12/31/17 FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS

12/31/17 FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS

If we follow the directives in this passage in 2018 we will be more than conquerors. It calls for denying self and taking the initiative to follow in the steps of Jesus, which will lead us in the way of righteousness. This is not an easy path, but a path through suffering and rejection. It is the path the Savior trod.

Anyone can do well when life is easy. It takes grace and power from the Holy Spirit to do right when you are being treated wrongly. This path is the path that does not follow or practice sin. Give up sin, that is the call of God. It is possible through the One Who gave up everything for us.

1 Peter 2:17-25
17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

12/31/17 RESURRECTION PERFECTION

12/31/17 RESURRECTION PERFECTION

THOSE WITH A PERFECT HEART TOWARD GOD SHOULD FOLLOW AFTER THE PERFECTION OF RESURRECTION.

This passage calls us to keep moving forward in our relationship with Christ. In fact we are to keep moving toward the perfection of the resurrection. This is our choice and our responsibility. It is not something we can do on our own. It requires the empowering of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit will not do it without our submission and our desire.

Someone will say, "but Paul says that he himself was not yet perfect."

That is correct. Paul was not yet perfect in resurrection perfection. That is his point. Until we have attained to the resurrection then we are still required to seek and submit to the leading and the changes that come with spiritual growth. Paul said that he must continue, that he must follow after, so that he may apprehend that for which Christ had apprehended him, which is the resurrection.

But notice too, he recognized that some were already perfect, at least to the degree that God's grace would perfect them in this present evil world. He also points out that those who are perfect in their heart and in their relationship with God should also be of the same mind with one another. This is where some people refuse to enter into perfection of heart and purity of life. They do not want to give up their own will to the will of God.

Paul goes on to say that those who have been perfected in their hearts and minds should live in such a way that they can say, DO AS I DO, not only do as I say do.

If you have not surrendered your will completely into the will of God, you are not ready for tomorrow with all of its trials and all of its opportunities. If you have surrendered fully and been filled with the Holy Spirit, you need to keep on keeping on as you follow Jesus. You need to live in oneness of heart and mind with other believers. You need to live a surrendered life if you want to be constantly victorious. You also need to live in such a way that you can boldly say, by the power of God working in you, that others should follow your steps because you are following Christ.

Philippians 3:12-17
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

12/31/17 GOODBYE 2017, HELLO 2018

12/31/17 GOODBYE 2017, HELLO 2018

PRAISE THE LORD FOR

GREAT WORSHIP, PRAISE AND FELLOWSHIP TODAY.

Praise for...

God's provision and protection.

God keeping and sustaining our loved ones through dark trials.

God's constant love, abiding mercy and His grace that changes us.

God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He has kept us and blessed us.

He has been faithful and He has plans for us in 2018.

Celebrated sister Robin being part of our local body for a year now. Her faithfulness, service, talents, and love for us all is evident. We are thankful for her being here.

We missed the Cushwas especially today. We are glad that Daniel is doing better and that they are able to be together as a family this year. Thank you Lord for Your hand on Daniel.

God has more for us than we can imagine and He will be there for us this coming year, through flame and flood.

We sang several songs of praise, and several very good testimonies.

I preached about realizing that we always have room for growth. I also pointed out that God's plan involves our service to our family, our local congregation, and reaching out to a world in total chaos.

12/31/17 MY 2014 MINISTRY POSTS NOW ON BLOG

12/31/17 MY 2014 MINISTRY POSTS NOW ON BLOG

(this gives me 2009 through 2017 on blog format)

WOOO HOOOO
JUST FINISHED MOVING 2014 POSTS TO A BLOG FORMAT
http://pastordlgouldmusings2014.blogspot.com/
These articles reflect my walk with the Lord and His teaching me as a pastor. I hope you check it out and I hope you are blessed. I was blessed to write the in 2014 and I have been blessed as I transferred them. The good thing about the blog format is that you have all ministry articles in chronological order, with a search bar to find specific concepts. It might be a blessing to your friends. Or, if you want to torment your enemies, invite them to read my articles (hehehe).

12/30/17 HERE IT COMES

12/30/17 HERE IT COMES

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018.

SEVERAL PROJECTS CALLING

(personal, ministry, family)

LORD HELP ME FOLLOW FULLY.

12/30/17 A NOTE I WROTE THREE YEARS AGO

12/30/17 A NOTE I WROTE THREE YEARS AGO

11/18/14 TO BE RIGHTEOUS OR NOT TO BE RIGHTEOUS

Righteous and Upright: Fact or False Doctrine

Over 130 verses which tell that it is possible to be "righteous" and over 40 verses, which tell us it is possible to be "upright." I only found 1 verse that seems to say that it is impossible to be "righteous" and only 2 verses that seem to say that it is impossible to be "upright." Check it out.

I give over 130 verses, which tell us that it is possible to be "righteous" and over 40 verses, which tell us it is possible to be "upright." I only found 1 verse that seems to say that it is impossible to be "righteous" and only 2 verses that seem to say that it is impossible to be "upright." Check it out.

God's word requires us to be righteous. God's grace enables us to be righteous. This document deals with this. The position presented in this document will fly in the face of what Christians are being taught today by so-called Bible believing teachers and pastors.
When the idea of being righteous and living righteously comes up, the typical response of sinning religion is,
"The Bible says,“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Ro. 3:10)."

But they fail to add,
"The Bible also says,“Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 Jn 3:7)."

If this is all we have of God’s revelation, we are faced with an apparent contradiction. Without any explanation, these verses seem to be mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed to one another. It appears that if one statement is true, the other statement cannot be true.

However, this is not all we have in God’s revelation. In fact, these two verses are not contradictory but complimentary; they are in total agreement. Both of these statements are true. One statement is just as truly the inspired and inerrant word of God as the other statement, therefore both statements must be embraced totally by the believer in Christ. The Romans 3:10 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of lost men, and the First John 3:7 passage is referring to the spiritual condition of saved men.

There is a segment of the Christian religion that exalts the sin of man above the grace of God. They are constantly telling us that man is born in sin (which is true) and will continue in sin until the day he dies (which is true for the unsaved). They say, "God does not want us to sin and God’s grace is sufficient to save us from all sin, but we are only human and therefore we will always sin against God as long as we are in this world and in this sinful body (flesh).” They make human sinfulness to be greater than Divine grace.

This document does not try to prove God’s deliverance from all sin. This document simply wants to prove that God’s word declares that salvation makes saved people righteous.

MY BELIEFS ON THIS SUBJECT
Let me make some statements right at the beginning, which will state my beliefs and the purpose of this article. I offer these statements because most of the people who read this article are going to accuse me of claiming “sinless perfection,” a term that is usually used by those who do not believe in the power of God to save from all sin. Those who believe in God’s full salvation seldom use the term, “sinless perfection” since it is not a Biblical term and it causes more confusion than understanding.

I state my beliefs in order to be completely open with you. My beliefs are important only if they are Biblical. If you cannot find these truths or verses in the Bible, please let me know and I will send you a list of references. After I give you a brief overview of my beliefs on this subject, I will give you a great number of verses, straight from the Bible. In fact, these verses are the reason for this document.

I believe God is the only absolutely perfect Person (Being) Who has ever existed, exists at present or ever will exist.

I believe God is inherently holy and He is the Fountainhead of holiness for all those who have been holy, either by creation (Angels and Adam), or by salvation (those saved through faith in Christ).

I believe Adam incurred a sinful nature at the time of his disobedience in the garden and has passed that sinful propensity to allof his offspring and that all humans have sinned, (except for Jesus Christ).

I believe Jesus Christ came to the world as “God in the flesh,” that is, He was fully God and fully Man, one Person with two natures (Divine and human) but he did not have Adam’s sinful nature, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead, physically, for our justification.

I believe Jesus came to save His people from their sins, not in their sins.

I believe if we confess our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I believe if we walk in the light as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with Him and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

I believe those who are trusting the grace of God, the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit can live in obedience to God.

I believe sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin.

I believe God enables believers to obey Him fully, because, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.

I believe that believers, by the grace of God, can live without disobeying the known will of God and that God will help us with our infirmities, which are not sins, yet are weaknesses that are less than absolute perfection (He. 4:15-16).

I believe God does not require us to be absolutely perfect or angelically perfect or Adamically perfect, but He does require us to love Him with perfect love (the love of God), which is called the “law of love,” and “the royal law,” “the perfect law of liberty” and “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

I believe, if a person loves God, then he will obey God.

I believe, if a person loves God, then he will keep God’s commands.

I believe that by the grace of God we must keep ourselves in the love of God.

I believe those who do not keep God’s commands do not love God and they are of the devil.

I believe those who commit sin are of the devil.

I believe Christians are expected to live without disobeying God and can give testimony to the power of God to save from all sin.

I am sure that there are many other points I could make, but I will move on to the article itself.

MY APPROACH IN THIS DOCUMENT

I will provide passages from the Bible, which clearly tell us that we can be righteous, through the redemptive work of Christ. I wanted to present Bible verses so that you can look at them as a group of verses; think about them and allow them to influence your faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. There is a lack of belief in the possibility of being righteous and living a righteous life, and I hope that these verses will help someone see the truth of God more clearly.

Sometimes people “threaten” to read the context, supposing that the context will “disprove” the Biblical doctrine of imparted and experiential righteousness. I encourage you to read the context of every passage, though that will take quite a while. However, a complete reading of the passage will actually prove that there is such a thing as a righteous person, according to God and His word. In addition, a reading of the context will provide valuable insight into God’s saving power. After you have at least scanned the following lists of verses, PLEASE read their contexts. I even challenge you to read their contexts.

Some people say that the verses are being misinterpreted. Actually, these verses are presented without interpretation. They stand alone. It is true that some verses need to be studied in their original language and in their cultural setting and in their literary context, but the Bible is crystal clear in this area. Some truths are obvious to the open mind and they are repeated over and over again, time after time, ad infinitum (do you think you get my point). The truth that God makes us righteous and the fact that we can live righteously is stated and re-stated time and again. If God did not mean what He said, He should have said something else instead. If the translators failed to get the real meaning of the passage, they failed hundreds of times. If the Bible is wrong on personal and experiential righteousness in the believer, it is wrong about everything.

If we are going to understand the Scriptures, we need to understand the few verses (such as, “there is none righteous“) in the light of the many verses. We should understand the difficult verses in the light of the simple verses.

I only quote verses in this list, which clearly reflect God’s point of view. I do not use verses, which quote dubious sources, such as Job’s friends.

I did not include all of the words and phrases which address this issue, such as “holy,” “holiness,” “pure,” “purity,” “innocent,” “righteousness,” “righteously,” “uprightness,” “uprightly,” “right,” “good,” “saints” or “without sin,” for instance.

I did not include verses that declare that God is righteous, since that is not in dispute. However, it might be worth your while to see how many verses declare that God is righteous as compared with how many declare that there are righteous men.

I have included a list of verses that say humans are not righteous or cannot be righteous. I have been consistent in this report. If you think I failed to list all of the pertinent verses, please do it yourself and let me know what you find. I admit I could have missed some, but on the other hand, I deliberately left out many of the verses, which state that man is righteous. Remember too, these are only lists that use verses with the two specific words, “righteous” and “upright.” However, the principle holds true, regardless of the words used. God’s word acknowledges that men will be righteous, upright, holy and pure, when they are in a right relationship with God.

I have not included verses that declare the unrighteousness of specific individuals, since there is no disagreement that all men are unrighteous while in their unregenerate condition. It is not essential or helpful to list verses that support a point that is not in controversy.

There is a great danger in presenting the minority view of God (i.e. there is none righteous) as though it is the sole view of God. Actually, to deceitfully handle the word of God in such a way is wicked. The whole view is, there is none inherently righteous, no, not one and those who are in a salvific relationship with God are not only called righteous, they are righteous. For every verse that seems to say man is not righteous, there are hundreds of verses that declare man’s personal and experiential righteousness through Christ. Yet most people will laud and applaud man’s sinfulness rather than God’s glorious and great salvation.

I am eager for responses to this article, whether you like what I have written or not. If you can prove me wrong, please do. Be assured, if I do not agree with your position I will probably respond. However, the final authority is the word of God, not our opinions or the opinions of learned religionists and theologians. I know people who will say, “Doctor Hootchiebob does not agree with this point of view.” Well, Doctor Hootchiebob is wrong and God is right. “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGES
Old Testament
Genesis 7:1
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 18:23-26
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

Exodus 23:7-8
7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 25:1
1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

2 Samuel 4:11
11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

1 Kings 8:32
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

2 Chronicles 6:23
23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

Psalms 1:5-6
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalms 5:12
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Psalms 7:11
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Psalms 11:3; 5
3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Psalms 14:5
5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

Psalms 31:18
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Psalms 32:11
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Psalms 34:15
15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalms 34:17
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 34:19
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Psalms 34:20-21
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

Psalms 37:16, 21, 25, 29, 30; 32; 39
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psalms 52:6
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

Psalms 55:22
22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Psalms 58:10-11
10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Psalms 64:10
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Psalms 68:3
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Psalms 69:28
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Psalms 72:7
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

Psalms 75:10
10 All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

Psalms 92:12
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Psalms 94:21
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

Psalms 97:11-12
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psalms 107:42
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

Psalms 112:6
6 Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

Psalms 118:15
15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Psalms 118:20
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

Psalms 125:3
3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

Psalms 140:13
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalms 142:7
7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Psalms 146:8
8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

Proverbs 2:7, 20
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

Proverbs 3:32
32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Proverbs 10:3, 11, 16, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32
3 The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.16 The labor of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

Proverbs 11:8, 10, 21, 23, 28, 30, 31
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
21 Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
28 He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Proverbs 12:3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 26
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.
10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

Proverbs 13:5, 9, 21, 25
5 A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repaid.
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

Proverbs 14:9, 19, 32
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

Proverbs 15:6, 19, 28, 29
6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.
19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 18:5, 10
5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Proverbs 21:12, 18, 26
12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

Proverbs 23:24
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Proverbs 24:15
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

Proverbs 28:1, 10, 12, 28
1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 29:2, 6, 7, 16
2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
6 In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

Ecclesiastes 3:17
17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Isaiah 5:23
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Jeremiah 20:12
12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

Ezekiel 3:20, 21
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Ezekiel 13:22
22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

Ezekiel 18:20, 24, 26
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Ezekiel 33:12, 13. 18
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

New Testament
Matthew 10:41
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

Matthew 13:17
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Matthew 23:29, 35
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

Matthew 25:37, 46
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Luke 1:6
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Romans 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Hebrews 11:4
14 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1 Peter 3:12
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

1 Peter 4:18
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

2 Peter 2:8
8 For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds

1 John 2:29
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John 3:7
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1 John 3:12
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Revelation 22:11
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

UPRIGHT, THE PASSAGES
Old Testament
1 Samuel 29:6
6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor thee not.

2 Samuel 22:24, 26
24 I was also upright before him and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
26 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright.

Job 1:1, 8
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Job 2:3
3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Psalms 7:10
10 My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.

Psalms 11:2, 7
2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Psalms 18:23, 25
25 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;

Psalms 20:8
8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Psalms 32:11
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalms 33:1
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Psalms 36:10
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

Psalms 37:14, 18, 37
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation
18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

Psalms 64:10
10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Psalms 94:15
15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

Psalms 97:11
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

Psalms 111:1
1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

Psalms 112:2, 4
2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

Psalms 125:4
4 Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

Psalms 140:13
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Proverbs 2:21
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

Proverbs 10:29
29 The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Proverbs 11:3, 6, 11, 20
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Proverbs 12:6
6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

Proverbs 13:6
6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Proverbs 14:11
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

Proverbs 15:8
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Proverbs 16:117

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Proverbs 21:18, 29
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

Proverbs 28:10
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

Proverbs 29:10, 27
10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.
27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Song of Solomon 1:4
4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

Isaiah 26:7
7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
DLG note… In this case God is called “most upright” but the way of the justified person is called “uprightness.”

Psalms 19:13
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Ecclesiastes 7:29
29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

SUMMARY
I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 130 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE “RIGHTEOUS” IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.

I NOW OFFER THE ONLY VERSE I KNOW ABOUT, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “RIGHTEOUS” PERSON.

NONE RIGHTEOUS, THE PASSAGE
Romans. 3:10
10 “There is none righteous, no, not one”
DLG note… This is a true statement concerning the unsaved. Paul said that all people are in need of a Savior, because all have sinned. The context makes it perfectly clear that Paul was speaking about those who are not justified and sanctified.

Remember, this document only addresses verses that use the word “righteous.” Someone may point out that there are other words used in the Bible, when referring to sinful people. YES, there are. But if we used the verses that say man is not holy, we would need to make a list of verses that say man can be and is holy, when in a right relationship with God. This would produce other lists that are overwhelmingly numerous and clear that God does indeed make for Himself a holy, righteous, pure, obedient, good, upright people.

Someone may say, “But, there are several different Greek and Hebrew words, which are translated as, “righteous” and they do not mean what David says.”

David responds… I will be glad to do a word study with you concerning the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words. But the point is, people claim that the Bible says people cannot be righteous and then use one Bible verse to prove their point, ignoring over one hundred and thirty other verses. If we are going to use Bible words, we must use Bible words honestly. The Bible says that we can be righteous.

These verses do not contradict each other, they compliment one another and they deal with different subjects. The point is, the Bible clearly teaches that humans can be and must be personally and experientially righteous.

I GAVE YOU A LIST OF MORE THAN 40 VERSES THAT PROVES HUMANS CAN BE UPRIGHT IN THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD.
I NOW OFFER 2 VERSES THAT SEEM TO INDICATE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UPRIGHT PERSON.

NONE UPRIGHT, THE PASSAGES
Micah 7:2, 4
2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.
4 The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
DLG note… The context clearly addresses a particular people in a particular time and place. The prophet Micah was pointing out how far reaching was Judah’s sin. The fact that the prophet looked for the “upright” man indicates that upright people had existed, but had died or been killed.

The fact that Micah said, “all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net” makes it clear that he is not referring to all men of all times and all places, since the saved do not fit this profile, nor did Micah fit this description.

Also, the prophet said that the day of visitation was going to come upon the people. This is a prophecy of judgment and deliverance. Not only will God forgive sins, He will tread underfoot the power and corruption of sin. He will forgive people of their sins committed and He will deliver them of sin indwelling (vss. 18-20).

I hope you will overlook any typographical errors or other honest mistakes. Please let me know about them and I will make the correction.

I am interested in hearing from you.

Pastor David L. Gould

12/30/17 SURFACE VALUE CAN BE DECEIVING

12/30/17 SURFACE VALUE CAN BE DECEIVING

Liberalism, Progressivism, Humanism, Naturalism, Secularism are not simply words, they are worldviews, philosophies, belief systems that are based on the false premise that the Holy Bible and the God of the Holy Bible are erroneous, fallacious, even fictitious. Therefore any belief system or plan of action that is based on Liberalism et al., is going to be disagreeable to Biblical truth, though the particulars of any subject may reflect Christian values or reasonable actions.

Bill Clinton brought the Freedom of Religion Act into our country, which has been helpful to Bible believers in America, on occasions. However, it was a bill passed in order to protect drug using religion among American Indians.

Remember, freedom of religion in America was meant to protect Christianity from Statism. It did not include Muslims or Mormons. Muslims and Mormons were not free to practice their religions in the USA. Nor would any other non Christian religion be permitted, which opposed traditional Christian beliefs and practices.

Obama Care was and is a nightmare of government intrusion, yet there are some situations where the provisions of that Act benefit needy and qualified people. This does not mean that government has the right or the duty to impose taxes or politically motivated behavior on the citizenry. Part of the problem of health care would have been solved if there had not be graft and collusion between the health industry and politicians. Face it, this world is not going to be governed correctly until the King comes back.

I actually know Liberals with some good ideas (I also know some conservatives with good ideas). The good ideas are usually well intentioned, based on basic morality and Christian values. However, Liberalism is a system that is diametrically opposed to Biblical Christianity and those who join forces with an evil system (even for good reasons) become the enemy of TRUTH. I will add that those who champion conservative beliefs, without a surrender to Jesus Christ, have made their "right" political position into a false god.

Therefore, my conservative and Liberal friends, who worship at the feet of a false god, whether Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama or Trump are misled and they are misleading other people. I agree that some good came during the administration of each of these leaders (some much more than others) and some bad came during the administration of each of these leaders (again, some much more than others). But none of them should have been our spiritual, moral, religious leaders. When they are wrong, we should call them out. When they do something good, we should praise God for the good, but we should not give whole hearted support to them or their party or platform.

12/30/17 GOD REQUIRES OUR SURRENDER

12/30/17 GOD REQUIRES OUR SURRENDER

The redemptive (soul saving) value of telling people that God did not love everyone (which is contrary to Scripture) and telling them that Jesus did not die for everyone (which is also contrary to Scripture) can be summed up in this word...
NONE.

These are two good reasons not to espouse and promote the lie of Calvinism and Reformed Theology.
1) It is not Biblical.
2) It is not redemptive.

In fact, even if they are right in saying that these ideas are Scriptural, it is still not redemptive, because part of this lie is that God unilaterally, unconditionally chose who would be saved and who would not have an opportunity at being saved. According to this supposed, but errant doctrinal position, individual, personal salvation is determined by God alone and humans have no choice concerning their salvation, therefore nothing we say or do can be redemptive.

No matter who tells you the lie of Particular Election, the Bible still says that God so loved the world and that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the whole word and atonement was made for everyone.
Everyone must choose to believe on the death and physical resurrection of Christ.
Everyone must choose to confess his sins and confess that Christ is Lord of his life.
Everyone must choose to repent, turn to righteousness and turn from sin.
Everyone must choose to follow Christ fully in self denial.

If you want to know the passages from which I get these beliefs, let me know. Better yet, come worship and study with us.

12/29/17 NEED TO CLEAN THEIR GLASSES

12/29/17 NEED TO CLEAN THEIR GLASSES

LIBERALS ACCUSE BIBLE BELIEVERS OF BLIND FAITH.

(NOW AIN'T THAT A HOOT?)

WE FOLLOW CHRIST AND HE IS NOT BLIND.

Plus, our faith is not blind. It is based on the truth of God,

the Holy Bible.

12/29/17 JOB HUNTING IN THE CHURCH

12/29/17 JOB HUNTING IN THE CHURCH

As a pastor, I have always had a vision for more ministries than I had parishioners to do the work. This was true when we had over three hundred people attending as well as now, with a church of only 7 adults. It has more to do with me dreaming dreams than it has to do with disinterested parishioners. It has more to do with the needs in our society than it has to do with the willingness of the believers in the congregation.

I have had the privilege to pastor congregations that had an abundance of Spirit led, gifted, exited and empowered believers, who were serving in a multitude of productive ministries, including teaching, preaching, visiting, evangelizing, Bible studies, women's groups, men's groups, youth groups, children's groups, foreign missions, home missions, mercy ministries to the needy, singing, instrumental, bus ministry, facility maintenance, sports program, area shepherd's, helps ministries during times of loss or suffering, printing, recording, visual artistry, camping, and other ministries. Even then I had dreams and visions for more ministries and a need for more people.

Sometimes there are people available to do God's work, but they are not qualified to do the work. This is true in two ways.
1. People are unqualified because they do not have the ability, talent, gift, training or personality for a certain ministry. They have enthusiasm and availability and willingness, but they are not qualified. For instance, someone might want to be part of the music ministry, but they have no ability or talent for music. It would be like having Florence Foster Jenkins want to be the choir soloist in your church.
2. People are unqualified spiritually. It is popular to let people do ministries in the church, based on their abilities or their availability or their willingness or their status (family, finances, friendship). However, God has standards that must be met. His standards are not unreasonable or unreachable. Serving God in ministry position in the church is a privilege, not a right. God has spiritual requirements, lifestyle requirements and among other things, a person must be able to work lovingly with others and must be submissive to authority. Serving God is a team effort, not a lone wolf or free-for-all, do-as-you-please, mob-mentality activity.

If your pastor has a vision for your church ministry, find out what it is and ask God what He would have you do to fit into that mission. Let your pastor know you are interested and available. Be willing to do or not do whatever is good for the body and the outreach of the church. If God gives you a dream or vision, share it with your pastor and let him help you find God's plan to fulfill it.

12/28/17 SORT OF LIKE NOAH

12/28/17 SORT OF LIKE NOAH

My family accounts for 12 of our 13 parishioners.

I AM SORRY. 

Not about the 12 but that other folks are not aboard.

People react in different ways when I tell them that my congregation is mostly my natural family. (It almost sounds , you know, "cultish.") Though it is not by my design, I am much happier that my family wants to be part of our local body than not part of our local body. I am sure Noah wanted more people to be delivered from the flood, but I imagine he was ecstatic that his children were with him on the ark.

My congregations have not always had this composition, but the door is open and we invite folks. A local church is no less a church simply because family members are part of it. I definitely am glad that my family wants to be together for worship, study, fellowship and ministry. We want other families and individuals to be with us as we follow Jesus.

Also, this type of configuration (demographic) has been normal around the world and throughout the history of the Church, even today. After all, church should be a family affair, and what better place to start than with the pastor's family.

12/28/17 SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONA

12/28/17 SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONA

What do our FaceBook Timelines reveal about us?

Such as pictures, subjects, humor, words, attitude, peeves, friends, pleasures, treasures.

12/27/17 URGENT MESSAGE (repost)

12/27/17  URGENT MESSAGE (repost)

TWO POST FROM THE PAST
(not because I have nothing new to say, but because this is worth reposting)

10/30/14 URGENT MESSAGE
Most Christians, most ministries and most ministers either give away or neglect the first five years of children's lives. This is because the Church does not realize the possibilities and opportunities that God has built into children.

REMEMBER, the first five years are the most informative years of a child's life and is the time when the most dramatic brain growth takes place.

REMEMBER, these children are in the first state of grace, making them spiritually sensitive, more open to the Spirit of God and spiritually hungry.

The Church, at large, has believed the lie that children cannot be saved or taught until they are around ten years old.

Not only can small children be saved, they can develop a very advanced and significant relationship with Christ. It is time for the Church to focus on its greatest evangelistic field.

REMEMBER, this is the stage of life when their time, energy, curiosity, trust and interest are not being siphoned off by academics, social obligations, sports, music or other interests. Once they start their schooling, they will spend their attention on more people and activities.

Probably, most pastor/teachers have the gifts to minister to these children, but they have not realized the potential and need. These children are developing their morals and are more submissive to authoritative figures than they will be in a few years. When they are older they will be subjected to influences that are not always concerned with their spiritual development.

Wednesday night I was commenting on the relationship between Trusting and Obeying. I held my hand out and pointed to the back of it and called it Trust; I then turned it over, pointing to the palm and called it, Obey. I then said that Trust and Obey go together, like the flip side of a coin, or the two sides of our hand.

The 4 year old was holding her hand out, turning it back and forth and saying, "Trust and Obey." When we sang the song, she sang along, with the words she knew.

When I asked if Trusting God is good or bad, she said, "good." When I asked if Obeying God is good or bad, she said, "good." When I pointed out that some people don't Trust and Obey God, she spoke up and said, "that is bad."

10/31/14 SOUL WASHING, NOT BRAINWASHING
Teaching our children the letter and spirit of the word of God is not "Brainwashing," it is, "Soul washing."
Ephesians 5:25-26
25 ...Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Only those who are brainwashed by Satan`s Secularism would refer to "Training up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6), also known as, "Instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:15-17), as "Brainwashing."

The alternative to Soul washing our children is Soul polluting them or Soul abandoning them or Soul sacrificing them.

Soul washing is Life washing. It is also Soul saving. Why wait until the filth, corruption, decay overwhelms and overshadows a person. Teach them the way they should go while they are young and God will lead them not into temptation, but will deliver them from evil (the evil one).

Jesus came to save His people from their sins. Salvation from sin is both forgiveness for sin and keeping us from sin.

People reject Bible training and Christian child rearing because they don't understand it. I reject secularism because I do understand it. So, who is brainwashed?

12/27/17 CONCERNING BIBLICAL SEALS

12/27/17 CONCERNING BIBLICAL SEALS
I thought some of y'all might like this.
(from my post in 10/13/14)

Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

2 Timothy 2:19
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
10/13/14 The Seal Of God

In my previous post I quoted a couple of verses that refer to the "seal" that God puts on Christians. Sadly and erroneously there are people who refer to God's seal as if it has anything to do with the false doctrine of Eternal Security or Once Save, Always Saved. IT DOES NOT.

Seal Of Approval, Verification, Not A Lock
The proper understanding of the "seal" of God has to do with His approval, His acknowledgement, His designation, His verification of people in a redemptive relationship through Christ, and not with any such idea that we are LOCKED into an irrevocable relationship with God. This "seal" is like the seal of approval placed on an item, either by a manufacturer or the government agency that verifies the quality of that item. We are familiar with the UL Seal of Approval, the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and U.S. government seals of approval. These seals of approval can be on food, medicine, electrical items, toys, tools, for instance. The seals can be broken, as the seal on the Tylenol bottles were broken, and the item can be violated or corrupted. The seal on the item indicates the safety or validity of the item, as long as the seal is unbroken.

Legal, But Breakable
The world "seal" is used in the New Testament in reference to the legal status of the object sealed, such as a government "stamp of approval." Those seals were set for security, but not as locks. In other words, when the Scripture says that the tomb of Jesus was "sealed" and secured, the seal was not the lock or the security (except in the legal sense). The seal was the legal notice, badge, that the tomb was not to be entered. The guards were the security detail. The fact that the "seal" could be broken and the tomb entered is verified by the fact that there was an armed guard detail. If the seal made the tomb impregnable, there would not have been a need for armed guards. They could have simply been observers and would not have been held responsible for any breech.

Seals In Revelation
The word "seal" in the New Testament alerts people to the official status of the item sealed. It could be broken, violated, in which case the item was no longer guaranteed by the one who sealed it, as being legitimate or inviolate. The "seals" on the document in Revelation could be broken, but in that case the only one Who was legally qualified to break the seals was the Lamb (Jesus). The "seals" verified the inviolate condition of the document at the time the document was opened.

Jesus Was Sealed By The Father
We see the idea of Divine approval associated with God's seal in John 6:26-27, where it is said that Jesus was sealed by the Father. It was not a seal that secured the righteousness of Christ or His deity or His eternality. The seal that the Father placed on Jesus was His witness that Jesus was the Father's approved Messenger and Provider of eternal life.

Purpose Believers Are Sealed
The clearest statement in the New Testament, concerning the purpose of the seal of God, is found in 2 Timothy 2:19.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Conditional Sealing
Christ is our Foundation, and He stands sure. God knows those who are actually His people, and He places His seal on them to authenticate, verify His Divine approval and ownership. This seal indicates that those who claim the name of Christ are recognized to have departed from iniquity. This seal is broken when the person turns to sin and no longer follows Jesus. When a person follows sin, he is no longer sealed, approved, recognized, authenticated, verified that he is a Christian.

12/27/17 A "BEFORE" NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

12/27/17 A "BEFORE" NEW YEAR RESOLUTION
(why wait for the best things in life?)

This is really worth reading, but sadly, some folks will never see this post and some who see it will rush past it, refusing to be bothered with DLG's rantings.

What do you do, or what do you have, to which you dedicate specific time, special attention, your sharpest focus, your best effort? It could be your music, your writing, your hobby, your sport, your garden, your cooking, your work. Though we give ourselves to many different things, there are some activities, to which we readily and rigorously apply ourselves most intently. Whatever our pet project may be, it is not something we treat lightly and it is not something we want others to demean.

Obviously, our personal relationships should be on this list, but the fact is, most people often treat family, loved ones, especially those who are supposed to be the closest to us, with less than our best effort.

It is too easy to ignore, hurt, offend someone, just because we think they should be able to "take it," or because we have allowed familiarity to replace fondness. Sometimes those people who are close to us will just "grin and bare it" when they are hurt. We can misinterpret that response as acceptance, when in reality we are shoving them further from us until one day we will finally realize that the distance and the separation can never be fully recovered. I have seen family members become distant and even hostile to one another because of someone's insensitive (read that as, "unChristlike") words and actions.

Setting goals involves evaluating things as they are, and evaluating our actions from the past. As you think about those who are the closest to you (or should be), don't wait for them to ask you to make a change. You be the one to initiate a new beginning. You may readily see the areas that need the greatest change, or you may need to ask your loved one what you can do to make your relationship better. In any case, you be the one who decides to make the change(s).

Don't wait for, or expect change from the other person. This is not about them. This is about ourselves. You may even ask them to let you know when you fail to do the loving, sensitive thing in the future, so that you can give the proper attention to developing the relationship to the fullest.

And please, do not use this as an opportunity to attack the other person. It is possible that the other person will not do the right thing, but that is their choice. Our choice is for us to do the right thing.