**Church Notes** 5/31/2015

Because I attend a church that feed my heart, soul and my brain, I always want to share the feast. So, I'm thinking I will be sharing my little jottings and notes every now and then.

Church is always a blessing to me, and today's message was one that hit me hard. It was centered around the way we treat people. I've been so wrapped up in my personal issues that, lately, I've been less than loving.

It's not that I have been purposefully un-loving; I just have so much going on in my mind all the time that I can be blind to someone else's need for time and attention. (I notice that I always room enough in my mind for counting ways I feel slighted though... See? That right there is how I let the Enemy use me.)

Anyway, on to the notes I took this morning during service. My sarc is acting up this week so I can't do anything from memory, and I can barely read my own writing... so I will just list the key points (tear stains not included):

First note - 
There is another way for me to look at how I treat people. I will now always look at the following verses with a new understanding:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. --Matthew 25:35-40 (KJV)

We get chances all the time to offer our love to those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers - and so on - but we don't see the opportunity to love. We might be tired or feeling inconvenienced. The pastor gave a beautiful statement about how we can see that message in our daily lives if we realize that one day we will be having this conversation with Jesus. Pastor reminded us that we need to be there for others.

Second note - 
As Christians, we need to stop thinking in an "Us vs Them" kind of way. We are all thirsty - for love, forgiveness, redemption - and Jesus can quench that thirst. How often do we extend love to people who are in need of kindness? Do we talk to them about Jesus, or do we show them his love through our own behavior?

Third note -
What if God saw us/looked at us the way we see/look at each other?

Fourth note-
How often do we listen to each other? Do we just wait for our turn to speak, or our turn to make out point without hearing the other person?

Fifth note -
(from a book) Feeling valued is a fundamental human need. Do we show people in our lives that we value them? (The book is one I want to get: Vanishing Grace Study Guide: Whatever Happened to the Good News? by Philip Yancey)

Sixth note -
A good questions to ask: "When have you felt loved/valued?" or "What makes you feel loved or valued?"

Seventh note-
Line from song: "Things will grow strangely dim in the glory of His grace" (that's probably not all the right words, but...)  This line made me think of how all the things we pay excessive attention to here in this life are not going to matter in the life to come. (I also teared up and smiled thinking of my sister and mother. They don't have to worry anymore about their illnesses.)

To look up this song (I had to jot down some of the words, but I did find it): "Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here | Your Presence Lord" The young man who sang it in church didn't think he could do it justice, but he did. It's a really beautiful song and it went right deep into the pastor's message.

Sorry for the jumble of notes, but I really was copying much as I could from my jottings and scribbles!

Peace
--Free

**GOOD READ** Chronicles of the Host

Since I do a lot of product reviews on my Being Free blog, I thought it would be fun to do reviews of a different sort here.

I love reading books (or hearing audio books), but the choices for good reads are limited for anyone who wants to filter out certain things. I prefer good mystery or suspense novels; plots centering on prophecy or other Bible teachings; humor; and most non-fiction, documentary type stuff. (I'm not big on romance or formulaic, boilerplate type fiction.)

My main gripe with most Christian fiction (or other "clean" fiction) are poorly developed plots and badly written stories. It seems that really good writers are like any other top talent: they go "mainstream" or sell out to write fiction I don't appreciate reading. Not that I'm their main concern, but I think you know what I mean.

There are authors who write great fiction without including foul language, adulterous sex, or other things that promote or agree with sinful activity. Two of my all-time favorites are Frank E. Perretti and the author of Chronicles of the Host: D. Brian Shafer.

Chronicles is the best series I have ever read. The story line is captivating even though, as a Christian who has read the Bible through, I know how the story ends.

The main characters as well as the basic plot line in the series is given away in the title: Chronicles of the Host. As in. the Host of Heaven. The story is told from the P.O.V. of the Host angels so it includes their dealings with Satan's army of demons.

The series includes, in order:

• Vol 1: Exile of Lucifer
• Vol 2: Unholy Empire
• Vol 3: Rising Darkness
• Vol 4: Final Confrontation
• Vol 5: Fire and Sword

I have read all but Volume 5, which was published in 2009 while Volume 4 was published in 2004. When I found out that I had missed that last volume, I waited to see if all the books would be done in audio book format. Since they still haven't, I'm planning on reading the last volume asap.

You can read an excerpt here at at Google Books. I hope that you like it enough to buy the book. I'd love to see this author get more support. Maybe one day the series will be out on audio.

I haven't read it yet, but D. Brian Shafer has written another book: Nova Fannum. 

Peace

--Free

To Dabble or Not?

I don't watch much mainstream TV, so I occupy my mind with other things: reading my Bible more, listening to audio-books while I cook and clean, and listening to podcasts. I'm especially fond of podcasts because I find they are a better way to pick and choose my news and entertainment sources that way.

Some of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis are

• The John Ankerberg Show (very well thought out and informative)
• Generation Why (interesting topics & fun rapport between the hosts)
• FreemanTV (a recent discovery that I'm still on the fence about)
• Let My People Think (from Ravi Zacharias International)
• Stuff They Don't Want You to Know (Just fun and often interesting)
• Prophecy Zone Radio News (Interesting topics, bad reception/recording)
• Beyond Boston Prophecy (Good but not often consistent with topics)

Of course, my opinions are mine alone. When I say that a couple of these shows have some production issues, I should also point out that they are doing what they can to spread the Gospel. For the other issues, I have some opinions I want to address regarding the podcast I just recently subscribed to: FreemanTV.

The podcast is highly informative and hosts are very sincere and likable. I really do enjoy listening to many of the shows, but I'm not clear about where Freeman and Jamie stand theologically.

One of the things I do enjoy about the show is that the hosts address topics that most Christians don't take time to hear about. One of the reasons I even subscribed to Freeman TV is because I heard the hosts as guests on another podcast. They were discussing the symbols and other things hiding under what people often call "The Illuminati". 

When I subscribed to the podcast, I noticed that most of what is discussed has to do with things that Christians are warned not to dabble with: occultism, different theologies, and so on.

Since I do know that "dabbling" with something is different that being aware of something, I appreciate being informed. After all, I didn't pick up on a lot of the hidden symbolism in popular music and advertising until I watched some of G Craige Lewis' "Truth Behind Hip Hop" videos (this is an article about Lewis). That encouraged me to start paying more attention to the subtle messages I was getting by watching what I thought of as harmless entertainment.

I think I must have listened to 3 or 4 of the FreemanTV podcasts before I heard the one that had addressing Christians. It was only then that I realized that one of the hosts identifies as a Christian. And that set off a bit of a worry flag for me. 

The show about Christians was to address some very relevant issues: namely that a lot of Christians are willingly blind to many of the things that we shouldn't be. I know that's true because I had been blind to a lot of the very open (but subtle) anti-Christian messages in music, television, advertising, and almost every other thing we are exposed to from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed.

The hosts made very good points on almost every level, but I found the whole of the show ironic. While they were addressing these issues, they were also blind to some core issues of the Christian life. (This is in addition to the fact that the seem to ascribe to the idea of shunning all churches because of bad experiences with certain churches.) But I want to talk about the other issues that concerned me.

For instance, while they both attested to a belief in Jesus, but one of them does not identify as a Christian and the other seems not to understand why other Christians aren't willing to explore the occult. She feels that it's essential that we read about such things and work to understand them. I get her intentions, but I felt she didn't understand that, for some of us, to dabble could be dangerous. Aleister Crowley was, after all, a man born into a 'religious' family. His fall began, like it does for a lot of people, with his dabbling in dark and occultic things. 

What I'd really like for any Christian-hosted show is that, no matter what topics they cover, they make sure to include the core topic of Christianity: the message of Jesus' offer of salvation. That is the most important topic for any Christian. What good is any other message we have if we don't tell people of salvation?

To understand that there is evil so that you can be aware of it is fine, but to get too involved with understanding can be a slippery slope. Some of us are better equipped for that. Just like some of us can drink on special occasion, yet not become alcoholic, but hand us one cigarette and we are forever fighting to quit. (I'm describing myself in that example, by the way.)

I don't like to dabble in things to understand them. I don't need to dabble with drugs to know that they are addictive and could lead to a really bad lifestyle. I do, however, appreciate learning about drugs and what they can do. That way, I can warn others. 

The FreemanTV podcast is one that I would recommend Christians listen to, but with caution and prayer. I don't think that we should let ourselves get too fascinated with things that don't help our Christian faith. 

Some very interesting podcasts I have listened to lately include 

• The Rise of the Ezekiel 38 Nations (a multi-part podcast from The John Ankerberg Show)
• The Christian Show (from Freeman TV)
• The West Memphis Three (from Generation Why)

Thanks to all the people who are doing what they do to inform people about things that mainstream media ignores. I can criticize all I want, but they are at least doing their part.

Peace

--Free

Spoonful of Sugar

When I was talking about knowing and picking your battles the other day, I recalled something about my own life.

I was a true Earth, Wind and Fire fan back in the day. And I mean I was fanatical. By 'back in the day' I mean just up til a few years ago. As a teenager, I was so into this group because I had a big crush on the lead singer, Maurice White. Don't judge me now; that part of my life is over! I also thought the Larry Dunn was the hotter than fried meat grease...

Anyway, one of my favorite EWF songs was one called "All About Love". Pretty melody and very innocent sounding. Who can worry about a song that talks all about love? I didn't, not even after I matured a little and started paying more attention to music that I listened to.

The the song lyrics never did give me pause until I started thinking about all the symbolism that is Earth, Wind and Fire.

Just go and look at some of their album covers and see what they feature. Great looking covers, right? But notice how the elements are celebrated as god ("In the beginning, there was EWF"). I found some interesting bits of information from this source, which includes a quote from a band member:

"Maurice always studied astrology, numerology, astronomy, We introduced Trancendental(sic) Meditation to a lot of the black audience. That was very new for them. Of course, the Beatles had brought TM to the people in the 1960's, but we brought it into the 70's to an audience that was looking for something alternative." (my underline)

And here I'd always thought he was just sharing his hotness with the rest of us.

The band seems fascinated with Egyptology. Not a big deal except that, as a Christian, we have been called "out of Egypt" (or the ways opposing the God of the Bible), right? And then, there are those lyrics:

You know, for instance, we study all kin
kinds of sciences, astrogy(sic), mysticism,
religion, so forth we did.
And like coming from here place, all these things help
because if you're inside your inner self
Have mercy! (source)

Have mercy, indeed. Neither astrology nor mysticism is something a Christian should mess with. (And, yes, I have heard of 'Christian mysticsim'. I've also heard of Yoga being taught in churches.)

Not everything that is contrary to Christianity is blatant and comes labeled with warning signs. Matter of fact, most everything contrary to our Christian lives is often hidden - or else cloaked as something very harmless. Which is what makes me think of the line from "Mary Poppins" ("A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down").

Sometimes I wished that every fattening food tasted like dirt. Just like I sort of wished that everything bad for my spirit came outlined in neon-warning lights. But only 'sometimes' and 'sort of'. If life really worked that way, we'd never have to practice self-control. More importantly, we had the neon warnings back in Eden and still got ourselves in a jam.

If it sounds like I'm just being over-cautious, I'm not. And I'd rather err on the side of caution than not after seeing something else that was brought to my attention (by checking the same source listed above) about another of the EWF songs I liked. The song was called "Jupiter". Catchy song, but I only ever half noticed those (now chilling) lyrics.

By the way, I'm not very  familiar with this site I used as a source and I'm going to be going over to check it out further, but I'm appreciative of this bit of info I could reference for this post.)

This is what that source says about who/what Jupiter is:

Occult research author, William Hutchinson says Jupiter is "painted with horns" and "he is the same as Baal. . ." (William Hutchinson, The Spirit of Masonry, pp. 82-83) Satanist Anton LaVey, writes in The Satanic Bible, "The Phoenicians worshipped a fly god, Baal, from which comes the devil, Beelzebub. . ." (Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, p. 60) Anyone slightly familiar with the Bible recognizes Baal as the devil worshipped in the Old Testament. (source)

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, we always have to be careful. As a Christian, I feel like a little kid still learning not to take candy from strangers. Not all strangers are bad, but some of them are deadly.

Now, understand that I'm not knocking anyone who likes EWF - or the Beatles, or any other performers or form of entertainent. All I'm saying is that, if I had been aware of what these guys believed in and stood for, I would not have been subjecting myself to their music. I wish I had paid more attention sooner to their message because I was certainly allowing it into my mind and heart.

I think I will end with something  have concluded about Satan/Lucifer being a being of 'light': of course he's attractive and appealing. If he came at us with horns and that silly little red tail, we'd run screaming away from him.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

We wouldn't (or most of us wouldn't) run and jump into a flaming car headed for a cliff, but offer us a ride to a free giveaway of designer goods in a shiny new car and watch how fast we'd take you up on that.

Peace
--Free

Battles & Wars Part Two: Knowing Our Battles.

In the last post, I ended with a verse that is so very relevant to my life these days:

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. Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

I have been familiar with that verse for many years, but it seems that just recently my eyes are opened to it like never before. God has really been moving in my heart about the times we are living in right this moment, and I find myself asking other people if they are feeling the same way. Everyone I have asked has replied with a strong "Yes!"

Think about what the Bible is telling us here: we are wrestling with something, and that 'something' is not flesh and blood.

I'm no Bible scholar, and I'm not the most intelligent person in the world, but I don't need to be to understand God's words. He is speaking to anyone who studies on His words with sincere prayer.

When I have think about this verse now, I think about it in very real terms. I think about what the 'principalities', 'powers', 'rulers of the darkness of this world' and 'spiritual wickedness in high places' mean.

We are in a war and we need to be identifying for ourselves who the opposing forces are. For me it was pride and arrogance. I was always pursuing anyone and anything that made me feel important and special. I focused a lot of time and energy on these pursuits.  This went on for so long that I convinced myself that I had no purpose outside of finding a niche for myself within those goals.

Other people get caught up the same way in other things: their love of some form of entertainment, or their dreams of being successful at something, and so on.

There is one other story in the story in the Bible that brings all this home for me personally. It's the story in Mark 10 of the rich man who encountered Jesus:

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”

“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”  (Mark 10:17-31)

I would like to think that, had I been that rich man, I'd be able to give up everything to follow after Jesus. But, truth be told, there are so many things that stop people from following Jesus. When I put myself in the place of the rich man, substituting riches for my love of other things, I know that I am being a hypocrite to judge the man in that story.

For years, I was that man. I wanted to hold on to defending things I did, people I associated with, and my love of certain things. I would clean some things out of my life, but hold on to other things. And I was really good and convincing myself that to do so was harmless.

If you want to think about that point on a personal level, ask yourself what would be hard to give up right now?

I know that I am redeemed. I know that I will never be sinless as long as I live in this body. God loves me and has forgiven me for all that has been, is, and will be. I know that, but I want to honor Him with my obedience.

Picking our battles has to start with admitting we have battles.

If we are supporting, being involved with and being entertained by blasphemous relationships, people, goals and ways, then we are like that rich man. What are we willing to walk away from to walk into the arms of Jesus?

I really do feel that time is getting so short for any of us who have not accepted Jesus' pardon. Since none of us know whether we will make it alive into our sleep tonight or wake up in the morning, it's time to pay attention.

Peace
--Free

Battles & Wars Part One: Picking Our Battles

There's a piece of advice I've always liked because it fits just about any situation: "Pick your battles." I used that with my niece just a bit ago.

My great-nephew (I call him my grandson when he's not being a little terror) was in a mood for whining about everything when he woke up. My niece is not feeling well and had to fast all night to go out early for blood work.

I'm fine with a whining child as long as they aren't making themselves (or me) sick. DJ was not making himself (or me) sick, but he was tap-dancing on my last good nerve. But he's three and he's not usually in his worst moods for long. However, my niece isn't feeling well today so I advised her to give in to his wanting to eat while sitting on the couch instead of at the table.

That advice about picking your battles is one that my mother used, but she added a reason: "Pick your battles because the war isn't over."

Good advice, right? Especially for Christians today. The problem some of us have is that we don't focus on the fact that we really are in a war. We don't recognize the battles we face every moment of every day. And there are many battles all around us:

• Sin that we have to deal with in our own lives.
• Dealing with acquaintances, neighbors, co-workers - even loved ones - who aren't helpful in our lives of faith.
• Struggling with the assault on our senses from the media and the world we are living in.
• Trying to love and witness to people who don't really want to hear it.

The list goes on and on. We wake up every day to a life lived in a body that tries to defeat us. We have to deal with health issues, stress issues, mental issues, etc. That's to be expected. We are human with these bodies made of flesh and blood.

The battles we pick are often ones to do with these bodies. We work at looking younger, thinner, and more 'beautiful'. We will endure all kinds of stress and mental anguish by working for more money and prestige and other ego-related reasons.

The battles we don't even recognize are the ones that the Bible told us about. 

Watch how we choose our battles:

• The Bible tells us to take care of our bodies and minds, but we don't even read about that. When a celebrity or popular doctor tells us about some new miracle diet, exercise or meditation technique, we jump right on it.
• We spend a lot of our time bad-mouthing preachers and other Christians than we do praying for them. Meanwhile, we can't live without the music and movies and other entertainment featuring people who not only hate our God, but are working to promote other gods.
• The Bible has laid out all the information we need about what will happen and how we are to respond, but we won't study that. We read stories in the news and don't question any of the sources or motivations. 
• God gave us answers for dealing with and enduring life's problems. When we get stressed and anxious, we seek out all sorts of strange therapies, illegal drugs and questionable methods for relief. 
• We have access to the greatest Therapist, Friend and Comforter, but we go on Facebook and Twitter and all the other social media sites to gossip, discuss our sex lives, and play passive-aggressive games with people in our lives.

I know that, until recently, I was choosing the wrong battles. My problem was that, while I loved the Lord, I wasn't taking time to study the Bible. It's the field guide for his war that we are in. 

One of my biggest mistakes was spending more time studying the world around me than preparing for the world to come. I got caught up in and fascinated by talented people I admired; trends and social cultures; and trying to be recognized and accepted for the few talents I have.

Now that I am focusing on God and the Scriptures, I am learning to more carefully pick my battles. It helps a lot that I know what the true battles are.

 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. Ephesians 6:12 (KJV)

In Part Two, I'm going to talk about my personal battles with specific things.

Peace

--Free

Christians and Oath-taking

Why do Christians sign up as members of organizations that require oaths? Why do they sign up with anything that is cloaked in secrecy and rituals? We don't even have to follow rituals to worship God now that Jesus has replaced all other sacrifices.

So... why? It's something I think about every time I see a church full of members hatted and suited up for participating in anything where God is not the primary and only focus?

By the way, I'm not just thinking of the Freemasons, but they (and the Eastern Star members) do come first to my mind.

The subject of Christians joining Masonic orders is a very troubling one for me personally. My father joined the Masons when I was a young girl. The pastor of the church I grew up in was a Mason, as were several of the men in that church congregation. Many of the women were members of the Eastern Star.

As a child, I was never bothered because I had no idea who the Masons were or what they believed. I do know that my father was forever changed once he became a member. Still, I was only a churchgoer and not a Christian myself.

Now that I am an adult and a Christian, I just weep for the men and women who profess to be followers of Christ but also take oaths to these orders.

What I wonder is, are they just ignorant of what the Word of God teaches - or are they willfully defiant? I suppose there are some of each.

For anyone who doesn't question their involvement with the Masons - or taking an oath to any "higher power" other than the God of the Bible - I wish they would question their actions.

I'm not knowledgeable enough about the Masons or various other orders to speak for someone else, but I sure would like to hear from the men and women involved to answer some questions for me:

• I understand from some sources that Masonry has a salvation plan. Why would a Christian need any other plan for salvation outside that offered by Christ?
• If Masons take an "oath", aren't the Christian members going against what the Bible teaches about not making oaths?
• Since so many things are secret in Freemasonry, doesn't that go against what the Bible teaches about doing things in secret?
• Why would Christians want to be part of an organization that mixes the sacred and the profane? I've read that Aleister Crowley (the Satanist) was a Mason. 
• If Masons make the same oaths, and members include people who believe in and worship other gods, why would a Christian make that oath?
• And who or what exactly is that oath made to? It's not made to the God of the Bible - not if Satanists, Hindus, and all other religious practitioners are making the same oath.
• Do you really believe that this is a Christian organization? (And I am asking this is all sincerity.)

Understand that I'm not being snarky. I'm truly curious about this subject. It has always bothered me that my father died before I could know for sure that he had renounced his involvement with the Masons. It really bothers me to think that there are men and women who profess to be Christians, but are involved with any organization that requires taking an oath and/or serving something other than the God of the Bible.

One of the resources I found when I was writing this post is here on Got Questions. Like them, I'm not accusing anyone of anything. For me, I simply am asking some questions of people who might be involved with these organizations.

I know that, for years after I became a Christian, I continued to be involved with things I shouldn't have been. It wasn't that I was willfully disobeying or dishonoring God; I was simply ignorant.

Until very recently, I followed astrology and I would pay mind to the "sign" I was born under. Some years back, I went with a friend to see a man who performed "spirit writing". 

When I started studying the Bible, I began to realize that I was doing many things that are offensive to God. I think that Satan must have loved how I fell into so many traps that I took as being "just entertainment" or "harmless". 

Probably the sweetest honey set in traps for a Christian has to be our own excuses for the things we do. That or our innate rebellion. Think about how many times you or someone you know has responded to warnings about sin with the following attitudes:

• My Mama (or Daddy or... whoever) always did it and I know she was saved.
• It's got a Christian theme, so it's okay. We're not doing it the way the 'world' does it.
• It's got nothing to do with church or religion; it's just a social thing.
• I let my kids do it because I don't want them to feel left out.
• It's not as bad as some of the other (movies, TV shows, music, etc).
• I'd wouldn't have any fun if I waited for something 'Christian' to do.
• How can it be bad if other Christians are doing it?
• Show me where the Bible says it's wrong.

I don't have all the answers to anyone's objections over different things. I do have a Bible and a respect for God though. When I learn that I am doing something wrong, I always wish I had known sooner. And when I do know, I want to stop. Immediately.

Those of us who want to truly follow Jesus need to be careful. We need to stop jumping to join in with every group that comes along without examining what out involvement means. 

There are all kinds of fraternities and sororities and lodges and clubs. We don't think about what it means for us spiritually to join up with things. All we see is that we want to belong. We like being part of things. We want to be included and in the loop of things. 

It's as though we can't stand to just sit things out. If something is overtly non-Christian, we will figure out a way to 'Christianize' it. As if we can take something demonic or blasphemous and just strain out the worst of it, then drink it up and call it good. Why do we want anything to do with it at all?

In the world but not of the world

We don't think enough about the things we get ourselves involved in. So many churches don't even point us to the 'right' and 'wrong' things that we might be doing. Some of the churches actually promote things that no Christian should be messing with. I hear all the time about churches teaching Yoga and having classes for the members. 

And I can tell you right now, I know that there are going to be some people hating me for this post. I am going to hear it from even friends and some family members about their involvement with frats and sororities and other things. That's okay. You don't have to cuss me out because I've been blasted about all this before. I'm just sharing my feelings on the subject and asking that you examine your own heart against what the Bible says. I'm not trying to set up a stumbling block for anyone. All I'm saying is that we need to start thinking about things.

We cannot blindly follow anyone. We need to read and study the Bible for ourselves and pray for understanding and discernment. I'm really blessed to attend a church where our pastor feeds the flock well and always includes the Bible as the first and main ingredient. Not every church is so blessed.

So, please, start praying on your activities and involvement with anything. I don't care if your church or pastor is doing this thing or that thing. The Bible teaches about false teachers and false teachings. 

For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24) [my underline]

We can't follow anyone but Jesus. Not our parents, siblings, pastors, best friends - no one but Christ. When it's time to face God, Jesus is the only one who will matter.

Peace

--Free

Intelligence vs Wisdom

I've often wondered why Atheists are Atheists in probably the same was that they wonder why Christians are Christians.

Since I'm not a Christian for the reasons that a lot of people might assume (that I'm ignorant, a blind follower, gullible, or just want or need to believe in something, etc.) I have always wanted to explain why I believe in God.

Although my mother was a Christian and took me to church when I was young, I came to a mature, thoughtful and reasoning belief in God on my own by putting a lot of thought into some things:

1. What was before there was anything?
2. Because there was a beginning of everything that is, (instead of  there still being nothing), whatever/whoever brought that about is - no matter what our beliefs are -  a creator of some kind.
3. There is a foolishness in believing that everything came from nothing. 
4. If  one believes in the "big bang" - instead of any kind of creator - then what caused that?
5. If that big bang caused all that is how did that "happening" get us to where we are today?
6. Where did the idea of right and wrong, good and evil, come from if the universe is just an accidental happening?
7. And what is originated the need of the concepts of right and wrong or good and evil?
8. If we, as a result of this accidental happening, have evolved to this point, why can't we absolutely prove that there is no creator or Creator?

While many people believe that faith in a Creator is illogical, even as a less mature Christian, I've always found a belief in the Big Bang theory egotistical. Why believe that anything (or Anyone) can be greater than we? 

I can better understand how someone could believe in another god. I can understand that because some people do just believe based on what their parents or culture passed down. Some people never question things for themselves. What I can't understand is how anyone can not believe in God or any god.

One of the things that seals my faith in God even more strongly is that there are people who believe that the "big bang" was caused by nothing or no One, because God already named these people: 

 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. (Psalm 14:1)

So, what would it take to have me even consider someone's argument of non-intelligent design?

• When they can create a new color, sound, smell - or anything else - without using what God already created. 
• When they can create life without using the materials that are already in existence. 
• When they can create something out of nothing.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Because then they would be capable of doing what God has already done. And, even then, I would not disbelieve in God. Why? Because the man doing any of that is merely a creation of Someone other than himself.

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God is. He is proven in the very nature and universe around us, the air He created; the very things that make up everything that is the human body, mind and soul. Without Him there is nothing. We would not even be here to question His existence.

The only thing I can say to the person who believes that there is no God, is that their belief is much more foolish than my faith that God is.

And why do I believe the God of the Bible - and not some other god - that's easy: Jesus.

Jesus' life, death and resurrection were prophesied. The change that was promised to me if I chose to accept Jesus into my heart have proven true.

Now, a great mind - say, a physicist  - could make me look incredibly ignorant in a debate. I'm don't possess high intelligence (as it it measured by man), but I have wisdom enough to humble myself.

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

In a debate with someone who is more 'intelligent' than I, my only statement would be this: that they understand physics and mathematics, or whatever it is they specialize in, but they didn't create the concepts; they have only grasped it better than most of us.

The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath. (Psalms 94:11)

What I pray for is that every intelligent man will be wise enough to humble himself before God.

This whole subject of belief and unbelief is important because our choices will determine our ultimate eternity. As someone who believes that there is going to be eternal life after death spent in either Heaven or Hell. I don't want anyone to face Hell.

I once heard or read that a Christian responded to a Atheist by saying: "If you are right,  then I am safe. If I am right, you have problems." Of course, I am paraphrasing.

I know that there would be those who would continue the Atheist's argument by saying that Christians will have missed out on things our lifetime.  In my opinion, that's still a weak attitude. After all, even a secular humanist would agree that life is to be lived decently. So, the only winners in the Atheistic view of death are people who live this life like devils and make things unpleasant for all the rest of us.

At any rate, don't want this to be a one-sided discussion, so I'd be interested to hear from others on why they do (or do not) believe in the God of the Bible.

Peace
--Free

Unbreakable Peace of Mind

On Mother's Day morning, I had plans to go to a special breakfast, then on to church. My nephew had planned that for his wife and I, but since we go to different churches, I was going to follow them in my car to the restaurant. My niece and I were on our way out after my nephew when he turned back to say that we would be delayed.

Why? Because someone had busted one of the windows in my car. The vandals had rummaged through the glove box and other compartments, tossing things over the seats and onto the floor.

My immediate reaction started with bewilderment, then went to fear, then to anger.

That's just my way.

When I had a moment to deal with my feelings in my way, I did what I should have in the first place: I dealt with my feelings from a Christian viewpoint. I counted my blessings:

• That more damage had not been done to the vehicle
• That I had not been present when the damage was done because I could have gotten hurt.
• That the damage was limited to only one of our vehicles (there were 2 other cars and a motorcycle parked in the driveway).
• That the damage was limited to the vehicle and had not spread to the house (or my family).
• That, since it is now spring time, I can take my time getting the window replaced without worrying about freezing when using the car.
• That nothing was taken except for an inexpensive and easily replaceable phone-charging device.

That is the way I react when I count my blessings and "count it all joy".

(source)

If I could have it my way, bad things would never happen. Since life is often made up of "bad things", my way would be to live without any peace of mind. I would walk around fearful, paranoid, unhappy, and continuously stressed out. 

I could have all the money, fame, and material things that are available but, without a true and unbreakable hope, life would steal my joy and peace. Because life is not everything we would have it to be all the time. 

Just by living, we face death. Just by loving, we face heartache. Just by having any material thing, we face losing it. Just by placing our hope in what we have managed to attain, we face being disappointed.

The only thing that any of us can truly count on is salvation and the assurance of eternal joy.

When we lose a loved one, we know that, no matter how we grieve them in this life, there will be no tears in Heaven.

When we battle illness and pain, we know that we will one day be free of it.

When we have our hearts broken, we know that we have a Savior who heals all.

We have all of this, but we still react to the world as if it is our only hope.

The incident on Mother's Day was only so awful when I reacted to it in my way. I didn't want to go to breakfast. I didn't want to think about what a beautiful, sunny day we were having. I didn't even want to leave my car unprotected. 

Once I turned those feelings over to God, I was able to move on. 

I went ahead to breakfast and my family and I ended up having the most wonderful time. We didn't make it to church because of the delay, but I worshipped God by thanking Him for all that I have - broken car window and all.

Later that day, a friend who had heard what happened, called and told me not to worry about the window. He said that, not only would he do the installation of a replacement window, but that he would even scout for one I could get at low or no cost.

When I went to bed that night, I was counting all the blessings that I have. Family, friends, and peace that can't be broken, stolen or damaged. I pray that everyone can accept the source of that peace. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the Son of the God of all peace. 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear" (Ps. 27:1)

Peace

--Free

Watch but don't Jump

A lot of people are saying that we are living, if not in the end times, close to the edge of those times. I'm a believer.

The thing is, I don't think that we Christians should get too wrapped up in the mania. We need to be witnessing to others about the Gospel, no matter what times we are living in. Still, it's hard not to take notice of things that are happening around us that seem to signal something.

• There's President Erdogan. People seem to be thinking of him as a god. One quote from that link: “Even touching Erdogan is a form of worship,” (Never mind that I am just now even paying attention to him... BTW, the hologram thing creeped me out.)
• And that Hadron Collider machine that I mentioned before is surely man trying to play God.
• People are probably not any more blasphemous than they were when I was young, but they get so much more attention for it. Since celebrities seem to have more influence than is reasonable, I'm worried about rappers who don't protest when someone publishes a bible replacing the name of God with theirs. (And, though he has says ridiculously egotistical things, the rapper apparently had nothing to do with the publishing.)
• We are seeing strange weather,  

To me the biggest sign of all is that people don't want to hear about any of this. I mentioned the CERN issue to a relative and remarked that this is the kind of thing we should all be discussing more - and not who wore what to the Grammys. The response: crickets.

What do you think? Are any of you experiencing a sense of, I don't know - something? As if we are entering into a greater need for prayer? 

Call me crazy, but I do feel as if time is running short. But I think that we need to be hopeful, not afraid. We need to be more eager than ever to share the Gospel. Are you? I am, I can tell you that.

And because I saw this other video right after... ~sigh~

Peace

--Free

One Way or Many Paths?

A very well-known former daytime talk show host once argued with an audience member about the very core of Christianity.

The host advocated that there are "many ways" to God. The audience member stood by her belief that there is only one way to the Father. The host refused to be budged from her own logic and, when the audience member flat out asked, "What about Jesus?", the host responded, "What about Jesus?"

Wait.
What?

I never did understand why the host couldn't understand the audience member's exasperation. After all, the host grew up being familiar with the Bible and, so I would think, she understands the basic message of the Gospel: "No way to the Father except through Me." Jesus's own words.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV (my emphasis)

If I can remember it correctly, I believe the audience member cited this verse to the talk show host. The host replied (in support of people who believe otherwise) that maybe that was true for some people, but that other people might be on another path to God.

I might not have everything exact as it was said during that show, but you get the drift.


So many people agree with the views of the talk show host. I personally know people who share her view and, no matter how often I share what the Word of God has to say on the subject, they won't budge.

I'm not confused by people who just definitely do not believe in God. What baffles me is how people believe in God in addition to other gods.

(source)

I know one person very well who will, in one breath, speak of God and, in the next breath, speak of some other god. It's as if they don't realize that, if they actually do believe in God, then there is no other "God".  There might be other 'gods', but no other God.

My impulse is always to shout out to them: "PICK A LANE!" 

I can respect someone who 'drives' on one side or the other but, boy, I can't stand it when someone wants to cruise the middle of the road.

It's especially bothersome to me when I hear someone claim to have been "brought up" in a Bible-based church, yet they want to ignore the Gospel. The Bible is very clear about the way to God:

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

Then there is the verse that even most non-believing football fans know:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

So, how can someone like that host even ask the question: "What about Jesus?"

It's not "What about Jesus?" but that Jesus is what it's about.

Actually, I shouldn't be that surprised or puzzled by people's attitudes. I was just talking about the long con game that the Enemy has been running on us.

(source)

What I have decided is that, yes, there are many paths - they just don't lead to God. Some people are at least honest enough to 'pick a lane', and directly follow either Christ the Enemy. Then there are the folks who follow the Enemy without even realizing where they are going.

(source)

Maybe some people think they are following one god or another while, all along, they are following the Enemy while he is wearing one of his many disguises.

One thing is for sure, we will all end up finding out whether we made the correct choice. I choose Jesus.

Peace
--Free