If Living Like Christ Were Mandatory…

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would there be so many starving children or families?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, could hate survive?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would selfishness be so common?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would our government officials remain so divided?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would the bars, clubs and liquor stores be able to stay in business?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would abortion still be an option?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would same sex marriage even exist?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would there be a need for earthly presidents, kings or rulers?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would a democracy even be necessary?

If living like Christ were mandatory for all, would the words "common-good" mean anything at all?

Interesting Chain of Events

Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk."..... afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.". John 5:8,14

After the disabled man from Jerusalem was healed near the pool of Bethesda he was later found at the temple. However, too many times in todays society when we experience the ultimate healing, that our soul has been saved from everlasting torment in Hell, Christ and the church are no longer important.

Isn't it reasonable that anyone who is truly thankful that God has saved them, would spend time worshipping Him with other believers?

Another interesting thing is this, when Jesus saw him later on He said to the man, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." That didn't sound very caring, after all this poor man had been disabled for 38 years, where is the compassion?

Gods love is a perfecting love not a pampering love. He wants the very best for us.

WOW

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. A2.42.44

The Shack?

I heard some buzz about a book called The Shack in some Christian circles so I asked some questions about it and here is what I've learned.

First of all the comments about the book were overwhelmingly positive and the majority of comments I received were from professing Christians. Some of the comments were as follows, "this book has changed the way I think about God", and "I now see God in a whole new way", even comments like this, "after reading this book, I now truly understand who God is".

Wow, what an impact The Shack has made on believers, I am now intrigued more than ever to find out what this life changing book is all about, especially since the faith of so many in our current society seems to be a little on the squishy side.

Could the writer of this book have found a way to connect to Christians in a way that deepens their faith in Christ? I'm definitely curious now, so I decided to check it out for myself.

After a little web browsing I located a site that would allow me to read the entire first chapter, I thought any book that could generate so many positive comments from Christians would surely draw me in quickly, after all, I too am a Christian and as Christians we should have a very similar understanding when it comes to scripture right?

After reading the first chapter I can truly say I was disappointed that so many people actually said this book changed their life. How could this book of fiction actually change the thinking of born again believers in Christ? I learned how this had happened fairly quickly, a few true concepts were aparently all it took for some to gobble down the heresy that was not so subtly hidden within it's pages.

In chapter one it was clear as crystal that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit had been grossly misrepresented, from gender to His attributes. I was disgusted that the Lord God was portrayed in such a way. Moreover, I could not understand how so many who have been called out of darkness could simply overlook such a mangling of scriptural truth. It seems that false stories and fairy tales have greater impact on the lives of people than actual truth.

I must confess that I read no further than the first chapter, and after the train wreck contained within the first few pages I had no desire to be subjected to any additional silliness.

Is the word of God no longer interesting enough that we must add to and take away from it in order to make it more appealing? Adding our own thoughts, ideas, and scenarios into scripture is a very dangerous thing to do, especially when the intended meaning is forsaken altogether. This book goes way farther than just simplifying words and phrases as someone would do in order for children to understand what is being said, which is surely acceptable as long as the true meaning remains intact.

When essential doctrine of scripture is discarded even in allegorical writings it is heresy and that is what it should be called. There are many deceptive ways used by [satan] the ruler of this world to distract those who follow Christ and we should not be so easily divided by his ways, rather we should daily fill our minds with the truth of scripture, hide it in our hearts so that we may not sin against God and be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us.

When someone asks you, be ready to answer the hard questions of life with the truths contained in the Bible, the sugar coating of scripture only allows for confusion and misinterpretation.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:3-5

Let's us encourage one another to stand firmly on the truth of God's Word without apology. We need not worry how we will be able to defend the Word of God, it can defend itself. Speak the words of truth and let God do the transforming.

Not All Religions Are True

You can worship Mohamed, Buda, Vishnu, Joseph Smith, Mary or Jesus Christ but only one of them took the punishment for your sins so you could be forgiven and enter Heaven.

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word. 1 Kings 18:21

"As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. Ezekiel 20:39

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Joshua 24:14

Choose this day whom you will serve..……But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15

Marvelous Grace

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do good works." Titus 2:11-14

6 Things Everyone Needs To Know

#1 If you are a Christian the Spirit of God lives in you.
#2 If the Spirit of God lives in you, your desire will be to please God.
#3 If you desire to please God, you will not continually use His name in a vulgar or thoughtless way.
#4 If you continually use the name of God in a vulgar or thoughtless way, then #1 does not apply to you.
#5 If #1 does not apply to you, call out to God in repentance.
#6 If you call out to God in repentance and trust in Him alone, he will rescue you from your sin.

WHEN He rescues you from your sin, read Psalm 119 and make it your prayer.

Great Commandments

I heard a pastor say that if you love God and love others you would not continually lie, steal, cheat, covet, commit adultery, take the Lord's name in vain, dishonor your parents, and fail to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. If that is true then I guess these really ARE the two greatest commandments.

Matthew 22:37-40
37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Carl Daniel

Is Love A Many Splendored Thing?

Must we accept the practices and beliefs of others just to gain favor in their sight, even if there is a greater purpose involved?
May we never conform to the ways of this world, rather live as if Christ were returning today.
Could an outward appearance of love be an urgent warning for someone to turn away from that which can harm or even destroy them or their fellow man?

1 Corinthians 13:6 states that "love rejoices in the truth."

James 5:19-20
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

A Daily Prayer Maybe All Christians Should Consider

Psalm 119:33-40
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

The Truth About Adultery

According to God; looking at pornography, sex outside of marriage, and even lustful thoughts are considered adultery; not just physically cheating on your spouse.
http://read.ly/Matt5.27.nasb
http://read.ly/Matt5.28.nasb
Adultery is not funny, sexy, or awesome; adultery is NOT cool, it is a serious offense (not a joke) and this applies to men AND women.
ADULTERY IS SIN, it's a sin against yourself, your home, your church, your nation and it is a sin against God.
Adulterers among others will not inherit the kingdom of God.
http://read.ly/1Cor6.9.nasb
http://read.ly/1Cor6.10.nasb
If you don't kill it, it will kill you and drag you into Hell.
STOP IT… before it's too late.

Reasons to Obey God

Example #1
Joshua 1:5-7

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you
or forsake you.
6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit
the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according
to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn
from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Why obey God?

Throughout history God promises His people that they will… be
protected from their enemies, receive blessing, prosper, overcome,
resist evil, recieve guidance and wisdom, etc… IF they believe,
trust, obey/keep HIS commandments, statutes, ordinances, decrees.

The Truth About Yoga

Yoga is but another subtle form of ungodliness that we have allowed into our lives that is being accepted even among Christians in the name of exercise. Even if your not chanting some mindless Buddhist mantra; emptying your mind in order to get in touch with the divine or for any reason is not biblical rather it is giving entrance or a foothold to Satan himself.

Do away with those things that have a form of godliness but deny His power. I know it sounds a little nitpicky and insignificant but the subtle things of darkness creep into our lives conditioning us very slowly and we become more and more powerless to resist the evil around us thus we become unconcerned and even turn away from the things that glorify the Father.

Instead of emptying your mind...do this.....

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8

Words on Wisdom

Job 28:28
"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of  the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 18:1
He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Jeremiah 9:23
Thus says the LORD, " Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

Daniel 2:21
"It is He who changes the times and the epochs; he removes kings and establishes kings; he gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.

1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";

James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Submit to Government?

What are the responsibilities of a Christian as it relates to our current government? The Bible has instructions for us regarding this issue.
http://read.ly/Titus3.1.nasb
http://read.ly/Rom13.1.nasb

No matter how good or evil our society or our governmental leaders are, and no matter what laws or guidelines are put in place the Bible is clear about what we are to do and why we are to do it.
http://read.ly/1Pet2.13.nasb
http://read.ly/1Pet2.14.nasb
http://read.ly/1Pet2.15.nasb

What goes on in the Senate or the House should not worry follower of Christ; what is done by the Supreme Court or even the President of the United States does not concern those who are in Christ.

The born-again believer is concerned with living a life of holiness
http://read.ly/Lev19.2.nasb
and calling others to Jesus Christ.
http://read.ly/1Pet2.9.nasb
We are not citizens in this world, we are aliens and strangers.
http://read.ly/1Pet2.11.nasb
Our citizenship is in Heaven.
http://read.ly/Phil3.20.nasb
If we are to proclaim the One who saved us, then it is of utmost importance how we conduct ourselves in this society.
http://read.ly/1Pet2.12.nasb
The only reasons we are to disobey our governing authorities is when we are told to do something that God strictly forbids or we are forbidden to do what God clearly commands us to do.
http://read.ly/Acts5.29.nasb
Disobeying governing authorities just because we simply do not agree with them is not an option for Christians.

Birthmarks of a Born Again Believer

Have you read 1 John lately?
Why is God's word (the Bible) so very clear regarding who does and
does not belong to Him?

Could it be that God wants us to know so that we will not be fooled by
those whose intentions are evil or maybe those whose teachings are
false?

Aren't we obligated to warn others of false teaching when we hear it,
for the good of others?

So often when it is brought to the attention of a believer that what
they have said is false according to the Bible, they will get
offended, even angry and say something like, "who are you to judge me"
or "the Bible says you shouldn't judge". Aren't we suppose to show our
brothers in the faith that they may have a false understanding of
scripture in order to lead them in the direction of truth?

Are we so full of pride that we cannot even consider that we could
have possibly been wrong about something, or even thank the one who
cared enough about us to point out an error in our understanding so we
could be made whole?

If we are to say that scripture is true then we must accept rebuke
from another believer or at the very least accept the possibility that
we could be wrong and earnestly seek the truth of scripture. Prov.
27:6,17

Like Breaking the Rules?

Ever get bent out of shape when it comes to following rules? Rules are usually given for our safety and security; in God's case the rules are for our good.
http://read.ly/Deut6.24.NASB

Rules and the Rule Giver

Now that we know God exists and has created all things including human beings (you and I) shouldn't we thank Him for giving us life? But how are we to do that? He has explained to us in His Word (The Bible) the rules which we are to live by.

Isn't that great? We aren't left to wander around on this earth trying to figure out what we should do or if it is right or wrong; He's even given us some guidelines to live by. Now who would know what is best for us than the One who created life itself?

Just in case we have trouble understanding His Word (the Bible), He has placed these rules in our minds so we have no excuse for why we are living in a way that does not honor Him. Our conscience, that God has placed in us, tells us that we should not lie, steal or hate another person! It makes perfect sense that we should not look with lust, desire that which belongs to another person or even be naughty to our parents. We should take time to rest, worship God alone and not idolize anyone or anything above Him. And we should certainly not curse His Name!

Remember, He has created all things including us, He is even responsible for the air we breathe. His rules are not a burden to us and we, with gladness, should strive to follow His rules.

Does God even exist?

I've heard many say, "there is no scientific evidence or proof of God's existence". Even if that were so, there are many things you know as true and factual without your knowledge of any scientific data to back it up. For example: You cannot see the wind, however you know it exists because you can see the effects of it and you can feel it when it blows across your face. You don't need to know the scientific details behind everything (How, What, When, Where, Why) to know that it exist or if it's true.

As with God, you cannot see or touch Him but the evidence of His creation (trees, birds, flowers, people),(Genesis 1) and the effects of His existence can be clearly seen by all. Your own conscience bears witness to the fact that God exists, God even placed that knowledge within you. We all know that God exists however there are some who choose to reject this truth.

Repentance: A one time event?

We were not born children of God rather we were born children of the devil; however, that will be another topic for another time. The Bible says that repentance is necessary to become a child of God.

Repentance is apologizing to God for our sins which is our disobedience to Him, it is more than just saying I'm sorry for my sins against God, we should be sorry for our sins, we have offended the One who gave us life, we have offended the One who loves us more than anyone else.

Repentance also means to turn from our sin (stop doing it), no more continually living in disobedience to God, no more loving and treasuring the things that God hates. God even helps us to move in this new direction, He does not leave it all up to us. When we trust Him, He gives us a new heart with new desires. Does that mean we never sin again? Of course not, we will never achieve perfection during our lifetime, remember the Bible says we have a sinful nature.

As we grow in our faith, God will reveal other areas of our lives that are sinful, and His desire is that we will be obedient to Him and turn away (repent) from these newly revealed sins. As we become closer to God we will desire to please Him in every area of our lives, and it will not be a burden to us but a joy. Once you are saved by God and trust in what His Son Jesus Christ has done for you, repentance will be something that you find yourself doing more as you come to a greater understanding of God's will for your life.