WEARY

I am increasingly weary of . . .

1 – Man’s words from spiritual “Bible” teachers.

2 – Theological, doctrinal labels.

3 – Words and phrases created, that have to be explained (actually, created SO THAT they have to be explained), proven by dozens of examples, leading to #4.

4 – Dependence on theologians.

5 – Expectation of choosing someone to follow.

6 – Believing them when I don’t understand.

7 – Trusting their teaching when I can’t find out for myself ? ? ?

I am increasingly WEARY of . . .

8 – Hearing more man’s words than God’s Words to explain God’s Word, God’s thoughts, God’s plan.

REPENT – BELIEVE – – – MOTIVE ?

I’ve always heard, and I still declare every Sunday at the park, that you come to Jesus by admitting your sin and accepting His payment for your sin—believing in Jesus to go to heaven and not go to hell.

Now, I hear a shift in motivation:
After extensive, detailed description of end-times prophecy, there is a call to accept Jesus to avoid the tribulation.

Summarized by advertised message title–
“Escape The Coming Night”.

ANOTHER YEAR – – – ADD OR SUBTRACT

Another year
Another birthday

What is our focus ?

— add to the number—another year, with more of God’s blessings to thank God for.
“Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. It’s grace that brought me safe thus far; and grace will lead me home.”

OR

— subtract from the number—another year, with less time to serve Him
“Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

HOW ARE YOU ?

“How are you ?”

“I’m on the way to heaven, so I’m good.
How about you ?”

IN THE NAME OF . . .

In the name of inclusion,

  • You must accept non-christians for leadership in your Christian organization.

In the name of inclusion,

  • You must accept lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and follow all their wishes on how to treat them.

In the name of inclusion,

  • You must declare, in your business statement, in your education statement, in your ministry mission statement, your openness and approval of ideas and people with beliefs contrary to yours.

In the name of inclusion,

  • You must include (including approval and support) anybody and anything and everything that comes along— and prove your inclusivity to their satisfaction.


Therefore:

  • Without the above by any person or organization, we cannot include you on our campus, in our city, in our culture, in our country.
  • If you do not include this and this and this, we cannot include you.
  • Our values and our beliefs are now in charge—all others are out, or on the way out.


The Supreme Court of American Culture has issued their edict.

Remember, just like The Supreme Court of The United States issues opinions, not laws of the land, so it is with the Culture Court.
We have become accustomed to, conditioned to view the Supreme Court as the most poweful branch of the government.

That same warp away from our founders’ concept of the Supreme Court as the weakest branch—that has infiltrated our thinking to accept the loudest, prevailing voices of the day to have the last word.

Christians, Patriots, Americans :
You have—We have—the secret, the answers so desperately needed in our country today.
Look at yourself, your values, the source of everything we hold dear—Jesus, The Bible, The Declaration, The Constitution.

Ask yourself, “What can I do ?”
Start by examining your life, and practice exactly what you believe.
Then respond immediately to promptings to action.


“BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”

“BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”
And how long does that take ?


“YOU CHART THE PATH AHEAD OF ME, AND TELL ME WHERE TO STOP AND REST.”
And just how long will that take ?


“REST IN THE LORD, AND WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM—FRET NOT . . .”
How long ?



SO ?


“v.1-I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
v.2-He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
v.3-He has put a new song in my mouth
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.”
—–from Psalm 40



It takes faith for me to post that, in the middle of a ton of obstacles, and miracles !

TRUMP AND GOD

After the successful mission of B-2’s and supportive aircraft over Iran, Trump thanked all the people who were part of it.
And then he paused with emotional meaning, and said, “and I thank God.”
Another brief moment—and unscripted—“I love you, God.”

W O W !
That got to me, and hits me again as I write this.
Have we ever heard that from the President, in all of American history ?
That confirms what Donald Trump already said several times, “God saved me to save America; I believe that.”

Read his two Presidential statements on Palm Sunday (posted on this site).

As this President continues to “acknowledge God’s hand” in America and in his life, “God will direct our paths.”

Every American must do likewise !

IS GOD FAIR AND BALANCED ?

Is God fair and balanced ?
You better hope not !

– – –

If God was fair, then we would get what we deserve.
If we got what we deserve, we would be gone instantly.
If God was fair, we would all go to hell right now, because that’s what we deserve for sin, for our sin, for rebellion, refusing what God says in the Bible.

If God was balanced, we wouldn’t fare any better.
God’s balance scales are calibrated by His justice, not our ideas that His judgment should give us a break.
When we see God’s patience, and judgment seems to be deferred, and we think the delay means approval—we don’t see the end of the chapter, the end of the story.
“Do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”
“God’s mills grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small.
While with patience He may linger,
Yet in justice He grinds all.”

But what about Jesus—wasn’t He the perfect example of fair and balanced ?
NO !
Jesus’ life and death here was anything but fair, especially for Him.
He suffered the worst, the ultimate ‘no fair’, and then offers us the best, the ultimate ‘no fair’—full payment and pardon for our sin and promise to be with Him in Paradise.
That is not fair, but it is glorious, and I heartily accept it—PRAISE GOD ! ! !

Now what about Jesus being balanced, as psychologists and scholars like to suggest ?

He criticized severely, and He forgave compassionately—sounds balanced.
If we had been there, we would have protested His imbalance.

When Jesus called out the top dog religious leaders and raked them over the coals and called them bad names repeatedly, there is not an ounce of compassion recorded.

When Jesus forgave very bad ‘sinners’ on the spot, without (outward) prerequisite conditions, the ‘good guys’ complained to high heaven that Jesus didn’t know anything that God would know, how terrible these people were.
Jesus saw the heart of repentance in these sinners, and their love for Him for great forgiveness—and He sent them on their way with a command and power to stop sinning.

Okay, here is some ‘balance’ from the heart of Jesus, with tears and with judgment.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing !”

“Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’ “

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

“All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.”

THEOLOGY – STUDY OF GOD – – – WHAT’S YOUR SOURCE ? – WHAT’S YOUR GOAL ?

Two sources for studying, learning about God–

– – What man says about God.
– – What God says about God.
– – –
Well, that alone should provide sufficient food for thought, and direction, for study of God.
What God says must always have priority over what man says.

I might add a third source for learning about God, for those Christians wanting a closer walk with Jesus more than anything else—more than just knowledge from studying about God.
We learn more about Jesus every day as we spend time with Him.
“Pray without ceasing” becomes a way of life, “life more abundant”.

We are Born Again
and
We study to Grow In Knowledge
and
We Grow in Grace—The Love of God
– – –
The Bible says, “You must be born again.”—–Jesus said that.
The Bible says, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of God.”

– – –

A relationship with Jesus is the center of Christianity, that sets it apart from all ‘religions’.
Our relationship with Jesus is the center of every Christian’s life, every day.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat and drink and talk with him.”—–Jesus
That is truly blessed fellowship.
It starts by hearing the voice of Jesus, and inviting Him in, to share everything.
And it grows—His love grows sweeter and sweeter.

“He gets sweeter and sweeter as the days go by,
Oh, what a love between my Lord and I…
I just keep falling in love with Him over
and over, and over and over again.”
– – –
And then, there’s even more to that relationship—that sets it apart from ‘nominal’ Christianity.
The Bible says, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”—–Paul wanted to get just that close to Jesus.

Living for Jesus—Living with Jesus—goes way beyond theology.

– – –

May I strongly suggest–
gotquestions.org
search – – – What is the fellowship of His sufferings?

WHEN YOU’VE BLOWN IT . . .

Christian,*
“WHEN YOU’VE BLOWN IT, OWN IT.”

– – –

*also,
Preacher,
Politician,
Reporter,
Husband,
Wife,
Mom,
Dad,
“WHEN YOU’VE BLOWN IT, OWN IT.”