02/12/25 THE TRUTH IS...

02/12/25 THE TRUTH IS...

The first casualty of war is truth (unless your truth is Jesus). Here is the truth.

Those who trust and follow Jesus will be forgiven of their sins, purified from their Old Man, set free from their spiritual bondage, be conformed to Christ's image, delivered from their evil heart of unbelief, overcome temptation, overcome the world and the flesh and the devil, led into victory, walk in light and love and truth, be more than a conqueror.

We are in a spiritual war, where our weapons are not physical, our enemy is not primarily human, our objective is not temporal. Though our enemy is primarily demonic, we are despised and persecuted by the enemies of the cross, and this attack on the godly is promoted by men in high places. 

Philippians 3:14-21
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 

2 Timothy 3:12-17
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

02/12/25 DON'T LOSE FOCUS

02/12/25 DON'T LOSE FOCUS

Whatever else President Trump may or may not not do (good or bad), up to this point he is doing more presidential work protecting US from thieves in D.C., perverts, oppressors, child mutilators, racial and gender and religious discrimination.

He is an active threat to crooked politicians, terrorists, traffickers, international and national enemies, drug dealers, invaders, politically driven justice system, and other destroyers of freedom, faith, family and financial success. Even today we are seeing rats scurry and even attack as their massive fraud and thievery is being exposed and confronted. Don't let the pretense of "social concern" or the facade of a "Progressive Moral High Ground," mislead you into revolting against policies and practices, which should have been in place for generations. What has been living under the rocks is finally being exposed, and removed, "and it ain't pretty."

Still, this is a fallen world headed for an incredibly dark future, not because of an inherently anger driven god, but because of a world that resists and rejects the love of God, Who gave His only begotten Son to save the lost from His just judgement.

It is right to commend the commendable. We should not only be thankful for the positive things we receive (and remember, God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift), but we must use our advantages to draw closer to God, while we have advantages. Use this time to lead your children, to share the Gospel, to follow Christ freely.

The trap of oppression, wickedness and perversion shuts slowly (as it did in our government for over two centuries), and it shuts suddenly (don't forget the rampant evil and sinsanity of the previous Burro-Crat fiasco in D.C.).

Scripture tells us not to trust in horses or chariots or the arm of flesh or human systems or in human heroes. Instead it tells us (time and again) to trust in the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

It might be your last warning, or your last call, or your last opportunity. Don't harden your heart. Humble yourself and turn 180. Now is the accepted time. Today is your day of deliverance.

02/11/25 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FAVORING WIND

02/11/25 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FAVORING WIND

I use to turn on the morning news to see how far our renegade government has led us into insanity and wickedness overnight.

Now I tune-in to see what wickedness is being exposed, confronted, and corrected by our new Administration.

God instituted human government for two basic reasons: to protect the law abiding and to punish the lawless.
This makes men responsible to live civil and orderly lives, and it makes government leaders accountable to God for the safety of their people.

When a nation and its government moves away from God, they move away from freedom, law and order, and then wickedness, abuse, oppression and every kind of crime permeates all of society.

This has been happening for a long time in the USA, and in recent years resistance and rejection of God has become bolder and deeper seated.

It was good for men to accept Divine morality as standards for lawful human behavior, in the founding of our country, and it is good when men want to return to Divinely established standards of morality. But when men move away from God and they begin to trust in human wisdom, when men become so enamored with their own accomplishments, and when men lust after power and wealth, and when men view themselves too highly, then certain destruction will follow.

God appoints men to lead nations, but He does not appoint any man to lead the world, until Jesus returns. God will give peace to those who submit to His authority, but chaos and upheaval awaits those who grasp for more than God has intended for them to have.

Our nation was built on freedom of religion (faith). Our government is inherently and officially responsible to provide us this freedom by protecting us against oppression. However, the State does not have Divine authority to impose a belief system on the people. Even a so-called Christian party is not appointed by God to rule a nation. Religious and even spiritual men fail and fall. Men are not to sit in judgment of the Christian faith. God has given the final word concerning His truth in the Bible. Man does not sit in judgment of God's word, God's word is the standard by which we will be judged.

When the State has the power to impose judgment on the beleifs of Christian people, then that particular group of interpreters becomes the high priests of a false religion.

It is one thing for a person or a party to disagree with someone's understanding of a portion of Scripture, it is another issue for a person or party to outlaw differing views. I don't agree with all of the interpretations in the so-called charismatic movement, and I don't agree with all of the interpretations of the Reformed or Calvinistic movements. In fact, I staunchly reject some of their beliefs as heretical. However, I would not require that anyone believe what I believe, either by social pressure or by government decree. I would like for all others to agree with me on Biblical issues that I consider to be fundamental, but I do not mind that others disagree with me. We should be allowed to believe differently, so long as it does not violate God given standards of justice and civility. God allows a person to be wrong in this life, but ultimately He will judge us all for our thoughts, words and deeds.

This country was founded upon Christian faith and values. The Christian faith is not contrary to the founding principles of our country, but many of the teachings and practices of pagan religion were forbidden in our country, from the time of our founding and including the un-Christian polygamous practices of Mormonism. Biblical Christianity is not the enemy of our country, it is the foundation of our country,

We do have a problem in today's hodgepodge of teachers and beliefs. This is why it is important for us to be free to believe and practice our Biblically based faith without government intrusion. The problem is not only the ignorance of Biblical truth in society, it is the turning away from historic Christian behavior.

This article does not answer questions as much as it stirs up questions. What I am hoping to encourage is for folks to seriously study Biblical, historic Christianity and then believe and behave in a way that is pleasing to the God of the Bible. Truth produces godliness and strength and love.

02/11/25 IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

02/11/25 IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

I often try to encourage people to either improve their health and physical condition, or to at least maintain their fitness. I also recognize that situations can affect our physical condition, such as injury, sickness, age, or a combination of the three.

There are folks who will not get better until they go to be with the Lord. A restricted life interferes with our activities, relationships, responsibilities and opportunities. For believers there is the added burden of not being able to do the service, the ministries we have been doing in life. Other folks need to understand this and they need to take care in helping the believer deal with their limited abilities.

Being restricted, limited, disabled in one way does not always mean we are unable to adapt. There are other things to do, which are high priority opportunities, such as: more time in prayer; more time to reflect and share your memories, lessons, insights, words of kindness; more time for getting rest and recuperation, without guilt.

At some point you may be totally incapacitated physically. God is still with you. God still has control. God does all things well and all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.

For those who are still well and active, be sensitive, be supportive, be encouraging, be patient, be responsive, be attentive. Remember, when the body is unable to do what it use to do, the mind can still be very active, alert and aware. We treat others with love, kindness, and dignity, whether they are active, disabled or totally unresponsive because it is the Christ-like thing to do. We love others because God loves them. We care for others because it is the Christian thing to do.

Jesus extended love and hope (in His Own time of suffering) to the thief on the cross. We should be ready to extend ourselves for the suffering and the weak and certainly available to those who have spent their lives caring for us and others.

02/10/25 GIVE IT YOUR BEST

02/10/25 GIVE IT YOUR BEST

I went 4 months without working out. I did a little bit of walking exercise and a few kayak trips and very occasional free hand movements, but my strength and conditioning went down hill. I was having some physical issues at the time.

Praise the Lord, I resumed a very low level routine this past weekend. I am feeling better and hope to see some really good changes.

I only post this to encourage other folks who may have suffered a set back or a lay-off. Not everyone can do what they want to do, and we have to adjust our thinking as well as our actions. This can happen to anyone, at any age. But I encourage folks to do what they can, while they can. Choosing to be debilitated will increase the debilitation.

I love y'all. It is rough going through a physical ailment, or getting old, or suffering an injury. But don't let negativity or laziness or past failures or present burdens keep you down.

02/10/25 BASIC STRUCTURE

02/10/25 BASIC STRUCTURE

Here is how it should work.

All Christians should be telling the good news to other people. We hope they will receive Christ as Savior.

All Christians should share the value of their church relationship with other people and invite them to come and see for themselves.
We hope they will want to be part of our saved, loving fellowship.

Pastor preaches and teaches the truth clearly, lovingly, unapologetically.
He calls folks to salvation, holiness of heart and life, establishing and building them up and sending them out to do the will and work of God.

He invites visitors to come back.
He offers to meet with them and their family, answering their questions about salvation, the Bible, and that local church.

The believer who "brought" the visitor should follow-up and take steps to encourage their friend to come out to other services, Bible classes, fellowships, and activities.

Everyone needs to be saved, and every new believer needs to be part of a strong, spiritual church family.

We each have our opportunities and responsibilities in leading other people into a meaningful Christian life.

02/08/25 BAD NEWS IS STILL NEWS

02/08/25 BAD NEWS IS STILL NEWS

I don't like reporting the dark side of life. I am not a gloom-sayer or a dooms-dayer. I am a truth conveyor. I tell the truth, even when it is unpleasant and even when I know some folks will attack me for saying it.

I have been warning folks that "the ride is about to get really bumpy," but the half has not been told. 

The Bible says the wickedness of the world in the last days will be like it was in the days of Noah. It appears that those days may be in our near future. And remember, though the judgement of God was a long time coming, when it did come, it came suddenly, and without escape.

When the bottom does "drop out" for America, it will seem like the flood in Noah's day. Total upheaval in politics, health, crime, perversion, violence, hatred. Though Christians will not be here during the Tribulation, the pre-Tribulation world will be worse than we can imagine. Ask Christians who came under the demonic rule of Nero, Decius and Diocletian. During those persecutions there was a dramatic rise in cultic belief and behavior. Don't be surprised at the rise of false prophets, false teachers in our day. And don't forget, the Edicts of Serdica and Milan which supposedly were intended to end persecution of Christians led to a State religion following the rule pagan Constantine, which has been more destructive to Christianity than persecution.

Also consider the Christians who lived under persecution from the Roman Catholic religion, the Zoroastrians, the Muslims, the Communist (such as Russia, China), the Ottoman Empire and the barbaric regimes of Idi Amin, Kim Jong Un, Mao Zedong, Stalin.

Don't be lulled or deceived into popular, cultural, State Christianity. Abandon man-made and man-centered, watered down faith. True salvation is miraculous, free, costly, transforming, empowering.
The present political environment is enticing folks to trust in a man rather than trusting in the God/Man, Jesus Christ. Today's "Christian" is less likely to be a vital, active part of a local church. This is dangerous for them. God's plan and His revelation in the New Testament is a community of believers who are committed and submitted to one another, working as one body. New Testament Christianity is not a Lone Ranger or Lone Wolf religion. Be Biblical. Your own spiritual well being and need of a lost world demands Biblical discipleship. We are not allowed to re-frame, re-interpret, redesign God's plan for the present age.

It is difficult to find a truly Biblical local church in today's sinning religion atmosphere. But it is also true that people do not want to submit to Biblical authority, as the Bible says, it is found in pastors and fellow parishioners.

Jesus only spoke of the Church, by name, a couple of times.
In Matthew 16. He told us that He is the foundation of The Church and that the Church (the unified body of believers) would overcome the gates (the power, the wisdom, the strategy) of hell.
In Matthew 18 He gave us the form of church discipline and authority for local bodies of believers.
But Scripture spoke of the Church by name (mostly the local church) over 100 times in the New Testament.

God's gifts and calling and discipline and mission and offices and officers and authority and message are given to the Church (local churches specifically). There is no Biblical Christianity aside from body of Christ. Our personal need for the local church is always a priority, but especially as things get worse. 

Hebrews 10:24-27
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.