Apathy: Defacto Support for Evil

Some people fail to teach their children about Christ. Their excuse is that they don't want to force them to be religious. Guess what? If they are "free range" children they most likely will never be religious, Christian or otherwise. Apathetic parents breed children without faith with few exceptions.  Of course those parents falsely believe that their children are good because their standards are low. They care little if the little tykes they claim to love so much are terrible children doomed to eternity in hell!

These same parents scream loudly "But we don't believe in hell!" I don't believe in cancer either, but it's still a killer! Because simple minded people refuse to consider an all powerful God is not only apathetic, but also closed minded!

We're in an election campaign right now. In politics there are certainly no 100% pure parties nor candidates. Many people will stay home because they are apathetic. Even if I had the choice of Hitler or Mussolini I would still vote because Mussolini was the lesser of two evils (Fascism was not racist whereas National Socialism was). To stay home would have benefitted Hitler because he was more forceful in thwarting opposition.

At the present time we have probably the two worst candidates ever running for president of the United States. Many people, because they are too apathetic to think contiguous thoughts, will accept the lie of "policy disagreement equals hate" and will merely spew liberal spin "Trump is a racist" despite the fact that he has never uttered racist thoughts! One reason Trump has so much support is because sane Americans are sick to death of "divide and conquer"!  That tactic is a well known one from Marxism. If lies are repeated often enough they become a new "truth".

There are things about Donald Trump which I despise. He attacked Ted Cruz unmercifully. I hated that because I admire Ted Cruz. However, saying "crooked Hillary" is fine with me because it fits my perspective of Hillary Clinton, which by the way is based on fact!

I care not to judge people, but it is my perception that Hillary nor Donald Trump are Christians as scripture defines them. It appears to me that neither have been "born-again" and at most are believers, but not ones who trust the Lord. Therefore, my confidence is not on the spiritual aspect of either of the two candidates. My trust is in the Lord and as such my entire thought pattern is  based on Holy Scripture!

The Democrat Platform is a statement of evil beliefs. Read it! (It's online.) On the other hand the Republican Platform has some very Christian dogma written right into the doctrine: sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and individual freedoms including religious freedom.  Democrats even made an attempt at their last convention to remove all references to God. One perfunctory occasion remains to sooth the few who still claim Christianity! Their doctrine is dangerous, costly, callous, and even hateful.

Some of my Christian friends will cut off their nose to spite their face. In anger or ignorance, whatever, they will stay home and default the presidency to an evil person who has a history of power grabbing and dishonest dealings. Hillary even accepts the tactics of buying and selling the body parts of aborted babies and same-sex marriage, not to mention her creation of a war between the genders! There is no evidence of a loving nature anywhere in this callous self-serving woman yet many Christians will just stay home and hand her the silent revolver for us to shoot ourselves in the head.

Some will say "There is another choice!" That choice is Gary Johnson, a strong libertarian who believes in abortion and legitimizing dope. Libertarianism is anathema to Christianity as bad as socialism.  Scripture even refers to the cancer of being a libertarian:

Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

In time the entire nation of Judah and it's golden city of Jerusalem with it's temple were destroyed. The enemy was within and it were those who did what was right in their own eyes! (There acceptance of foreign gods and sin caused God to allow the Babylonians to destroy everything and disperse them!)

By failing to vote for the most acceptable (or palatable) and protesting reality is apathetic and is a defacto vote for Hillary Clinton who will do things every day which true Christians should despise!  Hillary is controlled. George Soros has her joystick! If you don't know who George is, you are ignorant. He is our shadow president now and will continue to be if Hillary wins. His goal is Godless socialism and Hillary (and Obama) have sold their soul to this evil man. He is behind the scenes in every aspect of our lives. If you like our shadow government with it's wicked agenda, just stay home. You'll get more of it!

Near the end of time, even the elect (Christians) will be deceived. They will follow false teachers, false doctrines and even false preachers! I see many Christians already doing Satan's bidding without a clue! Ignorance and/or rejection of Christian doctrine shall be our downfall. Scripture tells us that most Christians will fall and few will stand. You have a choice!

"The Wall of Separation of Church and State" is a comfort cushion which seemingly protects us from government interference. However, in effect, it protects the government from moral governing! We have apathetically created a state religion of secular humanism which even Christians seem to prefer over  intolerant (sic) Christianity. Put your faith is action and quit following the herd into the fiery furnace!

Born-Again

Most "Christians" call themselves that because that's what they think they are. I had witnessed to my friend Bob for years and he demurred.  Then all of a sudden he became active in his local church. I said "Bob, I didn't know that you were a Christian! When did this come about?" Bob's reply was "I joined the church when I was a child.".

Of course joining a church does not make one a Christian. In my youth I was surprised when the Methodist pastor announced to the congregation "Larry is a Christian now. He got a A in catechism class." I was as surprised as anyone because I was no more than a smart sinner!

Others will say "I have always been a Christian! I was born into a Christian home." Surprise! Christianity is not hereditary! It can increase the chances of a person becoming a Christian, but the spiritual condition of one's parents does not a Christian make! Christianity is not genetic!

In another experience at a Missionary Baptist Church camp the preacher said "If anyone wants to stay after service and pray, feel free to do so." I looked at the kid beside me. He stayed and so did I. At church that evening the preacher announced that I had been saved. Again, I was more surprised than anyone because I was a follower of George the Kid, not Jesus the Messiah!

Did I believe in Jesus? I sure did! I was scared of him!  Fearing Jesus does not make one a Christian!

Most of us have heard what Jesus said about belief: Even the demons believe and tremble!" That's the kind of belief which I had and it is the type of belief which I still fight! Christianity is much more than feigning belief to ward off deserved punishment. It's much more than believing because you're taught to believe! Herein lies the differences between genuine churches of Christianity and those who are false churches!

I hesitate to condemn any church which espouses Jesus as Savior, but unless it's the scriptural way, those churches have false doctrine.  There are even "born-again" people who attend heretical churches because they have little discernment. I have went to them myself. On the other hand MY church is NOT the only true church. MY denomination is NOT the only right denomination. They are all wrong to some degree, but I attend mine because in my opinion it fits well with what the early church taught.

It's overused, but true: "Because a person is in a garage doesn't make him a car!" The parallel is obvious. "Attending church does not make one a Christian!" It's a further stretch to believe that those who do not attend church are serious Christians because that's where sincere Christians go for corporate praise!

My contention is that most "Christians" are not genuine Christians. Sometimes I even doubt my own faith when I sin grievously. Yes... Christians have doubts because those "of little faith" have "much doubt" and Thomas who knew Jesus well, still doubted! If we deny that we sometimes doubt, we lie to  ourselves! Satan is always at work putting doubt in front of Christians. Christians ward off that doubt by the sword of truth which is Holy Scripture. If we do that, it's a demonstration of our faith in God.

So here we have it: most Americans claim to be Christians, but we see few Christians in action in America! There is a disconnect! Either most people are liars or most people fail to understand what "born-again" entails!

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Jesus said this. Jesus can't lie! Jesus set the requirement for salvation. What is the requirement to go to heaven? "A man must be born-again!" Most Roman Catholics admit that they have not been "born-again". Many liberal denominations fail to observe the act of "the second birth" which is the requirement to avoid "the second death", eternal damnation!

Jesus then proceeded to explain to Nicodemus what "born-again" entails:

• Must be born of "the water and the spirit" (John 3:5). This is not baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. It's being cleansed of sin and reception of the Holy Ghost of Jesus! Jesus blood is the "water" which does the cleansing and those so cleansed are now viable for the reception of indwelling of God's Spirit. The "water" is meant to symbolize "change" in the believer. The soul is emptied of evil by the propitiation of Jesus blood and a place is made for the Holy Spirit. Hence, when a person is "born-again" they become a new creation! There is change in how that person thinks, operates and lives. If there are no "works" the believer has surely not been "born-again" and be a "new creation".
• "There must be change from flesh to spirit" (John 3:6). Man is born with another god besides God. Being born-again is cutting off the flesh, the things of this world with it's pleasures and self-gratification, and the putting on of the Holy Spirit of God. The first birth is the original sin for self-worship which everyone after Adam has. Making a living sacrifice of your own self (desires) and accepting the Holy Spirit makes the new person. When a person is born again, there must be a new creation. The person must change! It's not done on one's own, but if the believer trusts in Jesus by faith, Jesus does the changing. The believer can't look back and hang on to the things of Sodom (the world) and be granted the change (the new).
• "The spirit will direct the Christian" (John 3:8). The born-again person will no longer fight the spirt, but will go with it!  The wind in this passage is the effect of the Holy Spirit on the new person. It's obedience to the will of God! When a person is born-again all should notice a change!
• "Have belief and faith." (John 3:12). This passage describes "faith".  It's belief in and trust of things unseen. Heavenly things are the supernatural realm of God. It's where unseen things happen. Man has trust in things of the world because there is empirical evidence. A born-again Christian has faith in things not tangible because they trust Jesus for who he is and what he says! Some doubt is reasonable, but the faith required that as God, Jesus is alive, and because he lives, the Christian shall have eternal life!
• "Jesus must be magnified!" (John 3:14). When one cuts off the flesh, that person ceases the worship of self and lifts up Jesus who is in heaven. He quits having that other god before Jesus! That's change! The born-again person quits doing things "My way" and begins to do things "His way"!  Jesus is the only way and the born-again person quits trying to earn heaven on their own and obtains salvation through the blood of Jesus. This takes commitment and faith! Mere belief without the acceptance and trust is nothing more than an obstacle in that one thinks they have it, but don't!
• "Belief saves!" (John 3:15). The Greek word for this is pisteuo means "to believe and entrust". Trusting Jesus is the act of neglecting your way in favor of God's will. Believing requires change. It's living for Jesus and becoming Christ-like! It's change!
• "It's only through Jesus that one can be born-again." (John 3:17). There is no other way to be saved, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, especially one cannot save one's own self! It takes Jesus spilled blood to regenerate the believer from the old birth to the new! Being born again is the faith that Jesus blood saves and accepting his redeeming blood as the medium of your own rebirth!
• "Accepting God's gift!" (John 3:16). Being born-again is when one has the  enlightenment that it's because of God's love for his creation that he created a way out for sinful men to be saved. This is grace and God gave the life of his only son for your own sins. The rebirth process is complete when the Christian comes to love God for so loving him or her! Yes, God expects your love in return The person who loves God is obedient and becomes a servant to God rather than being slef-serving and self-aggrandizing! Being born again is change! Some do it abruptly and others mature. Either way, change is what comes about! The assurance that a peson has been born-again is when they become a new creation!

If there has been little change in you since you professed Jesus as your savior, or possibly never have done that, perhaps you have not really been "born-again" and that's the key experience for the Christian!

Alone But Not

As I walked alone who should I spy?
Walking alone with me was only I!
Afraid was I, but who did I fear?
It's fear of what my mind may hear.

When I'm alone voices are busy.
They tease me often 'til I'm dizzy.
A brash voice says to do what I may.
A loving voice says do what I say!

A choice is left up for me to do.
It's between me and others two.
Who shall influence me the most?
Shall I be meek or shall I boast?

If I choose wrongly my reward is fun.
If I choose wisely my gift is the Son.
The first is to worship my god me.
The other choice the one who set me free!

Choose wisely I always must!
Shall he be evil or the One who's just?
I think I'll take freedom from sin.
I'd rather not suffer the serpent's den.

Now I walk not alone with I.
I have a companion 'til I die!
Some think I speak to only me.
But God knows it's to him it be!

Christian Perfection

When people look toward Christians they look for "Christian Perfection". When it's not found, then the Christian is accused of being a hypocrite. Christian Perfection is a goal of the sincere Christian, but it's not obtainable!

Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

God is perfection. Christians are not perfect, but failing to live up to God's example is not condemning, but noble if one tries in earnest!

In secular terms "trying equals failing". When the teacher writes on the child's report card "Johnny tries hard!" between the lines the teacher is saying "There is much room for improvement." Johnny is trying hard, but still fails!

That's not the same for Christians! If we "try hard' because of God's grace we get "A's". It's the one place where "trying equals passing" because God know our hearts!

Acts 15:8 "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost..."

This is where the Pharisees failed God! They did "good" things, but it was for appearance sake only. Jesus called them vipers. He compared them to the serpent who beguiled Eve! Their "goodness" was to magnify their own secret gods... their own selves.

On the other hand Paul said this:

Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

God knew Paul's heart. Rather than denying the desires of the heart, Paul said "I am a weak!" He desired to do "good", but as hard as he tried he was still of the flesh. God knew his heart was right, albeit his behavior was sometimes wrong, knowing full well Paul's heart!

Jesus is perfect! Besides him Paul was likely the nearest to perfection that a man can be. He still sinned, but his goal was to be perfect. It troubled Paul because his actions didn't always coincide with his beliefs! That should trouble every Christian. By being troubled about ones sins is as close to Christian perfection as a man can get. Paul's heart was truly right, but his actions failed him. He wasn't a hypocrite because "Paul tries hard!" His teacher credited him with that!

Paul tried so hard,  but failed, although he died for Jesus! That is as close to Christian perfection as one can get. Would you truly die for Jesus? If your answer is "yes" then that's close to perfection even though you have done bad things! Think on it... rather than deny Jesus, would you willingly die? Many have faced that test and in the end, many more will be beheaded rather than deny Jesus! That is what perfection is all about!

So when you see a Christian fail, don't think "That hypocrite!" You don't know the person's heart! Jesus does. He knows how hard it is because he too was tempted.

Feeling Good Before the Pain

To avoid waking others at night I navigate through the house in the dark. Sometimes to my dismay I stub my toe on something which I knew was there, but paid little heed to it. As I scream in agony at the pain, I wish I had taken precautions before to avoid the agony that I now feel so intensely

It's strange! We seldom think how comfortable we are or appreciate the lack of stress or pain until we feel the agony of it all. People never walk around thinking "I feel so good right now,"  but when hurt comes about they think how good they had it before.

Sometimes I still glide about in my dark house. I remember the pain from times before. I navigate using my outstretched hand to gently encounter obsracles my toe chooses to avoid. That's wise!  Wisdom is utilizing the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). I know that there are obstacles out there and pain may ensue if I ignore what is true. Wisdom is preparing the way to avoid pain and then using discernment when walking the way to avoid hurt!

That brings me to my point. People may not like it, but mortality is inevitable!  We can do things to avoud physical death and that's wise, but regardless of the safe path we take, we're still going to die! Because we now live we seldom hazard thoughts on death. We glide through the dark, at least most people do, without realizing that our toes will be stubbed one last time! That's going to happen.

Even less often do people think about eternity. Why? Because right now nearly everyone is too comfortable in their ignorance! Other than my cold I feel pretty good right now. I spend little time thinking "Ah! I feel good!" It's when I feel pain that I wish to return to what had been before. I feel good because God blesses me. Few people give God the credit for just being!

When people feel good they are less likely to think on pain, but preparing the way to a destination to avoid pain is wisdom! That destination is truth and Jesus is the Way to Truth (John 14:6). That destination is heaven, the throne of God and where he sits.

There is another destination! That place is eternal damnation which we refer to as hell. It is the place of eternal agony. It's where our big toe (pride) is stepped on hard. When it bangs on reality the whole being will cry out in extreme agony.  Walking in the dark without the Light of Jesus is how those who fail to turn on his Light will meet the ultimate agony!

Jesus right now extends his hand to everyone as they walk in the dark. Wisdom is taking his hand and letting him comfort you through life. Jesus will make you safe because he will avoid the path to destruction.. It's a narrow path and few will take it because things feel so good right now! Wisdom is shirking immediate gratification for a eternity of bliss!  It's taking the path to a safe place although fun is at hand.

I know! Right now for many things are going so well, why try to avoid a pain that maybe you hope is not there? You see there is a "hope of salvation" for the Christian, but for the unrepentant there is the "hope that hell is not for real!"  The truth is that "hell is real" and now when times are good we must take the safe path to avoid that eternal pain!

Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"

Things are going so well for most that they approach eternity through the wide gate which leads to destruction.  Broad is the way thereto, and in the end the soul will have stubbed it's apathetic toe. The wise will consider the strait gate and narrow path. Never trade the good you feel right now (the absence of pain) for an eternity full of agony!

Those Not So Good Father's

Exodus 20:12 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

Many of you will tune me out right now because your father doesn't deserve being honored. However,, you are the very one who needs to read on!

For some this command is very very hard to do! For me it's so easy. Is there a loophole for bad fathers? I don't find one.

Well, you say "That's Old Testament" stuff. We no longer have to do those things! Well, Paul, who Jesus personally inspired repeated this:

Ephesians 6:2 "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

First off, Jesus did not come to replace the commandments as some think:

 Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

There is not one of God's Laws which are null and void. (Not the same as Mosaic Law and the Talmud).  God's Laws are written on stone and shall endure forever.

For those of you with evil parents, your inclination is to ignore or even deny the validity of this commandment. However, there are no loopholes for this commandment as those who have trouble obeying always seek out!

My oldest brother has memories of my Dad before he lived the way a Christian should. I never had those memories. God blots out previous sins after the old person becomes new (Isaiah 43:25). This is still true! I don't remember "the Old Elston". My brother does. I remember well "the new Elston". My brother failed to meet him until later in life because Satan kept showing him the old person! God blotted out Dad's past sins, but my brother didn't!

It has been easy for me to honor my father. Dad was congenial, charitable to the extent of poverty and a hard worker. Dad avoided sin by not getting near temptation. His manner of discipline was usually "Larry, I'm so disappointed in you," to which I succumbed to guilt! Those are apt words for my Dad. "Loving" is another. However, those words do not apply to all fathers! I have been blessed and "honoring Dad" has been made easy for me. I have had a long life as God promised me!

First off, here is a list of things not said in "________ thy father and thy mother":

• Love
• Agree with
• Tolerate
• Have good memories of
• Think highly of them
• Accept them as good parents
• etc.

Those who ignore this command, add to what it says!

What does "honor" mean? In Hebrew kabad is the word. It means in this context "to have a burden" for your parents. It's the integrity of fulfilling and obligation. With that said,, even killer fathers, molester fathers, provoking fathers and fathers who abandon and hurt their children are to be honored. Although we're to "love our enemies" this particular command implies neighborly love. Your evil father deserves hell and isolation, but so do the rest of us! We all have sinned and missed the mark. A sinful father will have the same punishment as the gossiper, prideful, and gluttonous unless those sinners accept the intervention of Jesus Christ.

For those with father's who missed the mark, it is your OBLIGATION to HAVE A BURDEN for your lost father. You should pray for him, desire that he become a new person, and fret for his lost soul. By doing so, you are demonstrating to God that you are obeying him and God will reward you with a long life! Why? Because God knows how bad you hurt inside and how difficult it is for you to obey this command!

Why is "honoring your father" so important? Because you are his seed. He is your creator just as God is the Creator of us all. It's not only symbolic, but it's showing our sinful father the same love which God shows sinful Larry or (your name here)!   If we judge harshly, so shall we be judged. God uses the same scale for you and your decadent father, if that describes your parent.

"That's not fair!" you say. "My sins are not as great as my father's." We are to let God judge that. We cannot judge ourselves without bias! Honoring your father is not wanting your sinful father to go to hell (for eternity). It's not that you want an evil person to escape hell, but that you desire for that evil person to be recreated without the sin.

Maybe it's time on this Father's Day to reconcile with your father. You will be rewarded with a long life for merely obeying God, even though that's the most difficult thing you may ever do! I look forward to knowing your for many many years!

Silence!

In church we are studying Pastor Jeremiah Johnston's series commencing with "God's Silence". I believe he had the opportunity to reveal the occasion of the most important period of silence in time: "The Four-Hundred Years of Silence", but neglected it.  Herein is my take on "Silence is Golden":

In the television commercial for Allstate the pretty and domineering woman when belittling her male friend, the male voice of the behind the scenes Allstate man screams out "Silence!"

When people talk foolish things there is always another who will say "Silence!" In the case of the television commercial it is the woman's dominance which caused "silence" to be demanded. In the case of God's silence it was because he's through dealing with people who seem to never be silent and whose opinions and actions are always right! He didn't demand their silence,  but he chose to remain silent. "Silence is deafening" George Barzan once said!  God screamed loud with his silence; four hundred years of it!

From the time of Malachi until John the Baptist was born God did not continue to prophecy. It was called "The Four-Hundred Years of Silence" because God had forewarned of all that he was going to forewarn. God's "plan" was in full gear! What was happening those four-hundred years when God was silent? He was doing what he said he would do. He was doing what prophets of all ages forewarned the Hebrew people!

While they were misbehaving and claiming privilege as God's chosen people, God's silence screamed "Just wait a minute here! I'm in charge. Listen to me scream by my silence!"

Genesis 17:2 "And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."

God promised Abraham that his seed would be become many nations. He also promised an "everlasting covenant" from his seed. His promise was that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come from the seed of Abraham! He didn't say "This I will do now." He implied it would be in a time. Abraham never saw that promise fulfilled, but he had faith enough to be willing to sacrifice his "only" son to God because he trusted what God promised. This Abrahamic Covenant was when God made his plan a deal with mankind.

What was happening during the Four Hundred Years of Silence? God was doing what he said that he would do! There was no longer any reason to talk about it; it was time to do it!

God was "nation building" after the time of Malachi. The Hebrew people had been dispersed. God had brought them back to Jerusalem. That was done first because that's where Jesus would die for mankind. It was part of the plan! Although when God first said it, Israel was not a nation, but it had to become one and be "born again" after it was baptized with fire and the old nation dead. From those ashes a new creation arose! It was symbolic of Christian baptism before Christ was ever born!

The Mystery of God can be found several places in the New Testament. With the ministry of Jesus the mystery was revealed: grace had always been the way to salvation and salvation had always been by the propitiation of Jesus Christ's own blood. Furthermore, part of the mystery was that salvation had ALWAYS been available for Jew and Gentile!

Colossians 1:26 "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

All along part of God's plan was hidden. It was "the mystery of God". Salvation was for the Gentiles too! To make it happen God, during the years of silence, was nation-building! Before it could happen Greece and Rome were needed! This was all necessary for Greece and Rome to arise from nowhere and provide the gentiles of sufficient numbers to make Christianity happen in their realms!

While God was not speaking, he was carrying out the plan which he had all along! Because of the mystery of God Jesus was going to be he savior of the gentiles too! So much for Hebrew pride. God knew that all along. In his silence he was saying "Wait until you see what I have in store for mankind!" Then Jesus came and died for everyone! God knew that when he struck the deal with Abraham. Abraham knew it too! He understood the plan and that silence was part of the plan.

Most people would say that the Law of God was given first, but the Law failed! However, it was all part of the plan. In secret it wasn't the Law by which men's hearts were being tested, but it was their faith in God which saved them. God told the patriarchs about the Messiah and their faith was in the coming Christ. The Law was never to save them, but was a vehicle so that they could demonstrate their faith. It was the heart which was judged and not the actions... all along. What a great secret God kept from most, but the patriarchs knew the secret all along!

Then Jesus came along and the plan came to fruition. Paul then revealed the plan to those who had not heard God's silence; when God was making the plan all happen!  Indeed God is good and God was gracious all along!

Loop Holes for Loved Ones

Some friends and I have been debating the extent of grace. The origin of the discussion is of course "How much sin is a Christian allowed to escape hell?" If you're Calvinist this argument doesn't fit my view of scripture. I'll take my chances... you take yours!

First off, Christianity is all about the grace of God. We deserve death, but God gave his own son in our place. As such, grace means that we can never obtain salvation on our own. Therefore, there is no heavenly balance sheet on our deserving heaven or hell. That's what makes Christianity unique. Salvation cannot be earned!

On the other hand a measure of our faith in God and love for him is obedience. The "old person" is one who sins without guilt and makes little effort for righteousness. The "new person", the one born-again by accepting the gift of God (his Son's death),  has a changed heart. The Christian's focus is on pleasing God and denying the pleasures before granted to oneself.  The effort to obey God is not a saving set of works, but a display of love to God who says "If you love me keep my commandments."

Becoming a born-again Christian means that you accept God's sacrifice. Any person, however deep in sin, can be saved. The one who is saved from the most of course should display the most love for God. We are all born with a sinful nature. Sin is basically loving oneself to the extent that God's will (and commands) are rejected. Of course there are different pleasures which various people prefer. For some it is usury, for others fornication, for others power and wealth and for others sins such as homosexuality.

Even one sin is enough to condemn oneself to hell. For one who has not been forgiven, breaking one of God's Law's has the same outcome as breaking all God's Laws: eternal damnation.  Although the penalty for sins are the same, the sins are not of equal magnitude. For instance blasphemy of the Holy Ghost is paramount to let's say, lust.  We know there are magnitudes of sin because the Jewish leaders' sins were greater than Pontious Pilate's, as an example. Some sins are more grievous to God than others. We don't know why, but we do know of some that are because he destroyed cities and even the world because of lustful sins.

Some sins are an "abomination" to the Lord. That means that they are "disgusting" to him, some more than others. Perhaps because God made men and women to multiply, that is the purpose of mankind. We are to create others to have fellowship with God. He ordained marriage between men and women and even the facilities of same sex intercourse just "don't fit" if you know what I mean. They don't fit because God didn't mean for them to be that way.

Many of us have loved ones who engage in particular sins. Drug use has been in my family for years. I dispise drug use and even go to seminars and speak on behalf of drug prevention. Because I profess my disdain for drug consumption, that doesn't fit my loved one's mind set. As such he shuns me. It hurts that a person who I love shuns me, but I would hate it worse if I condoned his sin and influenced him toward hell. As a Christian I have a responsibility to reprove and correct him. God will hold me accountable!

Because I love my family member and he desires to continue with his lifestyle human nature is to look for loop-holes for my loved ones. However, God didn't convey his commands with a set of loop-holes. We will all be held accountable!

As bad as drug usage is, my own sins are greater than his! I am divorced. That is a great sin. Before that I fornicated. That too is a great sin! By grace God forgave them both. Why? Because I had remorse and endeavor with great enthusiasm to keep my marriage intact and to have fidelity to my wife. Satan  tries hard to get me to deviate, but I use the word of God to fend off his piercing darts. It's not easy, the desire is sometimes there, but I want to please God! That is "the new person" that I am! I still do wrong, but ask forgiveness when I do.

Since God has grace he forgives and forgives. However, I have never rationalized my sins. Not only have I confessed them to God, but in my own mind I admit that they are wrong.

Compare that to some who rationalize their own sins as acceptable and continue in that sin unhampered by the Holy Ghost. Not only do some rationalize their own sin, but to comfort themselves, they want others to accept their life of sin. I'm divorced. That's wrong, but forgiven. I admit that I sin and expect others to recognize that indeed I am a sinner just as they are! My sin is grievous, not only to God, but to me and others. I do not try to rationalize my divorce as acceptable in God's eyes.

Can you see the difference now between having a lifestyle of sin compared to failing to live up to God's expectations? It's one of holding accountability to the extent that bad behaviors and thoughts are avoided to please God! It's not hunting for loop-holes. Not only are there no loop-holes for my loved ones, there are no loop-holes for me either!

Romancing Your Own

I do well with conversing with those who admit that they are not Christians. I tell them what scripture says; some cut me off and others are intrigued and ask pertinent questions. Many of those are eager for truth!

On the other hand many Christians have their own ideas about what is right. They totally disregard scripture and romance their own reason. God's word SHOULD be how they believe rather than be as it is! Truth is secondary to what is right in their own eyes! These people don't disbelieve in God, they just disbelieve truth. The God they have created in their mind is a liar God who "tolerates" rather than berates!

Some "Christians" believe in evolution.  What are the first words of God revealed to mankind?

Genesis 1:1  "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

Christians who are deceived by scientists imply, "The first words said by God are a lie!" Rather than trusting God they demean him!

Many Christians have fallen for the lie of "tolerance" and "political correctness" (PC). God's word is all about "obedience" because that's how we demonstrate to God that we indeed love him!

It SEEMS that tolerating sin is ameliorating, but that does little more than damn the person who the Christian claims to love. Scripture has many uses. You may not like this, but one main purpose of Holy Scripture is to rebuke! That means the Holy Word of God is to be used to offend those who sin! It's to tell the sinner, "You're not okay. You need to change!" There are two responses the hearer usually has: obey and feel guilty or get angry and reject it. Even the traitor Judas felt guilty for his sin, but our churches are full of Christians who denigrate God and feel no guilt!

In vogue right now is the toleration of homosexual behavior. Many homosexuals indeed are polite, well-mannered and law-abiding. Many are just like other sinners. They are disobedient, rebellious and hateful. Of course it's always the ones we know and love who are the civil ones in the same manner as "my dog doesn't shed!"

Pedophiles are the most kind and seemingly sincere of all sinners. That's what they do to gain trust and acceptance. My point is that congeniality is NOT a valid test for righteousness! Many homosexuals have the same manner. That again is no test for righteousness.

God's Word says that homosexuality is an abomination. He has already defined the sin and judged the sinner. Those who ignore to go the way of the world have judged themselves already. There is no need for further judgment. Those that choose the wide path already know God's stand. They rebel against their Creator and must suffer the consequences. Those who tolerate that behavior impede them from being made to feel guilt by the Holy Spirit and ironically are enablers who enchain homosexuals in sin. They also imply "God is a liar! His words are not true!" "Christians" who fail to believe God are in as much danger of hell-fire as the homosexual!

Both the homosexual and the "Christian" enabler need a dose of the Holy Ghost They need Jesus! They need the one who gives them truth, not the false Christ who deceives them! Rather than romancing their own ideas, what they believe is right, they need to love God and Truth!

Snakes!

I'm afraid of snakes! I even fear tiny non-poisonous friendly snakes. They slither silently about and even the most macho man can be frightened by the surprise element. It's not snakes which I really fear, but the surprise of not knowing what is there!

Snakes are a boogie man to me! You remember the boogie man don't you? He's the fearsome creature who lives under your bed at night. Smart kids never in my day allowed arms to dangle off the safety of the bed. The boogie man was apt to grab that arm and pull a child under, never to be heard from again! Snakes are my boogie man!

That is ironic because the serpent back in the Garden of Eden was symbolic of the devil. When I am surprised by my own fear of the snake, it's really fear itself which I fear! As the snake slithers silently even today, I'm reminded of the deception of the serpent. He uses words of stealth to deceive. About the time a person is comfortable in life, the serpent slithers in and creates havoc. That's what snakes do!

Matthew 12:33 " "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

Again, even in the New Testament, we detect the serpent still in his tree!  I've written before of the fruit of "The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". I've written of its endless "bad" fruit, but in that tree also hung good fruit. There were twelve "good fruits" on "The Tree of Life" and since "the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" represented "choice" and "free will", good fruit hung on it as well. The serpent was right there on the tree. The task Satan assigned to that demon was to deceive: "The 'Tree of Life' has all good fruit, but on this tree have both good and bad. Take your chances that it will be the 'good" fruit you take, but there are numerous 'bad' fruits!" The serpent failed to tell Adam and Eve they were gambling their very soul to the devil! That's the slithering of this particular snake!

God warned, not against abandoning him, but neglecting him for other gods. He didn't want to share reverence and adoration with any other god. The god who was the biggest threat was "the flesh"... Adam and Eve and now us!  We are "the generation of vipers". It's us who are the snakes. From the passages above we can still chance on eating of the wrong fruit from the wrong tree or eliminating any chance and eating only of "The Tree of Life" who is Jesus Christ!  Of which tree whose fruit we have eaten can be discerned by the works we do!

If we eat truly of the fruit of "The Tree of Life" it's good fruit (or good works) which we display. If we are tricked into eating of the wrong tree, we are of this generation of vipers as was the serpent in the days of Adam. Nothing has changed over time. There are always snakes slithering around all the time, deceiving us. It's really this snake which I fear more than the crawling reptile hiding in the bushes (and sometimes even under my bed)!

My fear of snakes are of being bitten. At most I may be poisoned for which there is an antidote. At the minimum my heart will thump with fear. This dread of the snake's poison brought me to Christ because he is the antidote. His blood can cleanse the poison of sin from my veins! That's what he did after the serpent bit Adam and Eve and he still does that. I'm of a long line in the generation of vipers and the cure has always been the same!

I don't want to live a life wondering of the venom is still within me. I want to know that I am alive and out of danger of the second death. It's by my fruit that is presented in self-sacrifice to God that I can tell. If I claim to be of Jesus, but fail to bear any fruit of "The Tree of Life" it's the fruit of vipers which I bear.

Here is Your Future

Jeremiah was a prophet. Just line Noah before him, he saw utter destruction of what was about to happen. Life as they knew it was about to be destroyed. It was their own wickedness in both situations. Believe it or not, it was God who was about to destroy life as they knew it. Sure God used bad things for destruction, but the world defines God's justice as bad because it topples our own viewpoint!

Jeremiah 6:8 "Be warned, O Jerusalem, lest I turn from you in disgust, lest I make you a desolation, an uninhabited land.”

God promised the Hebrew people that if they did not change their nation would be destroyed. This was God's chosen people to whom he warned of this! Of course they were stiff-necked and rebellious and said "Not us! That can never happen!" God did follow through:

Jeremiah 7:28 "You shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
Jeremiah 17:23 "Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.
Jeremiah 35:13 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words?" declares the LORD.
Ezekiel 23:18 "She uncovered her harlotries and uncovered her nakedness; then I became disgusted with her, as I had become disgusted with her sister.

Of course I'm no Jeremiah. God inspired him to write. He had special communications with God. On the other hand I read in scripture what God told Jeremiah and that it did happen! I also read in scripture future events for the world. What happened on a small scale in Jeremiah's time; their nation was destroyed; will happen to the world sometime in the future.

Be forewarned! Because this nation (and the world) has abandoned God we will be destroyed. It will happen after true Christians have been taken up to heaven. That could be as soon as tomorrow. But the Bible warns that it won't be an abrupt destruction, but a slow transition. It will start out as things contrary to God's will: homosexuality, discord, wars, rebellion against God, lasciviousness and so forth. It will culminate in a false world religion and a seemingly good government for a time. The church will be part of the corruption! You cannot depend on the church to protect you because they are part of the evil. It has already started!

There are many modern churches: those which don't believe in the inerrancy of scripture and who tolerate sin in the church, which will be so corrupt that God already has called them "whores". If a church doesn't teach a "born-again" experience, they are part of the whorehouse so to speak! Most mainline denominations are the whores in that brothel!

Along will that will be a government which is obtuse to the will of God. The faith of the people will be on the leader of the global government who will eventually proclaim himself God just as Caesar did in the past. The people will accept that because they just won't care because he appears to be so good!

In the meantime government will regulate every aspect of the people's lives. Those who will not follow the herd and take the mark, will be beheaded. Those will be Christian people.

If that sounds like socialism / communism and Sharia Law under Islam, then you have guessed right! What the people embrace will ultimately destroy everything we have. This nation, even the world, will become desolate and it will be done under an Islamic Caliphate, according to their own goal; and with their version of a  vengeful Jesus who we call the Antichrist!

Beware! Go back and read the Book of Jeremiah. It is happening all over again and you just stand there with a stiff-neck and think "There goes that extremist Larry again!" Are you certain about that?

Idle Hands

I was a go-getter when I worked. I walked twice as fast as most people when I was on the go and multi-tasked when doing and thinking. Many problems were analyzed and solved when I was eating and attempting to sleep at night. Even when relaxing with friends and family I could not sit still. Other than reading I had to be on the go all the time.

I'm retired now and see no reason to rush things, but I still do. God has blessed me with great health, sufficient mental faculties and abilities to accomplish things.

Eccelesiastes 10:18 "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through."

In essence this says "Things will fail for the lazy person!"  The biggest blessing I had in life was being poor because I believe that "poverty breeds success." Being poor was motivation to make things happen.  I have been blessed spiritually. I had little time in life for wrong priorities or a life of pleasure, but for most of my life I dedicated time to worship.  Because of staying productive I now live a life of relative leisure. I do in old age what most people dedicate their life to doing. As such I am a robust "old guy".

However, my point is not about me. It's about you. Look in the mirror. Are you productive or do you have "idle hands" even an "idle mind"? What I see in society, especially with the young, is idleness. As I ride my bicycle for miles in residential areas even during summer vacation, I see few young people out of doors, let alone working! They seem to be housecats! That's not good preparation for adulthood.

Along with idle hands often goes expectations. Many have the "I deserve it" attitude. Because they live and breath they expect it. Most often it's from others and with their own hands idle. This is most noticeable now with the number of people voting socialist. That is disturbing because it's basically the story of The Littler Red Hen. Read that. You'll see what I'm talking about! (Children's Story - Little Red Hen).

God's will is that we be productive. That isn't a stage, but is a lifetime event. Idle children make idle adults. Idle adults expect free stuff. "Free stuff" is never free! It comes from people with productive hands. In effect those with "idle hands" have "idol minds"! They are their own god and others must appease it by bringing free stuff. That is the socialist model and it's brought to you by the devil himself!

On Mohammad Ali

My condolences go out to anyone who loses a friend or family member. Any civil person has those who love him or her. Ali was mostly civil and it's okay for those close to him cherish his memory. However, I take issue with Cassius Clay (aka Mohammad Ali) in being idolized. True, he seemed like nice enough a guy and was likely a good citizen. Americans come up short on selecting heroes and Ali is no exception!

I'm not a boxing fan so I could care less who is "the greatest". I don't evaluate a person's merit on who they can hit in the face the hardest... and brags about it.  Those heroes who I value the most are those with the most generous and loving heart. I didn't see a loving person in Ali. I saw a narcissist, but that's not my point. It's who he is that bothers me!

Ali, or Clay, was raised a Missionary Baptist. I don't know if he ever claimed to be born-again, but he did "die again". He converted to Islam.  I believe proselytes to Islam are all deceived! God still holds us responsible for falling to deception. That's what sin is all about. Most sins are pardonable. This one is not!

Ephesians 4:29 "...grieve not the holy Spirit of God..."

The most grievous sin to God is "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" :

Matthew 12:31 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men."

Blasphemy is the lack of reverence of the One True God. Allah is NOT God! That is important! He calls himself God (Arabic Allah), but his essence is not God. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No one even claims Allah to possess those personalities. Hence, he is a false god!

Mohammad Ali blasphemed against God. Because God has grace to give thousands of chances for redemption, Mohammad Ali by his own profession has received God's justice. I hate it for him and his family, but according to scripture, not me, Ali is in eternal hell right now. I just have trouble idolizing a person who turned his life over to the devil and rejected Jesus.  There is no way to save him now and I am sorry for that, but I didn't write doctrine; God did.

Ali was not only a Muslim, but he was a universalist as well. His statements reveal that his beliefs are that all gods are Allah. That is at odds with Christianity and since he abandoned Christianity, that is no surprise! Jesus is not essential to Ali and indeed Jesus was not "the Christ" in Islam. I'm sorry, for all of you whose feelings get hurt by truth, but eternal life is not obtainable without Jesus Christ's propitiation of his own blood for our sins. Islam does not believe that and Ali refused to accept that atoning blood.

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

 You see, it takes trust in Jesus to obtain eternal life. Without Jesus one is damned to hell for eternity. Simply put, I prefer my heroes to be godly men who don't keep company with the devil! That's not Mohammad Ali. That's not Cassius Clay!

On Hate Crimes

In the United States a hate crime law was enacted in 1968 to enforce Civil Rights Laws.  This followed the "Civil Rights Act of 1871" which was basically an "Anti-Ku Klux Klan" law to stem racial violence. What hate crime legislation essentially does is declare that one life is more valuable than another. A violent man can beat to death his wife and escape the extra penalty from hate crime laws than if he beat to death a black person, for instance.  As such one life is declared more valuable than another.  In essence this is legislation which declares "Black Lives Matter" more than other lives, or "Homosexual Lives Matter" more than other lives! Right this instant what's in vogue is "Black Lives Matter".

Of course black lives do matter! That's why I am pro-life! Abortion is an underhanded attempt to control the population of what society deems to be undesirables. Margaret Sanger, the abortion and birth control icon said this:

"We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population," she said, "if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." (Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America; Linda Gordon).

People can hate blacks while professing to love them. That is the motis operandi of the left. That's why Democrats incubate a culture of  death with their deadly beliefs! However, society says that Christian people are the haters because we object to rabid disregard for human life and recognize that the victimization of minorities by abortion is a "hate crime"!

"All Lives Matter"! Presidential candidate Martin O'Malley said that, and rabble-rousers ostracized him until he apologized for saying what is truthful! One life is no more precious than the next and all lives are of equal quality. Pre-born lives are as valuable as those who were fortunate enough to have been allowed to live in the womb! Black babies in the womb are as valuable as white ones and vice-versa.

A key method in socialism and it's deformed offspring, the Democrat Party, is division. Class warfare has always been the socialist process because dissension grows socialism. They care little if it's "the war on women", "racial division, religious differences and even partisanship as long as there is division. "Divide and conquer" is their process and it works! As such socialism foments hate for the sake of political control of the individual's who make up the masses. Rephrasing truth is the deception used to sugar-coat their ideological vomit which people readily consume because they are blinded to truth!

There is an algebraic equation which describes one facet of truth:

H = M. It's a simple equation. It's the reciprocal of God's equation for love: Lo = Ls.

If I have your attention now, or have lost it, for those not mathematically inclined. these two equations are:

Hate = Murder (H = M) and Love Others = Love of Self (Lo = Ls).

Let's substitute here: Murder is not loving others as you do yourself!

I have people who fail to love me right now. There are no "states" in scripture between love and hate. It's one or the other! Failure to love is murder of the one despised. I have been murdered because people fail to love me! You have been also so you should know how I feel about being unloved!

Jesus tells us to love our enemy, so failing to love a Christian brother, which I am, is worse than murdering an enemy! Some Christians have this type of hate without regard to race, sex, nationality and all the other identifiers for hated people.

There is a point here! When one "hates" another he is a murderer without regard to why he hates! The person who fails to love me because I am a Christian is the same as the person who hangs a black man because he was born black. Hate is color-blind, but it is not spiritually blind. Throughout the ages Christians and Jews have been the most hated of all groups. However, for Christians, there is no hate law! We are fair game for killing without the added punishment for hate!

Christians are to love even the enemy. Those who persecute Christians are self-induced enemies. We are to love them even though they are murderers in their hearts. Ironically, those who legislate hate crime laws are often haters of Christians. They murder us just as the haters murder people because of their color or nationality, etc.! All crimes are hate crimes! It just seems that some eyes are blinded to their own hate.

Just remember; in God's eyes if Hate = Murder; then it follows that Murder = Hate.

In other words all killing is hateful and God regardless of who is hated!

Acts 10:34 "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"

God does not differentiate between people. ALL LIVES MATTER! The murder of anyone is the same as the murder of another and justice for one must be justice for the other or it's not justice! Hate Crime legislation is unjust especially since love and hate are subjective to quantify!

Hate crime legislation is just another tool socialists use to divide people so that conquering is easier!

Let's look at the "Great White Throne Judgement", the time when EVERYONE will stand before God for divine justice.

Revelation 20:11 (ESV) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then uDeath and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. "

Hate crimes are hateful in themselves. It isn't justice because the scales are not balanced equally!

Proverbs 16:11 "A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work."

In conclusion God's justice is true justice and the scales are to be balanced. By punishing people differently for the same crime is injustice, and is hateful because it contradicts God's justice. It's rebellion against God! 

Personality Tests

"Personality" are all the characteristics which make a person who they are. Each person is unique and this uniqueness identifies one specific person. Tests which generalize endeavor to take that uniqueness and make the individual part of the herd. With that said people rush to see if they are bulls, bears, weasels or snakes in terms of who they are!

I like being "me". There are no others like me. I have no twin who has my identity. Actually, to me I am my god. I don't like that, neither does God, but that's who I am. Others are their own god as well. It's our own person who is our other god besides God! As such people choose to know about their own favorite subject: ME! In philosophy there are two key things people desire to know: 1) What is truth? and 2) Why am I here? If the truth be known, it's not truth we seek, but self-adoration!

God is a jealous God. Of whom is he jealous? It's not idols of stone, wood nor even gold! He is jealous of the idol "the flesh" which each of the other gods have. Ironically, God intended to create perfect people because we were created in his image. That was despoiled by giving us uniqueness; a personality! The trait that most identifies who we are is "will".  The "will" is a faculty of the mind to select the strongest desire from all those available. It doesn't stand alone. It's right there with the other human faculties of the mind: reason and understanding. In fact these three faculties make up who we are! They become our personhood and what is displayed is the personality.

Part of the question "Why am I here? is easily answered in truth. You are here by the grace of God because God wants us to love him. He expects that. We are to demonstrate that love by loving others. That's just the way it is. God made us that way!

In order to demonstrate love we have certain traits. Personality is how we show people that we love them, and effectively show God our affection for him. We are either "those who love" or "those who don't love". You want to be part of a group? Well, here ya go! You are a lover or you're not! I'm not speaking of erotic love, but friendship love of others as each loves himself, and this to show our love to God. It's a given: Everyone loves oneself! Because we're human and inherited pride from Adam, we may worship God, but it's in competition with how much we love our self.

What we're told to do by God is to love others as much as we do our own self! That's a hard task. If we show that we love others, our love for God is validated! How the person presents love to others is the personality of the individual. Some show it outwardly with strong affection and emotion. Others don't show it well and most people show it somewhere in between! It's not strong love we show if we are into our own self; what Jung would classify as introverted. 

Those who can love are "righteous" and those who can't are "unrighteous". The difference being "sin" which is actually the inability for our person to love or not to love; to do right or not do right! This boils down to two types of personalities: righteous verses sinful.

Loving others is righteous and showing love is what's right. The person's ability to demonstrate that is their personality. It's not really how outward the emotion is for even sinful people can make a show of it. It's the sincerity of the love you do show! It's much like the John Deere commercial: "It's not how fast you mow, but how well you mow fast!"  With personality "It's not how outwardly you show love, but how sincere is the love you show!"

Each person (personality) was created in the image of God. In fact he said "in OUR image"! He said that because although there is one God, he has three personalities: Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost!  If we look at the three, we were created in God's image and he said "our image". Therefore, we have three personalities, all three of the same essence. All are righteous. When we use the will, which we are free to use, we can either be "right" with our desires or sinful.

A "person" is an individual human. The traits of a person are what is called "personality". Psychologists define personality by inborn traits. Hence, personality are there before the person is born. It is generally accepted that personality is a system and complements all the other systems. As each system emerges and matures, personality does at the same rate so that each support the other. As such a person is born with a personality! It's not something bestowed after what I have termed "the birth canal crawl", the dance of those trying to be born!

At the moment of conception people are created. When the traits of the individual are incubated, a personality is formed. Therefore, when the embryo is formed the embryonic personality exists. After that the personality develops and during gestation, personhood has already been attained!

This concept is in agreement with God's word. Animals, so God says, are created after their own kind and man after God. We ARE special because people are persons and they have personalities before they are born.

Since persons are created in the image of the personalities of the Trinity, our own personalities are similar. The personality akin to "the Father" is the need to be loved and to create. The need of the Spirit is to nurture and comfort and the need akin to the Son is to teach and  protect. As such persons with personality are born with mind (God), soul (Holy Spirit) and flesh (Jesus Christ). Our mind processes the guidance provided to our soul by the Holy Spirit to direct the flesh. This process of interacting is dependent on the personality.

As I mentioned "will" is part of the personality. It's a facility of the mind which guides the soul and determines how the flesh will behave. The behavior of the flesh is how the personality manifests itself. It's a complicated process that only persons (people) have because we are peculiar in that we are made in kind with God!

The "will" wants to do certain things. Some will to do pleasurable things. That is sin and is more the outcome of what Jung labeled the extrovert. On the other hand a few are more concerned with things eternal, are meek and do the will of God. These are usually what Jung would call the most introverted. The extrovert presents the self for all to see. The introvert displays affection for God rather than attention to self. Most are some place in between.

Personality is of God and from God. He created our personality. What Freud called the "ego" or the "I" is the same as what God called the EGO or worship of "self". Extroverts are self-absorbed and their ego is intact. Introverts suppress the ego and focus on others, maybe even God! These are the meek who shall inherit the earth!

Carl Jung is an analytical psychologist who developed the concepts of introversion and extroversion; opposite models to explain the personality. The Meyers-Briggs Personality Test is based on Jung's analytical psychology. This man was evil from a Christian standpoint. His idea for personality types did not come from God, but from principalities. In a séance he communicated with a twelve-years old girl who instructed him in his thought processes. His "individualism"concept is the key to personality in his viewpoint. Much of this came to Jung from Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism and Taoism. In other words what he presents as "science" is no more than eastern religion, oriental thought and Christian heresy!

I believe, from his contact with the dead and paganism, that Jungian psychology is from demons. What naïve people study in Psychology 101 are words from the devil and deceive even many Christians who take their God-given personality and use evil to guide it! Personality tests have no use other than to deceive! I have taken the same test several times. My personality is different each time. This test is no better than astrology or any other forbidden arts of the dark and are a mere method to deceive!

All Christians need to know are two personalities: the righteous and the sinner. Those of us who claim to be righteous live "right" in the image mankind was created. All the sinner needs to know is that his or her personality needs to change from wrong to right! The nefarious personality is the "old person" and the righteous personality is the "new person". Old and new persons have old and new personalities. Adam was created new with a new personality. He did what he willed and not being meek, he snubbed God. When he did wrong his meekness turned to pride. He went from being a Jungian introvert to a Jungian extrovert. His soul died that day.

Now we people (persons with personality) can become Jungian introverts again. We can sacrifice our self a living sacrifice and become a new creation thanks to God's grace in sacrificing his own son for us! Being a Christian is throwing out the desire to be validated (extroversion) and it being replaced with a desire to notice (or serve) God (introversion).

We don't need Jung for anything! He just gets in our way in focusing on our own person. It's God who we should query in dealing with our personality. Jungian archetypes are devilish and the collective unconscious are our evil inheritance from Adam, both being key elements of analytical psychology!

By turning to evil people for guidance we disrespect God. When we heed tests provided as tools from the devil, it's the devil's deceit with which we are beguiled! Christians need to quit worrying about whether they are extroverts or introverts. They need to pay attention to whether they are old persons or new, and Jesus Christ defines the difference, not Carl Jung. Stay away from psychobabble. It was more than language which God scrambled. It was human reason as well!
 


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Fight for Right

Nehemiah 4:14 "And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

Nehemiah had it laid on his heart by God to rebuild the city of Jerusalem years after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians. At that time the Persians ruled under King Artaxerxes. It would appear that Artaxerxes and his predecessors were "godly", but their religion was one of tolerance. They were Zoroastrian; believing in good thoughts, words, deeds; one path to truth and to do the right things for the doer of good will have good returned to him. As followers of Ahura Mazda, their god was not the One True God, but the Persian kings were used by JHVH to procure the promises made to Abraham for the prosperity of his people.

With that said, Nehemiah, in tandem with the priest Ezra, rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, all the while standing vigilant over their workers so that the restoration could be completed (and it was in 52 days)!

The Hebrew people who were assigned to rebuild the city were protected by the LORD, but their role was to "fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters. your wives and your houses". The peoples of the land resented the presence of the Hebrews back in "their city" and made every attempt to abort the completion of the restoration. (In the below picture is the artist's conception of the walls of Jerusalem destroyed by the Babylonians being viewed by Nehemiah):

Gustave Doré, Nehemiah Views the Ruins of Jerusalem's Walls, 1866

Nehemiah had reason to be there (the King's decree), he was there for good (rebuild the city) and there were those who sought vengeance against the Hebrew people and their God. Because of danger the LORD protected the Hebrews, but to facilitate safety the people were prepared to fight for their loved ones!

Many people today are outright pacifists. Among them are Mennonites, Quakers and others. I was told by a Mennonite that God would protect them. They were not to do violence. It's easy to see from Nehemiah, that God does protect his people, but they are to be the army! Unfortunately, because sin came into the world, evil does exist, and evil men will always persecute to the extent of murder!

God doesn't expect his people to stand before the enemy with empty hands. Of course he is their whole armor, but his "sword" says to fight for right! It was necessary to fight for restoration of the religion (Ezra's role), so that the Hebrew people would again be God's chosen people. The Jews were scattered in the diaspora. Because of the "Abrahamic Covenant" the scattering of the Hebrews did not align with God's will. It was necessary for Jerusalem to be rebuilt and the worship of One True God restored because God's will was to fulfill his promise to Abraham.

In other words, Jesus came because these brave people put their lives on the line in front of the enemy. It was God's plan that Jesus be of the seed of Abraham and these early people made the plan happen. Sometimes we must fight for what's right! We must fight so that there is hope!

It's ironic that "the Prince of Peace" was born to save mankind from destruction using the LORD's protection facilitated by the sword and violence! The LORD made safe his people so that all mankind could be saved!

Jumping ahead many centuries a poor country boy had a dilemma. He didn't believe in fighting because he was a Christian. After days of prayer Alvin York came to the conclusion that he must fight in World War I. Why? To save many lives a few must be sacrificed. With that direction from God, he was the Nehemiah of WWI. He is a hero, not because he killed, but because he saved lives of others! Evil was destroyed and the LORD used Sgt. York for what's right!

We must continue to fight for the LORD's will because it is a fight for justice. War isn't of God, but it's his will that evil be defeated!

Now this nation is not only in an actual war, but a spiritual war as well. They cannot be separated. ISIS is evil and this war must be fought. We shall lose for a time because of the sins of the world, but in time the LORD shall return with a vengeance and this curse on mankind will be defeated. The army of the LORD will rebuild Jerusalem and Jesus shall reign for a thousand years! There will be many battles until then.  It is principalities warring against God, but the LORD will win out! Until then we are to be warriors, both in a spiritual sense, and to fight for right!

Inhibitions

People rationalize their sins through faulty reasoning. As such in their minds their sins are justified. They fail to see that they have compromised God's word to arrive at their false belief.

It is true that what goes into the mouth is of no consequence:

Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

If the food or drink were mere foods and drinks then drinking and eating great amounts would not be a sin. However, we do know that overeating is gluttony and is sinful!

Phillipians 3:18  "...they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly..."

The same applies to alcohol! The point is that eating and drinking are mere mechanical actions. It's like waving at a stranger. However, the problem lies in the motivation behind eating and drinking. It's living, not for Christ, but for self-satisfaction by pleasuring the flesh which is our idol. Overeaters and drunkards place "Self" over God because God says to remain sober!

Titus 2:12 "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

Drunkenness is listed along with ungodliness and lust as sins of those of us in the world! Being a drunkard is not only sinful, but neither is it pragmatic because the drunkard shall come to destruction (Proverbs 23:21). Only one in denial would argue with God! Drinking to excess is a sin! That leaves "drinking in moderation" to question. Many fine Christian people say "a glass of wine with my dinner" isn't wrong!

True! What goes into the mouth is no big issue, but what one places before God is. If God said "never drink alcohol for any reason" would you willingly give up that so-called "glass of wine before dinner?" Is it actually limited to "a glass of wine before dinner" or are you deluding yourself? How about the "margarita at a party" or the "martini as business wraps up" or "a beer with friends?" All these lead to multiple beers, glasses of wine or margaritas, but the social drinker clings on to admitting to only one drink!

I've written on the history of "adult beverages" before. See my blog The Bible and Booze. Today I write on the things of the heart!

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour..."

The key word here is "vigilant". It's always being on watch for danger. For Christians it's being on watch guarding one's self from destruction by the devil. Sobriety is part of righteousness because, like Job, righteousness is the armor which protects Christians from the devil! In fact the reason people seek salvation is safety from the devil who will destroy you in this world and welcome you to hell! If anything takes the focus off God, it allows Satan to destroy. He will use whatever it is that you cling. For many Christians they cling to alcoholic beverages.

This "Thought" is on "inhibitions". It's the opposite of  "vigilance". The reason most people indulge is to relieve inhibitions. In essence they desire to put their "vigilance" on hold and by deception, allow Satan to have his way!

What I remember is that when I consumed alcohol I did things I normally would never do! As a Christian, the Holy Ghost would question me "Larry, is this what Jesus wants you to do?" My answer was "No!" However, when I even had one drink, I would rationalize my actions with God. "One little transgression won't matter. God will forgive me!". That's Satan stepping in as my inhibitions are lowered. One drink will lower inhibitions some. Many drinks will lower inhibitions much!

State laws have limits on how uninhibited you can be! (from Rich Stim, Attorney):

BLUE = Impaired Driver RED = Legally Drunk Driver

Weight	Number of Drinks
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
100	0.032	0.065	0.097	0.129	0.162	0.194	0.226	0.258	0.291
120	0.027	0.054	0.081	0.108	0.135	0.161	0.188	0.215	0.242
140	0.023	0.046	0.069	0.092	0.115	0.138	0.161	0.184	0.207
160	0.020	0.040	0.060	0.080	0.101	0.121	0.141	0.161	0.181
180	0.018	0.036	0.054	0.072	0.090	0.108	0.126	0.144	0.162
200	0.016	0.032	0.048	0.064	0.080	0.097	0.113	0.129	0.145
220	0.015	0.029	0.044	0.058	0.073	0.088	0.102	0.117	0.131
240	0.014	0.027	0.040	0.053	0.067	0.081	0.095	0.108	0.121

Ironically fat people (gluttons) can drink more than thin people without being legally drunk! This chart does not mean that people are not impaired at the limits in blue, but that their impairment still allows them to have reasonable reflexes. Any amount of alcohol makes reflexes less than with no alcohol in the bloodstream and even a tiny amount reduces the reflexes for sin! The "legally sinful" person is one whose consumption is enough to remove inhibitions. Their vigilance to sin goes down. I submit that any amount of alcohol in the bloodstream removes some inhibitions. Indeed that is the reason people even consume alcohol. It's to "relief stress". In essence the relief of stress is removing inhibitions! It's a time when a person settles down and quits being "uptight" about life.

Christians who live the life are said to have "repressed feelings'. Psycho-babblers strive to remove the repression from uptight people who are vigilant. They counsel drugs which remove inhibitions so the person is not so repressed. God's will is that our emotions are repressed. We should not, according to them,  deny ourselves sex because it's ungodly. Alcohol is a way of removing inhibitions to reduce repressed emotions. People have a few drinks to loosen up so they will do things from which God protects them by vigilance!

Alcohol consumption has always had a negative connotation to me because it removes inhibitions. My earliest childhood memories are of vulgar men and women acting ungodly when consuming alcohol. Even their language became more filthy and "GD's" became more forthright. Along with that, their behaviors became more sleazy and their dress more provocative. They were doing things which under normal conditions they would not do! Their inhibitions were reduced and the reduction of vigilance opens one to a life of sin!

There are many reasons NOT to drink! This is one of them. For those who build their cases for social drinking, I would ask "Are you merely rationalizing a behavior which you cling to in spite of God?" Only you can answer that, but the safe way is to wear the whole armor which God gives you!

The Destruction of America

People are easily beguiled by socialists such as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.  One is honest about his agenda; the other beguiles. Either way "free stuff" is a good bait for servitude and they both have plenty of bait.

Let's get things straight: Socialism, as well as communism, is Marxism. Marx said that!

"...the history of the Manifesto reflects, to a great extent, the history of the modern working-class movement; at present it is undoubtedly the most widespread, the most international production of all Socialist literature, the common platform acknowledged by millions of working men from Siberia to California. Yet, when it was written, we could not have called it a Socialist Manifesto." (Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels; 1847).

As such socialism is equivalent to communism. They are mere stages of the same ideology! Socialism is peaceful as long as the herd marches in unison,  but when some refuse, communism kicks in. The difference is the amount of force used to remove freedom. Socialism is akin to the pedophile who gives candy and friendship to children for sexual favors. Communism is akin to the time the child matures enough to recognize the abuse. It's then that the communist drags the screaming child into his own dark van to have his way against the will of the child.  Indeed, "The Marxist Manifesto" could just as well be called "The Pedophile Bible" because it is the method of taking what is yours for their own use. It steals the innocence of naïve people who in turn give their innocence to a vile predator!

Communism is propagated in gradual steps. The sweet sounding song of "free stuff" deceives the masses and just enough of it is given to make others want it too! That's called "creeping socialism" and is the same method pedophiles use to win mere children to trust them.  In essence naïve children are won over by the same lies the serpent used to win over Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:4 "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

In Marxism "the serpent" is the socialist politician. They always spin and have a minister of propaganda.  Adam and Eve are the naïve innocent "children". Socialism is the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" which God tells them of that tree, "do not eat". The serpent convinces them that that's where wisdom lies  and good "free stuff"; better than what God will provide although what is there IS what God provides. The serpent takes what God made and uses it to entice innocents to its misuse. That's Marx using the product of capitalism to entice naïve people to take it as their own as "free stuff", pleasant looking fruit from the capitalist tree!

Immediately, after they ate of it, Adam and Eve realized that they had been tricked. They traded their freedom for a lie!

Genesis 3:7 "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

They soon realized that "free stuff" is mere bait which nefarious forces use for their own purposes. Their glory had been shamed and now they must cover the deceit! By taking "free stuff" you belong to those who deceive! Adam and Eve realized that they had been beguiled, but made an attempt to save themselves. The fig leaves weren't able to do that!  They belonged to the owner of the serpent now, Herr Marx Satan! He is a murderer who uses death to his advantage. The serpent traded "free stuff" so that you shall die. Christianity refers to sin as bondage. Socialism smiles as the "free stuff" is hung from trees for your pleasure and then the evil communist dictator enslaves you when you get wise to his tricks!

Only "blood" can save one from death. The fig leaves weren't enough! God killed an animal for the first time ever and made Adam and Eve skins to cover their nakedness. To God nakedness became a shame, but communism strips one naked and standing there with others who are stripped naked as well. God couldn't tolerate that so he shed blood for Adam and Eve!

Now people can be freed from the bondage of Marxism by the shed blood of God himself... Jesus Christ! Socialism and Communism; both Marxism, hate Jesus because he stands in their way much as God prevented enslavement by the serpent!

Adam and Eve surely walked by that tree many times, From the tree the serpent beckoned. He said "You won't surely die!" When they ate of the "free stuff" Adam and Eve spiritually died that day. Much like that, socialism kills the spirit because it casts Christianity out of the way. It's the proverbial "trading one's soul to the devil"! The serpent doesn't have to work abruptly. He's been around for a long time. He is patient. Marx too is patient. Communist leader Nikita Kruschev said this:

"About the capitalist states (us), it doesn't depend on you whether or not we exist. If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations, and don't invite us to come to see you. Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will  bury you!" "(us). [Nikita Kruschev, parentheses mine].

Admittedly socialism sounds so good! It has the same beauty as what hung from the forbidden tree. We all want "free stuff" and socialism is the Santa Claus who brings it. However, sane people know Santa is not real and there is no "free stuff". Everything has a cost. For Adam and Eve the cost of frees stuff was spiritual death.  For beguiled socialists the cost is spiritual death as well because God is stolen from the world. Their Utopia is not heaven,  but a hell where Marx is the demon from whom you cannot escape unless covered by the blood. Blood spilled for you by Christ's death is the true wisdom which opens eyes to "godless Marxism". Socialism is the temptation. Communism is the sin and Jesus is the sword to cut that evil tree!