Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

There is no god.

Posted: January 6, 2013 in Shared Thoughts
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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  –

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Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances…

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Shared Thoughts, Study!
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Capture

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…)

Don’t settle for weak faith!

Posted: November 10, 2012 in Coffee House, Shared Thoughts
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789 NE 5th St, Crystal River, Fl

(Click poster or link below)

Don’t settle for weak faith!!

11-9-2012 Coffee House message taken from Romans 14 and Colossians 1

Effective Faith versus Weak Faith

Posted: November 9, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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Paul addressed in Romans 14 some as being “weak in faith,” which we must recognize as being in contrast to those who actually possessed the faith which comes from an unmodified or polluted hearing of God’s Word. Such faith is the reward given only to hearts that are diligently seeking to hear from God’s Spirit and such hearts are then required to walk the path to obtain a true and growing understanding of God’s will. (Surely I need not expound on the error of those with double mindedness, or such as have eyes that are not singled towards Jesus Christ our King.)

Having said all that, I feel I must address the natural tendency of people when hearing such words immediately assume I am contrasting myself with the “weak in faith” and making bold claims of personal insight and clear understanding of God’s will, however that is not my claim or point, and to try to refute with many words is simply a waste of time to all.

Nonetheless, according to Paul’s word, there are those who are accepted in the Lord even though they are “weak in faith” which is evident by their actions being limited in areas of consumption or by their energy or focus being given to a specific day or time. Paul counters such with those who have what I would call an effective faith, (for the Holy Spirit did not compel Paul to contrast the “weak in faith” with the strong in faith). It should be evident to all that those with an effective faith are those who are having ears to hear and are consequently walking by the Spirit untangled from the affairs of this world and effectively laboring for the gory and Kingdom of God. (more…)

God’s Unconditional Love

Posted: October 25, 2012 in Devotionals, Shared Thoughts, Study!, Wake Up!
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I hear it all the time, how God loves us all unconditionally. Over the years of having conducted services at a mandatory rehab for people whose crimes were drug related, ministered at homeless shelters and having countless conversations with “believers” who readily admit they are not walking with God as they should, I frequently run into those who enthusiastically confess to me how they know, absolutely know, that God loves them unconditionally and that He accepts them just as they are.

This has led me into many discussions with people about what it means to “believe” and what exactly this “grace” is that these people are boasting about since they know they are saved because of it.  Sadly, many have no real understanding of what grace really is, they simply repeat what they were once told, “It is unmerited favor.” It is as if people are convinced that when God looks at them He has on some special “Jesus only” colored glasses because they think God only sees Jesus when He looks at them and not themselves for how they truly are.

Grace is truly an amazing gift of God given to the believer, but there are four things about grace we can readily know from scripture –

1. Grace is sufficient

2. Grace can be frustrated

3. Grace while working similarly in all God’s children, still has a uniqueness to it purpose as it is given to each of us

4. Grace can be received in vain.

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Which Jesus?

Posted: October 14, 2012 in Coffee House, Deity of Jesus Christ
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Wherefore when He came into the world, He saith, “Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.”

789 NE 5th St, Crystal River, Fl

(Click poster or link below)

Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ

Paul warned the church of another Jesus . . . which Jesus is yours?  
Is your Jesus the one that will save you from your sins and the wrath of God?

If this message has meant something to you, please look into the article below-

God has promised to reward us in Hebrews 11:6 with understanding if we would “diligently” seek Him. Answering His call to personal holiness, picking up our crosses and following Him is how we seek Him. To those who obey this mandate Jesus said He would give to them “to know the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11).We are required to “diligently” seek if we are to find, just as we must actively knock if the door of understanding is to be opened unto us. We must humbly acknowledge our ignorance and ask for understanding if we are to be enlightened by God’s Holy Spirit. Nothing is more blinding than the light one proudly thinks himself to have. Yet, all our seeking, knocking, and asking must be with an intention of true faithfulness if we are to receive anything from God. It is only when “our hearts condemn us not” of sin that we have true “confidence” toward God. It is in that place and condition that “whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (I John 3:21, 22).

(Excerpt from Justified In the Spirit)

Love rejoices in truth . . .

Posted: June 10, 2012 in Shared Thoughts
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Love rejoices in truth, that which can be articulated and precisely communicated and proven to be reality in the power of the Spirit. This love is a righteous love springs forth from God’s own nature, as He is love (though love is not God). God’s righteous love always abides in the parameter of His holiness which (His holiness) can in part be revealed to those who seek Him line upon line and precept upon precept.

Those who have indeed been pierced with conviction of their sins against His holiness and through brokenness and contrition have become benefactors of His mercies, have this love imparted to them because He first loved them and revealed to them their state of death and impoverishment of spirit. This imparted love springs forth out of earnest gratitude that God first loved them. Though in truth He judged them dead and impoverish, it was so He might allow His healing grace and mercy restore them if they would receive the truth of their state. It is through this love that God reasoned with the sinner that their sins though as scarlet, they could be made white as snow . . .

But there is a deceitful “love” that counterfeits God’s love which is primarily sensual, or dependent upon “feeling” for confirmation of existence. It tends to ignore any truth beyond the feeling or perception of immediate relevance. It is the love which the Beatles sang of “All we need is love,” while ignoring that which can be known and must be sought out of the wellspring of love, God Himself. I need not speak of the blindness of such folly as we know such wisdom took them down the road to “imagine” there was no religion . . .

Love is not the answer. At best it is only a witness to the answer, which is God’s grace, mercy and righteousness working in the heart of man, having fruit unto holiness and the end, everlasting life. To ever exalt love apart from God’s righteousness and holiness is to seduce the partakers of such love back into deceitfulness of sin . . . we shall not die as long as we love . . .

Without faith it is impossible to please God, but like love it too can be counterfeited. But true faith-(fulness) which pleases God works by righteous love, not just love. It rejoices in truth and hates lies, it doesn’t cover them up. The love that saves men is only that which they received from the God of Truth and Love when they received a love for the truth that they might be saved. This is love is the heartbeat of true faith which is never governed by feelings, but stands solely upon the truth of what God has spoken, even when emotions and feelings are witnessing against it. It is called conviction and faith; these please God and save men, causing them to fear God, hate sin, and to depart from every wicked work. Only then can true love be perfected so as not to be swayed by emotions because it abides in God’s truth and is governed by the God who imparted it through the revelation of His person and will in righteousness and holiness.

God has no greater love or joy than when His children love the truth.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Live for Jesus Christ the King!

Get Your House in Order

Posted: May 30, 2012 in Shared Thoughts
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The following is a repost from http://www.watchmanscry.com. Brother Nathan Neal wrote this back in 09/27/09 and just reposted it with the following intro – 

Dearest Brethren,

As many of you know we are facing some great challenges in the coming future. The economy is teetering on the edge of a cliff. The drums of war are sounding. Fukushima Reactor 4 is being held together by the mercy of God. The threats of upheaval are pronounced and they are many. With all of these issues facing us, one can become overwhelmed with despair. But despair can only thrive in our hearts and minds if we overlook God. Beyond all of the fog of events, we must not forget that God is still on His throne. He is watching us. He also has His Mercy and Grace freely available to any of us that seek it. So in light of the present time, I felt led to share with you a very special sermon that the Holy Spirit gave me to preach several years ago. This message is applicable now more than ever. I pray that it will be a blessing to you all and also, please share it with others.

In Christ,

Nathan Leal
Watchman’s Cry

Get Your House in Order

Today’s message is about a Biblical character that is found in the Old Testament. This person worked for God and one day something happened to him!

……Something unexpected!

On this day, he had a visitation. God said something. It was a message.

Most likely, the day of this message began like any other day; He woke up in the morning.  He said, “Hello” to his family. He ate his breakfast. He got dressed and he went to work.

As he walked by his neighbors, he probably said, “Hello and good morning,” to them.

But this day was not a typical day because on this day he received a message that would change everything for him.

Who was this person? His name was Aaron. He was the brother of Moses and he was also the High Priest of Israel.

As the High Priest, his duty was to minister to God on behalf of the children of Israel who were dwelling in the wilderness.

This Biblical account is found in Numbers, chapter 20.

“And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.”                                                          Numbers 20:23 – 24

The water of Meribah; this was the place where the children of Israel were in need of water. They complained to Moses that they had no water and as usual, they blamed him for it.

Moses took the matter to God. God instructed Moses to speak to a large rock at Meribah and water would then flow out of it.

Unfortunately, Moses was angry at the people for complaining and in his anger, he failed to speak to the rock. Instead, he struck it! And worse, he struck it twice!

Because of this disobedience, God became angry with Moses. (The reason for God’s anger is an entire other sermon, but in summary, the rock represented Our Savior Jesus and His death on the cross. It was not to be struck twice.)

This brings us to where we are in this account.

As we just read, God delivered a message to Moses;

“…Aaron shall be gathered unto his people…”

As Moses received this message, can you picture Aaron’s reaction? Aaron may have been standing next to Moses or nearby, when he got the news of his life.

I can imagine his thoughts after he heard those words, “Uh… gathered? What does that mean?”

God explained more…

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It’s Easter again, what exactly happened at the tomb?

Posted: April 2, 2012 in Shared Thoughts
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Trips to the Tomb

I have posted this before, but since it is Easter this coming Sunday I figured it would be a good repost for those who may have missed it. I hope it blesses you.

For centuries there has been much confusion when people try to reason the different accounts of Jesus’ resurrection as recorded by the apostles. The fact that they all seem to have a different story to tell does not help. Perhaps, a good way to consider their seemingly different reports is to view them like transparent overlays, similar to the one’s we have seen in books showing the skeleton, then the nerves and blood vessels, organs, muscular and finally the skin and hair.

The Gospels, similarly, are each reporting different events which had taken place around a major singular occurrence, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The fact is that these different events are recorded in God’s word and are therefore true. Perhaps the answer to the confusion is to consider that there were multiple trips made to the tomb.

The best way to determine the possible order of these trips to the tomb is to consider the different details that have been given about the time of day and light of the sun. Was the sun going down or coming up? These questions are actually quite easy to answer. However, we must remember that the Sabbath, like all the other biblical days, began and ended with sundown, see Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 and Lev. 23:32.

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Faith, as a grain of mustard seed.

Posted: March 27, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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Ps 23:3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Part of the restoration process is the tearing down phase where God works to be sure we have a good foundation from which to rebuild. For that reason in my last few articles I reviewed a variety of topics in Luke which Jesus addressed before the Pharisees and His disciples, each having great significance. I have now come to the end of my recent scholastic yoyage and journalism to this place in scripture where Jesus tells us ‘If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this sycamine tree, Be plucked up by the root, and be  planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

Lord, grant us such faith.

In addition to the topics I’ve recently examined, there are equally significant others that Jesus’ shared deserving of a brief review. Such as when He asked lawyers and Pharisees which one of them would not rescue their ox or donkey if it had fallen into a ditch, even if it was on the Sabbath? Even though they couldn’t defend their own actions, they couldn’t avoid the hypocritical judgment that stirred in their hearts against Jesus when He then healed a man on the Sabbath before them.

While at the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread with them, Luke tells us that all these lawyers and Pharisees “watched” Him, meaning they insidiously and scrupulously observed Jesus looking for fault with Him. With purer judgment than theirs, Jesus openly acknowledged how all they all had taken seats of honor straightway when they came, risking shame and humiliation by possibly having their place taken from them for another more deserving. When invited to affairs such as a wedding Jesus explained, it was more prudent to take the lower place whereby they might receive respect from the host with honor as he publicly calls them up to better positions.

Luke 14:11 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Christianity is not passive

Posted: March 4, 2012 in Coffee House, Wake Up!
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While finishing up my next article I wanted to submit this exhortation I gave one night at the Coffee House.

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We are instructed by the scriptures to be vigilant in our faith, to strive to enter the strait gate, fight the good fight, run the race, be good soldiers, finishers of the faith.

The unfaithful steward who wasted his master’s goods . . .

Posted: March 2, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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In Luke chapter 16 Jesus tells His disciples about a certain rich man who had a steward who had wasted his goods. The setting for this discourse is that He was speaking to His disciples, but not only to them, for Luke also says in verse 14 that “the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him.” Now Luke doesn’t share what exactly the Pharisees were saying, but the Greek word translated “deride” was only used twice in the NT, with the second place being in Luke as well when Jesus was on the cross.-

Lu 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

In both places it is noteworthy that such was the response towards Jesus. There wasn’t any dignified attempt to reason or refute Jesus; it was an eruption out of the abundance of their hearts of iniquity as they spoke, a blatant display of arrogance by corrupt religious leaders against the greatest Rabbi of eternity. Their outburst of unashamed scoffing and ridicule was meant to convey their total rejection of Him. What makes this even more shameful is they were doing it in a vain attempt to justify their own selves. I am sad to say I have witnessed this type of behavior with the same motive among those professing to be Christian, leaders included.

Lu 16:15 And He said unto them, “You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

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The rights of man…

Posted: February 29, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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We hear it all the time, “I have my rights!” or “You need to stand up for your rights.” Or perhaps that most famous proclamation about men’s rights in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Time and space would be exhausted  here if one were to try to list all the legal rhetoric out there expounding on “rights” in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and all the various definitions in Bouvier’s,  Black’s or Dean’s law dictionaries. It should be evident to every American that the idea of men’s rights (especially since the civil rights movement) is nowadays held to be an undisputable fact. But I would boldly say that the concept of “rights” is one that is rarely properly understood, even by Christians.

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faith, faithfulness and forgiveness

Posted: February 27, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Wake Up!
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It has been several months that I felt the Lord has been speaking to me about faith, faithfulness and forgiveness. Throughout it all I have found myself wanting to write about what He has been showing me regarding having “faith as a grain of a mustard seed” where Jesus tells His disciples, “you might say unto this sycamine tree, ‘Be you plucked up by the root, and planted in the sea,’ and it should obey you.” I have sought various opportunities of late to write so concerning faith and a few other things that I might leave my own children a record of what I feel the Lord has revealed to me pertaining to the promises and conditions of the Kingdom of God of which Jesus testified “every man presses into it.” However, I have felt restrained by His Spirit prior till now that it wasn’t time to write. Why, I am not really sure, the Lord knows though. Perhaps so will I when I am finished.

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The Goodness and Severity of God . . . Do you believe?

Posted: February 23, 2012 in Shared Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wake Up!
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Understanding how God’s grace saves us.

Why we need faith, why we must hear and believe God’s word to us . . .


Ro 11:18 Do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.

Test yourselves to see if you are truly in the faith.
Examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you
–unless indeed you fail the test?
(2Co 13:5)
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