Archive for January, 2013
Take heed therefore how ye hear.
Posted: January 27, 2013 in Devotionals, End Times, Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!Tags: Christian, encouragement, Faith, God, grace, Holiness, hope, Jesus, LORD, love, Obedience, repent, salvation, sin, victory
There was a time in my life as a believer where my walk was very far removed from the Lord. I had found myself more than entangled in several sins. I remembered one night being so overwhelmed and burdened to the point of utter despair, literally fearing that I could die in my sleep and would be forever lost. I cried out to what seemed to be heavens of brass, my prayer barely out of my lips only to be falling to the ground. All this after only a couple of years after having been promoted through a local church fellowship to be a deacon, then elder-ship and then shortly before leaving the church I was made assistant pastor.
My last message I shared with the church before I left (to the surprise of many) was about Paul’s exhortation in Galatians to those who are spiritual to restore those who were overtaken by a fault. However, at the time I wasn’t preaching to the congregation, rather I was crying out against my fellow leadership. My emphasis wasn’t about restoring the one overtaken, but rather whether those who were leaders were “spiritual” enough to even discern when a brother was over taken. There I was discourage, oppressed by the adversary, walking with sin in my life and about to begin what was to be a dark journey that almost ended in my destruction . . . and they didn’t even know it.
There is no god.
Posted: January 6, 2013 in Shared ThoughtsTags: Atheist, Faith, God, Jesus, liar, Lies, Obedience, righteous
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
PLEASE, if you recognize the following, please get past it to my main point. The verse above is continually used by believers to stress the fact that those who do not believe in God are fools. But perhaps one of the most foolish things I have seen is this nonsense below about these supposedly legal cases where a Texas judge, or a Florida judge . . . or a judge from whatever state the next promoter of this fictitious never-dying-story decides to select. The story goes –
In (pick-a-state), an atheist became incensed over the preparation for Easter and Passover holidays and decided to contact the local ACLU about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations
afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while the atheists had no holiday to celebrate.The ACLU jumped on the opportunity to once again pick up the cause of the godless and assigned their sharpest attorneys to the case.
The case was brought before a wise judge who after listening to the long, passionate presentation of the ACLU lawyers, promptly banged his gavel and declared, “Case dismissed!”
The lead ACLU lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, “Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? Surely the Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. And the Jews–why in addition to Passover they have Yom Kippur and Hanukkah .and yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!”
The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said “Obviously your client is too confused to know about, or for that matter, even celebrate the atheists’ holiday!”
The ACLU lawyer pompously said “We are aware of no such holiday for atheists, just when might that be, your honor?” The judge said “Well it comes every year on exactly the same date—April 1st!”
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1
HOORAY FOR THIS JUDGE!
Now, it is truly a sad thing that a believer would feel the need to generate a lie to try to attack an unbeliever as a fool, especially since it can never bring glory to God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. I am not even sure what sort of “Christian” or Torah believing Jew would be willing to stoop to such nonsense. For it seems so very clear that a lie is always going to be a lie, regardless of the motive.
Ro 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”? –as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.
God doesn’t inflict wrath except when His righteous precepts are ignored (hint: you can’t go around telling lies) and isn’t really swayed by what your justification might be. How irrational it is to think that this type of gibberish might prove others to be fools while engaging in such obvious foolishness themselves. You can never prove others wrong by doing wrong and attempting to call it right, at that point you are the one who is putting forth bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Perhaps it is time for some to reconsider this fool’s verse in Psalm 14, which for the purpose of establishing a point I am going to use the KJV –
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances…
Posted: January 4, 2013 in Shared Thoughts, Study!Tags: Faith, grace, love, Obedience, repent, salvation, victory
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. (Colossians 2:13,14)
Those who have been “churched” for a while are likely to have heard this verse interpreted as the whole of God’s law being nailed to the cross as being now null and void, or no longer relevant in the life of a believer. That once we “accept” Jesus’ death as a payment for our sins, we have no further obligation than to just accept His wondrous grace by faith . . . and accept that we are always going to be messing up and still sinning all the days of our lives. But because of “grace,” no worries. I fear that believers of such have been duped into swallowing a grace that cannot effectually save one from their sins while at the same time casting away God’s provisional lamp for their feet.
I ask the reader to be prayerfully open minded and to consider, what if what was nailed to the cross as “handwriting of ordinances that was against us” was not the ceremonial law of Judaism, but something else? That is not to say the ceremonial law did not fulfill its function and therefore has completed its course in God’s plan for humanity, for in Roman’s 7 Paul labors to persuade his Jewish brethren to acknowledge that they were now free from ceremonial rites because that which they pointed to had come, the Lamb of God which not only bore the sins of the world, but ended the sin-offerings as well. For all those were merely shadows of Christ body as an offering to come.
Certainly it was not the moral aspect of God’s law which was nailed to the cross and taken out of the way, for consider how the scriptures bare witness that Law was “perfect, converting the soul . . . making wise the simple . . . rejoicing the heart . . . pure and enlightening the eyes.” Furthermore the scripture also records in Psalms the prayerful request that God would “grant me thy law graciously,” which seems to be an interesting twist to much that is preached today against “The Law,” that the law could actually be given in grace. (more…)
The riches of the full assurance of the understanding, to the full knowledge of the Mystery of God, even of the Father and of Christ
Posted: January 2, 2013 in Coffee House, Deity of Jesus ChristTags: Deity of Jesus Christ, Mystery of Godliness
(Click poster or link below)
That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love,
and to all riches of the full assurance of the understanding,
to the full knowledge of the mystery of God,
and of the Father and of Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Sadly this is the last message from the Coffee Shop since the restaurant is closing due to the economy. Please pray for us that Lord opens another avenue for ministry or directs us as to how we best spend the time for His glory and Name’s sake.
In the sermon I briefly address the following-
Strong’s Greek #2532 – kai, pronounced kah’ee – apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:–and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Gates of the City 