Gate of the City Ministry

Train Rides

2010-06-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how people get from point A to point B, I don't mean in a physical mileage way, but in an emotional way. We all take in our surroundings and make decisions based upon the way we see things happening. Then when we get to a certain point in our life we take an inventory of how we are doing. Sometimes we are relatively satisfied, and other times we are disappointed, but do we ever really reflect upon the decisions we made that ultimately got us to point B?

I guess we might if we realize we are dissatisfied with our lot in life, but do we ever revisit those moments and try to undo the damage we did by our wayward conclusions. Or do we instead attempt to revise our opinion of our place in society that has us where we are at any given moment? Often times I find myself looking at my surroundings and wondering what would be different had I not missed my stop at Mannheim Germany 26 years ago.

It was a long way back to Mannheim and we had to be back before roll call, so we had no choice but to board the train and hope that we didn’t get turned into the authorities. I sat in silence looking out the window wondering why I allowed myself to get talked into such a risky deal. In the distance I could see small lights beyond the darkness, but they just seemed to highlight my reflection in the window. I felt like my head was frozen in the position, and I couldn’t turn away from the window. All I could think to say to Mike’s constant ranting and murmuring was the single phrase, “Uhuh.”

I don’t really know how long I looked out the window before I fell asleep, but I was surprised when the conductor nudged my shoulder and woke me up. It took a few moments before I realized what he was trying to tell me. My German wasn’t great but it was good enough to understand that the train had reached its final destination and we had to get off. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I asked him where we were and what time it was. Unfortunately, his reply was not what I wanted to hear.

He told us we were in Speyer as he waved towards the doors. We grabbed our only possessions which was a small paper bag of dried bread with a half-empty bottle of soda water, and headed for the doors. I looked at Mike and saw the same sleepy look in his eyes, as he must have saw in mine. The conductor either failed to tell me what the time was or my brain never registered his answer. It didn’t much matter though, because the light of day told me we already missed roll call.

As we got off the train, I saw a big clock above the train station entrance. It was 7:45, we had not only missed our stop by more than 20 kilometers, but we also missed roll call by over two hours. Walking out the station doors and looking at the quite town of Speyer, I felt Mike's hand grab my shoulder as he pulled me to his side. As my body tilted awkwardly towards him he hooked his arm around my neck,while stating in a matter of voice that was on the verge of laughter, “Clarence? I do believe we are AWOL”.

With those words still echoing in my head, Mike and I began a journey that would take us all over Europe and eventually to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea before we would decide to turn our selves in. The weekend started off with a trip to Amsterdam to buy a kilo of hashish, it ended with us being “Absent With Out Leave” from the US Army.

Before we headed on our journey to anywhere but Mannheim, we decided aliases would be needed for our adventure. I chose the name Chuck that was originally given to me in school by a kid who could not pronounce Clarence. Mike chose the name Dave, but I really do not remember why he picked that name. When we eventually returned for our punishment a Month later, Dave became Mike again, I on the other hand liked my new name, and so now you know how I became Chuck.

That's a time in my life that many things changed, to start with, I turned 18 while we were AWOL. I eventually paid for my wayward act of taking an extended vacation from the Army, but in the end I wound up with an honorable discharge two years later when my enlistment, plus make up time was up. For better or for worse, I truely grew up while I was AWOL, as I feel it was then that I began to put aside many of the immature thoughts and actions which until then were only holding me back from the potential God gave me.

So as I look back at point A, I wonder what would be different had I not fallen asleep while I was on that train ride back to Mannheim? Well, to start with, I would probably still be going by the name of Clarence. The rest I will leave for another day of reflection.

Flying My Flag at Half Mast

2010-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

By Chuck

On the morning of March 22, I raised my flag to the top of the 25 foot pole In my front yard. I must have forgotten to tie it off, because when I returned later in the afternoon from presenting my Sunday message I noticed that the flag had been lowered to half mast. That evening I watched the the House of Representatives vote on the Senate's version of the Healthcare legislation. As the remaining votes needed to pass the legislation were cast, I began to thinking about the damage this legislation would do to America. It was then that I was struck by how prophetic my flag being lowered to half mast really was. I decided at that moment to leave my flag at half mast where I believe God had lowered it to.

It is my opinion that we are experiencing what could very well be the last decades of what has been called the greatest civilization the world has ever seen. Yes, I believe that the America I once knew is forever gone. I say so because I cannot foresee the Republicans ever reversing the Health Care bill. I do pray that if and when a challenge to the law gets to the the Supreme Court, that it will ruling it unconstitutional. Unfortunately, as much as many will disagree with me, I believe a vast majority of Americans have turned their backs on God. In doing so, He has turned His back on us as a nation. We cannot continue to condone the many evil things we do in America as if God has changed His mind about what says is evil.

As a Christian, I guess I should be thankful that the current events are turning out the way they are. After all the many conditions I feel are needed to be in place for the various "End Times" scenarios to be fulfilled are now falling into place. I have stated before, and do so again, that I tend to look at certain aspects of the end times prophecies a bit different then many of my colleagues who hold to dispensationalism. Without getting into the specifics, I will just say that my understanding of history and politics, tend to lead me towards a different understanding of how the world will be ruled just before Christ returns. Mankind has become selfish and lazy, a fact that has led the majority of nations to be dominated by governments which lean towards some type of Socialism. Whether it be under democratic socialism or democratic capitalism, it is still a system ruled by the people who allow some sort of redistribution of wealth to pay for services they demand while expecting to do less work for those services.

This egalitarian type of political rule allows for many absurd and dangerous aspects of society to flourish that could not survive in a totalitarian system. Now while totalitarian regimes are some of the worse types of governments, mainly due to the complete control they exercise over its citizens, they do tend to protect the state at all costs. A cursory look at the way Castro dealt with those afflicted with AIDS in the 1980's compared to how democracies around the world has, will make my point. Any Cubans who contracted AIDS were locked away in institutions to keep them from infecting the general population. (Even today there still exists in Cuba AID's death camps in Cuba) While in America and Western Europe we champion the very act, homosexuality, that spreads the sickness in the name of freedom and choice. We also allow the dreaded disease to promulgate through out our society by teaching our children in school that homosexuality is a lifestyle that is equal to heterosexuality.

I use the example of the way the AID's problem was handled because of the reason behind Christ's return. It's important to understand that Christ will not return to usher in a new heaven and new earth because governments have made men evil. Christ will return because mankind has willingly refused to turn away from evil and follow His teachings. I realize that there are many people, of all political and religious persuasions who do not wish to accept this truth. However, those who are willing to actually look at the evil in this world that is perpetrated by men and women all over the world against others, will understand my point.

I also believe that not only will the left increase it's attack on Christianity, but our very government which was based upon Judeo-Christian values will lead the charge. We are already seeing different groups demanding that the government force Christians to stop preaching the truths of the Bible. Eventually, like Canada and some European countries, we too will see conservative evangelicals charged with hate crimes against homosexuals that will set the state against the church. What will make this coming attack easier, is the way we are now seeing denomination after denomination allowing practicing Homosexuals to be ordained ministers by claiming God does not condemn the lifestyle so why should we. I will actually address this problem in my Sunday message tomorrow.

I have seen many disturbing things take place all around the world in the last few decades, but as long as America stood against the destructive ways of other socialist countries I still felt the end was a long ways off. However, the day the Democrats illegally passed the Health Care legislation and Obama then signed it into law, the America I knew died. We can fight on and try to overturn this law, but the fact remains that no social program ever started, has ever been reversed.

This is why I fly my flag now at half mast, and I shall do so until God moves me to raise. The end is near, it is now just a matter of time before the skubalon hits the fan.

Prohibition on Homosexuality Was Not Repealed By Christ

2010-03-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today there are many false Christian teachers who are are leading many poor souls straight to hell by claiming that Jesus never spoke against the union of two men or two women, so homosexuality is now condoned by God. Let me say right from the start, except for the ceremonials ones (which Jesus repealed), all of the Mosaic laws are still in force. That is because there were three categories of laws given to Israel: civil, ceremonial, and moral. The civil laws were ONLY given to the Israel. The ceremonial laws were filled and abolished in Christ. The moral laws, such as the Ten Commandments and other Mosaic moral laws are universal. They are part of Natural and Divine Law. Homosexuality is clearly contrary to moral and natural laws. All forms of homosexuality are condemned, past, present, and future.

What Jesus did was fulfill the laws handed down by God. Matthew 5:17 If you look at the teachings of Jesus, you will see that he reiterated all the OT laws. What He did do away with however, was the ceremonials laws that were needed to gain forgiveness and be pure before God, but now we look to Christ for our salvation instead of through the works that God required the Israelites to do. So I can say without hesitation that Jesus also did not repeal the prohibition against homosexuality.

There will be many who will now automatically accuse me of claiming that those who commit adultery and other such immoral crimes should be stoned as the law of Moses commanded. However, what they fail to understand is that even under the Mosaic law, the death penalty was not the only requirement for the penalty of breaking the laws of murder, adultery, and other such crimes.

In 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12, we learn about King David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and we also learn about him having Bathsheba's husband Uriah killed because he refused to sleep with his wife. However, what they fail to understand is that, under Mosaic law, the penalty for murder, adultery, and other such crimes was not merely death, but death by stoning. So, both David and Bathsheba should have been stoned to death, but they were not. We can say that because David was the King is the reason he was not stoned, but we would be wrong. Fact is, God forgave David because of his broken and contrite heart. David wrote about this in Psalm 51, where it says;

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart These, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17

Think about that, David was admitting that a sacrifice would not do, nor would any burnt offering be enough to hold back God's anger at him for his sin. What we can learn from this is that David knew he needed a change of heart to be forgiven. He understood that if God wanted him dead him and Bathsheba both would be dead, but in his heart he was truly remorseful and God, who can discern the heart knew it. So God forgave him of his sin.

Now let us jump forward to the day the Pharisees brought forward the woman caught in adultery, Jesus was supposedly caught in a dilemma. He could either agree to have the woman stoned and then suffer the consequences of those who were following Him to turn away from Him because they know that they too are guilty of similar sins that require as harsh or harsher a punishment. Or He could let her go and thus be in violation of the Mosaic law and thus prove He was not whom He claimed to be.

Well from the story of David, we know that God Jesus looks at the heart and not the actions and Christ is God, so what He did was use the Mosaic law to forgive her. So, knowing the heart of men, Jesus knew that the men who had surrounded her with stones in hand and ready to put her to death, also deserved such punishment. So He did what the law called for. He called for a witness who was innocent to cast the first stone. What what happened was one by one, starting from the eldest on down to the youngest, they all dropped their weapons of punishment and went away. Jesus looked at the woman and asked where her accusers were and she said she had none. Jesus told her, that he did not accuse her either. He did tell her however to, "go and sin no more" John 8:10-11

So, in the case of adultery that called for death by stoning, Jesus was strict to the letter of the law. However by telling her to not sin anymore He was letting her know that forgiveness comes with a change of lifestyle and this is what false teachers false to understand about the Scriptures. Any person who claims to be a Christian, but continues to willfully sin, is not a Christian. We are told by John;

"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God." 1John 3:7-9

However we are also told by John earlier in the same epistle;

"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." 1John 2:1-2

So, we do sin as Christians, but not willfully and when we do sin we ask for forgiveness so that we can again get back into fellowship with our Christian brethren. What the false teachers are doing is leading many poor souls down the path of destruction by telling people to sin, and not to ask for forgiveness because Christ does not look at their actions as sin. All Christians come to Christ with a realization that they have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but we also learn that through the blood of Christ we are washed clean. However it takes courage to admit that the things we do which we enjoy are wrong, and that we must do our utmost to stop doing them as Jesus tells us. We can and do stumble and fall, but if we arrogantly continue to sin without remorse or guilt then we are condemned under the same law that God gave Moses, it is just that we are dead to the brotherhood of Christ until we repent just as the man who was sleeping with his fathers wife and Paul said to expel him from the church until he asked and gained forgiveness. 1Corinthians 5:1-6

Just like this man, the false teachers of our day needs to be expelled from the circle of Christianity and rebuked for their false teaching. We should not associate with them unless they repent, as Paul said. It is not the same as a person who never accepted Christ and we are attempting to reach them we are talking about those who have accepted the teachings of Christ but now are unrepentant sinning Christians who are actually twisting the truth of what the Scriptures teach. Until good decent Christians publicly rebuke those who hold Christ and His teachings up to ridicule the world will continue to look to the church with jaundiced eyes.

This is one of the reasons why Islam is growing so fast in America. Man's spirit wants and desires absolutes, and if they are not going to find them in Christianity, then they will gravitate to where the line of demarcation between right and wrong exists. Islam has a clear defined line of what they say is right and wrong. They also do not allow any secular government to define what their religion should teach. Unfortunately too many people, who are looking for absolutes, do not always find that kind of defined line in the sand in the Christian community. This is why so many innocent people gravitate to false religions that do have absolutes.

So, because man was created by God, he desires to know his Father and his Fathers ways. However, if God's precepts are not properly followed by those who teach His ways, then men will follow the false gods of man made religions like Islam, Hinduism, or even the false charismatic Christian cult leaders like David Koresh of the Branch Davidians, or Jim Jones of the Peoples Temple.

So, I would suggest that anyone who considers themselves to be a Christian, to think long and hard when they are told, by a person claiming to be a teacher of Christ's precepts, that homosexuality is OK because Jesus did not speak against it.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Gone Fishing

2010-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

by Chuck Ness

It has been a very long and hectic year for me, and I find myself a bit burned out and and not very creative. Oh I realize it is only March 8th, but the past 12 months of my life have been very strenuous. I have tried time and time again to actually step back and slow down, just to find my self being pulled back to do even more then I was before. Well, I truly believe that now is the time for me to take a hiatus from my writing. I have been blessed in that the Lord has led some who have volunteered to write some articles and thus step up to assist me in keeping my blogs somewhat up to date. These guest writers will write articles and Sunday messages as the Lord moves them.

Last year at this time I was confronted by the director of the retirement center where I am a pastor. This is something I have not shared with anyone but my close friends and relatives. As I was giving the message on Good Friday I was told to tame down my description of the suffering Christ went through for our sins. Well, I refused and instead was asked to leave the premises by the director himself. At the time I guessed that I would no longer be the pastor because I refused to give in to the secular thought about one of Christianities most sacred days. Well, about a month later I was told that a mistake had been made and that they had fired the director of the retirement center. I was asked by the new director if I would consider returning as the pastor of the residents. I obviously accepted and have been going strong since.

I share that with you all now, so that you know I am a man of my convictions, and as such my opinions are so rooted in my soul that it will take God and God alone to change the way think. However, I must admit that being a mere sinner like all humans, I too error in the way I go about things from time to time. The difference is I look to Christ to forgive me and I am guaranteed He does, each and every time I stumble. I guess I would like to say to anyone I may have offended in the past, that my intentions are well meaning even if the tone and words I use do not exactly reflect the person I try to be.

As you know I have been toying with the idea of stepping back from my busy schedule. I seemed to have loaded way too much on my plate and in the process my personal life has begun to be ignored because of it. Sometimes we need to step back and slow down and that time has come for me. I plan on taking this time to attend to my affairs and listen to what it is the good Lord wants me to hear. I truly do feel as though God is telling me that he wants me listen and not talk so much for awhile. Well at least not to write, because I will still be attending to my responsibilities of presenting sermons on Sunday afternoons, and leading the Monday night Bible studies at Windchime Retirement Center. As of now I don't have a replacement and with out my presence they will have no one to share the word with them on Sundays, so that aspect of my schedule will continue as usual.

I really will be doing some fishing as my title alludes to, something I was only able to do a few times last year. I truly missed trouncing up and down the rivers with a fly rod in my hand and the Lords great outdoors all around me. The times when I can get out and go fishing have been some of my best moments spent in solitude with our Lord. My wife is doing better now and she too enjoys fishing, and misses it like me. Usually I take our 4WD and find a nice secluded spot. I then dig the river bank out a bit for a ramp I made for her so she can fish from her wheelchair on the shoreline. This picture was taken two years ago on the Feather River. We arrived at 6:00 in the morning that day and by 8:30 or 9:00 I was finished with the ramp and platform and we were both fishing. The rivers in Northern California should be flowing with plenty of water this year, and that should make for some great fishing this year.

Along with my wife's healing process from the surgery last October, she is also dealing with some new complications that arose because of her medical troubles that led to the surgery. It's my prayers that as the weather gets warmer she will begin to feel better, but her current troubles is another reason that I am taking some time off. My bride needs me to help her get beyond this current phase of her life, and quite frankly with out her by my side nothing else seems right, nor worthwhile at times. The Lord always gives us the strength we need to deal with the problems we all face in life, but He also lets us know when it's time to step back, slow down and take care of our loved ones.

I wrote most of this message before I was informed by my local hometown newspaper the "Enterprise Record", that they want me to write a blog for them. Well, it is an opportunity I cannot pass up, and so I have agreed to take the opportunity to widen my reach for the Lord's word, and for my political opinions. I have written for the Post Script blog, but just as a guest writer, this will be something I have complete control over. Considering the troubles I have had with the editor at PS the last few months, this is a blessing from God, since I will now unencumbered to state my opinions from now on. I have yet to come up with a name for it and if anyone has an idea of a name I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it. Being an official newspaper, I will automatically have the advantage of their reputation behind me, that is what reputation any paper has left in today's world. However it is still better then a normal blogspot that many are limited to, and it is the same newspaper that Anthony Watts writes his blog, "Watts Up With That" for.

Well I will not begin my blogging for the ER until May 1st, so until then I would like to say thanks and God bless to you all. This blog, "Gate of the City Ministry", my political blog, "The Way One Vike Sees It" and my video blog, "Interesting, Weird, & Educational Videos " will all cease to exist as of may 1st when I combine them all into the ER blog I am being given.

I guess it's time to pack up the cooler, the ramps and the fishing gear for a trip to the Feather river. Maybe I can finally catch that California brown trout that got away from me last spring. Please keep my wife and I both in your prayers, as we both pray for God's abundant grace for you all. As I fade away down the river, please enjoy this psalm I wrote a few years ago.

"A Desire for the Lords Guidance"

My Father my Lord, show me the way to Your paradise, guide my steps so that I may not fall into the quagmire of sin. Show me my faults Lord, so that I may correct them and be restored into Your imperial court. Instruct me in the ways of Your will O' Lord, so that I may not be defiled or corrupted by my own selfishness. When I walked in the dark I found myself lost in the alley of despair, not realizing that my way was one of ruin and constant failure.

I now follow You, my Creator, my Savior, the Infinite One who breathes the life I inhale, My soul craves for the manna from Your plantation of plenty and my heart thirsts for the pure water from Your Rock of Salvation. I shall sit back in Your chariot of fire and accept Your tutelage while You chauffeur me on my way to paradise. Your way is straight O' Lord, and the guidance You give me is exceedingly perfect. I shall praise Your name daily as I thank You for keeping me safe and washing away the filth that I allowed myself to be corrupted with along the way.

Amen and Amen

God Bless,
Your Brother in Christ,

Chuck Ness (OneVike)

Man Regurgitated From Whale lives To Tell About It

2010-02-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks I have shared various stories about whales. There was the story about Orca, the killer whale, that decided to take a break from the performance at San Diego's Sea World to eat a pelican that dropped onto the water while the spectators looked on. I also shared the heartwarming tale of the penguin who did all he could to dodge the clutches of a killer whale until he decided to put his trust in mankind by jumping into a rubber raft of spectators for safety. Then just this past week I shared with everyone my opinion of the tactics used by the terrorist organization Sea Shepherds to save the whales from being hunted by Japanese whalers in the Antarctic. All this made me think about an incident that took place a few thousand years ago in Israel about 780 BC with a prophet named Jonah.

Jonah lived about 170 years after the division of Israel into two kingdoms, when Nineveh was coming to the end of its reign as the leading power in the region. Nineveh had spread so much fear among its enemies that most Israelites prayed for a judgment upon it the likes of which happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. So when God called upon Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, he had different plans. Jonah 1:1-3 Now one needs to understand that it is a great honor to be chosen a leader, or in Jonah's case a prophet, of God. However, with positions of authority comes the responsibility of carrying out tasks that we may not like. Jonah was confronted with such a dilemma.

Jonah was well aware that the people of Nineveh (the Assyrians) were prideful sinners who had wreaked havoc upon both Israel and Judah over the years. Therefore, when God called him to go and warn them of God’s impending wrath, he was very reluctant. In fact his desire was to see that city destroyed and the empire of Assyria completely lose its power. So instead of going to Nineveh Jonah headed into the opposite direction. He wanted to avoid carrying out that task, because he feared God would show them mercy, and the heathens would be free to plunder and pillage Israel again.

In Jonah's journey to flee from the task God had given him Jonah ended up on a boat that was caught in a storm. This storm was so bad that it threatened the very lives of all on board. Jonah 1:1-5 Eventually Jonah confessed to the sailors that he was fleeing God and that they would only live if they threw him overboard. Jonah 1:12 At first they refused and attempted to row their way through the storm, but the storm just got worse. Jonah 1:13 Eventually they reluctantly threw Jonah overboard into the raging sea while asking God to forgive them for doing so. The storm let up, the sea became calm and almost immediately Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Jonah 1:14-16 He would spend the next three day in that whales belly. Jonah 1:17

Eventually Jonah repented and God had the whale regurgitate him up onto the shore. Jonah 2:1-10 The prophet headed to Nineveh and preached the message as God had instructed. What happened next was that the whole city repented and Nineveh experienced a spiritual revival. Jonah 3:1-10 Now, there are many lessons from this story that can be given, and probably the biggest is the lesson that Christ taught about His death and resurrection. Matthew 12:39-41 However, I want to look at the way God sent Jonah to preach to a people that he detested, a people who had spent the last hundred years trying to annihilate the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.

God often calls us to do things we feel we are not ready or even willing to do but we must trust Him who knows us better then we know ourselves. When we trust Him we will eventually see that He is right, and if that means we are called to go to San Francisco and preach to the militant homosexual community, then so be it. The question for many Christians is, would you go to San Francisco if called to? What would you do if called to go to the Middle East to preach to the Muslims? How about the mountains of Afghanistan to share the gospel with the Taliban? In essence this is what God called Jonah to do. To preach to a people bent on the destruction of his country and the end of his world as he knew it.

This past week I have been involved in a debate over the legality of the actions by the Sea Shepherd animal rights group. I come from the angle that they are a dangerous terrorist organization whose members belong in prison, and so I must admit that my feelings for them are probably close to what Jonah thought about the Assyrians at Nineveh. Somewhere along the line the Lord convicted me and I was struck by the thought, “What if God wanted me to go to them and preach the gospel?” Maybe I would think there is no way they would repent and change their ways, so why would I go? Now I am not talking about changing their attitude towards hunting whales. I am speaking of them giving up their weapons of war, and taking up the Bible. And instead of being angry with the Japanese whalers, sharing the gospel of Christ with them instead!

This is not to say I will stop my campaign of exposing them and their terrorists acts of violence, but it did make me stop and realize that God loves everyone, and he does not wish for even one soul to perish. I am called to forgive those who transgress against me, and pray that those I transgress against will do the same. Matthew 6:9-13

We are coming into an election year. A lot of debates will take place all over American in town halls, town squares, and even on television as politicians vie for seats on city councils, governorships, and even federal offices. Let us, as Christians, remember to step back every now and then to remember what it is God calls us to do. We are called to share good news, not just with those we like, but even with those we are sure would rather see us dead. After all, one of the lessons of Jonah is helping those who are lost to be found, those who are blind to see, and those who are deaf to hear. Maybe along the way we will be used by God to begin a revival the likes of which have not been seen since the day a reluctant prophet was regurgitated from the belly of a whale.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

The Sports God vs Jehovah, Who Do You Worship?

2010-02-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

by Chuck Ness
Millions of Americans are getting ready to watch the Super Bowl today and like others, I'll will be watching it with my family. It does make me wonder, though, about what we are teaching our children.

Throughout history men have worshiped many false gods, and today is no different. Probably the most popular false god of modern times would be the "sports god". Think about the way we raise our children to worship this false god. We will spend more time and effort to get them involved and interested in sports then we do in teaching them the Word of God. In essence we are telling them, "this is what is really important." We will rush around with more excitement and punctuality to get them to participate in practice and the game than we ever would to get them to church, not to mention the fact that Americans are rarely so strict about our children devoting a moment of the day to devotional reading of the Bible. Fact is, most families in the US have lives that revolve around their childrens' sports programs more than their spiritual life.

Americans are spending billions on sports. Many cities have vast sport stadiums that have become the equivalent of modern cathedrals. While these edifices are large and grossly expensive, chances are most cities involved are even planning even bigger and more expensive stadiums to worship their "sports god". If aliens came from another planet to visit us they would no doubt conclude that these vast sports complexes are the primary places of worship for our metropolitan areas.

Now don't get me wrong, God does not frown upon sports. It's my belief that He invented sports as a diversion for us to pass time, get exercise, and learn to work together. However He does not want humans to replace worship for Him with worship for sports, and sports heroes.

I must admit that I have in the past allowed myself to put so much emphasis upon sports, and the NFL especially, that it dictated my very happiness at times. Many Christians get so excited about pro football that they even stop attending church and stay home on Sundays to watch their team play. The NFL has done a masterful job of replacing Sunday worship in a church with Sunday worship at home in front of the television. When you think about the fact that there is College football on Saturday, professional football on Sunday and even football on Monday night, it really doesn't leave much time for the average football fan to even think about God, let alone attend church from September to February. You could even easily suggest that in the minds of many football fans the highly paid coaches of the NFL are like high priests and the players in essence are also priests but of a lower order. As in many churches, these priests of a lower order can do no wrong as far as their congregations are concerned. True, a fan may deride the bad behavior of a player from another team, but they will make excuses for a player of their own team that may be guilty of the same sin.

This is very similar to the way congregations will defend their own priests while pointing fingers at priests from other congregations, denominations, or religions. These players who should be role models are drawing salaries in the millions of dollars, all the while too many of them display extremely poor judgment as they continue to be bad examples for the children we are raising to worship the 'sports god". Far too many of these priests have been prosecuted for various offenses, including murder. Is it any wonder the fans themselves will then display such offensive behavior that when a team wins a championship they all but burn down their own city in jubilation. Who can blame them when their own priests are guilty of many of the same types of behavior? After all, they are just emulating their role models; it makes sense that the congregation would become destructive hooligans.

Psalm 115:8 has an alarming commentary on the worship of false gods. It says:

"Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them."

In short, we are destined to become like the gods we worship. Paul told the Romans;

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28

It would be wise for us to look to God and His word before we decide how much of our time and allegiance we give this modern 'Sports god". We must make up our minds about who will really be our God. When Joshua stepped down as the leader of Israel, he challenged the people by declaring:

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 4:15

I ask you today, how will you serve the Lord? Will you be able to serve him with the enthusiasm that the pagans have in serving their gods? Can you spend more time with the One true God, then they do with theirs? Can you spend more time, money and energy on Jehovah than they do on their false gods. If not, then shame on you! When asked by a leader of the Jews what was the most important commandment of all, Jesus told him:

"'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:29-30

True service and true worship is giving every thought, every ounce of strength, every dream, and every desire to the worship and service of the true lover of your soul, God. True worship for God is doing what the congregation of the NFL does for their god, and that is becoming excited, really excited over Him. When we are able with God's help to accomplish this, we may find ourselves even dancing wildly before the Lord like David did when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem.2Samuel 6:12-14 Then the church will produce a shout of victory that far exceeds any that has ever been heard at an NFL service. Can you imagine that? Trust me, one day it will happen. In the mean time, enjoy the Super Bowl, but don't worship the game.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Am I Lost Because If Find It Difficult to Love Them?

2010-01-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a reader of my Sunday Messages, “How do I love someone I don't like, and if I can't love them does it mean I do not love God?” I decided to tackle this question because there are many Christians who find it difficult, if not down right impossible, to love those they don't like. We are told by John that, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1John 4:8 John goes on to write that it is impossible to love a God you cannot see, if you do not love your earthly brothers. 1John 4:20 As Christians, we need to understand that if God loved the world and gave His only Son to become a propitiation of our sins, then we should also love one another. John 3:16 & 1John 4:10 So we wonder by reading such passages how we can love the way God loves us. Allow me to first give some background on the apostle known as John.

If you had known John when he was still following Jesus as a young man, you would be stunned by the transformation of his heart. I refer to the day that Jesus sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan town to prepare a place for them to lodge. They were told by the elders of the town they would not be welcomed and thus Christ and His disciples were turned away. This must not have sat too well with the two brothers James and John, because they asked Jesus for permission to call down Fire from Heaven to consume and destroy the city. Jesus not only denied their request but rebuked them for their evil hearts by pointing out what manner of spirit they were to be. Luke 9:51-57 This little exercise in hatred earned James and John the name Boanerges, which in Greek means, "Sons of Thunder". However, by the time John was an old man and had written his gospel, epistles and the revelation of Christ, we clearly see the Lord had done some major overhauling in him, because we now know John as the “Apostle of Love”.

There is another incident that we can look to for answers to this question. It was recorded by John in his gospel and it took place when Jesus revealed Himself to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias. John 21:1-18 After they had eaten some fish the apostles caught, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Remember, Peter had denied Jesus three times when He was being mocked, beaten, and illegally tried for blasphemy. Matthew 26:69-75 Jesus was reminding Peter of his three denials by asking if he loved Him three times. John 21:15-18 One can only imagine the sinking feeling Peter had when Jesus asked the first time if he loved Him more then the rest, because it was when Jesus revealed that they would all abandon Him that Peter spoke vehemently saying, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" Mark 14:27-3

Now before I continue, it is important to understand that the English translation of the Scriptures hides a very telling part of the three questions by Jesus. The first two times Jesus asked if Peter loved Him, He used the Greek word “agape” for love, while Peter would only respond with the Greek word “phileo”. There are four different Greek words used for love, but for the purpose of this message I will deal only with the two, “agape” and “phileo”. “Agapê”, is a sacrificial kind of love that asks for nothing in return. This is what God showed us when in spite of our many character flaws and weaknesses He still loved us enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son to give us a chance at eternal life with Him. Now “phileo” is the kind of love you show a brother, not a brother in the sense of family, but in the sense of kinsmenship. This is also the root used in the word Philadelphia, thus the reason they call Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love.

What John reveals to us here, is Peter admitting that he does not have it in him to show an “agape” or sacrificial love that Jesus is asking of him. However, the third time when Jesus asked Peter if he loves Him, He does so by using the level of love that Peter is at, “phileo”. When He does, Peter breaks down and tells Jesus, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." and Jesus then tells Peter;

"Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” John 21:17-18

What Jesus is telling Peter, is that He will work with the level of love that Peter confesses, and lets him know that a day will come when he will have that agape or sacrificial love in his heart. We know from the wittings of such early church leaders as Ignatius of Antioch, Dionysius, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian and others that Peter would experience the kind of love Jesus asked of him when he was crucified in Rome by Nero. All one needed to do to save ones life was to deny Christ and worship the Roman's Gods or Nero as Lord, but Peter would do something he had failed to do when he was much younger. This time he would not deny his Lord. This time he would show his “agape” love for Christ and die for Him as Christ did for us.

So you see brothers and sisters, you may not yet have the capacity to love those whom you don’t like, but as Peter told Christ, “Lord, You know all things”. God knows where our hearts are and He knows where they will be in the future. Jesus promised to continue the good work He began in us when we accepted Him into our lives. Philippians 1:6 & Hebrews 12:2 If John and Peter could spend three years in the presence of God while displaying an anger that would destroy a city, or even still have a limited love that was far short of what God called for, well then my friends, I would just advise you to give it to Him in prayer, and He will work on that part in your life that finds it difficult to love those you dislike. For those who do not know Him I would ask you to also pray and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. I promise that if you are sincere in your request that He will give you a heart to know Him. Jeremiah 24:7 In time, you will see that He is true to His word; maybe one day you will even be surprised to find yourself sacrificing for someone you used to hate.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Witch Doctor Renounces Voodoo in Haiti

2010-01-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

When we hear and see the devastation left by the earthquake in Haiti, many will inevitably wonder how anything good can come out of it all. We feel that way when personal disasters strike, whether it follows a car accident, a house burning down, or even the sudden death of a loved one. However, as Christians we are told that it is not this world we are promised, but the next one that Christ will bring when He returns to judge the world. So we as sojourners here on earth, must look at this world as a place that is here today and gone tomorrow. So while I agree that seeing the destruction and human suffering in Haiti can test ones faith in God's promise to care for, and comfort those who are suffering, if you look beyond what the MSM wants to show us, you will see miracles happening all over Haiti. It is those miracles which should assure you that God is fulfilling the promises He has.

A little history on Haiti and its Voodoo problem will help me introduce you to a certain little old lady named Anne Marie Polestier, and the miracle God is performing with her and others all over Haiti. Let me take you back, back to a time when Europe was at war and America was doing all it could to avoid being brought into it; a time when few if any of your grandparents even knew of Haiti, let alone the existence of Voodoo and black magic. The time was 1941 and a young teen girl was becoming enamored with the power she saw in the practices of Voodoo. The Catholic Church started to come down hard upon those who practiced the black arts, they even put pressure on the government to outlaw Voodoo and disband the practice. There were two other times the church attempted to eradicate the practice of witchcraft and mysticism, once in 1896 and again in 1913. However, in 1941 the church began a campaign of intolerance that led to the dismantling of hundreds of Ounfos (voodoo temples), the burning of thousands of parchments, and the destruction of paraphernalia used in black magic rituals.

Haiti was a poor country then as it is now and produced barely enough food to feed its own people. Like most of Latin and South America the Catholic Church was the dominant Christian influence and its influence spread to those in control of the Haitian government. So when the government helped the church to eradicate the religion of Voodoo from the island, it helped to destroy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items and buildings. The heavy financial loss was especially hard on those who were already struggling and using voodoo as their means of sustenance. Many of those involved were willing participants who helped to destroy their own livelihood as they accepted Christ by the thousands throughout the crackdown. What happened should bring to remembrance to any regular reader of the Scriptures the incident Luke wrote about the chapter 19 of the book of Acts.

And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.Acts 19:18-20

As I said, during the crackdown many thousands would came to know Christ, but others just melted into the jungles continuing to practice their rituals in secret, away from the prying eyes of the government and the church. We may never know exactly why Anne Marie Polestier set it upon her heart to become a voodoo mambo or a priestess. Maybe she was a daughter of those who melted into the woods after the pressure of the Church and government became unbearable. Perhaps she was met with Christians who failed to show the love of Christ and instead was repelled by their anger over the evil they saw. Sometimes without realizing it, a Christian's hatred for evil can come off as hatred for the one practicing it. We are told to love the sinner and hate the sin, but too often the sinner and the sin both feel the wrath of the righteous. Regardless the reason, 83 year old Anne Marie does remember that she chose willingly to become a practitioner of Voodoo's black magic.

As you will see in the accompanying video that I edited from a report done for CBN, Polestier would become a well known witch doctor of voodoo, and in time would move to a neighborhood in central Port-au-Prince where she would gain quite the reputation for her knowledge and understanding of the many practices of voodoo and mysticism. Then one day a Christian Pastor decided to open a church in her neighborhood and spread the Gospel of Christ. Camille Desravines, was not met with joy and enthusiasm by the voodoo priestess, who considered the neighborhood to be her domain and the people to be her flock. She even told the new preacher that he had one year to get out of the neighborhood or else she would put a curse on them that would kill him and all the members of his church. It was not a threat to be taken lightly, after all the jungles are full of the bones of those who crossed the paths and made enemies of voodoo priestesses. Many, even in the Christian communities of Haiti, tend to keep their distance from such women and their black magic curses.

Voodoo priestesses may be scary, but in Christ we know no fear, because greater is He who is in us then he who is in the world. 1John 4:4 Pastor Desravines did not back down. He may have feared for the lives and welfare of his congregation but he knew that God would protect those who truly put their faith in Him through Christ. Well it was less then a year from the time she threatened them when the earthquake struck Haiti. When the quake hit, Anne Marie was in the living room with her daughter. She managed to get out, but lost her daughter who died and her home. A few yards away, her hated enemy, Pastor Camille would experience a similar fate. His church and home were destroyed and just like that, both he and Anne Marie were homeless.

It is important to know as a Christian, that calamity and death will visit both the righteous evil person, and it is how we react and what we do when such devastation and loss of life comes that shows the world who our God is. In the wake of the devastation, Pastor Camille's church invited Anne Marie to join them. Oh there is no building left ,but the church is not a building, the church is a community of God's children. Anne has learned what it means to be forgiving because those she threatened with a curse, are now the ones who are giving her aid and comfort at a time when she has no one and nothing left in this world. Anne Marie and Pastor Camille are becoming good friends, and Anne has even renounced Voodoo magic. She has yet to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior, but Pastor Camille is convinced that day will come shortly. Anne said of Voodoo:

"I'm going to leave it. I'm going to leave Voodoo, It has brought me nothing but anguish."

Pastors and Christians all over Haiti are reporting the same kind of miracles as the one that was visited upon Anne Marie. Almost every day following a service and meeting, more people come forward to declare they too want to trust Christ with their future and souls. They have a new found faith and it is a faith in Christ that many are beginning to understand as they witness the devastation that Voodoo could not keep from visiting their door. See, Christ does not promise that you will be free from trials and tribulations, what Christ offers is freedom from the second death as he told the Church of Smyrna when he told them they would face persecution:

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. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." Revelation 2:10-11

The current troubles, brought on by the earthquake, only add to what the Haitians have suffered from years of political and spiritual corruption. That lethal combination has kept the people in such a state of constant poverty that many turned to Voodoo to help explain and deal with their suffering. Now some are looking to a different God, and the answers they are getting make more sense and offer better choices than the religion of Voodoo. Sometimes God's greatest miracles are most evident when people are suffering greatly. At a time when every person in Haiti has been touched by this tragedy, a miracle of rebirth is taking place. Both young and old are looking to Christ for answers and salvation that only He can offer.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

Video of Kirk Cameron Giving Away Free Copies Of "Origin of Species"

2010-01-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort have found a loophole and decided to exploit it for Christ. It would seems that Charles Darwin's book, "Origin of Species", is considered public domain by the law. So what Kirk and Comfort have done was open a hornets nest by distributing hundreds of thousands of free copies of Darwin's book with Christian material and messages as a forward. Then they distributed them for free at universities across America and Europe. The 50 page introduction picks apart aspects of Charles Darwin’s work and links it to everything from Nazi eugenics to the scientist’s alleged ‘disdain for women.”

Now you can watch the video below that was of put out by their "Way of The Master" organization that headed up the bold plan of taking on Darwin and his book. Cameron had said before the plan was carried out on November 18, 2009 that,

“Atheism has been on the rise for years now, and the Bible of the atheists is The Origin of Species. We have a situation in our country where young people are entering college with a belief in God and exiting with that faith being stripped and shredded. What we want to do is have student make an informed, educated decision before they chuck their faith.”

Kirk Cameron says, “I am proud to bring this to people’s attention. You see things in the world that are truly distressing and you think, ‘What can I do?’ Well this is something I can do.”

Don't Blame God, Tragedies Happen

2010-01-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

After the Earthquake that devastated Haiti, Pat Robertson was accused of saying that God was punishing Haiti because of the evil practices of its people. At first I must admit that I cringed and even stated that he was out of line and the statement was ignorant on his part, especially when the Scriptures go directly against such foolish beliefs. Then I looked into what Pat actually said, and found this statement put out by CBN:.

”Pat Robertson's comments were based on the widely-discussed 1791 slave rebellion led by Boukman Dutty at Bois Caiman, where the slaves allegedly made a famous pact with the devil in exchange for victory over the French. This history, combined with the horrible state of the country, has led countless scholars and religious figures over the centuries to believe the country is cursed. Dr. Robertson never stated that the earthquake was God’s wrath. If you watch the entire video segment, Dr. Robertson’s compassion for the people of Haiti is clear. CBN

So Pat Robertson did not say what he was accused of saying, yet I still have a problem with the so called scholars whom he quoted and it is their belief that I want to address today. I must question how well learned these scholars are for making such a claim. After all, a simple reading of the encounter that Abraham had when he was visited by three angels on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah should be enough to dispel such nonsense. 16Genesis 18:16:33 God was willing to spare the whole of Sodom and Gomorrah if, as
Abraham pleaded, He found 10 righteous individuals. Well, God did not find 10 righteous people and so, destroyed both cities. Regardless of how evil the men of Sodom were, God was willing to spare them. I could probably list many of the evils things that have been going on in Haiti, from their supposed deal with the devil in 1791 all the way up their current practices of Voodoo. However, I could probably find and list the names of Haitians who practice their Christian beliefs as good or even better then many Christians I know in America. That would be hundreds of times the number of people God was looking for to spare Sodom and Gomorrah..

What many Christians fail to understand is that God did not target the people of Haiti for their sinful ways no more then He specifically targeted Indonesia in 2004 when it was devastated by a tsunami, or America on September 11, 2001. I can think of a certain few cities in America that are just as evil in God's eyes, if not more so, because they have more access to the truth than many people in Haiti do. Last time I looked San Francisco is still among the cities of America.

Furthermore, we live in a dispensation of time that was ushered in by Christ. This new dispensation makes each individual person responsible for his own sin. There is no corporate punishment for countries or societies like there was in the Old Testament times. Other than the final judgment that is spoken of in Revelation when God will finally judge all mankind, there is no such thing as God punishing nations. Like it or not that is a fact. Christ came as the Lamb of God the first time to usher in His church and die for our sins. The next time He comes it will be with a sword, and He will usher in His Kingdom.

Now as far as disasters are concerned, it's easy to think of nature as serene and safe--the way that many people who enjoy the comforts of the modern world experience it. We in America are used to nature when and how we like it. But natural disasters are faith-shakers. It may be that we in the west should ask why we do not suffer more faith strengthening natural disasters. Katrina should have been a faith building disaster, but we allowed too many to use it for political purposes and in the process too few realized the moment to trust fully in God as they should have. We would be wise to study the actions of the early Christians who suffered many tragedies for their faith. For them, suffering was not a metaphysical problem needing a solution but a practical challenge needing a response of faith. Apparently it never occurred to them to question their belief in God or his goodness because they were unjustly suffering from either man made or natural disasters. Rather, their faith gave them direction in the face of persecution and general misfortune. God did not cause the earthquake nor did he step in to stop it, because he expects us to use those moments of trouble to look to Him.

There will come a time when we will all collectively be tested by persecution and tragedies because of mankind's sin, but depending on what your understanding of the end times is, the way, and time will happen when God is ready. Ones understanding of how and when the end will come has no bearing upon the salvation of ones soul. Acceptance of Jesus as your Lord and Savior will save you, not your understanding of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

Judging Others

2010-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed how those, when told by a Christian that they are sinners, accuse the Christian of being judgmental. They claim that the Bible, a text that Christians claim is the inspired word of God, says we are not to judge others because of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:1

"Judge not, that you be not judged".Matthew 7:1

First off, it would be wise to know that originally there were no such things as chapters and verses in the Greek and Aramaic texts. They were added later to facilitate ease of use. It was not until Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro began to create a concordance of the Latin Vulgate, that he found the need to use chapters and verses. These made it easier for others to cross reference verses and look up the information that he was listing in his concordance around 1244 to 1248 A.D. The original manuscripts that made up the Bible were fragments of letters written by the authors. Many of which were but copies of the original letters passed along from church to church for the defense against heresies, education, and edification of the many followers of Christ. Others give credit to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, who started his listing and categorizing 1227 A.D. When Wycliff translated his English version of the Scriptures he used Langton's verses and chapters as a guide in 1382.

So now we get back to the present day when we see those who wish to live immoral lives, attack Christians for judging their immoral behavior by citing Matthew 7:1. Is it any wonder you never hear them add the rest of the thought process of Jesus into their accusation? That is correct, I said the rest of the thought process of Jesus, because the verse separation divides a statement by Jesus into two versus. In reality, if they had known in 1200 that men would attempt to use the Bible to justify their immoral behavior, then maybe they would have ended Matthew verse one after the statement by Jesus in verse two. If they had, Matthew 7:1 would say;

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

The key to accurately interpreting this passage would be to first recognize that the phrase "Judge not" is a part of a larger context which includes, "When you judge....". Further more, the very structure of the language which was originally in Greek reveals that the intended meaning of this whole statement by Christ was to prohibit the constant use of judgment as a way of life. It was not meant to stop judgment of evil, or wrong doing, but rather to warn against a judgmental attitude towards every little thing in life, especially when you are guilty of the same things you judge others of as the Pharisees were.

Now, I will inevitably be asked what exactly I consider to be legitimate judgment. Judgment is legitimate when it follows what Jesus told the people in John 7:24, where He was accused of working on the Sabbath by healing and performing miracles, to which Jesus said to them;

"I did one work, and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." John 7:21-24

Righteousness in the New Testament is the equivalent of the revealed will of God in the Word. So judgment is righteous, and warranted, when it agrees with Biblical principles. Judgment that is a matter of personal opinion or that is antithetical to (against) Biblical principles is the type of judgment that is forbidden by the statement Jesus made in Matthew 7:1-2. Paul touched upon this when he wrote to the Corinthians about spiritual wisdom and our need to watch out for false prophets who would lead us into all kinds of evil practices. Paul told them, thus he tells us that;

the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ, 1Corinthians 2:14

So on one hand, we are commanded by our Lord Jesus, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" Matthew 7:1. On the other hand, the Bible also exhorts us to beware of evildoers and false prophets and to avoid those who practice all kinds of evil. How are we to discern who these people are, if we do not make some kind of judgment about them?

There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment. In Matthew 7:2-5, Jesus warns us against judging someone else for a sin we too are committing, or if we are committing a worse sin. That is the kind of judgment Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his or her Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront that person about their sinful behavior. Matthew 18:15-17 This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope that the ultimate goal would be to bring repentance in the other persons life and to restore them back into fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love, and we are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. Paul gives us an excellent example of how to do this when he told the Corinthians to expel a brother from the church for sleeping with his fathers wife.

Which leads to the fact that a majority of Americans still call themselves Christian, and it is our duty to judge such men who claim to be in fellowship with Christ. We can do nothing but take their word for their faith and by doing so they lay their lives open to be judged by other brothers and sisters of Christ. If we do not, then we are at fault for not correcting a brother or sister. As for judging the world of sinners who are not walking in the way, we are to let them know that they are wrong in their behavior and offer them the gospel of Christ Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6 If they refuse to accept the message then we are to follow the guideline of Christ when He sent out His disciples by twos, saying;

And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

So when we judge we should judge evil with a righteous judgment that can only come from those who themselves are not living a life of unrighteousness. We should judge those who are in a position to influence our children, our friends and our country. As a Christian, I would be sinning if I allowed my child to go off with an individual I thought was doing drugs. As a Christian, I would be sinning if I allowed my friends to be ripped off by a person I knew was a con artist. As a Christian, I would be sinning if I allowed anyone I know to have their money stolen, their car damaged, or their lively hood to be diminished, especially if I knew it was happening. So judge I will, but I will do so righteously and with an understanding that it is my duty as a Christian to be upfront and honest about my intentions for any and all rebukes. It is a fine line we Christians must walk while in the world, but it is a line none the less if we are to be the light that shines the love and truth of Christ on a dark and lost world.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Filthy Rags

2010-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6

The Prophet Isaiah summed up the reprobate state into which God's chosen people had sunk into. Though they had the blessing of the Law given to them by Moses, when he conversed with God on Mount Sinai, they had turned from their Lawgiver and became more wretched than the people who did not have the Law. God's chosen people were worshiping false gods. Isaiah 42:17 They were reveling in idolatry so much so that the prophet called Jerusalem a harlot that was as evil as the Sodomites. Isaiah 1:21 & 3:9.

This is an excerpt, I am in the process of moving my articles
to my new location with the Enterprise Record Newspaper.
You can continue reading "Filthy Rags" at

Gate

Adored By Social Outcasts

2009-12-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

One late evening, a little over 2015 years ago, a man named Joseph and his young wife named Mary arrived in Bethlehem only to discover that there were no rooms at the local inn. Imagine the frightening situation they faced since Mary, who was expecting a child, probably had been experiencing birth pains for the last 10 miles of their 80 mile journey. Now that they had finally reached their destination they were told that the only place the inn keeper had to offer for their comfort was an animal shelter. This was not exactly the place Joseph expected he and his wife to be spending the night when they reached their destination. Imagine the stench from the animals and the flies that buzzed around them. Even considering the archaic way children entered the world back then, this was not the way Mary and Joseph had envisioned their first child being born. It would not be long after Joseph made Mary comfortable that the time for the child to be born had arrived. Soon Mary's screams from the pain of childbirth would break the silence of the night as their first Son entered the world. With only the animals to greet the newborn, it would not be long before some very unsavory individuals would stop to greet the new parents and their child. They were shepherds who had been tending their flocks when an Angel visited and told them that a child had been,

....For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Luke 2:12-13

I say unsavory, because times had changed since the days when King David was a young shepherd boy and God has chosen him to lead Israel. By the time Jesus was born, shepherds were among the lowest and most despised social groups in Judea. The very nature of a shepherd's job would keep them from entering into the mainstream of Israel's society. After all, many of these men were usually transients who would take any job they could find just to work. Some would have been former landowners who lost their land for one reason or another and thus many Jews considered them to be of questionable character because God surely punished them for some untold sin they had committed.

Many of these men would also be away from their families for months at a time, and it was considered foolish and dishonorable to leave your family for extended periods. The shepherds were also considered religious outcasts and barred from entering the Temple because their odd hours prevented them from obeying the religious ceremonies. Under the Mosaic Law, every Jewish male was required to attend three feasts a year, the Passover, the Pentecost, and the Feast of the Tabernacle. Like the blind, the lame, and the lepers, shepherds were considered unclean. If a crime was committed, the first ones suspected were the unsavory shepherds whom no one knew much about. Consider what Rabbi Meir wrote in the Jewish Mishnah about the Jewish views on trade, tradesmen, and the trades Guilds;

Abba Gurjan of Zadjan said, "In name of Abba Gurja. Let not a man bring up his son to be a donkey-driver, nor a camel-driver, nor a barber, nor a sailor nor a shepherd, nor a peddler; for their occupations are those of thieves"

In today's world we would lump these individuals into the same category as we do the migrant farm workers, carnival workers, or even the down and out individuals standing on the corner carrying signs that read, "Will Work for Food". Yup, these are the kinds of unsavory characters respectable Jews would have nothing to do with, so you would think that shepherds would be the last ones God would send His angels to inform about the birth of His Son. However, when you consider what God sent His Son to do, it makes perfect sense for Him to notify those of low station like the shepherds. After all, consider these three statements by Jesus; the first was directed towards the Pharisees who questioned why He would dare hang out with sinners and tax collectors.

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Mark 2:17

The second statement was directed to those who complained when Jesus went into the house of Zaccheus, a chief tax collector in Jericho who had made his living by charging exuberant taxes from his fellow Jews. However, after spending some time with Jesus, he told the crowd that he was returning that which he had unjustly taken from his fellow man. Jesus then said of his change of heart,

"Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

Finally, the third statement by Christ is from a conversation He had one evening with Nicodemus, a leading teacher for the people of Israel. John 3:14-16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

The twenty five words of John 3:16, convey the Lord's heart, the Lord's plan, and the lord's will for our lives. No Scripture in the Bible defines Christianity better then this verse does, and it is this passage that makes the first two statements I offered so profound. Together as a whole, these three statements explain why the shepherds were notified instead of King Herod, the High Priest, or the leading citizens of the community. The wealthy and powerful were more interested in getting Him out of their way, whereas the lost, the sick, and the hopeless would be attracted to him and His message of eternal salvation. It would be the hopeless He came to give hope to, the sick He came to heal, and the lost He came to find. So it only makes sense that God would send His angels to bring the good news to those whom His Son would eventually shepherd.

One morning a little over 2015 yrs ago, a child was born to a virgin. The manger in which he lay was of a little town where the lambs to be sacrificed at the Temple roamed the countryside. How fitting it was that the very misfits who tended the sheep for the Temple would be the first ones, other than His earthly parents, to see and greet the Lamb of God who would one day be sacrificed for the sins of the world.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Merry Christmas from Chuck Ness

Nine Reasons Santa Must Be A Conservative Republican

2009-12-19T04:43:00.000-08:00

Back in May I wrote an article that asked the questioned, "Was Jesus A Socialist?" As I wrote in the article it is my understanding of the Scriptures, and of God's many rules and regulations to the Israelites, that Jesus was a capitalist. Thus I believe if He were walking among us and actually voting in our elections today, He would most certainly be a conservative capitalist. Now we find ourselves at the doorstep of Christmas and unfortunately more children have probably heard of Santa than have heard of Jesus. So in the spirit of the season, and just so I can be fair and equitable with my political opinions, I have decided to share what I think of Santa's political persuasion.

My regular Sunday messege will be presented on Christmas morning this week, so today I have decided to have a little fun. Oh I realize it is not a Christian message so much as it is a political statement I am making here, so I ask those who may be offended by this to accept it in the spirit it is offered. I also do not want anyone to think that I am putting a beloved character on the same level as God, I am not, and please do not misconstrue the meaning of this article. I offer it as a simple and fun explanation of how I see liberals and what I think of Santa's politics.

I will begin by saying that if Santa were a real person and a politically minded individual he would be a conservative Republican. How can I be so sure of such a bold statement you may wonder? Well, I will list nine reasons for my belief. But before I offer my list, I would like to point out that when finished you will inevitably ask yourself the same question I have asked in the past. Why would any liberal Democrat like Santa, and why would they ever tell their children to like him?

Now some of this list has been seen by many in portions elsewhere. What I did was add my own thoughts and mixed them all up so that it is what I think. So here are nine reasons I think Santa must be a conservative Republican.

1.) Santa waits till everyones asleep and no ones around, to see him do his good deeds. If Santa were a liberal Democrat, he would do his work in broad daylight where everyone could see and he would also call reporters and hold a press conference.
2.) Santa gives toys and candy out using his own money and hard work. Liberal Democrats would pass a law that would call for redistribution of wealth from others. Then they would again hold a press conference to tell the parents how they have made the children's Christmas better by forcing evil wealthy individuals to share the wealth.
3.) If Santa were a liberal Democrat, he wouldn't fly around on a cold drafty sleigh that was pulled by an endangered animal like the reindeer. The liberal Democrat would be flying around the world in a Boeing 747 paid for by the taxpayers of the world. Oh yeah, they would also have a huge "Save the Reindeer" sticker on the side of the plane for everyone to see.
4.) When you go to the mall and see Santa there, what is he doing? He is asks the boys and girls what they want for Christmas, then he shuts up and listens as he remembers every detail of what the child wants. Liberals never listen. They just talk, talk, talk and talk some more as they tell you what they are going to do for you, regardless of whether you want it or not.
5.) Santa hires elves. Fact is, you will never see a Liberal Democrat actually hire a physically disadvantaged individual, unless it was a token employ for the media to see. Liberals only use the disadvantaged for speeches and photo ops.
6.) Santa believes in right and wrong, he checks his list twice to see who has been naughty and nice. If a child has been bad, well that child will be getting a lump of coal. As far as liberal Democrats are concerned, the very idea that there is a right and a wrong is antiquated and evil. If Santa were a liberal Democrat, he would actually give the best toys to the baddest child because after all it really is not his fault and we do not want any child to be stigmatized. That is why liberals insist on either making pregnant teenage girls valedictorians, or they have no valedictorians at all. Remember, to a liberal right and wrong, good and bad, are all relative.
7.) Santa gives to others from a sacrificial, giving heart without expecting or demanding anything in return because he truly loves others. Liberals on the other hand believe everyone is entitled to something, but not because they love them, it is because they want something in return.
8.) Santa shows up to work regardless of what the weather is like. He is not afraid of long hours or having to work on holidays with no extra pay. Santa never goes on strike, demanding that we the people give him more than he already has.
9.) Finally, the last reason I believe Santa would be a conservative Republican, is because when the working conditions get tough like foggy nights or heavy snow storms, instead of delaying his promise of delivering his gifts until the weather improves, he uses good old American capitalist ingenuity to come up with a technical solution to the problem. One time he found out that he could use an outcast reindeer, named Rudolph who had a shiny nose, to help shine the light and deliver his presents to all the boys and girls of the world on time.Yup, Santa kept right on trucking without missing a step, and without demanding that the government get involved to do that which he promised he would always do.

So as you can plainly see Santa is a conservative Republican, not a Liberal Democrat.

Hated For My Names Sake

2009-12-13T07:54:00.001-08:00

"They will hate you for My sake".This is what Jesus said would happen to those who follow Him.

"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. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."Matthew 24:9-13

Up until recent times, most Christians in America could not imagine living in a country where such things would happen in their lifetime. Who would ever imagine a time when Christians would be hated and people would betray their faith for the false prophets? I can't help but think of folks who grew up in the Bible belt or of the Laura Ingalls-type pioneers of the 19th century prairie days. Did they ever come close to imagining what that kind of world would be like? And yet here we are, actually living in such times.

"You will be hated by all nations because of me," Jesus said. It's not just imaginary anymore, because since the House of Representatives passed the so-called "Hate Crimes Bill", it is just a matter of time before Christians are persecuted for quoting Scripture from the Bible.

This is real, this is now. Jesus Christ knew that this day would come, and he spoke of it when He walked among us. We are living during a time when we will see attacks on Christians, and conservative political radio, escalate as it has in Canada, because of newly adopted hate crime language in the law. It is clear to me that we must be ready to stand up and fight for what is right. I know that not all of us have a public reach through web logs (blogs), radio, books, and TV. But at the very least, we must stand up for our Christian principles in our communities and with our friends and family.

As we approach the time we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us remember why He came. Christ was the light that entered the world so that men could be set free from the darkness, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19 We now live at a time when evil abounds, and it is incumbent upon Godly men to stand for what is right, regardless of what the ramifications may be. Sharing the gospel means to share the light with those in the dark, and that means we must stand for the truth.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

2009-12-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Start off your week right by checking out this video of the high school students in the Chamber Choir of South Kitsap High School of Port Orchard, Washington were the students perform a great rendition of Halleluia! This was in Dec., 2008 in the Winter Festival. Freeper Lynn D's wife actually made 4 of the monk costumes, both Lynn and his wife were in the audience during the presentation of this concert. Great work Lynn, and thank your wife for such a great job on the costumes.

From Genesis to Revelation in One Year

2009-12-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for the video of the Silent Monks Singing Halleluia, then go to this link and you will see it. Sorry for the confusion.
Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

From Genesis to Revelation in One Year

I have been asked by numerous individuals as to how I manage to get through the Bible in one years time. It is a task I attempt to undertake every year, and I must admit that often times I find myself bunching up a few books around the end of the year to accomplish my task. There are many schedules put out every January by various Christian Churches and organizations that will guide you in accomplishing such an endeavor. I am sure those who attend church regularly will find that their Church offers a schedule every December. Unfortunately, what I have learned through the years is that these lists and schedules are usually put together by someone whose hours and lifestyle doesn't always fit for others. So for today's Sunday message, I have decided to offer a few ideas for those who have yet to read the Bible through in a year and desire to do so. I will attempt to show how I have been able to get into the rhythm of reading the Lords gift to us, His Word, from cover to cover.

The best way to begin is to share my own experience. One of the most difficult obstacles is to be disciplined about picking the Bible up everyday and reading it. Now I do not mean to say that I did not have the desire to read the Word, I did. My problem was that when I finished with all the exciting passages, I was faced with the task of reading the books I felt did not pertain to my life. So for many years I just kept rereading the same books over and over again. Well, you can imagine, my walk with the Lord was not as full and rewarding as it could have been. I was missing a major part of Him, my Father who created me. Then one day I was told by Pastor Bud Chauvin that besides reading through the Bible once a year, he also read the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs 12 times a year. After hearing this, I decided to follow suit, and began reading the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs through in one month.

I began by starting my morning with a prayer for the day, and then I opened the Bible and read a Proverb and a few Psalms. In no time at all I was finished reading, and doing the other things I do to get ready for work. After about two months of doing so, it seemed as though I had gotten over the inability to read the Bible everyday. It seemed that instead of being a chore and constantly feeling as though I was a failure as a Christian because I could not force myself to read the Bible daily, I was re-invigorated in my desire to read even more. Soon I found myself adding a few chapters of the book of Matthew and then one morning I realized I had worked my way by small steps daily all the way through the book of Romans. Then I bought myself one of those Mead Composition tablets that have 200 pages and began writing my thoughts about what the Lord led me to think about when I finished reading.

I must admit that after 12 months of this I did not get through the whole bible. However, I did read the books of Psalms and Proverbs 12 times each, and instead of feeling like a failure as a Christian, I felt invigorated even more. I then determined in my heart that I would read the Bible from cover to cover in one year for the first time in my life. It was a big task, and I will say that there were times I thought I would fail, but I finally reached the last chapter of the last book and accomplished my mission. Never in my life have I ever felt so at peace and complete as a Christian as I did that day.

Well, it has been some time since that day, and since then I have felt the same joy of accomplishment a number of times but to be honest, I still fail some years to accomplish the task. But I know I have done it, and I will do it again, just as I have succeeded and failed in my mission to read the book of Psalms or Proverbs through in one month's time. It is not the idea that you must read the Bible through every time, but that you need to set the goal or you will never try. Succeed or fail the time spent will be well worth it.

Now, on to my reading suggestions. To begin with, you should pick a time of day that you can sit alone and be undisturbed for at least an hour. I have found that early morning works best for me, but what ever time you chose, it must be a time when the world will leave you alone. I would also advise you to begin your reading with baby steps, so that you can first learn to make it a daily habit. That is why I suggest you begin by reading one proverb a day, soon you will see that you have read the book of Proverbs. Next add five Psalms and an 8 verse stanza of Psalm 119, this being because psalm 119 has 176 verses. One day I plan on presenting an overview of the book of Psalms and at that time I will offer my commentary on this beautiful acrostic Psalm.

After reading the book of Proverbs and Psalms in this way you will find that your heart will begin to yearn for more. It is at this time that I suggest reading a few verses from the New Testament and a few from the Old. Now I do not expect you to get through the Bible in the first year, but if you begin with these baby steps, in time you will see how it is not such a daunting task as you may have imagined. The important thing to remember is that it takes a minimum of 30 days to build a habit, so you need to start with the first month and build upon the habit of reading at the same time everyday.

I don't want anyone to think that reading the Bible through in one year is by any means a replacement for ones study of the Scriptures. I read the Bible for study at a separate session. The time you spend reading the Bible for study should be more of an in depth study that involves deep research and investigative work. Your one year Bible reading time will be more like reading a novel then study; you will learn but it will be more passive than the learning you get from your study time.

Finally, I suggest you get yourself a notebook or some sort of journal to track your progress and write your thoughts as you spend your quiet time collecting Mana from our Father. What to write in this journal is between you and God, because it will reflect your time alone with Him. Some day in the future you may find yourself going back and seeing the footsteps in the sands of your life and realize that He was truly there when you needed Him the most. For those who now journal and go through the Bible in one years time, you know the benefit of doing so. For those of you attempting to begin for the first time, I pray that my suggestions will help you in your mission. Either way, I pray for your continued walk with our Lord Jesus Christ and His blessings to be showered upon you and yours.

Tis The Season to Share Christ

2009-11-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

As we approach Christmas, you will no doubt be confronted by those who would like to remove the name Christ and any reference to Him from the Holiday season. That is because the world we live in has been judged by Him and it's end is near. Thus, those who hold onto this world will do all they can to keep the lost from finding the Messiah, Christ Jesus. Many do not even want to use the word "Christmas" to describe this holiday season. There are disputes across this country in community after community where public officials are debating whether a large public tree display should be called a 'Christmas" tree or a "holiday" tree. Added to this disgrace is the many department stores across America that carry "Christmas cards" with poems and greetings that don't even mention the words Christ, Christmas, or God, let alone a verse from the Holy Bible.

Remember the days when you entered a store, and a clerk wished you a Merry Christmas? Now when you enter a store you will be lucky if you here the phrase, "Happy Holidays", let alone the greeting, "Merry Christmas". Now, I could continue on the path of pointing out all the areas of our society where Christmas is being supplanted by the generic "Holiday Season" theme, but I have a larger point to make. You see, this attempt to remove Christianity from society is not unexpected; fact is, most Christians have always known that it would eventually happen. What must be understood is that this is part of a larger agenda to do away with the Christ of Christmas and the God who created mankind. Just like the effort that has been underway for years to remove the phrase "IN GOD WE TRUST" from our coins and paper currency, so too is there an effort to remove the Christian God from all aspects of the American culture and replace Him with entities of worship that are neither real nor Divine.

Things have not changed much from the day when the Jews yelled out to Pontius Pilate, "We have no king but Caesar". - John 9:15 Thus they would not have Christ reign over their lives. - Luke 19:14 Fact is, things have progressively gotten worse, and we are now beginning to witness what Paul warned the Thessalonian's about when he wrote,

"God will send them a strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." - 2Thessalonians 2:11-12

We are warned by Paul and others throughout the Scriptures that the day will come when men will fall away and reject Christ and His teachings. As we live, these events are progressing rapidly so that the great apostasy spoken of can usher in the man of sin and the anti-christ who will war against the very God of heaven. - Revelation 19:11-21

We can see the works of this apostasy right before our eyes as the mindset of the anti-christ begins to dominate the center stage of political and religious influence around the world. These like minded individuals will do all in their power to prevent any Christian believing man or woman from gaining a position of power in the world. Remember, when we Christians allow evil men to remove the one true God from our society, then the only thing which will remain shall be "Godless society". That is why we see the concerted effort to remove Christ from Christmas, Christmas from the holiday season, and ultimately Christ from men's lives.

It is something that began the day Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and Adam rejected life with God and instead accepted to die with Eve. Genesis 3:1-24 It is something that will continue until Shiloh returns and claims His own. Genesis 49:9-12 While we cannot stop that which is inevitable, we can as Christians do our part to open the eyes of those who are lost and do not know the truth. No Christian should be sitting back idly doing nothing, we must fight the good fight and do all in our power to open the eyes of the lost. At the beginning of His great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples,

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

This Christmas I challenge that all those who read my message to be a light in this dark world. Show the truth to those who are following the lies, and offer them what Christ told us to offer. We are to be fishers of men and to make disciples of all the nations. We should be baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that He has commanded us to do. - Matthew 28:18-20 As the last specific commandment given by Christ before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right side of God, we have no choice but to follow and obey it. We should be doing this every day as we breath the air he supplies us, but so many of us do not. So it is my prayer that you all will share the gift Christ gave you with others this Christmas Season.

If you are one if the 70% of professing Christians who have never shared the gospel with a stranger, then I suggest today is a good time to start. So when you enter the store to buy a gift, or groceries, look around and see the lost souls who are begging to hear the good news. Do not be fooled into thinking they know what Christmas is all about, because chances are they may not have heard the truth. Open your mouth and maybe you will open their eyes to a brand new world that they have been looking for. Imagine if Christ had never been offered to you! Now, share Him with others, it is your duty. After all, what better time to start sharing the gift of Christ than when we celebrate His birth?

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

The First Thanksgiving, A Lesson For Obama

2009-11-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

When a ship called the Mayflower set sail for the Americas on August 1, 1620, no one would have thought that a historical lesson in politics would be learned by those who gave up everything for a chance at a new life in a new world. 102 passengers set sail with William Bradford that day and once they were on the high seas they all signed an agreement. This agreement, or contract if you may, established what was to be a just and equal law for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. What the settlers signed was a contract we now recognize as the Mayflower Compact. It was a mutual agreement that was entered into by the settlers and their merchant-sponsors back in London England.

Basically what the settlers formed was the first social commune of the New World, something that anyone growing up in the 1960s and 70s would easily recognize as a community where all land, houses, farming and other goods were distributed equally amongst all the inhabitants regardless of religious or political beliefs or station. It was the world's first society that was truly set up in a way that nobody would own anything and everyone who was in need would have what they required if it existed. In essence, the Mayflower Compact was a concept that would be popularized 255 years later in 1875 by Karl Marx's slogan,

"from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs."

What many do not realize is that the ideas expressed in the Mayflower Compact were thought to have come from the Bible. The Pilgrims were Godly Christians who understood and followed the Scriptures and wanted to do what they thought was right by God. So they looked to the ancient Israelites as the example of how to begin their new society in the new world. After all, if it worked for God's people it should work for them too, right? And, because they thought that they were following what the Biblical precedents had set forth in the Scriptures, they never doubted that their experiment would work. Unfortunately they misread the Scriptures, and their experiment in the new world would almost destroy everything they had hoped and prayed for within their first year together in the new land.

What the Pilgrims experienced when they arrived in November was a cold, barren, desolate wilderness that was neither friendly nor accommodating for their modern English ways. Bradford wrote in his journal,

"There were no friends to greet them, no houses to shelter them, and no inns where they could refresh themselves when they landed. The sacrifice these many Pilgrims made for their freedom to worship as they chose, was just beginning."

In April of 1621 William Bradford was elected governor after the first Governor and half of the Pilgrims who landed in Plymouth Harbor, including his own wife died. The dwindling number of Pilgrims lost loved ones and friends to starvation, sickness or exposure that first winter, but they did experience God's blessing when local Indians showed them how to plant corn, fish, and skin beavers for clothing. Their lives improved somewhat, yet they were far from being prosperous and they knew another winter could literally kill the remaining members of the community.

This is the end of most lessons taught in history classes across America today. American children today are taught that the Indians came to the rescue and saved the pilgrims, thus the first Thanksgiving was made possible by the very people these white settlers would eventually murder and shove into Reservations. That is it, end of story, now let us all eat our turkey and curse the European white men for their crimes against the more spiritual American Indians. Just one problem though, that ending is a lie, and we need to make sure that our children know that their teachers are not telling the rest of the story. It is our responsibility that our children know the truth about their forefathers and how socialism almost ended the world's greatest experiment before it ever started. Truth be told, the first Thanksgiving was a devout expression of gratitude grounded in the tradition of both the Old and New Testaments.

What the schools are leaving out in their lessons about the first Thanksgiving is that the contract the Pilgrims entered into was the reason they almost starved to death. When Bradford became the new governor of the colony, he recognized that this form of collectivism was as costly and destructive to the Pilgrims as that first harsh winter which had taken so many lives. Bradford came to realize the very thing that Barack Obama and the Democrats refuse to learn. In his journal Bradford wrote,

"The experience that we had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years...that by taking away property, and bringing community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing - as if they were wiser than God, Bradford wrote. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. For the young men, that were most able and fit for labor and service, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men's wives and children without any recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in division of victuals and clothes than he that was weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice. The aged and graver men to be ranked and equalized in labors and victuals, clothes etc., with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some indignity and disrespect unto them. And for men's wives to be commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brook it"

Bradford soon understood that he needed to change things or the whole community would not survive many more Winters. So in the Spring of 1623, he decided take bold action by assigning plots of land to each family, and each young adult male to work and manage. He also canceled the Mayflower Compact that the Pilgrims all signed, allowing every land owner to keep their own crops and products to trade at the market place for a fair market value. Capitalism was born in America, and it was just a matter of time before the young men were working their land and growing enough crops to use and trade. The women began accepting the goods the young men grew and in return they washed and cooked for them. The husbands in return were happier because their wives did not feel like slaves laboring for men they were not attached to and the whole community began to prosper and grow. What Bradford recorded in his journal the following Autumn of 1623 about the results of his new experiment is staggering considering how dismal the future had looked just a short 6 months earlier.

"This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn, which before would allege weakness and inability, whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression"

This was quite a change from their previous situation, when even severe whippings had been resorted to as a way of punishment for those who refused to work or for open rebellion against the community. However, before this experiment in capitalism, all the whippings and warnings would not change the fact that the community was dying from within, due to the very nature of socialism's effect on the human spirit. It must also be remembered that even though the Pilgrims increased their efforts in 1623, a severe drought threatened to undo all they had accomplished by ruining their crops. So, following their beliefs, they offered contrition for their sins and prayed to God for rain. Soon, the drought broke, the crops flourished and the community would celebrate the first Thanksgiving that we still try to emulate to this day.

In writing about Bradford and his decision to go from collectivism to capitalism, historian Russell Kirk wrote, "never again were the Pilgrims short of food."
It is not just appropriate but it is imperative for us to remember that we stand upon the shoulders of giants, and that we need to let our children know about those giants who came before us. They were not cruel, mean spirited, nor evil in the way they lived their lives. They were our ancestors who lived in a different era, with different values, and different obstacles to overcome. They lived by what the Good Book advised, and tried to treat each other the way they believed God wanted them to. And while we may have incomparably more than they did, we can learn much from the lessons they learned and how they gave thanks to the Lord for His many blessings. We should also remember that God has blessed Americans with many material things, and He has done so in part by showing Bradford and the Pilgrims the dangers of socialism. I have written before that capitalism is the way God expected man to run societies, and that He instituted the system of private property rights when he gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites.

The Pilgrims overcame the contract of fairness they first imposed upon themselves and were prosperous and America never looked back to socialism. That is until recently in our history. Now President Obama and the Democrats in Congress want to resell that original contract. They've decided that William Bradford was wrong and that the problem with America is capitalism.

A majority of Americans may call themselves Christian, but it is my estimation that less than 20% of Americans truly are Christian. So that leaves 80% of Americans who are lost and looking for something to believe in. Now they have the government to believe in, but the problem with that picture, is that the government is a man made god, and like all man made gods it will inevitably fall short of satisfying the human spirit. I predict that Obama will most likely make a speech on Thanksgiving and tell us that we need to thank the government for what we have. I prefer to thank God for what we have and pray that we can keep it.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

(Should anyone desire prayer, or like to discuss, on a personal level, your desire to learn more about salvation and what Christ has to offer. at (You can email me ). All information will be kept in strict confidentiality.)

Which Jesus Do You Follow and Serve?

2009-11-15T10:05:00.000-08:00

Christians need to realize that being a true Christian does not mean you are to be proud and boastful. It does not mean that you will be blessed with money and riches as the prosperity pimps like T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Hagin, Joyce Meyer, Paul Crouch and others preach. No, true Christianity is a call to be imitators of Christ, not seekers of worldly goods. After all, what did Christ do? Did he go around town riding in style? No. Did he have tons of money? No. What did He do? He gave his own life to Save ours. Yet so many Christians walk around not helping others, not acknowledging others hardships or pain. All they do is show off their possessions and status in society while telling you, "I'll pray for you". The teachings of Christ call us to a life of action, not self-interest and Christian passivity.

I am by no means attempting to say that Christians should be poor and destitute. God says that He will bless those whom He chooses to bless, and history is full of good Christians who were well off. However, if a Christian's goal in life is that of luxury and ease, then I question that Christians true faith. Our goal in life as a Christian should be to do as Christ told us to do. Should any Christian wonder what it is Christ tells us to do, I suggest reading the "Sermon on the Mount". I have always taught that the Sermon on the Mount is the constitution of Christianity, given by Jesus Himself. If you learn nothing else from the New Testament, I suggest you study and learn what it was Jesus said on that hill. One thing you will not find in the sermon is how to search for worldly wealth and prosperity.

I oftentimes find myself praying more for those whom the Lord has blessed with abundance than I do for those that have not been so blessed. The Lord said that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven. Jesus did not make that statement because He thought that rich people were evil. He said it because those who have abundance will find it difficult to keep their focus on Him. Money may be the root cause of many evils, it is not however evil in and of itself. When we strive for wealth, we are focusing on the world and not on His teachings; we are not, imitating Him.

True Christians realize that this world is nothing more than a wayside rest in our journey to the promise land. While at this wayside rest we are to do what Jesus taught us to do. The last lesson Jesus taught in His famous sermon was the lesson of building on a rock. Matthew 7:21-27 Jesus said that whomever hears what He says, and does it, He will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, as apposed to a foolish man who built his house on sand. If you are not building upon the rock of Christ than you will not hear these sweet words from our Lord and Savior,

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." Matthew 25:23

My suggestion to these false teachers offering a "You Name it, You Can Claim it" gospel, to read what Paul told the Galatians about those who would trouble them by wanting to pervert the gospel of Christ. He said that they were anathema, a votive offering if you will. Galatians 1:8-9 A votive offering is a prayer candle, typically white or beeswax yellow. It was originally intended to be burnt as an offering in religious ceremonies, and in the days when Paul was spreading the gospel throughout the empire, he converted many who formerly worshiped pagan gods. In their ceremonies they would burn candles to their gods. Paul is telling those like the wealth and prosperity preachers that they will be burned up like those candles in the final fire when Christ returns and condemns them with the rest of the world.

For my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask that you be a good Barean and do as John instructs you to do in his first epistle, 1 John 4:1-4 where he writes,

"do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world ......... You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Do not follow these wolves in sheep's clothing, who's only desire is for you to follow them not Christ. So I ask you my dear brothers and sisters of Christ, which Jesus do you follow? Which Jesus do you serve? The Jesus of the wealth and prosperity charlatans, or the great I Am?

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

It seems my computer has contracted a virus. I have done all I could to remove it, so now I must scrub my HD and re-install my OS and all my software programs to bring it back to normal life.

It made me think about us Christians, who realized that one day we were on the wrong path in our lives. We heard about Christ and what He offered us. We accepted Him into our lives, and he has since been scrubbing out hard drive clean of all the viruses we have picked up along the way.

It is a long progress and we need to be patient, remembering what Paul told the Philippians about the work of Christ in our lives,

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6

You are all in my prayers continually, may the good Lord bless and keep you and yours.

Why Does God Allow Christians to Suffer?

2009-11-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

Why does God allow there to be evil in the world? Are are we not all created in the image of God? Many ask, and few seem to have good answers, for the question of,

"Why God didn’t just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, and sadness?"

After all, He has the power to make the world free of evil, yet He chose instead to make us creatures with free will. Thus, free will was the door left open for the possibility of evil to exist. If we have the right to chose between right and wrong, there is a 50% chance that we will chose to do the wrong thing and thus suffer the consequences of our sin. But why did He not just make us all good? Why must we live with the possibility that we, and others, may chose to do something that will harm us and the world we live in. After all, is he not a loving God? Either He's not as powerful as we're led to believe, not as perfect as we're led to believe, or He's just another abusive father who enjoys watching his children suffer. What's the purpose? Why does God allow evil and suffering?

God could have made us perfect without the ability to sin, and we would have never known pain and suffering. To do so however, would have meant that we would not have free choice in whether or not we would love Him. We would be like Chatty Cathy dolls mimicking whatever it is He wanted to hear us say and forcing us to do exactly what he wanted us to do. Is that the kind of life you would wish to live? Well, obviously God did not think so, that is why He made us creatures with a free will. That free will allowed Adam and Eve to disobey of their own volition and partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They exercised the right of choice that God had given them. They could have refused to disobey God's command about the fruit, but they did not. Because they didn't, we have the sin that has been passed down. All of us, believers and non-believers alike, wrestle with the daily struggles of the "Adam and Eve" within us. Only through the power of Jesus' Holy Spirit in us can we truly have victory over the nature that was handed down to us.

As Christians, we should all know this already, but so many cannot complete the picture when they face sorrow and pain. This is why so many Christians inevitably ask the question,

“Why am I suffering God? Why do my loved ones suffer?"

But wait... there's more. What if on the day we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were given God's total and complete protection, so nothing bad ever happened to us again? Well, do you remember what Satan said to God about Lot?

"Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Job 1:9-11

Can you imagine what would happen if God did put a hedge about us on every side? Would not the people of the world who do not know Christ, say:

"So what, that you love God. Anybody would love God if He protected them the way He does you. I'm not impressed. Your God doesn't offer me anything; I live in the real world."

However, what if on the other hand, those people were watching us suffer? They saw the way we dealt with the same issues of pain, suffering and disappointment as they deal with. Yet we still looked to our Father in heaven with love and gratefulness for His loving mercy that allows us to be free enough to learn and grow through our trials and tribulations. Consider the following passages, the next time you ask, why does God allow pain and suffering in a Christian's life?

There was the time when the apostles were flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. When they were released they considered it worthy to be able to suffer for the name of Christ. Acts 5:40-42 We are told by Christ that when people persecute us and falsely say all kinds of evil against us because of Him, that we should

"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven will be great.” Matthew 5:11-12

James tells us that we should consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. James 1:2-4 These and other passages like them describe rejoicing, not in spite of the suffering, but because of it. Remember what Paul says about not losing heart over the fact that our flesh is decaying with age and infirmities,

"because our trials will renew our spirit daily............for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal,” 2 Cor 4:16-18

This is the same man who just a few short paragraphs later described the many trials and tribulations he went through. He endured imprisonments, beatings with whips and rods, he was stoned not once but three times and left for dead. Three times he was shipwrecked, threatened by robbers, Gentiles, Jews, attacked by wild animals, bitten by a poisonous snake, left cold, hungry, thirsty, and suffered many other hardships for the gospel of Christ. 2 Cor 11:23-27 Through it all Paul ran the race well. People saw that his faith in God was persistent, consistent, and profound. And they learned to trust Paul's God, not in spite of his pain and misery, but Praise God, because of it. Paul was the greatest and most successful evangelical missionary preacher the world had ever seen. It was his suffering along with that of the other apostles that eventually changed an empire. Tertullian said that,

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”

It is through times of struggle and hardships that we as Christians can shine the brightest and reach more of the lost, that is, if we react to our pain and suffering in the way Christ did.

Use the comfort you get from God in your suffering as training so you might comfort others. Teach those who don't know the Lord to lean on Him in their suffering by leaning on Him in yours. Show them that you love Him and trust Him and know that He'll see you through even this. Bring them to Him as your faithful, loving father in your times of trouble. Show them who He is. Remember that we as Christians, must willingly approach our infirmities and hardships, knowing that we hold a greater prize before us after this life than this world can ever offer. That is what we have to teach the world. So ask not why you suffer, but praise God for the chance to shine and be an example as our Lord was for us.

But you may then reply that your suffering from a debilitating disease or terrible accident is not truly suffering for Christ sake. Oh, but your sufferings certainly are. Why? Because people are watching you and they are seeing how you as a Christian respond to the cruelty of this world. In your suffering, you need Him more than ever. Show them what a wonderful, comforting Lord you have. Give purpose and meaning to your suffering. Remember that the good times will never be as productive for Him as your bad times will be. Rejoice that Jesus has considered you worthy of suffering in His name. Carry your infirmity and shame with a sense of worthiness so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. For a day will come when you shall be given a crown of righteousness, and forever your pain and suffering shall be over and forgotten, as you spend eternity in the presence of the great, I Am.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

Lifted, Like A Snake In The Desert

2009-11-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever given it much though about the phrase, “Lift Christ up with Praise”? Quite often you will here a pastor use this phrase as he instructs you to give glory to God though His Son. But have you ever really consider what the phrase means to you and and the significance of it? Give me a moment of your time and allow me to introduce you to something very few Christians have actually ever considered when hearing this phrase, “Lift Christ up with Praise”.

Most people know the verse John 3:16 , many have even memorized it. For me, that was the first verse I ever memorized in Sunday School as a child growing up in Duluth Minn. If there is any verse that say's it all, it is John 3:16. God's gift to mankind was His only Son Jesus. With the death of His Son on the Cross, all we need to do is confess Him as our Lord and Savior and our sins have been paid for in full. Salvation in a nut shell. Praise God for simplicity! Now, as great as this verse is, what is truly interesting to me is the verses that precede John 3:16. I lose count of how many times I have read these verses, just to have my mind mentally skip over and almost ignore the meaning of them.

When you read John 3:14, it should take you back in time to Israel's past history. A time when Moses was leading the twelve tribes through the wilderness of Sin. A time when God was showing them His power and love firsthand. In the Old Testament, we read in Numbers 21:4-9 that the children of Israel had grown discouraged and spoke out against Moses and God. As a punishment, God sent down fiery serpents that would bite the Israelites and many would eventually die. Realizing their sin, they went to Moses confessing and asking him to pray to the Lord that He might take the serpents from their presence. Well God would not remove the cause of their plight, but He did instruct Moses to make a serpent and erect it on a pole. Mose told those who were bitten by the serpents to come to the pole and look up to the pole and put their gaze upon the image of their pain and they would live. At that time, to look upon such an image erected on a pole would be considered repulsive, and many would instinctively look away. However if they wanted to live, those who had been bitten needed to look upon the image of the serpent, or they would die.

What you ask, does all this have to do with Christ’s crucifixion? Well, the Jews looked at crucifixion as a sign of a curse, just as the Israelites looked upon the sign of the snake on the pole. At the time when Jesus walked with men, death by crucifixion was only used for the worst of criminals. Thus, to see Christ lifted up and crucified meant that He was considered cursed under Jewish tradition. After all, God instructed the Israelites in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 that;

"If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Deuteronomy 21:22-23

This is a verse Paul brought to mind when he wrote to the Galatians;

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree") Galatians 3:13

So, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness to save his people from death, we too must look at the uplifted Son of Man to be saved.

Christ couldn’t just die. He had to die the death of a sinner, lowly and cursed. Lifted up on a pole, He was an image many found repulsive. He could have just come down and said, "Not today!" But he stayed. He died a death of pain and shame for sins he never committed. Sacrificed from the beginning of time, for sins He saw us commit, yet turned His eyes every time we did.

As we move forward into the holiday season, with all the hustle and bustle, as we attempt to get through the season with some semblance of sanity, I ask that you remember how the King of kings and Lord of lords was so humbly lifted on a pole for you. Will you take a moment and look up at the cross, or will you look away and continue in your sinful way? Take a moment and pray, take a moment and ask the One who stayed upon that cross for you, to take away your sin. His arms are outstretched and waiting for you, all it takes is for you to willingly look up and accept His Fathers gift to you.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

I would now like to take this time and thank all those who have answered my call to prayers for my wife. You all have been a true blessing to us both, and I pray the Lord will return to you tenfold, for the joy our hearts feel from the out pouring of your love and care. My wife has advanced in her recovery beyond all expectations. Thank you and may God bless you and yours.
Chuck Ness

Multimedia message

2009-10-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Greg William, my dear brother in Christ who works at CVS Drug Store in the pharmacy department. Greg is an active evangelist who spends many hours learning the Lords Word and spreading the Gospel with anyone he feels the Lord has led an opening to, which is everyone...LOL

The Windchime Ministery Attendees

2009-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Windchime church members, small crowd today. They had a walk-a-thon yesterday, so many members were too tired to attend church.
This is from June 2008, and most of the women that attend were present. I took this picture for my Church bulletin board. The top picture is from this past Sunday on Oct 11. I took it because I have a gentleman who has been attending for the past couple of months. He is only the second man to attend on a regular basis, in the five years I have been doing the sermons at Windchime. The last gentleman, Harvey, is now battling ilnesses and does not attend very often, so keep him in your prayers.

In The Begining God Created

2009-10-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

(I would like to give special thanks to Hanna for the artwork used in my article.)

There is a disturbing trend that has taken hold of the modern day Christian community, and it is my opinion that this trend is causing a schism as big as the one that was addressed at the Council of Nicea over the Trinity. Now this is not a debate for those who have no faith in Christ, for what accord has Christ with Belial? No, this is strictly a debate for those who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, those who attempt to address the problem are usually labeled as rabble-rousers who only wish to spread discontent within the ranks of Christendom. This trend I speak of, is the compromising of the Word with the idea of evolution known as theistic evolution or Old Earth Creationism. I say “compromise”, because in the 150 years since Darwin offered his theory of evolution, the only side in the argument that has offered to compromise its position has been the Christian side. I have yet to see the evolutionary camp temper it's teachings to include God anywhere in the equation of creation.

If I am wrong, then I challenge someone to prove to me that the godless Darwinists have ever compromised their position on evolution. If anything they have stiffened their resolve to convert all mankind to their atheistic system that excludes a Creator other than random chance. The evolutionary thinkers are not struggling to find a way to harmonize the events of Genesis 1-11with the words of Darwin or Stephen J. Gould. They are beating the drum of "science" versus "religion" so loud that they cannot hear the evidence that some Christian apologists would try to get them to consider. Too often, those who present any evidence that makes a case for the Biblical account of creation are even ridiculed by Christians who believe in theistic evolution. In many cases they are ridiculed in the same way the ungodly Darwinists ridicule them. Well allow me to present a few reasons why I do not have enough faith to believe in the OEC's theistic evolutionary theory.

As I said, my article is not directed at anyone who does not claim to be a Christian, so I will not be addressing the scientific or geological particulars of evolution or of space and time. This is strictly a debate between Christians who claim to be Biblical “Young Earth Creationists”, and Christians who hold to the views of “Old Earth Creationism”, “Theistic evolutionism”, or the “Gap Theory”. However, before I present my reasons why I believe these beliefs are all wrong, I must distinguish the difference between "Macro-Evolution", and "Micro- Evolution".

Micro-evolution is not really evolution at all, it is just the simple variation within a species. What scientists describe as the prominence of genes being displayed within that species. This is what allows a family to have one child with blond hair and blue eyes, while the other has brown hair and brown eyes. The children have not evolved (they are still human), they simply differ in their dominant genes. In like manner, Christian micro-evolutionists believe that all dogs in the world today have evolved within the species from two dogs Noah brought onto the Ark, and all canines would be similar to every other animal of that species existing on the planet today.

Macro-evolution on the other hand refers to major evolutionary changes over time, the origin of new types of organisms from previously existing, but different, ancestral types. Examples of this would be fish descending from an invertebrate animal, or whales descending from a land mammal. The evolutionary concept demands these bizarre changes, and this is the bases for which Darwin's theory has been propagated.

Now back to my reasons for disagreeing with theistic evolutionists. I find it sad that any Christian who would claim to hold to the truths of the Scriptures, could then turn around and say that they question the most basic and foundational truths revealed in the Scriptures such as: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" Genesis 1:1. In doing so, they are not merely questioning the curious mechanics and unique events of the creation week, but they are debating the very words and message of that week. Furthermore, to deny God created everything through Christ in a normal 6-day period is to question the very character and nature of God. It attributes to Him the evil, wasteful, chaotic, random, purposeless, death-filled processes of evolutionary "creation", that would make Him (God) the very Author and Sustainer of all that the theory of evolution demands. In my opinion those who attribute to the power of Satan any miracles which Christ performed, or generally those works which are the result of the Holy Spirit, are in danger of committing Blasphemy. Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10

Another disturbing fact about having a belief in theistic evolution, would be the denial of the doctrine of Original Sin. Think about it, if suffering, death, and extinction are inevitable components of the evolutionary process, then it only follows that the doctrine of Original Sin makes no sense. Humans would had to have evolved into a world that was already filled with suffering and other forms of imperfection, such as hurricanes, floods, pain, and suffering. Ultimately, death would not be a punishment for sin because death would had to have always been a part of the cycle of life wich would have been needed for evolution to exist on earth. Taken to its inevitable conclusion, if humans are not responsible for suffering and evil, but instead death is simply a natural process rather than a punishment, what need is there for atonement and redemption? After all if man is not responsible for sin as the Bible says, then the Bible is wrong, and if the Bible is wrong why live by it's precepts?

Now I need to address the debate over the Hebrew word “Yom” or יום. Those who disagree with the literal translation of the Bible that claims God created everything in six literal earth days, use the argument that “yom” is sometimes used to describe an age or an era. I offer six reasons theistic evolutionists and OEC's are wrong in their interpretation of the record of Genesis.

1.) Moses repeats, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” Genesis 1:5, Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19, Genesis 1:23, Genesis 1:31.

2.) In the context of a 24 hour day, Moses again defines what he means by ”yom”, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” Exodus 20:11; Exodus 31:17.

3.) The Hebrew word for day, or “yom”, is used 1480 times in the Old Testament, and it is translated by some different 50 words. It can mean an indefinite time, but it is not used as an age of millions or billions of years. When "yom" is used with a numerical adjective, it always refers to a literal 24 hour day.

4.) The Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the “Septuagint”, uses "hemera" or ἡμέρα, which normally means a 24 hour day such as, “And He was in the wilderness forty days”, not forty ages or eras. Mark 1:13.

5.) Furthermore, if Moses meant a period of long eons or ages, then the translators should have used the Greek word, "aion" or αἰών. which is the word Christ used when he gave His followers their marching orders for the great commission in Matthew12:20

“teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen

6.) The creation of Genesis involves Jesus Himself, because He was there when it happened. Jesus even stated that Moses interpretation of the record of Genesis was correct, and who are we to claim Jesus is a liar? Consider what happened the day the Pharisees confronted Him regarding marriage and asked Him about the legality of divorce in Mark 10:4-9;

"Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH SO THEN THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

So, from this exchange you can see that Jesus obviously agreed with Moses in his interpretation of the creation story, thus rejecting macro evolution and the Old Earth theory. Jesus specifically said, “from the beginning He made them”. He did not say, “In the beginning he started the process”. Jesus believed there was a definite beginning and that Moses did not write an allegorical story because the Israelites were to primitive to understand the truth. So if Jesus said so, why would anyone want to disagree with Him?

Also, those of you who are proponents of theistic evolution are walking a very thin line, because you also must deny the very existence of the Trinity.

”For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” John 5:7

”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” 1 Corinthians 8:6

”He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:15-17

“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Psalm 104:30

”And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2.

The Scriptures, and an understanding of the texts, should be enough to prove to Christians that the Bible is right. When it comes to the debate with the godless Darwinists, we Christians are living in great times. Every day we find more evidence that proves the Scriptures are historically, archeologically, and scientifically correct. Now is not the time for us Christians to compromise our faith in God, for ultimately that is how we will be judged. Do you have enough faith in God to believe He is who He says He is, and that he can do what He said He would do? The faith of a mustard seed is all you need to throw a mountain into the sea, could you imagine the trembling of the Godless if we Christians had such faith?

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

The Clarion Call of the Great Commission - Part I

2009-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

These were the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. While it would eventually take the stoning of Stephen to actually force His followers to obey His commandment, many Christians would answer the clarion call of the great commission to leave home, friends, and family to spread the gospel to the gentiles of the world. It is no coincidence that the standard bearer that missionaries have used throughout the years has been Paul of Tarsus, who was present when Stephen was stoned. By being the example of what it means to follow the “Great Commission”, Paul would take the gospel to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire, and eventually share the gospel with Nero himself. For the next couple of centuries men like Polycarp, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian would continue where Paul and the other disciples left off until 314 BC when Constantine would embrace Christianity and make it the favored religion of the empire.

While there were men like St. Patrick and Columba who would win Ireland and Scotland to Christianity through their missionary work, it would not be until the 14^th and 15^th centuries that the great commission would again be followed with such fervor. That is when theFranciscans and Dominicans, who had ministered to the poor and helped nurse a population ravaged by the Black Death, began spreading the Gospel to the barbarians of Brazil, Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. Soon followers of Loyola like Xavier and Ricci would start Jesuit missions in the Asian countries like Japan, China, and the Philippines. When the Spanish Armada (Spanish account, and the English account), was defeated by Queen Elizabeth's smaller and faster ships in 1588, the Roman Catholic Church lost its ability to control the missionary movements to the new lands of the West and eventually to the East as well.

With the Brittish and Danish empires expanding their influence on the high seas, they would begin new colonies in the West that open the door for Protestant churches to fulfill their call to the “great commission”. By the late 1700 when the 13 colonies were being converted from English rule to Independent rule, a shoemaker was being converted to Christianity in England. William Carey always had a fondness for the voyages of James Cook, Columbus, and Vasco da Gama and the lands they discovered so he was a natural for God to use in his plan to spread the gospel to the uncivilized heathens of the world. Convinced by his friend, and fellow preacher Andrew Fuller, that man had a responsibility to spread the gospel, Carey began a group with him and some colleagues that they would call the Baptist Missionary Society.

Carey headed to India with a strong desire to reach souls and share the Lords gospel to fulfill his calling to the 'great commission”. By using the business model of the big trading companies like the East India Company, he set up a missionary movement that earned souls like a business earned profits. The Lord blesses us all with gifts, and one of William’s gifts was his ability to learn foreign languages. When he was younger he taught himself to read Latin and Greek, when he reached India he took that gift and taught himself to speak and write Bengali. He would eventually translate the Bible into 40 languages and dialects along with beginning several schools that helped many locals to become evangelizers to their own people. By the time he died in 1834, Carry had done in Calcutta from Serampore what Paul had done in Antioch and Ephesus from Corinth and Rome. As the news of his success reached England and America, Christians began taking note of their calling to the “great commission” and William Carey would became known as the father of the modern missionary movement.

Two American Christians to take notice of the calling were a young man and his bride of seven days, Adoniram and Ann Haseltine Judson. In 1812 these newlyweds traveled to Burma. Unfortunately numerous problems would lead to Ann’s death at the young age of 36 while Adoniram would endure imprisonment and bad health. In time Adoniram translated the Bible into Burmese. His Burmese English dictionary helped many in generations to come. His greatest accomplishment was with the Karen tribe that, thanks to his work, can claim over 100,000 professing Christians to this day. The Judsons opened the door for American missions that in time would be the largest contributor to missions around the world.

While it took men like Carey, Judson and even Hudson Taylor to open the orient to Protestant missions, an explorer by the name of David Livingstone went to the sore of the world and found the heart of Africa. Livingstone believed it was his duty as a Christian to free Africa from the need of selling their brethren into slavery. Livingstone believed that with the spread of Christianity and Western values the African people would see the evil of slavery. Along with better agriculture techniques and the discovery of precious resources and the use of other natural resources he hoped to help the continent move towards different types of commercial trade. For thirty years Livingstone opened up the heart of the Dark Continent and made it real and human to the world. Because of his work and exploration by others that followed every country in Europe would eventually send missionaries to spread the gospel to the "Dark Continent". By 1914 almost every town or colony had a Christian mission that nursed the sick, fed the poor, taught the gospel, and schooled the children. By 1950 the continent of Africa was the fastest growing Christian continent in the world, with 70% of all Africans claiming Christianity as their religion of faith.

During the Cold War and the division of Eastern and Western Europe, the Soviet Union began supporting rebels and setting up communist and other totalitarian type governments that left many parts of Africa devastated. In the process many once thriving missionaries have been either burned to the ground or confiscated by the local warlords who have replaced democratically elected leaders. In the place of Christian missionaries, Islam has filled the void as the children are not schooled, the sick die and the poor get poorer. Even the slave trade that such men as Livingston and Wilberforce, spent their lives trying to end, has again become a profitable business with Muslim Nations like Sudan selling Africans into slavery to Muslim countries. A continent that could boast of a higher Christian faith than some Western societies in the 1950’s is once again, the sore of the world. There are a still many missionaries in Africa, but not nearly like there were 50 years ago. As the economies around the world continue to suffer under the burden of Socialism, church caufers will continue to suffer huge losses in revenue. This loss will further hurt the Africa mission movement because America sends the vast majority of missionaries around the world. With less money and more interference from the unfriendly governments the obstacles will continue to seem overwhelming for missionaries already on shoestring budgets. The evil one may try to stop Christians from fulfilling the “Great Commission”, but the Lord is a Good Shepherd and His lambs will be found.

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and call upon His name. Amen

The Clarion Call of the Great Commission - Part II

2009-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father would become the clarion call for thousands of Christians missionaries throughout the years. Many, like Stephen, would die a martyr’s death while others would work in obscurity never to be remembered but by Christ Himself. Regardless of their success, they would all follow in the footsteps of the greatest missionary of them all; like Paul of Tarsus they would spread the gospel to the four corners of the world. Last week I touched on the missionary movements of Asia and Africa, today I will attempt to do justice to the missionaries that spread the gospel to the Indians of the American West and the jungles of South America.

From the days of Columbus and Cortez, the Roman Catholic Church has dominated the missionary movements of South America, but they never made headway with the Indian tribes in the Jungles and for the most part they never really tried. When the Protestants began sending missionaries to South and Central America, they stayed away from evangelizing to the masses in the cities because of the dominant Catholic faith. Most Protestants missionaries felt that converting a Catholic was tantamount to calling them non-Christian, so most of their missionary work was done mainly with the native Indians in the inland parts of the continent. This is largely the reason that the Catholic Church is still so dominant throughout South America. However, there have been success stories among the protestant missionaries laboring in the jungles and mountains of the continent. One of these great success stories was with the Waodani Indians that lived in the deep heart of the jungles of Ecuador. A great movie, “End Of The Spear” is a true testament about this tribes conversion and how God takes the evil of men and turns it into good.

Probably the largest influence the Protestants were able to exert in South America came about from James Thomson and the British Foreign Bible Society that was able to distribute Spanish Bibles in Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, and Chile. Through most of the twentieth century the Scottish Presbyterians and the London Missionary Society worked in obscurity, but by the 1980s their work began to show fruit as the Protestant faiths began gaining ground throughout South and Central America. There has also been many souls won for Christ by the Protestant missionaries in the last 50 years with the many Indian tribes who still live like their ancestors did thousands of years ago.

It has been said that the American foreign missionary movement is in many ways an extension of the frontier parson of the expanding American West. After all, before Americans sent many missionaries overseas they were busy sending them west to tame and civilize the mountain men, cowboys, and Indians. In Kansas alone there were over 30 missionaries working with the settlers and the natives to bring God to the plains. The first of many was Thomas Johnson and his wife Sarah, a Methodist Missionary who established the first Shawnee and Delaware tribal school in the Territory of Kansas. Like other missionaries of the plains, Thomas and his wife would minister to thousands of Indians and even settlers who came through on their way west when Gold was discovered in California.

With the discovery of Gold thousands of young men headed out to make their fortunes, and it only made sense that ministers and missionaries would follow suit. Instead of looking for gold and wealth, these men were like the circuit riders and the frontier pastors who had been migrating west for decades and they brought their treasure with them. Bringing the gospel of Christ to California, these ministers wanted to make sure that Christianity became firmly established in the hearts and minds of the many who headed west. Such men as Joseph A. Benton, William Pond, James Woods, and even Darius Stokes, a leading black minister of the African Methodist Episcopal church, all came to California with hopes of spreading Christianity and civilization to the far reaches of the American continent. After a few years in California, Woods would tell friends and relatives back East,

“Unparalleled in the history of the world is the march of progress in California . . . . Instead of being a remote, and almost unknown, and uncared for portion of the globe, with but a few scattering and degenerate sons of Spain, a few enterprising adventurers, and a few tribes of wretchedly degraded Indians, it now in the short space of two years has become a central spot of earth, where almost all nations of the world have their representatives congregated.”

Throughout history Christians have had to rely upon private donations from Christians like myself and others to spread the word. But considering Christ called all of us to be involved in spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth the donations are minuscule in comparison to the rewards. Through the years, the many different missionary groups realized they needed to work closer together, rather than against each other, so they have put their minor differences aside for the good of the movement. More and more, denominations have begun sharing expenses and facilities in order to reach the needy, establish schools and hospitals, and improve the living standards of the locals. It is worth adding that in many of the areas women would be the largest contingent of volunteers while helping in all areas including preaching the word.

As an aside I must also make the point that, by having more freedom to be in charge then they would back home, many women would return with a desire to be more involved in more areas like they were in the mission fields. This experience of greater equality would help contribute in small ways to the women’s suffrage movement in America when the returned home.

We can busy ourselves with all the knowledge of the theology of Christ and the history of how we got where we are until we are blue in the face. And I firmly believe that we are called by our Lord to do so, to supplement our diet with meat, so that we may be forever prepared to help others grow in truth and knowledge. However, we are ultimately called to spread the word to those in the dark, and it is those in the missionary field who do battle on the front lines from the concrete jungles of the big cities to the jungles of Africa, Asia and South America.

The great evangelist, Johnathan Edwards, never let his listeners forget what was promised in Habakkuk 2:14 that the knowledge of the Lord would fill the earth like the waters of the sea. He knew that when the gospel of Christ was spread to all corners of the world, to all men of all races and nationalities, that Christ would then return. Other than Jesus when he met the woman at the well and the townspeople of Sychar believed, Phillip had the first missionary success when he went to Samaria. Acts 8:5-8 Now, only Christ knows what area will be the last to be reached by the gospel.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."Matthew 28:19-20

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and call upon His name. Amen

Video Proof, Women Use More Words

2009-09-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this video and see if you agree with me, that women are born using more words than men.

by Chuck Ness

This video reminds me of a joke I heard about a husband who was looking through the paper when he came upon a study that said women use more words than men?

Well there was a married man who read in a magazine that, "Men use about 7000 words per day, but women use 20,000". Excited to prove to his wife that he had been right all along when he accused her of talking too much, he showed her the study results. The wife thought for a while, then finally she said to her husband,

"It's because we have to repeat everything we say."

The husband looked at her quizzically and replied,

"What?"

Now isn't that just like a typical response a man gives his wife? I must admit that I do that quite often to my wife. Well we have all heard of the studies that concluded women us more words per day then men. Yea, yea, I know about the study that was done between 1998 and 2004 by the "British National Corpus" that concluded men and women speak about the same amount of words in a day. My only problem with their study is that they did it on College students. Show me a college student that doesn't talk a lot, regardless of gender. Oh, here a link to the study I mentioned that I disagree with. You need to register and sign over your freedom if you want to read the study, I did and I read the study so I know why I disagree with it. (just kidding about the loss of your freedom, but you do need to register if you want to read the study)

Anyway, my point isn't to debate the accuracy of the BNC's study so much as I wanted to bring to the table the evidence I found that ends all debate upon which gender uses more words. This study proves that women not only use more words than men do, but that they were also born using more words than men. Unfortunately for men however, it also proves that fathers train their daughters from an early age to accept the fact that us men will shine you ladies on regardless of what you say.

The Last Church is Lukewarm (Laodicea)

2009-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

Founded around 255 BC and named after his wife Laodice by the Seleucid King Antiochus II, this city was located about 100 miles directly east of the first church mentioned by Christ, "Ephesus". Situated on one of the great Asian trade routs, Laodicea became prosperous because of its garment industry which used a black wool that had a soft texture like silk and could be found only in the Lycus Valley. However, it was also known for a medical school that grew out if it’s temple worship of the Phrygian god Men Karou, located 13 miles west of Laodicea.

Its most famous medicines were ointments made from spice; "nard" for the ears and an eye salve made from alum called "Phrygian powder". This eye salve was actually a powder made by crushing Phrygian stones and forming it into tablets. Believed to be a cure for weak eyes this medication was sold throughout the Asian and the Mediterranean lands. All of these aspects of its economy led Laodicea to becoming a leading banking center. Due to the frequent earthquakes in the area, their financial success in banking meant they did not need to depend upon any aid from Rome to rebuild. Laodicea was thus a kind of Bank of America, Wal-Mart and Mayo Clinic all rolled into one

In this letter, Christ introduces Himself to the Laodicean church as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation" (Rev 3:14). By introducing Himself as a faithful and true witness, Christ presented them with a sharp contrast to their own inactivity in witnessing and serving. Upon reading the letter, they would have been convicted by its description of their faith. Christ likened it to being lukewarm, an obvious reference to their tepid drinking water supplied from a distant thermal springs in Hierapolis (Rev 3:15-16). They also would have found it ironic that He called them "poor and naked and blind" (Rev 3:17). An obvious reference to their banking, clothing, and eye salve industries that enriched them to the point of being able to turn down Rome’s financial help in times of need. They needed no one and obviously they acted in such a way when it came to their walk with Christ.

The Laodiceans wore black garments with pride, but Christ advised the Christians of this city to buy from Him "white garments" of purity and righteousness. Although they were renowned for having an expertise in medical treatments for the eyes, they were unaware of their spiritual blindness. Jesus appeals to them to buy salve from him for better spiritual vision. Christ also tells them to zealously seek out His forgiveness and stop being indifferent. In his commentary on Revelation, Robert Thomas puts it so eloquently that I would like to borrow the following quote:

"Let my strong criticisms of you open your eyes at once to the need of repentance and also to the fact that it is really love on My part that prompts Me to reprove and chastise you. A realization of My loving concern, as well a your own desperate condition, should bring a resolute change of purpose and kindle within you a warm fervor of devotion that will dispense with lukewarmness".
Robert Thomas

The Laodiceans are asked to let Christ in because He stands at the door knocking and only they can open the door for Him to dine with them at His throne in the presence of His Father.

The name Laodicea means "Rule of the people", and like the democratic systems of our present age, the church of Laodicea represents the end times. A time when men rule and governments listen to them, but we are also getting closer yet to the end of the last period of time. In the last 50 years there have been scholars who have predicted that the Western style capitalist democracies would be replaced by socialist democracies. They have pointed out that these socialist governments would become more totalitarian as the people became more dependent upon them. The theory being, that while a capitalist society would raise the level of prosperity for all, the people themselves would in turn demand more from the government while moving farther away from God.

Like the wealthy and independent Laodiceans, who allowed their wealth and prosperity to turn them into lukewarm worshipers of Christ, so to are the citizens of the Western world. Throughout history, the warning from Christ that "it is easier for a camel to go through and eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven" has proved to be so true. It was after all, just a matter of time before our wealth and prosperity would begin to cloud our spiritual walk as it did the Laodiceans. That sense of self reliance and a lukewarm approach towards the one and only true God allows the enemy to sneak in and steel our crown. So as we look at the letter to the lukewarm Laodiceans, it is my prayer that Christians around the world would hear the knock at the door, see the obvious signs of the times we live in, and repent.

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and call upon His name.
Amen

Who is What in the Creation/Evolution Debate

2009-09-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

At a site called Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, I found this description of for each choice in the poll. After some feedback, I have realized how inaccurate my poll is in the questioning, but it it was it is and now that it is in progress I cannot change the wording. I do realize that I should have had an "Other" for a choice and usually I do, but I forgot and maybe I should have had two or three more distinct answers for those who do not quite fit the ones I have. For anyone still taking the poll, I only ask that you chose a category that best fits you and maybe leave a comment for me if you would like to give me more information that would help in the future when i take such a poll. Well, here are the descriptions for the poll art hand.

Who is What in the Creation/Evolution Debate

A CREATIONIST:
A creationist is a person who rejects the theory of evolution and believes instead that the each species on earth was put here by a Divine Being. A Creationist might accept "micro-evolution" (changes in the form of a species over time based on natural selection), but rejects the notion that one species can-- over time-- become another species.

YOUNG EARTH CREATIONIST:
A young earth creationist believes that the earth is nowhere near the 4.6 billion or so years old that most scientists estimate, but is instead closer to 6,000 or so years old, based on the assumption the Genesis contains a complete listing of the generations from Adam and Eve to historical times.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN PROPONENT:
An ID proponent might or might not reject the theory of evolution. At a minimum, the ID proponent rejects that evolution is randomly driven or, more generally, the notion that natural law and chance alone can explain the diversity of life on earth. Instead, the ID proponent argues--often from statistics--that the diversity of life is the result of a purposeful scheme of some higher power (who may or may not be the God of the Bible).

EVOLUTIONIST:
An evolutionist accepts the Darwinian argument that natural selection and environmental factors combine to explain the diversity of life we see on earth. An evolutionist may or may not believe that evolution is the way in which a Divine Being has chosen to work in the world. Evolutionists divide into various camps, including PUNCTUALISTS (who believe that evolution usually occurs sporadically, in relatively short bursts, as the result of major environmental change) and GRADUALISTS (who are more inclined to believe that evolution occurs more evenly, over longer periods of time). The PUNCTUALISTS seem now to be winning the argument.

Philadelphia, The Faithful Church

2009-09-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Known as the “City of Brotherly love”, this earthquake prone city was the home of this faithful church. Founded by the Pergamon King Attalos II, for his brother Eumenes, this city often changed its name during various times of its history, depending upon what ruler the inhabitants wanted to honor. The name Philadelphia was a reflection of the love and commitment that Attalus II showed to his elder brother Eumenes who ruled throughout Lydia before him. Thus, the “City of Brotherly Love”. Attalos wanted his new city to be a center for the Greco- Roman civilization, this way he could spread the Greek Culture and language toward the east. This made the city of Philadelphia a mission of sorts for evangelizing this new culture. As the last city to fall to the Turks in 1392, Philadelphia’s resistance was haled as an island of Christianity in the sea of Turkish domination.

According to tradition it is believed that the church was either established by Lucius, a relative of Paul, or by Demetrius, who was sent by the Apostle John. Because Christ was the center of this church, it had an open door to God, and this door was Christ John 10:7 & 1 Timothy 2:5.The church was very active in evangelizing because God had created opportunities for witnessing, outreach, and missions. When a church is faithful, true, and holy, God opens doors Acts 14:27. The more we remain beside Jesus Christ, and the more faithful we are to follow His truth, the more doors will open for us.

Many have wondered what the characteristics of a Philadelphian Christian are. The primary answer would be a Christian who bears the Fruits of the Spirit Galatians, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This type of a Christian reads and meditates upon God's Word daily, thus allowing His wisdom and love to be firmly planted in the mind and heart. This allows the Holy Spirit to work through him. James described this as receiving with meekness the Word of God.

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." James 1:21

The characteristics of a Christian who bears the Fruits of the Spirit, has the type of traits we should all strive to achieve. However, even if we ever reach that point in our walk with Christ, we may not know ourselves that we have achieved that goal. The reason we would not know is because of our humility. Humility is one of the traits of the Philadelphian Christian, humility to the point of indifference towards ones own accomplishments. The other traits are as follows;

Trustworthiness, This Christian is faithful to his calling, even in times of trouble, persecution, and hardship, and he will not depart the calling, but can be trusted in his obedience to the Word.
Loyalty, This Christian is not just loyal to God and His Word, but he is loyal to his fellow Christians who know they can depend upon him to do that which is right.
Helpfulness, This Christian provides assistance to those in need, and they are a useful member in society, that is as long as the tasks they perform for society do not conflict with the laws of God. They will also display a work ethic that is usually one of the best an employer could ask for.
Friendliness, This Philadelphian Christian is friendly to the brethren, and even to those who persecute them by speaking evil or belittling them. This is a very difficult thing to do, and the only way to accomplish it is by being filled with the Holy Spirit to the extent that agape love flows through them to those who persecute and spitefully use them
Courteousness, One who is graciously considerate towards of feelings of others. This Christian does not fly off the handle and verbally abuse others, nor do they hurt the feelings of others through prideful and arrogant actions. A Philadelphian Christian is polite and tactful in their dealings with others, and it shows in their good manners.
Kindness, This person is generous, warm-hearted, charitable, and has legitimate sympathy and understanding for the feelings of others. They are tolerant and patient in the face of provocation from others and are not easily provoked. They are not only decent towards people, but also humane and considerate when dealing with animals.
Obedience, Philadelphian Christians are obedient to God and to those whom God has placed in authority over them. They follow the laws of man and will be seen as a law-abiding citizen. The only time a Philadelphian Christians would rebel against the authorities above them, would be when the orders go against the laws of God.
Cheerfulness, Even in the face of adversity, these Christians are at peace with God because they are filled with the Holy Spirit. They exhibit the joy and pleasure of knowing that they belong to God, regardless of what may happen to them in the World, because they know that one day they will be with God and all suffering, pain, and sorrow will be over.
Thriftiness, These Christians are wise with that which God has entrusted to them. They are also industrious in their work while being very prudent and wise in the way they spend their money.
Bravery, The Philadelphian Christian possesses the kind of courage, boldness and valor that is not the pretentious bravery known as bravado, but instead, this Christian is one who would willingly put their life on the line to save another, and they would be embarrassed by any attention that they may receive for doing so.
Cleanliness, These Philadelphian Christians are free from the stain of sin, and their life is free of addictions and crime. This Philadelphian Christian is not just clean on the inside, but they keep himself clean on the outside.
Reverence, These individuals show deep respect, love, and veneration toward God. You will not catch them slipping and using the Lord's name in vain, because these Christians have a healthy dose of fear and reverence for the Creator of the universe.

In Proverbs 22:1, Solomon tells us that a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. A man's worth is usually judged by his character and his character is judged by the life he has lived. In His closing remarks to this church, Christ promises that those who overcome and persevered will have three names written on them.
1.) ”And I will write on him the name of My God”, which means that on this pillar, God will write His very own name. The believer persevered for this name. He went through trial for that name so God will write His own name on this pillar.
2.) The second name will be the name of ”the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God”. Chapters 21 & 22 of Revelation gives a brilliant, and striking description of the "New Jerusalem." This is the place of wonderful fellowship with God. To people living in an earthquake zone, this would have been a picture of stability as apposed to destruction and decay, because all Christians will eternally fellowship with God.
3.) Christ says the last shall be ”His new name” that is written on the believer. No one knows that name yet but in Revelation 19:12 it says that when Jesus appears, He will come with that new name. Just as the followers of Christ are now identified by His name, thus we are called Acts 11:26 Christians, we will then be recognized by His new name, and that name will be written on us.

Like Smyrna, Philadelphia is the only other city of the seven that still has a remnant of Christians left, most likely due to their faithfulness to the Gospel. And although both churches were poor, weak, and suffering from the Jewish persecution, they were full of life and vigor. Just as the city was loyal to the Roman Empire, these Christians stayed loyal to their faith in Christ. Of all the churches John wrote to, Philadelphia’s prosperity lasted the longest, probably as a direct result of God blessing them for their faith in Him. A close look at the message of Revelation 3:10 "I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world”, is believed to refer to a global crisis in the future that Jesus promises to “keep” the church “from” suffering in. Jesus encourages them to “hold fast” and preserver so that no one takes their crown from them. shows what many scholars believe alludes to the rapture of the church before the tribulation that is to come. The phrase “

Like Philadelphia’s history of being a mission for the Greco-Roman culture, this church represents the age of the “Great Awakening” and “Worldwide Missions Movement” started by such notables as evangelical preachers Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, and missionaries Carey, Judson and Livingstone. Last week I wrote about the church of Sardis and how dead it was. Well, as dead as the Sardis Christians were in their spiritual walk, so was the church of Philadelphia on fire for God, winning souls and teaching the Word with love. The church with "little strength" is now a pillar of strength possessing honor forever in the very presence of God. Every Christian who accepts the finished work of the One who suffered and died on the cross, has eternal life, not temporal life, and that Life is in Christ Jesus.

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear the voice of the Lord and call upon His name. Amen

Christ's Message to Sardis, The Dead Church

2009-09-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

The fifth church mentioned in John’s message was probably the oldest settlement in Asia Minor. Archeological evidence shows that Sardis was probably first inhabited shortly after the confusion of languages and the subsequent dispersion of the people (Gen 11:5-7). As the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, Sardis was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. In the 6th century BC it was ruled by a king named Croesus, some believe he was the infamous King Midas of legends of old, and probably the wealthiest man since King Solomon. Like Bill Gates the name Croesus’s, or Midas, became a proverb of sorts for wealth and luxury thanks to the gold and silver panned from the Pactalus River. The abundance of electrum, a gold and silver alloy, allowed the Lydians to be the first society in history to mint coins. By fixing a guarantied value to their coins, the Lydian currency became acceptable for tender in trade throughout the known world.

Sardis, the Lydian Capital, was protected by a fortress built about 1500 feet above the plain on a ridge of the 5800-foot high Mount Tmolus. The precipice was so difficult to reach that it was considered virtually impregnable, so the cliff side of the city was never defended against a military assault. The people of Sardis believed that no army on earth could capture their city. Thus they lived with a smug sense of pride, having confidence in their riches and impregnable fortress. However, like the Titanic that was thought to be unsinkable, Sardis was actually vulnerable and was captured, shocking the ancient world by its defeat. Not once but twice in its history, a band of brave soldiers climbed up the sides of the cliff and entered an unwatched gate. After each disaster the city recovered, but like most people who fail to learn from their history they slipped back into a false sense of security.

Christ used this fact of their history to point out the complacent spirit in the church. When a church begins to love its systems more than it loves Jesus, when it’s more concerned with material things than spiritual things, and when their past history and glory is what they worship, they start to die from within. One of the differences between the message to Sardis and the messages to the other churches, is they were not recognized for any struggles. The church in Sardis was so devoid of life that it actually had no struggles going on within it. There are no Jewish accusers of this church even though it had a large Jewish community with one of the largest synagogues in the Asian Province. They ignored the church, or perhaps did not even know of its existence. There were no false apostles or any of the domineering Nicolaitans who needed to be guarded against and there were no female seducers, as at Thyatira. There was nothing, nada, zip, and that was the ministry of the church at Sardis. It was dead!

Some may have been professing Christians, engaged in religious activities but never truly trusting in Jesus Christ. More than likely, however, they were carnal believers who had made a good start, but had failed to move on, to grow and experience true spirituality. They were active, engaged in works, but temporally dead, out of fellowship with Christ.(Eph 5:14-18) Many Christians today in America fit the description of the Sardis church members, they believe they are saved because they associate themselves with a Christian church. However as James would say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” (James 2:18) The point is that while we are saved by faith and not works, our lack of works shows how little faith we really have. Thus we could be in jeopardy of losing our faith if we do not diligently do the works as Christ said,

"But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)

Jesus wanted them to be watchful lest they suffer the same fate as the city had to outside attacks, an obvious warning from the city’s historic problem of not being on guard. (Rev 3:3)

They are also told of a few good followers who have not soiled their garments and will one day be clothed in white. (Rev 3:5) Sardis was devoted to the worship of the mother-goddess Cybele and no temple worshiper was allowed to approach the temple of the gods with soiled or unclean garments. A white and clean robe was required to approach its so-called gods. So the reference to the white robe would make the reader think of purity and acceptance by God. To the allegorist Sardis represents the age of the reformation from Luther to Wesley, approximately 1517-1793. The reformation revealed the wrongs of the church for many followers, but that awakening also showed how little the sheep cared.

The Duggers and Overpopulation

2009-09-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

The news is out that Jim Bob and Michelle Dugger are having another child, their 19th. Yes you read correctly, 19 children and their oldest son's wife is expecting their first child. Let us all pray that he follows in his parents footsteps, by having as many children and being as prosperous as his parents. I have heard many people ask the question, "Are they keeping up the household without being on the government dole?" The answer to that question would be that they have never received a dime of taxpayer's money. That is not how they operate. In fact the Duggers run a their own ,business which teaches people how to budget and save by buying only what you can afford among other businesses they own and operate. They built their own home themselves, and had it paid for before it was finished. Right about now many liberals are screaming that the world is already overpopulated and this couple are just adding to the problem. Overpopulated? Is it really?

When it comes to having children, most Christians understand that the Lord opens and closes a woman's womb, and it has been that way from the beginning of time. However, mankind has tried to control that which God said is in His control. The first commandment given to man was, “Be fruitful and multiply Gen 1:22”, and He re-iterated that command again after the Flood when he told Noah, “Be fruitful and multiply Gen 9:7”. Try as I may, I have yet to find any passages where God rescinded that command. What He does tell us, is that if we put our faith in Him, He will supply our needs. Something the Duggers have proved time and time again.

However, the world we live in today is dominated by societies that worship the creation over the creator, and thus we hear the constant complaints from the "World is Overpopulated" crowd. Even in the church you will find that many Christians have very little faith in God's ability to supply their needs.

The average family in America has two point five children that consists of one boy and one girl and the statistics do not differ in the families that frequent church. Even in the families that diligently attend church more than once a week reflect the national average of 2.5 children per household. For over 40 years Americans have been bombarded with the idea that humans will overpopulate the planet if we do not limit the number of children being born every year. We have been told time and time again that if we do not control the number of humans who live on this planet that,

“it will be done for us by nature, brutally, without pity, and it will leave a ravaged world.” World Population Awareness Nobel Laureate Dr. Henry W. Kendall

As of 2 September 2009, the Earth's population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.781 billion. That is a lot of people, and the earth worshipers believe that number is way too high for the planet to properly sustain life. Sadly, very few people realize how preposterous the idea of mankind overpopulating the earth really is. If you take into consideration the latest figures that shows the average human family contains a Mother a Father and 2.5 children, than you will be surprised to learn that the world's population would fit comfortably inside the borders of the country of Australia.

By calculating the number of acres just in Australia alone, you may be shocked at how very unpopulated the earth really is. There are 1,899,461,760 acres of land in the continent of Australia. At 43,560 square feet per acre, that means there is a grand total of 82,740,554,265,600 square feet in Australia. Now, consider that the latest figures for the estimated size of an average family lot with a 2,200 square foot house in the year 2010 will be 11,870 square feet. Now if we calculate the size of the average human family which is 4.5 humans, you will see that every family could actually have a house with a lot size of 54,908 square feet, which is about 4½ times the size that your local city planning commission will allow you to have. That my friends, would leave the rest of the world for food production and other raw material collection.

Now these numbers get even better when you factor in the new technology we have that would allow for super high density populations, such as 1000+ unit apartment complexes. Then when you take into account the portion of the world's population that is under the age of 18. You could probably give a couple acres to each family of the entire world and comfortably fit them all in Australia. Also, Australia is the smallest continent on the planet, whereas Asia has 477,820,303,488,000 sq/ft and Africa has 32,554,273,973,760 sq/ft. Finally, if you took the amount of habitable land in the world 1,449,676,800,000,000 sq/ft and divided it by the world's population, you could theoretically give each person, regardless of age, 213,785 square feet of land, which would be about 4.9 acres per person.

No my friends, this planet is a very, very long way from being overpopulated. As a matter of fact, we could use more Christian families like the Duggers, who decided to follow God's first commandment by being fruitful and multiplying.

Thyatira, The Corrupt Church

2009-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Of the seven churches addressed by John, the fourth church, Thyatira, is the smallest yet it received the longest message. (Rev 2:18-29) This corrupt church was located 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea in an alluvial plain between the Hermus and Calcius rivers . There were no natural geographical formations like steep mountains or deep rivers to provide it with a good base from which to defend its position. Its sole purpose was to act as the first line of defense in front of a hostile advancing army and to hinder their movement while the kingdom's main forces were mustered deeper behind the battlefront.

The history of thyatira consists of being controlled by the leading powers of the time, whether it was Alexander’s Greece, the Pergamon Kingdom, Antiochene empire, or the Roman Empire. Because it was so easily overrun, for most of it's history it remained a relatively small city compared to that of Ephesus and Pergamum. However, after Rome introduced Pax Romana, it settled into becoming a fairly peacefull city that boasted more trade guilds than in any other Asian city of its time. From excavated coins it is evident that guilds of carpenters, tent makers, bakers, bronze smiths, wool workers, potters, linen weavers, tanners and the famous dyers of purple were all active in the city. Lydia the seller of purple was from this city (Act 16:14). We do not know if this church was founded by Lydia or not, but it did grow in time to be a very wealthy church. Unfortunately it probably grew wealthy because of its members compromising their values by listening to the advice of a certain prophetess.

As in the rest of the Asian province, guilds, or trade unions, would often hold banquets for its members. These banquets included the eating of food offered to idols and the participation in immoral sexual acts. Coming to Christ meant the loss of their livelihood and financial resources for the Church if they abstained from the communal feasts. However, participation would be tantamount to renouncing the very faith they had come to accept, thus denying the One who suffered and died for them. A prophetess named Jezebel, managed to work out a theology that allowed them to compromise their faith in Christ with continued participation in the local trade unions, and that meant continued financial prosperity and material wealth.

In the Old Testament, Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who became a puppet in her hands for working all wickedness in the sight of Jehovah (1Kings 21:25). She established the Phoenician idolatry on a grand scale at her husband's court, maintaining at her table 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Astarte (1Kings 16:31-32, 1Kings 18:19, 1Kings 18:13). Since that time, the name Jezebel has been known in history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, cruel, and immoral. We do not know if this prophetess’s real name was Jezebel or if Christ used the name as a description for the type of woman she was. What we do know is that this Jezebel was very influential in leading members of the church into immoral practices with the above mentioned guilds for various pagan gods.

When people deliberately reject the Lord's authority, He is no longer their God. The result is that they must find another god, for it is impossible for the human spirit to live without something to live for. That is the very root of what a god is. That which you worship and live for, that which makes living worthwhile to you, becomes your god. It could be the god of entertainment, like sports, video games, and television, or the god of sexual pleasure, the god of money and wealth, or even the god of ambition that one worships trying to attain fame and fortune. The point is, wherever or whatever you direct your strongest energy towards, that will become the place of greatest temptation in this regard. It would be wise to remember, that the beast you feed will be the one that grows the strongest in your life. In Thyatira, accept for a few faithful, the members of the church were more interested in keeping their jobs than following the true God's commandments. And so, their jobs and their status became their god, while Jezebel was the person Christ pointed to as the reason for their stumbling due to her actions and refusal to repent.

I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. (Rev 2:21-23)

Because Jezebel did not repent of her evils, Christ warns of a certain punishment for her by using a strong Hebraic term that means to “kill” with a most sure and awful form of death. There is also a punishment for those who either commit sins with her, or are led into the same kind of lifestyle if they refuse to repent. As for the words “children” used in verse 23, there is a debate as to whether the words are to be taken literally or figuratively. The word itself could be interpreted either way and there is nothing in the context, nor in the original language, that can be correctly determined. I must also point out that there is precedence to show that other passages in the Scriptures have both literal and figurative meaning, a prime example would be these letters to the seven churches.

Now if the word “children” is to be taken literally, it is in accordance with what is often threatened in the Scriptures, that children shall be visited with calamity for the sin's of their parents. This is not to say that I believe in generational curses, but the very actions of parents do affect the lives of their children. Children of alcoholic or drug addicted parents would be an excellent example of this, because it is not uncommon for whole families to suffer from a parent's neglect due to their addictions. The other side of this debate comes from the understanding that the use of the word “children” is to be taken figuratively. Children would refer to those who have been so infected by Jezebel's doctrines that they would themselves be propagators of this false teaching that has so infected this church. An example would be the way false denominations have begun from the teachings of just a few, or even one misguided individual like the Mormon's Joseph Smith, or Arianism which denies the doctrine of the trinity, this heresy was first propagated by Arius in the 4th century. As for the reference of the word “death”, it alludes to a judgment so severe that it would serve as a stern warning to other churches to beware of such practices.

Prophetically, Thyatira represents the church age from about the 6th to the 16th century, a thousand years that I like to refer to as the "The Devil's Millennium”. It was a time when the church became corrupt by combining pagan rites and Christian teaching. Many heathen rituals were introduced into the churches that in time were accepted as being Biblical. These practices included the worshiping of images, the selling of indulgences to buy ones way out of hell, and various other practices of the priests which were unknown to the early church but gained approval during the devil's millennium. In time it became difficult to distinguish the clergy from the corrupt monarchs, as political power by religious authorities was widely sought. Like the church of Thyatira this age was truly corrupt and dark, as the Light did not burn very bright. Thus we have the term that aptly describes this time, at least the first 500 years or so, as the “Dark Ages”.

The range of praise regarding Thyatira’s spiritual status was perhaps the widest given to any of the seven churches, and it is also the only church that is said to have improved its spiritual condition. However, all the good works were being overshadowed by their inability to smell the stench coming from the practices of those who were corupting it from within. So while Christ did give praise for their love, faith, service, and perseverance, because they did not repent He eventually removed their lampstand. This was a warning Christ gave to the church of Ephesus if they did not return to their first love (Rev 2:5). Now all that remains of this once busy and wealthy church, is stone and dust to mark the place where it once existed. Christians must understand that we can either become corrupt like the Thyatirans or stand fast against the evils and temptations of the world. Ultimately though, the life we live in the world is but a proving ground, and we will be tested daily so that on judgement day we can stand before Christ and hear the words every Christian looks forward to, “Well done good and faithful servant, you may enter my rest”. For those of us who do overcome, we will have it accounted to us for righteousness and receive the Morning Star, Christ Himself. (Rev 22:16)

I pray that those who have ears to hear, will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen

Scotty Beam Me Up!

2009-08-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

It seems like some men around the world think that getting a sexually transmitted disease is a badge of honor not shame. It truly is sad that we do not shame those who participate in activities that can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering for some. But like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, evil is considered good, and good is considered evil. Just as Paul warned Timothy about when he wrote,

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. 2Timothy 2:1-4

So here we are in 2009 where homosexuality is not just accepted as normal sexual behavior, but it is touted by many as a healthy lifestyle. If they get married at all, men and women treat marriage like high school dating by getting married then divorced then married again without even considering the consequences. Churches even condone these practices by allowing those who practice such immoral behavior to even be priests. Now we have a portion of the world's male population looking upon sexual diseases as if they are a badge of honor, not shame. Check out this story from Sweden, “Chlamydia helps young men feel more 'manly': Swedish study”

With other male friends slapping on the shoulders and offering encouraging comments about “success with the ladies”, young men who contract diseases such as chlamydia or genital warts can come to view their infection as a badge of honour, rather than a serious health problem.

Did not GOD destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for these type of sins? Does anyone think God has changed His mind? If GOD does not punish us for the immoral lifestyles we live, He would then have to apologize to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, we all know He will not be apologizing, because the end is nearer than people realize.

Christ's Message to the Church of Pergamos

2009-08-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing review on the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, I began by sharing my understanding of certain aspects of the end times and how I see them. Then last week I started a review of the letters Jesus dictated to His disciple John while he was a prisoner on the island of Patmos. This week I will cover the letter to Pergamos, the compromising church.

The Roman historian Pliny called the city of Pergamum the most illustrious city in Asia because of all its statues, temples, monuments, and public buildings. Strategically located high on a humped or cone shaped hill that dominated the Caicus plain, Pergamum had an excellent view of the sea and distant mountain ranges making it an important military town that was fortified and well defended. Both Smyrna and Pergamum were a part of the same kingdom ruled by Attalus III, who was shrewd enough to help Rome defeat the Seleucids during the Punic Wars. When Attalus died in 133 BC he bequeathed his domain to the Roman Empire. Thus Pergamum realized a partnership with Rome that would last the duration of the Roman Empire’s dominance in Asia.

Among its public buildings Pergamum had the empires second largest library and a theatre that seated over 20,000 people. With temples dedicated to Athena, Dionysus, Asclepios, Roma, Zeus, and various roman emperors like Trajan, only Athens could boast of more respect for the gods. By the time John had his vision, Pergamum had become the very center of Emperor Worship in the Asian province. Many bible scholars believe the phrase, “where Satan dwells”, refers to this emperor worship while others claim “Satan's throne” to be a reference to the Altar of Zeus (Rev 2:13). Still others believe that Christ was referring to the worship of Asclepios the pagan god of healing.

People from all over the empire would come to Pergamum to be healed by Asclepios. Snakes were a symbol of this cult and Asclepios’ temple was infested with snakes, even to this day we use the snake as a symbol of the medical profession. The Greek historian Pausanias of Lydia kept a journal about his travels and the different cities he visited. In describing the temple of Asclepios he wrote,

“I looked upon Asclepios who was sitting on a throne with his hand upon the head of a serpent”. Pausanias

The serpent was actually a totem of the god Asclepios. Pausanias wrote how many harmless varieties of snakes had free run of this shrine as well as other shrines like Dionysus. Dionysus supposedly offered his followers life after death along with a meaningful life on earth through sexual indulgences and the consumption of raw meat and wine. Those who joined in on the activities of worshiping Dionysus, would get so wild in their sexual practices that the festivals were outlawed in the city Rome because they were considered to be too immoral! The images engraved on coins excavated from archeological sites are those of snakes amidst fruits & vegetables, and some coins even that portraiyed the Emperor Caracalla standing before a snake coiled around a tree. Therefore wherever the Christian went he would be confronted with cultic practices that included the very symbol of the evil one himself the, snake.

The definition for the Greek word Pergamum (Πέργαμος ) is objectionable marriage, which alludes to the church mixing the truth with lies of questionable teachers, such as the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:15). The church is being charged by Christ for compromising with the world, in that some held to the doctrine of Balaam. Just as Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel) some 1400 years earlier, there were some teachers in the Pergamos church who taught that it was lawful to eat things sacrificed to idols, and that committing sexual immorality was not sinful. We read in the letter to the Ephesian church that it is credited for hating the Nicoalaitans, however in Pergamum the church was embracing the very doctrine that was detested by Christ Himself. Peter anticipated that such problems would exist when he wrote his second letter some 30 years earlier.

“They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor.” (2Pe 2:13-15)

There is no way to know if those teaching the false doctrine at Pergamos were being paid as Balaam was, but we do know that sexual immorality and compromise with idolatry was not only tolerated but even advocated by some in the church. It is wise to remember that it is not those who are outside the church structure who mislead the brethren but the sheep in wolves clothing that lead the flock astray from within the Church’s ranks. Too often believers run after words that suit their individual tastes rather than hold fast to the simplicity and radical demands that the Gospel makes upon them. Timothy was warned by Paul about this when he said that instead of following sound doctrine they will hire teachers who will scratch their itchy ears. (2 Tim 4:3-4) As that happens the church will start to resemble the church of Pergamum and compromise their walk with Christ.

While the church was admonished to repent from following these false teachers (Rev 2:13), I must point out that some held fast to their faith. One of them, Antipas, was even put to death for his faith. According to some ancient sources the second bishop of Pergamum was a dentist named Antipas. Then there ts the theory that the word Antipas describes the type of person or persons who at that time related to the phrase “ the things which are" in Rev 1:19. The word Antipas (ἀντί) in Greek, can also signify "against all, over against, opposite, or instead of. So the use of the word antipas here could be a designation of those who were faithful in their opposition to false teachers who corrupted the truth. There is no way to proof either of these explanations, but I offer them both for consideration.

The letter continues that Christ tells those who do repent, that they can expect a white stone with a new name and some of the hidden manna. (Rev 2:17). To the Greeks, a white stone was a symbol of acquittal, whereas a black stone was a judgment of guilt. The implication here being that those receiving a white stone will be justified as innocent and gain victory over the second death. The idea of hidden manna reflects a Jewish tradition, (from the Apocrypha book II Maccabees) about the pot of manna that was placed in the ark for a memorial to future generations (Ex 16:32). When Solomon’s Temple was destroyed in the sixth century BC, Jeremiah supposedly took the ark and its contents and hid them underground in Mt Nebo. There it was to remain until the coming of the Messiah when Jeremiah would reappear and return the ark and its contents to the new messianic temple in Jerusalem. (2 Mac 2:4)

Among historicists and some futurists, Pergamum is representative of the imperial church age that started with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD and lasted until about 606 AD. This is a period of time when the church and state merged, or as the meaning of Pergamum alludes to, it entered into an objectionable marriage. The majority of converts during this time became Christian in name only, bringing their pagan practices and lifestyles into a compromised church. We see the same kind of problems that the Pergamos church was faced with in many churches today. Like those of the Pergamos, they too can repent and receive all the blessings of eternal life in the glory of heaven or they can refuse to repent and face the terrifying reality of having the Lord Jesus Christ declare war on them. Far too many churches today would rather maintain the path of compromise with the world, and it is this compromise that will inevitably lead its members to eternal damnation. This letter is a warning that churches today should heed by taking a strong stand for God’s truth and refusing to compromise with the world.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”, I pray that those who read His words will call upon the name that is above all names, and gain eternal salvation.

Amen

Messages to the Churches of Revelation

2009-08-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

While a prisoner on the island of Patmos John was visited by Christ who told him, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." He was told to address each letter to “the angel of the church”as represented by seven stars which were the angels of the seven churches, and the ”seven lampstands” which were the seven churches. (Rev 1:20) Popular opinion says that the angel refers to the person who publicly represents the church as its leader. Some however have put forth the opinion that the angel represents an emissary or messenger sent from each church who visited John while he was in prison as Paul was visited while imprisoned in Rome.

But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. (Phil 4:18)

As for the meaning of the letters, you will find different opinions depending upon which scholar you reference. Probably the most prevalent belief is that of Cyrus Scofields who is considered the father of the modern day dispensational view of the end times. It could be said that his bible commentaries have had more influence in shaping the modern view of the end times than other published writings. In his companion commentary of the Scofield Bible, Cyrus saw four different meaning in the messages to the churches.

(1) Local, to the churches actually addressed; (2) Admonitory, to all churches in all time as tests by which they may discern their true spiritual state in the sight of God; (3) Personal, in the exhortations to him "that hath an ear," and in the promise "to him that overcometh"; (4) Prophetic, as disclosing seven phases of the spiritual history of the church from, say, A.D. 96 to the end.

Each letter followed a similar pattern that begins with a greeting, and then a description of the risen Christ. Next there is praise for each church then criticism, followed by a warning an exportation and finally a promise of what to be expected for those following His advise. By close examination, the reader will see that the description of our risen Lord is different for each of the seven letters. These various descriptions are not cute little extras phrases added to make the letters more colorful, but instead they are descriptions that enforce Christ’s message to follow. (Rev 2:1; Rev 2:8; Rev 2:12; Rev 2:18; Rev 3:1; Rev 3:7& Rev 3:14) It is small but not so insignificant nuances like these that make studying the Book of Revelation a true blessing as John’s introductory statement says in (Rev 1:3). For the next couple of weeks I will attempt to give a brief but concise description of each church and what its message means, starting with Ephesus and on through to the last, Laodicea.

The first church Christ mentions is Ephesus, the loveless church. Ephesus means darling, and with over 300,000 people it was the largest city and the Capital of the Asian Province. Founded by Paul around 50 AD it was also the location of the third ecumenical council in 431 AD. With an important seaport it boasted of being the home of the Greek goddess Diana, known to the Romans as Artemis the moon goddess, and to the Asiatic as the nursing mother of gods, men, animals, and plants. The Temple of Artemis was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world whose goddess was commercialized as a trinket god supplying great wealth to the local silversmiths. Paul’s preaching interfered with the commerce of this idol and aroused violent opposition from the merchants.

About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.(Act 19:23-25)

At the time when Paul founded this church hardly anyone there knew of the true Gods temple. Now, two thousand years later, no one knows of Artemis. This ancient wonder was burnt and rebuilt and finally destroyed, and the world is better for that destruction. Meanwhile the true temple is majestically nearing completion with new members being added to the Lambs Book of life every day. Christ recognized the Ephesians tireless perseverance in bearing up under trial for His name’s sake, and how they opposed false apostles and the heretical Nicolaitians; (Rev2:2-3)& Rev 2:5) However, he reproved them for having left their first love, (Rev 2:4) and admonished them to remember where they had fallen from, (Rev 2:5). They are warned to repent and to do their first works or else He will come and remove the candlestick out of its place. As a reward to all that overcome and persevere, the fruit from the tree of life is offered. Those who allegorize the churches to represent the different ages match Ephesus with the early church age roughly from 33 AD to 70 AD, marking the fall of Jerusalem.

The second church John writes to is Situated at the head of the Gulf of Izmir where the Hermus River flows into the Agean Sea. Smyrna the persecuted church is the only church that remains to this day. The city had worshiped Rome as a spiritual power since about 195 BC, explaining Smyrna’s historical pride in its Caesar Cult. A fact that was not overlooked by Rome, as the Emperor Tiberius granted them the right to build a temple to him in 26 AD. Resembling a diadem, many beautiful and majestic public buildings formed a circle around the summit of Mt. Pagos that the locals called the “Crown of Porticoes”. Thus we have the reference in (Rev 2:10) to a crown of life for those who are faithful unto death.

Smyrna was famous for science and medicine and was a wealthy city, but the church itself suffered in abject poverty because its professing members would not renounce Christ in order to get work from the local trade unions. Smyrna means myrrh, like myrrh Smyrna was to be crushed to release its fragrance, thus its Saints were to be persecuted, becoming a sweet aroma to the Lord. Recognizing their spiritual commitment to Him, Christ encouraged them to persevere in the face of trials and tribulations that will last for ten days. As a result of persecutions, many Saints from this church would be martyred for their faith. The most famous of these would be Polycarp, a disciple of John who was martyred by fire in 155 AD.

Those who lean toward a literal interpretation often consider the ten days as representing ten waves of persecutions the Christians suffered in the first three centuries until Constantine became Emperor and legalized Christianity. Between five and seven million Christians were martyred in this period. Like all Christians throughout history, Christ tells the Smyrna Christians to hold fast to their faith and stay true to Him and the second death will have no effect on them. To the allegorist, Smyrna represents the church age from the time the Temple was destroyed by Titus until Constantine became Emperor, 70 AD to 313 AD.

Have you ever just wanted to say Do Wah Ditty and couldn't remember the words?

2009-08-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to put this here for the love of my life, my wife

Sharee

I LOVE YOU MY SWEET

If I knew how to write a song
I’d write one everyday
It would say that I’m in love with you
And why I feel this way

It would have to say you’re pretty
And as rare as a desert rose
It would say you’re a looker
From your head down to your toes

You are funny, dainty, fragile
And as feminine as can be
You’re smart charming lovely
And everything to me

You’re my comfort when I’m lonely
You’re my peace when I need rest
Of all the women I’ve known
I must rate you the best.

You’re the orchard in the jungle,
you’re the better half of me
You’re all of this and so much more,
you mean the world to me

Still so much is left unsaid,
It would take me far to long
I know how much I love you,
If only I could write a song.

by, Stormbringer

THE GREATEST MOVIE LINE EVER!!!

2009-08-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

My Understanding of The End Times

2009-08-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

As I watched the events of the week unfold before my eyes, I was struck by the way we as a nation have been transformed from a fairly stable capitalist Republic into a very shaky Socialist state almost overnight. Then as I prepared my outline on the seven churches of Revelation for my Sunday sermon, I found myself reading the term paper I wrote in seminary class a few years back on the book of Revelation. Considering the speed at which things have evolved in the past year, it is my opinion that what I wrote back then is relevant to today's discussion. Remember, I wrote this four years ago when George Bush was still our President, and Barack Obama was still an absentee voter in the Illinois state senate. Well, here is the summary I wrote for that term paper.

Most interpretations of the “End Times” contain good arguments and can, with enough quotes from the Scriptures, persuade even the best scholars that their claim as to what John’s visions mean, is correct. I have personally spent endless hours in an attempt to get a better understanding of the many prophecies about the end times. With an endless supply of differing opinions available for research and extensive study into the validity of these opinions, I am prepared to agree that the futurists probably come closest to what John saw while on the Island of Patmos. While I do agree with the essentials of the futurist’s beliefs, I must point out that I do not wholly agree in the way many futurists see the events taking place. I do not pretend to know how the Lord will bring about the end, but as I stated I do agree with the gist of the dispensational futurist view of the end times. I just currently disagree with many of their minute details. I say “currently lean” because as my study of the Scriptures continue, along with new insights and unfolding events presenting themselves, in time I might think differently then I do at the present.

As an historical and political enthusiast I tend to look at certain aspects of the end times prophecies in a different light than many futurists. I look at the time we live in as being dominated by the ‘Rule of the People”, and whether it be democratic socialism or democratic capitalism, it is still a system ruled by the people. This egalitarian type of political rule allows for many absurd and dangerous aspects of society to flourish that could not survive in a totalitarian system. A cursory look at the way Cuban dictator, Castro dealt with those afflicted with AIDS compared to how we deal with them in Democratic societies will make my point. Cubans who have AIDS are locked away in institutions to keep them from infecting the general population. While in America and Western Europe we champion the very act that spreads the sickness, homosexuality, in the name of freedom we allow the dreaded disease to promulgate through out our society. It is important to understand that Christ will not return because governments make us bad people. He will return because we have willingly refused to turn from our evil ways and follow His teachings. That is not to say there are no bad people living under tyrannical rulers, it just means that in places like America we have the freedom to practice our evil ways openly thus influencing others to follow suit. Our society is not unique in this aspect however, because history shows us that a similar problem caused Israel to continually fall out of grace with God during the time of time of Judges. (Jdg 17:6)

I also take into account the nature of man that always plays into God's prophecies. This nature is seen continually, from the time when Jacob schemed with his mother to steal Isaac’s blessings for Esau (Gen 27:26-35), on through to the time the Jews revolted against Rome and the Temple was destroyed fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus (Matt 24:2). The first act sent Jacob on a journey to His uncle’s home where he ended up with twelve sons and enormous wealth. The other act ended the sacrifice of animals for sins, something that was not needed anymore because the perfect Lamb had been sacrificed almost forty years earlier. With many other examples of prophecies fulfilled due to the desire of man to control his own destiny, one must take into account this desire when looking at the events of the end times.

Many look at the Scriptures that point to a rebuilding of the Temple with all the ceremonies that accompany it as an inevitable sequence in the end times. I look at how this could come to fruition and see, as I write this, many evangelicals supplying money to different Jewish organizations to make this prophecy come true. I know that God knew this would happen before He made the world and so He uses our controlling nature to bring us into His glory (1 Co 2:7)). I also look at the Scripture that states we will not be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast (Rev 13:15-18). As I look at the world as it is today, I see things being set up for a One-World society, one that will inevitably usher in the return of Christ. However, I believe the mark spoken of is one of a common mind set. An example of what I mean is how we see the main stream media constantly agreeing with each other on various topics from pro choice advocacy to global warming. They do not have a mark to distinguish them from other forms of the media that disagree with them, but they are in accord just the same. This is the way I believe the “Mark of the Beast” will be seen. We all will know who agrees with the Beast and those who do not, and without being on his or its side one will not be able to buy, sell, or trade. All it will take is a personal denial of Christ as your Lord and Savior, as in the time of Emperor worship alluded to in the letters to the Seven Church’s. As for communism, it is on its way out. Like Russia and the Eastern Block nations before them, the few remaining communist regimes will wither away for Democracy to flourish. I also see the current threat of the Muslim extremist movement dying away and in time a more dangerous religion will take hold, that of Democratic Socialism. This new religion will, in my opinion, usher in the New One World Government that the people will demand.

I Then look at the signs that Christ mentioned in (Mark 13:8). As the world gets smaller and smaller we can be informed of what happens as the occurrence takes place. There was a time when an earthquake on the San Andreas fault would never have been reported because no one we cared about lived there. However, now we have millions of people living on and around the very epicenter of the world’s most dangerous fault. Through out our history there have been wars and rumors of wars, but without a modern media to inform us 24-7 we were not aware of them. I believe that the way we perceive events around us goes a long way to effecting our future reactions, and the outcome of our reactions to various events is what God knew ahead of time. It is these outcomes that work into the plans of God to show us His glory. A perfect example is when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery (Gen 37:18-28). God did not make it happen, but He used their evil for His good (Gen 50:20). Another example is the way God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to strengthen his resolve against Moses, thus using Pharaoh’s evil intentions for His Glory (Ex 10:1). In this way God uses man’s evil intentions to control his destiny, as a way to bring forth His will for our salvation and His plan for our eternal existence with Him.

As I have already stated, there are over a hundred million different opinions as to what will happen before Christ returns. However, regardless of how the end times unfold, or how I interpret the prophecies concerning these events, I am secure in the fact that they will have no effect on my eternal salvation. Christ said He will return like a thief in the night (Luke 12:39); (1 Th 5:2), for it is not our purview to know that which the Father has fixed for His own authority (Act 1:7). Now while the Revelation of Jesus Christ states that blessings come to those who read, heed, and understand the prophecies given to John, nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that anyone will know the time of His return Matt 24:36); (Mark 13:32). The best we can do is look to the Scriptures to prepare ourselves for His return. I guess that is one reason I have decided to be like Ezra (Ezr 7:10) and the Berean’s (Act 17:11) so as to follow Paul’s advise to Titus (Tit 2:7-8) and properly spread the Good News and help prepare others for His return.

Sarahs Choice

2009-08-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

It seems that the biggest response I see from questions about the GOP is who will lead. It's quite understandable when you consider that the GOP has not had a real leader since Newt Gingrich. Oh yea we all rallied behind GW, but other than the war on terrorism, he would not lead. Even in his defense of the war he was more willing to get along with the opposition than to defeat them. Well, here we are in mid summer 2009, and we are still wondering who will lead us.

Sad when you consider that the way Obama and his allies in the MSM are attempting to roll over the American people as if we were no more than bums in the street. I kept asking my self, where is the Republican voice? Who will stand up with us, the people, and demand that evil be called evil? Who will dare step on the toes of the anointed one and tell him he is naked? Where is the the voice of reason from the the GOP? Well here she is ladies and gentleman, I give you Sarah Palin, the Bear from Alaska, a Kodiak. Or if you would, a tiger the Democrats cannot tame. Yes a woman who has more gonads then the whole Republican leadership combined.

In her first online comments since leaving office, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Obama's health plan "downright evil". She went on to say that he would create a "death panel that would deny care to the neediest Americans. Those Americans who will suffer the most when they ration care, will be the sick, the elderly, and the disabled."

Well we know she is telling the truth because Obama and his minions in congress have said so. If you are too old and will be dead in five to ten years, we will not waste the money to help you. Obama said he would advise us that a pain killer would be better for the patient and for America. Against this evil intent is Sarah, who defends the protesters and encourages them to continue their struggle against this evil and overreaching idea of nationalized Health Care.

"We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Ronald Reagan once wrote, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late." Sarah Palin

Think about that for a moment. We live in a society that does not want to admit that evil exists, that as long as we can all just get along the bad in this world will not infect us. Of course, this is exactly how evil wins. Don't believe me? Look at the history of the world in just the last century. We were told at one time or another that Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Chairman Mao, Pol Pot, Castro, Chavez, and others were all misunderstood men who had good intentions. Well look what their good intentions have wrought upon mankind, 110,000,000 people murdered in the name of good intentions. Added to that evil, is another 50,000,000 babies aborted around the world every year.

Yes evil exists, and it is nice to hear a politician say so. Sarah Palin is spot on, she knows the name and face of the enemy tearing at all that's good about America and she calls it what it is, evil. Palin is one brave soul to take on Obama and his goons, while using a term that the fools of the world like to scoff at. She also wrote in her posting,

”The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's, 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their level of productivity in society, whether they are worthy of health care or not. Such a system is downright evil. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Let's stop and think and make our voices heard before it's too late"

It is no secret that I am a huge Sarah Palin supporter, but I am not foolish enough to think that a few lines in her Facebook means she has reached her "Evil Empire" moment. However, from what I have witnessed since she came to the national stage is that, "when Sarah speaks the liberals tremble". It's my belief that she needs to get out and protest with the people, bring this spotlight on the situation, because right now the MSM is only giving us lip service. This moment and this issue is demanding her attention. This would be a great springboard opportunity for her to lay the ground works for her challenge if she is willing. If she could make herself the face of Obama's Health Care defeat, she will be a lock in 2012. If she wants it she can have it, but we have yet to hear her make that claim. Imagine the crowds this woman could draw if she got out there front and center.

Beating Down The People

2009-08-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Obama has given the orders and his Chicago style thugs have taken the challenge to the the people to beat them down and force them to accept the Messiah's decrees. During the Presidential campaign we learned many things about Obama that most Americans would not heed. On June 14, 2008 Obama told a crowd in Philadelphia on June 14, "If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun, because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.” Then a few months later on September 17, he told a crowd in Las Vegas, "I want you to argue with them and get in their face". We even saw Obama's supporters using Chicago style tactics on election day to intimidate anyone who might not vote for him. Black Panthers Intimidate Voters in Philadelphia. So I am not surprised to see what is going on across this country where union thugs are intimidating and beating up Americans who are just practicing their constitutional right of questioning their representatives to Congress.

After all just a few days ago that David Axlerod, Obama's senior advisor, told the Democrats to "Punch back twice as hard". Then just yesterday in front an invitation only fundraiser crowd for gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, Obama said "I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess." Well what do you know, the man who's only experience has been that of a community organizer mow wants to demonize community activism. Welcome to Chicago politics my friends.

Yes across this country we are being forced to accept what the Messiah thinks is good for you. From St. Louis to Miami Florida thugs from different unions are intimidating citizens and beating up protesters. In some cases the protesters are not even allowed to be in the meeting with their own representatives. Check out all these incidents that Obama has not only condoned, but has ordered.

1) Black man gets beat up by a white SEIU union thug where is Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton? (just so you know it is not just angry white people protesting)

2) Democrats sneak union thugs into Carnahan's town hall, citizens against Obamascare locked out!

3) Union thugs push and choke citizens at Congressman Castor's meeting in Tampa Bay

4) Slide show and video of Pelosi getting a reality check in Denver.

5) Rhino Republican Congressman Bob Inglis get an earful (just so you know that it is not just democrats being protested, it is the healthcare bill that is being protested.)

6) Meltdown of Congressman John Dingell Town Hall meeting

Now, check out this little video of what I believe makes the perfect analogy of what is going on with this administration. Remember, this is not Iran, it what America has become under an authoritarian administration. The Messiah is using his army, the largest union to support him, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Sometimes referred to as the “purple ocean” because of the purple shirts they wear, this labor union represents over 2 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The main divisions are health care (around 50% of the union’s membership), including hospital, home care and nursing home workers, public services (government employees), and property services (including janitors and security officers). With over 300 local branches, SEIU is affiliated with the Change to Win Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress. It is based in Washington, D.C., and has seven internal divisions: Communications, Education, Human Rights, International Affairs, Organization, Political, and Research.

Obama and the Democrats have put out the talking points by claiming the "right wing extremist base" is out to "destroy" Barack Obama, so it has unleashed "angry mobs ... mob activity straight from the playbook of high-level Republican political operatives. They have no plan for moving our country forward, so they've called out the mob." Remember, there was not one incident of violence until Obama's thugs showed up to shut down the opposition, just as his Authoritarian friends in the third world countries do. Obama in action, "I want you to argue with them and get in their face, punch back twice as hard, and if they bring a knife to the fight, we will bring a GUN!”

Where Are Today's Patriots Who Are Willing To Sacrifice Everything?

2009-08-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

In the times we live, I am often reminded of the men who gave all, so that I can enjoy the freedom I do. I guess that is why I get so angry when I see what the current rulers of this country have in store for me, you, and our descendants. Men, greater than I could ever hope to be, offered everything they had in this world, because they wanted freedom for their descendants, us. Freedom that Obama and his socialist friends desire to take away from us all. Well, I have only one question to ask, "Where Are Today's Patriots Who Are Willing To Sacrifice Everything"?

What follows is a what many only read around July 4, but today is a good time to read it again. It is about the sacrifice 56 men offered so that we could be free. As you read what happened to them, consider how afraid we are to even talk about what we must do.

Of the fifty six patriots who signed and pledged their lives, fortunes, and their sacred honor, nine of the fifty six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Five men were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died, two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured, while another twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

What kind of men were these patriots? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. Thomas Nelson quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. His own home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: “For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

Each one of us may be able to tell stories our families have handed down from generation to generation. Fathers, grandfathers, great grandfather, uncles, mothers, and grandmothers who sacrificed everything for a generation of people they would never meet. A generation of people who would one day spit upon their sacrifice, and give back to the king that which they sacrificed all for. God help us, because we don't seem to want to help ourselves like our ancestors did time and time again.

These patriots gave you and me a free and independent America. However, something that the history books never tell you, is that these men were not just fighting against the British Crown and King George. These men "WERE BRITISH SUBJECTS", fighting and willing to die rather than accept what the "ONE" of their day wanted done. Today, many of us have taken our freedom and liberties for granted while traitors like Obama, Kennedy, Ried, Pelosi, and others are prepared to take away the last vestige of freedom we will ever know.

[author unknown w/liberties taken]

Isaiah, the Fifth Evangelist

2009-08-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

In today's message, I would like to broaden your understanding of the book Christ read from while in the synagogue of His home town, Luke_4:16-30 so that you may better appreciate the book written by the Fifth Evangelist. While Isaiah is the most often quoted prophet in the New Testament, his book can be as obscure as it is interesting. Even many Christians will admit they know very little about the book and what it has to offer for their walk with Christ. Other than being familiar with a few famous passages that foretold the advent of Christ Isa_9:6 and his suffering Isa_53:1-12, most people don’t know that there are prophecies that coincide with the book of Revelations. Isa_13:1-13, Isa_14:1-22. Unfortunately, because of their unfamiliarity they miss out on the true gift Isaiah has to offer.

From the beginning of time the Lord had a plan of salvation for mankind, Gen_3:15. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."Ecc_3:15 "That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by." However, the first mention of His plan to give us the gift of His Son is Gen_3:15. The last mention of His plan for our salvation is in the book of Revelations, Rev_22:20 "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus". A promise that may be truly said to every person in every age, Jesus the Judge is at the door. In Isaiah, you will find God's plan for the salvation of mankind Isa_53:10, His plan of judgment for the world, and those who would refuse his gift Isa_13:6-13. His birth Isa_9:6, His death Isa_53:8, and His resurrection Isa_53:10are also foretold within the pages of this book. We can either ignore Isaiah's prophecies like the Jews did or, as Christ taught, we can embrace them.

This is the first time the Lord spoke of a savior for mankind and He did so at the very dawning of the gospel day. No sooner was the deadly poisonous wound given than the remedy was provided and revealed. The Lord had planed from the beginning that the one who was first deceived would be the one through whom the guilt of the world would fall. Since sin is handed down through the man, the sin nature of man was not handed down to the Messiah. So He is truly the unblemished Lamb whom the Lord accepted as the perfect sin offering. One can even glean from the Scriptures that the Lord had a plan for salvation even before He spoke the heavens and the earth into existence.

I called Isaiah the “Fifth Evangelist”, and I did so because Isaiah described what would happen to Christ for our salvation in such a way that one would think he had a front row seat at Golgotha. Not even John, the most beloved and only apostle to witness His crucifixion, wrote as detailed an account as Isaiah did. No, Isaiah the Prophet was not present, instead he received a first hand account from the very One who would suffer on that cross. So when you look at the way Isaiah spoke of future events, as if they were in his past, it’s easy to see why he is often referred to as either the fifth Evangelist or the first Apostle of Christ.

Isaiah's first reference to the Messiah is not a prophecy of His birth but a prophecy that the Jews would reject Him Isa_6:9-10. When you look at the traditions of the ancient writers you find that very seldom is the birth or childhood of a famous person mentioned. The Jews were exceptions in that they often mentioned the day of birth, but it was a man's accomplishments as an adult that gave the scribes a reason to write about him or his childhood. While Isaiah foretells many aspects of what the Messiah's life would entail, such as His birth Isa_7:14, His ministry Isa_9:1-2, and His many miracles Isa_35:5-6, it is the Lords rejection by the Jews that Isaiah mentions first. Without the Jews rejection of Christ the gentiles would not have been saved, thus it only makes sense that this would be the first prophecy Isaiah mentions. So just as they rejected the Lord time and time again throughout their history, they would also reject the very One they looked forward to for salvation.

Like many other prophets, Isaiah was also rejected and ultimately murdered by those he was sent to by the Lord. Christ would even allude to these rejection and murder in his parable of the absent landowner. Matt 21:33-44Isaiah came bearing a plan, given by God, for the restoration of the remnant of Israel who would truly return to Him. This plan also included the redemption for all mankind as Isaiah repeatedly pointed out Isa_11:10, Isa_49:1, Isa_53:10-12, Isa_59:15-16. Through Isaiah's writings, the Jews should have known that the Lord was also sending the Messiah to save the hated gentiles. As we now know, the Jews would be the first to persecute the Christians. Even before they crucified their Messiah they were expelling his believers from the sanctuaries John_9:28-34. Isaiah also conveys to us the compassion the Lord has for His chosen people and His desire for their redemption. Isa_65:19, Isa_65:24.

What an amazing prophecy! Long before I was born God knew I would be knee deep in transgressions against Him, and even before I called on His name he came to my rescue. When God destroyed the world by water, Noah and his family needed an Ark designed by God Himself to survive the Flood. As Christians, we realize that we also need a type of an Ark and for us that Ark is Christ. Through Isaiah, God gives us the blueprints for that Ark. Unlike the Ark that saved Noah and his family however, the Ark Christians depend upon was completely constructed by God. It is this Ark that was promised from the day Adam and Eve ate from the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”.Gen_3:1-7 Isaiah wrote about this some 760 years before the birth of Christ. Throughout the Bible we have evidence of the Lord's promises, and all we need to do is have faith in those promises, just as we have faith in the promise Jesus gave Nicodemus . “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Jhn_3:16 For those who are skeptical about the timing of these prophecies, the evidence we have is backed up by many overwhelming facts as to the Historicity of the Scriptures. When the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were discovered, it was learned that the current translation of Isaiah has not changed through the years, other than a few nondescript grammatical errors. But probably the best proof of God's promises is the fulfillment by Jesus of the more than 120 Isaiah prophecies about the coming Messiah. Along with hundreds of other Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, I believe it takes an act of mental ignorance to ignore the prophetic evidence of God's faithfulness to follow through on His promises.

As for me, I have no reason to doubt the future fulfillment of the Lord's remaining promises. By studying Isaiah and his many prophecies, I have learned to see what they really represent; the Eternal as opposed to the temporal. The when, where, who, and how are just temporal, but the Eternal is what is promised and that is where my hope lies. My faith through the grace of God has allowed me to be washed by the Blood of the Lamb. My parched soul has been renewed by the life giving water flowing from the Rock that follows me through this desert of sin called the world. My salvation was paid for Christ' victory on Calvary, and I am assured of eternal life because of His resurrection. While I anxiously await His return so that I may enjoy an eternal rest in His Glory, I invite you to join me by accepting Christ as your Lord and savior.

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen

How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation Part I

2009-07-27T12:10:00.001-07:00

An Introduction and Overview
of the Renaissance

(This is the first of a five part series, follow
these links for the other four parts)

I am presenting you the first part in a series of five articles about the great Protestant Reformation which I wrote when I went to Bible college. In this series I will present various historical aspects I believe worked together to create the atmosphere needed for the Reformation to take place. I do not mean to diminish the contributions of any of the many individuals or events that will be left out of my series, but in order to be as concise as possible I will inevitably fail to give proper credit to some. I believe the six areas I have settled upon cover most of what is needed to make my point.

My five part series will include the following chapters;

Part I An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance
Part II Political and Social Changes
Part III Literature
Part IV Art, Inventions, & Explorations
Part V Conclusion

An introduction and Overview of the Renaissance

Never in history has one man's thesis so rattled the powers that be, than did Martin Luther's when he nailed his ninety-five grievances to the Church door at Wittenberg. It was an act of defiance that would eventually topple a church state organization that held sway over kings and paupers alike for a thousand years. And while every history class that covers the reformation will tell you that it was Johann Tetzel'sselling of indulgences that pushed Luther into action that day, Tetzel's action was only the final straw, not the cause of the revolution. At the time the Reformation began, there were many factors that enabled and emboldened the common man into action but none was more profound in it's influence then was the Renaissance.

To continue reading this article, please follow the link below ..........

Part I

An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance

"How the Renaissance Led

to the Reformation"

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am in the process of moving all my articles to a new site. I have been given my own blog with my hometown newspaper in Chico California, called the "Enterprise Record". My new site is called "Gate" which I will be referring to as the "ChicoER Gate". It has less bells and whistles but it carries with it the respectability and well known reputation of 133 years of journalism that they began when they first published a daily paper in 1877, under the name of the "Daily Evening Record". So please bear with me as I move all my articles to the

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How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation Part II

2009-07-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Political and Social Changes

(This is the second installment of a five part series)

Part I An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance
Part II Political and Social Changes
Part III Literature
Part IV Art, Inventions, & Explorations
Part V Conclusion

The Western European feudal system that was begun by the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne would eventually morph into a system that was quite different from other feudal systems around the world. Throughout most of the dark ages, the powers of the Church and state co-existed with constant tension between the two. This pluralistic system of control would shift power back and forth from the Church to the Monarchs, depending upon the alliances each could muster at any given time.

The one thing that never changed however, was the way the common people of Europe were just pawns used by these two powers. Due to their need for protection and sustenance the major populations were kept entrenched in and around medieval fortresses and monasteries. These monasteries were quite often populated by the unwanted sons of the monarchs and nobleman who found in them an expedient way to eliminate any competition for their thrones and inheritances. Many of these sons would be given the position of Bishop and end up controlling of the lands and finances of the monasteries. It was not uncommon for these Bishops to be very wealthy with their own castles from which they conducted their business. Some would become more concerned about the affairs of their estates, and less concerned about fulfilling their religious responsibilities.

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Part III

Political and Social Changes

"How the Renaissance Led

to the Reformations"

How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation Part III

2009-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Literature

(This is the third installment of a five part series)

Part I An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance
Part II Political and Social Changes
Part III Literature
Part IV Art, Inventions, & Explorations
Part V Conclusion

Any discussion about literature of the Renaissance Age must
include the Council of Ferrara. In 1439 a large delegation from the Eastern Church held discussions with the Western Church over the doctrinal differences of Christendom. While every agreement made at this council was eventually disregarded, the effect that it had on literature was profound and since the proceedings were in Latin and Greek, a renewed appetite for Greek studies and classical writings followed. The original manuscripts of the articles from this council are preserved to this day at the Laurentian library in Florence. At the conclusion of this council, many of the more than 700 men from the eastern delegation stayed in the west giving lectures and teaching Greek.

One of these Eastern theologians was Georgios Gemistos, better known as Plethon. (1355-1450) Plethon remained in the West giving lectures on Plato and other Greek philosophers while helping the Catholic theologians better understand the ancient Greek manuscripts. Led by Plethon’s lectures on Plato, the politically powerful banker Cosimo de’ Medici was moved to fund the Platonic Academy in Florence, which was very influential in advancing the philosophy of humanism. By the turn of the century the antiquities bug was so prevalent that the church, monarchs, lords, bankers, and wealthy merchants would all compete to be the first to find any antiquities connected to the apostles. These antiquities ranged from letters they wrote to even the possible skulls of the Lords disciples. The funds to pay for these antiquities, as well as the scholars and artists of the Renaissance period, not only drained the church coffers, but nearly bankrupted the Medici family. To replace the money spent, the church prayed on the citizens by selling indulgences that they claimed would release dead relatives from purgatory.

To continue reading this article, please follow the link below ..........

Part III

Literature

"How the Renaissance Led

to the Reformation"

How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation Part IV

2009-07-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Art, Inventions, and Explorations

(This is the fourth installment of a five part series)

Part I An Introduction and Overview of the Renaissance
Part II Political and Social Changes
Part III Literature
Part IV Art, Inventions, & Explorations
Part V Conclusion

Art

It has been said that if a work of art dwells upon beauty, it will inspire the viewer to make that beauty a part of his life and their outlook on the world. In this sense the art of the Renaissance Age gave men a reason to reflect upon their place in the world more then their relationship with God. This new style allowed some men, known as the secular humanists, to see themselves as being separate and autonomous from God. Francis Schaeffer, in his book ''Escape from Reason'', describes this as man dwelling more and more on the nature of his reality and less on the spirituality of his soul. Then you had the religious humanist who would be influenced by seeing the true beauty of what God created. Michelangelo, said “I am only the tool God uses to release the beauty he has encased in the marble.” These religious humanists felt like they were part of God’s world not just a spectator that was in the way of the Churches ambitions.

Contributions to the arts were closely related to the broad transformations that were taking place in society. With funding supplied by wealthy men such as the Medici family, artists were able to experiment with innovative new ideas. These artists learned how to use linear perspectives in their paintings, while representing objects in relative sizes so that smaller objects appeared to be farther away than larger objects. Art began resembling the philosophy that the created was more important then the creator. They used the light and shadows that God created to make objects on the canvass look full and real. Schaffer described this as nature eating up grace, that’s why human figures were depicted so realistically.

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Part IV

Art, Inventions, & Explorations

"How the Renaissance Led to the Reformation"