Friday, July 12, 2013

How much has changed...points to ponder

1.  In the old times, women used to worry about their future until they were married.  Now some of them complain ABOUT getting married.
2.  Up until the sixties, women routinely wore dresses.  Now, only on occasion.  What changed?
3.  The church had the ability to change the atmosphere around them.  Now the atmosphere around them changes the church.
4.  Government used to fear the people.  Now the people fear the government.

5.  Why are some women today concerned of getting married and not finding "that man?"
6.  The definition of marriage hadn't changed in 5000 years.  Now it is being rewritten (which now I believe will never stay constant).  What has changed?
7.  When I was a teenager, I needed to go out of the house to have a friend or relationship.  Not anymore.
8.  Interesting how the minority claim Constitutional rights against the same rights of others.
9.  Why do feminists today believe they should be treated like a lady when they want to be equal to "one of the guys?"
10.  What would people do in the younger generation when technology no longer works?
11.   If conservatives don't like something, they just don't choose it.   Liberals believe they should rid what they dislike.  If they get rid of all they dislike, would it still be considered "pro-choice?"
12.  Is it more truer than today - that pro and can are opposites, so is progress and Congress?


Answers?

Friday, July 5, 2013

What happened to the church, more

I decide to take a break from my overbearing homework, and while I was returning from the grocery store, I was pondering on churches.  I have been so busy with my homework and other chores that I haven't had time, but wondered how it came up all of a sudden.
Western churches have some good points but it seems to be slipping fast from the foundation that it once claimed years ago.  Messages and lifestyles have faded from the fear of God and demands to rest solely on its interpretation of the love of God.  It avoids power, repentance and holiness and focuses so much that what it is taught and learned drifts further from the truth each passing time.  It demands sinners sit in the pews without knowledge of sin.  It has them forgiving sin that they don't even know what it is.  We have congregations loving grace but not knowing where its power truly comes from.  Pastors skate their way around the block doing what they can to avoid offending their congregation and those who provide their paycheck.  Problem is are they are really building their kingdom with kingdom material...

Even with the issues I have battled in the last few years, I contemplate the time in Texas where the Holy Spirit showed up for a month, ministering to people and literally shutting down the pulpit while the pastor watched Him work.  Even with the attitude I had around that time it was hard to avoid the Holy Spirit seeing Him minister.  Men from halfway houses were being saved, even a Jewish woman ran down to the altar in mid-service demanding to know Jesus right then. 
I am not looking for a perfect church, there is none.  Some things have changed so much that it is close to being unrecognizable from fifty years ago.  Sin is a dirty word, repentance is a word that seems unpronounceable from the pulpit, holiness standards have been lowered so much that it no longer resembles God's requirements but man's hope it will be enough. 
Today's message of grace and love will not get us to the level God wants us to walk, but we don't care.  We want mercy, but not willing to give it to others when they wrong us. It is sad we are wondering the desert believing we have already crossed the Jordan.  Some haven't left Egypt yet.
Have more later, just a little bit to get off my chest and think where we are actually going instead of wondering how to get back on the path.

Jeremiah 6:16
Michael

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Big Brother's Big Plans For You

It has been well enough time since my last blog, I have been out of town, and pushing my limits with summer internet classes.  Luckily for me, I was going to take five (NOTE: summer classes are shorter, so they are accelerated, twice as much work in a shorter time) classes, but took a reprieve when a class I already took years ago. 

Considering all the scandals the government, and the current administration has had to endure, do you feel save from the government that was originally built to be fearful of the citizens?  Benghazi, IRS, snooping of the AP and gathering info from Verizon, while denying the major social giants are involved as well.  This government is the best at the child version of "he did it."  

We have politics that are set in place to protect their position in government, and keep them there, whatever the costs.  I do not care what party who you are, I believe 99% of them only care for themselves first.  Note that the government gives itself  "safe modes" for many reasons:
1.  Congress is protected from Obamacare - they know how bad it is.
2.  Congress gives itself pensions and packages when they leave office - pay for the rest of their life.
3.  Recently, they passed a bill stating free speech is restricted around Congress personnel and the State Admin.  Say something they don't agree with, jail time, depending on the "interpretation" of what they heard according to the dictation of the law.
4.  Let's not forget health benefits for their family for the lifetime.

I don't remember the last time I felt unsafe, with everything above PLUS the Homeland Security passing along "information" that Christians are the biggest threat to America.  What to I have to say?  For those liberals who accept that, I can understand, we ARE a threat.  Never mind that the liberal view has been against only one religion (how does it stand against radical Islam) since it got its foot in the door of politics. 
In my most humble opinion, I cannot believe there are still people who accept this governments actions and behavior, and still "trust" them.  I do not trust them as far as the space between my ears. 

Since this is on google, does that make you feel good, if your truly snooping, because you fear what God has in store for you than the citizens you are sworn to "govern."

Lest we forget, the government is getting to the finishing touches on a building near Bluffdale, Utah, that will have enough computer space to store every phone call, every text message, every keystroke for every internet computer and site, of every American.  Why does the government need for this, are we ALL terrorists?  TO bring in the socialist government that Mr. Obama wants, this has to be done.

Feel safe now?

Jeremiah 6:16
Michael

Monday, May 27, 2013

Change of Pace - Oxymorons

I have had these for awhile, so I figure there are more.  Felt I could put it out there for a small laugh and a change of pace from what I posted in the past.

Enjoy.


50. Act naturally
49. Found missing
48. Resident alien
47. Advanced BASIC
46. Genuine imitation
45. Airline Food
44. Good grief
43. Same difference
42. Almost exactly
41. Government organization
40. Sanitary landfill
39. Alone together
38. Legally drunk
37. Silent scream
36. British fashion
35. Living dead
34. Small crowd
33. Business ethics
32. Soft rock
31. Butt Head
30. Military Intelligence
29. Software documentation
28. New York culture
27. New classic
26. Sweet sorrow
25. Childproof
24. "Now, then ..."
23. Synthetic natural gas
22. Christian Scientists
21. Passive aggression
20. Taped live
19. Clearly misunderstood
18. Peace force
17. Extinct Life
16. Temporary tax increase
15. Computer jock
14. Plastic glasses
13. Terribly pleased
12. Computer security
11. Political science
10. Tight slacks
9. Definite maybe
8. Pretty ugly
7. Twelve-ounce pound cake
6. Diet ice cream
5. Rap music
4. Working vacation
3. Exact estimate
2. Religious tolerance (?)
And the Number one top Oxymoron
1. Microsoft Works

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Argument Over Persecution Part 1

2 Tim. 3:12
    Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

dioko, dee-o'-ko; a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb dio (to flee; compare the base of Greek 1169 (deilos) and Greek 1249 (diakonos)); to pursue (literal or figurative); by implication to persecute :- ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward.

I want to look into this in a different light that some people either try to take for granted, or take it to extreme opposite side of the argument.  Some scholars are teaching that persecution is always on the physical variety, such as what Apostle Paul went through.  When I look at the Greek word used for this translation, I cannot see where it needs to imply physical confrontation.  Let's use some definitions in replacement and see if it follows with what Paul is saying.
If we use pursue or press forward, we can assume that those who are godly will be pursued or "pressed forward." According the the NAS New Testament Lexicon, a good definition is to "drive away."  In these references, this verse can be phrased better that the godly will be pressed forward, pursued to be driven away.  It seems it doesn't have to be physical, I believe it can be mental, social, and very much political...I will also add religiously can be in the mix.
America is getting deluged by persecution on a daily basis and every corner of this once great country.  Once the seeds were planted for separation of church and state became the doctrine of government and Christianity, it was only a matter of time before the increase on the rights and beliefs would come to fruition. 
Abraham Lincoln said (paraphrasing) that America is too great to be defeated from the outside, but once the liberties start to erode is when we are no longer great.  What great way to begin this trek is to go after ONE religious belief system.
The beginning was in 1962, when the indoctrination began with the removal of prayer, the Bible and teaching from government and all public schools.  Even today, teachers and students cannot even BRING a Bible or anything related to Jesus unto school grounds.  Military cemeteries are being told to remove crosses from the premises, Ten Commandment plaques no longer shown in front of judicial and governmental buildings, in fear of those who may feel "convicted" in their lifestyle.  And this week, the Pentagon looks to enforce that anyone who promotes Christianity can face court martial.  I believe this will eventually lead to expulsion of chaplains and Christians from the military, thus building an army that will lead to martial law and its enforcement.
My curiosity is why isn't the church fighting back?  Does it have the power, does it care, or maybe a combination of both?  Many Christians are either satisfied to keep their faith in the churches wall and home, while some are still enjoying spiritual milk and haven't desired to put on the armor of God.  Most won't even raise an eyebrow, as long as the enemy doesn't pick on them.  Let me tell you something - if the enemy isn't bothering you, maybe you are not a threat to his kingdom. 
Persecution is everywhere in America concerning Christianity.  Hobby Lobby facing fines while it fights against Obamacare and the stranglehold it demands against their views.  Rhode Island just voted today (May 2, 2013) to legalize gay marriage, becoming the tenth state to do so.  To see how far we have went from the beginnings of America to now, Most of the New England states were very conservative and religious.  Does public school teach on this? 
Many of the current Ivy Leagues schools brought forth pastors and the knowledge of the Bible was a requirement for enrollment.  Not anymore.  Atheists fought to remove Greg Laurie from speaking during the National Day of Prayer.  Some Lutheran, Methodists and Presbyterian branches are now endorsing homosexuality at the pulpit, while claiming to uphold the moral values of the Bible.  When true believing Christians speak up against these views, they are labelled as legalistic by the same ones who are demanding tolerance, because "God loves us all, no matter how we were created."  Let me say this:
1.  Nowhere in the Bible does God's love condone sinful behavior.
2.  It is not how we start the race, because ALL of us could not win it on our own.  It is how we finish, and since God made the rules, it is by His ways that it can be won.
I hope to make my point clear.  America is NOT exempt from the world persecuting God's children.  Look around, if I had the time, you could see it happening at your workplace, public places, even IN your church.  Ironic that people can smoke pot legally in public against the law, and a Christian family faces deportation when it wants to uphold Biblical values and having fines and possibly their children taken away.  We say nothing of Islamic countries burning churches and brutalizing Coptic Christians, and America claims "tolerance." 
I truly believe the worst is coming in the next two years.  With a military possibly devoid of any believers, Congress and local and state lawmakers no longer willing to protect Christians rights within the First Amendment, it is only a matter of time where the freedom we should have to evangelize will no longer exists.  The economy has to collapse someday, this will give the government every right to install martial law and keep the military at home.  No nation will need to attack, they have already done their job internally.  Fear will run rampant, Bibles will be confiscated, churches will either be locked down in fear of retaliations in numbers.  Guns will be taken away, socialism will begin to take hold, and many will depend on the government and to keep you and your family alive by a hair.  God's hand will be totally lifted from this once great nation, and the only thing left to wait for is the Rapture.
Keep this in mind with what is being taught in a way that it becomes unbiblical.  Christians are being told that God will protect them in every way - monetary, physically, emotionally, even socially.  If these people truly read the last few verses of Hebrews 11 (the "faith" chapter), they would see that these people did NOT receive the promises.  These went through the worst of persecutions, the torture type, and don't forget for one minute that won't be possible in America.  The devil HATES Jesus, and he uses mankind against the very thing that can save them. 
I believe the church will be sent underground, because the church has become selfish that the power of godliness it should show to the world it doesn't have.  It is very rarely taught discernment, holiness and how to use repentance for the glory of God.  Believers seek prophetic words to tickle their ears, some yearn for the supernatural manifestations that assumes it is from God, it ignores the full ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the enemy continues to gain ground to the ultimate point where there is nothing left to stand for.
It will increase, it won't necessarily means physically.  It is occurring in America today in workplaces, where people can be passed over for promotions, companies being attacked because their owners and CEO's stand by their faith and called intolerant, atheist groups like "Freedom From Religion" using its clout and size to attack EVERYTHING that has a cross, regardless if it is governmental or not. 
The roses will soon be eradicated, obliterated and the Great Tribulation will begin soon, and the world will start its exclamation that it does not need God to proclaim its dominance, only to bring about its own destruction. 
I fear for my children, and hopes I will have time to train them for this, whether Jesus is more important than their own life.  If anyone needs to be in prayer and for a solid reason, read Revelations and see the damage mankind will do when it does not have God for any guidance.  Jesus said unless the days be shortened...mankind would kill each other off because all it thinks of is themselves, and the devil laughs at the church standing by not having a care for the world around it.
When we are being herded off, when a gun is held to your head, and you wonder why Jesus isn't there to save you, with you stand on your faith or your life?  Will you then look back when you had the chance to take back what ground the church lost, or will you blame others in hope God will see you holier? 
Parting words:
Hebrews 11:36-40
    And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: [37] They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; [38] (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. [39] And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: [40] God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.


Maybe it is time to stop looking at "one promise," and look for the "better thing."  So far I believe Apostle Paul obtained a better report, for his faith kept him through all he went through.  There is nothing you earned that you can take to heaven.  What will you have left to stand on? 
Understand this, America is the last thing standing before the final battles against Israel.  When Christians and God are removed from the United States, it will have the massive effect of the enemy running rampant, God's hand of protection will be gone.  Will your faith be enough to stand in front of a gun if this scenario plays out?  It is happening elsewhere in the world, what makes America different in the near future? 
Is you faith truly worth fighting?  Is Jesus worth your life?

Jeremiah 6:16