The Mystery of Salvation.

I have had a conversation recently with a mother whose children were born again at a young age and now as adults lives like heathens. The absolute pain of seeing our children who were raised in the church, in Christian homes, being born again and yet choose to follow the world into the abyss is excruciating. It brings a person to re-evaluate what you belief.

The mystery of salvation is probly as mysterious as the mystery of natural birth. We all know the mechanics of making babies, carry them inside for about 9 months and then giving birth. That is the general idea. Hopefully the kid survives childhood, including the parent's ignorance, and grow into a responsible adult that contributes to life. That is the idea in the natural. The mystery is why some who seemed to have the best of everything still end up a giant flop and others who seem to have every obstacle possible thrown at them, survive and thrive.

Spiritual birth have so many mysteries to it. We all know the basic mechanics to it. A person believes the Word of God concerning Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross as well as His resurrection. This faith causes the life of God via the Holy Spirit to enter the person's spirit and cause a new life from within. Therefore the term: "born again". So where is the mystery? It is in the ones who do not make it despite all the effort from those around them and in those who made it even though they are  tossed aside and not taken care of like the allegory in Ezekiel.

Why does some people just get a hold of God and refuse to let go while others are ready for any excuse to quit on God? I honestly don't know. As many others I can surmise but there are so many variables. Suffice to say that I am convinced, absolutely 100% certain that God - in three persons - is fantastic. I know that does not sound very theological or religious. But really. He is the biggest adventure anyone can ever engage in. He is the most endless love , true love, to get lost in. I cannot imagine why anyone would choose anything above a relationship with Him.

Why do they? Maybe they never truely were born again. Maybe they never really got to know Him, and was left with the lies they saw lived out in the people who were supposed to mentor them. Maybe their heart were hard like a road, or covered with worries and shame or maybe they lost their faith somewhere in their pursuit of what this world can offer... and there is surely more maybe' s.

What can we do about this? I do believe that every prodigal can come home. I do believe God's grace is enough. I do believe there is power in prayer, love and forgiveness. I do believe that He who begun a good work in them is able to complete it. And I belief God who saved them will bring them back into a relationship with Him, if we can believe and ask Him in that faith.

Can anything be too hard for God?

FIRST.........LOVE.

When my children were young I once took our youngest two sons to a fastfood restaurant for lunch. They may have been 5 and 9. We were enjoying our sandwiches while talking. An elderly lady stopped by and said: "I've been sitting there watching how well you obeyed your mother. Now I would like to know, is it because you fear her or love her?"

Most humans and animals have a need for love. Love. Is a universal language crossing language and racial barriers. It breaks down walls and melts pre-conceived ideas. Love empowers, envisions and energies. Motivated by love, we endure , we sacrifice, we conquer, we lose ourselves. 

To know God's love is what is life- changing. To know His love enable us to love as He loves. We cannot begin to love and accept ourselves without an experiential knowledge of God's love for us. Without love and acceptance for ourselves we cannot love and accept someone else. His love gives us worth. His love opens life to us. It brings us from a mere, grey existence into a place of living, vibrant light.

God is love, perfect love. He is motivated by love. He proved His love by sending Jesus as sacrifice for sin. This removed the obstacle of sin so that we now have access to God. We can have a relationship with Him. Perfect love drives away fear. Fear includes punishment. Fear makes stupid decisions. Even if we obey because of fear we are selfishly motivated. It is only when we are moved by love that we give ourselves unreservedly, unconditionally.

Sin hardens our hearts so that we become callous about the love of God. This affects our faith. Faith works through love. When we know that God so loved us that He sent Jesus, we believe and this faith brings eternal life. This great love with which He loves us, is the first step. Know, really know, that He loves you. 

John 3:16, 1 John 4:7 - 5:3,  Galatians 5:6, Romans 5:8, John 14:34-35, Rev 2:4

Treasure of our heart.

Mary, a young teenage bride, pregnant and in a precarious situation had a treasure in her heart. Today, if people were asked about the treasures in their hearts, the answers would range from human relationships to material things. Maybe someone may mention a sports team or knowledge. But this wise girl kept the things of God, the supernatural occurrences surrounding her baby-boy, in her heart.

Few keep anything in their hearts anymore. Almost anything and everything is "shared" , plastered on social media for the world to see: From what you had for breakfast to the driver in front of you causing road rage. It's all hung out there like laundry over the narrow streets of old Europe's cities. Who keeps anything inside?

Therapists encourage people to let it out. They are focusing on negative emotions for the most part. Deep thinkers, meditaters, ponderers is an odd thing these days. It may be, because we are too buzzy and noisy. Mostly from our own choices and this culture.

"Come away" I hear the Lord calling "and rest. Find some place to think, to ponder, to treasure"

Forgive, forgive and forgive

I broke a bowl last night.
I opened the refrigerator and out came a bowl with some cranberry sauce in it. It fell on the floor and shattered.
This surprised me a bit since I've dropped this particular bowl many times in the past but this time it broke in a thousand pieces. I picked up the larger pieces and put it in a cardboard cereal box and in a paperbag. Then took great pains in sweeping all the little chips up, so that our dog would not walk in it or someone in bear feet wouldn't get cut.
Our youngest son, who was close by, handed me my flip-flops and went and got the broom from his room without being asked.
As I was sweeping I felt a burning on one of my feet and noticed a black spot. Thinking it was a mosquito, I swat at it. It was blood from a tiny cut. There were several tiny cuts on both lower legs.
This morning I opened the refrigerator and saw some large shards I missed and some tiny chips.
I am not sure that I got it all out.

As I was cleaning it this morning, a thought came: "This is like forgiveness"
When the initial event takes place, one tries to properly dispose of it: Forgive right away. Isn't that what the Bible say.
There may even be someone close by who love you enough to try to help you get over it.
You think you are okay and it's all taken care of, dealt with. But then you notice tiny wounds in your soul that needs some attention.
After taking care of these you think that it is done. Finish and "klaar".
Some time pass and one day you find, just in the course of your life, that the issue is not finished.
Now you realize that maybe there could be some lingering danger, some little residue, that may hurt you or someone near you in the future.

"Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Heretic, Demonic, Possessed:  Are THEY?

In the Church - the Greater Global Church - we run around with our labels and categorize our brothers and sisters. Looking from a human perspective we make all sorts of judgements or rather; condemnations. We major on the minors. We bite and devour one another. "Love covers a multitude of sin"  scripture says, but we strive to be right rather than to love. We ignore what Jesus said.

For those who feels the need to judge, condemn and reject people for whom Jesus paid His life and who may love Him and serve Him; here are a few points to consider:

It Is God's Church. He is well able. to manage it.

We resemble Absalom in his anger over the rape of his sister. We judge our Father apathetic and incompetent, taking matters in our own hands or mouths. We decide that someone is a heretic or demon possessed with no solid evidence. In the first century church when Paul went to preach to the gentiles, there was a matter concerning circumcision and obeying the law of Moses. They came together in Jerusalem and talked things through.  They did not call one another names and dis-fellowship one another.

We may not know all the facts.

This may come as a shock to some, but really, we may truly not have all the facts. Our understanding of a situation depends largely upon the information we have or do not have. When the leaders. of a congregations makes decisions concerning everyone, it is often with knowledge gained through counseling or confidential conversation. There are always some person, mis-informed, who questions the decisions.

Only God has all knowledge and understanding. He is the only righteous judge. We have to have our words and actions submitted to His Holy Spirit. The crazy camel-haired, desert-dwelling, homeless man, may be in truth a prophet of God.

God deals with His own without our permission.

Consider these men whom God used mightily:
Moses was a murderer, yet God never mentioned it. Abram lied about his wife and cowardly sacrificed her to save his own skin. David had five or six wives, one stolen from another man, an  his household was out of order. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived could not resist a pretty woman and his wives eventually led him into idolatry. Hosea was commanded by God to marry a prostitute. Nehemiah, Peter a d Paul had problems with their tempers. Jeremiah and Solomon both suffered with bouts of depression. And the list goes on and on. Recent church history tells many tales of flawed men and women used mightily by God. The fact is that our opinion matters little.

We should and can pray for those whom we see straying from the clear Biblical path. We can call attention to their actions, teachings or doctrine, but we ought to have some fear at making condemning judgements on the people of God. We must have discernment for our own sake. But when we divide the Church of Jesus Christ into "us" and "them", we are in error. We are one. Both Daniel and Nehemiah included themselves in the repentant intercession for Israel although they were personally and individually innocent.

Maybe, just maybe....

Maybe what seems like heresy is just a blossoming prophet trying to get it right. Remember the goof-ups of our own youth and zeal, when wisdom was lacking.
Maybe the uneasiness we feel is due to our own issues, secret sins, fear of losing position or control, competitive attitude, inadequacy or feelings of inferiority.
Maybe this person was sent by God not for you to set straight, but so that you may be polished by them. These rough edges will not be made smooth by a sweet gentle cloth.
Maybe the situation and people are an answer to prayer. We often ask God or make promises to Him without actually knowing what we are talking about. Peter stated that he will never deny Jesus but before the sun was up the next day, he had to eat his words. We ask for patience, God gives us tribulations. We promise full surrender, God send horrible people who tempt us to take matters in our own hands. We declare our undying love and devotion to God and He brings us the most annoying and arrogant people to love.

Let love cover a multitude of sins. It is almost impossible to truly pray and intercede for someone while running a smear campaign against them. If we can't bring ourselves to pray then at least  stop adding to the negative flow of words and be quiet.

Focus on serving God and let Him deal with His own household.

Teaching our Sons to Love

Neglecting to actively teach our sons how to love leave them to cob it together themselves. Often the examples they grow up with does not help much to educate them either.

Men, boys, remember the girl you fell in love with. It is easy to forget why you were attracted to her to begin with because women change. They respond, react to the action of the people they are in relationship with. If you are kind and considerate consistently they will respond in kind. Women also go through a ton of biological changes when they become mothers. It may be best to have an attitude of celebrating the changes. At least you will not be bored and if you stick with it, she will keep the relationship interesting. Yes, most men hope that she will not change but the fact is that she will. The man in a woman's life have a great deal to do with how she changes.

You owe it to your children to model a relationship with your spouse that they can reproduce and be happy in. Loving their mother is the best thing a father can do for his children. Model respect so that they may become respectful adults. Model kindness, love and generosity so that they can become people of character. Nothing speak louder than your actions.

Dominating, controlling, manipulating a person, is NOT love.
Keeping all the money, keeping her in basic poverty, is NOT love. Refusing to do chores, expecting her to be your slave, is NOT love. Screaming at her, calling her derogatory names, mocking her, berating her, verbally assaulting her, is NOT love. Controlling her association with family and friends, is NOT love.

Well, maybe some thick skull need things spelled out. When you tell her what to wear, and how to wear it, it is abuse not love. When you portion her food out and control what and how much she eats, it is abuse not love. When you limit her time spend with family and friends or make it unpleasant and embarrassing, it is abuse not love. When you control how much money she has and how she spends it, it is abuse not love. When you yell and scream, curse and threaten, browbeating her into complying with you, it is abuse not love. The man is NOT the dictator in the home. The woman and children are NOT your property or slaves.

So how do you fulfill the role of leader in your home while avoiding these pitfalls? It begins with an attitude of the heart. A humble heart, aware of of your own fears and shortcomings, will be more able to lead in a kind and gentle way. Consider how our heavenly Father deals with us and emulate that. Be aware that your wife and your children are precious gifts to you. They belong to God. He only let you have them to brighten your life. Your actions and words matter a great deal. Find somewhere else to blow of steam not at your family. Be unselfish. If you are only concerned for yourself, everyone is a potential enemy, even the people you profess to love.

The Bible says: 
Husband love your wife just as Jesus loves the church and gave Himself for her. Eph 5 :25
When men are abusive to their wives, God does not listen to their prayers. 1 Peter 3:17
Those who lead among us should not "lord it over" those they lead.  1 Peter 5:3, Matthew 20:25
Fathers do not frustrate your children. Eph 6:4

This is Heresy

Hebrews 13:9, Galatians 1:7, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 

Here are a few recent teachings we have encountered in otherwise loving, sweet and popular assemblies. Some are dear friends we have known for many years and although I love the people truly, the teachings are un-Biblical and heretic.

1. The resurrection already happened. The second coming of Jesus Christ happened on the day of Pentecost. Heaven is not a place but a state of awareness, a different dimension.  

This is heresy! 

2 John, 1 Corinthians 15, Mark 14:25, Matthew 22:23-32, John 5:29, Romans 6:5, Philippians 3:11

2. Your spirit is sinless, seated with Christ in God and therefore you cannot sin. All that you do in the flesh does not matter because grace covers it. Your behavior, your actions matter little. Your spirit is the real you.

This is heresy!

James 4:4, Jude 1:4, 1 Peter 4:1, 3 John, John 14:21, 2 John 1:8,1 Corinthians 6:15,  2 Corinthians 13:7, Hebrews 4:12, Hebrews 2:2, James 2:14-26, Romans 6, 2 Peter, Revelations 22:12, Matthew 6:1-18, 1 Corinthians 3:8-14

3. If it is God, you will feel loved. We love people and want to meet their need, so we pursue God to get the power to do it. The purpose of the church is to serve people.

This is heresy!

Galatians 4:16, Mark 12:30, 1 John 4:1-2, 1 John 5:1-3, 2 Corinthians 5:14, John 14:2, Ephesians 3:19, Matthew 10:37

4. There are two salvation plans, one for the Jews and another for the rest of humanity. There are two brides. The Jews do not have to receive Jesus as savior, there is another way for them.

This is heresy!

John 14:6, John 8:12, Mark 15:2, Matthew 1:21, Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 11, Romans 9:3-8, John 10:9

5. If people oppose what I say, if they disagree with me, then they are evil or demonic. Because I am called and anointed by God I cannot make a mistake. God only anoints truth so I am truth and everyone who does not agree with me is evil. I am free to malign them and attack them because they are the enemy. 

This is heresy!

2 Thessalonians 3:15, Romans 13:8, James 2:1-13, Luke 6:35, John 16;13, Matthew 18, Matthew 5:43, Romans 12:20, Galatians 4:16

The Scripture references to refute these false doctrines are in no way comprehensive. It is just a starting point. There are also much more to each of these that intertwines with it and flows out of it. But as I understand it, these are the root of the teachings.

We Are Changed

Matthew 17:2; And he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as the light;

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.

His glory transforms us into the same image from one degree of glory to another... 

Forgiveness of sin does not really become an issue for a person who are a sinner. It is not an issue because it is normal for sinners to sin. It is the nature. A bird does not have to think to fly, it just flies.  Speaking to a sinner about their sin is a futile effort. It is taking the cat by the tail. 

But speaking to a sinner about the great love with which God loves them is another thing all together. God loves the world, everyone. Because of our misconception of what love truly is, we think that love is the same as license. God loves sinners enough that He sent His Son to pay the price for every sin. This allows the sinner who dare to receive this gift, entrance into a relationship with God. 

A sinner does not as much need forgiveness of sin as a transformation from being a child of satan and darkness into the Kingdom of Light and life. A pig may be washed 10 000 times but will return to the mud every time. If a person could somehow transform the pig into a lamb, it will no longer seek out the mud. Transformation of the nature of a sinner, be-ing born into the family of God changes the "who" of the person and therefor changes their incline, their bend, their nature. 

Now that the sinner became a Christian, a saint, now we need to speak of forgiveness of sin. I caught a snipped of an interview with a woman who worked in an abortion mill. She never had a problem with what they were doing. She became aware of the love of God, received Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. The next day at work, she was left with the responsibility to dispose of the residue of a late term abortion. All of a sudden the depths of what just happened hit her and she wept over this baby. Before the light of the life of Jesus Christ entered her, there was no awareness of the true nature of her actions. A person sitting in darkness cannot discern the darkness. 

Once a person has been born again of incorruptible seed, sin becomes an issue. The weight of individual transgressions becomes a crushing reality. A Christian lives in a constant state of forgiveness since the conviction of the Holy Spirit never lets up. We are sensitive to the sinfulness of sin and can no longer be oblivious to it. 

One will not seek for an answer unless the problem is apparent. We seek God's forgiveness because we are convinced that sin is sinful. We avoid living in habitual sin so that our nature, the light in us, will not become dark. Once the Holy Spirit indwells an individual their relationship with sin changes. He, the Holy Spirit, convicts of sin, righteousness and judgement. 

John addresses his first letter to Christians. He says that if you are happy and comfortable in your sin, you are most likely not a Christian. He also said that Christians make a choice to love one another and obey God. Christians can choose to sin or not to sin. Sinners do not have a choice.

1 John 5:18 We know that every one begotten of God does not sin, but he that has been begotten of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

One of our Times true Hero's, 

anointed man of God 

and Christian martyr. 

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.

Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King helped organize a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. His partners in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included other religious leaders, labor leaders, and black organizers. The assembled masses marched down the Washington Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, heard songs from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and heard speeches by actor Charlton Heston, NAACP president Roy Wilkins, and future U.S. Representative from Georgia John Lewis.

King's appearance was the last of the event; the closing speech was carried live on major television networks. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of theConstitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing apromissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory noteinsofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, acheck which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. 

Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Copied from : http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

Make Sure!!!!   

Take the Test

In the short story by Hans Christian Andersen, "The Emperor's New Clothes" a whole society is duped because no-one had the courage and temerity to differ from popular opinion until one small child cried out the obvious. I am sure the Emperor appreciated the child's candor.  Just like this there are many walking around in the church naked. In Revelation 3 a congregation is rebuked for their hypocrisy, pride and arrogance. 

Many have been deceived into thinking they can meander into the Kingdom of God. They can just become part of a Body of believers, learn the language and do the stuff and they are a child of God. Some may have said a prayer after someone or have grown up in the church. You may think these things have given you some ticket into heaven and/or a relationship with God. Yet, Jesus tells of a group of people who comes to a door in Matthew 25 and knocked and asked to be let in but the voice from the inside said: " Go away, I do not know you." 

So how do you know if you are truly a child of God? Can you know? Can you actually be sure that you have been born into the family of God and that He is now your Father?

There is a test. Yip, there is.

It is the 1 John Test. You can just open your Bible and read through the book of first John and see if it indeed rings true to you. Is it true for your life? Personally, this has always been one of my favorite letters in the Bible since it uses the phrase: " by this we know" often. I do not want to presume. I do not want to follow a crowd to some never-never land. I want to be sure. I want to know. 

Reading through 1 John I consolidated the test like this:

The 1 John Test

1.  Do you adhere, observe, follow  to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and abide, live in it? 2 John 1:9 Do you say that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah or Savior of the world? 1 John 2:22-23 and 1 John 5:1 Do you confess and believe that Jesus Christ came in the flesh? 1 John 4:2-3 Do you believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 4:15 and 1 John 5:10

2. Do you walk, behave, conduct yourself in the Light, doing good deeds, righteous deeds like Jesus did ? 1 John 1:6, 3 John 1:11, 1 John 2:6, 1 John 2:29 and 1 John 3:7

3. Do you habitually sin and tolerate sin and live comfortably in sin? 1 John 1:8, 1 John 1:10, 1 John 3:8 and 1 John 5:18

4. Do you keep the commandments of God to have faith in Jesus Christ and to love fellow believers? 1 John 2:4,  Do we obey God's Word 1 John 2:5, 1 John 3:22-23 and 1 John 5:2-3

5. Do you love fellow believers, do you love one another and not hate one another? 1 John 2:9-11, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:11,  1 John 3:14-15, 1 John 3:16-18, 1 John 4:7-8, 1 John 4:11-12, 1 John 4:16 and 1 John 4:20-21

6. Do you love, adore and cherish the things of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life? 1 John 2:15-17 and 1 John 5:4

7. Do you have an inner confidence, testimony or witness in His presence? 1 John 3:19-21, 1 John 3:24, 1 John 4:13, 1 John 5:7 and 1 John 5:10

8. Have you ever had your prayers answered? 1 John 3:22-23, 1 John 5:14-15

Harvest of a Culture gone Awry.

During the revolution of the sixties a spirit of rebellion was released upon the Western culture. In particular on countries like America. We can actually trace a lot of what is wrong with this culture back to the lawlessness released during this time.

"Rebellion is as witchcraft." 1 Samuel 15:23. The music, the drugs all had one aim: a lifestyle of irresponsibility. Drugs and even music can be manipulation and control. I once heard it said that if your rent is past due and all your bills behind, and you get high to get away from it all, you still have to pay up once you sober up.
We have thousands of people who were basically comatosed via drugs and sex and music now running the country in all it's facets.  Many of these individuals never learned to live for others because all they cared about was the next high, the next thrill. They never matured in their personalities and although they occupy adult bodies, they are children, demanding their own way. Ecc 10 :16

The things that America now have to deal with in politics, education, entertainment and even in the church are direct fruit of the seed of rebellion. Think about the utter selfishness of living for the next high, the next party the next thrill. Now we have adults that are still living for themselves. Still demanding to be entertained, thrilled and placated. Many have no work ethic, no sense of providing for the future generations. Their motto seems to be: "Don't mess with my high." When you confront them with the truth of their behavior you are accused of loveless-ness.

An entire culture has been led to the worship of  "FUN".  Is it any wonder that entertainment is the biggest source of revenue in many states and scores of young people never get a real education because all they want is to be entertained.

Even in the church we see the rotten fruit. Preachers scare away from preaching the whole gospel so that they may not offend anyone. The bad news about that is that the gospel, the true gospel, is an offense to those who reject it. Some in the church have now made for themselves a god who looks like one of those 60 flower children. I suppose that is why they equate God to drugs. They have some hippie god who never say: "No", judge anyone and have changed his mind about sin.  His main message is: "It's all good, dude, it's all good."

I don't know what it will take to turn this around. Can the smoke from a fire be recovered?

The Key...

Can we ever get past focusing on sin, all that we do wrong and what is wrong with us, all the time, in our Christian life? That is without diminishing the sinfulness of sin or perverting the grace of God? 

I've heard the sayings about "be-ing" versus "do-ing" and that does not really hold water since any being will also lead into doing. If the being is right the doing will also be right. If the being is flawed the doing may be able to pretend for a while but it will not be able to keep the charade up for long.

So are we stuck in the verses in Romans 7 that keeps us forever bound to doing what we hate and hating ourselves for doing it? Are we truly forever stuck at staring at the cesspool of sin, never being able to de-focus? Who shall deliver me from this body, this vehicle of sin and brokenness? Paul does give an answer in the last lines of the chapter... Through Jesus Christ we are free from the sin focus in our lives. 

NO, it does not mean that we ignore it. It means that we deal with it when it comes in view but our focus, our faces, are toward something totally different. 

Ever had a toddler in a grocery store screaming for something? One of the ways to get them to forget the object of their tissy fit, is to present something more desirable. 

I am convinced that the focus on NOT doing sin has the exact opposite result as what is desired. This approach creates immature Christians that are constantly cowering under the weight of guilt and shame. Where there is no or little maturity, the church is also very weak in battling things like sickness, oppression, division and other attacks. We do not generally sent children to battle, do we? 

We usually change, sub-consciously, into what we focus on. So, do we really want to focus on sin, on how dirty we are or was? Can that ever change us from the inside? And if such a change by the sheer power of our human will come, will it endure? 

How about this: Let us focus on the greatness of our God. Becoming enthralled with Jesus, having a heart captivated by Him, changes our entire being. Beholding, looking at Him will change us into Him. Falling in love with God so that all else fades will change us. When we get involved in Him. When our hearts start to ache for more of Him... not more church or more ministry or more religion... No. just God, just more of Him. When your insides cry: " I've got to know You God." When your deepest desire is reduced to: "I love You, Lord." .... When this happens in our inside, we do not have much time and energy for sin. 

We see sin as a hindrance to our pursuit of the One we love. We see attitudes and inner bitter root judgments and fears as obstacles to our reaching  the goal of knowing Him as He knows us. (Phil 3:10-14)

It is not very complicated. There is no 365 laws to try and obey. It balances on only two things: Love God and love people. 

The revelation, the understanding, of these two things will create a personal revolution. Love as we are being loved. Love because He first loved us.  (Romans 5:1-6) 

And then one day you find yourself not remembering when the last time was when you were tempted to do some sinful thing that kept you in bondage for years. This purely happened because you loved God more than the thing you could not let go of. 

The Church WILL Go through The Tribulation

      or at least some of it.

I was reading trough Ezekiel and followed some ‘rabbit trail’ to Revelations 7. Something in the 9-10 verses stuck crosswise in my mind.  O, I know what the professors and doctors of Divinity say about this passage … I have heard all three sides…  Yet, this just came and sat in my chest.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation [belongs] to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Revelations 7:9-10

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir,  you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; "for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."  Rev 7: 13-17

I also recently read a book written by and old and now learned friend about God’s judgment and wrath. At one point He answers the question: Why does not God stop all the evil in the world? He explained how Christians have been given authority etc. As part of his answer he also said that if God stop one suicide or murder or… aside from humans listening and obeying God; if God just intervenes like “Boom”,  then why did He not stop all the other evils in the world. If God divinely, miraculously, with no human involved,  block a war; then why was all the others not stopped?  This made me think of the Pre-tribulation Rapture theology: When things are going to get dangerous and crazy here on earth, Jesus is going to sweep in and rapture the church. So what happened in Communist Russia, China and Cambodia?  What happened to John Huss on the stake and the nuns who were killed in Africa? What happened with all the missionaries that was killed for their faith, shouldn’t they have been rescued by rapture?

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. Matthew 24:3-4  (Also see Mark 13)

"For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all  [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,  and earthquakes in various places. "All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. Matt 24 :5-8

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. "And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Matt 24: 9-10

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Matt 24:21-22

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matt 24:29-31

It looks like to me, and I may be completely of target here, that we will be persecuted. It seems like that vast crowd in their white robes singing about God’s salvation may just be the church who gets slaughtered during the tribulation. Maybe the Great Tribulation is a tribulation of the church by the heathen, evil ones. And then the wrath of God is poured out on satan and all his followers.

There is also this promise that Jesus gave:” These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

And not only [that], but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [Shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37

rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; Romans 12:12

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation,  that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1;3-4

 To the Church in Ephesus Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelations 2:10

So, why does it matter? What difference does it make if the church will leave before the great tribulation, at the last trumpet - during the tribulation; or after it is all done?  It matters because we will not be prepared to stand if we believe we will be rescued before things get to hot in this kitchen. It matters because we will be weak in our faith and our commitment. It matters because people will ride in their rocking chairs not knowing the power of God nor the holiness without which no-one will see God.

 "And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." Revelation 20:4 and 5

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev 12:10-11

How prepared are we in the western Church to stand through tribulation and persecution? Listen to what Richard Wurmbrand said about the church behind the iron curtain: “It must be understood that there are no nominal, halfhearted, lukewarm Christians in Russia or China. The price Christians pay is far too great. The next point to remember is that persecution has always produced a better Christian—a witnessing Christian, a soul-winning Christian. Communist persecution has backfired and produced serious, dedicated Christians such as are rarely seen in free lands. These people cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian and not want to win every soul they meet.”

Doesn’t it sound like persecution may be a good thing to clean us from all the fluff and stuff we have buried ourselves in? We have been crying out for a revival in the western church. Some have said that it is coming but will not look like we expect it to look. May it be that what we have been asking for is “trouble, tribulation and persecution” so that this part of the body of Christ may become us strong, pure and enduring as our brothers and sisters who stare death and torture in the face, daily?

Marriage – Christian Marriage

The way Christian Marriages have been handled through the ages have boiled down to basically two understandings: The husband is the king of the house. He has absolute authority and all else have to submit. The second is that husband thinks he is the boss while the wife manipulates and controls behind the scenes to get her way. This has often been referred to as a “Jezebel”.

Both these approaches are unbiblical, un-christlike and detrimental to the children trained in this environment.

First: We only have one God and Savior: Jesus Christ. We owe only this one our total submission. He is the only one who loves us perfectly and never makes any mistakes. Jesus said: “call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Matt 23:9. Was He saying that you cannot refer to your early male parent as “father”? Of course not, He was speaking about the authority we give people over our lives. It is easy to negate the responsibility for ourselves to another. We can easily blame all our failures on such a person. We can easily lay aside the responsibility to cultivate a personal relationship with God and let the earthly “father” lead us. Laziness disguises itself masterfully.

Husbands are the leader, the head of the household. How are you leading? Jesus said that those who lead in the Kingdom of Heaven should not Lord it over the people they lead. We are under-shepherds we are not kings, lords or masters. We are fellow servants. Peter wrote: “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [wives] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.”  There are good leaders and bad leaders.  Family is our first congregation. How well do you lead this group into the fullness of God? We are all being built into a building of God, each in his or her place and function. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,”  Phil 2:3 “nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves” -- -- “He who is leading -- `In diligence” Luke 22:25-26 “And He said to them, `The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors; but ye [are] not so, but he who is greater among you -- let him be as the younger; and he who is leading, as he who is ministering;…”

The question really ought to be: “What makes a Godly leader?” “How can we be Christ-like in fulfilling our call as leaders?”

Second. Manipulation and control is never a God thing. God never, ever manipulates. It simply is not His character. He is truth.  The evil one, the devil, is the deceiver, the manipulator. Genesis 3 He tricked Eve into disobeying God. In Matthew 4 he tried the same nonsense on Jesus and failed. If you find yourself “needing” to manipulate, ask God to intervene. You open yourself and your home to a multitude of evil by participating in this. You have to refuse to pick up the ball that was dropped. Refuse to act in an ungodly way. Refuse to be forced into a position that calls for deceiving, underhandedness. This may present hard choices. You may have to make sacrifices you would not have made, had the relationship followed Godly standards. How can you do this? By understanding what is your responsibility and what is not. Stick to what is your job. Wives (husbands), you are not responsible for your husband (wife) or children’s choices. You cannot make them do the “right” thing. You can pray for them, but if they cannot and will not live Godly lives you cannot step in and be the Holy Spirit in their lives. (This does not mean that parents should not train up their children in Godly ways. It is simply referring to their heart attitude towards God) This may be a fight. The fight may be in not letting our flesh dictate our actions or re-actions. The fight may be to refuse to manipulate. The fight may be to stop making excuses for the other parent’s failures. The fight may be for survival, to refuse abuse.

What is a balanced Christian marriage? It is a relationship where both grow into one another and into God by each fulfilling his and her purpose. It is a husband that leads in a godly manner and a wife who follows in a godly manner. It is where both husband and wife fulfill their God-given, God-ordained calling. It’s where one is not intimidated or threatened by the other. This home will not have one person as the all important ‘lord’ with the others dancing about trying to please this person. This is a place of love and acceptance. It is a place where the Spirit of God can operate freely because there is harmony and peace. It is the picture, the allegory, of Christ and His church.

We cannot be good in our human relationships when our relationship with God is askew. Each person has a responsibility to fulfill their God-given, God-ordained calling. We are responsible to use the gifts we receive to honor God. We each have a duty to obey God and live in relationship to Him. No-one else can do this for us.