BAPTISM = SALVATION ?

March 13, 2019 By 2 Comments

If involuntary baptism could save a baby (at your funeral they will always say it did), then involuntary baptism should also save an older child, or an adult.

How can water and a ceremonial act done to a person by others, without any free will by the person, make one ready for heaven, for a lifetime—but the rules and criteria for getting to heaven change if another person wants to get saved anytime after babyhood?

 

And those in another camp say that babies and children get an automatic free pass to heaven, up until  ? some age ? —undefined ?, variable ?, decided by ?

 

 

Anyone outside those gated theological mega theme parks, each with their own exclusive membership requirements, looks at what I just wrote and shakes their head or laughs.

It obviously looks like three different ways to get saved—and there’s supposed to be only one way.

So it didn’t really get fixed 500 years ago, and we muddle around over and over again, and send mixed messages to a desperate world that needs to hear about Jesus, straight from the Bible, unfiltered by men with thinly veiled agendas of money, power, and control.

Too bad that nobody in charge of keeping the shows running can see those major business operations for what they are—and laugh too.

AND CLOSE THEIR DOCTRINE BOOKS AND SPEND TIME IN THE BIBLE.

Since when is studying the Bible not good enough?

I know why—because they can’t walk away from what they built.

“Give it up—sell it—let it go—and follow Me.”

Can’t do it—have to go—got too much invested—gotta keep it going—[sorry, Jesus].

That story still ends with one word—S A D !

 

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Inspirational

MANDATE MINIMUM WAGE ? ? ?

March 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Mandate minimum wage and you mandate inflation (minimum inflation, then maximum inflation).

Mandating minimum wage is in direct conflict with capitalism.

Mandating minimum wage leads to socialism—it is socialism.

Any government that can mandate minimum wage can also mandate maximum wage.

“Any government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you’ve got.”

Is it any wonder that those who clamor for mandating minimum wage by the government, also clamor for the government taking more money from the wealthy in taxes, for the poor in handouts.

Socialism doesn’t work—it never has—it never will—it will not work in the United States, even if the people vote for politicians who vote for it.

“As soon as the people [fifty-one percent] realize they can vote handouts for themselves from the public treasury, the great experiment of America is over.”

“Our father who art in Washington, give us this day our daily bread.”

That’s where we are—the pot of water with the frog is already too hot for the frog to jump out, so the heat can be turned up faster now—and that explains why so many politicians positioning for power can propose anything drastic and be cheered on.

 

And, going straight to the bottom line, understood by the founding fathers of this country, “This form of government will work only for a moral people; it is totally inadequate for any other.”

Those Americans, those true Americans, who still know that moral compass from 250 years ago, from 2000 years ago, from 3500 years ago, can still make a difference for America.

But it will be hard—harder than anything American patriots who believe in the God of the Bible have ever faced before.

It was a small percentage of Americans who won the Revolutionary War and founded the United States.

It is a small percentage of Americans today who have already jumped out of the comfortable, safe, warm pot of apathy and apostasy and abomination, and are ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to speak out against the horde of evils invading at all levels.

Hardly a person remains who says they can’t see what’s happening to this country, nationally and locally, but very few are willing to change their lifestyle and take action.

If you are a part of that small percentage, then decide today that you will say something to the people you know, about turning to God and praying and reading their Bibles.

 

Ask people if they know Jesus, and explain that He is the only One Who can save them.

And that is how it works that He is the only One Who can save America.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Inspirational, Political---Cultural

WE DEBATE – – – WE CARE

March 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment

We lay bare our values, and we debate.

We lay bare our feelings, and we care.

Filed Under: Inspirational

KNOWLEDGE VS WISDOM (part two)

March 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment

(Please read part one first)

Gaining knowledge fills the brain, but not the soul—“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Education may help to prove one is smart—intelligence does not need to prove anything, speaks for itself.  “Do not let your education exceed your intelligence.”

Many assorted adjectives can describe a politician—statesman never has an adjective because the word stands alone just as the statesman stands alone.

Man makes religion(s)—Jesus makes possible our relationship with God.

The lawman’s gun gives him power—his badge gives him authority.

For the ham and egg breakfast, the chicken made a contribution—the pig made a sacrifice.

One can have boldness and yet be foolish—courage requires a righteous cause.

“Only one life will soon be past . . .”  temporal—“Only what’s done for Christ will last”  eternal.

Praise of man is temporary glory for temporary accomplishments—praise of God is permanent for things done for eternity.

“Do not fear him who can only kill the body, and that’s all . . .”  fear of man—“Fear Him Who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell”  fear of God.

Financial security on earth is an oxymoron, and only a few can even try—eternal security is a sure thing, available to anyone.

“Do not store up treasure on earth, where moths and rust corrupt it, and thieves break in and steal it”—“Store up treasure in heaven, where moths and rust do not corrupt it, and where thieves do not break in and steal it.”  (Bonus fact, “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.”)

The toddler says, “Mine,” and we all want to own stuff, and ownership is good, especially for motivation—far better to add the attitude of stewardship, and hold loosely all the stuff that is not permanent, in order to gain and hold what lasts and cannot be lost.

People say you are successful if you have a good job or business, make a certain expected amount of money, and have a certain expected amount of stuff and prestige—God’s definition is different, with only one requirement, faithfulness, regardless of how much you make or how much you’ve got or how people rate you.  (And the benchmark that says you have ‘arrived’ is contentment.)

 

Jesus does not have a very high view of anyone who boasts about what he accomplishes and what he gains—if we daily acknowledge God in every single detail of our lives, and delight in Him, He is delighted to direct every single one of those details.

I guess we could add one more to summarize the list:

. . . like the difference between pride and surrender.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Inspirational, Time

KNOWLEDGE VS WISDOM (part one)

March 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment

The difference between knowledge and wisdom is like the difference between education and intelligence.

. . . like the difference between politician and statesman.

. . . like the difference between religion and relationship with Jesus.

. . . like the difference between power and authority.

. . . like the difference between contribution and sacrifice.

. . . like the difference between boldness and courage.

. . . like the difference between temporal and eternal.

. . . like the difference between praise of man and praise of God.

. . . like the difference between fear of man and fear of God.

. . . like the difference between financial security and eternal security.

. . . like the difference between storing treasure on earth and storing treasure in heaven.

. . . like the difference between ownership and stewardship.

. . . like the difference between success and faithfulness.

. . . like the difference between “I did it” and “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” because “without Me you can do nothing.”

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Inspirational, Time

WINNING THE WAR ON GLOBAL WARMING

March 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Looks like we don’t have to worry about global warming now.

Someone’s giving us a victory in the war against global warming—no extra cost to the economy (except for extra heating fuel, and forgetting to drip my faucets).

+Coldest March—that is, March!

+Records Broken!

+Two-thirds of All Americans Below Freezing!

 

And, Who do we have to thank for this (free) victory against such an insurmountable “threat to our survival”?

Filed Under: Educational

INCENTIVES TO . . .

March 7, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Incentive to . . . work—hunger.

Incentive to . . . freedom—bondage.

Incentive to . . . faith—despair.

Incentive to . . . change—pain.

Incentive to . . . health—sickness.

Incentive to . . . get ready for heaven—hell.

Incentive to . . . accept Jesus—sin.

Incentive to . . . love—hate.

Incentive to . . . rejoice—persecution.

Incentive to . . . live—loved.

Incentive to . . . sacrifice—Voice of the Martyrs.

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational

“ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS . . . “

March 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Once saved, always . . . ”

That partial line is just one example of many (think of your own favorite), to illustrate the following point:

When we start with a man-worded statement of doctrine, we get people to listen and think about those words of man first—and then, both the theologian and the layman spend all their focus on defense of the doctrine, and they miss the Holy Spirit teaching the whole counsel of God.

Where the Bible seems to make statements on opposite sides of an issue, we do well to give attention and learn from all the verses, rather than trying to ‘make them fit’ our prepared doctrine statement (or explaining why they don’t ‘fit’).

I first started observing this 48 years ago, and recently began to understand this clearly.

I noticed then that the doctrine books started with a statement, which had to be explained, which in turn had to be defended and explained more, including elaborate lists and explanations of rejected interpretations.

This results in extreme polarization by church leadership as various doctrinal mindsets claim exclusive correct interpretations.

So, common lay people without the ‘expertise’ of the theologically educated, are left to blindly follow leaders who ‘seem’ to know it all because they ‘claim’ to know it all.

This repeated pattern through church history tends to draw people away from seriously studying the Bible for themselves—digging deep to find truth.

And, just maybe, we don’t have to force an explanation and create and defend a ‘position’ on every verse in the Bible, often just so we can be different and stand out.

 

Here is one, common, hazardous example of stating a position first and then using selected Bible verses that back it up, while avoiding other verses that don’t:

+Financial advice expecting a small percentage of Christians who have money beyond their needs, to develop and grow a portfolio for retirement—presented as though it should apply to all Christians.

Selected verses to back it up—“little by little wealth grows”—“the ant stores up food”—“safety in many counselors”

Verses avoided—“do not lay up treasures on earth”—“where your treasure is, your heart will be also”—“hard for a rich man to enter heaven”—“take no thought for tomorrow”—“your heavenly Father takes care of the birds and flowers, and you”

And, over 99% of all Christians cannot apply or remotely relate to the prevailing financial advice given to American Christians.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial