Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.13.10.KJV
Love others as Jesus loves you!
Category: Salvation
Anger, hatred and violence
What we see on the news today did not begin with injustice on the streets, at least not the injustice that they are claiming started it. It began much earlier than just a month or two ago. Socialist ideas and ideals have been infecting our society for nearly sixty years and maybe more. The downfall of our society began, in my opinion, when the slave trade was in full swing over 200 years ago. Enslaving people to work for others who think themselves above “menial labor” is and always will be wrong!
While it is true that some of those who held slaves were African-American free men, it still doesn’t make the practice any less barbaric. Should anger over this injustice and the injustices of today make people angry? Yes, but burning cars and looting stores and tearing down monuments which were erected to honor those who fought against slavery does nothing to stem the violence and continued hatred and bitterness! Kinda like a wound that you keep pulling the scab from, it takes a lot longer to heal unless that is what you want to happen.
When prayer and the reading of God’s Word was taken out of public schools in ’63 and ’64 our country began a radical change. I’m sure that the Civil Rights movement would’ve come and made its mark with or without that omission but the riots and the activism which flared up in the latter years of the 1960’s might not have been as violent as they were if students were still learning from God’s Word. So many of the problems that we faced all through the decade of the ’70’s might’ve been avoided if the education system had stayed true to their roots and kept God’s Word as an elective at least.
Why do I pin the problems of the latter half of the 20th Century on this one decision? Go back and look at the SAT and ACT scores prior to banning the Word of God. Check the statistics of teenage pregnancy before and after the removal of God’s Word and prayer from schools. The entrance scores started to go down on the standard tests and the number of teen pregnancies began to go upward from the point where God’s Word was removed from education. You can find articles which verify this online.
God’s Word and the wisdom that it contains has always been a part of education, at least until the theory of evolution came around and educators began questioning its validity. So, why am I bringing this up in this post? Because most of the educators who are in our colleges and universities now are the same ones who were protesting back in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. Refusing to allow people to learn from both sides is wrong but that is what most educator’s and the system that they work in are doing.
God loves us. Regardless of how you may feel toward religion or God or even Jesus Christ, you are loved by the Creator of the universe. That is why we should’ve kept His word, the Bible, in schools and in our education system. Not because we are trying to indoctrinate anyone but because of the wisdom contained within its pages. Giving your heart to Jesus and becoming a Christian is a personal choice and when you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to accept Him as your Savior…don’t turn away from the opportunity. Because it may never come again. We are not given or promised the next hour of our lives let alone tomorrow or next week. When the invitation touches your heart I urge you to accept it.
Your strength comes from the Lord
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/eph.6.10.KJV
Don’t depend on your strength because the world and the trials of daily living are too much for you alone. Rely on Jesus each day and His strength will carry you through the rough days.
Wisdom or education?
Which is more valuable to you and to those around you? I’ve heard of people who have PhD’s who are working at McDonald’s, so how much is their education helping flip the burgers or fix salads or serve up french fries? I know the problem. Some people with those heavy duty letters behind their name either can’t find a job in their field or they were downsized out of a job. So they had to take a job that would kinda pay some bills. I have a BS degree in Medical Technology but I’m disabled and can’t work in my field. So how much good does all of this education do for our communities or the country?
Not very much good at all.
Wisdom can be learned from the trials that we go through because of our education. Wisdom can also be learned by reading God’s Word, the Bible. Because the wisdom contained in it is wisdom which isn’t bought or purchased from an education system. The wisdom that comes from God’s Word comes straight from the Source of all Life. You might ask “What if I don’t believe in God?” Well, the wisdom contained in the Bible, specifically Psalms and Proverbs, is wisdom which can be used for business and the home as well. The Bible is a book which covers many areas of life experience, so reading it and seeking God’s wisdom can help you in many areas of life.
There is a misconception that the Bible is only for “holy rollers” and church people but it really isn’t. It is the history of God’s chosen people, the Jews, but it is also about human nature and how we tend toward self-destructive behavior in our spiritual life as well as our life in general. We see this kind of behavior in everyday life. On the news, in our own family, in our friends lives, in celebrity’s lives, in politics, you name it, the behavior to destroy our lives is not limited to spiritual people or to those who choose not to believe.
“So how can learning from God’s wisdom help me?” There are many answers to that question. One is it can draw you closer to your Creator and He will draw closer to you. Even closer than He already is! God did not create this world and the human race and then run to some far-flung corner of the universe to retire. He is involved in our world every day. He sees the horrible things that we do to each other. He knows the pain that we feel when someone close to us dies. He cares about you far more than you can imagine.
The Bible speaks about the time that we are living in right now. People will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money. They won’t care about others or the church but will be working to get rid of the church. Why? Because the Truth which is found in the Bible cannot be destroyed or turned away from once you know what it says. The world around us has been on a downward spiral for years but we are coming to the end of what is called “the church age”. It began when Jesus ascended to heaven and it will end when He returns for His bride, the church. When will this happen? God is the only one that knows that answer. It could be tonight or tomorrow or next week or next month but it is going to happen.
If you are not a believer in Jesus for your salvation prior to that day, if you haven’t given your heart to Him and asked Him to forgive you of your sins then you will be left on Earth when that day comes. You will go through the Tribulation described in the book of Revelation and it will essentially be “hell on Earth” during those seven years. There will be death from diseases and wars and demons. You will be forced to take a mark in your hand or your forehead in order to buy or sell anything. If you have become a Christian but you take that mark, God will wipe your name from the Book of Life and you will forfeit your salvation. If you don’t take the mark, they will hunt you down and kill you but if you are a Christian you will just step from this life into eternity with Jesus!
The Bible is a book of history and changes and it is His story as well. Because Jesus is foretold in every book of the Bible. He is the Seed of the woman in Genesis and He is the Alpha and Omega in Revelation as well as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. There are so many names for Jesus in the Bible but the one name that I love the most is “My Savior and my Lord!” Seek Him in the Scriptures, ask Him into your heart and your life and you will never be the same again because when He comes into your heart you are a new creation in Christ!
Do you consider yourself wise?
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. James 3:13 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jas.3.13.KJV
Thinking that you are wise is arrogant. Even those who have many degrees from a prestigious university are foolish in God’s sight. God is the Creator and he placed each star in each galaxy yet he calls them by their names. He did all of this and He still knows how many hairs there are on your head and mine.
God never fails!
While it is true that we fail Him, He has never failed us!
Confusion and anarchy
It seems that these two words define most of the “news” we hear or read about these days. Both of them cause the other so they just feed off of each other and no improvement is seen anywhere they happen to be. The Bible gives us a clear picture of what it will be like leading up to the time of the Tribulation and it is matching up pretty well. God’s Word doesn’t specifically name countries and people involved but reading Matthew 24 and Ezekiel 9 and the beginning chapters of Revelation they all read as if you are looking at today’s newspaper article (if anyone reads those anymore).
Jesus told His disciples that these things would happen, that it would be like the days of Noah before the end of the age. Persecution of the church is growing here as well as in other countries. Freedom of religion is being watered down so that it barely gives any freedom to the Christian church. Limits on what can be preached and where our religion is looked on as hate speech in some areas of the country. The country that we grew up in doesn’t resemble the America that you see on the news broadcasts. It has become much worse than I’d ever dreamed that it would and the reality is that it won’t get better regardless of the person in the White House.
We have to look up for our salvation and our Redeemer is drawing nearer every day.
God never says anywhere in the Bible that He hates the sinner. He only hates the sin that they live in. Those sins are given in God’s Word and I’m not going to list them here. Most people who are living in sin know which sins they are committing and they don’t have to be told. So why do so many in the world refuse to accept the mercy and grace that God offers through belief in Jesus Christ?
Partly because of pride in their own beliefs and traditions. Many refuse because of the requirements of their religious training as a child and because they will be disowned or beaten and sometimes killed for giving their heart and their life to Jesus Christ. Then there are some cults in the world that have changed the Bible into something that they can believe in but they have demoted Jesus to “a son” of God. Christians are taught that we should “turn the other cheek” but we should at least try to win our brother or sister or our best friend to Jesus Christ if they will listen. Telling family about Jesus is a very hard thing to do because most of the time the family has been to church together. You and your brother or sister may have been baptized in the church.
The problem is usually something that has been named “cultural Christianity”. Everyone that you know or grew up with has gone to or attended church. Everyone around you has heard the sermons and maybe even been baptized after a revival. The problem shows itself in their lives after being baptized. They live and work as if they’ve never heard about Jesus but they know about Him and God too. Usually they will even say, “The Big Guy and I have an arrangement”.
God doesn’t make “arrangements” with people and He isn’t the “Big Guy upstairs” either. God doesn’t like being represented by a carved image nor does He like being referred to by some made up name. He is God the Father, Elohim, or Yahweh but I wouldn’t give Him a name other than those found in the Bible. He is the Creator of all things and the Ancient of Days but no other name than these.
Living your life out of sync with the Bible and the way that is described in the New Testament after you have been baptized is incompatible with true repentant Christianity and it’s wrong. Why? Because if someone sees you living this way and you tell them that you are a Christian they will think that it is acceptable to go out and drink and do things that you wouldn’t want your Mom to see you doing. The reality is that God knows you and He can see every thought and every sin that you do, regardless of where you are or who you are with.
Real wisdom…
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord , and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.3.7.KJV
When the Bible says to fear the Lord it that you must have a respectful attitude toward Him. The same attitude that we had toward our elders, like our grandparents, which seems to have been lost during the past decade. God is your Creator and He knows what is best for you even when you can’t see it.
There should be no division in the church
That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.12.25-27.KJV
The Truth of Jesus’ ministry
There is so much evidence for Jesus and yet there are so many who refuse to believe in Him. There are thousands of historical documents which were written within a few years of His death and resurrection and still people refuse to believe what their heart tells them is true. Why is that? There are many reasons—pride, selfishness, ego, or just plain stubbornness.
Some of it is just plain stubborn pride. Pride in the works of others who didn’t want to believe the Truth. Pride in themselves because they were going to live their life the way they wanted to live it. The problem with that is this: they have no hope. Jesus gives us hope for the future and forgiveness for our sins. So what do you hope in? Who do you place your hope…your faith in? There is only One person that deserves your hope and your faith and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God!
The whole of creation shows us implicitly and without question Who we should believe in. So why do we try to place our hope in flawed human beings? Or in something that another person tells us is the “One”? All of these hopes that we make for ourselves…that we create for ourselves are just that…man-made and they do not have any power or purpose. The reason that we try to make or believe in something that is just another part of creation is because of Satan himself. He is trying to take as many people away from God as he can in the time that he has left and it isn’t much.
The reality of Jesus Christ is that He was with God at the beginning and He came to Earth to live with us and as a human being so He could truly identify with our pains and worries and our temptations. He is also coming back soon to take His bride, the Church, back to the place that He has prepared for her. The believers in the world are the Bride of Christ so you can believe or not, it is your choice. But the day that He calls the Church to His home is coming soon. Make sure that you are one of those who will be called home.
The Living Message of Christ 