Should We Seek To Be Discerning?

Part 3 in the “What Is Discernment” series

One of the most common unbiblical biblical statements we hear these days is “Judge not”. Some do go on to say “Lest ye be judged”, which is straight out of the KJV Old English version of scripture. Thing is, this is a biblical statement, but only as long as it is said in context. A simple and blanket statement of “Thou shalt not judge” is neither correct nor biblical.

As we saw in me last post (Types/ Kinds Of Biblical Discernment) we are told to practice discernment. What is discernment? Making an informed decision based on knowledge to provide the correct reaction to a particular issue, action or whatever else we face. This is also the definition of judging something. We look, hear, smell, taste or feel and those senses reach our brain at which time we will use our experience (our knowledge) to make a judgment. What’s the first thing you do when you take the milk carton out of the fridge? Open it, twist off the top, look into the opening and then take a big old sniff. What you’re doing is practicing discernment. You do it every day, all day.

So why is practicing Biblical discernment frowned upon and seen as a hindrance by most church goers? Why are people who are labeled “fundamentalist”, “Bible thumpers”, “Holier than thous” and “Jesus Freaks” because they take seriously the things of God, most specifically God’s Word and instructions for this world.

God’s Word is a mirror of His character, it gives us a glimpse of God, in His chosen manner, to know what He requires, desires and demands of us. It is a sad fact that most Christians (professing, truly converted or false converts alike) have only a cursory understanding of scripture. Most preachers only feed their congregations milk, sometimes chocolate milk when they indulge their message with the sweet, feel good stories, but most of the time, in most of the church buildings attendees are given a baby bottle as they enter the door along with their weekly church bulletin. Why that is is open for discussion, either the preacher desires to be a buddy instead of a leader, denying God’s command for them to preach the Word in truth or the preacher knows that the people will choke from solid food instead of milk and the occasional pureed veggies. Either way, the preacher is wrong.

How do we feed a baby? It starts off with milk, then progresses to cereals, then to soft foods, then to semi-solids, then the baby usually starts grabbing everything that it can and shoving it into its mouth. It should also be a natural progression for a follower of Christ. We do not stick a T-Bone into a 6 month old’s mouth, but one day that child will have grown enough and developed the capacity to chew and digest a steak.

Where am I going with this post? I’m attempting to show that a Christian should be seeking growth, should be examining scripture, should be seeking Christ more every day, should be eating the solid food of scripture. This is the way to progress in discernment, as we stated in the last blog post, from an understanding of God’s Word in context.

This is not to say that we are to have a judgmental spirit about us or to be critical of people, but that we are to take all aspects of our lives and apply scripture to them. As I stated before, we do the same thing in “normal” areas of our lives and think it to be good. So how much more then should we be applying scripture to our lives? We are to use our judgment to decide the proper course, the proper path, the proper action to correspond to every choice we have. There is no secular/ sacred divide in the life of a believer. A Christian’s life will all be sacred, as the Spirit of God dwells within us, which is the catalyst and the way we must judge/ discern our actions, words spoken and all choices.

So, as we saw in the last post we have the learned ability to judge things, from the study of God’s Word. Then we have the Spirit within us that gives us the Supernatural discernment in other areas. These work in tandem, as a grace of God to guide us through our life, our walk with Christ.

Our lives are full of choices that require discernment and judgment.  As a follower of Christ make sure that those choices glorify God. Look at each choice with the question of “How will this affect my walk with the Lord?” then make the choice. Then things will become more black and white in your mind. As you practice your discernment you will begin to build on the foundation and grow in your discernment. We should desire to be discerning, we should desire to grow in understanding the Word of God.

Why would someone who has encountered God, who has His Spirit living within them, not have a desire to have a greater understanding and greater application of God’s Word in their life?  It shouldn’t be. This is why it is hard to understand how people who claim to have been changed by God can remain stuck with a baby bottle in their mouth instead of eating steak and potatoes. Is it that they are false converts? Possibly. Is it that they have not been taught the whole counsel of Scripture? Probably. It is also up to them to study scripture, to show themselves approved of God, not to depend on 1 hour sermons each week to be their only sustenance. It just couldn’t be or they would starve.

CCM Radio Observations From The Peanut Gallery

Admittedly, I do not listen to a whole lot of CCM radio. I've outlined the “why” in several blogs before (Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here). The main reason is that Philips, Craig and Dean are prominently played and promoted and PC&D being heretics I cannot support that. A second, and close, reason is that the DJs are really “squishy” with what they say. Well, “squishy” is putting it mildly, they are sometimes heretical, and so I don’t listen. If CCM radio, in general, were to do away with the DJs and cut out the heretical songs and artists, then I might listen more often.

This past week was different in my listening of the radio. I basically worked alone in the office, so I pulled out my trusty boombox and turned on KLOVE. I did have to turn it down a few times, but being in and out of the office all day the turning down of the volume knob was few and far between. I was pleasantly surprised….. Except for one issue that has been being pushed this whole week; the 30 day music challenge.

On the surface we all say, “Yes, listen to Christian music exclusively and you’ll ‘feel’ better. You will ‘be happier’. You will ‘smile more’. You will ……..”. And therein also lies the issues, the music is being pushed as a cure to whatever ails you, wherever you have shortcomings in your life will miraculously be cured. Poof. That also opens up the true issue, pointing to music to change one’s life instead of pointing to Christ. Why can’t these DJs and stations (not only KLOVE – AFR does some of the same things) give a clear representation of the Gospel each hour instead of pushing their agenda to get people to listen to their station more? Why can’t a “Christian” station not promote Christ instead of what could very well be some great side benefits of an actual relationship with Him?

You see similar issues through the year, most notably during their pledge drives. This is where they set aside a few weeks a year to guilt their listeners into donating money. What happened to God supplying the means in His ministries? Instead of “God has supplied” it has turned into “our listeners make this happen”. This is a firm, yet subtle, insistence that “we” humans make things happen and we are to be praised for it. Wrong. Hudson Taylor put it greatly when he said, “God’s work done in God’s time will never lack God’s supply”. Taylor’s words should ring true to all Christians that instead of a focus on funding and all of the “what can I do” thoughts, we should place our focus on God and let Him bring in the support. That would take a huge burden off of all those involved, that is if you actually believe God will support His ministries. It probably wouldn't be a stretch to say there are a lot of “ministries” out there, radio stations, shelters, food banks and even churches that a long time ago took God out of the equation and He has decided to stay out. What is sad is that these ministries keep on chuggin’ along, trying to make ends meet, doing a lot of “good” but doing it in their own power, which doesn't glorify God and may actually be sin.

It would be really good if KLOVE were to say, “Listening to CCM music may make you 'feel' better, but the only One that can change you is Jesus Christ”, then go into a full Gospel presentation. That is something that is noticeably absent from “Christian Radio” - the Gospel. When all that a ministry is is to share the Gospel, not relaying the Gospel really shows a lot. Of course “Jesus” is mentioned from time to time, but for the most part it is a lot of “Do, do, do” and works, like M.A.D. Monday (Make a difference Monday). M.A.D. Monday is the idea of just being “good” makes a difference in someone's life AND you don't have to say anything about Christ in the process. Sure, paying for my lunch in the drive-thru may make a $5 difference in my checking account, but how is that impacting the Kingdom? How is doing something for “goodness sake” letting someone know about Christ? This kind of thinking goes along with the quote from St. Francis of Assisi, “ Preach the gospel and use words if necessary”. It sounds good , but it is detrimental to the Kingdom. (See this article)

I really want to like CCM radio, I really do, but I just can't in its present state. I can't like the fact that know heretics are promoted, I can't like the fact that works seem to be a major focus, I can't like that funding is shilled like carnival barker coaxing patrons in with promises unfounded. Why oh why can't the focus be on Christ? Why can't the pledge drives talk about how great Christ is and therefore how great an honor it is to join in His work, instead of telling people how dependent the station is on them? Why can't listeners be encouraged to share the Gospel, with words and in tangible ways that will make a positive impact on the Kingdom? I guess my listening to CCM radio will continue as normal, sporadic, with glimpses of hope that one day they will realize their focus is blurred. Until then, I will continue listening to my music via my phone's MP3 player 99% of the time, all the time having hope that God will one day be the focus of radio stations that claim to follow Him.  

Altar-ed Call

I've set through a lot of altar calls in my life. Some of these altar calls were bad, in the baddest sense, others were worse, but none worse than the one I set through last night. It was actually three altar calls strung together over about an hour and a half.

Being raised in a typical “American church” I grew up with altar calls after every service. It was just how the service progressed: Singing, prayer, preaching, altar call with soft music, proclamations of salvation, leave. Of course, I use the “preaching” and the “prayer” in loose terms as they were both usually man-centered. But hey, it's all I knew as a child and I was a fine product of the “modern gospel” for 30 years, believing I was saved because of an altar call. I was “held over hell on a corn stalk” being told how terrible hell was, literally having the hell scared out of me and driving me right to the altar to say the prayer. It was just “how it was” and that's all I knew.

Thirty years later, when I actually had an encounter with God He began to show me things. I had returned to the church of my youth and had heard the same messages, seen the same methods, witnessed the same results. People flocked to the altars to “get saved” or “rededicate” their lives to Christ. The altar call trip when I was 8 was my only one, but I would say 50% of the other altar calls I set through I was praying that prayer all over again. As a mater of fact my prayer before going to bed each night usually had some form of, “God, if I'm not really saved, please forgive me and don't send me to hell”.

The extended altar call last night really struck bad to me. I had just enjoyed a great concert from a Christian band that I really like. I made my way to the merch table to pick up a t-shirt and have the band sign my CD cover before I left. The guest “evangelist” began to speak and they shut down everything, no sales, everyone stop and pay attention. I was told that, “We can't sell anything now, this is why we put this on tonight, right here”, with a head nod to the stage area. The “evangelist” started out making fun of how a few girls had laughed at other events that he had been a part of. I would say that if any of those girls had been there they would not have been very flattered by the words he was saying. He was after laughs and he received laughs. I guess this was his ice breaker routine to grab attention of everyone. It worked, because my attention was fixed on him, wondering why he would be squandering this opportunity to share Christ with the crowd before him. He did speak a little about the bible, told how God's sheep hear His voice and then the altar call commenced.

“Do you want to hear God's voice?”

“Do you want to go to heaven when you die?”

That's about it in several different forms. By this time a brief shower had started falling, so he was rushing to get to the altar call and rushing, somewhat to get to “the prayer”. He asked everyone to bow their heads, raise their hand if they wanted to be able to hear God's voice an commenced the text book “sinner's prayer”. He then did the next thing in the “Altar Calls 101” play book and asked those that said the prayer to stand up, “nobody's looking” after all. Then after a few had made it to their feet began to tell them, “OK, now don't be ashamed, come on forward.” Typical psychological manipulation. I would guess that about 35 kids went forward and were passed off to the events counselors at the side of the stage.

The rain had stopped, so the second altar call commenced. This time it was geared at those that “have heard God's voice, but now listen to the voice of the world instead”. He was giving the altar call for people to rededicate their lives. This was filled with a story about scaring girls when he was younger and was played into “don't be scared to live for God”. Not much of a reaction to this part of his extended altar call. He ended it with “prayer” and handed the mic to the promoter.

I was ready to buy my t-shirt and hit the road for the hour drive back home. But, alas, the promoter must not have thought that the second altar call was good enough. He began with the same “don't be scared” ploy. This was followed by “we have to do....”, “why aren't you.....” and “If you don't.....”. This man was filling these people's heads with works and trying to lay guilt trips on everyone. At one point he said, “If you are not out evangelizing then you are sending people to hell”. My head was about to explode because I had yet to hear anything, in the three altar calls, about God's holiness, God's requirements, man's sinfulness and rebellion, Christ's perfect atonement, the blood of Christ that takes away all of our sins, the grace of God in even allowing us to have a breath because of our rebellion. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No Gospel. No call to repentance. Nothing of the true Gospel whatsoever. Only a emotional call and guilt trip to garner decisions. I prayed during all of this that God would save despite the false message. He saved me despite the false teachings I was sitting under, so I know He does it.

If I were a confrontational person I would have been in a serious discussion with the promoter and staff last night. If there ever was a time I wanted to confront someone it was last night. It was probably for the best that I did, at that time, not say anything. But, I will probably say something if I ever happen to be at another event that this guy puts on. I know that this false gospel is sending millions to hell. I also think that most of these people mean well, but also that the “road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Unless someone repents and is born again they will not see the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made it clear that you must follow Him, lay everything aside, even the love for your family is to seem like hate in comparison for your love for Him. The easy believism that permeates most “churches” and “Christian” events must be addressed and must be stopped. Then again, this may just be part of the judgment of God, giving man over to their own self centered desires and works mentality, trusting in themselves for salvation and not on Christ.

We must stand on the Word of God alone. We must not water down the Message of Christ. We must not tickle the ears of others and tell them what they want to hear in order to get them to commit to a decision. We must not play people's emotions and instead preach the full council of God and allow the Holy Spirit to work in convicting them, God made it simple enough to trust in Him. Sell it all and follow Him. Do not give regard for the things of this life, but instead have the mind of a pilgrim, just passing through, making disciples, pointing to Christ in all that we do, exalting His Name, preaching the Gospel in season and out of season. Proclaiming The good News to this lost and dying world. Are you ready? Then Go!  

A Damaged Testimony?

Have you ever damaged your testimony? You know, damaged your story of your walk with Christ? Do you even know what that means or have you never heard of damaging your testimony?

I used to hear that a lot growing up at my childhood church. It seems that was the appeal to the members of the church, don't do something that will make you look bad in front of others. Of course at the time it sounded really good, then again so did the idea of just saying a prayer and getting it “all taken care of”. Now, looking back, I can see why this was a popular saying in the realm of the “modern gospel”. It is directed at “self” just as the “gospel” was directed.

So, what is wrong with this? Why am I now, 30 something years later bringing this up? Because I had an epiphany today about “damaging my testimony”. I don't know why it popped into my head at work today, other than it lead me to write this blog and shed my thoughts on the matter. I've never really thought about damaging “my testimony” before, so this was kind of out of the blue as I was thinking back over how God has worked in my life, through childhood, my teen years, my young adult life and now my middle years. I can see how God has guided me through the years, even when I was not yet His child.

First the phrase, My testimony, is directed at self. Just as the easy-believism message prominent in my childhood and which has grown to the “norm” now, so was this admonishment to not “damage your testimony”. This was said to those rebellious teenagers out on the weekends doing stuff they shouldn't be doing or the person cheating on their taxes or husband cheating on their wife. It addresses a great problem in the world of professing Christianity (churchianity): If you do not preach a message of repentance, new birth, faith, sanctification and holiness then you have to continually address a lifestyle of sin. Of course ,to those that are truly a child of God this idea seems foreign, to have to continually tell people NOT to sin, the same sins... over and over again. To try and reach a mind and conscience that doesn't grasp the idea of sin in the first place.

The cause of this message is the false gospel that creates false converts that give lip service to the name “Christian”. They said a prayer, walked an aisle, have been in church since they were born, their parents are Christians, or any other number of things that lead someone to believe they are “saved” but actually are still under the wrath of God. I have seen it a thousand times, people make emotional decisions, are pressured into saying a prayer, raising their hand, walking an aisle and their name is jotted on a decision card, they are paraded in front of the congregation and the “preacher” pronounces them saved. The emotionalism reaches its peak as the crowd erupts into applause, tears flow and another person has their fate of hell sealed under the guise of making a “public profession”. They are told to write the date in the back of their bible, and show the devil that page any time he comes sticking his nose in their business. Only thing is the devil never got his nose out of their business and was along side the congregation in applause for the false profession. As the days go by, the weeks add up things change. The elation of the applause was gone after shutting the car door in the parking lot. The handshakes and back slaps lasted a few services, but were quickly diminished. Life resumed as normal. The temporary halting of some sins halted itself and the sins came back, even greater than before. After all, you “got saved”, you live under grace now and all you have to do is ask for forgiveness and it's all taken care of.

When the lifestyle of sin rears its head once again, what is a preacher to do? Go back to the emotionalism once again. Set up a meeting with the one living in sin. Address the emotions once again, something along the lines of “Bubby, you know you shouldn't be doing those things. You can't hurt your testimony like that. What's your mama gonna think if she finds out you been drinking again? Does your wife know you've been dancing with those other women? Don't you feel bad about doing those things again?” Appeals to the emotions to not “damage/ hurt your testimony”, just as the emotional plea to “Come to Jesus. All you have to do is say this prayer”. It's a never ending cycle Why? Because it was a false gospel, by a false teacher, making a false convert.

A major issue with the statement “damaging your testimony” is the fact that you don't really have a testimony. A true believer has a testimony to God about what He has done to you, in you, through you. So how could you damage something that God has done in the first place? A Christian that does sin, who repents, will give testimony to how God, once again, graciously pulled them out of sin. It will not be focused on “me” or “my” anything, but on the One that actually did something, God. Which counteracts the whole message of the easy-believism message today.... It's all about ME. When the true Gospel is all about God.

The whole belief structure of easy-believism/ American gospel is based on self. This goes all the way through the life cycle of the false convert of this system. I say a prayer, I ask Jesus into my heart, I cleaned up my life, I stopped drinking, I stopped smoking, I started going to church every Sunday morning, I got baptized, I sang in the choir, I taught Sunday School, I went to Sunday School, I went on a mission trip, I, I, I. When it should be God saved me, God pulled me out of the mire and changed my heart, God took away my vices, God cleaned me up, God used me to teach other about Him, God, God , God. This mentality follows through when the false convert returns to sin and the leaders or friends see that something is wrong. It's often called “back sliding”, but honestly it is just a returning to the sin that never was washed away in the first place. But damage control has to start and the emotional appeals start again.

If the majority of “preachers” today would actually preach the Gospel then they wouldn't have to continually meet with people to appeal to them to stop sinning. Divorce rates would drop, if not completely go away among those professing Christianity. There would be no more “re-dedications”. There would be filled pews instead of only filled membership rolls. False conversions would be the exception instead of the norm. People would have testimonies of God's greatness instead of having “my testimony”. Sinners would repent. God would be glorified.

The remedy? The Gospel. God. Christ crucified. Repentance. Re-birth, a new creation. Sanctification. Faith. The Blood of Jesus.

Occupy Wall Street And Christianity Are A Match?

I'm sitting here in my hotel room, 800 miles from home and my loved ones, fending off sleep since I woke up at 3:15 this morning for the red-eye out of Paducah. So, what is a guy to do? Well, this guy decided to check out the broo-ha over the Occupy Wall Street movement going on across the U.S.
I've heard about this “movement” for a couple of weeks now, but admittedly haven't paid it much attention. Downtime away from home seems to allow for things done that I normally do not do, like search for information on “movements” of a worldly nature. “Why?” You may ask. Because I wanted to make an informed decision on my thoughts of what this is all about.

After looking at a few websites, even those that say they are “part” of the movement, I still don't know a lot about what these folks are trying to accomplish. Well, that is not exactly true, as they seem to be “for” being against a lot of things with “corporate greed” as a main focus. The first web-page I encountered was a demonstration that happened to have a video embedded within the page, so I indulged and watched it. I soon discovered what a “People's Microphone” is and also quickly discovered that the majority (99%) of those that I saw in the video and in several photos appeared to be modern hippies. I also saw that the “majority” in their open voting at the location liked to silence anyone that was outside of their “99%” mentality.

Let me explain the “99%” mentality. It is simply their assumption that 1% of America's richest run everything, while the other 99% have to deal with the repercussions. Alright, sounds good on the surface, but what about the meat of what this movement stands for. What exactly are the people involved in this trying to accomplish/ what are they against? Let me take a deep breath and list a few things for you:
Raise taxes on the rich
Raise taxes on corporations
End “corporate welfare”
Support of trade unions
“Protection” of Social Security/ Medicare in their current forms
Audit or elimination of the Federal Reserve
Affordable health care
Ending all wars
Elimination of student loan repayment
Peace (?)
And a unlimited number of other “issues”

Now, while I do agree with some of those demands, I do not agree with their thinking behind them. It appears to me, and many others, that this movement is made up of liberal freeloaders that want the government to be a socialized mess taking care of them indefinitely. Really? The way I see it is that the majority of those that I saw on the news sites, videos and pictures are of the younger age bracket that has been raised with entitlements ingrained into them. This is nothing new, but we are now seeing how the past several decades of government welfare has molded upcoming generations. I would say that it is no stretch to say that the majority of those involved are part of the 50% of Americans that pay 0 in income taxes and actually receive back more than they have paid in, thanks to our faulty tax codes (that is another issue).

One ironic side of this whole debacle is endorsements by the likes of Kanye West, Michael Moore, Roseanne Barr, Susan Surandon and Russel Simmons. All of these are multi-millionaires, by the way, with Simmons owning a debit card company that is one of the major industries behind “corporate greed”. Hmm.

So, what does this have to do with me? Why am I writing about this on this Christian blog? Because it seems that a group called “The Protest Chaplains” has jumped into the fray, claiming to be Christians and thereby saying that they represent the Body of Christ. With this I take offense and if you are a Christian so should you. I invite you to check out their website and to read their “What We've Learned So Far” list. This list is actually a set of guidelines for people to participate as “chaplains”, but as acting as chaplains they are to totally set aside their Christian faith and stand opposed to Jesus Christ and the Bible. Among these guidelines are; Interfaith “spirituality”, learn from the Occupy Wall Street movement instead of the movement learning from Christianity, Don't defend your religion because it is not your job to, practice nonviolent communication and active listening, do not proselytize (evangelize because it is obnoxious and detrimental to the movement), be a resource (do, do, do, work, work, work), encourage YOGA, meditation, Muslim prayers and let what happens happen and the ever popular “uncreate division”.

Whew, that sounds an awful lot like Christianity, huh? Not! It is the exact polar opposite and stands contrary to everything in scripture. So, yeah! I am offended because this group of “chaplains” that claim faith in Christ, trying to pass themselves off as members of His Body, want Christians to endorse other religions, learn from a worldly movement and totally ignore the great commission and shun evangelizing these lost and perverted members of society. Why must groups like this bring Christ into this ungodly movement centered in worldliness? Why try to say that Jesus would want us to accept what is going on?

What I see with these misguided people, is that they do not understand Christianity and do not truly know Jesus Christ. They have a very distorted view of the Word of God and sadly have fallen into an ecumenical mindset that believes all roads lead to God. Why take principles of scripture and try to relate them to this mammon driven movement? Why take the “golden calf” of Wall Street and use it to say that Jesus has compassion on these people that are actually guilty of idolatry as well, saying how much they deserve the money over Wall Street and Corporate America. Just “spread the wealth” instead of it going to the companies that are making the money. I can't stand the entitlement/ victim mentality that seems to have attached itself to all those involved in this movement.

I am not part of what they call the 99%. I am not part of the 1% that they say runs the U.S. I am a middle class American that works hard, pays my taxes, pays my bills, loves Jesus and wants everyone else to come to a saving faith in Christ. That all flows from my relationship with Jesus and I will not compromise any of that because of any movement. Scripture paints it clear that if you deny Christ that He will deny you. If you compromise the Gospel, enter into interfaith communion and think Christians can learn from a misguided movement of liberals then you are very far gone and need to seriously examine your faith. I will say, without a doubt, that if you are following the guidelines of the “Protest Chaplains” you are not a true Christian. If you disagree show me scripture that supports the things I quoted from their website. If you can I will give a humble apology and write a retraction. I am 100% certain you can not find anything, in context to support the things they stand for/ against. But I am always willing to be proven wrong.

FYI – Saying that I am a left-wing, conservative, Fox News watching, Rush Limbaugh listening Pharisee is not proving anything except you are childish.

Scanning The Globe

Day 355 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

These things are really cool. They are QR Codes that can be scanned with your smart phone that can do any number of things. Scan this one to see what it says. First person to reply what it says gets...... absolutely nothing. Sorry, I have a tight budget on this side of the keyboard.

Technology is amazing. To see how far things have come since just my youth have been amazing. Although we didn't have to crank up the phonograph with a handle to listen to music, I have lived over several different types of music players. When I was young we only had a record player, then we added a console stereo unit that had an 8-Track player. While we still had that unit cassettes came out, in which I had to get a cassette adapter to play them in the 8-Track slot. Then came the walkman and car stereos with cassette players, which were the top of the line when I got my drivers license. Next up were CDs when I was about 20 years old, but were too expensive to put a CD player in my car, so I recorded them to cassette for portability. Now we have made the jump to iPods, MP3 players, jump drives and SD/ Micro SD cards that can hold many CDs worth of music on them. It has been amazing. I can even remember telling my son, when he was young, that when he got older he would probably have something about the size of a stamp that he would slide into a stereo for music, so I was right about the memory card.

I wonder what the next 20 years will hold technologically wise. I can only imagine that TVs will be paper thin and you will be able to roll it out on whatever wall you choose. Video games have already advanced to no controllers needed with the XBOX 360, so where those go will baffle me no matter what advancements are made. Wireless seems to be the newest thing, which I was told by the DirecTV installer to be ready for wireless Satellite TV in the next 5 years, no wires and the signal would be broadcast wirelessly through your house.

No time in history has the ability to reach everyone on the planet been able. Satellites and computers can take the Gospel anywhere across the globe. This could very well be the "end of days" as the Lord returns for His bride. I will not set dates, but will say that Day will probably be soon. I am ready, are you? Do you know the true God of the Bible? Have you seen your utter sinfulness before the Holy God of the Universe? Do you realize that just one little lie is enough to damn you for eternity? We are wretched people and in need of a Savior, because we are sinful through and through. We can't make a payment for our sins no matter how hard we try. We can never be good enough to deserve forgiveness. We can never do enough good works to buy our way to forgiveness. We can't do anything except see our state before God and cry out to Him for mercy. Repent and turn from your sinful life and turn to Him. See the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary as the payment for your sins and trust in Him. Only the blood of Jesus can pay for your sins. It is a legal transaction in which Christ takes everything you did on Himself, even though He never once sinned. No prayer will save you. No walk down an aisle will save you. No affirmation by a evangelist or preacher will save you. Only Christ can. Turn to Him. Repent and believe.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I can help you find a solid bible teaching church in your area to start learning what the bible really says about you and me and more importantly what it says about Christ.

The Heat Of The Battle

Day 340 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

"Is it hot enough for ya?" That's a common question these day around here in Paducah and I would also assume across much of the United States. Temperatures have been above 90 since May 29 here, which is about 10 degrees higher than "average". Of course Al Gore is looking pretty good to some people right now, but then again he claimed that the below average temperatures and increased snowfall this past winter were caused by Global Warming as well. Go figure.

The forecast has us remaining in the 90s at least until next Thursday, with the exception of 2 days that they are saying will be a chilling 88 and 89. All I can say is, "I'm glad I have a job that lands me in front of a computer the majority of my work day." I have, however, worked in the heat like this on my works factory floor and it is rather warm, especially with all of the welding that takes place. Many steps have been taken to alleviate the heat for the workers, extra fans, extended break times, free Gatorade, etc. are all beneficial to my co-workers, but it is still hot any way you slice it.

It does seem that we are having a lot of "strange" weather. Maybe strange is not the correct word to use, maybe "extreme" would be a better adjective. We have seen numerous tornadoes rip across the U.S., my area of the country is still recovering from the worst flooding in almost 100 years, the North East saw a rare tornado in their region over the past few day. This is not to mention the earthquakes and volcanic activity lately too. I stop short of saying it is of "biblical proportions" because I know that God is still holding nature at bay and is still long-suffering. The Earth is showing its pangs as Romans 8:22 tells us.

The coming of the Lord is eminent and many people are eluding to that fact. Many say it, but don't really believe it though. They say, "You better get right with God, because He's coming back soon. Just look at the weather". Which may very well be true, but most that say this are not "right with God" in the first place. They are "right with" their false theology and easy believism mentality. If we truly believed Christ's Earthly return was upon us, any day now, would we be so lax in our evangelism? Would we sit idly by knowing that our friends, family members and co-workers are headed to hell? Would we remain silent and hope that someone else tells them the true Gospel? I think not. It just shows the state of the Church today. We have fallen asleep and become lukewarm. Does that sound familiar?

I pray that I, foremost, along with the rest of the Body of Christ awaken from the slumber. May God grant us revival in our hearts so that we can be faithful and true witnesses for Him. May He be gracious to us, even though we do not deserve it so we can bring glory to Him and magnify His Name above all. How awesome it would be if the Church would actually be the Church instead of being quiet in slumber, allowing the junk that passes for Christianity to run rampant, without so much as a peep from anyone except "judge not lest thou be judged". I say that if we remain silent and allow heresy and blasphemy that has defined the modern "church" we are part of it ourselves and stand in the judgment of God. We need to take Proverbs 17:15 to heart:
Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

So where do you stand in these last days? For the Lord or for the harlot that passes itself off as the Bride of Christ? I stand for Christ and by His grace I will glorify His Name. How about you?

Every Tongue Will Confess What?

Day 330 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If you are not from around these here parts, the station 90.1FM probably doesn't mean much to you. Now if I tell you that it is the local KLOVE station it will probably ring a bell or two. I often times find myself turning the radio off of KLOVE almost as much as I turn it on. "Why?", you might ask. Because they play some songs that are not very biblically sound and actually border or fall over into the heretical side. Oh, and they also have Phillips, Craig and Dean in heavy rotation which is altogether another issue chronicled in this blog post of mine and earlier in this one.

If you could have heard the song playing tonight when I snapped this picture you would see the correlation with the verse I posted at the beginning of this posting. I'm sure you have heard of Mark Shultz, singer of such theologically sound hits such as "Letters From War" and "Walking Her Home", both real powerhouse hits on CCM radio. I would actually put those right up there with "Butterfly Kisses" and the more recent "Cinderella". The latest hit (miss actually) from Shultz is "Love Has Come", which takes Philippians 2:9-11 and mangles the passage.

There is a stark difference between the lyric of the Shultz song and scripture. Let's look:

Shultz:
"Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all
Every heart set free, every one will see
That God is love and love has come for us all"

Philippians:
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, there is a huge difference in what Shultz has put to song here. It does sound nice and fuzzy on the surface, but when you actually listen to what he is saying it really is Easy Believism 101. The favorite term "God is love" is carried a step further and says the "Love has come for us ALL". All? Who is this all he is talking of? The listener of the song? Anyone that hears the song, even if they are lost in their sins, unrepentant and actually headed to an eternal damnation? Are they included in Shultz's "ALL"? It's a pretty nice hook to a song and makes one feel good to know that everyone will confess that God is love, but wait, scripture says that everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, which is quite different. Even the "ALL" or "every" sinner that is on their way to hell will say that Jesus Christ is Lord as they stand before Him in judgment for rejecting Him, the Judge of all.

So, this is one of those songs that was probably written because it would be a hit and sell a few records. It did and it continues to be a staple on KLOVE, which gets turned off when the song comes on. Good thing I have a iPhone so I can just plug it in to the auxiliary input and actually hear some music based in scripture and not some catchy hook of twisted scripture.

I would suggest that you carefully comb through your music collection for songs and artist like this and toss them. Don't we owe it to the Lord to scrutinize all aspects of our entertainment and music listening to be more specific? Shouldn't we match lyrical content against scripture and make sure it aligns? Shouldn't we stand strong on the Word of God and call out these song writers and singers that twist and tweak the Word to fit their music and weak message? We need to make sure we stand fully on the Word of God first and foremost and then the discernment will come and I promise you that songs like Shultz's and others will be exposed for what they are.

FORE! Watch For Falling Discernment

Day 281 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

Another trip to Lifeway, another questionable "Christian" item sighting. Today while looking through the study guides this little gem smacked me in the face. A golf study/ help DVD. I'm not really sure what to call it as it is really obscure in its cover descriptions. What is shown on the cover is "Master the course", "Five lessons to lower scores" and "Strategies for your game in golf & life".

So, question #1 is, "Is this a Christian study to edify a person to become closer to the Lord?" Next would be, "If this is a Christian study, why is it marketed as a golf lesson?" Then the next question is, "If this is a golf lessen then why is it even in a 'Christian" retailer on the shelf next to other bible studies?"

Actually I just looked up the "In His Grip" golf entity. I am still kind of at a loss of what to make of it. Is it based for the purpose of building up men in a godly manner or is it as a recreational outlet? It seems it is a mixture of the two as it talks about having golf events and also challenging those that participate to be more on par with God. I am not against Christians getting together and having fun, nor am I against entities that promote and sponsor these events. What does bother me is the marketing and the products that are produced and hawked by these organizations. I mean, do we really need a study that is based in golf instead of being based in scripture? Does a Gilligan's Island bible study really need to be made and sold in Christian book stores?

I am quite aware that Lifeway and other "Christian" book stores are in the profit realm. I have no issues with that at all and would like to see many other Christian establishments opened up, but in a Biblical sense. I would like for the retailers to actually look at the material they are selling to their customers, pray about it and maybe actually read a book or watch a DVD. Get a group of discerning folks together and give them books, DVDs, CDs and other items to evaluate before placing them on your store shelves. After all, God will hold those that sell questionable materials responsible for the repercussions of these items.

Just sayin'

What's The Point?

Day 279 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

I've been saving Coke points for a while now. I've also been using them for a while too. Over the years we have gotten tickets for the family to Six Flags, A cool Diet Coke director's chair, several 12-pack coupons, a couple pair of Skull Candy ear buds, a die cast truck and other things that slip my mind right now.

The caps pictured are worth 3 points each, 12 packs are 10 points each, cases of 24 cans are 20 points and the 32 packs from Sam's Club are 25 points each. Right now my point level is a little over 6,100 and this is after getting all of the things I listed earlier. Thing is that right now there is not a lot of offering in the reward store. So, I must keep collecting points looking forward to something "better". Actually I am looking for something that "better" suits my likes but is not necessarily better.


That's how we often look at a lot of things through life, the "something better" out on the horizon that we can't quite make out yet. We just know that what we have before us is not satisfying enough, so we long for something "better". That is, until we meet the One that satisfies every longing our souls have ever had. When you come face to face with Christ everything else pales in comparison to Him. Not that we will not have any other "wants" in life, but our "wants" will be radically changed because of Him. This is what Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". This does not mean a new Escalade or 3,000 square foot house, but that your heart will be changed and He will change your desires to things that glorify Him. Now that is awesome, but contrary to a lot of the messages from pulpits today.

Has God given you new desires? Do you still walk with "self" as your focus or is Christ your focus? Are your steps ordered by the Living God or do you wander aimlessly through life kicking dust and wasting your life? Is your "wants" greater than what scripture says your wants should be a child of God? If yes, then you probably need to do some deep soul searching and long communing with God to see if you are His child or not. Certain things scripture says will be evidenced in your life as a Christian and if they are missing then you are proven not to be His. At this link is a transcript of a sermon by Bro. Paul Washer that shows a lot better than my feeble words can even start to. Please read through it and pray as you do for God to open up your true state before Him.

Lead, Follow Or Stay Where You Have Always Been

Day 272 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

Here's another "blast from the past" that I noticed in Wal-Mart this evening, road maps. I figured that some people would still use paper maps, but didn't figure that Wal-Mart would carry such a variety to choose from.

I would say the majority of those that travel these days use a GPS, their phones built in location service or print their own maps from the internet and that maps for purchase are on their way out. This has happened to a lot of old "technology" as well. Look at how the cell phone has revolutionized communications. I can go almost anywhere and call almost anywhere with a device that fits in my back pocket. Then back to the GPS subject, I can punch in an address in our GPS and have door to door, turn by turn directions in a few seconds. The unit will also tell me how fast I am going, what my ETA is, which direction I am headed, what elevation I am, my coordinates, where to find restaurants, gas stations and any other business I may be looking for. Now that is pretty amazing in my book.

There are some lone holdouts against technology. While I have always embraced the next levels in our technological evolution, many others are quite vehement about "keeping it old school". They will always use a paper map that they bought at a gas station. They will always search out a phone booth and not own a cell phone. They will even heat their food on a stove top for crying out loud. Technology is not a friend to some people and they are content to live in days gone by for whatever reasons. I would say that it is mostly fear of something new or just simple reliance on "how it's always been".

This also is how a lot of people view religion, Christianity to be exact. They have "always heard" things put certain ways. This is because they have always attended the same church, the one their parents and their parents attended. The preacher is the son of the son of the founding pastor and preaches in the same style, cadence and message as grandpa did. These kinds of people are so engrained in "what I always heard" that they rely on that as their plumb line to judge all other things by. In all actuality they should use the Word to compare all aspects of life, but sadly do not. Any thing "new" they hear is taken as a challenge to their beliefs, even if it is straight from scripture. They have a relationship with the preaching, know a lot of good stuff, but sadly do not know the Truth of God's Word in it's fullness.

This is not true in all cases as I am sure there are some 3rd and 4th generation church members that are spot on with their theology. There are usually exceptions to the norm and these folks are it. They love God and it shows. They love His Word and it shows. They love their pastor and their church family and it shows. They know that they have been graced by God and base their lives on scripture and not "what I've always heard". This is what I strive for, but because I was raised in a church that I first mentioned I constantly question everything that I "always heard". I lived in a lost and deceived state for 30 years because someone told me what they had heard from someone who heard it from someone who heard it. "Just say this little prayer and you'll be alright". That is what I "always heard" was the way of salvation.

I have since had the scales removed from my eyes and gloriously saved by my Lord. The "I always heards" have been replaced with "God show me your truths". I have been graced and blessed so undeservedly by God and thank and praise Him for every truth He places in my. What a Savior He is indeed!

Braggin' Dragon And Days Gone By

Day 269 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

I came across the shirt pictured today. I had purchased it from ebay a year or so ago, but was too big to wear it then. It is a size Large Tall, so it should fit a little different than a regular large shirt, but I am probably still too large myself to wear it.

In case you don't recognize the emblem it is a dragon, from the Sears line of clothing from the 80s. These were released back then when Izod Lacoste and Ralph Lauren's Polo brands were making headway like gangbusters. These were Sear's attempt to make a little money in the "look at what brand I'm wearing" war. Only thing is, they were from Sears and like today the "preppy" look does not usually come from Sears. The one I have still happens to have all of the original tags on it and still in its original plastic bag. Maybe that means it's worth a little more, maybe it doesn't. I do know that these pop up on ebay every now and then and sell in the $30+ range in worn condition, so this may be worth in the $50-$75 range.

I guess the reason I wanted one of these shirts was to try and regain some of the days from yesteryear. After all, I'm not getting any younger. That's something a lot of people try to do and why so many toys and things from our youth go for a lot of money now. We didn;t think of keeping stuff back then, so those that did happen to stick something away for 20-30 years is sitting on a small fortune. Everyone wants something to remind them of their youth, to take them back to days gone by.

The shirt happens to come from the time period that I was learning a lot about the world, first hand. I wanted to fit in really bad, but couldn't afford the high dollar brands that all the "popular" kids were wearing, so we got either plain clothes or the cheaper priced alternatives like the Dragon brand. Also during this time I started learning a lot about sin and it was no imposter, it was the full fledged sinning and I was diving in head first.

I had not really lived a sheltered life, but a life that really didn't see a lot of sin. It was the 70s and 80s, so we weren't exposed to as much as kids these days, but I soon learned that I wanted as much sin as I could get. I also "knew" at the time that all I had to do was ask for forgiveness and I was ok. That's what I was taught in church, by professional men, who wore the real deal Polo shirts. They made a lot of money, so they had to know what they were talking about. Right?

I didn't have a reason to question anything back then. I was really liking my sin and I was really liking the fact that I could sin as much as I wanted to and still go to heaven. I wasn't interested in holiness and really didn't know what it was anyway. All I know is I was doing what I wanted to do and I was happy with me. This train of thought carried on until God truly converted me and saved me at the age of 38. 30 years of living for me, but believing I was "good" and heading to heaven. Maybe not as many crowns, but at least I wasn't going to hell.

I still wonder why God chose me to grant His grace on. Why He chose to love me and send Christ to die for me. It is a mystery and I'm sure one that will take the first 1,000 years in eternity to explain. What I do realize is that there are countless millions living in deception as I did. These poor souls are living a "good" life in the eyes of the world and maybe even attend church or are deacons or even pastors, but they do not know the God of scripture, the Creator of the Universe. They were lied to as kids and lied to throughout life. They live in deception and will one day say," Lord, Lord haven't I...".

So, what to do about this. All it seems can be done is to pray that God opens their eyes like He did mine. Pray that He uses me and my testimony to open the eyes of others that live in the same deceptive realm as I did for 30 years. These folks are on the way to Hell. Why can't the true children of God comprehend this and proclaim to these people their true state before God? That would be the most loving thing anyone could do for their friends, family, acquaintances or just someone on the street. We must not compromise the Word of God to make someone feel good about themselves. They must see their utter state of vileness in the sight of God. That is love and that is laying your life down for someone. Telling them without thought of your own self and faithfully proclaiming the truth of the Gospel and not the watered down "gospel" that is prevalent today.

Please be bold. Please proclaim the truth of the Word. Please do as God has commanded every believer and GO! Make disciples!

What A Cat-astrophe

Day 250 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

So, it's been a while since I complained, uh, wrote about my wife's cats. You may be asking me in your mind right now, "So Jeff, do you like the cats now? Finally?" The answer to that would be a no. Not a cat person, never will be.

Just because I am not a cat person doesn't mean these little critters have not become fans of mine. They seem to like to follow me around some. The one pictured will jump up on the couch with me sometimes and lay on my leg. The other cat likes to sleep right beside my leg at night. Although I do not like cats, I am not mean to them either. They can't help it because they're stinkin' cats after all.

God instilled into me at an early age a broad love for animals. Even though I do not personally like some of the species that God has created, doesn't mean that I want anything bad to happen to them. Well, other than the moles in the yard that like to create obstacle courses for me to mow over. And even the moles that I really, really do not like I don't want to cause any harm to. I just want hem gone out of our yard.

Compassion for animals came natural to me, but compassion for individuals is sometimes a struggle for me. Animals pretty much act out of instinct, so they have an excuse for the things they do. People, on the other hand, have God given decision making capacities as well as a God given conscience to guide them through life. This is true for the lost as well as the converted. When people go against their better judgment and their conscience is when bad things start to happen, namely sin. We all know right from wrong very early in life and we all seem to want to veer toward the wrong instead of the right. That is our nature, to sin.

Some people's depravity though seems to be very far from the "normal" depravity of the general population. Maybe these people are actually demon possessed instead of having any number of mental illnesses often attributed to these days. I say they are sinners in need of God and that if they ever put their faith in God they would start to be more "normal" compared to this ages standards. I'll offer Jeffrey Dahmer as a example. He murdered and cannibalized at least 17 other humans before his arrest and conviction. While in prison he professed faith in Christ and seemingly "became" a new person. Was he truly converted? I have no idea, but the signs point toward yes. He was killed while protecting another inmate from being beaten by another inmate, the ultimate sacrifice a human could make, putting your life down for another. Now, that in itself is not proof of his conversion, but it would make a strong point in favor. Possibly Dahmer was demon possessed and showed the mental instability as the lashing out of that manifestation, then after God converted him the demon would no longer be able to have reign over him.

I do believe anyone is within the saving grace of God. He saved me after all, even after I thought that I had it all taken care of when I was a kid. I felt like I already had God, so I wasn't in the least bit interested in growing in holiness and didn't even know what sanctification was. I was good to go, took care of it and living the American Gospel message of a backslidden "Christian. I may be living like the world I loved so much, but inside I was good. I was "saved" from hell in my own mind, but not from a life of rebellion to God. For whatever reason God decided to shine His mercy down on me and expose my false profession and depravity. That is when He truly saved me and He has been saving me ever since. Without Him I would be just as big a sinner as Dahmer was. God in His mercy saved me and I haven't gotten over it yet. Since He saved me, He also has been sanctifying me, purging me of this world and conforming me to the likeness of Christ. I know I will not attain that level, but I still strive.

Thank God He still saves from the American gospel and false professions of faith.

Sowing Seeds Of Contempt

Day 246 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series.

We had planned to go to the Metropolis Comic Book Show today and I just knew that my post today would include that somehow. Wrong. We did attend the show and I did take some pictures. I even captured on of the guy that played Jason in the first Friday the 13th movie. Not the big hulking guy with the hockey mask, the young guy that jumped out of the water at the end. Seems he is still making a living off of that role 30 years after the movie was released.

My picture today comes from the local Lifeway Christian book store. On the heels of removing the warnings to books like "Blue Like Jazz", "The Shack" and "Velvet Elvis" comes this fine specimen of less than God honoring trinketry. It is a small shovel with a small paper cloth with seeds embedded in it. The verse that is included on the card is part of the parable of the soil types in Luke 8. Verse 8 in particular, "But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty", even though I am not sure which translation they quoted from on the card. I looked through all of the ones at Bible Gateway and found not a translation that said, "But sown on good ground are those who hear the Word...". I did find the manufacturers website (CTA Inc.), but they do not have these exact seed cross packages pictured.

These are the types of products that do not show the reverence required of the gospel, of Christ, His people and of the cross of Calvary. It is a lame tempt of marketing to invoke the cross that Jesus bore our sins on as a seed holder, then use the words of Christ in the parable of the soil types to vindicate selling seeds in a Christian store. Using scripture out of context as a marketing tool is just plain wrong, whether it is on a seed packet or on a t-shirt. It is twisting scripture to mean something not intended, which is not a very good thing to do.

I'd just like to know when this kind of junk became considered acceptable in the Christian community. I'm sure many will say, "Lighten up Jeff, it's just a seed packet". That it may be, but then why use something as Holy as the cross and the Words of Christ to pander your goods? It is an attempt to use the things of God as a marketing tool.

I am sure there are some well intentioned folks doing this too. I don't think they have meeting coming up with blatantly blasphemous items. I think it is not a proper understanding of who God is and what God expects. People just seem to not have any discernment these days in so many areas of life. "Christian" companies market their wares and the public gobbles them up. So many of the t-shirts and other products today really border on heresy or just downright bad taste. I wrote a blog post a few years ago about some of the heretical shirt designs on the market then. Guess what. They have not gotten any better and are actually slipping further down the slope.

Those that are truly children of God need to take note and take a stand against these things. We need to stand firm and call these trinkets, shirts, necklaces, hats, bumper stickers, seed packets and everything else what they are - Blasphemy. Sure, I may ruffle some feathers and I'm sure some will say, "Stop living in the 50's Jeff". But, believe it or not, I do own some tasteful t-shirts and have a sticker on my car that do not blaspheme God or His Word.

Just seriously think about something before you buy it. Just because it's in Lifeway doesn't mean it is a good product to buy. I refer back to the books I mentioned that the warning were removed from. Lifeway deemed the warnings to be un-needed instead of removing the books from their shelves. Anything that is questionable definitely does not need to be in a Christian book store. But, then again, Lifeway is a business, just as the traders were in the Temple when Jesus did a little house cleaning.

Rain, Rain On My Face

Day 237 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

What a day of rain we have had here in Paducah today. They said on the news break earlier that there had already been 3" of rain to fall and it is still raining. We did have some really strong thunderstorms roll through the area and I did hear of tornadoes being spotted within 20 miles of here.

I always think of the song "Flood" by Jars of Clay when it rains. Why? Because it's about rain and a flood, of course. But, it is one of the first Contemporary Christian Songs that I remember hearing. I heard it on secular radio, because I did not listen to Christian music at all. Even though I professed to be a Christian since I said a prayer at 8 years old I still never had a desire for anything of God. Well, there was all of the forgiveness I desired and blessings, but not much more than that.

My life was that of a typical false convert from age 8 up until I was soundly save at 38. My life was indistinguishable from any other person that you would have came across that loved to party and really loved to sin, except I had "taken care" of getting saved when I was a kid. I was good. I was forgiven. I did my part and I was on the way to heaven. This, even though I never had a desire for anything to do with God. I bore no fruit at all of a Christian and bore many fruits of the sinner that I was. In the eyes of the world I was a "good kid", never got arrested (even though I should have many times), never got into fights and didn't sneak around behind my parents back. I was good to go in the words and eyes of many people including Sunday school teacher, family and associate pastors. I took care of it all when I was a kid.

What I mention are the typical signs of a false convert, I lived it and that is probably why my heart aches for others that are deceived as I was. I know how deep deception can run in a person, especially when you have "professionals" tell you that you are saved and never show you scripture to the contrary. Fact is I was being lied to and I was on the road to hell. It would be like a doctor telling you everything was fine, but you were actually dying of cancer. But the big truth is that your cancer could be cured very easily and they not tell you the cure. They just let you die because they don't want to hurt you. So, you live your life thinking you're good while the cancer eats away, no one loves you enough to tell you the truth and you're gone. You die. When all along the most loving thing to do would be tell you of your sickness and what the cure is so that you can live. The same is true with sin, as it eats away at you like cancer. Jesus is the cure for your sins, not just a "ticket" to heaven, but a Savior from Hell and from a sinful life that dishonors God.

Don't live in deception any longer. If you have been banking on a prayer as a child, a profession of faith, a walk down the aisle or a preachers affirmation for your salvation, then you are on the road to hell. Until you turn from your sins and to Christ, giving Him your life and serving Him then you are being eaten by cancer. Jesus said to "Repent or Perish" in Luke 13:3,5 - so there is the "formula". Repent of your sins or perish in the fires of hell. Not trying to scare you, but it would scare me to know that I was putting my faith in anything other than Christ for my salvation. Jesus keeps saving me daily, from myself, my sins and from God's wrath. How about you? Where is your faith this day?

Sanka. Your Welcome.

Day 226 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

My dad used to work on the parking meters here in Paducah, when they had parking meters. When he would work on them sometimes he would find silver coins or what he though might be worth some money in the future, so he would swap out with his change and bring the assumed treasure home with him. He was also a fan of Sanka coffee or at least was when I was a child, not sure in his adult life if he drank the instant stuff or not. All I ever saw him drink was Diet Cokes in his later years, but I am sure he probably still had coffee on his morning treks to Hardee's for breakfast.

He used this Sanka jars to put what look to be silver nickels. The date on the bottom of the jar is 1974, so this is probably one from the same time frame as my memory allows me to recall. I came across it while going through some stuff at his former home. He passed away April 2005 after having a stroke while gone for breakfast one morning. That was not a very pleasant time in my life. Looking back there are so many things I would like to have said to him and a lot of things I would like to have talked to him about, especially his standing with the Lord.

I am glad that his last few years I got closer to him and got to know him better. Chandra, the boys and me moved in behind him and I got to see him almost every day. Him and my mom divorced when I was 18, he ended up moving into my grandmothers trailer that she had lived in as far back as I can remember. It is a 1965 model and is as sturdy as the day it was moved into, so I am sure she moved into it around that year or shortly after. I remember many holidays and Sundays visiting my grandmother. The smell of coffee strong enough to knock you over as you walked through the front door. Playing in the woods where my current home sits now. So, this piece of property holds many memories since I was a child, just wish I could remember more of them.

I try not to beat myself up about not talking to my dad more about God. I know someone said he was saved as a child, but his life did not match up to that sadly. I pray that he did repent after his stroke. I know he still had mental capacities, it's just that his body did not cooperate with his mind. I stayed by his side as much as I could while he was in the hospital and saw him slowly deteriorate. He passed away a few days after being moved into a nursing home. I still have hope that he did put his faith in Christ during the time in the hospital and I cling to that as much as possible. I have no assurance that he was a Christian though and that really is hard when I think about it.

The sorrow I have for not sharing was a catalyst into evangelizing for me. It opened my eyes a lot to how a lot of people feel when their family members pass away and if I could tell people the gospel and they repent and believe in Christs then that would be another family that would know that their loved one was a child of God and woke up in the presence of the Lord. That was the beginning of what grew into a passion to see the lost saved, disciples made and most of all to see God glorified. God has been gracious to me and put me within a body that loves to evangelize and a ministry that is passionate about the lost. I guess if there were a niche that I felt the most for it would be the false converts, as I was one for 30 years. I know exactly how much the deception runs in a person's mind. I know how the lies of the modern gospel seduce one into believing another gospel that is no gospel at all, but a man centered feel good message that damns many.

So, that is some of the reason I feel compassionate about evangelism. Even though God is still working on my speaking, He still is using me in ways that are definitely Him and not me. I owe everything to my God and my Savior and I praise Him every day for the grace and mercy He has given so freely and undeservedly to me.

A Blessing And A Curse

Day 225 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

Just noticing and thinking about how blessed we are here in this country. So blessed, in fact, that we seem to take it for granted. It may even actually be a curse to be so blessed.

This stack of bibles just shows how blessed our home is. Actually I would say that most Christian homes in America have at least one bible per person and probably more like 3+ per person. I know that I personally have about 5 different ones and my wife probably as many. This is not counting the big family bible and the bibles I have from when I was a kid. I also have several books that explain certain aspects of scripture and a few biographies about the lives of those who faithfully follow/ followed God through their lives. I say this all because a lot of countries the citizens are not allowed to own a bible. In fact, Christianity is illegal and in some countries punishable by death.

While the penalty for being a Christian in this country has not escalated to the sentence of death, it is becoming increasingly hostile towards Christians. I am not referring to the squishy social gospel folks or the ones that are universalists in nature, but the true Church of God, the body of Christ. It is actually sad to have to make that distinction that a lot of churches/ professing Christians aren't churches or Christians. This is shown by these professors of Christ that say we have to tolerate everything under the sun except for being discerning Christians within our own house. We are being pushed to allow a mosque at Ground Zero, but at the same time people are being arrested for preaching in their neighborhoods and in their cities. We are told that we are radicals and they put us on par with the terrorists that kill to intimidate their agenda.

As for me, I will not intimidate anyone. I will, however, tell them the truth of the gospel without mincing words. I am not mean about it, but speak the truth in love that they may see their sinful state and repent and place their faith in the atoning work of Jesus on Calvary. That is language that is not spoken in many churches in the U.S. for fear of losing some in their congregation. I recently have heard of a brother and sister that have a Sunday School class at my former "church" that have been having their eyes opened to a lot of things. God is dealing with this couple on some issues and they have ceased support of some "ministries" that only pander to the felt needs of those they reach out to. They have also been convicted to share the Word in more detail in their class and in doing so have lost some of their class. This is more than likely separating the goats from the sheep. Those that are the Shepherd's will hear His voice and know it, but it is an offense to those that do not.

The "church" I am speaking of really needs some prayers. There are some truly converted people there that are trying to do God's will, but they are coming into situations that will probably force them out sooner or later. We need to pray for these folks and the countless others like them that are embedded in the Modern Gospel/ Easy Believism churches. Pray that they will remain true and will keep preaching the Word of God and not fall to the pressures and if not that they will leave and find a church home that is a church. That they find a fellowship of believers that will be mutually edified and will glorify God together, as a church is intended. Something is seriously wrong when the Word is preached and professing Christians are offended instead of excited.

As far as our curse in this country. We are so dependent on what we have, what we earn and what we have within our reach that we depend on "stuff" more than we depend on God. See, those in real persecution in other countries must depend on God, because God is all they have. We, spoiled Americans, keep wanting more and more, simply because we can get more and more. A new study bible comes out - we get it without thinking twice about it. Not knocking study bibles, but how many bibles does one need before they start living he way they already know they should per the bible of their choosing? Does understanding of the Bible make you a Christian or bring you closer to God or does a relationship with Him do those things? Many people know many things of the bible I will never know, but they do not know the Author like I do. I do not say this to boast, but as a wake-up call to examine yourself that you are actually His Child. Do not be one of the ones that says "Lord, Lord did I not...." and have Him reject you with "Depart from me, I never knew you". What a sad day it will be when millions will profess to know Christ but will be cast into the pits of hell because they only knew the god they had created in their own mind and believed a gospel that was another gospel.

This is why we must depend on God for everything. We need to follow Christ and follow His Word. WE must make disciples and not just a few, but everyone that professes Christ is to make disciples. We must tell of His goodness and of His sacrifice for us. We must remain true to Him and hold Him as our treasure instead of the lusts of this world. Now Go! Make disciples (Matthew 28:19).

How Low Can You Go?

Day 223 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

So, what's wrong with this picture? Other than I had to cut/ paste to see the whole 10 day forecast, that is. The low tonight says it is supposed to be 14 and if you look ahead to Wednesday the high is being forecast to be 61. Now that is a big swing in temperatures. I guess the global warming is finally about to arrive for the winter season.

Also another note. The picture in this block of text is a screen capture from my phone as well, at the same time as I made the captures to show the 10 day forecast. Notice anything about it that doesn't mesh with the other picture? Yep, you got it. It says we are already at 5 degrees and the forecast said we were going to get down to 14. So, we have already gone 9 degrees below the forecast low, but the Weather Channel can't seem to figure this conundrum out.

But, weather forecasters can and are wrong on often occasions. This is why I don't really put what they say in concrete in my mind some of the time. Especially after this week's 7" of snow when 1-2" were forecast. Then the temperature last night was supposed to be down to 8 and we made it down to -4, a record in my city.

The only thing I put my trust in is God and His Word. The bible is the only thing that is 100% accurate in it's prophecies and history. Modern science and archeology are just uncovering some of the aspects that God had His chosen writers to write. Divinely inspired as the Word of God. This should be proof enough to most that the other, yet to come, prophesies will be fulfilled as well. He is coming back and He will judge the world. He will be the bar set and unless He is your mediator you will perish. Nobody knows the day that He will make His return, but you better be ready. Repent of your sins and turn to God. Put your trust completely in Him for your salvation and be declared justified and be called a son of God. That is awesome that we can be reconciled to God, by God. We deserve hell for our sins against Him, but in His goodness He offered His Son as the atonement for our sins.

Today is the day of salvation. Do not think you are too mean or too far gone in your sin. Any single sin is a damnable thing. Whatever your sins they are forgivable. Do not wait any longer.