purgatory.
They are burning in Hell.
They will never be let out, and the families are still paying money to the church that lied to them and damned their souls to get their loved ones out by paying money for masses etc.
That is the ultimate double-cross.
God hates religion. We need not worry about being offensive. Love people enough to tell them the truth.
And if you are catholic that is why I wrote this.
I don't even know you but God loves you enough to warn you to turn around, jump ship and get on the right one. The Jesus Boat is the only one heading for destination Heaven.
The rest are of the S.S. Hell Bound Cruise line.
Get off now. And get saved.
Born again. Not at baptism like Catholicism teaches.
But by faith and repentance. Jesus saves. He delivers from hell, a sinful lifestyle, and dead and damning false religions.
Get out at once.
My sons have a special language, but even though they say things different, they are talking about the same thing.
This is not so in most churches today.
The Bible says salvation is repentance and faith. If you talk to a catholic they will say yes, it is repentance and faith. You will say you need to receive Jesus Christ and they will say yes they did that. You can ask if they know where they will go when they die. They can say for sure they know where they are going. They believe Jesus is God.
What is the problem?
In these examples, they have the same names for biblical terms, but they fooled you. They have different definitions.
Here are the basic catholic definitions.
1. Repentance = penance
2. Faith = Works based "faith"
3. Receive Jesus by faith = receive Jesus in the wafer
4. When they die = go to purgatory.
5. Jesus is God = Jesus is God, equal to Mary is God, and both share in my salvation.
This is where the confusion lies. They say the same words but mean something completely different. If you don't know that, you will forever think that Catholics are Christians and that us who try to convert Catholics are mean and offensive.
We care enough about Catholics to tell them the truth.
There is no salvation in the Catholic Church. Their different definitions are damning definitions.
In fact, they teach that it is only through their church that there is any salvation. I teach the Bible where Jesus says he is the only way to salvation. I say salvation is a person, not a prayer or performance. HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE says the Bible. I say salvation is in a person, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, not in a pew of church membership, not in a pool of baptism, not in a Priest, not in Purgatory.
Ever see any Catholic concerned enough about your soul to try and convert you to their religion? Or do they only want to win an argument? Try that one on for size. They are offended by us actually believing and acting on what we "believe". They literally believe "We are the WAY" (ie the Catholic Church) not "I am the WAY" (The Lord Jesus). They are wrong, and there is no hope in the Pope. But my point is if they only believe that "WE" are the way, and they never bother to tell you that "false truth that would be true in their eyes" how even colder they truly are!!!! If you don't truly believe that lie that your church is the only way, GET OUT! If you do truly believe that lie and don't act on it and tell the whole world we are all going to Hell because we don't go to your CHURCH, what kind of selfish hateful person are you? You literally, if you are Catholic, go to a church that teaches 1. If you are not Catholic you are going to burn in Hell. 2. If you are catholic you are going to burn in Purgatory. And this is appealing, why?
You can't give what you don't have. If you don't have the truth, you aren't going to go out and tell people that you have the only way to heaven.
Catholics believe that even if they don't know what they believe. However I am a Baptist. And in my BAPTIST CHURCH there are LOST Baptists and SAVED Baptists. Being baptist doesn't save, but if you are saved you want a GOOD PREACHING AND TEACHING CHURCH. Jesus is the trump card in this game of life. The Catholic church teaches church tradition, Mary, the Pope, church doctrine, etc are all above the Bible and what Jesus says.
That is blasphemous.
There is no salvation in the Catholic church, and if you have any ancestors, like I do, in that church, they are not right now burning in purgatory.
They are burning in Hell.
They will never be let out, and the families are still paying money to the church that lied to them and damned their souls to get their loved ones out by paying money for masses etc.
That is the ultimate double-cross.
God hates religion. We need not worry about being offensive. Love people enough to tell them the truth.
And if you are catholic that is why I wrote this.
I don't even know you but God loves you enough to warn you to turn around, jump ship and get on the right one. The Jesus Boat is the only one heading for destination Heaven.
The rest are of the S.S. Hell Bound Cruise line.
Get off now. And get saved.
Born again. Not at baptism like Catholicism teaches.
But by faith and repentance. Jesus saves. He delivers from hell, a sinful lifestyle, and dead and damning false religions.
Get out at once.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The Wrath of God
The 2 sided coin of the gift of salvation are 1. Biblical Repentance and 2. Saving Faith. If you don't have faith in what Jesus did on the cross and look to him for salvation, you merely switched addictions or you gained self reliance or self righteousness as you turned from a life of "crime". A clean life doesn't save. Yet, if truly got saved, you had a one-on-one confrontation with the God of the Universe and you will be forever changed. Like someone who met a mack truck one on one. Everyone would know you were different from that moment on. That leads to a holy life, one not sinless but one where you SIN LESS because your taste buds are changed. Before I was saved I enjoyed going to bars, listening to rap music and heavy metal like Metallica and the Beastie Boys and Iron Maiden and Nirvana. I enjoyed Marlboro Ultra lights at bars and Budweiser and cigars. I was into fornication and hooking up and pornography and my mind was a constant cess pool of fantasy and indulgent and it never let up always wanting more. I hated those Christians who seemed to not have a life. I was a man of science and thought Christians were the dumb ones. Looking back, I was the one who needed a life and was blind and foolish.
I am saved now. 11 years ago Jesus became real to me and delivered me from many sins immediately. For example I haven't touched a cigarette in 11 years. That is nothing to brag about but it is from God making me a new creature. The drinking gradually went away at least 7 years ago when I truly saw the truth about what God says about alcohol. Other sins were gone for long stretches but would resurface during extreme times of stress when I was not trusting God and turned back to my old ways. These times I saw the grace of God and how long suffering he is and I learned from my falls. Each time it seemed like the pressures of life would grow and it would take more to get me to give in. Now I have seen God even turn the corner with those stubborn habits and addictions that seemed to creep back. I know I need to be sober minded and watchful, but I also know the real living God more and more.
Recently at our church we had 2 wonderful sets of messages. The first set was from Pastor Marvin Smith from Dodge City Iowa. He did a spiritual warfare conference. That was on Monday April 8th through the 10th. Writer and Pastor Bill Grady preached our past Sunday on April 14th on Acts 27 and the Holocaust at night. You can listen to them on Oldtimebaptist.com on our Old Time Website. I also recommend Bill Grady's books (I believe you can find them at amazon.com) What Hath God wrought! and How Satan turned America against God. Deep and good stuff!!!!
The other 2 sided coin is who God is. 1. He is a God of love. 2. He is a God of wrath. He is a God of judgment and a God of mercy. He is the God of Heaven but also created hell. He is a loving God but a jealous God. He is a just God but a forgiving God. A guy today responded to my tract I offered him that we will all get forgiven. That is not so. Forgiveness is only available at the Cross where the 2 sides of God meet. Today we reject the negative side of God and create a Jesus in our own image. There is no fear of God because the God we re-made is too warm and cozy to fear. When I watched the Bible series on TV, the Jesus they projected was too effeminate to punish sin or put any fear in anyone. Like a loving but stern earthly father, Jesus is to be respected and loved. He is to be revered and we are to worship him and realize he has the power to cast us into hell and the love to save us from hell.
We don't have both sides down. These messages likely push one side intentionally. In America the love of God has been pushed so far that almost everyone in America, Obama included, thinks they are on good terms with "The man upstairs." That man upstairs is just as fictitious as the man in the moon. His name is Holy, wonderful, amazing, and invokes fear and worship in our heart of hearts.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
DO YOU KNOW HIM?
DO YOU FEAR HIM? YET LOVE HIM? DO YOU GIVE HIM YOUR WORSHIP?
HE IS GOD.
IS HE YOUR GOD?
I am saved now. 11 years ago Jesus became real to me and delivered me from many sins immediately. For example I haven't touched a cigarette in 11 years. That is nothing to brag about but it is from God making me a new creature. The drinking gradually went away at least 7 years ago when I truly saw the truth about what God says about alcohol. Other sins were gone for long stretches but would resurface during extreme times of stress when I was not trusting God and turned back to my old ways. These times I saw the grace of God and how long suffering he is and I learned from my falls. Each time it seemed like the pressures of life would grow and it would take more to get me to give in. Now I have seen God even turn the corner with those stubborn habits and addictions that seemed to creep back. I know I need to be sober minded and watchful, but I also know the real living God more and more.
Recently at our church we had 2 wonderful sets of messages. The first set was from Pastor Marvin Smith from Dodge City Iowa. He did a spiritual warfare conference. That was on Monday April 8th through the 10th. Writer and Pastor Bill Grady preached our past Sunday on April 14th on Acts 27 and the Holocaust at night. You can listen to them on Oldtimebaptist.com on our Old Time Website. I also recommend Bill Grady's books (I believe you can find them at amazon.com) What Hath God wrought! and How Satan turned America against God. Deep and good stuff!!!!
The other 2 sided coin is who God is. 1. He is a God of love. 2. He is a God of wrath. He is a God of judgment and a God of mercy. He is the God of Heaven but also created hell. He is a loving God but a jealous God. He is a just God but a forgiving God. A guy today responded to my tract I offered him that we will all get forgiven. That is not so. Forgiveness is only available at the Cross where the 2 sides of God meet. Today we reject the negative side of God and create a Jesus in our own image. There is no fear of God because the God we re-made is too warm and cozy to fear. When I watched the Bible series on TV, the Jesus they projected was too effeminate to punish sin or put any fear in anyone. Like a loving but stern earthly father, Jesus is to be respected and loved. He is to be revered and we are to worship him and realize he has the power to cast us into hell and the love to save us from hell.
We don't have both sides down. These messages likely push one side intentionally. In America the love of God has been pushed so far that almost everyone in America, Obama included, thinks they are on good terms with "The man upstairs." That man upstairs is just as fictitious as the man in the moon. His name is Holy, wonderful, amazing, and invokes fear and worship in our heart of hearts.
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
DO YOU KNOW HIM?
DO YOU FEAR HIM? YET LOVE HIM? DO YOU GIVE HIM YOUR WORSHIP?
HE IS GOD.
IS HE YOUR GOD?
Why ReInvent the Wheel?
Today in America, 3 were killed and hundreds were injured in 2 bombings at the Boston Marathon. Today reminded me more of the Boston Massacre than anything. We might not know the exact reasons, but the Bible says in the last days perilous times shall come. We just don't know how long they will last. Maybe a year, maybe a decade. But just like the marathon, people will be running to and fro, enjoying life and seeing their goals in sight, and WHAM. It is over. Their goals won't include God, and will be goals like retirement, or a job promotion, or greater victory from the liberal front or saving the spotted owls (which taste almost as good as bald eagle on rye) or fighting for our rights to party til we puke. God says consider the end and God says our goals are vain if we don't seek his will first.
America is an insane asylum run by the inmates, and it is our government who should get all the credit for creating a loony land fit for a comedy show. My wife was sent a forward today and it is below. I can't improve on it so I will just give it to you. Enjoy! And if you are not from America and reading this, know I am not just whining and murmuring for nothing. We have it good in America still, but we are merely riding on the fumes of past blessings when God was at the forefront of our country. I desperately cry for America to wake up and get back to the book. Americans were excited to watch a TV miniseries called the Bible, but surprisingly it was not very biblical and most offensive was it falsely featured Jesus as the long haired 95 lb weakling white boy. Jesus was a Jew and Jesus lived 30 years as a carpenter. Hard labor. If you know any men who work construction for a living they will not look like the Hollywoodized Jesus. Jesus was a man, ladies and gentlemen. The average church doesn't get that and they want a Jesus they can push around. That my friends is not the God of the bible. He is a God of love but also one to be feared. America doesn't fear God because it's church members don't fear God.
But ok America, keep running the race your way. It is working out wonderfully, isn't it? If God wasn't merciful today, hundreds could have died in the bombings. God yet again is keeping his protective hand on us, waiting for someone to start paying attention.
Here is some food for thought on America that was sent to my wife. Realize the founders were only "Geniuses" because they had the wisdom of God because they believed that Book and used the Bible to create a nation.
-------------------------------------------------------
Food for Thought
If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the only school curriculum allowed to explain how we got here is evolution, but the government stops a $15 million construction project to keep a rare spider from evolving to extinction ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If an 80-year-old woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher’s "cute," but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the government's plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working with 99 weeks of unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you are offended by this article, I'll bet you voted for the idiots who are running, and ruining our great country.
America is an insane asylum run by the inmates, and it is our government who should get all the credit for creating a loony land fit for a comedy show. My wife was sent a forward today and it is below. I can't improve on it so I will just give it to you. Enjoy! And if you are not from America and reading this, know I am not just whining and murmuring for nothing. We have it good in America still, but we are merely riding on the fumes of past blessings when God was at the forefront of our country. I desperately cry for America to wake up and get back to the book. Americans were excited to watch a TV miniseries called the Bible, but surprisingly it was not very biblical and most offensive was it falsely featured Jesus as the long haired 95 lb weakling white boy. Jesus was a Jew and Jesus lived 30 years as a carpenter. Hard labor. If you know any men who work construction for a living they will not look like the Hollywoodized Jesus. Jesus was a man, ladies and gentlemen. The average church doesn't get that and they want a Jesus they can push around. That my friends is not the God of the bible. He is a God of love but also one to be feared. America doesn't fear God because it's church members don't fear God.
But ok America, keep running the race your way. It is working out wonderfully, isn't it? If God wasn't merciful today, hundreds could have died in the bombings. God yet again is keeping his protective hand on us, waiting for someone to start paying attention.
Here is some food for thought on America that was sent to my wife. Realize the founders were only "Geniuses" because they had the wisdom of God because they believed that Book and used the Bible to create a nation.
-------------------------------------------------------
Food for Thought
If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the only school curriculum allowed to explain how we got here is evolution, but the government stops a $15 million construction project to keep a rare spider from evolving to extinction ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If an 80-year-old woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more ...you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher’s "cute," but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If the government's plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working with 99 weeks of unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If you are offended by this article, I'll bet you voted for the idiots who are running, and ruining our great country.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
RxOlogy
America we have a problem.
I am a pharmacist, but probably would make a better physician. I am good at diagnosing the problem, weak at fixing it.
We have a problem. Is there anyone who can't see it? Is there anyone who thinks things are getting better and better and the best is yet to come? I mean, anyone besides Obama think that?
Those of us who are sobered up these days see there is something majorly wrong. And we aren't even looking at North Korea. We aren't even discussing World War III coming soon. America could not be going down a worse path if Hillary Clinton were in office and Jody Arias was her VP.
America has a problem because there is a problem in the churches. The world reflects the church. Pastor Coulson (the one from Canada) said the reason that God raised up Hollywood is there are so many actors in the church. The hope is not in Obama moving to Singapore or North Korea launching a timely missile to the nearest White House it can find. The hope is not paying off the national debt. The hope is not in saving the planet and stopping pollution. The hope is not curing cancer or curing AIDS. The hope for America if there is one, and for the rest of the world for that matter, is for the churches to come alive and repent and wake up and see that if they were truly alive they would burn for the souls of men and they would hate sin and they would affect the world around them. Instead the world affects the church and we continue to sleep on.
If Jesus is the Prince of Peace why do so many Christians need anxiety meds and alcohol and yoga and Buspar and sleep aids? My wife is on Pintress on line and you basically pin things you enjoy or want to share with others. She pins birthday decorating ideas, and recipes and decorating things and scripture signs. One good pin said, something like "The Bible is meant to be bread to eat daily not cake for special occasions". Well today, my friend's wife, a guy who was in my wedding, who is a youth pastor, and would preach on the streets with me in Niagara Falls, posted a recipe for a drink that used Malibu RUM in it. God is against drunkenness and when you have the leadership now promoting SIN there is a problem!! Old Time Preacher Billy Sunday said beer and liquor are fine in their place, but their place is in hell.
If Jesus said I came to give them life and life more abundently, why are so many Christians on Prozac? Why are so many Christians on anti depressants? You are telling me that Cymbalta and Lexapro and Zoloft and Paxil bring more joy than Matthew Mark Luke and John?
Jesus delivered the oppressed and those with a devil. We would rather take psych meds? We would rather send them to a shrink who needs his own shrink?
How did we survive 100 years ago without meds for ADD/ADHD? What did kids do? Well, back then they did better in school. Hmm, maybe kicking God out of the schools has a bit to do with it. We don't need ADD MEDS. We need to ADD-GOD to school.
America's Christians (well maybe as I stated before now don't even hold to that standard) don't smoke or drink. In many circles you don't do a few externals and put on a suit and you are saved and ready for bible college. Yet we are just as addicted to the world. Addicted to sugar, to our cell phones, to our junk food, to our sweets. We can't fast because we go into shock 12 hours without our high fructose corn syrup. We can't keep up with God because we get winded because we are so out of shape. We can't hear God because we are always on our gadgets. We don't need God because we have good insurance. We don't want God because we are having too much fun in the world.
The world's ways don't work. If you are addicted to heroin, you go to a doctor now and they give you a prescription for the just as addictive Suboxone Film tabs. 1 film 3 times a day and see me again in a month. You go to the pharmacy for your drugs now instead of an alley way. Same addictions but now it is legal. You don't want your new baby, well if you wrap it in a towel and suffocate it and leave it in the laundry hamper you are charged with murder. The same baby is just in a different environment 6 months earlier but if you take your baby you are carrying to a state licensed doctor he can legally chop up your baby or poison your baby or suck out your baby and he gets a salary for that and is a respected medical professional. God calls him a sick murderer but Obama thinks he is a wonderful man.
The world is an insane asylum run by the inmates.
That is no surprise.
What is though a shock is how much the church now resembles the world. Just 200 years ago, America looked a lot like it's churches. We need to turn it around, before the whole thing comes crashing down.
We need to fast for America. But first we need to wake up, get off our addictions, and truly see we may call ourselves Christians but we have far too much of the world in us.
If you doubt that, just go ask your pharmacist the next time you need a refill on your meds.
I am a pharmacist, but probably would make a better physician. I am good at diagnosing the problem, weak at fixing it.
We have a problem. Is there anyone who can't see it? Is there anyone who thinks things are getting better and better and the best is yet to come? I mean, anyone besides Obama think that?
Those of us who are sobered up these days see there is something majorly wrong. And we aren't even looking at North Korea. We aren't even discussing World War III coming soon. America could not be going down a worse path if Hillary Clinton were in office and Jody Arias was her VP.
America has a problem because there is a problem in the churches. The world reflects the church. Pastor Coulson (the one from Canada) said the reason that God raised up Hollywood is there are so many actors in the church. The hope is not in Obama moving to Singapore or North Korea launching a timely missile to the nearest White House it can find. The hope is not paying off the national debt. The hope is not in saving the planet and stopping pollution. The hope is not curing cancer or curing AIDS. The hope for America if there is one, and for the rest of the world for that matter, is for the churches to come alive and repent and wake up and see that if they were truly alive they would burn for the souls of men and they would hate sin and they would affect the world around them. Instead the world affects the church and we continue to sleep on.
If Jesus is the Prince of Peace why do so many Christians need anxiety meds and alcohol and yoga and Buspar and sleep aids? My wife is on Pintress on line and you basically pin things you enjoy or want to share with others. She pins birthday decorating ideas, and recipes and decorating things and scripture signs. One good pin said, something like "The Bible is meant to be bread to eat daily not cake for special occasions". Well today, my friend's wife, a guy who was in my wedding, who is a youth pastor, and would preach on the streets with me in Niagara Falls, posted a recipe for a drink that used Malibu RUM in it. God is against drunkenness and when you have the leadership now promoting SIN there is a problem!! Old Time Preacher Billy Sunday said beer and liquor are fine in their place, but their place is in hell.
If Jesus said I came to give them life and life more abundently, why are so many Christians on Prozac? Why are so many Christians on anti depressants? You are telling me that Cymbalta and Lexapro and Zoloft and Paxil bring more joy than Matthew Mark Luke and John?
Jesus delivered the oppressed and those with a devil. We would rather take psych meds? We would rather send them to a shrink who needs his own shrink?
How did we survive 100 years ago without meds for ADD/ADHD? What did kids do? Well, back then they did better in school. Hmm, maybe kicking God out of the schools has a bit to do with it. We don't need ADD MEDS. We need to ADD-GOD to school.
America's Christians (well maybe as I stated before now don't even hold to that standard) don't smoke or drink. In many circles you don't do a few externals and put on a suit and you are saved and ready for bible college. Yet we are just as addicted to the world. Addicted to sugar, to our cell phones, to our junk food, to our sweets. We can't fast because we go into shock 12 hours without our high fructose corn syrup. We can't keep up with God because we get winded because we are so out of shape. We can't hear God because we are always on our gadgets. We don't need God because we have good insurance. We don't want God because we are having too much fun in the world.
The world's ways don't work. If you are addicted to heroin, you go to a doctor now and they give you a prescription for the just as addictive Suboxone Film tabs. 1 film 3 times a day and see me again in a month. You go to the pharmacy for your drugs now instead of an alley way. Same addictions but now it is legal. You don't want your new baby, well if you wrap it in a towel and suffocate it and leave it in the laundry hamper you are charged with murder. The same baby is just in a different environment 6 months earlier but if you take your baby you are carrying to a state licensed doctor he can legally chop up your baby or poison your baby or suck out your baby and he gets a salary for that and is a respected medical professional. God calls him a sick murderer but Obama thinks he is a wonderful man.
The world is an insane asylum run by the inmates.
That is no surprise.
What is though a shock is how much the church now resembles the world. Just 200 years ago, America looked a lot like it's churches. We need to turn it around, before the whole thing comes crashing down.
We need to fast for America. But first we need to wake up, get off our addictions, and truly see we may call ourselves Christians but we have far too much of the world in us.
If you doubt that, just go ask your pharmacist the next time you need a refill on your meds.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Rx Files
I am a pharmacist by trade. That is my career, evangelism is my calling.
What is humbling and exciting is I see how the two go hand in hand. The lessons I learned in pharmacy inspired what I see are great solutions for the weak evangelism and lukewarm churchmembers in this final period before Jesus returns.
The Bible says there will be a great falling away before his return and this world is going to get more and more insane. The world wants to stay in denial, the world wants to live oblivious to eternity, and the world wants to be left alone as they all head in the same direction, like lemmings off a cliff of destruction. The Bible is the history book of the universe and it is a book to love and a book to be obeyed. You cannot obey the spirit of it's commands without the author himself, but that is the beauty of Christianity. The Bible is alive, and if you move toward it's truths and let it judge you, and then just open your heart to it's eternal promises and fear it's eternal consequences of rejecting or neglecting it, then the author himself literally moves in to stay, gives you everlasting life for FREE, and wants to live through you to experience the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE in a REAL and tangible way. Who wouldn't want it? Apparently most of the world, because billions are trading the true and living God you give your life to for false, dead religions of man that you sell your soul for.
I am nothing special but my God can beat up your gods!!! Whether it is the worshipped Popes (who are just the Roman Caesars of old who claimed to be God on earth, but wearing new uniforms), Allah (who is nothing but the moon god idol that Mohammad chose to represent his false religion), the book of Mormons (filled with contradictions, events, and claims easily proven false), the Watchtower of Jehovah Witnesses (which teach that the male, Jewish 144,000 virgins are instead the founders of the JW movement and the only ones going to heaven and the only ones who have the truth to give their members--- yet the 144,000 JW's generation have almost all died off and that means the movement will cease to exist because it's "official members" will no longer be there to teach and direct them!!!), the blind faith of humanism (which teach man is getting better and evolution is true, despite the fact that there is not one shred of evidence evolution is true unless they steal micro-evolution evidence which creationists already believe in! i,e, 2 big dogs came off the ark and "mico-evolved" to all the dogs you see today. Yet that is not "evolution", ie, soup to dogs and the big bang, and every small dog is a loss of genetic information. No mutation is ever a gain of information! Carbon and radiometric dating are flawed and they select the dates that fit their theory!), and so on.
This world has no clue what the truth is. Americans stopped thinking the day we got the remote control. The bible says these are the last days, but as Leonard Ravenhill said, "We just don't know how long they will last." At any moment World War III can break out and at any moment North Korea can send millions into eternity! Is there not a cause? The Bible asks, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
That is what brings us back to pharmacy lessons.
Here are some things to keep in mind about salvation. Most Americans (and most of it's converts worldwide) are still lost but have a HEAD KNOWLEDGE and think they are saved. Sadly, I heard Rick Warren's 27 year old son committed suicide this week. Rick Warren is a mega church pastor but he is the blind leading the blind. I think his son was a tormented soul and really is a good example of today's Christianity. He thought he was saved but he was so depressed he figured he would just end it and go to heaven. True Christians can get discouraged, but what I see here is he never met the true and living God because his father teaches a false gospel of works and accepts false Christs, and has a shallow easy believism sort of doctrine. His son tried all kinds of secular treatments and meds and modern methods and none gave him any hope. That is sad, but that is typical Christianity today. It does not deliver as promised and when the challenges of life hit, it is not going to get the average Christian to weather the storm. It is paper fire and the ease of American life has us comfortable around it's false heat. If you have been inside your house heated to 72 degrees and you have a nice sweater on and a cup of hot cocoa and your latest TV show on, you can sit by your electric fireplace and look at the flames and feel the illusion of warmth. Someone who has been in a blizzard and had their jackets blown right off of them and on the verge of frost bit, and facing hypothermia has a different response to a fake fireplace. It doesn't matter how inviting the fire looks, it will not provide any restoring heat and the flame will not help anyone trying to get warm from the storm.
From a pharmacy perspective, here is a bit of what is going on.
Jesus is the cure.
The disease is sin.
The cure saves from hell and sin.
The consequences of neglecting the cure or rejecting the cure are hell and continued sin.
A wrong Jesus won't save just like the wrong medication dispensed won't save.
The wrong duration of treatment won't help. A 5 hour IV that is stopped after 5 minutes won't do anything. A 5 minute gospel presentation when during the great awakening heard hours and hours of preaching on the wrath of God and the holiness of God is one reason why men today aren't truly being cured. They have the head knowledge but they never met the true and living God for themselves because they weren't exposed to the cure long enough for it to do anything. It takes human nature to really fall under deep conviction to bring true repentance. Head knowledge is appealing because people think they are now saved but their sins are not dealt with.
Knowing all about the cure but leaving it in the bottle is not going to help. People all over believe in Jesus, the cure. They know what he will do. Yet they never opened the bottle and absorbed it in their lives. If heart medication never enters the heart it won't do anything. Most Americans still have Jesus in the bottle in their medicine cabinets.
If not convinced of the disease Jesus becomes an experimental flu shot people get just in case. The preachers of old convinced of the disease using the law and wrath of God to expose the sinner's condition.
Wrong route right drug doesn't help. Someone who swallows instead of injecting their insulin won't benefit because the drug molecule is too large to be absorbed. Likewise, the right Jesus but not taken the right way won't save. Jesus saves and give the gift of eternal life to all who repent and believe the gospel. The wrong "route" is just "Pray and Ask the Lord to Save you."
Right diagnosis but given the wrong drug won't save. False Christs, like the Catholic Christ, the Mormon Christ, the book the Shack's Jesus, etc are like given the wrong medication. It will not save no matter the dose.
Getting the right IV but getting one contaminated with poison will give the patient more than likely more harm than good. Today's mega church new evangelical Rock and Roll churches are doing that. They have the cure mixed in with a whole lot of poison. And the poison comes sugar coated as well.
A false gospel and false Christ inoculates someone to the real gospel just like a flu shot. A flu shot is a false version of the real thing. When exposed to the real bug, the body is trained to automatically fight off the real thing because they were first exposed to the false. That is a good way to describe what is going on in America. Most Americans refuse salvation because "I already did that!" What did they do? Simply get exposed to the false Jesus the flu shot.
Folks, we have our work cut out. The laborers are few but we need to get back to the true gospel and start getting the word out. And work on the false doctrines that have most of America still lost in their sin and the church asleep in the pews.
What is humbling and exciting is I see how the two go hand in hand. The lessons I learned in pharmacy inspired what I see are great solutions for the weak evangelism and lukewarm churchmembers in this final period before Jesus returns.
The Bible says there will be a great falling away before his return and this world is going to get more and more insane. The world wants to stay in denial, the world wants to live oblivious to eternity, and the world wants to be left alone as they all head in the same direction, like lemmings off a cliff of destruction. The Bible is the history book of the universe and it is a book to love and a book to be obeyed. You cannot obey the spirit of it's commands without the author himself, but that is the beauty of Christianity. The Bible is alive, and if you move toward it's truths and let it judge you, and then just open your heart to it's eternal promises and fear it's eternal consequences of rejecting or neglecting it, then the author himself literally moves in to stay, gives you everlasting life for FREE, and wants to live through you to experience the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE in a REAL and tangible way. Who wouldn't want it? Apparently most of the world, because billions are trading the true and living God you give your life to for false, dead religions of man that you sell your soul for.
I am nothing special but my God can beat up your gods!!! Whether it is the worshipped Popes (who are just the Roman Caesars of old who claimed to be God on earth, but wearing new uniforms), Allah (who is nothing but the moon god idol that Mohammad chose to represent his false religion), the book of Mormons (filled with contradictions, events, and claims easily proven false), the Watchtower of Jehovah Witnesses (which teach that the male, Jewish 144,000 virgins are instead the founders of the JW movement and the only ones going to heaven and the only ones who have the truth to give their members--- yet the 144,000 JW's generation have almost all died off and that means the movement will cease to exist because it's "official members" will no longer be there to teach and direct them!!!), the blind faith of humanism (which teach man is getting better and evolution is true, despite the fact that there is not one shred of evidence evolution is true unless they steal micro-evolution evidence which creationists already believe in! i,e, 2 big dogs came off the ark and "mico-evolved" to all the dogs you see today. Yet that is not "evolution", ie, soup to dogs and the big bang, and every small dog is a loss of genetic information. No mutation is ever a gain of information! Carbon and radiometric dating are flawed and they select the dates that fit their theory!), and so on.
This world has no clue what the truth is. Americans stopped thinking the day we got the remote control. The bible says these are the last days, but as Leonard Ravenhill said, "We just don't know how long they will last." At any moment World War III can break out and at any moment North Korea can send millions into eternity! Is there not a cause? The Bible asks, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
That is what brings us back to pharmacy lessons.
Here are some things to keep in mind about salvation. Most Americans (and most of it's converts worldwide) are still lost but have a HEAD KNOWLEDGE and think they are saved. Sadly, I heard Rick Warren's 27 year old son committed suicide this week. Rick Warren is a mega church pastor but he is the blind leading the blind. I think his son was a tormented soul and really is a good example of today's Christianity. He thought he was saved but he was so depressed he figured he would just end it and go to heaven. True Christians can get discouraged, but what I see here is he never met the true and living God because his father teaches a false gospel of works and accepts false Christs, and has a shallow easy believism sort of doctrine. His son tried all kinds of secular treatments and meds and modern methods and none gave him any hope. That is sad, but that is typical Christianity today. It does not deliver as promised and when the challenges of life hit, it is not going to get the average Christian to weather the storm. It is paper fire and the ease of American life has us comfortable around it's false heat. If you have been inside your house heated to 72 degrees and you have a nice sweater on and a cup of hot cocoa and your latest TV show on, you can sit by your electric fireplace and look at the flames and feel the illusion of warmth. Someone who has been in a blizzard and had their jackets blown right off of them and on the verge of frost bit, and facing hypothermia has a different response to a fake fireplace. It doesn't matter how inviting the fire looks, it will not provide any restoring heat and the flame will not help anyone trying to get warm from the storm.
From a pharmacy perspective, here is a bit of what is going on.
Jesus is the cure.
The disease is sin.
The cure saves from hell and sin.
The consequences of neglecting the cure or rejecting the cure are hell and continued sin.
A wrong Jesus won't save just like the wrong medication dispensed won't save.
The wrong duration of treatment won't help. A 5 hour IV that is stopped after 5 minutes won't do anything. A 5 minute gospel presentation when during the great awakening heard hours and hours of preaching on the wrath of God and the holiness of God is one reason why men today aren't truly being cured. They have the head knowledge but they never met the true and living God for themselves because they weren't exposed to the cure long enough for it to do anything. It takes human nature to really fall under deep conviction to bring true repentance. Head knowledge is appealing because people think they are now saved but their sins are not dealt with.
Knowing all about the cure but leaving it in the bottle is not going to help. People all over believe in Jesus, the cure. They know what he will do. Yet they never opened the bottle and absorbed it in their lives. If heart medication never enters the heart it won't do anything. Most Americans still have Jesus in the bottle in their medicine cabinets.
If not convinced of the disease Jesus becomes an experimental flu shot people get just in case. The preachers of old convinced of the disease using the law and wrath of God to expose the sinner's condition.
Wrong route right drug doesn't help. Someone who swallows instead of injecting their insulin won't benefit because the drug molecule is too large to be absorbed. Likewise, the right Jesus but not taken the right way won't save. Jesus saves and give the gift of eternal life to all who repent and believe the gospel. The wrong "route" is just "Pray and Ask the Lord to Save you."
Right diagnosis but given the wrong drug won't save. False Christs, like the Catholic Christ, the Mormon Christ, the book the Shack's Jesus, etc are like given the wrong medication. It will not save no matter the dose.
Getting the right IV but getting one contaminated with poison will give the patient more than likely more harm than good. Today's mega church new evangelical Rock and Roll churches are doing that. They have the cure mixed in with a whole lot of poison. And the poison comes sugar coated as well.
A false gospel and false Christ inoculates someone to the real gospel just like a flu shot. A flu shot is a false version of the real thing. When exposed to the real bug, the body is trained to automatically fight off the real thing because they were first exposed to the false. That is a good way to describe what is going on in America. Most Americans refuse salvation because "I already did that!" What did they do? Simply get exposed to the false Jesus the flu shot.
Folks, we have our work cut out. The laborers are few but we need to get back to the true gospel and start getting the word out. And work on the false doctrines that have most of America still lost in their sin and the church asleep in the pews.
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