Better to marry than to burn

America has a virus. A virus of irresponsible people who pay no heed to morality, let alone righteousness! Men don't want to marry anymore and women let themselves be used.  The numbers back this up.

The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2008 40.6% of births are to women out of wedlock. For blacks that number goes to 72.3%.  The numbers have increased by 28% since 2008 and it is projected that by 2016 more births will be out of wedlock than among married couples.

Michael Foust writes in Fireproof  "Between 50 and 60 percent of all marriages begin with the two partners cohabitating, and many of those couples no doubt believe they are making a wise move up front. But living together before marriage actually increases the chances of divorce in a first marriage -- 67 percent of cohabitating couples who marry eventually divorce, compared to 45 percent of all first marriages."

Focus on the Family reports that 80% of couples have premarital sex! Considering that 85% of people purport to be Christians, that doesn't say much for righteousness!

Do you see the virus? It's not one that can be treated by antibiotics nor by any other medicine. It's a virus that we're born with, cannot be cured, but can be treated. Here's the prognosis for the virus. It can be contained or incubated; your choice:

1 Corinthians 7:8 (KJV) "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. 9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:"

 

It is admirable if we choose NOT to marry. However, along with that choice goes fidelity. The unmarried person is to remain not only pure in action, but pure in spirit! We are told Galatians 5:16 ESV "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." and "it is better to marry than to burn." In this context "burn" has two meanings, one metaphorical.

 

The English Standard Version actually says "burn with passion". Obviously, when one emotes that feeling that person has "lust".  God says much about lust! Here's just a sampling:

 

Matthew 5:28 ESV "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ESV "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; "

 

Colossians 3:5 ESV "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. "

 

Sexual immorality doesn't happen unless preceded by lust. Most people feel that burning lust for the object of our affection. That lust must be quenched by marriage. That doesn't put the fire out, but it makes it legitimate, even honorable, for God wants us to procreate. Sex outside marriage is sinful; within marriage, righteous!

 

The metaphorical "burn" is our punishment for disobedience.

 

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."

 

Yes, burning with passion is sinful. Acting on the urge is consummation of the mental sin. Yes, lust itself is sinful as you can see from Matthew 25:8 "already committed adultery with her in his heart." What is the penalty for sin? Death (damnation)! Will a person be eternally punished for one sin? Obviously, not. One can even repent and their slate be cleaned. However, when a person is living a lifestyle of unrepentant sin; beware! Those who fail to submit to Christ and live a continued life of sin will "burn"; burn in that lake of fire.

 

Submit! (Submit to God.) Such a short word, but so difficult to do. Why? We have the devil there all the time saying "Go ahead and do it! God won't send you to hell." It's the same old lie as in the Garden of Eden. Satan misrepresents what God says so we mortals can rationalize our sinful actions. You say "Sex isn't all that bad. It's just a mechanical act."  Is that really true? People can be hurt and emotionally scarred by having sex with the one they "love" (eros) or even the casual encounter! Unrequited love because of sex causes pain and emotional scarring which never heals!

 

Divorce is not God's will either. With unjustifiable separation, one party sins and if they remarry, the other part does as well. (This is another subject, but just as much a part of the virus).

 

I will mention that fornication is unmarried sex. Fornication is baaaaaaaad!

 

1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,"

 

As you can see, fornication isn't really much to brag about although many do! It's damning! A Christian, in being righteous, must abstain because the body of the Christian is God's dwelling. By fornicating, a person is sinning against their own body and disrespecting God's temple. 1 Cor 6:18 says "the sexually immoral person sins against his own body".

 

Marriage is so sacred that Jesus compares his own relationship to us as a marriage. We are the bride and he's the bridegroom. As we are to be faithful and true to Christ, so must we be with our chosen love. Not only is adultery a slap at Christ, but "knowing" one another outside marriage diminishes the institution of marriage which is ordained by God! Fornication is a serious offense!

 

Men need to be responsible. They can't seem to be able to make that commitment. Such men are users and women who allow them to get away with it are being used. In a love relationship people don't "use" one another! They are to love, honor and cherish. That means marriage! If marriage is not eminent, it may not be a serious issue. If a man loves a woman he will crave marriage! If he wants sex  then he will be thrilled with sex without obligation!  Women, be not deceived. Use you heads! Have some self-respect. Have some respect for God!

 

Unfortunately, some women are users much like the men. The same applies to them. However, statistics show that men are the irresponsible and women are their enablers.

 

Isaiah 17:7 "At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel." Now is the day! Get respect and show respect to God!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secret Sins of the inward man

Recently I watched a documentary on the Zumba Prostitute in Maine. It appears that she had a sponsor for whom she kept meticulous records. This man had a family and belonged to a church. After the law arrested the Christian for promoting prostitution, the pastor said something to the effect "We all have our secret sins, so we patted him on the back and welcomed him back into the fold." It appears the pastor knows all about "secret sins". I wonder what his was!

Although this is a sad commentary on Christianity, it is the sad truth. I've told people "If you could read my mind you'd scream!" I'm not proud of that, but we all have a world inside our head that we wish we hadn't. It must be part of the curse of Adam. I do want to note that the pastor in the story took the sin too lightly. We all sin and repentance is the only cure. It must be real, not sorry that he was caught, but sorry that he sinned, hurt his family and darkened his church and besmirched Christianity itself.

Here's the best example from the Bible of a "secret sin":

2 Samuel 12:9 "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

 

David didn't limit himself to mental sins (lust, etc.) . He actually committed physical sins: murder and adultery. He had a plan, planned it well, but God still revealed the sin to Nathan the Prophet. Although David was said by Nathan "thou didst it secretly", God still knew of the sin and revealed it to Nathan!

 

I think back to my teen years when I tried earnestly to be a Christian, but failed miserably. I sinned in secret, but knew that God knew. It seemed that when I sinned each week the sermon would be on my sin. I thought to myself "This preacher has a direct line to God!"  I don't know about my childhood pastor, but Nathan had that direct line!

 

God knows everything. His power is without bound!

 

Luke 12:6 " Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

 

I don't know how or why, but God is omniscient. His knowledge is unlimited. For what reason I don't know, but he knows how many hairs each of us has on our head, and if he knows that, he knows all the thoughts going through our minds!

 

Psalm 44:21 "Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart."

 

Yes, God knows the mind. There is a direct line between the heart and mind. The desires of the heart are satisfied by the cognition of the mind. Scripture uses heart and mind interchangeably. God knows your desires. God knows your thoughts. Those thoughts which would make another scream in disbelief; God knows those thoughts! Discounting lust for an instant, which makes us sin without actually participating, God sees our physical sins that we do even when nobody is around!  We're not "good" by being pure with an audience, we must be pure when alone as well!

 

I've got this problem. You have the problem and Paul had the same problem! Paul speaking of himself:

Romans 7:17 "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.'

These verses are extremely complicated!  Simply put, our desire is not to sin, but we do it anyhow. Paul talks of "the inward man". That, I believe, is the secret sinner! Christians wish to be seen as sinless, especially to God, but inside we know quite well how weak we really are. God understands that! Yes, we're wretched! Our mind wants to serve the Lord, but since we're weak, we sin in the flesh (pleasure).  Do we just know this law and accept it as it is? Emphatically, no! We are to have self-control.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV) 5 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."

 

Our inward man isn't an excuse to sin, but a condition which requires submission to God. God understands, but his understanding is not condoning; it's offering forgiveness!

 

My desire for me is that my inward man quits secret sinning. My desire for you is the same! I just wish that I was above that, but like you, I struggle as well. That's where it's important for Christians to mentor each other. We are to hold each other accountable. If you tell me that you have a problem with a particular sin, I can ask you on occasion "How's it going with your ______?" Likewise, you can do the same for me.

 

Let us not ponder the sins of the other, but focus on the obliteration of our own. We're to discard the "beam in our own eye" before we behold the mote (speck)" in anothers. We're to uphold and encourage our brother, not condemn and exploit. One might wonder about me. That's okay, I do too! I wish I could say that I am sin free as some day I will be, but that will be when this body has abandoned its temporal abode. What about you?

 

My prayer is that our Comforter will provide the full-armor and shield to protect us from evil. He will do that, but our responsibility is the desire to wear the protective armor. The weak link in the full armor of God is our willingness to wear it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life from Mars: What next?

It was announced this week that life on earth originated on Mars and was carried to earth on a rock!  Wow! I'm astounded. However, reading the last sentence the article stated "It has not been proved!"  First off, a theory regarding a scientific hypothesis is never "proved". It can only be "fail to be disproved?" Rather than scientists doing the impossible, proving that life originated on Mars, they should work on its counterpart!  Likewise that failure to disprove can only be accepted with a certain degree of statistical confidence. I am confident that life did not begin on Mars and I do that with 100% confidence! Why? I believe God!

Genesis 1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

It's clear that all life was created by God. All the sea and air creatures, all the animals which reside on land and man himself! If God created all life and did that on this planet, how, then, did it come from Mars on a rock? Either God is a liar or science is a fraud! I propose that science is "fraud" and that belief and confidence in science requires as much faith as belief in God. The creation story is more plausible, the "Mars Rock Theory" could never be; based on entropy, probability and lack of evidence that there are intermediate life forms; those aberrations not quite one species, but not another either!

Whereas, science requires air, water and carbon to create life. God created air, water and carbon! For those who believe in spontaneous life, where did the building blocks (air, water and carbon) originate? Scientists would have you believe that cosmic gases accumulated to the extent that gravity from one big black hole compacted the gases and made matter. After extreme gravity collected and compacted the universe into one small massive black ball, a discontinuity occurred, and a "Big Bang" expelled all the matter in the universe and created the constellations with their suns as well as millions of unseen black holes. No attempt is made to determine where the gases originated.

What is a discontinuity? That word of camouflage and deceit means that one time and one time only, the laws of physics and quantum mechanics cease to apply and a scientific miracle occurred! Something happened in spite of science telling us it couldn't! What a claim! What "faith" those scientists have!

Yes, scientists do believe in miracles! However, when it comes to real miracles they turn their deaf ears. Few scientists believe that Jesus was born of a virgin (without the intervention of man) and that Jesus raised the dead again and himself defeated death forever, but they believe a scientific miracle occurred with no intervention whatever, not even by God. The true miracle is not that God could create all things, but that he did just that! The creation is a miracle, but a miracle of God. Is it more plausible to say "It all just happened." or "God made it happen."  I submit that the latter offers more credence than the former. Chance is without meaning, God is all meaning!

Some have created a new religion. This false religion believes in a creator God, but one that is limited by scientific thought. Where differences exist, the adherents of this new religion accept the word of science over the word of God. Hence, due to the lies of the scientists, God becomes the liar and those in this new religion have reverence for their idol, the scientist. This is called syncretism and the Jews were punished for thousands of years for accepting two Gods. This belief violates the First Commandment, written in stone by God's own hand.  Israel and Judah were destroyed because they accepted syncretism! What does God say about this new religion?

1 Timothy 6:19-20  ^"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen."

 

By the way, this "new religion" is just a repackaging of the religion of old. As the most early idolaters bowed to the sun and stars (astrology) so does the scientist (astronomy). The only difference between the two being that astrologers take it one step further; they believe that astrology influences behavior! Guess what? So does astronomy! Christians behavior indicates that whereas that at one time they had an uncomplicated belief in God, after indoctrination, that belief becomes doubt! Doubt is damning.

 

Isaiah 47:13  Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. 14  Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

 

Isaiah warned those who turned to science, let them save you!  (Yes, astrology was accepted as science and there is no doubt that "stargazers" were astronomers). In effect Isaiah was saying "You have turned from God, now let science save you!" He knew that science had no power to save because he added "the fire shall burn them"!  Science is the enemy of God when faith is stolen from God and given to the God of chance; fate as it's called. My God is real! Fate is undefinable and irrational. In fact wooden idols have more credibility than does mere chance!

 

What did God do to the early scientists? He confused them and they still are. Archeology has shown that the Tower of Babel was a zigurat. Extant zigurats have 12 levels with colors of the zodiac on each level and all the signs of the zodiac on the top level. Here's God's dealings with those idolater scientists in that day:

 

Genesis 11:3 "And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city."

The Tower of Babel was primitive version of today's Hubble Telescope. The scientists wanted to get closer to the heavens so they could learn more about the expanse. That's the very things scientists are doing today with their technology. God was right! "Nothing will be restrained from them!"  In effect the scientists at Babel were repeating the sin of Adam. They sought to be as God. They were eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil! Scientists are still doing that, but due to the good things coming out of science, naive Christians accept science carte blanche. Confounding evil with good is the devil's way. He can only deceive you into accepting evil by tempering it with good.

God only slowed the scientist by confounding his language and proximity to one another. Over time technology has brought them back to their original state. That of one language on a small planet. Scientists continue their quest to be as God and unfortunately, even Christians have bowed to their God of Fate!

The inquiring mind might say "What about archaealogical evidence that life evolved?" First off, there is no proof that life evolved spontaneously (chance). It's a theory. Theories can never be proved! Secondly, God is omnipotent! He isn't constrained by the scientific laws which he created. If God is God, and he is, then he has the power to set life in any milieu he wants. God didn't create a world with primordial ponds, he created a world already teaming with life! Yes, God set man in a world where dinosaurs roam (and still do) and giants walked the earth!

Genesis 6:4 "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

Deuteronomy 2:20 "(That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;"

Not only did giant people roamed the earth in past days, likewise many giant animals did as well! Just as humans are now smaller than giants, likewise today's dinosaurs are too. I propose that alligators are dinosaurs as are anacondas. Elephants, rhinos, ostriches, turtles, and whales are also smaller versions of dinosaurs. The down-sizing of life is what Darwin proposed: evolution of life, not evolution to life! The latter is misappropriated theory. We know that living organisms adapt, but when they mutate, it's toward a more elemental creature, not toward a more advanced. However, it is obvious that the healthier of the species are the ones who "make it". That's "survival of the fittest' and is God's way of maintaining a world with mutations kept to a minimum. That's God's plan!

My suppositions are also theory. I admit that! However, I use God to guide my conclusions. Fate has no place in my understanding of creation! My theory is based on faith just as science is! My theory places man above the animals. Science doesn't! My theory provides eternal hope! Science offers only determinism and despair. Scientists, deceived in their knowledge, will enjoy this mortal life only. Their rejection of God will let them verify eternity, but from a real place called hell. God help them in their unbelief!
 

Interview from Hell: Today's guest - Jimi Hendrix

This is your moderator doing an exclusive interview from Hell (Sheol for you Jehovah Witessesses out there). My guest speaker today is the all-time great guitarist, the one and only Jimi Hendrix! Jimi, I'm so glad to be here with you today and want to thank you for the opportunity to ask you questions most of the world would really like answered.  (My note: My feeble attempt to use colloquial black grammar isn't meant to be derogatory, but only to make the interview more realistic. If it offends that is not my intent).

For you folks out there who're wondering, I'm in an environmentally controlled booth which was lowered miles beneath the earth's surface. Although it's hotter than fire outside this specially insulated titanium ceramic layered booth, I'm at a "comfortable" 105 degrees inside.

We're here to find out if Jimi Hendrix was really demon possessed, if his music was from the netherworld and what hell is like. Jimi... your girlfriend had this to say about you and your director made a similar statement:

From UK Yahoo Answers.com (Michaele Davis) One of his girlfreinds had this to say:

"He used to always talk about some devil, or something that was in him, and he didn't have any control over it. He didn't know what made him act the way he acted and what made him say the things he said and the songs and different things that just came out of him. He'd say "I don't know what has come over me. I can't understand it". You know he used to just grab his hair or something or pull his hair or stand in the mirror or cry or something. Oh lord, it was so sad when he would cry. He was maybe the first man, or maybe the only man that I've ever seen cry, you know but it just killed me when he cried. It seems like to me that he was tormented and just torn apart and like he was obsessed with something really evil. And he said, "You know like you're from Georgia," you know he said, "I should know how, you know, people drive demons out". He actually thought about, you know, if we ever go, because I used to talk about my grandmother and all her weird stuff, you know, and he used to talk about us going down there and having some root lady or somebody see if she could drive this demon out of him"

Bill: What say you?

"Well, Bill, there's not much that I can say. I'm here aint I? Sorta speaks fer itself. I have many bro's down here. It's crowded, worse than the projects. My guitar be all burn up. I sorta just hum the tunes. Ya know. The one Big Daddy down here really likes. Same ones I strummed in da worl'."

"First off Jimi, how hot is it down there?"

Jimmy: "Read da book, Bill. It's hotter than hell! 'Scuse the bad rap, but Big Daddy likes to get free ads. He's a 'ceitful dude, but he be proud and man he do ha' the power! We hafta begg'm for a drank, but he jes' laffs."

Bill: I guess this is the scripture to which you're referring:

Daniel 3:19: "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated."

Bill: "That's not hell, Jimi. That's the firey furnace."

Jimi: "Bill, I be in hell, I feel da heat in hell and all my thoughts dey are all on hell all da time. I tellya, hell is hotta than dat fiery furnace!"

Bill: "Yes, I undersatnd that the center of the earth is 4000 degrees. That is not 'hotter than hell', that is hell, folks. It's a lake of fire scripture tells us."

Revelation 21:8 "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Bill: "Are you dead, Jimi?"

Jimi: "My body be dead in '70, but my soul, it die years 'fore dat."

Bill: I guess this verse sums up what your speaking of:

Romans 2:6 " Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 8 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;"

Jimi: "Yeah. Dat be the one, but I die when my ole mammy told me 'bout Jesus and I say dat I not done havin' fun yet. Dats when I start to hear dos voices in my haid. Dey tell me how ta live and what ta sing. Dey plucked dem guitar strings and made da music soun' really good. Deys so good dat I 'came famous."

Bill: "I'm not a religious man because I'm pragmatic, but I understand that you are referring to this verse:"

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

Bill: "Jimi, it would appear that all your sins doomed you. It could have been different, this scripture says. Redeemed, I believe, means that your sins would have been forgiven and grace means it was a free gift. Most people don't believe it, but it says here that Jesus Christ provides that redemption. What say you?"

Bill: "Ah, but first, here's another one:"

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Jimi: "Wish I had dat to do over. I'd beg and plead for dat mercy! Dere's no doin' it over 'gin. Dis is forever. I wish I had read da Lazarus story in da Bible."

Luke 16:19 " There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."

Jimi: "He want to tell his bros back up dere 'bout torment, but dey wont listen anyhow. Jes' like I didn't listen."

Bill: "You mentiond you had friends in hell?"

Jimi: "Dey were my friens in da worl', but not here. We all hate each other here and blame each other for bein' tormented so. My friens were dose dat warned me 'bout dis and told me 'bout Jesus. Dose I know down here, jes' wanted to do drugs, an' do sex and da like. Some friens dese were! I was famous in da worl', but not so much down here:"

Psalm 6:5 "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"

Bill: "Yes, my advisers gave me this scripture about worldly pleasure:"

Jude 1:7 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

Bill: "Seems like I too am learning much here. I'm going to ask my advisers to fill me in more about Jesus. My church teaches about him, but many don't take him seriously."

Bill: "You know, I never really asked Jesus for salvation. Maybe I should!"

Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Bill: "It appears that salvation is for all and all that a person has to do is call upon the Lord. How easy can it get? What happens after I die?"

Revelation 20:13 "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

Bill: "I guess none will escape judgment! I guess you've been judged already, Jimi?"

Jimi: "Don't judge me, Bill. Dat's wrong in scripture!"

Bill: "I didn't mean to be intorant, Jimi, but it would seem that God already judged you! You reap what you sew!"

Jimi: " 'fore you leave, Bill, can I jes' have a drink?  It don hafta be booze, jes' a lil drop of water to wet my tongue."

Bill: "I'm sorry, Jimi, my sponsors won't allow me to cross that chasm between you and the world. You'll just have to thirst for awhile. A long while, I guess. With no end I understand!"

Bill: "Next week we'll see what Adolph Hitler thinks about hell. We'll see if he still has a Jewish problem or if that even matters to him anymore. Thanks for being with "Factor This" tonight and I hope you'll join me for future interviews with some people who never dreamed they'd be in hell because they were good in life! Stay tuned for "Greata than Sufferin" next on this ROX news network.

Christian Principles

A person having "moral principles" voluntarily adhere to self-imposed rules of conduct. Applying that to a Christian, then, one with "Christian principles" is a person who accepts Jesus as Lord and wants to be as much like him as possible. It's more than following the law or loving Jesus and others. It's wanting to be "beyond reproach"! Why? Because we honor and respect the author of our beliefs, and want to live as much as Jesus as possible.

1 John 2:6  (ESV) "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

 

1 Corinthians 11:1 ( ESV)  "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."       

1 Peter 2:21 (ESV) "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

Ephesians 5:1-2 ( ESV) "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

 

Isn't this interesting!  You thought that since you now believe in Christ, that the journey is done! We are to "walk in the same way" as Christ. How did Jesus walk? He lived a sinless life, he loved everyone and he spread the gospel. If you love Jesus you aren't REQUIRED to do that, but your conscious tells you that you must! That's "Christian principle"! If you're just doing out of obligation, you missed the point! As a free moral agent you have "liberty in Christ"!

 

Galatians 5:1 (KJV) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

 

Before Jesus came our faith was demonstrated by our desire to follow the law! We had too! That was our only way to demonstrate faith. We were slaves to rules and commandments. Our every action was measured by obedience. If we broke the law, we were doomed until we repented. Now Christians have liberty! Liberty is freedom. We exercise our choices in a matters, including whether we love Christ or not and whether we want to be "imitators of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1)!

 

We can't be as Christ, we can only "imitate" Jesus. That's flattering to him. His desire is for us to be as he is! We all have heroes. Mine was Roy Rogers when I was a child. I tried to act as he did, talk as he talked and walk as he walked. Jesus is now my hero! If I'm sincere I need to behave as he asked, speak as he spoke and walk as Jesus walked; not because he dictates it, but out of love; out of principle! 1 Peter 2:21 tells me to "walk in his steps"!

 

We can't always see Jesus's steps. Sometimes the sand has shifted and the wind has blurred his steps. His walk may be unclear, but when in doubt "Christian principles" are to be applied! WWJD (What would Jesus do?) becomes our modus operandi! We veer not from what is right, not because we have an all-seeing eye watching us, but because we have a loving eye we wish to please! In some cases "law" does not apply. Behavior and actions are not spelled out. In those cases we're to please Jesus. "Thou shalt not drink alcohol." is not a command. We refrain from strong drink because we want to be sober. Sobriety is what we're asked to do!  "Thou shalt not gamble." isn't a law. We refuse to gamble out of respect for Jesus. We place reverence for Jesus over the "love of money". We desist from gambling because sinners who crucified our Savior cast lots for his remnant. That's "Christian principle"!

 

I heard a fellow Christian repeat a dirty joke. My response was "Christians don't talk filthy!" My friend said "That sin was forgiven 2000 years ago!" Jesus did die for that sin as he said. His death was propitiation for all sins. However, forgiveness is only received when we ask for it. We are to constantly repent and sinning intentionally, let alone without repentance, is not "Christian principle"!  How do we imitate Jesus? We speak as Jesus would!

 

The language Christians speak, privately and publicly, borders on the obscene. The Christian lexicon may not contain the "f" word and outright curses, but crap, friggin', OMG and such speech is playing games with our feeble attempt to imitate Christ. Let our "yes be yes" and our "no,  no". We don't need vanity in our speech. Such speech actually shows a narrow vocabulary and demonstrates shallowness in the command of our own language. Would Jesus speak that way?

 

I wasn't much of a George H. W. Bush fan. That changed because of "Christian principle"!  Barbara Walters asked GHWB in an interview why he was against abortion when most Americans favored it. GHWB responded "If 98% of the people is in favor of something, that doesn't make it right!" That, my reader, is "Christian principle"!  The preservation of life is what Jesus is all about. We kill the being who Jesus came to save!  Standing up for right is "Christian principle"!

 

I mentioned "liberty" earlier. That's our freedom to ignore the law. As a Christian we make judgment values. Most of these judgments are ritualistic laws; whether we eat kosher food or not, whether we wash or not and the like. Paul said this about that:

 

1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."

 

Expedience has to do with what's appropriate. All things are not appropriate although we're free to  do them. Why? They don't edify. They don't build you up spiritually. They are not Christlike! Does saying "crap" edify! If so, edify whom? Does boozing edify? Ask the young Christian watching you chug! Does gambling resemble a Christian walk? Present your case to those who love money!

 

As we watch television we ask ourselves "Does this edify? WWJD? As we watch a movie "Does this edify?" WWJD? As we tell an off-color joke? WWJD? As we have a display of temper? WWJD? As we ridicule those less fortunate? WWJD? As we condemn others? WWJD?

 

Compliance to standards which edify are "Christian principle"! Will non-compliance sentence you, the Christian, to eternal damnation? Likely not. Will non-conformance be irreverent to the Savior who you claim to love? Most definitely! A Christlike Christian is sanctified. A sanctified Christian is set apart from the world and "imitates Christ"! A sanctified Christian exercises "Christian principle"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why you are what you are and believe the way you do.

Why do we believe the way we do?

Long ago when the Druids were kings and priests in a great northern island, Christianity was ripe for the people. If you are British (Britannia) in your genealogy and Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist, Congregational, Quaker and many other denominations, you may have religious origins to familiar names in the New Testament.  Do you wonder where your beliefs were kindled? Do you want to know why you are a Baptist, etc? Here's a short summary!

II Timothy 4:21 : Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

Claudia was the Roman name of the Silurian (British) Princess Gladys, daughter of Carodoc of Siluria (Welsh).

(St. Paul in Britain, Williams Morgan, 1860) In the year a.d. 36, Bran resigned the Silurian crown to Cara- doc, and became Arch-Druid of the college of Silu ria, where he remained till called upon to be a hostage for his son. At the period of his accession Caradoc had three sons, Cyllin or Cyllinus, Lleyn or Linus, and Cynon, and two daughters, Eurgain and Gladys, or Claudia.

Linus, mentioned by St. Paul above was Linus, son of Caradoc and sister to Claudia (Gladys).

Pudens was a Roman Christian and centurion whose full name was Aulus Pudens and the husband to Claudia. It is believed that Claudia (his wife) took the Latin name from the Emperor Claudius. It is not certain because Claudia was a common female name in the time of Claudius, but the link to "Linus" above in II Timothy points toward Claudia (aka Gladys) daughter of Caradoc. Likewise Pudens was a friend to the poet, Martial, who writes of Pudens' marriage to "Claudia Peregrina" ("Claudia the Foreigner") in Epigrams IV:13.
Nothing more is known of the Greek Eubulus. He was a Christian living in Rome faithful to Paul.

Like modern genealogy ancient research is no more certain. It would appear that Paul had few supporters in Rome, but mentioned in II Timothy were those who were faithful! It seem strange that three of the four strongest Christians in Rome were of the family of the Silurian (Welsh) leader Caradoc who was taken captive by Claudius and the entire family taken to Rome.

Killing of the captured was the norm because it was "good sport" enjoyed by the emperors, Claudius included. However, Caradoc was spared because of a plea to the Claudius to be spared so that Claudius would have a good legacy and Britian would cooperate more fully. Gladys was given the Roman name Claudia and married an early Christian convert there named Aulus Pudens.

What's so important about this? Williams Morgan's research shows that the British Church preceded the Roman Church and was started by the well-known biblical character, Joseph of Arimethea, whose tomb Jesus borrowed for a few days. It appears that right after Christ was crucified, according to Williams, Joseph spread Christianity to Britain (ca 60 AD) long before Augustine kidnapped the church in Britain later on.

Williams contends that "Christianity was first introduced into Britain by Joseph of Arimathsea, a.d. 36 — 39 ; followed by Simon Zelotes, the apostle ; then by Aristobulus, the first bishop of the Britons ; then by St. Paul. Its first converts were members of the royal family of Siluria — that is, Gladys the sister of Caradoc, Gladys (Claudia) and Eurgen his daughters, Linus his son, converted in Britain before they were carried into captivity to Rome; then Caradoc, Bran, and the rest of the family, converted at Rome."

There is much support that the British Church is ancient and the early church much different than the Roman Church.   If so Baptists, both General and Particular, who are descendants of the Church of England (1606 General Baptists and (1638 Particular Baptists) have a rich history!  (Most Baptists today are a tempered version of the two, being called "Regular Baptists". However, still in existence are both General Baptists and Calvinist or Particular Baptists).

Before the separation (Hence, Separate Baptists) from the Church of England, the mother church was taken from the Roman Catholic Church because King Henry VIII failed to get the Pope to approve his divorce from Ann Boleyn in 1533. Thomas Cranmer, Arch Bishop of Canterbury, signed the annulment, creating the schism that formalized the Church of England under Queen Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Ann,  in 1559.

Augustine of Hippo organized the Christians in Britain for the Roman Church in 597 AD. Christianity, according to Williams, was already flourishing in Britain thanks to the church fathers who arrived there much earlier, and Williams places St. Paul around 53 AD, long before Augustine was ever born!

What a legacy we have. We should be thankful to Paul, Claudia, Pudens and Linus for standing firm in the face of tribulation! Will you do the same for our descendants? As for me and my house, we will!

Skeptic and Disbelief: Just face the facts!

I believe in Obama! Does that surprise anyone? It should! I believe he exists, I believe he's powerful and I believe many worship him or hold him in awe. Any person would be a fool to not believe in Obama! I'm not implying that a person is loved or even admired because they're real. On the contrary I certainly do not admire Obama and I love him only because God created him. Outside that, antipathy and disgust are the first thoughts coming to mind!

Since I believe in Obama, I also must believe in Hillary Clinton, Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid, John Boehner and even Nancy Pelosi. Like Obama, they exist. Many have seen them, I've seen them on television, I've read about them and others have told me that they have seen them. I've met Mitch  McConnell several times, have spoken with him and have added faith that he exists. Why? Because I have had a personal relationship with him, although it's pretty unlikely that he still remembers me!

Let me pick a random person. Let's see. How about Billy Graham? That works for me if it does for you. Most people in the civilized world know of Billy Graham. He's real to them. Many have heard him preach and many more have heard his sermons on television. Real people can be seen in stadiums. Their existence would convince many that Billy Graham is a real person and a celebrity as well as a renowned preacher!  However, I went to a Billy Graham Crusade in Bowling Green several years back. Billy wasn't there! They had another preacher. I don't remember his name now, but unlike Billy Graham, this man was black! He wasn't Billy!

What if I say "I don't believe in Billy Graham." Although some that he has to say is good, some of it is disagreeable to me.  I not only have never seen him, but he wasn't at his own crusade. I believe that silly people just wish that Billy Graham exists because they need someone to encourage them. They say he's near death now so there is a fat chance I'd ever meet him if he even exists. Billy, if you're real, call me right now! I dare you to expose yourself and prove that you truly are real. I'm confident that Billy Graham will never come forward. I just don't believe in him and never will, despite the fact that most the world would argue with me.

Am I silly? Billy Graham is real, he's a leader just like his contemporaries in the political arena. His existence is validated by his own birth records, but also the records of his parents and even his genealogy. Many have written of his life and he's changed many lives with his message. Just as I believe in Barak Obama, I believe in Billy Graham. Although, Obama is a more powerful civil leader, Billy Graham has many devoted spiritual followers. Yes, I was kidding! I do believe in Billy Graham. The evidence is plentiful and the facts accepted by the world... Billy Graham is a real person! He did change lives. He is more than wishful thinking and certainly is more than a myth!

Do you see where I'.m heading? Do you believe that Augustus Caesar did exist? Do you believe in King Herod? How about the Governor Felix? Pontius Pilate? There is secular proof that they not only lived at the beginning of the Christian era, but were influential. Their legacy remains today and a person would be a fool to argue that these leaders were fictional or mythological characters. You can find extant writings of each of these leaders or their contemporaries. Like Obama, they are real!

Why then is Jesus not real? Why do you not believe in him?  His contemporaries wrote of his life, his words and his legacy. Why would they write the story of a false person? Furthermore, foreign dignitaries came to honor his birth. Would they ride 800 miles on camel-back to give presents to someone who didn't exist? King Herod sought this baby to kill him. Would a real historical King Herod waste his time tracking down a myth? Silly Herod! Silly you!  ...If you believe Jesus was a myth!

Thousands heard Jesus' sermons, just like Billy Graham. Lives were changed! Those who knew Jesus wrote of him because he IS real! Not only is the birth of Jesus documented, but so was his conception! Can you say that about yourself? His genealogy goes back to Adam! Do you know yours that far back?

Jesus raised the dead and performed miracles!  Thousands saw and testified to his existence, even those who hated Jesus knew he was real! They were afraid of him because he has authority and power. They were afraid Jesus would leave a profound legacy! He didn't disappoint them. He did just that!

Then Jesus died on the cross. He really did! The multitude saw him crucified and carried to the grave. Pontius Pilate saw it. Enemy soldiers carried out the bloody deed and the Roman Caesars wrote about it as did historians like Josephus who wasn't his disciple, but testified to his existence. His enemies believed in Jesus. Why don't you?

Jesus was raised from the dead and left the tomb. He was resurrected after three days just as he said he would be!  You don't believe that either do you skeptic?  The soldiers who guarded the tomb believed it. Pilate believed it!  The Jewish leaders who hated Jesus believed it. The tomb was empty then and it still is! Thomas, his own friend and disciple, was a skeptic. He felt the pierced hands and vouched for Jesus; the one who died and now lives. Thomas didn't want to believe he was wrong, but he admitted his mistake. He testified that Jesus who died now lives, and did just that with many witnesses, some who wrote an affidavit to that miracle.

The dead man yet lives, even after being entombed for three days! He walked to Amaeus with travelers who told him the entire story (they didn't know it was him). They believed in Jesus. The entire known civilized world knew that the Nazarene had been killed yet not found in the grave. He spoke to and was seen by hundreds, many who were so amazed and convinced that they wrote it down!  Those documents are still with us! Those documents, those affidavits, have been bound together and is now called The New Testament!  We now except those documents as fact, true statements and documentation that God took on the form of man, was born of a virgin woman, lived 33 years, ministered to the world, performed miracles, raised the dead and was himself murdered (although innocent) and could not be contained by the grave! Why? Because Jesus is God!

What's more. His enemies, the Jews, knew who he was! Their Holy Scripture, The Bible's Old Testament as we call it, told them centuries before all about Him. He was expected by them and anxiously awaited his coming. Those who believed in Jesus the most, rejected him because he wasn't what they thought he should be. Rather than an eternal king who came to save the world, they wanted a Warrior King who would return the Promised Land to them. Because they were selfish in their desires they killed their savior because he was and is real! Their belief wasn't in a myth nor mere man, but in a person of royalty. They didn't know it at the time, but they asked for the death of the most powerful king who ever lived. He ruled the universe and still does! Kings have bowed to Jesus. Jesus is real! Do kings bow to those who aren't real?

Luke 24:36

³⁶ And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
³⁷ But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
³⁸ And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
³⁹ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
⁴⁰ And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
⁴¹ And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
⁴² And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
⁴³ And he took it, and did eat before them.
⁴⁴ And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
⁴⁵ Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
⁴⁶ And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
⁴⁷ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
⁴⁸ And ye are witnesses of these things.
⁴⁹ And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
⁵¹ And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
⁵² And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
⁵³ And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Jesus stood in the midst of his followers and spoke... after he had been crucified and died! He called those with whom he stood "witnesses" that he suffered, died and was raised. He demonstrated to the people that he was real. He showed his pierced hands and feet, those of one who died, yet he ate before them, being yet fully alive! Then he was carried up into heaven where scripture tells us he lives on! Perry Mason could ask for no more airtight case than this. The dead man himself alive and telling of his own death... and in front of witnesses who saw and touched him! Yet many of you disbelieve because what happened because it happened only one time in history!

Few but the faithful read those "documents" in the Bible. What was once the most read book in the world has caved to entertainment, pleasure and thrill. Those caught up in Satan's world have little desire to read of a king in olden times who died needlessly, although innocent. They're more concerned with Trayvon Martin and Rodney King than they are with the death of Jesus. Clever quips posted to Facebook mean more than the actual words God said to us! Do you not know that when you read the Bible, you are reading actual words uttered by God to mankind? What an opportunity we have! What an opportunity most miss.

Let's now look at the skeptic. He still believes in Obama, Biden, Caesar, Pilate and maybe even Big Foot and aliens from another planet! However, even though any sane intelligent person must admit that Jesus was real, they still believe all his contemporaries, even enemies, lied about his life. How naive! How gullible! How insane!

Here's the solution to your unbelief, assuming you do want the truth: Read the Gospel of John then Matthew, Mark and Luke. Follow that by the book of Acts and Paul's letters. Skip Revelation for now, and read the first five books of the Old Testament (the Law), followed by Judges, Joshua, etc. Don't forget to read the Psalms and Proverbs intermittently and the prophets... they tell you all about the coming Messiah, Jesus!

As you read, God will minister to you and if you're sincere and seek truth, you will believe. That is my prayer for you this day!