Parenting Yourself

Calab has a real good post few days ago. You can read the article by clicking the link above.

Dave

Missionaries Are People Too!

At 4:00 P।M. a dusty van pulls up to the church. The passengers peer through finger-printed windows at the only car in the parking lot. Is it the pastor's? The janitor's? Or just an abandoned vehicle?

"Oh, please let the church be open," Mom breathes। Dad hops out with an "I'll-only-be-a-little-while" look over his shoulder. To Mom, this translates, "Keep the kids in their straitjackets another 45 minutes while I find out what plans the pastor has for us.

Mom sighs. Is it worth crawling over two unfurled sleeping bags, four wired kids and a van full of odds and ends just to use this brief interlude to tidy up? Forget it. Save your strength. Wait till the kids are snoring sweetly in their sacks-say 11:00 PM. or so.
Voices drift toward the front of the van।

"He took my potato chip!"

"But I found it on the floor first!"

"I have to go to the bathroom now!"

The last one cuts through the din like a new paring knife। In one scrambling movement, everyone is tumbling out of the van and hurtling churchward with Mom calling weakly, "Be quiet and don't run in the halls!"

Beware! Your missionaries are here! To some church folks, they are as familiar as our favourite coffee mug। To others, they are just some family from outer Slombovia. Do you rush to greet them or figure that they'll never remember you anyway? Will tonight's service just be another missionary message (ho hum) with slides and a sunset?

Missionaries-are they real? Do they arrive at church Sunday morning, looking like a prayer card, while you struggle with your Sunday School books and an appropriate church smile? It's not fair, you sniff। You go on day after day in the same place, while they "see the U.S.A. from their Chevrolet"-eating out and staying in motels.

Let's eavesdrop on a missionary drive to church।

"What do you mean, you left your Bible at the last church?"

"I told you to go to the bathroom before we left the motel!"

"But it was your job to make sure she had her church shoes on!"

I have actually witnessed missionary families, children lined up according to age, sitting primly on the front row, eyes riveted on the activities in front. And then there are others.
Dad sits on the platform। Mom approaches the pulpit to provide the special music. Suddenly, cries of "Mommy! Mommy!" break the sanctified stillness. A small body hurls itself at the soloist and clings like static to Mom's wrinkled dress. As the offender is trundled off to the bowels of the church, Mom smoothes her skirt and her dignity, resuming her march to the microphone.

Dad begins preaching, the children hanging on every word। Mom is relaxed and enjoying the message। And then, in a stage whisper, one kid innocently shares with folks four pews away, "Dad always preaches this sermon!"

"Mom, I need a pen। No, not a pencil, a pen!"


"Mom, she has my notepad। She's wrecking my notepad!"

"I know you're hungry। I told you to come eat your cereal, but you were too busy making a fort with the pillows."

Church is over; Dad and Mom relax a bit, but wait-the family has been invited out to a buffet! Everyone clambers into the van। The four-year-old is sobbing. Her Sunday School paper is at church, and she desperately wants to show Mom the pop-up Noah looking out the ark window. Dad, waving to home-bound church-goers, speaks out of the side of his smile. "Hurry up. Buckle your seat belts. The pastor is waiting for us to follow him."

"No, you can't ride in Johnny's car," Mom explains।

"No, I didn't see the lady in the choir with the funny glasses।"

In line at the buffet, Mom sees her six-year-old (four people away by the pastor's wife), blithely helping herself to a small scoop of macaroni and cheese, one carrot and three-fourths of a plate of red Jell-O squares। At the table, Mom glimpses her four-year-old dumping a glob of chocolate pudding in her lap, and Mom realizes she forgot to iron "back up clothes."

After the evening service, Dad and Mom have spoken with every possible person। They've smiled their last smile. The kids-obnoxiously normal-are just tired enough (from an afternoon "nap") to have their second wind. They have been banished to the last pew so Mom could have meaningful conversation lasting longer than 45 seconds. It's time for marching out quietly to the van-solemnly singing hymns while boarding- fastening seat belts without being reminded and motoring off into that missionary sunset.

Whoops! Look again!

"He got in first and won't let me by!"

"Can we have a snack when we get back to the motel?"

"I don't want to sleep on the floor again; it gives me a headache।"


"Was I good tonight, Dad?"

What can you think of that would make missionaries feel special?



And the King shall answer and say unto them,Verily I say unto you,Inasmuch as ye have done itunto one of the least of these my brethren,ye have done it unto me.Matthew 25:40

The Bible Speaks On Homosexuality

I got this from Pastor Art Kohl web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.

Dave

1. The Law of God speaks against it.

Leviticus 18:22, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” An abomination is anything that is disgusting to God.
Leviticus 20:13, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Deuteronomy 23:17,28 “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” The word “dog” means a sodomite or a male prostitute.

2. Biblical history speaks against it.

Genesis 19:4-12, “But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:” Genesis 19:23-28, “The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.”
1 Kings 14:24, “And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”
1 Kings 15:11-12, “And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”
1 Kings 22:41-46, “And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.”
2 Kings 23:7, “And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.”

3. The Prophets of the Old Testament speak against it.

Isaiah 1:9, “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”
Isaiah 3:9, “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”
Isaiah 13:19, “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Lamentations 4:6, “For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.”
Ezekiel 16:49, “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.”

4. The New Testament speaks against it.

Romans 1:26-32, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “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, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Timothy 1:9-10, “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”
2 Peter 2:6, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”
Jude 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.”

5. Conclusions.

Over the last few decades, the semantics of this issue have changed. It has gone from Sodomy to homosexuality to gay or lesbian to sexual orientation. Today’s reference to it as sexual orientation has certainly taken the sting out of the sin.
The focus of the debate has turned from a behavior to an issue, like abortion where the debate has turned from the procedures of abortion to an issue.
If one would focus on the behavior that homosexuals admit to, they would agree with the Scriptures which says they are “abusers of themselves with mankind.” Should any government official condone abuse even between consenting adults?
“Stay out of our bedrooms, stay out of our private lives,” is a defensive posture we hear from pro-homosexuals. There are many different laws that affect each of our private lives. Laws against adultery, fornication, pedophilia, beastiality, incest, torture, rape, even seat belt laws. Most laws in some way legislate morality. Do not kill, do not steal, etc.
Homosexuality is fatal. The average homosexual, whether male or female lives about 45 years. This is 30 years less than the average heterosexual male or female. This is alarming! Only 3% of homosexuals reach their 65th birthday. Each statesman should work to warn the populace of this danger. Some in government have gone to great lengths to discourage cigarette smoking. They have sued the cigarette companies. They have had enough of the deaths that this behavior causes and the dollars spent on treating tobacco related maladies, yet cigarettes takes an average of 6 years off of an adult’s life. Homosexuality takes 30 years off. We should stand against homosexuality even if only for health reasons.
Justification for homosexual behavior is often given from the “look at the great contributions they make to our society” angle. Do our contributions justify our life style? Would this exonerate a child abuser, pedophile, prostitute, incest, beastiality or any crime or criminal? Of course not! There are certain laws I must obey in private and in public that legislate morality that are good safeguards for myself, my wife and family. I can not beat my wife and children with a baseball bat in the privacy of my home. It would endanger them and rightfully so I would be arrested. As we have seen, homosexuality endangers those who are involved with it in private.

It is best for society to believe the Scriptures in its opposition to this abominable lifestyle.

Does God Send Disease?

I got this from Pastor Art Kohl web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.

Dave

Introduction:

Let God be God! People like to reduce God and His character to their own personal opinion of Him. They will not allow Him to do anything out of the boundaries that they have drawn up for Him to obey. They are so ingrained with "God is Love" idea that they will not permit Him to be a Holy God, or Righteous or a God who insists on Justice. God is a God of Judgement, and He is known by the judgements that He makes. He is more than just a "God of Love".
For example, a local paper reported recently that only 24% of Americans believe that AIDS disease is a judgement from God upon sexual perversion. 76% do not believe it is. Where do we develop our opinion of God and how He acts from? It is either from studying the Bible, or it is left up to our personal opinion, thereby we become the god of God, and He is under our control rather than vice versa.
But I say, Let God be God, and let us study what He has said about this subject in the Bible.

1. How Did Jesus Know?

2000 years ago, Jesus answered a question that was posed to Him: "What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) He answered with many indications that we could watch for, such as cults, wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, hatred, prejudice and PESTILENCES!
Pestilence is defined: "Disease that spreads rapidly, causing many deaths" according to the dictionary.
By the turn of the century, over 50 million will die in Africa from AIDS disease -(that's 1/5 of America's population).
There are between 30-50 million cases in the world of venereal syphilis. 150 million cases of gonorrhea infection. 68,493 teenagers in the free world come down with a venereal disease EVERY DAY!
How did Jesus know? He knows everything! He is God! (John 10:30,14:9, I Timothy 3:16, Acts 20:28, John 20:28,29)
In a day and age where science and medicine have advanced to unparalleled levels, there is still epidemics of PESTILENCE.

2. God Promised.

"If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God: Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed." Deuteronomy 28:58-61.
Also take time to read Leviticus 26:15 & 16.
The Bible is filled with wonderful promises to those who live right, and dreadful promises to those who reject and neglect God's Word. Definitely promised is disease sent from God as a promised judgement.

3. The "Do-your-own-thing" Disease.

God promised to judge sexual sin. All sex outside of the husband-wife marriage relationship is sin. Hebrews 13:4 says "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but adulterers and whoremongers GOD WILL JUDGE."
In 2 Chronicles 21 there is the story of a man names Jehoram who "caused the habitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication and compelled Judah" also. (Verse 11) The prophet Elijah was commissioned by God to write a letter to Jehoram. It said: "Behold, with a great plague will the Lord smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods: And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day." (vs 14,15) Shortly after, it was fulfilled. II Chron, 21:18,19, "And after all this, the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning of his fathers." Who smote Jehoram with an incurable disease in his bowels? God did!
"And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another: men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was meet." Romans 1:27

4. Why Judgement?

To bring about repentance. It is a chastisement of God to get us to turn back to Him. Study Revelation 16:7-11.
Not all disease is a judgement from God, however. Space does not allow us to study the other side of the coin at this time. Satan can afflict people with physical and mental diseases. Some diseases are the result of violating natural laws such as alcohol or cigarette smoking related diseases. Some are unexplainable. We do not pretend to have all the answers. This one thing we know, however; the Bible teaches clearly that God sends diseases upon the disobedient, especially sexually related diseases.

5. It's Not Too Late.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways- then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14
There is a penalty for sin, our worst disease and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. It is incurable for all have sinned and "the wages of sin is death". Christ is the antidote for sin, for He paid the penalty in full on the cross for you and I. He died, was buried and rose again and is alive for evermore and can save you from your sins today if you'll ask Him to!
God has our best in mind. He's not a kill joy in Heaven trying to ruin all of our fun. The most fulfilled and happiest people in the world are saved people living by God's standards. They have love, joy, peace and everything else the world is trying to find.
Why don't you be one of theme God does love you. Yes, He's a God of Judgement, but He's a God of mercy to all who turn to Him. "Not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 3:5

Did the Bible Predict The Invention of Television?

I got this from Pastor Art Kohl web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.

Dave




Introduction:

The Bible is amazing in its prophecies. One must stand in awe of its simple statements made far before their time of fulfillment. For instance in Isaiah 40:22 the prophet, 700 years before Christ says that the earth is round. That's about 2200 years before man agreed with it. Amazing! There are a few instances that prophecies given cannot be fulfilled without the invention of the television. Let's consider them.

1. John "saw" TV in 95 AD?

One of the Lord's 12 disciples was John. He outlived the other 11. He was exiled on the Island of Patmos as a criminal. His crime- preaching the Word of God and the message of Christ. It was during this time that John received a vision from God. We call it the Revelation. It is the last book in the Bible. When you get to the 11th chapter of Revelation, you read the story of two of God's preachers in the future. They preach in Jerusalem for 42 months. Their message is despised. The leaders of the day have them killed. Their bodies lie in the street. Then this amazing statement in verse 9, "And they of the people and kindreds and tongues AND NATIONS shall SEE THEIR DEAD BODIES three days and a half ..." Nowadays, we see world wide events live in seconds after they happen. It's nothing to us. But 1900 years ago when John wrote this how did he know that we'd have satellites, TVs', movie cameras, etc? He didn't, he just wrote what God told him to, and God knows all things, even the future. All nations can see the same event at once these days and this prophecy could be fulfilled soon.

2. Did Luke See News Broadcasts?

Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke. In the 21st chapter, in verses 5-28, he gives an account of Christ's discourse on the last days. In verse 26, Jesus tells us that in the last days, "men's hearts failing them for fear, and FOR LOOKING after those things which are coming on the earth ...". Maybe it's a strech but to me that sounds like a predicition of news broadcasts which sow so much fear in people today. Even the weather reports make people nervous. "What's this world coming to?" is an expression heard daily. Addicted news watchers are becoming nervous wrecks. Their whole world is failing them for fear. Their hearts are failing them for fear.
Conclusion: It shouldn't surprise us that these prophecies are coming to pass. The Bible is the Word of an omniscient God. Its truths can be trusted. Read it. Start in the New Testament. Let it change your life. Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the Judgement. Why was the Bible written?
Consider 1John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...."

Aw, Mom, Do I Have To Go To Church?

I got this from Pastor Art Kohl web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.

Dave

Introduction Less children today are attending Sunday School and church regularly in America than ever in our history as a nation. In respect to population, of course. Many parents don't believe that regular church attendance is necessary for their children anymore. This is tragic! Moms and Dads, do we make our children brush their teeth? Do we make them wash? Do we make them eat? Sleep? Do we make them go to school, etc? WELL, YES, OF COURSE! Why? Because it's important.

Let me ask you this, "Is church important for a child?" Yes or No? Before you say no, may I remind you that 95% of confined criminals in our jails have received no REGULAR religious training during their childhood? Now answer the question.

I. Why Kids Don't Want To Go To Church

Having a church which puts much emphasis on children ministries, as a Pastor, I've observed 3 major reasons why children don't want to attend church. With the reasons, I'll try to present some solutions.

1. Entertainment- The church cannot compete with the entertainment world today. Kids are being brought up today by TV, movies, VCRs, computers, sports, etc. Hollywood has millions of dollars to produce fast-paced entertainment. As a result, being entertained has become life-style. Our children are lacking the character and discipline today to sit still, listen and learn, whether it be in the schoolroom or church. If they are not entertained, they are bored.
The tragic result is this: If a child has the option to quit something he is bored with, he will always quit. Why? He does not have the discipline to stick it out. His character has been trained to only do things that are entertaining. What will happen to that child when he becomes bored with high school? or his job? or marriage, etc? He'll quit!
Parents should teach their children that life isn't all entertainment. TV has brought about the slow death of the mind. It has dulled our senses and robbed us of the ability to think. It's easier to allow someone else to do our thinking for us. Restrain it! Also, parents should make their children go to church. Ah, you say, "I'm not going to force my children to go to church like I was" Did you really turn out so bad? Are your morals, standards and convictions higher than your children? Are your parent's higher than yours? Are our grandparents' morals higher than ours? Do you remember how moral your great-grandparents were? Where were these morals taught? Why did this country receive this heritage? FROM THE CHURCH! FROM THE BIBLE!
If you don't make your children go to church, what will their children be like? MORALS ARE PRESERVED BY PEOPLE PROPERLY TAUGHT!

2. Peer Pressure- "I'll let my children decide for themselves what they believe," declare many parents. Friends, there is no such thing! ALL of us are the product of the influences of people around us. I believe Abe Lincoln once said, "You'll be the same person you are a year from now except for the people you meet and the books you read." Of course today is different because we have more than books influencing us through the eye-gate.
It doesn't take much peer pressure before children bow to it. Nobody wants to be different. Even adults are controlled by peer pressure to some extent. We call it "keeping up with the Joneses" or "being sociable" or "the good old American way." No one wants to be an oddball.
Children are controlled by children. Look at the way they want to dress or the way they eat, or the music they listen to, or the shows they watch. Parents, did you teach them to like these things? No. Who did? THEIR PEERS.
Because most children do not attend church, the pressure is put on children to believe that it is "normal" practice by their peers. No one, not even a child, wants to be abnormal. Children need to be taught that peer pressure is not a good basis to make decisions on. If this is the foundation of their decision making, they will follow the crowd into premarital or illicit sex, drugs, drunkenness, etc. Don't allow what other children do to be the guide for what you allow your children to do! Especially concerning church attendance.

3. Hypocrisy- Nothing has harmed the message or the power of the church as hypocrisy has. I'm talking about people who go to church for 1 hour a week and act "religious" and then live like the devil the rest of the week. CHILDREN CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH HYPOCRITES, so can everyone else.
There is nothing that has turned children away from the church more than hypocrisy! Friends, it is the power of our example that gives power to what we are trying to teach. "Do as I say, not as I do" NEVER WORKS! Kids hate that! Many parents I've heard say, "well, my children don't want to go to church anymore." And I'll say, "I bet if you started coming, they would keep coming." Usually the only teenagers we can keep coming to our church are the ones whose parents come all the time themselves and are honestly trying to live by God's Word. Parents, let's start being GOOD examples again for our children's sake!

II. Biblical Responsibilities of Parents

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in shine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25. Enough said.

III. So What Is The Church Anyways?

I Timothy 3:16 says that the church is the "pillar and ground of the truth." The truth is the Word of God and what it says. Get yourself AND YOUR CHILDREN into a Bible believing, preaching AND PRACTICING CHURCH, where truth is taught without apology or compromise.


Moms and Dads, you have a knowledge of God. Your children have less. Will the next generation have any?

Will You Join Me?

I got this from Sam Gripp web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.
Dave




“I have thought proper to recommend, and I hereby recommend accordingly, that Thursday, the twenty-fifth day of April next, be observed throughout the United States of America as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that the citizens that day abstain, as far as may be, from their secular occupation, and devote the time to the sacred duties of religion, in public and in private; that they call to mind our numerous offenses against the most high God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past transgressions, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience to his righteous requisitions in time to come; that He would interpose to arrest the progress of that impiety and licentiousness in principle and practice so offensive to Himself and so ruinous to mankind; that He would make us deeply sensible that “righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). - President, John Adams
The News Media has a death grip on the minds & hearts of Americans. Even Christians are caught up in those shallow “reality” TV programs. Everybody wants to be rich tomorrow and everybody wants to live like Hugh Hefner. President Bush has apparently been abducted by aliens and replaced with a cheap, typically cowardly Republican. I am convinced there is nothing we can do to turn this country around and save it from God’s righteous judgement. (If you just said, “I don’t want to save it. America deserves it.” You’re a self-righteous idiot who will regret God’s actions after you bury a few family members.) I personally have put in countless hours and more money than you would believe in trying to turn this country back to God. But I simply cannot see how we can succeed when the News Media, public education & Hollywood have an unbreakable grip on the minds of Americans, saved or unsaved.
God’s head turns when people humble themselves and repent. Therefore, on April 25 I am going to pray and fast and repent for America. I am not calling for you to. I am asking if anyone will join me. What should you do if you wish to join me?
Fast - When I fast I eat nothing from midnight to midnight. You don’t have to do what I do. Fast however you wish but fast on April 25.
Pray - Pray specifically for God’s mercy on America. Ask Him to pardon our nation. That saves us from His wrath but gains Him nothing. So, also pray for Him to send the Holy Spirit to revive our nation. He would get something from that.
Repent - From what? I don’t know...you do! Maybe it’s a secret sin. Maybe it would be a change to godly values. Maybe it’s time to quit playing. Maybe it would be surrender to live for the Lord.
It’s out of our hands. We can only beg God to have mercy on our country.
I can’t think of a place in the Bible where God did not acknowledge anyone who humbled themselves and repented.
I know! I know! The America-haters will bring up Judas or Esau who couldn’t find repentance though he sort “carefully with tears.” But, the Bible makes it plain that Judas’ repentance was worldly repentance. In the case of Esau, he had sold his birth right and then wanted it back. His repentance was not one of turning from sin in his life.
When William Paterson, a signer of the Constitution and a Justice on the U. S. Supreme Court, saw America headed in an ungodly direction he said, “Infatuated Americans, why renounce your country, your religion, and your God? Oh shame, where is thy blush? Is this the way to continue independent, and to render the 4th of July immortal in memory and song?” He was calling the nation to repentance.
Jonathan Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut during colonial days said, “[Pray t]hat God would graciously pour out His Spirit upon us and make the blessed Gospel in His hand effectual to a thorough reformation and general revival of the holy and peaceful religion of Jesus Christ.”
Why is it wrong to desire and work towards this today!? You say, “But America has to fall before the Lord comes back.” But do we have to push it? Wouldn’t God be more pleased with us if we finished our days trying to turn the nation to a position from which God would gain worship from His creation? Isn’t that better than sitting self-righteously on our hands and helping America curse God by our silence?
When King Josiah heard of God’s plan to judge Israel he humbled himself in II Kings 22:11. Read II Kings 22:12-20 and see what God’s reaction was.
When the King and princes of Israel saw God’s judgement in II Chronicles 12:1-5 they humbled themselves in verse 6 and God turned from His judgement. (Note verse 12.) Are we worse then Israel was?
Alexander Hamilton recognized the danger of a society turned from God when he said this of France, “The attempt by the rulers of a nation [France] to destroy all religious opinion and to pervert a whole people to atheism is a phenomenon of profligacy [act of moral depravity]. . . . [T]o establish atheism on the ruins of Christianity [is] to deprive mankind of its best consolations and most animating hopes and to make a gloomy desert of the universe.”
Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence predicted America’s fate and said, “I anticipate nothing but suffering to the human race while the present systems of paganism, deism, and atheism prevail in the world.”
But the truth is that Christian Americans are just as caught up in the world as lost people are. Christians desire nothing but pleasure and money and fame and fun. They wish no discomfort for Christ and certainly do not intend to sacrifice any of their American pleasures for God.
Read II Chronicles 30:8-20 and see what God does when just a portion of a population humbles themselves and repents.
In II Chronicles 32:24, 25 God pronounced judgement against the pride of Hezekiah. But he and Judah humbled themselves and repented and God postponed His judgement.
Governer Morris, a signer of The Constitution knew what happened to people who turned from good to evil. “[T]he most important of all lessons [from the Scriptures] is the denunciation of ruin to every State that rejects the precepts of religion.”
In II Chronicles 33 Manassah humbled himself and repented and God restored him. The result was a revival of worship for the Lord. Yet in the same chapter, verses 21-25 his son Amon refused to humble himself and you can see the result.
On April 25 I am fasting and humbling myself before God. (Honest! I’ve already repented.) I am throwing myself and my country on the mercy of God. I don’t care what you do. I don’t care what you believe. I don’t care if you think God can’t destroy America soon enough to suit you. I am turning to God because I am convinced that my country is being led to Hell itself by a wicked, vile God-hating News Media. I believe Americans are doomed and I don’t want to see them destroyed by God’s wrath.
Anyone who wishes to join me can fast however you wish, bow down to the Lord and pray, and repent of your wickedness. What should you pray? Timothy Pickering, a Revolutionary general and one time Secretary of State said it pretty good when he prayed, “Pardon, we beseech Thee, all our offences of omission and commission; and grant that in all our thoughts, words, and actions, we may conform to Thy known will manifested in our consciences, and in the revelations of Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Our Founding Fathers founded a nation on the Bible to the glory and worship of God. Are we, by our pride, greed and inaction going to let it slip away and be destroyed? Are we going to condemn America to destruction as though we were the righteous God of the Bible? Or are we going be the salt we were intended to be? Are we going to intercede for a wayward nation? The king of Nineveh commanded his people to humble themselves and pray and turn from their wickedness and then said, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?” The first three words of the next verse meant 250 more years of life for wayward Nineveh.

“And God saw...”

The REAL American Idol

I got this from Sam Gripp web site. You can read the article by clicking the link above.



There was a time when Americans worked all day and then watched a little TV at night for entertainment. Those days are gone! Television is no longer a source of entertainment which we can take-or-leave. It has become an integral part of the lives of Americans. What I mean is that it is as much a part of life as your job, family or marriage.

Here are some of the symptoms to watch for to tell if you have been addicted to your television.

1. “Must see TV” - If there is a show you simply can’t go without seeing you are addicted! Don’t take that lightly. It’s as dangerous as being addicted to cocaine. I don’t care if it’s the “History Channel,” you are a slave to your television.

2. “Can you believe it?!” - People now talk about their favorite TV shows as if they were as important as their children. They discuss what is happening on a fictional program, to a make believe person, as though it effected their lives like the price of gas or groceries. They are as upset at what happens on their favorite show as if they had lost their job.Or, they are caught up in the lives of real people who hate the Lord and are against everything the Bible and their church stand for. Some of you are caught up with Anna Nicole Smith or the adoption antics of Angelina Jolie as though they were members of your family. Your emotions have been kidnaped by godless, Christ-denying producers from Holywood (sic).

3. “Perverted compassion” - You have “compassion” for wicked people and their immoral standards but contempt for your pastor and his biblical standards. When I say something about murderous Muslims or perverted homosexuals or the slut, Anna Nicole Smith, some of you ignite in anger. Of course, you can’t admit that you have been perverted by your TV god so you have to complain, “Gipp just doesn’t have any ‘Christ-like compassion’ for these poor sinners. Hate the sin, love the sinner is what the Bible says. I’m ‘Christ-like’ because I have ‘compassion’ for these people.” Sure! Take that statement, put it between two pieces of bread and you’ll have a baloney sandwich! Why?

1. You can have “compassion” for the horrendous wrongs of these individuals or groups but have none for my smaller wrong of not having the same perverted “compassion” for them. If you can condemn me and not condemn them with the same indignation, you are a fraud and your so-called “compassion” is really worship that you willingly perform because you can’t bring yourself to do, say or hold an opinion contrary to your god, television.

2. “Compassion” doesn’t “sit in a chair. You compare yourself to Christ because you claim you have “compassion” on these wicked people. Wrong! In the Bible when Christ had compassion, it said He was “moved with compassion.” In other words He actively relieved their burden. He didn’t defend their sin with cheap lip service. If you really have “compassion” on Muslims, homosexuals and Holywood’s whores you need to actively take up their cause and quit pretending to be on the side of God, Jesus Christ and the Bible.

3. “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” Here, you are right! Because the Bible truly does say this (although in 201 times through it I’ve not found it yet.) You are correct. I repent! I’m going to join you in this truly biblical, truly Christ-like point of view. I have been accused of not having compassion for Muslims, queers and Anna Nicole Slut. But now I do, I do, I do, I do have the same “godly” compassion that you have for them. I fact, to quote an old poker term (I now have compassion for poker players too. You do. Don’t you?) “I see your compassion and raise you.”

Examples:

A. Recently a poor helpless misguided sinner by the name of John Couey was convicted of kidnaping, raping and burying alive a helpless, innocent nine year old girl. Oh well, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” I hope none of you have said anything negative about this poor sinner. I hope you have “Christ-like compassion” for him.

B. Recently Michael Devlin, a quiet, hard-working “innocent-until-proven-guilty” upstanding American citizen was charged with kidnaping and sexually assaulting a young boy for four years. I hope none of you have said anything unkind about this poor, misguided lost soul. I hope you haven’t been judgmental of his actions. Now really, through the enlightenment of psychology, we all know it was his father’s fault anyway! But no! Don’t worry, I, “Christ-like” individual I have now become, even have compassion on his worthless, miserable truly guilty father.

C. Recently a mother sold her baby for a car. This one’s the easiest of all. It’s George Bush’s fault! He owed her a car. And a house. And a job. And, most important of all, dignity. I am sure you fellow “Christ-like compassionators” join me in forgiving this worthless scumbag and condemning George Bush for his failure to provide for her as the Constitution says (somewhere?) that he should. We also condemn any Christian who says she did anything wrong. Shame! UnChristian! UnChrist-like!Words fail to convey the light-hearted righteousness I feel now that I have purged myself of my former “unChrist-like” judgmental attitude and espoused your more biblical, “Christ-like compassion.”

4. Defending the ungodly - If you defend the actions of your favorite movie star or TV persona but can still manage to criticize a preacher you are what James calls, “A friend of the world.” You excuse and defend the wrongs of those you love and condemn the “wrongs” of those you hate.

5. Environmentalism - If you have given your heart and brain to your TV god you will begin to agree with the environmental agenda. You will do this for the same reason TV & movie stars do. You can be as immoral and ungodly as you wish and still fake self-righteousness as a self declared, “Good Steward” of Mother Nature.

6. Instant anger - If you find yourself instantly angry at anyone who criticizes your TV watching; if you are quick to defend your television and your addiction to it, you are hooked!
I would tell you what to do to overcome this addiction but no, it would be a waste of your time & my words. If you have shamelessly given yourself to TV worship you aren’t about to forsake your god for the real God or His Book. I would advise you to show your unwavering loyalty to your god by kneeling before it right now to worship. Then throw this letter on the floor and dance around it and condemn Sam Gipp for his “un Christ-like” attitude and thank your TV god that it has “saved” you from such intolerance of perverts, sluts and murderers. And whatever you do don’t read your Bible or it may corrupt you as it has me.
But whatever you do. Don’t bother writing me to tell me how unbiblical I am and how “Christ-like” you are. I am hopeless in my “unChrist-like” and judgmental attitude about your love for and loyalty to the world and the worship of your cheap, electronic god. I’d advise you to simply thank your god for its deliverance from being like me. Just as I thank my God for His deliverance from being like you.

“Have a good day!”, “Be careful out there.”, “Love your enemy.” (Even if he’s a preacher!)

Are You Ready for the Rapture?

I wrote this post for Sis. Courtney as a guest blogger. Click on the title above to follow the link to the post.

Number in the Bible Part 1

1.- Unity
2.- Divided
3.- Trinty
4.- Earth
5.- Death or Grace
6.- Man
7.- Completion
8.- Something New
9.- Fruitfulness
10.- Gentiles
11.- Last Hour Before a Catastrophe
12.- Jews
13.- Rebellion
14. Deliverance of Salvation, Double Perfection
15. Rest
16. Love
17. Victory
18. Bondage
19. Faith
2O. Redemption
21. Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin
22. Light(God's revelation to man)
23. Death
24. Priesthood
25. Forgiveness of Sins
26. Gospel of Christ
27. Preaching of the Gospel
28. Eternal Life
29. Departure
3O. Blood of Christ, Dedications, Full Stature
31. Offspring
32. Covenant
33. Promise
34. Naming a Son
35. Hope
36. Enemy
37. The Word of God
38. Slavery
39. Disease
4O. Trials, Probation, Testimony
42. Isreals Oppression, Lords Advent
44. Consummation
45. Preservation
5O. Holy Ghost Annointing
53. Sons of God, Fruit Bearing
6O. Pride
65. Apotasy
66. Idol Worship
7O. Universality, Israel and her Restoration
1OO. Gods Election of Grace, Children of Promise
119. The Ressurection Day, The Lords Day
12O. Divine Period of Probation
144. Spirit Guided Life, The Overcomers
153. Fruit Bearing
2OO. Insufficiency
3OO. Complete, Divine Deliverance
6OO. Warfare
666. Number of the Beast
888. The First Resurrection
1OOO. Glory of God, Fulness