Are you finding more and more often that even the name of some public figures causes your stomach to churn and your anger to blaze?
Are you furious at their incompetence and total lack of respect for the laws of the land, truth, right and justice?
Do you want to barf when you see the arrogant politicians and social engineers call evil good and good evil?
Are you really mad as all get out, and are just about ready to say, ‘I’m not going to take this anymore?’
Well, join the club!
God Himself comments in Proverbs 10:7 saying,
‘The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.’
So, we know the end of the wicked.
Not only will their bodies rot, but even their names will rot.
But, what are we to do in the mean time? How do we occupy until the Lord comes?
We read and apply the teachings of Psalm 37, which says in part,
1. 'Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.'
Don’t waste your time worrying about them.
2. 'For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. '
Their time is short.
3. 'Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.'
Take your mind off the workers of sin and their lies. Focus on the Lord.
4. 'Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.'
This is a wonderfully helpful verse. Consider all the love and mercy that God shows to us daily. Read and study His book. You will find that the Lord is a delightful companion who is with you always. God will also put desires or dreams in your own heart that are in line with God’s will for YOUR life.
5. 'Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.'
There is no government or society that can stop God from doing what He wants to do in your life. Fulfilled desires of the heart are brought about by God, not government policies.
6. 'And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.'
Christians don’t have to ‘toot their own horn’. If and when God wants a Christian in the spotlight, He will put them there.
7. 'Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.'
Continue to ignore the wicked and focus continually on what the Lord asks of all His children in general, and you specifically. Fretting about the seeming success of the wicked is just going to give you a stomach ache and lead you into sin.
8. 'Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.'
Don’t let the evil doers of the day cause you anger. Unless they repent and turn from evil, they will face a dreadful end. Instead pray for them as Paul prayed for the Macedonians. Let them turn from the power of Satan to the power of God. (Acts 28:16)
9. 'For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.'
The power of the evil doers will be cut off. Those who wait on the Lord get the earth.
10. 'For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be . '
The wicked have no place in eternity.
11. 'But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. '
The meek are the winners.
Who are the meek?
The meek are those who understand that their victory is not by their own power, but the power of the Lord. Moses was one of the mightiest men of all time, yet he was meek above all men (Numbers 12:3) We as mortals have no power to overcome the wicked leadership now facing the entire world. Our power to overcome is through the Lord.
What a relief!
We don’t have to come up with a game plan that will work in restoring or bringing about a just and righteous world government. An abundance of peace will come through the power of God. Our job is to follow the instructions in this Psalm. THAT is what will do us the most good personally, and ultimately bring about a better world.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
True Divinity versus Vanity
It is quite obvious that the world is in a mess.
The world needs a savior.
There is no shortage of wanna be saviors.
The world is looking to society as a whole to save it. Everyone is pressured to ‘get on board’ and participate in the philosophical mumbo jumbo or pseudo science of the day. If you dare dissent, you are an outcast.
Salvation of the earth through social and political means requires that some elite rise to the top in order to lead the general population in the way that they should go. Many of these leaders are totally lacking in humility. They see themselves as social engineers. They envision a world that runs more smoothly, efficiently, and even perfectly, when everyone follows their new pattern of conduct. They listen to the masses crying out for salvation from earthly problems, and see themselves as ‘one’ who is able to solve the problems and save the world.
In their vanity, these leaders begin to see themselves as ‘divine’. They love the adoration of the population that grants them messianic powers. Such people have been with the world for ages. Worship of leaders was seen in Egypt and Rome. It was seen more recently in Nazi Germany and Japan. Truthfully, these people are not divine. They just have a colossal case of ‘the fat head’. That means their egos have run ammock.
Many believe that such ideology is being seen today in politics. Obama has been called the messiah. Obama himself has not denied that he is the messiah. Perhaps he thinks he is. It is much easier for an ego maniac to see himself as divine than to see himself as a buffoon.
Anyone with delusions of divinity is attempting to redefine ‘divinity’. Those with the idea that they can anoint a prophet or divine being by simply placing their stamp of approval on some current political or social figure are delusional.
A being is either divine, or he/she is not. Their divinity is not affected by the acceptance or rejection of society as a whole or the individual.
So, here is the truth. God alone is God.
He is:
Omnipotent – all powerful,
Omnipresent – present everywhere,
Omniscient – actually knowing everything.,
Eternal – without beginning or end,
Self sufficient - needing to ‘appointed cabinet’ in order to run creation,
Self sustaining – needing no one or anything to continue,
And – that just points out some of God’s attributes and abilities.
For mankind to bestow the title of ‘messiah’, ‘savior’, ‘god’, on a mortal who will die and stay dead is sheer vanity. It totally re-defines ‘god’ in the mortal image of mankind. Who wants that for a god?
Today, ‘government worship’ is replacing ‘God worship’.
Right now, the government is looked to for salvation from social and economic woes. The citizens facing problems never bow the knee to God Almighty.
Instead they go straight to the government and seek ‘assistance’ in solving their dilemma or crisis.
Some are openly worshiping the heads of governments as god.
Whether they are worshiping the current president of the USA, or the ayatollah’s of Islam, or the pope, or the Dali lama, they are worshiping a false god.
Their end is destruction.
People need to see the ‘bigger picture’ regarding who God really is. The more He is understood, the more the things of the world pale in comparison. The more the individual learns about God Almighty, the clearer they will see the frailty of government to solve problems and provide for the future.
The best way to combat the growing cult of government worship is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The powers behind government know this. That is why we are seeing Christianity continually marginalized, belittled, and even outlawed in society. Many if not most, in government are seeking their own good, and not the good of the people they are supposed to serve and care for. Perhaps they don’t put their thoughts in an order that says, ‘I want government worshiped, so Jesus can’t be worshiped.’ However, I bet they do put their thoughts in a form that says, ‘I want to be re-elected, and I will do whatever it takes to actually get re-elected.’
Truly, citizens are powerless to stop any government from devouring the people over which it rules. It is God alone who has that power. Our ability to really ‘make a difference’, and ‘change the world’ is to tell the world that Jesus saves to the uttermost.
Hebrews 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The world needs a savior.
There is no shortage of wanna be saviors.
The world is looking to society as a whole to save it. Everyone is pressured to ‘get on board’ and participate in the philosophical mumbo jumbo or pseudo science of the day. If you dare dissent, you are an outcast.
Salvation of the earth through social and political means requires that some elite rise to the top in order to lead the general population in the way that they should go. Many of these leaders are totally lacking in humility. They see themselves as social engineers. They envision a world that runs more smoothly, efficiently, and even perfectly, when everyone follows their new pattern of conduct. They listen to the masses crying out for salvation from earthly problems, and see themselves as ‘one’ who is able to solve the problems and save the world.
In their vanity, these leaders begin to see themselves as ‘divine’. They love the adoration of the population that grants them messianic powers. Such people have been with the world for ages. Worship of leaders was seen in Egypt and Rome. It was seen more recently in Nazi Germany and Japan. Truthfully, these people are not divine. They just have a colossal case of ‘the fat head’. That means their egos have run ammock.
Many believe that such ideology is being seen today in politics. Obama has been called the messiah. Obama himself has not denied that he is the messiah. Perhaps he thinks he is. It is much easier for an ego maniac to see himself as divine than to see himself as a buffoon.
Anyone with delusions of divinity is attempting to redefine ‘divinity’. Those with the idea that they can anoint a prophet or divine being by simply placing their stamp of approval on some current political or social figure are delusional.
A being is either divine, or he/she is not. Their divinity is not affected by the acceptance or rejection of society as a whole or the individual.
So, here is the truth. God alone is God.
He is:
Omnipotent – all powerful,
Omnipresent – present everywhere,
Omniscient – actually knowing everything.,
Eternal – without beginning or end,
Self sufficient - needing to ‘appointed cabinet’ in order to run creation,
Self sustaining – needing no one or anything to continue,
And – that just points out some of God’s attributes and abilities.
For mankind to bestow the title of ‘messiah’, ‘savior’, ‘god’, on a mortal who will die and stay dead is sheer vanity. It totally re-defines ‘god’ in the mortal image of mankind. Who wants that for a god?
Today, ‘government worship’ is replacing ‘God worship’.
Right now, the government is looked to for salvation from social and economic woes. The citizens facing problems never bow the knee to God Almighty.
Instead they go straight to the government and seek ‘assistance’ in solving their dilemma or crisis.
Some are openly worshiping the heads of governments as god.
Whether they are worshiping the current president of the USA, or the ayatollah’s of Islam, or the pope, or the Dali lama, they are worshiping a false god.
Their end is destruction.
People need to see the ‘bigger picture’ regarding who God really is. The more He is understood, the more the things of the world pale in comparison. The more the individual learns about God Almighty, the clearer they will see the frailty of government to solve problems and provide for the future.
The best way to combat the growing cult of government worship is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The powers behind government know this. That is why we are seeing Christianity continually marginalized, belittled, and even outlawed in society. Many if not most, in government are seeking their own good, and not the good of the people they are supposed to serve and care for. Perhaps they don’t put their thoughts in an order that says, ‘I want government worshiped, so Jesus can’t be worshiped.’ However, I bet they do put their thoughts in a form that says, ‘I want to be re-elected, and I will do whatever it takes to actually get re-elected.’
Truly, citizens are powerless to stop any government from devouring the people over which it rules. It is God alone who has that power. Our ability to really ‘make a difference’, and ‘change the world’ is to tell the world that Jesus saves to the uttermost.
Hebrews 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It's Time For Change! Real and Lasting Change!
Change! Change! Change!
Change has been the mantra spouted by the socialists and politicians of the day.
If you have been reading my articles very long you know I am a conservative Christian, so it may surprise you to know that I am also in favor of change. Not just lip service change, but REAL change. Change you can sink your teeth into.
I want change that will really rock the world.
I want change that will turn the world upside down. ( See Acts 17:6b ‘These that have turned the world upside down have come hither.’ This of course referred to Christians.)
I want the world turned upside down for Jesus Christ.
I want the lost to at least have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I want them to understand that unless they choose the second birth, they will face the second death.
The early Christians, who turned the world upside down, understood something that seems to me mostly lacking in the so called church today. They understood that they personally were subject to the instructions provided for them by God through His written word. They knew exactly who they were, and exactly what they wanted to accomplish.
Today, Christians in general are having an identity crisis. They act as though they can pick and choose the scriptures that they like, and totally ignore or even oppose those teachings with which they disagree.
Take abortion for instance, many so called Christians favor it, and still call themselves Christians.
Many Christians believer that they can present anything they wish to God as worship. They choose their own preference in music and expect God to accept it as OK because they are ‘sincere’ in their presentation.
Christians are prone to excuse the vilest of sins in the name of ‘God wants me to be happy’.
NO – He doesn’t want you ‘to be happy’.
He wants His children to be obedient.
Happiness is just a by-product of obedience. Without obedience to God, Christians are separated from God. Repentance must come before fellowship can be restored. Apart from God, there is no happiness, no joy, no peace of mind, no discernment, no wisdom, no comfort, basically nothing but ultimate misery.
So called Christians often feel they can base their beliefs and actions on ‘what is right for them.’ The current VP Biden ‘knows’ when ‘life begins’ for him. Who cares when he thinks it begins? What matters is the truth. Life begins at conception.
I once spoke with a preacher who was completely flabbergasted after a conversation with a so called ‘youth minister’ at a nearby church.
The man and his girl friend had been living together for some time.
They had decided to get married. They wanted my friend to marry them.
He said, ‘Well, you will have to live in separate residences and go through pre-marital counseling first.’
The poor youth director was equally flabbergasted that the preacher had a problem with the way he and his girl friend were living. He assured my preacher friend that that was the world did things now and that God didn’t have a problem with it.
My preacher friend assured the alleged youth minister that God indeed DID have a problem with the way he was living. And, that God also had a problem with the man leading the young people of the church astray. AND, that God had a problem with the elders of the church putting up with such blatant sin and defiance of God’s instructions.
I could go on with examples of so called Christians acting like heathens. The truth is some of these so called Christians are not Christians at all. Others are Christians, but they are not in fellowship with God, because they have chosen to do their own thing instead of doing things the way God wants them done.
This isn’t really about Christians as a whole anyway. It is about the individual Christian. It is about YOU, and it is about ME. It is about how the individual Christian acts, not how the group acts.
For the world to be once again turned upside down with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, individuals who profess themselves to be Christians must do the things Christ says to do, whether it is convenient or socially acceptable at the moment or not.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can bring lasting change that is for the better. Any other change is just changing from one ineffective and oppressive ideology to another ineffective and oppressive ideology.
If you want to be part of real change, read and do all the things in Isaiah chapter 58.
Verse 13 instructs us to honor God, and not do our own ways, nor find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words.
Following the instruction in this verse is how the world was once turned upside down by those who believed in Jesus Christ as the only way into heaven. Jesus is still the same as when those early Christians first walked across the known world telling the lost about how to be saved.
Today is a good day to start turning the world upside down again. Today is a good day for YOU (and me) to set aside what pleases us for the moment, and do the things that please God for eternity.
Change has been the mantra spouted by the socialists and politicians of the day.
If you have been reading my articles very long you know I am a conservative Christian, so it may surprise you to know that I am also in favor of change. Not just lip service change, but REAL change. Change you can sink your teeth into.
I want change that will really rock the world.
I want change that will turn the world upside down. ( See Acts 17:6b ‘These that have turned the world upside down have come hither.’ This of course referred to Christians.)
I want the world turned upside down for Jesus Christ.
I want the lost to at least have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I want them to understand that unless they choose the second birth, they will face the second death.
The early Christians, who turned the world upside down, understood something that seems to me mostly lacking in the so called church today. They understood that they personally were subject to the instructions provided for them by God through His written word. They knew exactly who they were, and exactly what they wanted to accomplish.
Today, Christians in general are having an identity crisis. They act as though they can pick and choose the scriptures that they like, and totally ignore or even oppose those teachings with which they disagree.
Take abortion for instance, many so called Christians favor it, and still call themselves Christians.
Many Christians believer that they can present anything they wish to God as worship. They choose their own preference in music and expect God to accept it as OK because they are ‘sincere’ in their presentation.
Christians are prone to excuse the vilest of sins in the name of ‘God wants me to be happy’.
NO – He doesn’t want you ‘to be happy’.
He wants His children to be obedient.
Happiness is just a by-product of obedience. Without obedience to God, Christians are separated from God. Repentance must come before fellowship can be restored. Apart from God, there is no happiness, no joy, no peace of mind, no discernment, no wisdom, no comfort, basically nothing but ultimate misery.
So called Christians often feel they can base their beliefs and actions on ‘what is right for them.’ The current VP Biden ‘knows’ when ‘life begins’ for him. Who cares when he thinks it begins? What matters is the truth. Life begins at conception.
I once spoke with a preacher who was completely flabbergasted after a conversation with a so called ‘youth minister’ at a nearby church.
The man and his girl friend had been living together for some time.
They had decided to get married. They wanted my friend to marry them.
He said, ‘Well, you will have to live in separate residences and go through pre-marital counseling first.’
The poor youth director was equally flabbergasted that the preacher had a problem with the way he and his girl friend were living. He assured my preacher friend that that was the world did things now and that God didn’t have a problem with it.
My preacher friend assured the alleged youth minister that God indeed DID have a problem with the way he was living. And, that God also had a problem with the man leading the young people of the church astray. AND, that God had a problem with the elders of the church putting up with such blatant sin and defiance of God’s instructions.
I could go on with examples of so called Christians acting like heathens. The truth is some of these so called Christians are not Christians at all. Others are Christians, but they are not in fellowship with God, because they have chosen to do their own thing instead of doing things the way God wants them done.
This isn’t really about Christians as a whole anyway. It is about the individual Christian. It is about YOU, and it is about ME. It is about how the individual Christian acts, not how the group acts.
For the world to be once again turned upside down with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, individuals who profess themselves to be Christians must do the things Christ says to do, whether it is convenient or socially acceptable at the moment or not.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can bring lasting change that is for the better. Any other change is just changing from one ineffective and oppressive ideology to another ineffective and oppressive ideology.
If you want to be part of real change, read and do all the things in Isaiah chapter 58.
Verse 13 instructs us to honor God, and not do our own ways, nor find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words.
Following the instruction in this verse is how the world was once turned upside down by those who believed in Jesus Christ as the only way into heaven. Jesus is still the same as when those early Christians first walked across the known world telling the lost about how to be saved.
Today is a good day to start turning the world upside down again. Today is a good day for YOU (and me) to set aside what pleases us for the moment, and do the things that please God for eternity.
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