Sunday, July 28, 2013
Messages From Heaven: Thinking Biblically Will Change Your Life!
Messages From Heaven: Thinking Biblically Will Change Your Life!: There is an alarming ignorance of who God is and what He is like, even among professing Christians. This was shown in recent poll conducte...
Thinking Biblically Will Change Your Life!
There is an alarming ignorance of who God is and what He is like,
even among professing Christians. This was shown in recent
poll conducted by Barna.
According to the poll, half of Americans who call themselves “Christian” don’t believe that Satan exists and fully one-third are confident that Jesus sinned while on earth. Further, 25% dismiss the idea that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
The pollster concluded, “Growing numbers of people now serve as their own ‘theologian-in-residence.’ One consequence is that Americans are embracing an unpredictable and contradictory body of beliefs.”
So it’s time to put our “thinking caps” on.
The Lord entreats us in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together” (NKJV), or another translation puts it, “Sit down, let’s argue this out!” (MSG)
When you become a follower of Jesus, you do not have to “check your brains at the door.” Christianity is a reasonable, even logical, faith.
That is not to say we don’t need to have great faith to follow Christ, but it is to say the teachings of the Bible quite simply make sense!
Far too many people, when stating their opinion, will say, “I think,” ”I feel,” ”I believe,” or “My God would never do thus and so.”
We need more “The Bible says,” because then we will learn to think, feel, and believe the right things. This is called theology, and we neglect it at our own peril.
Experience is never to be the basis for theology. Sound theology, however, is the basis for experience.
C.S. Lewis gave this warning years ago: “If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones!”
We need, as Chuck Swindoll once said, “Sound theology without apology.” Because what we believe about God will affect the way that we live. As 1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (NIV).
According to the poll, half of Americans who call themselves “Christian” don’t believe that Satan exists and fully one-third are confident that Jesus sinned while on earth. Further, 25% dismiss the idea that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
The pollster concluded, “Growing numbers of people now serve as their own ‘theologian-in-residence.’ One consequence is that Americans are embracing an unpredictable and contradictory body of beliefs.”
So it’s time to put our “thinking caps” on.
The Lord entreats us in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together” (NKJV), or another translation puts it, “Sit down, let’s argue this out!” (MSG)
When you become a follower of Jesus, you do not have to “check your brains at the door.” Christianity is a reasonable, even logical, faith.
That is not to say we don’t need to have great faith to follow Christ, but it is to say the teachings of the Bible quite simply make sense!
Far too many people, when stating their opinion, will say, “I think,” ”I feel,” ”I believe,” or “My God would never do thus and so.”
We need more “The Bible says,” because then we will learn to think, feel, and believe the right things. This is called theology, and we neglect it at our own peril.
Experience is never to be the basis for theology. Sound theology, however, is the basis for experience.
C.S. Lewis gave this warning years ago: “If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones!”
We need, as Chuck Swindoll once said, “Sound theology without apology.” Because what we believe about God will affect the way that we live. As 1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (NIV).
Messages From Heaven: Stemming the Tide of Deception That is Everywhere ...
Messages From Heaven: Stemming the Tide of Deception That is Everywhere ...: Jesus said that one of the signs of the last days would be an explosion of religious deception, culminating in the arrival of the ultima...
Stemming the Tide of Deception That is Everywhere in our Present World!
Jesus said that one of the signs of the last days would be an
explosion of religious deception, culminating in the arrival of the
ultimate deceiver, the Antichrist. He warned, “For many will come in my
name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:5 niv). One of the signs of the end times will be cults springing up everywhere.
In addition to established cults, we have in recent history seen groups spring up such as the followers of Jim Jones, who committed mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. Then there was David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Texas in 1993. There also was Heaven’s Gate, the group in Southern California who committed mass suicide in 1997.
Add to this the influx of new age mysticism and spirituality, and we have to conclude that we are seeing these words of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes. It seems at every turn, someone else has come up with a so-called “new” revelation: This is the new prophet.... This is the new guru.... This is the new truth.... This is what you need to read.... This is what you need to believe.
So what defines a cult? One mark of a cult is that it denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Another is that its members offer other writings or books that they claim are of equal or greater value than the Bible.
I once received a rather lengthy e-mail criticizing the fact that I had identified a specific group as a cult in one of my messages. The e-mail’s author claimed that I was “unloving,” because she had a friend who was a member of the particular cult I had mentioned, and if her friend had heard me say this, it would have turned her off.
Does my responsibility as a Christian to be loving mean that I can never identify something that is false? Absolutely not. As a pastor, part of my job is not only to teach and equip people, but to also warn them of potential danger. The apostle Paul told the elders at Ephesus,
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:28-31 niv)
How will we know who the wolves are if we don’t periodically identify them? The apostle Paul wrote the words of 1 Corinthians 13, the often-quoted, great treatise on love. But what does it mean to love?
Love not only nurtures and embraces, but it also warns when necessary. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (niv).
Many of Paul’s epistles refuted popular false teachings of the day. Galatians was largely written to refute the teaching of a group called the Judaizers, who basically were trying to bring non-Jews under the bondage of the Mosaic Law. Paul was correcting that.
Occasionally, Paul would take it a step further and name specific people who were false teachers or who were leading others astray. He wrote to Timothy, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18 nkjv).
And in Romans 16:17, he said, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (nkjv).
There is a place for equipping ourselves. But at the same time, I don’t apologize for identifying false teaching. My primary objective is not to refute everything that is being said.
My primary objective is to teach the Bible and let people learn for themselves the whole counsel of God. In the process of doing that, when they encounter a teaching that is aberrant, false, or doesn’t jibe with Scripture, they can identify it and know what the Bible says about it. This is something that has to be done — especially in the days in which we are living.
In addition to established cults, we have in recent history seen groups spring up such as the followers of Jim Jones, who committed mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. Then there was David Koresh and the Branch Davidians in Texas in 1993. There also was Heaven’s Gate, the group in Southern California who committed mass suicide in 1997.
Add to this the influx of new age mysticism and spirituality, and we have to conclude that we are seeing these words of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes. It seems at every turn, someone else has come up with a so-called “new” revelation: This is the new prophet.... This is the new guru.... This is the new truth.... This is what you need to read.... This is what you need to believe.
So what defines a cult? One mark of a cult is that it denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Another is that its members offer other writings or books that they claim are of equal or greater value than the Bible.
I once received a rather lengthy e-mail criticizing the fact that I had identified a specific group as a cult in one of my messages. The e-mail’s author claimed that I was “unloving,” because she had a friend who was a member of the particular cult I had mentioned, and if her friend had heard me say this, it would have turned her off.
Does my responsibility as a Christian to be loving mean that I can never identify something that is false? Absolutely not. As a pastor, part of my job is not only to teach and equip people, but to also warn them of potential danger. The apostle Paul told the elders at Ephesus,
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:28-31 niv)
How will we know who the wolves are if we don’t periodically identify them? The apostle Paul wrote the words of 1 Corinthians 13, the often-quoted, great treatise on love. But what does it mean to love?
Love not only nurtures and embraces, but it also warns when necessary. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (niv).
Many of Paul’s epistles refuted popular false teachings of the day. Galatians was largely written to refute the teaching of a group called the Judaizers, who basically were trying to bring non-Jews under the bondage of the Mosaic Law. Paul was correcting that.
Occasionally, Paul would take it a step further and name specific people who were false teachers or who were leading others astray. He wrote to Timothy, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:16-18 nkjv).
And in Romans 16:17, he said, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (nkjv).
There is a place for equipping ourselves. But at the same time, I don’t apologize for identifying false teaching. My primary objective is not to refute everything that is being said.
My primary objective is to teach the Bible and let people learn for themselves the whole counsel of God. In the process of doing that, when they encounter a teaching that is aberrant, false, or doesn’t jibe with Scripture, they can identify it and know what the Bible says about it. This is something that has to be done — especially in the days in which we are living.
Messages From Heaven: Messages From Heaven: Faith What is It?
Messages From Heaven: Messages From Heaven: Faith What is It?: Messages From Heaven: Faith What is It? : Faith is not about how much you believe in what you believe. Faith is about believing that the O...
God Has a Future for You!
When the apostle Paul was imprisoned for proclaiming the gospel, he
was no doubt feeling a bit down and discouraged. Perhaps he was
wondering if he would ever be released. Then Jesus came to him with
these words: “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me
in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome” (Acts 23:11).
Paul could take comfort that there was a future for him because Jesus said, “You must also bear witness in Rome.” They wouldn’t kill him. He was still to bear witness in Rome. He had a future.
One of my favorite verses about God’s future for each of us is in the book of Jeremiah: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
It is worth noting that these words were given to Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. They had lost hope. They saw no future, and felt as if God had forgotten about them. But the Lord was saying to them (and us too), “I have not forgotten you, and there is a future!”
Note that God does not say, “I know the thoughts that I have thought toward you.” Rather, He says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you.”
Now it would be wonderful enough to know that God ever thought of me as an individual. But it is not something God has merely done in the past. It is something He is doing in the present and will continue to do in the future.
Know this: God is thinking about you right now! He is not thinking about you merely as a member of the human race. He is thinking about you as an individual.
Psalm 40:5 says, “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be counted to You in order. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”
Think about that! God Almighty, the One who holds the heavens in the span of His hand, the One who spoke and creation came into being, is thinking about you right now.
Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of a future. Now the word used here for future could be translated “an expected end.” Another translation describes it as “a ground of hope” or “things hoped for.”
There will be an outcome in your life, regardless of what you are going through at present. There will be completion. God will tie up the loose ends. You are still a work in progress. God is still finishing you, so don’t be impatient. Don’t feel it’s over, just because you are not where you want to be yet.
We see only the beginning. God sees “the expected end” and it is good! God still had a future for Paul, just as He does for you.
Paul could take comfort that there was a future for him because Jesus said, “You must also bear witness in Rome.” They wouldn’t kill him. He was still to bear witness in Rome. He had a future.
One of my favorite verses about God’s future for each of us is in the book of Jeremiah: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
It is worth noting that these words were given to Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. They had lost hope. They saw no future, and felt as if God had forgotten about them. But the Lord was saying to them (and us too), “I have not forgotten you, and there is a future!”
Note that God does not say, “I know the thoughts that I have thought toward you.” Rather, He says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you.”
Now it would be wonderful enough to know that God ever thought of me as an individual. But it is not something God has merely done in the past. It is something He is doing in the present and will continue to do in the future.
Know this: God is thinking about you right now! He is not thinking about you merely as a member of the human race. He is thinking about you as an individual.
Psalm 40:5 says, “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be counted to You in order. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”
Think about that! God Almighty, the One who holds the heavens in the span of His hand, the One who spoke and creation came into being, is thinking about you right now.
Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of a future. Now the word used here for future could be translated “an expected end.” Another translation describes it as “a ground of hope” or “things hoped for.”
There will be an outcome in your life, regardless of what you are going through at present. There will be completion. God will tie up the loose ends. You are still a work in progress. God is still finishing you, so don’t be impatient. Don’t feel it’s over, just because you are not where you want to be yet.
We see only the beginning. God sees “the expected end” and it is good! God still had a future for Paul, just as He does for you.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Messages From Heaven: Faith What is It?
Messages From Heaven: Faith What is It?: Faith is not about how much you believe in what you believe. Faith is about believing that the One you believe in is believable. In fact,...
Faith What is It?
Faith
is not about how much you believe in what you believe. Faith is about
believing that the One you believe in is believable. In fact, you can
have all of the faith in the world that your SUV is going to take off
and fly you to Canada cruising at 12,000 feet in the air. But that won’t
change the fact that you’re still going to be stuck in traffic
somewhere with all four wheels firmly on the ground.
Faith is about believing that the One you believe in is believable.
The way you find out if the one you believe in is believable is by knowing and experiencing Him.
It’s
like when a child climbs up on the back of her daddy for a piggyback
ride. She doesn’t get up there and start asking herself if he can hold
her or if he is going to drop her. Instead, she immediately starts
asking him, “Do you have me?” as she wiggles and adjusts her legs into
place.
By
asking her daddy, “Do you have me?” she is affirming in her mind that
the one she is putting her faith in is faithful. Because if he says,
“Yes, I have you,” and she rests up there only to discover that he
really does have her, then the next time she climbs on for a piggy-back
ride, the questions become fewer.
But
until she first climbs up onto the back of her daddy, she can say all
day long that she believes that he can hold her. Saying it a thousand
times won’t reduce the hesitation she feels when the offer to get up
there is first extended. She will never get to the point where she can
experience the full pleasure of his presence until she takes that first
climb of faith to discover that he is faithful.
Faith
experienced is faith that is real. It is an easy thing to say that you
believe. It is an easy thing to feel like you believe. But faith is not
situated in our feelings. Faith is situated in our feet. That’s why the
Bible calls it “walking by faith” rather than “feeling by faith.”
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Messages From Heaven: The MORMON Religion EXPOSED!
Messages From Heaven: The MORMON Religion EXPOSED!: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith allegedly received the gold Nephi plates (the book of Mormon...
The MORMON Religion EXPOSED!
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints
Joseph Smith allegedly received the gold Nephi plates (the book of Mormon) from the angel Moroni. Even if the so called angel, "Moroni", really did appear to Joseph Smith, he is still accursed because the gospel of the Book of Mormon is very different from the gospel of the Bible. Since the Book of Mormon does not conform to the standard of the Bible, it is NOT Christian, but condemned being a new and false gospel.
The Mormon religion is straight out of the pits of Hell. Mormonism denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Mormonism teaches that a person must be baptized to go to Heaven. Mormonism is a sexually degenerate cult that is known for pedophilia and abuse. There are many more links down below. Mormonism has the wrong jesus, not the Jesus of the Bible Who is Almighty God (John 10:33; Revelation 1:8).Some of the Most Blasphemous and Damnable Mormon Doctrines
- "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-8).
- "Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind" (Colossians 2:18).
- "We believe in a God who is Himself progressive, whose majesty is intelligence; whose perfection consists in eternal advancement -- a Being who has attained His exalted state by a path which now His children are permitted to follow, whose glory it is their heritage to share. In spite of the opposition of the sects, in the face of direct charges of blasphemy, the Church proclaims the eternal truth: 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.'" (LDS Apostle James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, Ch.24, p.430 - p.431, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- " 'It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God,' the inspired word continues, 'and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did.' The Father is a glorified, perfected, resurrected, exalted man who worked out his salvation by obedience to the same laws he has given to us so that we may do the same." (LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.64, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "Thus, on this beautiful spring morning in the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith witnessed the renewal of God's dealing with his children in accordance with the great gospel plan of redemption. Upon this occasion God the Father and his Beloved Son Jesus Christ appearing as glorified Resurrected Beings unto a chosen servant of God, made known once again the state of immortality which man will attain in preparation for the next estate of eternity; that also the world once again could know the reality of the personal nature of God the Father and his Beloved Son. (LDS Apostle Alvin R. Dyer, Conference Report, April 1963, p.49 - p.50, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "As we stretch our imaginations to absorb the limitlessness of the creations of God we turn to a favorite song: If you could hie to Kolob in the twinkling of an eye, And then continue onward with that same speed to fly, D'ye think that you could ever, through all eternity, Find out the generation where Gods began to be? Or see the grand beginning, where space did not extend? Or view the last creation where Gods and matter end? Methinks the Spirit whispers, "No man has found 'pure space,'" Nor seen the outside curtains, where nothing has a place. The works of God continue, and worlds and lives abound; Improvement and progression have one eternal round. There is no end to matter; there is no end to space; There is no end to spirit; there is no end to race." (LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.250, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "God: Creator And Ruler Of Many Worlds. -- While it is true that evolutionists may be divided between theistic and atheistic groups, yet most of those professing belief in God consider him to be an indefinable force, essence, or power of an incomprehensible nature. According to revelation, however, he is a personal Being, a holy and exalted Man, a glorified, resurrected Personage having a tangible body of flesh and bones, an anthropomorphic Entity, the personal Father of the spirits of all men. (D. & C. 130:22- 23; Moses 6:51, 57; Abra. 3:22-24; Jos. Smith 2:16-19.)"
- "We are members of the family of the Eternal Father. He is a glorified and exalted and eternal Being, having a resurrected body of flesh and bones. His name is God, and the kind of life he lives is God's life. His name is also Eternal, and the name of the kind of life he lives is eternal life. Eternal life is God's life, and God's life is eternal life. We are commanded to be perfect as he is perfect and to advance and progress until we become like him, or in other words, until we gain eternal life. Thus Joseph Smith said, "You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power." (Teachings, pp. 346-47.) Christ our Lord has so obtained, thus enabling him to say to the faithful: "Ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father." (3 Ne. 28:10.)" (LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, Vol.1, p.23 - p.24, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "I will prove that the world is wrong, by showing what God is. I am going to inquire after God; for I want you all to know Him, and to be familiar with Him; and if I am bringing you to a knowledge of Him, all persecutions against me ought to cease. You will then know that I am His servant; for I speak as one having authority. ... "I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of a being God is.
What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and hear, all ye ends of the earth. for I am going to prove it to you by the Bible, and to tell you the designs of God in relation to the human race, and why He interferes with the affairs of man. ... "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!
That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make himself visible,--I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form--like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with Him, as one man talks and communes with another. ...
"In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how He came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see. ... "These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple.
It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; and I will show it from the Bible. ... "I wish I was in a suitable place to tell it, and that I had the trump of an archangel, so that I could tell the story in such a manner that persecution would cease forever. What did Jesus say? (Mark it, Elder Rigdon!)
The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, as the Father hath power in himself, even so hath the Son power--to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious--in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again. Jesus, what are you going to do? To lay down my life as my Father did, and take it up again. Do you believe it? If you do not believe it you do not believe the Bible.
The scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom and all the combined powers of earth and hell together to refute it. Here, then, is eternal life--to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings. and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. And I want you to know that God, in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming His name, is not trifling with you or me." (LDS President Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.14, p.305-6, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the Sons of God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with the highest intelligences that dwell in eternity. We are now in the school, and must practice upon what we receive." (LDS President Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p.245, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
- "This was the calling of Joseph Smith. He taught anew that God was in the form of man; that man was made in the image of God; and he taught the principles of justice, mercy, charity, and forgiveness. ... He taught the truths that the Prophets before him had taught; and he went beyond them. ... Joseph Smith taught men to look up to heaven and conceive of a God in the form of man. He taught them that they could become like their Father and God, who was 'an exalted Man.' And what is more simple and reasonable? Don't you parents expect your children to become like you? Or do you expect your children to be something else than men and women? No. You men will see your sons become men; you women will see your daughters become women.
Then God our Father--yes, and our Mother--in heaven, looking down upon this world-- this school house in which their children are being educated--expect, and Joseph Smith taught it as a truth, that their children will be exalted, if they pursue the proper course, until they shall become divine beings themselves, worthy to stand upon that plane where stand their Father and their Mother in heaven. Like begets like; and the principle of eternal progress will make of man a God. (LDS Apostle Orson F. Whitney, Collected Discourses, Vol.5, May 8, 1898, LDS Collectors Library '97 CD-ROM)
Mormons deny the deity of Jesus ChristThe Deity of Jesus Christ is a fundamental doctrine of the faith, yet Mormons deny Christ's deity. Instead, Mormons promote man to the status of being "gods." Mormonism is straight from Hell and must be exposed for the lies that it teaches. The Word of God proclaims that Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1-3,10,14). Isaiah 9:6 called Jesus the "Everlasting Father." John 10:33 reads, "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." The Jews were trying to kill Jesus because He was claiming to be God. They also tried to murder Jesus in John 8:57-59.
In fact, Jesus professed Himself as Almighty God in Revelation 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Jesus forgave sin as only God can do (Mark 2:5). Jesus accepted worship as only God is entitled to (Isaiah 42:8; Matthew 8:2). Mormons wickedly deny Christ's deity, while selfishly proclaiming their own. Mormons have foolishly bought into the Devil's lie that they will one day become gods. The Word of God never teaches any such nonsense. There is and always will be only one Living God (Deuteronomy 6:4).
The Deity of Man Promoted"Mormons teach that man can become God, and that God was once a man:'God himself, the Father of us all, is a glorified, exalted immortal resurrected man!' (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 322-23, 517, 643)
'...God himself was once as we are now and is an exalted man and sits enthroned in yonder heavens...' (Journal of Discourses, V6, P3, 1844)
'As man is, God once was: as God is, man may become.' (Lorenzo Snow, quoted in Milton R. Hunter, the Gospel Through the Ages, pp. 105-106)This is plain and simple heresy. Nowhere does the Bible say or imply that God was ever a man, or that man can become God! Malachi 3:6 says, 'For I am the LORD, I change not...' How could this be true if God was once a man? Genesis 1:1 states that God existed 'in the beginning' before man was ever created. John 4:24 states that God is a 'spirit,' and Jesus tells us in John 1:18 that no man has seen God at any time. Numbers 23:19 says that 'God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent.' God has always been God, and no one has ever 'become' God." -quote by Pastor James Melton
Mormons Teach Salvation by Works"Mormons believe that one's salvation is based on such good works as baptism, good deeds, missionary work, and following Mormon teachings. In The Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, justification by faith in Jesus Christ is called a "pernicious doctrine" twice and he states that it has been "an influence for evil." (pp. 107, 480) Bruce McConkie once stated at Brigham Young University that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is "improper and perilous" (Church News, March 20, 1982, p. 5)" -quote by Pastor James MeltonThe Word of God clearly teaches that salvation is by simple heart's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:10). Titus 3:5 reads, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." The "washing of regeneration" is NOT speaking about baptism, but about the blood of Jesus that washes our sins away..."...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." -1st John 1:7. When we receive Christ as our Saviour, our sins are cleanses away by Jesus blood. Colossians 1:14 declares, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."John 1:12,13 proclaim, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Salvation is of God friend, NOT you or anyone else. Good works cannot save us. The Pope cannot save us. The priest cannot save us. The church cannot save us. Baptism cannot save us. Missionary work cannot save us.The sacraments cannot save us. ONLY Jesus can save us, and Jesus is God! "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" -John 14:6. It's Jesus or Hell friend, turn or burn! Please turn from your unbelief while you still can, and place your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save you. Please read, God's Simple Plan.
Mormon Church Spends $6.73 Per Member On Humanitarian Aid Annually!Mormons church members give an average of $6.73 per year to help the needy, while spending BILLIONS on shopping malls and real estate. As clearly seen, Mormonism is a business and not a Biblical church. The following information is from EXMormon.org...The numbers below are from an official Mormon church publication. Notice how they use the sum of a 25 year span to make the number look significant. Breaking it down to an annual basis and to a per member basis demonstrates how little the Mormon church gives in charitable aid.Humanitarian assistance rendered (1985-2009)
Cash Donations $327.6 million
Value of Material Assistance $884.6 millionThe value of material assistance is a wild guess from materials donated by members and not directly out of the church's pocket. We will assume that it actually came from the church directly for simplicity.Let's look at the numbers.Total number of years: 25 years
Total amount of aid: $1,212.2 million (cash 327.6 + materials 884.6)Amount of aid per year: ($1,212.2 / 25 yr) = $48.5 million per yearLet's assume an average of 12 million members of the church over that 25 year time span.($80.8 / 12) = $6.73 per member given in charitable aid per year!!!Just so that this is clear - The Mormon church only gives out $6.73 in charitable aid per member per year.The Mormon church receives $5,800,000,000 annually in contributions just from members in the United States!!! Over five billion dollars a year, and yet they only give $6.73 each to the poor and homeless. This is typical of a manmade cult that has nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. The Bible defines religion as helping the poor fatherless and widows in their affliction; yet remain unspotted by the wicked world. The Mormon church is one of the wealthiest religions upon the earth..."The Mormon Church's City Creek Mall and related development now at an astonishing $5 Billion Dollars!! Five Billion Dollars Do not give your hard earned money in tithing to the Mormon church. An organization that spends 15-20 times more on real estate to develop malls than on helping the poor is, by any definition, a corporation, not a religion."Sad, so sad!
Elite Occult Sex Abuse of Children is Epidemic WorldwideMormons masquerade as true Christians, but they are of the Devil. Few people ever come to recognize the true occult nature and satanic depth of the Mormon cult. If you do some research, you will learn quickly that the common denominator between all false so-called Christian religions in America is Freemasonry. These demonic fake religions include: Jehovah's Witnesses, Charismatics (Oral Roberts), Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventism, Judaism, Kaballah, Christian Science, Churches of Christ, Scientology and Wicca). Mormonism is steeped in Jewish Kabbala. Freemasonry, Judaism, Kaballa and Mormonism are ALL SEX-BASED CULTS!!! The very emblem of Freemasonry—the compass and the carpenter's square—symbolizes sexual intercourse.Opium Brides (heroine & 7-year old girls taken in Afghanistan for pedophile global elite)Why is it that Americans are being policed with trained guard dogs, bag searches, strip searches, naked body scans, TSA pat downs and groping, Darth Vader looking thug cops, and an increasingly intolerant attitude toward innocent citizens? Yet, meanwhile, families in Afghanistan are totally helpless against the thug drug lords that are stealing their 7-year old daughters to be raped by the global elite. NATO actually protects the criminals. Afghan farmers are forced to grow opium because other forms of honest living are not allowed nor practical in a corrupt system.Through cleverly designed newsmedia propaganda, white-washing and deliberate disinformation (lying and deceiving), the globalist owned and controlled newsmedia has been able to suppress the blatant horrendous crimes of the global elite themselves [which includes the 911 attacks, the Iraqi war, and the ongoing farming of opium (heroine) crops in Afghanistan and thug stealing of Afghan's little girls to supply the insatiable pedophile appetite of the globalists.]Why is Goldman Sachs running a sex-slave fund? Oh, did I mention the List Of 37 Names of GOLDMAN SACHS People in the Obama Government?The White (Goldman Sachs) House (Goldman Sachs in the White House)It's such a con job. It's all a big scam, intended to harvest the daughters of the Afghani people. Where are the authorities? Where is the government? Where are the U.S. troops that are supposed to be liberating their country? Our troops are being exploited as paid mercenaries and opium farmers! The popular excuse is that it's “THE CULTURE.” Watch the preceding video all the way through. A culture of child rape by drug lords? Who's kidding who?The global elite are behind all of this, making every lame excuse that the indifferent American people are willing to accept. Most people just don't care anymore. Most people have thin skin and a hot temper if you offend them in any way. Christianity is becoming a rare and extinct breed these days. I still care. I love Jesus Christ! I care about others! The hallmark quality of being a Christian is CARING!
Mormon Sex Abuse Claims
The following links are provided by Cult expert, Rick Ross:
LDS Church to appeal verdict on sex abuseReasons to Reject the Book of Mormon
LDS Church told to pay $4.2 million in abuse case
Church liable in girls' abuse
Former Mormon missionary spared prison in Vegas child sex case
LDS Church Missionary Accused Of Sexual Abuse
Second church volunteer arrested in child abuse probe
Mormon Church Worker Charged With Child Sex Abuse
LDS Teacher, Sheriff's Employee Accused of Abusing Girl
Family Sues Mormon Church
Abuse alleged in Mormon lawsuit
Former Mormon stake president pleads guilty to soliciting Internet sex with teen
Church not responsible for abusers
Court asked to revisit church ruling
Former Bishop Charged With Sex Abuse Fired From Corrections Job
Former West Valley LDS Bishop Accused of Sex Abuse
Former Mormon missionary in Vegas indicted on child sex charges
Teacher Charged: Suspect's Computer Examined
Mormon missionary accused of fondling girls at Vegas church
Mormon missionary accused of fondling girls at Vegas church
Former Mormon bishop busted
Mormon Church sued again regarding child sexual abuse
Mormon Church accused of failure to report sexual abuse
LDS Church Is Targeted In Lawsuit
Mormon Leader Denounces Sex Abuse
Sex Abuse Lawsuit Is Settled by Mormons for $3 Million
Sex Case May Pry Open Finances of LDS Church
Crisis of Identity
Judge orders Mormons to provide sex-abuse records
Pressure to Forgive Challenges Mormon Families, Divides Wards
Sexual abuse of children in the Mormon Church
Clergy Ignores Victims, Allege LDS Plaintiffs
Mormon psychologist's recanting about church flaw puzzles some
- There is no room for the Book of Mormon because the Bible itself claims to be all-sufficient, compete and incorruptible and our judge on the last day.
- The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible.
- The Book of Mormon makes many scientifically false statements.
- Absolutely none of the specific historical content of the Book of Mormon has been verified through Archeological finds.
- We do not have the Gold Nephi Plates for the world to examine.
- Although the original 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon was alleged to be inspired in its English translation, there have been thousands of changes, corrections, additions and deletions. Most Mormons have never seen the original 1830 "inspired" edition and would be shocked if they did.
- Although they claim direct guidance by God, the Mormon church is among the most divided church in the world with more than 89 different sects who will not cooperate with each other.
- The book of Doctrines & Covenants is very different depending upon which sect you are talking to.
- The three witnesses of the B of M were all excommunicated by the Mormon church and were of less than ideal character.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
A Spirituality That Kills Little by Little!
Oprah’s mantra “find your own spirit” has become the rally cry of many Americans. The media, our friends, family — and unfortunately, even some pulpits — challenge us to “find our inner strength.”
These words might seem harmless to you, even encouraging and uplifting, but the truth is that these messages have their roots in the New Age Movement…a movement that is a very real danger to you and your family.
It starts by not being able to recognize Satan’s deceptive strategy.
Perhaps you envision him wearing a red cape and carrying a pitchfork…someone who really doesn’t affect your life. If so, he has you thinking exactly what he wants you to think! The devil is deceptive and charming — a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And one of his greatest disguises is in the New Age Movement. Yet, many don’t even realize it!
Do you recognize Satan’s influence in your life? Are you drawn to television shows such as the WB’s Charmed, which depicts the lives of three sisters who happen to be spell-casting witches? Or do your children watch Disney’s That’s So Raven in which the teen heroine has visions?
The popularity of the New Age Movement expressed in a cloak of spirituality is greater than ever…and it means you and I need to arm ourselves with God’s truth. We need to be able to recognize false spirituality — and teach our children about these dangers.
For instance, what comes to mind when you think of New Age? Do you think of palm readers, crystal balls, journeys to Tibet to visit the Dalai Lama, Scientology? While all of these things are a part of New Age, this movement infiltrates our society in many other subtle and devious ways.
The New Age is expressed in simple meditation…or self-help seminars…even in holistic medicine. These things seem harmless, yet they possess dangerous spiritual pitfalls that can snare even the most innocent people.
What is the danger? New Age followers use all of these things as a means of channeling their inner energy and spirit to learn to rely on themselves, not on God.
For many people, the appeal of the New Age Movement is that there are no moral absolutes. What is right for me might not be right for you, but that’s okay because we are really all the same — we all are gods.
This belief system also gives people a false feeling of control over their own lives. Since Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, man has struggled to gain control over himself and his world. The New Age Movement leads people to believe they have this control.
So how do we communicate God’s truth in a society disillusioned by Satan’s lies? The Christian’s response must be threefold.
1. We must know what we believe about God and the tenets of our Christian faith.
2. We must communicate God’s truth…the Gospel…with conviction, yet love.
We must practice God’s truth. God calls us to “walk the walk and talk the talk.” “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this...to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).
The Battle for the Next Generation!
A couple of years ago there was a movie made about a woman named Erin Brokovich. The movie centered around the town of Hinkley, which unknowingly had its water supply poisoned.
You see, for over 40 years, the major employer of the residents…Pacific Gas and Electric…had knowingly dumped a poisonous, cancer-causing chemical called Chrom 6 into the ponds surrounding its plant in Hinkley.
After time, the poison soaked into the ground water in Hinkley, to the point that people were washing their hands in it, bathing in it and even drinking it! They didn’t know they were being poisoned…and a large percentage of them eventually died of cancer as a result.
Today, America is living in a cultural “Hinkley.” Day after day our hearts and minds are being poisoned by the insidious lies of our culture. Satan has so infiltrated our culture’s worldview that we now find ourselves engaged in a battle of epic proportions…a war for the hearts and minds of our children.
If you doubt this, consider the many cultural battles we are fighting as a result of our culture’s worldview. From the normalization of abortion…to the embracing of the homosexual lifestyle…to the ever-decreasing importance placed on traditional marriage…to rampant sexualized content in media…our culture has succumbed to the lies of the Evil One.
And the lives of our children and grandchildren…the next generation…are at stake.
So how do we fight this battle? How do we arm ourselves? I believe there are two critical armaments.
First, we must understand that this is a battle for our minds…our children’s minds. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 make this abundantly clear:
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every (C)lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (NASB)
The battle you and I are fighting today is unseen. It is a battle for the mind. And you and I must arm ourselves and our children to think biblically…to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
How do you capture your every thought? How can you let Jesus rule over your mind when so many other forces want control over it? And how can you help your children in that same quest?
Now be prepared, you may not like what I have to say because it’s not always easy to hear. But if you really do want the victory…if you really want a new life, a new joy, a new freedom, a new belief…you must memorize Scripture.
And you need to help your children do the same.
You must intentionally replace the poisonous mantras of our culture that seep into our minds and the minds of our children with the powerful truth of God’s Word.
Memorizing Scripture is as simple as writing a verse on a card and reading it from time to time throughout your day…and meditating on its truth. This is something you can help your children do even at a young age.
Each of us must recognize the garbage that has seeped into our minds from the waste dump of our culture. And each of us must combat the Evil One by putting the words of God in our minds and on our hearts.
Messages From Heaven: Are You Weakening Your Spiritual Immune System?
Messages From Heaven: Are You Weakening Your Spiritual Immune System?: Did you know your spiritual immune system needs “feeding” just as much as your physical immune system does? We have the same two choices in ...
Are You Weakening Your Spiritual Immune System?
Did you know your spiritual immune system needs “feeding” just as much as your physical immune system does? We have the same two choices in the spiritual realm as we do in the physical realm: we can live a constructive or destructive spiritual lifestyle. The way you handle the troubles life brings will depend almost entirely on how well-nourished your spiritual immune system is.
Consider the apostle Paul. What made it possible for him to rebound so consistently when wave after wave of trouble came crashing in upon him? He was “hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed;...perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). His spiritual experience was the equivalent of a person walking through a laboratory of deadly pathogens, viruses, and bacteria with no protection — yet not succumbing to any of them. His spiritual immune system was so strong that, while he experienced the occasional fever, chills, headaches, and sniffles, he was never knocked out of action. His spiritual body was well-fed; his defenses were strong; his resources were well-stocked.
If you are to survive physically in this world, your body’s immune system must be strong. But if you are to survive spiritually, your spiritual immune system must be stronger. Because, as many have proved and are currently demonstrating, your physical health can be taken away in the providence of God without destroying your spiritual health. Many Christians, confined to a bed or wheelchair, continue to exhibit a sweet fragrance and aroma of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their spiritual immune systems gave them victory over things which even their bodies could not withstand.
So how do you keep your spiritual immune system in good shape? Let me begin by drawing five parallels between the physical and spiritual dimensions of our lives — both types of immune systems need the same basic things:
1. Immune systems need food. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the staples of our physical diet, but the Word of God is the spiritual food we rely on. When the words and will of God become sweeter to you than honey, you will know your spiritual immune system is being fed properly (Psalm 119:103).
2. Immune systems need water. Ninety-two percent of our blood, and nearly 98 percent of our digestive juices, are comprised of water. We are literally surrounded by water, which is a beautiful picture of the way we ought to live spiritually — surrounded by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
3. Immune systems need exercise. The body’s lymphatic system — filled with disease-fighting white blood cells — circulates in the body as a result of physical motion; it is not circulated under pressure like blood is. And spiritual ministry provides the interaction you need with others that continually stimulates you to love and good deeds
4. Immune systems need rest. “It is useless...to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:2, NLT). God can speak to your spirit even as you sleep, healing and refreshing your heart and mind. It is the quietness of the night-time hours which allows the Spirit complete access to your undistracted spirits. (Matthew 11:28-30)
5. Immune systems need pure thoughts. Proverbs 14:30 says that “a tranquil spirit revives the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones” (NET). David said that when he kept silent about his sin, his bones wasted away (Psalm 32:3 NIV).
When you live a healthy lifestyle, you don’t live in fear of germs; you rely on consistent investments in your immune system to defend yourself against sickness. And when you make equally consistent investments in your spiritual immune system, you don’t live in fear of what’s around every bend in life’s road. Healthy portions of the Word, the Spirit, service, spiritual rest, and a pure heart don’t guarantee that all troubles will stay away. But it does guarantee that when they come, they’ll succumb to you — not vice versa!
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Let's Consult the Architect!
One of the most beautiful blueprints ever designed has been God’s
plan for marriage. Established before there was any sin in the world,
marriage illustrates God’s perfect design for relationships.
Let’s consult the architect for three ways to live in this wonderful establishment called marriage. We’ll use Proverbs 24:3-4 as our home base:
“By wisdom a house is built....”
First, let’s lay the foundation. The word built comes from the Hebrew word that means “to restore.” It’s the same word God uses when He took the rib from Adam’s chest and rebuilt it into a woman. God says it takes wisdom to build this kind of house. Wisdom essentially means “seeing with discernment.” It’s the idea of seeing the broad picture of something. When you choose to look at the broad picture rather than the petty details, you build a strong foundation.
“By understanding a house is established....”
Established in Hebrew means to set in order something that is cluttered or to stand upright something that has fallen. If wisdom is seeing with discernment, then this second piece is responding to what you see with insight. How can you do that? With understanding.
In other words, an irritation I would normally take personally, I don’t take personally any longer. A conflict that cuts into my plan will not irritate me if I have wisdom and understanding. I will see it as God sees it, as good or necessary for me at this time.
“By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Knowledge implies “perception” here. It carries with it a sympathy that comes with learning. As I grow in knowledge of my wife, I increase in my perception of her. I say with my actions: I am listening. I am learning. I am open. Knowledge, when it’s combined with wisdom and understanding, Proverbs says, fills your home with precious and pleasant riches. What does that mean? It means your relationship will be filled with the things that won’t burn up if a fire strikes.
Man has turned it the other way! So many are mesmerized into thinking, “All we need, Honey, are more things.” But misery just increases as our rooms remain empty of God’s riches. God says, “By wisdom it can be restored. By understanding it can be set right. By knowledge those rooms can have those qualities that’ll never burn up.”
Now, before you pass this article on to your spouse with the instructions, “Here, Honey, read how you should change,” remember the place to start remodeling your marriage is with you. I have found that someone can be fulfilled in the most difficult circumstances if he has wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, or is working toward that end. But I have also found individuals who have a built-in, perfect opportunity for a happy home but lack wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and they’re miserable. It’s remarkable. Ask the Architect to build within you a heart of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for your mate.
Let’s consult the architect for three ways to live in this wonderful establishment called marriage. We’ll use Proverbs 24:3-4 as our home base:
God’s pattern for marriage is simple: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
“By wisdom a house is built....”
First, let’s lay the foundation. The word built comes from the Hebrew word that means “to restore.” It’s the same word God uses when He took the rib from Adam’s chest and rebuilt it into a woman. God says it takes wisdom to build this kind of house. Wisdom essentially means “seeing with discernment.” It’s the idea of seeing the broad picture of something. When you choose to look at the broad picture rather than the petty details, you build a strong foundation.
“By understanding a house is established....”
Established in Hebrew means to set in order something that is cluttered or to stand upright something that has fallen. If wisdom is seeing with discernment, then this second piece is responding to what you see with insight. How can you do that? With understanding.
In other words, an irritation I would normally take personally, I don’t take personally any longer. A conflict that cuts into my plan will not irritate me if I have wisdom and understanding. I will see it as God sees it, as good or necessary for me at this time.
“By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Knowledge implies “perception” here. It carries with it a sympathy that comes with learning. As I grow in knowledge of my wife, I increase in my perception of her. I say with my actions: I am listening. I am learning. I am open. Knowledge, when it’s combined with wisdom and understanding, Proverbs says, fills your home with precious and pleasant riches. What does that mean? It means your relationship will be filled with the things that won’t burn up if a fire strikes.
Man has turned it the other way! So many are mesmerized into thinking, “All we need, Honey, are more things.” But misery just increases as our rooms remain empty of God’s riches. God says, “By wisdom it can be restored. By understanding it can be set right. By knowledge those rooms can have those qualities that’ll never burn up.”
Now, before you pass this article on to your spouse with the instructions, “Here, Honey, read how you should change,” remember the place to start remodeling your marriage is with you. I have found that someone can be fulfilled in the most difficult circumstances if he has wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, or is working toward that end. But I have also found individuals who have a built-in, perfect opportunity for a happy home but lack wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and they’re miserable. It’s remarkable. Ask the Architect to build within you a heart of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for your mate.
It Takes Courage!
Deep within, we imagine ourselves as a mixture of Patrick Henry, Davy
Crockett, John Wayne, and the prophet Daniel! But the truth of the
matter is that most of us would do anything to keep from being
different. We'd much rather blend into the woodwork. One of our greatest
fears is being ostracized, rejected by "the group."
There are other fears — fear of being made to look foolish, fear of being talked about and misunderstood. Rather than rugged individualists, we are more like Gulliver of old, tied down and immobilized by tiny strands of fear, real or imagined. The result is both predictable and tragic: loss of courage.
It takes courage to think alone, to resist alone, to stand alone — especially when the crowd seems so safe, so right.
Let me suggest four thoughts to help bolster your courage:
1. "I am responsible." I said that to myself so many times in the Marine Corps that I got sick of hearing myself say it! Today I still repeat those three words.
2. "I must not forget." We must not forget the Lord our God and what He has done for us.
3. "I am accountable." I am accountable to God whether I am in Asia, at the tip of South America, or at the North Pole.
4. "I get my standard and security from God." Not from my friend, not from my business, not even from within myself. Christ is my surety.
Remember. Just because "everybody's doing it" doesn't mean it's either safe or right. You keep flying high above the crowd. Up there it doesn't just seem safe and right, it is safe and right.
There are other fears — fear of being made to look foolish, fear of being talked about and misunderstood. Rather than rugged individualists, we are more like Gulliver of old, tied down and immobilized by tiny strands of fear, real or imagined. The result is both predictable and tragic: loss of courage.
It takes courage to think alone, to resist alone, to stand alone — especially when the crowd seems so safe, so right.
Let me suggest four thoughts to help bolster your courage:
1. "I am responsible." I said that to myself so many times in the Marine Corps that I got sick of hearing myself say it! Today I still repeat those three words.
2. "I must not forget." We must not forget the Lord our God and what He has done for us.
3. "I am accountable." I am accountable to God whether I am in Asia, at the tip of South America, or at the North Pole.
4. "I get my standard and security from God." Not from my friend, not from my business, not even from within myself. Christ is my surety.
Remember. Just because "everybody's doing it" doesn't mean it's either safe or right. You keep flying high above the crowd. Up there it doesn't just seem safe and right, it is safe and right.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
The Carpenter's Hands: The Touch of Jesus!
They must have been rough, the hands of the village carpenter. In an
age without gloves or skin creams, He shoved stones into place, absorbed
splinters, hewed timber, and gripped lumber with bare-fisted fingers.
In a day without sunscreen lotions, He labored under the blistering
Middle Eastern sun. In an era without modern machinery, He raised
houses, erected buildings, fashioned furniture, and repaired children’s
toys. His hands must have developed a thick layer of protective hide
that was obvious to those who shook His hand or felt His touch.
But, oh!—what gentle hands. Never squeezing too hard, touching too roughly, or overzealously slapping another’s back.
And what powerful hands! The trace of a single finger could restore sight to the blind, bring life to the dead, heal a leper’s skin, or lift a suffering soul from life’s dust.
And what wounded hands! They bore the scars that no lotion could heal and no oil could help. They were the hands of Jesus.
The Gospels use the words “hands,” “fingers,” and “touch” nearly two hundred times, and the words often refer to Jesus: “Jesus put out His hand and touched him . . . So He touched her hand . . . . He went in and took her by the hand . . . . Then He touched their eyes . . . .. Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand . . . Jesus came and touched them . . . . Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray . . .”[1]
Our hands should convey love. In His parable of the prodigal son, Jesus described the reaction of the father to the homecoming of his wayward boy: “Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20, NLT). Many parents truly love their children, but don’t always convey this love in a way that makes their kids feel secure. Hugs, hair-tussling, pats on the back, even horseplay and rough-housing—all are ways we can communicate affection to our youngsters.
Jesus wasn’t afraid to touch others. Leprous skin didn’t repulse Him, nor did He hesitate to handle the filthy feet of His disciples in the Upper Room. Now He wants to use our hands to send the same message of love, humility, and acceptance.
Psalm 104:28 says that when God opens His hand, we’re filled with goodness; and Psalm 145:16 echoes the thought: “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Are your hands open? Generous toward a needy person whom God brings across your path? Toward His work that needs support? Toward those depending on your provision?
We must use our hands to help others. At the beginning of Christ’s ministry, we read in Luke 4:40: “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
How can our hands become a blessing to others? Perhaps wiping the brow of a fevered child? Cooking a meal for a lonely single? Typing a note to one needing encouragement? Cutting flowers for a neighbor? Wiping the noses of infants in the church nursery? Handing out bulletins with a smile and a handshake on Sunday? Knocking on the door of someone needing the Lord? Your hands can do His work every day!
I can visualize our Lord’s rough-hewn hands resting in a posture of prayer, palms together, fingers pointed upward as the Carpenter of Nazareth took time to beseech God’s blessings on the work of His hands.
Oh, to be like Jesus. To have the same touch, the same grip on life, the same openhanded generosity, the same beautiful, beckoning hands as our Lord. Look down at your hands right now. May God take them and use them for His glory! Let’s pray with the hymnist:
Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
But, oh!—what gentle hands. Never squeezing too hard, touching too roughly, or overzealously slapping another’s back.
And what powerful hands! The trace of a single finger could restore sight to the blind, bring life to the dead, heal a leper’s skin, or lift a suffering soul from life’s dust.
And what wounded hands! They bore the scars that no lotion could heal and no oil could help. They were the hands of Jesus.
The Gospels use the words “hands,” “fingers,” and “touch” nearly two hundred times, and the words often refer to Jesus: “Jesus put out His hand and touched him . . . So He touched her hand . . . . He went in and took her by the hand . . . . Then He touched their eyes . . . .. Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand . . . Jesus came and touched them . . . . Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray . . .”[1]
Our hands should convey love. In His parable of the prodigal son, Jesus described the reaction of the father to the homecoming of his wayward boy: “Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20, NLT). Many parents truly love their children, but don’t always convey this love in a way that makes their kids feel secure. Hugs, hair-tussling, pats on the back, even horseplay and rough-housing—all are ways we can communicate affection to our youngsters.
Jesus wasn’t afraid to touch others. Leprous skin didn’t repulse Him, nor did He hesitate to handle the filthy feet of His disciples in the Upper Room. Now He wants to use our hands to send the same message of love, humility, and acceptance.
Psalm 104:28 says that when God opens His hand, we’re filled with goodness; and Psalm 145:16 echoes the thought: “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Are your hands open? Generous toward a needy person whom God brings across your path? Toward His work that needs support? Toward those depending on your provision?
We must use our hands to help others. At the beginning of Christ’s ministry, we read in Luke 4:40: “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
How can our hands become a blessing to others? Perhaps wiping the brow of a fevered child? Cooking a meal for a lonely single? Typing a note to one needing encouragement? Cutting flowers for a neighbor? Wiping the noses of infants in the church nursery? Handing out bulletins with a smile and a handshake on Sunday? Knocking on the door of someone needing the Lord? Your hands can do His work every day!
I can visualize our Lord’s rough-hewn hands resting in a posture of prayer, palms together, fingers pointed upward as the Carpenter of Nazareth took time to beseech God’s blessings on the work of His hands.
Oh, to be like Jesus. To have the same touch, the same grip on life, the same openhanded generosity, the same beautiful, beckoning hands as our Lord. Look down at your hands right now. May God take them and use them for His glory! Let’s pray with the hymnist:
Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
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