“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
SENIOR CERTAINTIES (1)
Just the facts – – – and – – – something positive.
Learning something new—Limited.
Sharing what I’ve got—Unlimited.
WHY THE P U S H ! FOR TRANSGENDER ?
I came across an article from ten years ago, that listed some patterns, outcomes, consequences of the militant gay agenda—developments that show “unnatural never has enough”, is never satisfied.
As I re-read about the sadness of unfulfilled lifestyles, that turns to ever-greater power grab for meaning—it almost said, “What’s next ?”
What was next in their demands for more, that they could not find in what they had ?
In the decade since the article, the next step in this continuum of evil* has played out so very graphically.
Transgender—suggested, then recruited, then pushed, then imposed, then criminally forced on children with ideological, medical, physical mutilation.
The depravity of the entire lgbt agenda also simultaneously captured the culture by storm with DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), which caught many institutions and industries so off guard, to drown in the tsunami.
All the above left the culture, this country, without a compass, headed into a hurricane of certain destruction.
THANKFULLY, and I mean “Thank You to God”, there are changes in the last year and the last months.
Major companies have reversed their policies and eliminated DEI.
Many states have banned DEI in public schools and colleges.
The federal government has canceled DEI in all agencies.
And more . . .
Now, America, brought back from the brink of demise, has the biggest fight for its life in history.|
Those who want to change America by destroying it, are writhing in anger and hate over any return to morality, sanity, freedom, democracy, family, nature and nature’s God.
More than ever, Christians must pray and publicly speak up and stand up for Jesus, for family, for Biblical values our country was built on.
* “continuum of evil” answers the question “WHY ?”
When the power of the evil one, the devil, gets hold of individuals and nations, and they forget God, there is no satisfaction or stopping the consequences or indulgence in depravity.
(Read the article from ten years ago, IT IS SAD – – – IT IS ABOUT POWER
CATHOLICISM – – – HALF CHRISTIANITY
The Catholic Church says Jesus is our Savior—got that right—that’s Biblical.
“Jesus said, ‘I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life—no one comes to God the Father except through Me.'”
The Catholic Church adds stuff to Christianity, stuff to do to be right with God—got that wrong—that’s not Biblical.
“By grace you are saved, through faith. It is the gift of God, not of works, so no one can boast.”
Keep it simple—the Bible keeps it simple—come to God as a little child would come to God.
Keep it simple—the Catholic Church makes it complicated—and they are not the only church that makes it complicated.
– – –
Is there a test, a rule of thumb, something to check if a church is keeping things simple, Biblical ?
Yes.
Does the church teaching and preaching quote and emphasize what the Bible says more than what the church says ?
Can the listener tell when the leader is saying words from the Bible or saying words from people ?
Does the church’s theology start with Bible passages or with the church’s doctrinal statements ?
– – –
Can a church offer half Christianity—what the Bible says, plus what man says ?
Trusting any theologian, however educated or revered, is more dangerous than trusting someone from the government, however impressive or persuasive.
Trust the Bible, first, last, always—know what’s in it yourself—read it, study it, live it—then you will discern what teaching is directly from the Bible.
“If anyone desires to do God’s will, he will know the doctrine, whether my teaching is from God, or whether I speak on My own.”—–Jesus said that, and every preacher should also.
JEHOVAH _____
The Old Testament has many names for God, according to His attributes.
Jehovah Jirah—The Lord Who Provides
Jehovah Rapha—The Lord Who Heals
Jehovah Nissi—The Lord Our Banner
Jehovah Rohi—The Lord Is My Shepherd
Jehovah Shalom—The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Tsidkenu—The Lord Our Righteousness
And more
Jeff Shreve (on afr) added one—
JEHOVA NICKO’TIME
“God is rarely early, but He’s always on time.”
DISTURBING – – – NO LONGER DISTURBED
Is there something in life, in your life, that used to disturb you, that should disturb you, that no longer bothers you ?
– – –
X Did you go along with something you shouldn’t have, something ungodly, with someone ungodly leading you wrong ?
Did you fail to say “NO” and walk away ?
X X If you did not walk away, did you stick around and continue to participate in sin, with sinners ?
X X X Did you get so deep, that you expressed disdain, contempt for right, first in your thinking, then in your conversation, continuing in your action, to justify in your mind and to others what you were doing ?
– – –
X don’t walk with ungodly
X X don’t stand with sinners
X X X don’t sit with scornful
– – –
X association
leads to
X X participation
leads to
X X X appreciation, admiration, acclamation, alienation
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – * stop now and read below *
leads to
X X X X malicious, contemptuous, spiteful, hateful defense, vicious promotion
* Maybe you stopped with the first three, and would not consider the fourth.
Your involvement in ungodly is private, ‘loving’, not mean-spirited ?
You have no part in lgbt or woke or dei that plague so many and generate militant ill will.
But you still have disdain for anything that hints of judging you, that says you should stop.
Consider the following, where this discussion of progression started:
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly,
Who does not stand in the way of sinners,
Who does not sit in the seat of the scornful,
But his delight is in the law of the Lord . . .
The ungodly are not so . . .
The Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly will perish.”
That is from Psalm 1—please note the first and last words, underlined.
Read the whole psalm.
Read—Take Heed !
– – –
I wrote this out of my own life experience, literally.
WORSE THAN JOSEPH’S BROTHERS
What kept Joseph’s brothers from turning on their father like they did on Joseph ?
They were far away taking care of their father’s sheep.
They didn’t care to be honest, truthful to Dad.
They kept an image, a pretense of ‘respect’—farthest from truth.
Where did this whole story leave these brothers in their relation to God ?
They had a ‘form of godliness . . .’
Did their relationship with their father indicate their relationship to God ?
They maintained a show of respect for their father (they ran his business—they did take care of his flocks—they did not steal and run off with them).
But they did not hesitate to lie to Dad.
If they could not honor their father, how could they honor God ?
They couldn’t honor him with honesty, because they hated Joseph so thoroughly, because Joseph was Daddy’s favorite and showed (flaunted) it.
They had a “form of godliness, but denied its power”.
I suppose, that form of godliness left them with enough fear ? to not do anything to their father.
But wait, they nearly killed him with their lie—a lie presented through action.
And all the brothers went along with it, even the ones who wanted to spare Joseph—because they had to.
What happened when Joseph revealed himself as ruler in Egypt ?
I wonder if they told Dad the truth, the whole truth, when they got home.
I wonder how much of the truth of the past they told Dad.
Telling Dad the truth of what they did to Joseph could be harder than meeting Joseph after all the years of holding their secret, holding their lie, withholding the truth.
Even after their shakedown in Egypt, it could have been easier to doctor their lie with another lie to Dad, and say Joseph must have escaped the wild beast that left his multi-colored coat all bloody.
They did admit to each other, in Joseph’s hearing, that their troubles in Egypt were because of what they did to Joseph.
But one more cloud, heavy dark cloud, hung over their consciences—would Joseph tell Dad the truth when they all got to Egypt ?
And that wasn’t the end of their living in fear for many more years—what will Joseph do to them when Dad is gone—inevitable—and then Jacob died.
Was their relationship with their little brother ever ‘restored’, ever established—even when Joseph did nothing for revenge.
“You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive [including you brothers].”
– – –
When you’re scared to death, fearing for your life, is it harder or easier to say, “I’m sorry.” ?
Is it easier to never be sorry, never repent, if you don’t HAVE TO ?
“The goodness of God is supposed to lead you to repentance.”
– – –
I wrote this out of my own life experience, identifying with Joseph.
DEATH – – – RIVER TO LIFE
When we get life with Jesus here on earth, we get a taste of the River of Life, and look forward to that River in heaven.
We cross many rivers and valleys and mountains here, and we all will cross the river of death to enter that Celestial City.
Song:
“One more river to cross,
And that’s the river Jordan”
The Pilgrim’s Progress movie shows that river so well—it gives quite a thrill.
A few reflections on that analogy:
+ not cross on a rowboat
+ must go under water
+ must lose breathing
+ some peaceful—God stops breathing without sensation of drowning
+ some traumatic—struggle like drowning, sometimes literally
+ some forced under painfully by evil people
+ some forced under quickly by evil people, with momentary pain
+ some forced under repeatedly by evil people, with severe pain over and over
+ some with sudden end to breathing, beating, feeling, going under without notice or pain
+ some with difficult, painstakingly slow failure of physical, mental, emotional parts of life
+ for some, going under is long-awaited relief from suffering
+ for some, pulled in two directions—going under to be with Jesus, or staying alive to bless others
+ for all, going under is the ticket to the glorious homecoming welcome with Jesus.
Please, watch The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Watch it again.
“Don’t hold on to life at all cost.”
LOTS OF TIME ON END-TIME
Question:
What’s the point for me ?
Will somebody answer that !