Christianity, Current events, doctrine, faith, Theology, Uncategorized

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

Joshua spoke to the children of Israel as he prepared to die in that blessed hope yet to come. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.   And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15).

Today’s church really amazes me. Not always in a good way. That is the reason for this article. If one looks to places such as Africa, and the East, we see two different groups that call themselves Christian. In the non West areas, Christians face martyrdom on a daily basis.

The Islamic ruled world not only treat Christians like a slave class, they have no issue destroying churches, schools, and homes. Look at Pakistan last year. Because of a false report that a minister had desecrated the Quran, massive groups of buildings and their contents were burned to the ground. Christians had no churches, no homes, and lost their belongings. Even children are forced to work in the brick kilns areas with their parents.

In India, they face attacks from both Hindu and Islam followers. If not killed, these Christians after assault continue to preach Christ crucified. They face two enemies in that nation. Two fronts to defend against.

In areas of Africa, Islamic groups like Boko Haram not only kill Christians. They raid Christian villages and kidnap Christian students. Some are ransomed, some are found, some escape, and some are executed.

In China, President Xi Jinping and his controlled administration tell churches who can be pastors, priests, etc. They have to have his picture in the churches, no crosses, and according to some reports, is planning to rewrite the Holy Scriptures. In this new blasphemy, The state would be the savior and Jesus is the anti-Christ.

So what happens in the West? Sinful ideology sits in the pulpit and pews. Those who preach Christ crucified are ridiculed, cursed at,’canceled’ and jail because of the thought police. Yes, sometimes they are physically assaulted and killed, but not generally.

There are three camps in the West that take the name of Christian. The first are those that except all perversion and sin, because all they preach is God is love and therefore He accepts you and doesn’t ask you to change. These aren’t Christians nor preach the Christ of Scripture. Paul warned of these (Galatians 1:8-9). These are the wolves (Matthew 7:15). They openly blaspheme the Sovereign God and His Son. They, like the world, call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

Then there is the devout camp. These are the ones that preach  ‘thus says the Lord’. They believe every word of Scripture is true. They believe that you come to Christ as you are, but Christ doesn’t leave you how you came in (2 Corinthians 5:17). They preach like Jesus, John the Baptists and the Apostles. They call man to repentance (Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:15, Acts 2:3). Repentance is the changing of mind and heart. Something only the Sovereign God alone can do. They preach the Cross of the Crucified Christ (1 Corinthians 2:2). They preach that the only way to eternal salvation with God is through Jesus the Christ (Acts 4:12).

Then there is the third group. These are those that believe like the second group. But whine when troubles come. As Christians are being jailed because of the thought police (England) and for standing for their rights (Canada and the US), they whine and complain. Going to jail for the faith should be a joy. If they lock you in jail, then they have defeated their own purpose. They gave you a captive audience. Think about it. They lock you up for telling a couple people about the salvation power of Christ, then they place you in a locked building of multiple people who can’t get away from you. Like Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25-32). Whining and being silent are spoke against in Scripture (Matthew 10:33). These are the ones who will be to scared of loss and danger to speak the name of Jesus (Matthew 15:8).

Jesus told us, as true disciples, what we would face.“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.   And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another” (Matthew 24:9-10).If they hated the prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles, then why would Christians not believe that we will be hated as well. Jesus came to save us from God through the salvation of God through Himself. He didn’t say it would be an easy life. He didn’t say he came to love everyone and let them live as they want. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.   For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.   And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.   He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.   And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.   He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 34-39).

Pastor Adrian Rogers said it best. Salvation is free. Discipleship will cost you everything.You have to decide now, which Christian camp you are in before the war. We fight small battles now, but the war is yet to come. Put on the Armor God gave us.Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.   Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
   Stand therefore, hav
ing your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;   And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;   Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:   Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;   And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,   For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10-20).

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Christianity, faith

Why the World Mocks God

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10

When one looks around today, we see every evil deed spoke about in the Holy Scriptures. Both old and new testaments show what constitutes evil in God’s eyes, the only definition allowable. And until our society (globally) became woke in to many areas, these positions and thoughts of evil were preached against by the pulpits of our nations.

What comes next in the article will make people mad and bring with it vehement attitudes. Most will be from the non-Christian society in our nation. But what will be worse is that it will also come from those that say they follow Jesus Christ. The mindset of the American Christian Church has become one of including the allowance of sin, even within the confines of the church. This is not to say that certain people or groups are not allowed to come to God. Nor do they have to be perfect. But what does need to occur is this. They have to be told the truth of God. Does God love everyone and want them to turn to him. Of course. Did Jesus deny a person’s coming to Him because of their sin. No. That’s the reason He came, died, and rose from the grave, so that we would have a means by which to make sure our souls are saved from sin.

Never once in Scripture did Jesus say, be saved and continue in your sin. He said Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14). She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (John 8:11).So by allowing sin to reign, these ‘Christians’ defy and deny the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. For a person who claims salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ but continue to sin, there is no more hope.For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:26). This doesn’t mean that if a truly repentant sinner does fall that there is no hope. Mankind isn’t perfect so we do make mistakes. But it is expected to ask for forgiveness and strength. What the verse means is that you sin by choice after being saved, the sacrifice is not enough to cover it.

A gay preacher is loved by God. However, God does not approve of the sin. And since the preacher has claimed to be saved through the blood, he/she must seek forgiveness not continue in the sin. And yes, being any part of the LGTBQ+ community, engaging in the acts, and either not seeking forgiveness or continuing in the sin by choice is a sin. I know lovely people that are within this community, and I love the people, but have no option but to call the sinful act what it is…A SIN. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 9-10). Also included are cross-dressers The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God (Deuteronomy 22:5)

The reason God gave us a moral code in the 10 Commandments was to help us understand that God loves us. The punishment that comes from sin without repentance is seen in how we raise our own children and deal with the criminal element. Why? Because like a parent, God chastises those who choose not to follow moral codes, laws, rules, whatever name you chose to give them. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebrews 12:6).

  It needs repented for and turned from. I will not turn my back on those that sin, but I will tell them it needs fixed. And for those in the LGTBQ+ community, God doesn’t make mistakes. He made you genetically what you are, male or female. The rest of the gender discussion is one of a sin sickness not a mental health issue or crossed wires in the brain. To say it is either of those things is strictly the devil playing games and stealing souls.

We are to pull ourselves out of the ways of the world. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).So when preachers are seen and heard saying things like, God looks on the heart, that statement is only right up to a point of understanding and redemption. The only time that the sin is not looked at is when a person is saved through grace and turns from the sinful nature of the world. A person who does not understand because he/she has not been taught will be looked at with that in mind at judgment. But for those that know and still refuse to turn from their sin will be judged according to that choice.

Romans chapters 2-4 tell us we are not to judge whether a person is good or bad. We are to show them the path to Christ and the need for redemption. No man has the ability of say this one will go to heaven or that one will go to judgment of the damned. We are to preach Christ crucified and risen. We are to lead the non-believer (and in today’s society the believer as well) to understand that God has said in the Scriptures what actions will not make it to judgment of the saved. A person can only no what sin is by biblical description. The knowing of the sin brings with it the understanding for the need of Christ’s redemptive power.

How will those that do not believe learn form those that teach error and blasphemy? Those that preach the Gospel message are warned against teaching false doctrines. I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive (Romans 16:17-18). Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (Ephesians 5:11).I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9).

In this woke wilderness, we are searching for ways to make things better. Here’s the best way to do so. Read the bible, repent from sin, and follow Christ. We are told how to make things the way we should, without sending our nation into a tailspin of no return. We are told how to conduct business. We are told how to treat people. We are told how to raise our families. And we are told what it takes to make that trip into a heavenly home at His coming.

If you haven’t made that choice to follow Christ as a believer and follower, OR you have but still live with sin you refuse to give up and turn from, NOW IS THE TIME. Jesus Christ is coming back in all His glory. And it will be soon. When that time comes, it will be too late. Please consider your eternal future. It only takes a moment to make that choice to be covered by the soul cleansing blood of Jesus.

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