09/12/17 THERE IS GREAT PEACE AND UNITY IN THE FAMILY OF GOD

09/12/17 THERE IS GREAT PEACE AND UNITY IN THE FAMILY OF GOD

but not everyone is in the family of God.

For those who are looking for a warm, fuzzy Jesus relationship that makes everyone happy and never offends anyone, DON'T READ THE BIBLE.

The FAULT IS NOT in Jesus, Who actually is very compassionate and self sacrificing and loving. The fault is in ourselves, because we insist on having things our way rather than submitting to the God of the universe.

FACE IT, YOU ARE GOING to lose friends, and loved ones if you choose Jesus. It won't be because you turn your back on them, but because they reject Christ and turn their back on you. They will love the things that Satan loves and hate the things that God loves. We will still seek to reach them by love, but they will turn against us with anger and sometimes with violence.

Some folks may be confused over gender confusion issues, but God and His word are clear to His people.
Some folks may hate Israel and the Jew, but God has a different viewpoint.
Some folks may choose to abuse their body and mind with drugs of various kinds (including legal and illegal, socially acceptable and Biblically forbidden).
Some folks may think they have a right to satisfy carnal desire, but the body is the temple of God and it must not be defiled in illicit relationships or activities.
Some folks think that the State is God, or Man is God, or Knowledge is God, but these popular false gods will not save them from eternal separation from God.
Some people accept doctrines of demon in the false religions and cults of this world. Even though they call themselves Christians, they are enemies of the cross and the people of God.

HIS TRUE FAMILY
Matthew 12:46-50
(46) While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
(47) Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
(48) But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
(49) And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
(50) For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

THE CHRISTLESS RESPONSE
Matthew 10:34-39
(34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
(35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
(36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
(37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
(39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

PEACE ONLY IN JESUS
Luke 12:49-53
(49) I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
(50) But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
(51) Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
(52) For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
(53) The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

09/12/17 LUCKY?

09/12/17 LUCKY?

NOT TRUE,
"We dodged a bullet," or
"We were lucky."

TRUE,
God spared us this time.

09/11/17 TO MISQUOTE THE BIBLE

09/11/17 TO MISQUOTE THE BIBLE

WOW, how 'bout all those verses that deny believers victory over sin and promise that God will not deliver us from temptation. NOT.

09/11/17 TWO THINGS HERE

09/11/17 TWO THINGS HERE

FIRST
Just to make it clear,
Though I do NOT believe any descendent of Adam can have
ABSOLUTE PERFECTION (since only God is absolutely perfect), or have
ANGELIC PERFECTION (since only the angels who did not rebel against God, with Lucifer, are angelically perfect), or have
ADAMIC PERFECTION (since only Adam and Eve were created perfect, but then they were corrupted by sin, after which Adam passed his spiritual corruption to all of his descendents. however, this corruption did not pass to Jesus, since Jesus is the Son of God and was born of the virgin)...

I do believe God provides a perfection of heart for those who trust Him for salvation. This perfection can be referred to as
ATONEMENT PERFECTION (since it is provided by the sacrificial death of Christ and cleanses from all sin by the infilling of the Holy Spirit), also called
BIBLICAL PERFECTION (since it is described and explained, offered and provided in the Bible), also called
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION (since it is the perfecting of love and the total cleansing of the heart provided by God and experienced by His children).

SECOND
As I was working on my documents I came across this statement I made on 03/16/12. Referring to the fact that some people choose to live with inner turmoil rather than have their hearts purified by God, I pointed out that the vacillating life of Romans 7 is the abode of the carnal Christian, but God calls believers to move into the Spirit filled victory of Romans 8.

Then I made this statement,
"DID YOU HEAR ABOUT the guy who lived in Romans 7, accusing the guy in Romans 8 of being self righteous?"

I hear it all the time from sinning religion.

09/09/17 FALSE HOPE

09/09/17 FALSE HOPE
If salvation does not save a person from sinning, then it cannot save anyone from hell.

09/10/17 BUILT ON THE NON WORD OF GOD

09/10/17 BUILT ON THE NON WORD OF GOD

Of course, there is a sinning religion explanation for my previous post, listing all of the verses in the New Testament which allow Christians to not obey God (ZERO in number).

The explanation is simply that there are no verses that really say God allows disobedience, BUT THAT IS WHAT GOD MEANT when He didn't say it.

I have written and posted several documents that give great numbers of verses in the Bible, which say that God does make His people pure, righteous, holy, good and that His people do practice righteousness and good works, while there are only a handful of verses that seem to disagree with these concepts. (There are no verses that actually disagree with my assertion, but they may SEEM to disagree.) As a result, sinning religion teaches that God did not mean what the verses actually say, and they also teach that there are verses, which mean what the verses do not say.

This is true for the PERFECTION that God calls His people to experience and to practice. Though I do not believe that anyone can be Absolutely Perfect, or Angelically Perfect or Adamically Perfect, I do believe in Atonement Perfection (cleansing away all sin by the infilling of the Holy Spirit), also called Biblical Perfection and Christian Perfection. I not only give a great number of verses that say this, I name and document about 16 areas of life that this perfection is manifested in a Christian life.

Again, there are no verses that contradict the perfecting work of God in the believer (though there are great numbers of people who assert the error.) However, sinning religion boldly boasts that the verses calling us to perfection and promising perfection by the grace and power of God, and the verses, which give witness to this perfection in the lives of believers, do not mean what they say, and though there are no verses which contradict the perfecting grace of God in the lives of believers, sinning religion gives passages (which do not deny or denounce Atonement, Biblical, Christian Perfection) and boldly assert that God meant for us to understand that we cannot be Perfected in Love and Purity and in our Spirits.

Sinning religion is built on the "unrevealed word of God," which openly denies and contradicts the revealed word of God.

09/10/17 THERE YOU HAVE IT

09/10/17 THERE YOU HAVE IT

After posting the previous N.T. verses on Christians OBEYING GOD, I thought I would post all of the N.T. verses that allow Christians to disobey God. ... Well, there you have it.

09/10/17 CHRISTIANS NOT ONLY OBEY GOD, THEY ALSO... HEY, WAIT A MINUTE

09/10/17 CHRISTIANS NOT ONLY OBEY GOD, THEY ALSO...
HEY, WAIT A MINUTE

I was going to write something else, and only mention that Christians "obey" God (which is considered to be a false doctrine by those who are deceived by sinning religion). But as I referenced a few verses concerning obeying God, I decided to let this thought stand alone.

Here are seventeen New Testament passages, which specifically refer to Christians OBEYING God. There are other verses that clearly say
Christians keep the commandments of God, and
Christians do that which is pleasing in God's sight, and
Christians deny themselves, follow Christ fully, and
Christians avoid the appearance of evil.

But these verses address Christians "obeying" God, by using the word OBEY. These verses come from the KJV, but I could have done the same exercise with other sound translations. I could have focused on the Greek word used in this place, but I did not take the time to do that this morning. The point is, Christians obey God. What's so hard to understand about this?

Acts 5:29
(29) Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:32
(32) And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Acts 6:7
(7) And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Romans 1:5
(5) By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Romans 6:16
(16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:17
(17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Romans 10:16-17
(16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
(17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 16:19
(19) For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

Romans 16:26
(26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

2 Corinthians 10:5
(5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Galatians 3:1
(1) O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Galatians 5:7
(7) Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Philippians 2:12-15
(12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
(13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
(14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
(15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Hebrews 5:9
(9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

1 Peter 1:2
(2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

1 Peter 1:22-23
(22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
(23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 4:17-18
(17) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
(18) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

09/09/17 SAD AT ANY LEVEL

09/09/17  SAD AT ANY LEVEL

The World At Large
It is sad beyond words to see a world that has hardened its heart to such an extent that NOTHING, NO TRAGEDY, NO VIOLENCE, NO DEBAUCHERY can shake it from its false hopes and self orientation.

Individuals
Likewise, it is unspeakably sad to watch individuals, friends, loved ones and family harden their hearts to the message of God, to the warnings of God, to the judgments of God and continue in their self deception and self lordship, ignoring and explaining away Scripture, counsel, preaching.

Take A Hint
Resistance to God does not lead to a better place or a better situation.

It is a story as old as man, even older.
PUFFED UP PEOPLE DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES, and their attitude says, GOD CAN GO TAKE A FLYING LEAP.

Evidence
How do I know this is true? Because people would be transformed into the likeness and image of Christ and love would reign in their lives and the world would be stunned by the power of God in them.

Proverbs 29:1-2
(1) He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
(2) When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

09/09/17 PLEASE READ AND HEED

09/09/17 PLEASE READ AND HEED

(We don't have much time. Be God's instrument of love and peace. Let the church be the church in these perilous times.)

We personally cannot do anything about

the monster storms devastating the globe,

the torrential floods sweeping away lives and property,

the raging fires scorching the earth,

the insatiable drive for power of a madman in N. Korea,

the blood lust of leaders in Iran and Saudi Arabia,

the mounting numbers of victims to disease, pestilence and starvation,

the diabolical darkness of Islam, Liberalism, Statism, and all other Christ and Bible rejecting philosophies.

Someone says, "WE CAN PRAY."

Yes we can. We can ask God to do something, but WE CANNOT PERSONALLY STOP OR CHANGE THE TSUNAMI OF SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD.

HOWEVER, we can personally stop the destruction of sin in our own lives, the damning aloofness of selfishness, the death dealing arrogance of judging and shunning other people and their children because of self imposed "justifiable spiritual homicide."

We can turn from sin.

NO, we cannot turn from sin without God calling us to turn, and we cannot turn without God enabling us to turn, but
YES, we can turn, because it is the will and the work of God that makes it possible for us to personally turn.
We can stop doing that which is displeasing to God.
We can start doing that which is pleasing in His sight.
We can start loving the unlovable.
We can start denying self and start following Jesus in perfect and redemptive self sacrificing love.

I cannot help what world wide catastrophes may do to my world, but I can stop
the TSUNAMI that results in me living in the flesh,
the PLAGUE of self assertion,
the Famine of God's truth in my own life,
the FLAMES of anger, jealousy, bitterness.

Please,
if you are not fully and humbly following the way of God, the word of God, the will of God,
if you are not heeding the counsel of godly leaders,
if you are not hearing the cries of those who are lost,
if you are not giving your life to reach the unlovely, the unlovable in your world,
if you are not lovingly and humbly taking light to those in darkness around you,
if you are not denying your self in order to be God's ambassador,

PLEASE, let God arise, and let the enemy be scattered.

Please repent.
Please let God remove the scales from your eyes and the chains from your heart.

We don't have much time, don't spend it in personal grudges, self righteous aloofness, judgmental Phariseeism. relational maelstroms.

Your own eternal life depends on you doing the right thing.
Your family depends on you doing the right thing.
Your enemies depend on you doing the right thing.

09/08/17 ACCUSATIONS FALSELY MADE

09/08/17 ACCUSATIONS FALSELY MADE

A friend of mine posted this quote.
People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947)

DLG COMMENT

The Problem

It is so true. Sadly, even if the moment they remember is a negative memory, which is either false of thwarted.
It is even sadder if the false memory stands between people.
It becomes even more tragic if

that false memory or

that exaggerated memory or

that misunderstood moment or

that deliberate lie

is told to other people as if it is the truth or as if it is an accurate retelling of a moment in time.

Just like a bullet from the barrel of a gun, words that are spoken or written cannot be put back. The damage is done. Usually the one who pulls the trigger in character assassination goes on with life, while the victim suffers many different kinds of losses.

The Solution

This problem would be solved if folks would just do what God says to do.
He says to not bear false witness.
He says not to accept an accusation unless it meets certain criteria.
He says to love one another.

That would take care of gossiping and slander and misrepresentation.

That would also take care of truth telling for the purpose of hurting someone.

This passage could save untold numbers of broken relationships and spare untold millions the agony of being hurt by false accusations.

1 Corinthians 13:4-6
(4) Love suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
(6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

The Danger
Sometimes a truth is told in such a way that it implies a lie.
Sometimes a half truth is told, implying a whole lie.

My observation has been that people who tear others down have been spared incredible sorrow and suffering because someone chose to spare accuser the agony of public ridicule.

And don't forget, Satan is called, the accuser of the brethren.

09/07/17 BAD WORDS TO AVOID

09/07/17 BAD WORDS TO AVOID

There is a word for a team that does not practice, does not play together, does not follow directions. DEFEATED.

There is a word for a company that does not practice sound business principles, does not take care of its customers, does not gender employee support, does not follow proven management leadership. BANKRUPT.

There are words for a marriage that does not recognize the importance of love and unity, compassion and respect, trust and loyalty, submission and authority. ROCKY, or FAILED, or SUPERFICIAL, or FORCED, or DISSOLVED.

There are words for people who call themselves Christian, yet they do not live under the Lordship of Christ, do not submit to Biblical leadership, do not follow Biblical standards, do not walk in peace with fellow believers, do not seek and obey sound counsel, do not live to reach the lost and build up the body. BACKSLIDDEN, LOST, HYPOCRIT.

09/07/17 THIS HARD TRUTH COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE

09/07/17 THIS HARD TRUTH COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE

How Is Each One Like The Other?

Commonality among Lucifer, Hitler, Kim Jong-un and the nicest Liberal (or conservative) or any unsaved person you may know, is that each one held or holds himself/herself to be above the authority of God and His reveled word, the Holy Bible.

The Hard Way Out.
If you resist, reject and rebel against the Lordship of Christ and the authority of His word, you are as lost as you can be, without being dead. Once you are dead, you are as lost as the devil, forever. Now is the time to abandon false hopes, errant philosophies, self reliance.

Only Choice.

We cannot lift our puny fist against God without facing the consequences, no matter how many other people hold the same views. Like it or not, we are condemned to eternal torment until we surrender our minds, our beliefs, our entire selves to Jesus Christ and trust His word.

09/08/17 ABOUT DUMB ANIMALS

09/07/17 ABOUT DUMB ANIMALS

You can teach a dog to take the posture of prayer.
You can teach an ape to raise his hand and jump up and down in celebration.
You can teach an unsaved human to attend church and follow ritual and decorum.
You CANNOT teach any of them to worship, praise and love Jesus.

DIFFERENT LEVELS
This does not put dogs, apes and unsaved humans on the same level. Unsaved humans are on a much lower level, because they have the capacity and the responsibility to trust, worship and serve God, but choose resist, reject or rebel against Him.

AN ADVANTAGE
But the unsaved human also has an advantage over the two dumb animals mentioned. An unsaved human can believe on the Lord Jesus and be saved, and therefore can worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

A HIGHER RANKING WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE
I am guessing that a dumb animal does not know he has no soul. Sadly, unsaved people live as if they have no soul and live as if they have no need to prepare that soul for eternity.

Dumb animals and unsaved humans can be trained to perform various beneficial services. But only the saved human can surrender his will and life into loving, loyal submission, and sacred service to God and his fellow man.

Not only can humans enter into a real relationship with God, they can be transformed into the image of the Living God. Humans can become partakers of Divine nature and receive eternal life.

WRONG CHOICE
How sad that most humans choose to be dumber than dumb animals.

09/06/17 SELF DETERMINATION AND THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL OF GOD

09/06/17 SELF DETERMINATION AND THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL OF GOD
(I remember staring with amazement at converging tide lines when I worked on fishing boats off the coast of North Carolina. I now watch in horror as the will of man tries to dominate the almighty power of God.)

The opposing tides of Self Determination and the Determinate Counsel of God clash for a short time, but ultimately the unstoppable will of God will be unleashed and His grace and mercy will be withdrawn, leaving the rebellious person under the mighty and terrible judgment of God.

One of the worst things we can do is seek to satisfy or please ourselves according to our own understanding and desires, because it will take us further and further from God
One of the best things that God can do is allow us to satisfy or please ourselves according to our own understanding and desires, because facing failure and emptiness may turn us around in repentance.
The problem is, when these two separate tides come together some folks persist in their stubbornness, as if their Self Determination will overcome the Determinate Counsel of God.

God wants to draw us to Himself thorough kindness and mercy and blessing. When we resist God's will, God takes the next step.

God will drive us to repentance because He loves us enough to send suffering and heartache, in order bring us to repentance.

If we refuse, there is nothing left but the judgment of God.

Choosing Christ and His way early is the wisest choice.
Turning from pride and then abandoning self destruction is wiser than forcing the hand of God.
We cannot win if we oppose God and His will.

STEPS OF RECONCILIATION
God delays His judgment because of His mercy and grace. This is true in the micro and the macro sense of the word.

God extends mercy and grace to individuals, for a limited time, and,
God extends grace and mercy to cultures, societies and people groups, for a limited time, and.
God extends mercy and grace to the entire human race, for a limited time.
But the period of grace and opportunity to turn, to repent ends at some point and the judgment and wrath of God is unleashed.

DO NOT
Do not resist or reject or rebel against the leading of God and His word.
Do not resist or reject or rebel against the authority of God and His counsel.
Rebellion, Resistance, Rejection always ends in disaster.

2 Peter 3:4-18
(4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
(5) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
(6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
(7) But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
(8) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
(9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(11) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
(12) Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
(13) Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
(14) Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
(15) And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
(16) As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
(17) Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
(18) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.