A Prophet Like Moses

A Prophet Like Moses

            In Deuteronomy 18:15-22 we read these words, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ 

“And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.   I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.   And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.  But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’  And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

Now while the bulk of this seems to be talking about how to know who is a true prophet and who is a false prophet  it comes in the context of God promising the children of Israel a prophet like Moses, as He says, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst,”  We can learn a few things about this future prophet.  First he would come from among them, and be as one of their brothers.  I’m sure the people must have thought this would be from the lineage of Moses.  He will be both similar and greater than Moses, for God says, “and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.”  Much like Moses, only this seems to be in a broader sense.  God goes on by saying, “And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”  That statement places this prophet far above that of Moses.  Now we must go back to one point I have skipped over and it must be addressed now.  This prophet shall come because of the people’s fear of the Lord, as God says, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’”  God is therefore going to send one with whom He will place His words in their mouth in answer to their fear.

So how was this accomplished?  Are we still looking for a prophet like Moses?  I put to you that this prophet has already come, yes and more than a prophet.  Let’s look at the life of Moses first of all.  He was one of the Hebrew children descended from Jacob that had settled in Goshen over 400 years before due to a famine.  This is the story of Joseph.  Yet time has passed and the new Pharaoh fears these strange people and tries to kill off the males to keep the population down.  Moses and his brother Aaron were spared this fate by divine measures.  Moses went on to be raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter as her son.  Moses’ story begins with Exodus chapter 2.  Although he was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as her own (even giving him the name Moses) it was Moses’ sister Miriam who went to Pharaoh’s daughter and suggested one of the Hebrew woman to tend for the baby for her.  Miriam of course brought Moses’ true mother.  So Moses learned of his true lineage, that he belonged to the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  At the same time he was being trained to be Prince of Egypt.  When he became a man he went out and looked upon his people and saw an Egyptian beating one of the children of Israel.  Moses went down and killed the Egyptian.  The following day he say two Hebrews quarreling and he tried to make peace between them. On man replied, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”  So Moses fled to Midian. 

Now the reason I bring this up is that often we have our own ideas about how things are supposed to work out.  Moses felt that he was chosen by God to release the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt.  Yet he acted on his own and was wrong.  When we say that God would give us a prophet like Moses it includes this as well.  The difference is it wasn’t the prophet who got it wrong, but the people who were awaiting for the prophet.  They were expecting some Zealot who would rise up and lead them in a war against the people who held them in bondage.  They were wrong.  The prophet came, but because he wasn’t what they were looking for they missed him, and this was due in large part of the religious leaders of the day.  By this time they had so many preconceived ideas they were blind to the truth and taught the people falsely.  So this is the first point, which this prophet would come, and would for the most part be rejected.  It took many years before he returned to Egypt, this time at the Lord’s command.  Moses was very reluctant to return.  I suppose most of us who have experienced failure are not in a hurry to fail again.  Such was the case with Moses.  But the prophet did not fail his mission.  His rejection was foretold and his death was necessary.  This prophet did not remain dead, but rose to life and shall return one day.  When He does He shall come on His own terms, as King of kings and Lord of lords.  With the armies of Heaven following Him He shall defeat all the enemies of His people.

Moses came and worked many miracles.  Ten plagues were levied against Egypt before the Pharaoh let the children of Israel go.  Then after he let them go he chased after them with the Egyptian army, both foot soldiers and chariots.  They had the people of Israel boxed in at the Red Sea (that is the Sea of Reeds) and Israel complained to Moses, who complained about the people.  God told Moses raise his rod over the waters and the waters parted left and right, piling up on heaps and Israel crossed on dry ground.  As they completed this task the Egyptians decided to pursue them through the dry space in the sea.  As they did God brought the waters crashing back down on them, killing both horse and rider, wiping out the entire army of Egypt in one fell swoop.

So it is with those of us who believe.  We have seen the powerful works of God setting us free from slavery to sin, and in that moment when we despair of being overtaken of sin, those of us who have our eyes fixed on this prophet like Moses, find He makes a way where there is no way.  Not only that, but He destroys our enemies that try to pursue us.  Yet we still haven’t made it, and at times this causes us to complain, to despair, to question God.

Are we any different than those children of Israel in the wilderness?  They complained because the Egyptian army was coming at them and the Red Sea cut off their escape.  When God made a way of escape and wiped out the Egyptian army they sang.  Then they complained that they didn’t have water or food or real meat, then water again.  Always it was something.  Because of that when they finally got to the Jordan River they weren’t ready to enter the land God promised them.  Of twelve spies only two said, “Yeah, the people are big, but with God on our side...no problem.”  They went with a majority vote, which displeased God.  Of that generation only two people, those two faithful scouts, were allowed to enter the Promised Land.  Even Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter.  So you see, the prophet to come must be greater than Moses.

So who was this prophet?  I’m sure you have guessed by now, that it is Jesus, or Yeshua.  He is not only a prophet, but the promised Messiah.  You see, that is really what God was promising Moses and the people of Israel.  Yeshua is not only the Messiah, but Emmanuel, which being translated means God with us.  Is Yeshua God?  Can it be?  Jesus stated plainly, “Before Abraham was I AM.”  Now that may not mean a whole lot to some of you but let’s go back to Moses.  When God wanted to send Moses back to Egypt to set Israel free Moses asked God this question, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13) to which God replies in the following verse, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”  God identified Himself to Israel through Moses as I AM, and Jesus identified Himself to the religious Jews as I AM.  Make no mistake.  God in the flesh is the Hebrew Messiah, and the Savior of the world.  He truly was a prophet like Moses, and yet He was infinitely so much more.

Fed Up

I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with the way the American society is being herded along like a bunch of sheep, blissfully headed towards their own doom.  Don't get me wrong.  I like sheep and I like the idea of the Good Shepherd seeking out those who are lost.  What gets me is all the propaganda that is nothing but a bold face lie.

A few years ago I wrote an article as a freelance writer, to the National Geographic magazine opposing their blatant belief in Evolution.  Now while I agree that things evolve within a relatively small scope, never changing into something else, but merely trying to become a better self, I totally disagree with the Theory of Evolution.  It has scientific errors, as well as "belief" differences.  The Theory of Evolution needs something to start with, whether it's gases, dust,  or a combination of the two.  So if this theory is to explain the origins of the universe, how is that possible if there were no gases or dust particles to work from?  Answer.  It isn't possible.

One scientist referred to the impossibility of evolution by referring to the three laws of energy.  He said, "The possibility of evolution occurring were similar to a tornado going through a junk yard and assembling a 747."  Evolutionists will look at that statement and say, "Yes, but there is still a possibility.  The problem is they haven't thought through their science.  So for your edification, here are the 3 laws of Thermodynamics, or Energy:
1) You cannot win (that is, you cannot get something for nothing, because matter and energy are conserved.
2) You cannot break even (you cannot return to the same energy state, because there is always an increase in disorder; entropy always increases)
3)  You cannot get out of the game (because absolute zero is unattainable)

(author C.P. Snow)

Let's take another look at that as it may or may not apply to Evolution;
The First Law of Thermodynamics tells us that you have to start with something.  Evolutionists have claimed gas clouds, space dust, etc. yet they would need to have an origin.  So, simply speaking, if Evolution is correct it does not explain the origin of things, only what happened after.  And many of their theories about even that are fairy tales.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that everything is moving away from the point of origin in an ever increasing disorder.  Remember the man who talked about a tornado assembling a 747?  He started with 2 things, a junk yard and a tornado, which resulted in an airplane.  Notice he emphasizes that you can't get something from nothing.  Following his reason, that same energy, the tornado, will rip apart the 747.  That's not evolution but destruction.  Just ask anyone who lives in Tornado Alley.
The Third Law of Thermodynamics says, "you cannot get out of the game."  In order to stop entropy, that is the increasing disorder, you would have to bring everything down to absolute zero in temperature.  So everything is destined to fall apart, not change into something new to exist.  The very act of changing would cause some kinetic (heat) energy keeping you from reaching absolute zero since it is creating heat.

Now let's look at things from a Biblical perspective:
While energy cannot be created or destroy, when God spoke, in Genesis chapter 1, His Word, part of Him, was able to be the kind of energy that could create.  The scientific definition of energy is E=M times C(squared).  That's Energy equals Matter times the Speed of Light squared.  Interesting thing about mathematic formulas.  You can solve any part of the equation, by a little shifting, which requires some more math.  So we get M=E divided by C(squared) or Matter equals Energy times The Speed of Light squared.  We didn't create something out of nothing, but took the energy available, the spoken Word of God, and compromised it by slowing it down or changing its composition to create a different kind of Energy...Matter.  God would have held that creation energy together forever if it hadn't been for one thing.  The sin of man.  So it was now out of His hands, moving irrationally or disorderly towards its own destruction.  The one glimmer of hope we have is that when God became a man and died on the cross for our sin we can have the glorious future of one day being brought back into His hand, living eternally without sin.  It won't happen on this earth, but we are called to let God work through us and let Him remake us into the image of His Son.

A lot of people have argued this with me.  I really don't mean to argue.  I am just tired of seeing people accept things because some magazine or TV show or movie tells us we should believe.  I want you to challenge what you have been taught and see if God's Word doesn't come out on top every time.  That may mean slight disagreements with your particular religion, but that's okay.  God hasn't called us to be church members, but part of His family.

The first law, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Source: Boundless. “The Three Laws of Thermodynamics.” Boundless Chemistry. Boundless, 27 Jun. 2015. Retrieved 01 Jul. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/thermodynamics-17/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-123/the-three-laws-of-thermodynamics-496-3601/

The first law, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Source: Boundless. “The Three Laws of Thermodynamics.” Boundless Chemistry. Boundless, 27 Jun. 2015. Retrieved 01 Jul. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/thermodynamics-17/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-123/the-three-laws-of-thermodynamics-496-3601/

I've just read about that Baptist church that is keeping Beau Biden from having a proper funeral.  This is despicable.  People, I urge you to study the Bible and follow what it has to say and not how others have twisted it for their own agendas.  Jesus said we were to fight evil with good, not become evil ourselves.  While there is plenty of Scripture that tells us that homosexuality is a sin, the very same source tells us to love these people anyway.  Years ago I ran across a man on the internet whose anti-pro choice stance was so strong he advocated violence against abortion doctors.  How will that help matters?  Love them. Forgive them at least in your hearts and let them see the love of Jesus for them in you.  If you are a Christian, then this is something you would want to do, if only to please  our Lord.

The problem is everything is so twisted.  People don't know what the Word of God says, so they take the word of "a man of the cloth," and that's all wrong.  As for those who say God only chooses certain people to go to Heaven, well, that's only because He knows the others have not chosen for Him.  God's will is expressed in John 3:16, "For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His Only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER would believe in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."  We are all God's favorites, while at the same time we may be His enemies.  Choosing not to love one another, to not love our neighbors as ourselves, to not love our enemies, puts us at odds with God.  I am not pleased with the current administration, but I have to watch my tongue, because God has placed him there because we have all turned away from God.  So I love the president, the vice president, and pray that they will have the veil lifted off of their eyes and truly receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

You who would boycott this or that because of Christian beliefs, because it opposes Scripture, have you not read how all of us, were at one time, enemies of God?  Have you not read that if you break one law the same is a lawbreaker and guilty of the whole law?  Have you not read that while adultery, fornication, and homosexuality are listed as sin, so also is greed, lying, gossiping, strife, anger, and the list just keeps on going?  If then you who were once liars, or thieves, or gossips can find full and total forgiveness and grace in Christ, what makes you think that sexual sins would be more difficult for Him to forgive?

Jesus once told a group of people, "You err because you don't know the Scriptures."  I say to you, that many of you also err in other ways because we don't know the Scriptures. If you would do one thing, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, confess your sins to Him that you may be saved.  If you would have a closer relationship with God, then study His Word and pray.  Prayer is just us talking to God, but when we study God's Word we often find it is how God talks back to us.  Indeed that is what it should be.

Are We Failing?

This is something that I've been thinking about for a while, only recently has it expressed itself to me so that I could share it with others.  Here's the thing, do you know who are leading more people to Heaven than anyone else?  Think about it hard.  It's not a great pastor, or evangelist.  It's not some great Christian on TV or the radio.  It's abortion.  You heard me right.  I'm not making a pitch for abortion here.  Don't get me wrong, and I don't want to place the blame on young women who have had to make hard choices with no one around to give them wise advice.  They are hurting too.  Still the facts are these, there are over 3000 abortions performed daily, and that's just in the United States.  To date, worldwide, beginning at January 1st of this year over 24 million abortions have been performed.  And folks, we got another 5 months left in this year.

Children who die without reaching the age of accountability, that is they really don't get right and wrong yet, go to Heaven, simply because they didn't get to make a choice.  The same is true of aborted babies.  Like I said, that doesn't mean we should rush off and endorse abortion.  Abortion has two victims, minimum, the child and the mother.  So rather a call to abortion this is a call for Christians to do what Jesus told them to do, "Go ye into all the world..."

When was the last time you led someone to Christ in prayer?  When was the last time you told someone that Jesus loved them?  When was the last time you proved what you said about Christianity through the love God poured out in your heart?  Before you get irritated with me over these questions let me explain that this is directed at me as well.  Where was I when so and so needed a little encouragement?  Where was I when someone needed to hear about the love of God in Christ?  There have been times when I have spoken out.  There have been those I have prayed with and for, but it seems like so very little.

All of us who are Christian need to be more vocal, living lives pleasing to Him.  We need to surround ourselves in His love so that anyone coming near us will feel that love.  You see, while it's great that God takes care of those who die before their time, before they can make a knowledgeable choice, before they know right from wrong, and many times before they are even born, there is one thing that they are missing.  They do not experience the love of God the way we do.  You see, everyone of us has failed, has done things they don't ever want others to know about, in short, we have all sinned.  It is because we have failed, because we have sinned, that we can understand, at least a little bit, how great God's love is for us

To that end one of my favorite verses of Scripture is Romans 5:8, "For God commendeth His love towards us in this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Did you catch that?  God loves us even though we have sinned.  If we turn to Him He is happy to answer our prayer of repentance and pour out on us His mercy and grace.  This is the message we should be telling everyone around us.  "God loves you.  He loves you so much He sent His Son to die for so that you wouldn't have to die, at least not eternally.  He took all your sin on Himself."  The unborn don't have the chance to be forgiven, but then, maybe that's a better place.

So whenever you think you are doing enough for God remember what He has done for you, and remember that over 3000 kids are going to Heaven without ever hearing about Jesus at the hands of people who may not ever see Heaven.  We need to do more.  We need to love more.  We need to be more like Jesus so others may come to know the fullness of His love.

Santa or Jesus?

Santa of Jesus?

Jolly, fat, dresses in a red suit with fur trim. Has a wide belt and black boots. Sports a full white beard. Keeps a list of who is “naughty” and who is “nice”. He refers to this list when deciding to give gifts, which he does once a year. The naughty get coal and the nice get good toys. Rides in a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer that fly. Lives in the North Pole and has elves that make the toys that he gives out each Christmas. Santa gives up one night of the year so the deserving boys and girls could get toys and such that will not last.

Looks pretty much like any other Jewish male of his time. As a man he was poor, but in reality Jesus is the King of kings. Jesus knew everything about you before the world was formed, every action, every thought, every sin, and because of that He gave up his throne to live among us so that through his death he could give us his righteousness, his holiness, his perfection, his joy, his peace, his healing, his authority. In fact, if you are on Santa’s naughty list you are the one Jesus died for so you could share in all his riches. He offers these and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and fellowship with God the father to anyone who would simply receive him and believe him. He is the gift God gave to us one Christmas and this treasure of fellowship with God can be received anytime of the year, and never wears out. It is eternal. Jesus gave of himself completely so that we might receive all that he is. The offer is to all of us because no one is worthy. There is no one on the “nice” list, but by his shed blood on the cross he moves us into his own home in heaven to fellowship with him always.

This is just a quick comparison, and it only bears up if Santa were a real person. We know there was a historical Saint Nicholas, but he has been dead for close to 1700 years. In contrast we also know that Jesus was a historical person and although he died some 2000 years ago he rose again and is alive forever. So when Christmas rolls around this year, who are you going to choose?

Just a couple of things

(Warning: These are my pet peeves and are not meant to be statements of Biblical truth, nor are they meant to be attacks on any persons or groups that practice these things. This is just me being me)

Worship. I believe church is to be a place of worship, but exactly what worship is has been redefined so many times by so many different people that I find the "worship service" to be anything but that.

The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God," so while I'm trying to be still before the Lord (as my form of worship) I find it difficult when I'm being told to stand up, raise my hands, clap (or offer a clap offering) not to mention the music that is blaring so loud that every parent on the street where I grew up would have complained about the noise. I can barely hear myself think, so I wonder how I'm supposed to hear the "still small voice of the Lord." Then I find distractions. The same people seem to dance (in the same place in the church to have maximum visibility), twirlers with flags or other kinds of things to twirl, musicians who are doing the rock band thing with contemporary Christian music. This distracts me. I don't want to be distracted when I come to worship. Call me crazy, but I want to focus on Jesus. And what's with these contemporary songs? I know they can be good and should be woven into the fabric of a song service, but is there any possible way of singing the same songs, I mean at least long enough so we can learn them instead of singing a new song every week? And check out those songs first. Unless really moved by the Lord I don't want to repeat the chorus 15 times. I can't help but think I'm not alone in this. Christian comedian Ron Peason talks about our worship songs this way. He says he likes to sing songs that have meaning, like, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see." I agree with him. He goes on to point to a contemporary "worship" song that goes, "Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns. Our God reigns." He says, "It sounds like it was written by some 8th grade cheerleaders. Some of us old folks would like to sit down after standing for 2o minutes babbling the same words. (Remember, this is just opinion, my pet peeves. If you can't handle it read something else, because I'm just blowing off steam.)

The other thing that really gets me is these new Bible translations. Don't get me wrong, I think having something in contemporary English can be a real plus. But did you ever go to a church where the congregation was asked to read out loud with everyone else the passage of Scripture that the pastor or evangelist or whoever will be using from their text. A few of us are reading in the King James, several others in the New King James, a larger portion are reading from the New International Version, a couple from the New American Bible, and then there is this huge group reading from "The Message", which is basically an upgrade from "The Word". It isn't even a translation, but a paraphrase. So you have all these people "reading together" and no one can understand what the other is saying. Isn't that a bit confusing for the visitor?

When I grew up there were basically 2 translations, the King James and the Revised Standard, although my dad also studied the Philips Amplified Version, just like I may study from my Greek/English interlinear New Testament. But for reading out loud you really need to get everyone on the same, ahem, page, so to speak. For me it was the King James Version. We were encouraged to learn and memorize Scripture, by both my parents and the various teachers at church, all in the King James Version. Now I hear them quoting one of the verses I've memorized and ask, "Where is that in the Bible?" Read and study whatever version you are comfortable with at home, but please, for the sake of us old people who have learned the King James, read from the King James, or if that doesn't suit you, flash the version up on a screen or something so everyone can read from the same script. Otherwise, in my opinion, all you have is confusion.

Well, that's it for now. You go have a marvelous day in the Lord. As I said, I was only venting, these aren't doctrinal points you need to worry about. (Of course maybe you might want to give some of the things a little consideration, but that's up to you.) - David

Heterophobia

We have all been bombarded by the gay community with the term "homophobia." It's been attached to anyone who says they are against homosexual activity, whether they love the homosexuals or not. That is the basis of something very different, "heterophobia." If you haven't heard of the word before, don't worry, I more or less coined it.

Let me set some ground rules here. I am not straight nor am I gay. I am as God intended me to be, a male with a passion for my wife. I do not hate homosexuals, but I do detest the act of homosexuality, that is the intimate sexual act between people of the same sex. I bring to you the Wisdom of God's Word as well as some very interesting observations. I also want to get something straight about God's Word. When we talk of a God who is a loving God, we don't mean that He lets everyone into Heaven and allows any activity. I'll get into that later.

In fact, let's get into that now. In 1st John 4:7,8 it says, "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and everyone who loveth is born of God; and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God for God is love." From those last 3 words people get the idea that God, being a loving God, would never pass judgment on anyone, much less send them to a place of eternal punishment. Excuse me? How could God then be a just God, for He must be both a just God and a loving God. Say for instance a person was pulled over for speeding, although they really weren't. Another person was pulled over for a hit and run. A third person was arrested for murder. The latter two are guilty of their actions, but the first one is not. Now they happen to go before the same judge (which won't happen in our society, but for the sake of the parable stick with me), what would you think of a judge who let them all go free? He might say something like, "Mr. Jones it appears that you have been tried and rightly convicted of murder. But I'm a loving God. No penalty will be given. Have a nice day. Case dismissed." Wouldn't you feel as though justice had been denied, at least for the victim of this murderer? So you see, saying God is a loving God must, by reason of logic alone, be a just God. That means there will be those who get to Heaven, and there will be those who go to Hell. The important thing to remember here is that God is the One who paid the price for all of our sins, past, present, and future, for all of us, but it is up to us to ask for His forgiveness. Failure to do so results in US choosing to go to Hell instead of Heaven. It's not God's fault. So stop blaming Christians, the church, or God for being unreasonable, and start taking some responsibility for our own choices. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." God clearly not only gives us a choice, but He tells us which choice to make.

Okay, back to this homosexual thing. How in the world is it right for you to judge me and not for me to judge your actions? This is the heart of heterophobia. Heterophobia is "Hate speech" directed towards people who have a different sexual orientation than homosexuals. Most Christians I know have taken a hard line against homosexual activity. My pastor, God bless him, has said he will never marry homosexuals in his church. Is this because he hates them? No, it is because he loves them. Confused? If you were sick and needed medical attention a doctor saying you were okay would be harming you, right? So would a man or woman of God. We don't hate homosexuals, but we hate the kind of sexual activity they have embarked on. We also realize that one sin is the same as another in the eyes of God, that is, none is acceptable. So we aren't putting people down, but we are letting them know they need a doctor. I remember talking with a man who admitted he was gay. I asked him if he ever wanted to get out of that kind of lifestyle. He said he did, but it was impossible to escape. That's correct, but God gives each of us His power when we come to Him to be released from our sins, whatever they might be. As I was explaining this to him another man came up and started ranting about how the homosexuals run the ad agencies, Hollywood, the fashion industry as well as most of the arts. He said this guy would be crazy to leave the gay community. This second man knew his lifestyle would bring him and all those who took part in it to death, and yet he was bound and determined to make sure others were bound to that same eternal punishment. Is that love? Is this what they mean by being tolerant? If so then count me as being intolerant, because I want to help those who wish to be helped. Plus, that little verse over in Romans about homosexuality actually talks about these people. For it says in Romans 1:32, "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." This is not love. This is lust. This is sin. This is hatred towards those they say they love, which is possibly the worst kind of hatred, because it is betrayal.

I'm writing all of this because the New York State legislature, in their vast wisdom (or lack thereof) have made same sex marriages legal. The thing is I have yet to meet a homosexual couple that are pure homosexual. By this I mean there is a male and a female in each partnership. Oh, they might not have the body parts or the right chromosomes to be one or the other, but these couples are clearly defined nevertheless. Without getting too raunchy here if you look at a couple of gay males, one will be the dominant male, the other takes the role of the submissive female. "She" usually is the one who dresses like a woman, or at least softer than the "male" counterpart. In lesbian relationships you find the same thing. One is acting out the male part, while the other is acting out the female part. So even homosexuals agree that their relationship can only work if there is a male and a female, even if it isn't strictly biological. That should be telling us something. It should be telling us that they are aware that the laws for marriage should be between one man and one woman. But because of their lust they have decided that one can play the part of what is missing. Do you realize what harm this does to both of these people? And we aren't even talking about an eternal punishment. In Genesis 2:18 God says, "It is not good for man to be alone." In the 22nd verse we see how God takes a rib from the man and fashions from it woman. Then God brings the woman to the man. Why, because it is not good for man to be alone. Most interesting is what God says in verse 24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Listen up you who think that homosexuality is something God thinks is okay, or something that is natural, or something we should accept. Man, that is Adam, was formed first. In him, and only in him, did both the male and the female life in one body. When God took from Adam and created Eve the ONLY way for that special union to occur again would be if a man and a woman came together. It's not just to make babies, as some have said, but it is to bring man back to that perfect union with God. He needed a partner, because he was alone, but he needed that loneliness to be filled with himself in the form of a female counter part. You cannot get away from this. You cannot join two men together and get one. You only get two men. You cannot join two women together. You just get two women. However, if in love you take a man and a woman and join them, then, and only then shall there be "one flesh", one union that will stand the tests of time. One union that can be filled with the glorious Light of God.

My dear friends in the gay community, please hear what I am saying. You are dealing dangerously with your life. I do not want that. God does not want that. For this reason He sent His Son to come down and die so that all your sins could be wiped away, and mine as well. If I stepped on your toes, perhaps it was to keep you from continuing on and falling into the abyss that stands before you. It isn't to hurt you but heal you, although only God can truly heal. Do not claim that God accepts what you are doing and condones it. Own up to your sin or you can never be free of it, for you will never repent of it. It would be the same for me if I denied that I had problems with my temper. I wouldn't ask forgiveness and therefore wouldn't receive it. Both those who are homosexuals and those who act on rage will go to the same place of punishment, but both can be restored through the love and mercy of God through Jesus Christ, whose blood can make us perfect and holy before God.

What the Bible Really Says About Swearing

By David Brollier

Some of you may not like what I’m about to say. Others will try to use my words as an excuse to use foul language. So let me preface this with this statement: I am giving this teaching as a writer, one who tries to portray characters realistically, and in no way do I endorse foul language.
That being said there is a false teaching that swearing is an evil thing and must be avoided. People tend to go to Exodus 20:7 to prove their point, but that verse says, Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. In this instance God is not talking about swearing, not even as we would call it swearing. Instead He is talking about using His name in a way that is empty and does not recognize the fullness and greatness of God. In some sense then, people who will use God’s name in a sentence, or more likely a profane utterance, are guilty of breaking this commandment. Yet so are people, who claiming to be Christians, use the name of God in a more subtle, yet more evil manner. They might talk about how God has sent them to speak to you personally when, in fact, He has not. This is taking the Lord’s name in vain. Whenever we use God’s name in a manner that does not exalt who He is we can be sure we are breaking this commandment, at the very least.
However, swearing is quite a different matter. To swear means to take an oath. In our culture we have revised it to mean saying anything profane. Now some people will use, among others, the following Scriptures to prove that swearing is the same as cursing:
Leviticus 5:1 And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
Hos 10:4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
The Hebrew word for swearing can best be interpreted adjure, according to Strong’s Concordance. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines adjure with these words:
1. to command solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse
2. to urge or advise earnestly
So then one who swears is one who makes an oath. These bind themselves in a way that God did not intend for us to be bound. Still, we see that this word does not, necessarily, mean cursing, although it may include that. An instance in Scripture is when Peter denied Christ, then denied Him with an oath, and finally cursed and swore that he did not know Jesus. (Matthew 26:69-74) There is instructional teaching here about how we can bind ourselves with our own words, but we’ll pass on that for the moment. I just want you to see that swearing isn’t necessarily what our society has re-defined it to be.
The closest we really get to our social definition of swearing, which we also call cursing or using profane language, is found in the usage of vain speech. Here are a few Scriptures that speak to that topic:
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
1Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.
Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision.
1Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.
Even here the definition of the word vain is empty and much of the time either deceitful or lying. Profane speech is also mentioned, but what is profane speech? Strong’s Concordance defines profane as being; properly to bore, that is, (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one’s word), to begin (as if by an opening-wedge); denominatively to play (the flute): - begin (X men began), defile, X break, defile, X eat (as common things), X first, X gather the grape thereof, X take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound.
Profane speech then is that kind of speech intended to inflict harm. Often it slips out of our mouths during times of frustration or anger. It is both improper and sinful, but like all sin, can be removed by taking it to the Cross and letting the blood of Jesus wash it away.
I’ve put all of this together because Christian writers are being bound by a social understanding of what swearing is rather than a Biblical understanding. Even were these publishers and Christian markets correct they are avoiding the fact that we all have used words that were profane, cursed, swore oaths, and were otherwise empty or vain. When a Christian writer wishes to portray something in his story he or she may well have someone utter something that is inappropriate for the Christian. This is because they are either not Christians in the story, or because even as Christians we often fall short of being the holy people God has called us to be. We can actually use these words to show the difference between the people of God and the people in the world. We can also show how a Christian must deal with the awesome, and sometimes deadly, power of the tongue.
I am not an advocate of putting in curse words just to spice up the story, but I and many other Christian authors, recognize that this is the way people speak. In a recent work I used the word Gosh!” This in itself is watering down what he really would have said. My editor advised me to change it to Horse feathers. Can you see how ridiculous this is? We are talking about a hardened NYPD detective, and although he’s a Christian he’s dealing with the stress of being in uncomfortable surroundings. The word I should have used was damn, but somehow I don’t think the Christian community would like that either.
So I am, cautiously, advocating using certain curse words in a Christian work if they are needed to make the character realistic. I do not want to see these vile words punctuating every sentence, but I do want to see publishers and markets open to the usage of these words in an artistic and sparing manner. It is not the way we should talk, and as such gives us an example of how we should not speak. It is, however, the way people do speak, and making your characters realistic is a good portion of the story. Without realistic characters you may not even get the story out.
So I’m asking for there to be an open-mindedness about using these words. Is the author using them to harm people or be dramatic? Or are they using them to create a more realistic atmosphere for the story?
As a parting thought I’d like these people who have tried to bind Christian writers to take a hard look at the Bible. If any book were to be banned on use of language it would be Scripture, but God makes no apologies for His Word. If He is the One helping us to write shouldn’t we have the same freedom as the Author and Finisher of our Faith?

Pay Attention to What You Are doing

VERY GRAPHIC

If you look at this, you'll never text or cell phone
While driving again!!!


THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BE TEXTING OR USING YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING.

This is the last few feet of a car that hit a semi head on!!

This guy was texting a friend when he crossed the center line!!!!


THIS IS WHY...


AND THIS ....

AND THIS ...

AND THIS ...

AND ESPECIALLY THIS ...


WE'RE NOT DONE YET... But If you have a weak
Stomach you might reconsider scrolling any
Further.




This is not the way you want your picture to be taken.
Every time you make a call or pick Up the phone while driving, think about how this guy's day ended.

STAY OFF THE PHONE! HANG UP AND DRIVE, OR PULL OFF THE ROAD!!!!

Jesus said, "No man having put himself to the plow and turns to the left or to the right is fit for the kingdom of God." He said that He would rather that we be either hot or cold, but if we are lukewarm He will vomit us out of His mouth. How many of us, however, have allowed our walk with God to grow cold? How many of us no longer feel that intense love we once had for our Lord? How many of constantly keep turning to the left and right? We are like that man on the cellphone trying to drive. Yet there is one difference. Our eternal spirit is at stake, not just the life of our body. Focus. Fix your eyes on Christ, the Author and finisher of our salvation. Be sure that you are in Him and that His word lives in you. In Revelation the Ephesians are warned because they strayed across the center line and lost their first love. Jesus warns them to consider the height from which they have fallen.

While we are in this sinful flesh we are going to make mistakes and be in constant struggle, for our flesh wars against the very will of God. Yet, we can be assure of these facts; if our mind is set upon the things of God then even our sins are committed, not by us, but by that sinful nature we carry around with us, that our holiness is not in ourselves, but in Christ. He has made us worthy to stand before our Heavenly Father. Only do not take this for granted. Those who take this for granted do not have their minds set upon the Spirit of God, and their end is destruction. They stray across the center line, as did the man above, but they shall not run into a truck. Instead they shall run into the full wrath of God. Turn while there is yet time, for His love for us is boundless. Nothing can separate us from the Love He gives us through His Son, Jesus Christ. So focus, but not on the things around you, but rather on Jesus. Then follow the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and love others as He has loved you. In this you will find peace and safety, not just after we die, but now.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

Facts vs. Truth - The Flawed Argument

Facts vs. Truth, The Flawed Argument

On the one side you have people, usually atheists, arguing against things stated in the Bible. Their approach is usually that there are no facts to support these statements, or that said facts are contradictory in nature. On the other side you have Christians who, although well meaning, argue that what they have is Truth which cannot be explained by facts along, there must be faith. As a Christian I understand what they are saying and to an extent they are correct, but to pit facts against truth is totally illogical. They are different, yes, but they do have connections to one another that makes it impossible for one to exist apart from the other.

Let us consider the cosmos, that is the entirety of the universe. What facts do we have to support the existence of this universe? Well, we have big-brained people looking through high powered telescopes, or viewing images taken from satellites. We have mathematicians calculating the distance from us to planets, stars and galaxies. We have a host of scientists telling us about many things that are either facts or believed to be facts. What we do not have, even taking all of them together, is a clear picture, understanding or grasp of our universe. We have enough to "get our heads around it", but in the end result we must have faith that the cosmos does in fact exist. Am I saying these facts are incorrect? Of course not. What I am saying is that they are only tiny pieces of a very large picture, a picture so large, in fact, that it cannot be completely seen or understood. That it does exist is truth. Truth is all the facts compiled together, and the millions of facts that have been overlooked, all summed up in the single existence of the cosmos itself. It cannot be fully seen, nor explained, but that doesn't negate the fact that it is there.

Likewise scientists have made observations about our earth, about the life on this planet, about the different species and made certain speculations based on those facts to give us an idea of where we came from. Are all these facts false? No, of course not. When they begin to disregard certain facts because it doesn't line up with their beliefs, well then that is neither true science nor is it revealing any true facts. The Truth is that God created everything there is out of nothing. He did it by the power of His spoken Word. For many this Truth is so great, so vast that it's just plain impossible to believe. Yet if we follow the facts, as we did with the cosmos, we would see that these facts are all part of a larger picture, a Truth so big that it takes faith to contain it. And the Truth is that there is a God. He is the One who is bigger than even the sum total of all the facts. The facts themselves are not incorrect, but I guess it is like putting together a large jigsaw puzzle. The truth is the picture you see on the cover, the facts are all the pieces in the box. But if someone were to disregard some of those pieces because they didn't fit with their understanding, well then that puzzle would never be solved. God gives us plenty of facts, but we cannot possibly comprehend the enormity of the picture these facts come together to make if we even had all the facts, which we do not. So we are left with doing one of two things, disregarding the existence of God, because our understanding is so limited that we cannot possibly perceive of some Divine being that is so vast, or we can allow God to give us just enough faith so that we know that He exists. If we do the latter these facts start to come together. They start to make sense. We still don't see the full picture, but by faith we can possess the fullness of God. That is why this argument is so badly flawed. It pits one against the other when there is a decided difference between facts and Truth. Yet one thing will remain, no matter where you stand on this issue, Truth cannot be altered. Truth remains truth. To alter it means only to turn it into a lie.

Now people who disbelieve the existence of God really do overlook a lot of facts. The overlook the fact that everything is slightly different, even if it looks the same. They overlook the tremendous complexity of even some of the minutest of life forms. Take grass, for instance. A simple blade of grass is actually part of a unit, a community of sorts. It has roots that shoot down into the earth and the blade reaches up to the sky. If we let it grow long enough the community will also send up a shoot that will carry seeds that will plant new grass. Let's go back to the blade of grass. This blade will always angle itself to get the most exposure to the sun. Because it is mostly water in nature, as are all living things, it needs to draw moisture up from the ground in order to stay alive. As it does so the chlorophyll that gives grass its green color reacts with the sun and the water, taking in the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and converting it to oxygen. This is just grass, but if it weren't for grass, green algae in the waters around the world, and other plant life, we would soon run out of air to breathe. It is interesting that while humans and animals exhale carbon dioxide that these little green plants live off of this gas. Furthermore, while they exhale oxygen we live off of that. This fragile balance could not possibly have happened by accident. I mean even if some great alien being were trying to create life on this planet they would have to go through many, many trials and errors to get the balance stable enough to work out so both plant and human and animal life could exist. Each time they got the balance wrong the whole experiment would shut down and they'd have to start from scratch again. The real kicker is that they would have to get this balance correct at precisely the same time or neither could exist.

In the Genesis account of creation you have God moving on the waters, which is made up of hydrogen and oxygen as I'm sure you all know. He separates the waters so that there is dry ground. This makes perfect sense because many of the plants are going to need ground to live in, and algae may be a long way in coming about. Also the animals and people are going to need ground to walk and live on. After God makes this separation he does something else. He creates lights in the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. This effectively gives us a way to calculate the passage of time, something that did not exist either before the world was created. You need to think outside the box here to think of timelessness, so I apologize for the reference. Yet there is something else that the creation of these lights does. It gives a balanced exposure of light and warmth to the earth that made it conducive for both plant and human and animal life. Follow this God created the plants. There was enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the waters as evaporation took place under the sun. Then God created the animals, giving the plants a good firm foothold so they wouldn't die. Finally, when the balance was nearly complete, God made man in His image, which does not refer to the physical features at all, but the fact that, like God, we are triune, having within our bodies both a center for intelligence and an eternal part of us which can most closely be described as our character or personality. This is our spiritual nature. Yet for it to survive on this planet the body must survive, and as I've just shown, God prepared the way for this shell we call the flesh or the body, to live so that the real us might have a place to live.

There is much more, but these are just some of the facts that go overlooked by people who refuse to allow God into their observations. People like this started some of the most bizarre religions on this planet, and others took their fears and limitations to twist the Truth and turn the relationship we were supposed to have with God into a religion. Having only part of the picture can be dangerous, especially if you insist on convincing yourself that you have all the pieces.

Just Singing in Church - by David Brollier

I'm 58, so it may not come as a shock that I like the old hymns of the church. Let me give you some biographical background and some comments about worship services as I've seen them change over the years, and how it has affected those in the church and those in society.

Growing up we had hymnals, for you young people these are books with the songs written in them. We didn't have Power Point Presentations. We didn't have lighting affects. Depending on the congregation we had people in an orchestra who helped with the music. We didn't have professionally sounding music groups to lead the worship. Then again we didn't care, because we came to worship God.

The songs we sang were frequently over 100 years old, some much more so. We remembered to focus our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our Faith as we sang The Old Rugged Cross. We were comforted in times or hardship or loneliness as we sang What a Friend We Have in Jesus. We wept before the Lord as He wrapped His arms around us as we sang It Is Well (with my soul). Yes, the songs were old, but they were still coming from our hearts. My dad used to sing His Eye Is on the Sparrow as one of his favorite soloist numbers. One of mine has always been In the Garden. There's a line in that particular song that I love so much I would try to get the pianist to stop playing so the impact would be greater. It goes like this, "He speaks, and the sound of His voice, is so sweet the birds stopped their singing."

I'm not saying there aren't any good new songs. There are. I've come to know a few. When I was going to college there was a change in our music as a revival spread across the United States. People, some of you may classify me with them, would put down the new sound as being demonic or at least bad. Really, I'm not saying that, although if you have to leave the place where the music is being played because the music is so loud it literally is making you nauseous I think there needs to be some serious checking up. But see, I went to college in the early 70s and I bet most kids today can't recall a single song any of those bands sang back then. This isn't saying those songs were bad, but they were for a time, not for eternity. Somehow the Holy Spirit inspired many (not all mind you) of the hymns so they would span centuries and touch the hearts of people as if they were written this morning. They always seem fresh and new, even if they do include some "thees and thous".

I have a great friend in Barry McGuire. He sings from his heart. The first time I heard him he sang "It's a Happy Day" on a day that it was raining, but he meant every word of that song. Yet few people remember him for anything other than his hit Eve of Destruction. How tragic. Groups like Danny Taylor and the Children of Truth, Solid Rock, Maranatha Band, Love Song, Petra, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Micky and Becky, and many, many more are unknown to today's youth and they were the "contemporary Christian music giants" of their day.

So, here is what I have witnessed. There is, and has always been, a need for songs that are a bit lively, that speak to the current generation, but they will soon be forgotten as other groups are formed and other generations grow up. At the same time there has always been the need for the old hymns. You can't get much more basic than "On Christ the solid Rock I stand" when speaking about living a victorious Christian life. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God reminds me of Psalm 91. In other words there needs to be a balance. We, as a body of believers, need to stop playing games and focus on the Lord.

What exactly does that mean? Well, focus on the Lord and find out. If a false balance is an abomination to the Lord then how can you sing contemporary worship songs over and over (to the point they must make God sick)? How can you justify ONLY singing contemporary songs and not singing hymns. God, who never changes, nor does His Word, has said a false balance is an abomination to Him. This also means that those who only sing hymns and don't let the newer songs to be sung as well are as guilty as those who sing only contemporary songs and never hymns.

How do we maintain this balance? How do we worship God in our churches in a way that pleases Him? Jesus said, "He that worships the Father must worship in spirit and in truth." So I guess it's a matter of what your attitude is. The new songs have a way of giving us a new insight into some old truths, and this is good. Yet the old songs have a way of giving us in insight into the unchangeable faithfulness of God and His love. Both are needed.

In a recent conversation with my cousin he related something rather interesting. Working with the 2nd Chapter of Acts he spoke with them and learned that during a recording session of their hymns album Annie Herring broke down and cried during the first song. I forget what the name of the song was, but it was an old hymn of the church. Through her tears she looked up and said something like, "This is so beautiful. Who wrote this?" She didn't realize it had been written a hundred years ago. As she was broken by the Lord the Holy Spirit filled that studio and worked out a miracle. Known for their fast-paced, but heart-felt music, the 2nd Chapter of Acts, by the power of the Holy Spirit, turned out a specially anointed album of the old hymns. I wonder how many other Christian artists have also been moved by these old hymns, even if it means writing something more contemporary (in their mind) that comes from their heart.

We, as a Body of Christ, should embrace all music that glorifies the Lord. Let's forget about how many instruments are playing or whether we are using overheads, flatscreen TVs or hymnals and focus on the Lord of Glory. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. We aren't. Our music isn't. So let us stop slapping a bunch of garbage on top of the music we have, old or new, and worship our Heavenly Father in spirit and in truth, and as we do, don't be surprised if something in that song reaches down and touches your heart, bringing you to teaches, drawing you closer to Him. For He said that if we would draw closer to Him He would draw closer to us. Now that's something to sing about. (Do I hear Nearer My God to Thee being sung?)

When God Isn't First in our Lives

What happens when we keep God out of our dealings, when unrighteousness becomes so prevalent? This nation was once founded on God. We received the blessings of God in so many wonderful ways. God raised us up so that we were the greatest nation on earth. Somewhere along the way we decided we were responsible for our own greatness and pushed God away. We cut Him out of our schools, our sciences, harrass those who believe in God, and then...then we find things going wrong in all areas of our life. Do you think our financial mess is just some bad investments? No. We are reaping our own reward. Below is an email I received that shows how even ungodly nations can act more righteously that we are. When are we going to realize that we need to turn back to God, to repent of our sins and allow Him to heal our Land? I hope and pray we will do so and soon.


- IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
- IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
- IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
- IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
- IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
- IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
- IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
- IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET................................
1 - A JOB,
2 - A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3 - SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4 - WELFARE,
5 - FOOD STAMPS,
6 - CREDIT CARDS,
7 - SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8 - FREE EDUCATION,
9 - FREE HEALTH CARE,
10 - A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON,
11 - BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE,
12 - AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT. (AND THIS IS JUST THE SHORT LIST!!)


Remember, this is just one issue that has been affected. We have terrorist coming in illegally and being given rights that you and I work to get, only they get them freely, including the right to ridicule us. Isn't this backwards? Think about it. Then pray and ask God to give our nation's leaders wisdom to get us back on His track.

Walking the Long Road, by David Brollier

Right around New Years Eve 2002, I wrote a song called "One Step at a Time". The chorus goes like this:

One step at a time, I keep on walking.
One step at a time, the road is long,
but I keep on walking,
One step at a time,
and it won't be long, til I find my way home.

While God is interested in how faithful we are each day, He is more interested in the attitude of our heart. He knows we are going to stumble and fall along the way, but the important thing is that we get back up and keep going. The important thing is to surrender to the victory that is already ours in Jesus Christ. The important thing is to endure until the end, not the foul ups we make along the way. I am not opposing being faithful or obedient, they are what pleases God, but when we are disobedient, He wants to see how we handle this when it is brought to our attention. Are we going to repent and get back in the race, or are we going to sit on our backsides and moan and groan over our failure? The road is long for a reason. God needs that time to make us complete in the image of Jesus Christ. How we respond to this long road determines how effect we will be for Him and sometimes even how long the road is. He loves us so much that disobedient children may have a very long road so that we might, at last, shine with the brightness of His Son.

The 3rd Covenant, by David Brollier, now only $5.99

Isn't life funny? When my book was published in 2006 the suggested retail price was set at $24.95. At their site, however, the price was $19,95. Then a couple of weeks ago they lowered all books to $7.99. Now I don't know if this is signalling the end for Publish America, but if you want to purchase THE 3RD COVENANT, now is the best time, because they've dropped it down even lower to $5.99. Read below and use the link to go to the site and purchase the book.

Dear Author:

Email your readers, tell your fans, call your friends! This weekend only.

All books at PublishAmerica are priced down to

$5.99.

No coupons, no minimum purchase volumes. Just $5.99 for any book, in any quantity.

Want some copies of your own book on hand? This is your day!

Check it out at www.publishamerica.net. Hardcovers and fullcolor books excluded.

Happy Easter!

PublishAmerica Author Support Team

Politics and God

I'm not going to get real heavy into this, and I'm not going to pick a particular political party to stand behind. I want to get some things straight, things that have been heavy on my mind.

Politics is a way of taking control away from the people, much the same way religion turns something Godly into something rather deadly. The Constitution of the United States begins with these 3 words, "We the People". That doesn't mean those people in Washington, it means you and me. It means WE, all of us. Now let us consider the following:

Our political system exists because God allows it to, not because He necessarily endorses it.

We should never replace God with government, because terrible things happen, as we can all attest to these days.

There is only one party that is right and that is the party that is doing what God's Will declares, and I haven't seen a campaign button for that party yet.

Stop putting down the president and start praying for him and for all government officials. Don't you realize that God has placed ALL authorities over you? If some authority is doing wrong and your life is not at peace that can only mean one thing, you haven't been praying for them. So when you point your finger at President Obama, just remember, you're singling yourself out as the one who is really to blame.

Government is supposed to be "of the people, by the people, and for the people" (Lincoln's Gettysburg Address). They are to represent us, the "we the people" and as such are OUR servants in governing. A cursory look at the Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments to our constitution) prove this to be true. Over time we have gone from a nation that reveres God and works to get the things we need to a nation that feels like the government owes us, and we have no more room for God. So God in His infinite wisdom has sent us into a kind of exile. He has given us leaders who will drive us back to Him or we will cease to be a nation.

Various political parties are needed. No single party has all the answers nor should be allowed to run the show. No single party has the right to attack another party. One of the biggest reasons we are going backwards faster than a squirrel that got knocked into the Niagara and gone over the falls is that our party system is so busy fighting itself it has no time to address the needs of this nation. There needs to be diversity, yes, but within that diversity there must be unity.

Lastly, our King is God, not the president or anyone else. If we deny Him His place in our social structure He will deny us the blessings He wishes to give us. More than that we can expect to come under His wrath.

So the question is, dear pilgrim, where are you going to go from here? Are you going to accept God as your King, move to unite this nation, pray for it's leaders, and for yourself, or are you going to follow the other critters as they run off the cliff into the abyss? The choice is yours.

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land." (2nd Chronicles 7:14)

Unity in the Vine

In John 15 Jesus tells us that He is the Vine and we are the branches. Most of us glance over this text as one of those nice little stories Jesus told when He was on earth. There is so much in this portion of Scripture it's incredible, but let's go back to how God got ahold of me and pointed me in this direction.

One night when I couldn't sleep God showed me a tree. All the branches had been cut off and lay at the base of the tree. Although the tree itself was strong, the branches were going to whither and die. Then I heard the Lord say, "This is My church. Unless they be grafted back into My Son they will be cast out." Not only was this a strong message to my spirit, but I noticed that there was not a single branch on the tree. This concerned me, because although I may not be properly grafted into Jesus I was sure that someone was. So I asked God why all the branches were cut off. God spoke clearly to me, "This is so that NO ONE can say this message is not for THEM."

Get the picture? No? Okay, now look at John 15:1-8. If we replace Vine for Tree in my vision we come up with THE SAME EXACT PICTURE. The same thing Jesus was telling His disciples He is telling us today. The really terrible thing is that we are so convinced that this has to do with someone else that we gloss over it and don't get the message at all. In Philippians 2:12 we read, "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. " Don't be worrying about the other guy or gal. Start worrying about your own salvation. Get serious with God. Secure yourself in Jesus, or you WILL be cast out. I didn't say that, Jesus did. I'm not making things up here, but just repeating what our Lord has already taught us.

So what does all this have to do with Unity in Christ? In John 15:2,4,5 and 7 Jesus makes it clear that He is the one who gives life to the branch and fruit for the harvest. We are just branches. As branches I want you to think, have you ever seen 2 or more branches that were identical? Then why are we so bent on getting people to conform to our idea of what being a Christian means? Why are we telling people what they can and cannot wear, what the can and cannot do? Sure there are some things that are wrong, Biblically wrong, but do we have the right to enforce a certain set of rules or laws on others? Remember, we are just branches, Jesus is the Vine, and the Father is the Husbandman of the vineyard. When we go to church we say we are going to God's house. If it is HIS HOUSE, then how come we demand that people follow OUR RULES. I don't know what kind of home you had growing up, but in my home my parents made the house rules. If my dad said something it was law in the home. My brother could say anything he wanted and I could accept or reject it as I saw fit, but I could not do so with what my father laid out for us. I could not reject his rules. Neither can we reject our Father's "house rules", nor can we impose on one another our own rules.

I had a friend who had some grape vines. I can tell you this, every branch was different. Some bore fruit, and never the same amount, never all arranged the same, never even in the same way. Some branches seemed to have just leaves and tendrils that lashed the vine to the lattice. These also were different, not just from the fruit bearing branches, but from one another. And yet the whole vine worked together. Tendrils held the vine close to the lattice and helped the branches with leaves to be in a better position to receive light. The branches with leaves provided shade for the grapes on the fruit bearing branches and would follow the sun throughout the day. Above they soaked up the light of the sun, below they protected the grapes from the intense heat. What we are, in Christ, are branches in Him, the True Vine. Not one of us is exactly like any other, and yet we are all to function so that the Vine produces fruit. Reading beyond verse 8 we find Jesus talking about a law of love. If His love is not pouring through you then you better check your connection with Him. If you are finding fault with others then perhaps you better look into the Word of God and let Him show you what YOU look like, and how YOU should change.

If we want to be One in Christ, as Jesus prayed (John 17) then we must learn to love as He loves. He put you and me before Himself and went to the cross. You and I have the tendency to get upset when someone cuts us off in traffic. That is NOT Christ-like, is it? God has called you to be a branch in His Vine, but He never calls anyone to be like anyone else. So accept one another as God has made us as we are. Then let the love of God pour through His Vine and up into us. For only in doing so can we produce fruit. If we are not producing fruit for God then we are not letting His love flow through us. We are cut off from the Vine. If that is the case we have more to fear than the long-haired kid with tattoos that tried to get in the church door. (The nerve of him). Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. So if you get to thinking that someone isn't quite up to par for your little group of Christians then chances are your little group of Christians don't even know who God is. "Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for GOD IS LOVE." (1st John 4:7,8)