A disciple-maker mentors by teaching and by example.
Qualification is not perfection.
‘Mentor by example’ includes mistakes, sins—not hidden, but repented of.
MAIL-IN VOTING = . . .
October 7, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Mail-in voting could likely delay counting a clear winner in this election.
A delay of 78 days could determine President Pelosi.
That is just one thing that is wrong with widespread mail-in voting.
WHY ARE WE HERE?
September 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Why are we here?
One—To get born again*
Two—To get someone else born again*
– – –
*born again means come to Jesus, admit your sins, accept forgiveness, give Him everything in your life, go to heaven when you die
WHEN VOTING IS NOT ENOUGH
September 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
When is voting not enough?
When voting fails to stop violence.
We have been so accustomed to depending on voting, that we forget the practical provision of the second amendment.
Most Americans now are not comfortable to think of citizens using guns to stop the current violence.
That is not an easy thing to think about.
It was not an easy thing for the American patriots 244 years ago to use their guns to kill British soldiers.
Do we appreciate their commitment and sacrifice, so we can live free in the very best country ever in the history of the world?
Will we make the same commitment and sacrifice now, so our families and their families still have the opportunity to live free in the very best country ever in the history of the world?
THEOLOGY – – – WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT . . . ?
September 23, 2020 By Leave a Comment
This article is about the “?” in the title.
+”We’ve”—Indeed, most theological wording says what ‘we’ have come up with and believe about God and spiritual matters, more than just what the Bible says.
Go back to the beginning of most distinctive church doctrines, and check the date.
If it is so important, why didn’t the ‘theologians’ in the Bible say it?
‘We’ may not necessarily have more enlightenment than they had.
+”We’ve always done it . . .”—Indeed, theologians do ‘always’ write more theology, and then write more theology to explain their theology.
Theologians get accustomed to doing theology, as a profession, and it builds on itself, becomes an end in itself—just like the experts of Jesus’ day created and imposed a massive superstructure of doctrine and rules to follow—‘they knew more than the people.’
Catholicism carried this to new levels, with unprecedented monopoly on theology for more than a millennium.
Throughout history there is a never-ending tendency to add doctrine to the Bible—to ‘explain’ it, to ‘explain’ God, to offer a ‘better’ understanding of spiritual matters than we had before.
Our guiding rule should not be the pattern of precedent in church history and what church leaders have come up with—clouding the distinction between the Word of God and the words of the church.
Today, we are more conditioned than ever to think our experts in theology and psychology know more—with an unprecedented proliferation of new ideas to improve on the Bible.
We don’t want to say it that way, but now the reality is, we spend more time listening and reading everything else that’s new, more than the Bible.
“Did God really say?” and “Did God really say enough for us to live by?”
CHRISTIAN TEST – – – NOV. 3
September 12, 2020 By Leave a Comment
In January on this site, I wrote “2020—A CLEAR SPIRITUAL VISION.”
Now is a good time to re-read that article.
And now is the time when “It will become harder to be a Christian, but it will become easier to tell who is a Christian.”
Your vote in November will not make you a Christian, or make you not a Christian, but it will certainly reflect whether you are a Christian.
Some things are black and white now.
– – –
The democrat candidates vehemently advocate abortion more than ever—killing innocent human babies.
The current republican administration has spoken and acted for the life of unborn babies more than any previous administration.
A Christian cannot vote for anyone who promotes killing babies.
– – –
The democrats loudly boo-ed God in their last convention, and they purposely left God out of the pledge to the flag (and not just once) in this convention.
The republicans welcomed God in speech after speech in their convention.
A Christian cannot vote for anyone who trashes our country’s Christian heritage.
– – –
The democrats are currently restricting our first amendment right to religious freedom.
The current president is the first to address the entire United Nations on religious persecution around the world.
A Christian cannot vote for anyone who does not clearly defend our freedom of religion.
– – –
The democrats make many ominous threats to limit or eliminate our second amendment right to keep and bear (use) arms—designed to change America without resistance .
The republicans make many commitments to protect and defend our second amendment right to keep and bear (use) arms.
A Christian cannot vote for any platform to take away our right to defend ourselves.
– – –
Christians, vote in November, in line with Christianity—not in line with tradition, family, pressure, or propaganda.
IS OPPRESSED A PERMANENT CONDITION?
September 9, 2020 By Leave a Comment
IS OPPRESSED A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if your skin is a certain color?
. . . if your ancestors were oppressed?
. . . if you were oppressed?
IS OPPRESSED A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if someone says you are oppressed?
. . . if you think you are oppressed?
. . . if you say you are oppressed?
IS OPPRESSED A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if you hear that someone else is a racist?
. . . if you hear that someone else is an oppressor?
. . . if you hear that someone else was an oppressor?
IS OPPRESSED A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if someone is better off than you?
. . . if you say, “It’s not fair . . .”?
. . . if life is not fair?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
IS OPPRESSOR A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if your skin is a certain color?
. . . if someone says you are an oppressor?
. . . if someone says your ancestors were oppressors?
IS OPPRESSOR A PERMANENT CONDITION FOR YOU, IF . . .
. . . if someone says their ancestors were oppressed?
. . . if someone says they are oppressed?
. . . if you are better off than someone else?
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
OPPRESSED / OPPRESSOR – – – CAN YOU SHAKE IT?
No one can take the blame for holding you back, when you are free on the inside.
And you cannot take the blame for holding someone else back, when you are free on the inside.
The only permanent oppression is the oppression in your heart, which every person lives under and cannot shake alone.
We all need Jesus, and “if He sets you free, you are free indeed.”
Our greatest need is not social or economic equality, which doesn’t exist, but to be free from the one thing that makes us all equal—sin.
Sin oppresses everyone, because it makes us all guilty, and we don’t deserve anything good here, or after here.
Jesus paid, with His life, for our guilt and the sin that caused it—because He knew we couldn’t pay.
Will you accept His offer, and live free and clear of the oppression in your heart?
And you can spend the rest of your life sharing with others your freedom, rather than endlessly fighting the oppression you claimed to hold you back.
HIJACKED
September 5, 2020 By Leave a Comment
+gay—meant happy and carefree
gay—hijacked to mean anything but . . . happy and carefree
gay—now means a ‘club’ to gain power and distort stable society
+rainbow—meant God’s ongoing promise in the sky that He will not destroy the earth with a flood again
rainbow—hijacked to mean anything but . . . God’s promise
rainbow–now means a symbol of sickness and sin
+tolerance—meant peaceful allowance for sharing opposing views, as well as speaking out against them
tolerance—hijacked to mean anything but . . . rational debate
tolerance—now means forced compliance/endorsement of any group gaining power
+inclusive—meant welcome and acceptance of anyone who is willing to change to a better life
inclusive—hijacked to mean anything but . . . willingness to change for something better
inclusive—now means pressured absorption of everything contrary to your convictions
+rights—meant freedom to act on what God has given us to pursue the best for ourselves and our families and others
rights—hijacked to mean anything but . . . following God’s plan for abundant living
rights—now means all-consuming, aggressive, selfish demands constantly on center stage
+black lives matter—meant that people with darker skin are just as important and valuable as others
black lives matter—hijacked to mean anything but . . . equal value for the lives of all people
black lives matter—now means a valid slogan drowned by an organized revolution set to destroy every human happiness we enjoy in America (family, God, all living babies born and unborn, freedom, property, capitalism, safety, rule of law)
+reproductive health—meant providing the best possible conditions for all pregnancies to create and bring the wonderful blessing of new life into the world
reproductive health—hijacked to mean anything but . . . partnering with God to “be fruitful and multiply”
reproductive health—now means reproductive death and destruction (from fear, to lies, to regret, to grief, to despair)
+planned parenthood—meant falling in love, getting married, shared intimacy, thrilled with pregnancy
planned parenthood—hijacked to mean anything but . . . God’s perfectly timed, planned parenthood with each new life started from Mommy and Daddy
planned parenthood—now means planned unparenthood ‘takes care of your baby from cradle to grave,’ without the need for a cradle or a grave, or any other ‘inconvenience’
+racism—meant thinking one is better than others, saying it is because their skin is a different shade, and thereby justifying ill feelings and actions.
racism—hijacked to mean anything but . . . a rational, honest discussion of the cause, which is the depravity of all human hearts with sin that Jesus changes, and a historical review of the rare progress made in America, with a willingness to go forward from here.
racism—now means repeating false labels to foment vitriol from the past, revive anger and hatred, and encourage violence and indiscriminate destruction for publicity and sympathy, without a plan for improvement, just to create anarchy for revolution and tyranny in the end.
+woke—meant seeing the light of day after sleep, and finding opportunities to do good in the new day.
woke—hijacked to mean anything but . . . thankful for each day right where you are, to bless people with everything you have to offer
woke—now means apologizing and rejecting everything in your heritage, so you can’t live your own fulfilled life and thereby help others do the same
+social gospel—meant voluntarily reaching out to meet the needs of people around us, sharing the ‘good news’ of Jesus paying for our sins
social gospel—hijacked to mean anything but . . . Jesus’ death and resurrection at the heart of everything Christians do for others
social gospel—now means pressure for the church to fix all the ills of society at the expense of focusing on the message of salvation
+protest—meant the constitutional right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”
protest—hijacked to mean anything but . . . peaceful, orderly communication to change wrongs and make them right
protest—now means no restraint in expressing dissatisfaction and anger about anything, at the expense of others’ property or safety or rights
+liberal—meant open-minded to study many ways of looking at life, and use reason and logic and wisdom to conclude what works
liberal—hijacked to mean anything but . . . historical, Biblical, common sense approach to issues
liberal—now means buying into any idea without regard for its source or its consequence
+progressive—meant a person or plan with demonstrated assurance of the most progress to make life better for the most people
progressive—hijacked to mean anything but . . . real-life benefit from ideas that work
progressive—now means hollow promises to satisfy wonderful future wishes without valid means to deliver
MASKS MANIPULATE THE MASSES
August 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment
My fellow Americans,
Do you now see that the mandate to wear masks is but the tip of the iceberg of everything the government leaders will demand next, and next—and is already happening now (see article 2020 QUESTION on 8-20-20).
I can’t believe how I’m the only one in the stores not wearing a mask—and I live in the middle of Texas.
Even folks who feel the way I do are complying—even though they don’t have to.
I can stop and talk to anybody—I haven’t found any government-worshipping leftists—but everybody’s still obeying.
And that in itself gives more power and boldness to the wrong government leaders.
And how does this play out in the rest of the disasters continuing in America?
Sadly, for so long now we’ve seen protests equal riots and violence.
Sadly, for so long now we’ve seen state and local leaders condone and thereby encourage the violence.
Sadly, for so long now we’ve seen state and local leaders brazenly threaten and spy on churches just like they do in communist China.
Because the government is intentionally not using its rightful authority to stop violence in our cities and threatening mobs at restaurants, the violence will be (is now) met with violence from the other side.
Question is, when justified force is restrained for too long, measured self-control becomes difficult, does it not?
There’s a revolution underway in America.
Have the good guys forgotten how to revolt and stop it—both on the streets and in the government?
I seriously wonder how many freedom-loving Americans, who are faithfully wearing masks everywhere, will now take action and take up arms.
We know the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun (or with riot equipment), is a good guy with a gun.
We’ve lost sight of the purpose of the second amendment—to stop bad government, with good guys with “Arms.” (and “. . . the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”)
Wearing a mask does not prepare or qualify anyone to stop the bad guy or the bad government.
Wearing masks now is like regarding the second amendment without guns or bullets.
And we have only begun to document the medical harm from wearing masks, making people unhealthy and ultimately less able to fight—along with less willing to fight (physical effects and psychological effects).
Talk about brainwashing Americans—underway, undetected, unsuspected.
AND, what really makes my blood boil, every time I see everyone wearing masks, is the devastating, unseen, emotional damage currently inflicted on communication and relationships.
Before the masking, every time I went to town, at least five to ten people went out of their way to greet me cheerfully and with a smile.
That’s gone, and it hurts, me and them.
I love greeting families with young children, telling a father how rich he is—or telling a family with teenagers, “Remember, these are the good old days.”
We’ve lost it, America, when we can’t trust each other, hiding our faces.
And our children are getting messed up, fast, big time.
For God’s Sake, we have to smile to be human, to be free, in the image of God ! ! !
And I am quite sure that all these effects are also intentional, just like the pandemic itself.
Giving medical reasons for masks is about as sound as saying the (Jonestown) ‘cool-aid’ was for your own good, medicinal—when understood that both exercise control, for destruction.
Some more specific, ominous observations in the town where I shop:
The largest grocery store faithfully broadcasts messages in the store every few minutes, basically giving pep talks how “together we can slow the spread of the corona virus in Texas.”
One message tells everyone to wear masks—another tells people to not hug or shake hands, just share a smile.
They just proved the point that we can’t do everything we’re told—can’t share a smile wearing a mask.
On top of that, over the top, one of the big chain home improvement stores has two solar-powered trailers in the parking lot (for several months now), broadcasting messages about wearing masks and distancing.
The first time I saw the trailers and looked closely, and then heard the loudspeakers, it hit me with a scary flash-back in history—and with a scary flash-forward in history.
Broadcasting the same message through public loudspeakers over and over and over, is exactly how the nazis conditioned the people to go along with and eventually support their ideology.
The same is set up to happen here.
How many Americans currently think we should be going along with masking and everything the ‘officials’ are telling us?
Obviously, way too many.
And something else about those trailers in the parking lot—they were a lot bigger and more powerful than needed for broadcasting a brief message several times an hour.
They had cameras and floodlights and close to a hundred square feet of solar panels—whatever for?—your guess as good as mine.
THIS IS ALL HAPPENING TO US NOW, AND MORE.
Americans, while you can, stop being sheeple* conditioned to ‘follow.’
The very least we can do is revolt against the masks.
Find out exactly what the letter of the law says on your behalf, and take it with you, and start a freedom revolution there.
And talk to people everywhere you go.
EVERY DAY WE ARE SILENT ABOUT ALL THIS, WE ARE ONE DAY CLOSER TO TYRANNY.
*sheeple—see my definition after article FAKE FRIENDS on 7-8-20.
NEW TWIST ON TURNING 70 TODAY
August 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment
On my 69th birthday I said,
“I almost made it to the Biblical allotment of 70 years.”
If someone else made the exact same statement about me, it had an entirely different meaning,
“Larry almost made it to the Biblical allotment of 70 years.”
– – –
Now I can say,
“I made it to the Biblical allotment of 70 years.”
And, now anyone can say the same about me, with the same meaning,
“Larry made it to the Biblical allotment of 70 years.”
– – –
But we must add,
“. . . totally by the grace of God.”
– – –
No promise ‘of the days,’
but promise ‘for the days.’