NO MORE “ZONES”

The right of the people to keep and bear Arms and Bibles and Free Speech shall not be infringed.

Keep and Bear means Own and Use, anywhere.

No more Gun Free Zones.

No more Bible Free Zones.

No more Free Speech Free Zones.

—–First and Second Amendments, applied

(inspired by teacher calling Sandy Rios In The Morning on AFR)

THE BIG ONE

Fred Sanford didn’t avoid talking about “the big one” whenever sudden stress went over the top.

Most of us don’t talk about heart attacks—OR—emp’s—OR—stock market crashes—OR—

persecution ! ? ! ?

PERSECUTION, really, for me ?
– – –
If you are not a serious Christian, you do not think about it.
If you are a serious Christian, you choose a theology that says we’ll be gone.
Does the last three fourths of Revelation somehow not apply to us reading it now ?
Then why read it ?
– – –
Why don’t Christians in America talk about persecution?

Because persecution is so foreign to us.

Because we’ve had it so good in America, without serious persecution.

Because we don’t know how to talk about persecution.

Because we might get “persecuted” by our friends if we talk about persecution.

Because we’re so busy talking and dealing with other things.

Because we heard theology that says we’ll be out of here before persecution.

Because we don’t listen to the stories of fellow Christians persecuted around the world.

Because we don’t pray for those persecuted Christians.

Because persecution hasn’t struck close to home.

Because persecution hasn’t affected us yet.

Because we hope persecution won’t really happen here.

Because we have the first amendment to protect us from persecution.

Because we’re not ready for persecution.

Because our pastors don’t talk about persecution.

Because our pastors aren’t preparing us for persecution.

Because we don’t like the words, “All who live Godly in Christ will suffer persecution.”

If you are a Jesus follower, what if His words come true for you and me?

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so they persecuted the prophets which were before you.”

Today, many Christians around the world are reporting joy in a special, closer relationship with Jesus, experienced only during severe persecution.

Very soon, Americans who call themselves Christians will get serious about Jesus, or get out.

IF I WAS GOD, I WOULD . . .

“If I was God, I would do things differently.”

So, if you were God, and did things differently, would that make people like you, happy?

If you were God, and did things the way you think they should be done, would that make everybody happy?

If you were God, would you care about making everybody happy—or just making you happy?

If you were God, would you still see things the way humans see them, or would you see things the way God does?

If you were God, would you want to have unlimited power, or unlimited wisdom, or both?

 

What if—

What if God’s unlimited wisdom already directs His unlimited power in the best possible way—better than all the eight billion different ideas of people wanting to be in charge?

Wanting to be God, or just wanting the world to be different—does that make any difference?

Is it a waste of time—wishful thinking?

Thinking about being God, is trying to avoid Him and live your own life without Him.

We do not want to be accountable to someone who thinks differently than we do.

 

Many people live like God doesn’t exist, and they imagine that it works for them.

We can’t ignore something out of existence—especially God.

Imagining a different god, or no god, does not affect the fact that God is—that He always has been, and that He is always the same.

We better deal with God on His terms, because He will deal with us on His terms.

 

So, what are God’s terms?

If you look at all the man-made religions, you find tremendous imagination about what God expects of humans.

And we keep inventing more ideas of how to deal with whatever is god.

Can someone break through the fog and make these things clear, for once, and for all (of us)?

 

Okay, here goes:

God is love—that’s good for us—what a relief—I’ll take that kind of God.

God is holy—that’s not so good for us—that’s scary—who wants that kind of God?

God is truth—and He wrote down in words that we can read, the facts that make things clear, for once, and for all (of us).

 

HOW DID ALL THIS GET STARTED?   In the beginning, God created everything, and it was all good.

HOW DID IT GET ALL MESSED UP?  Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and so do we also sin.

HOW DOES IT GET FIXED?  God’s Son, Jesus, died to pay for our sin, and we can accept His sacrifice and turn from our sin.

HOW DOES IT ALL END?  One day Jesus will take all who accepted Him to a perfect heaven, and all others go to hell.

 

Don’t take my word for it.

Open the Bible and read it.

Don’t debate it or question it.

Don’t try to change it.

And don’t say you didn’t know.