God Is A Just God

Psalm 95

"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to
the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with
thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

For
the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.


In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are
His also.

The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed
the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us
kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,
And we are
the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will
hear His voice:

"Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,

When your fathers
tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.

For forty
years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, 'It is a people who go
astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.'

So I
swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.' " "

God is awesome and He deserves our highest praise! We call Him Lord, but are we willing to hear His voice and be an obedient people? We must hear God today, and be obedient today. We must learn from the past. Israel saw first hand all that God could do. He parted the sea, rained down bread from heaven. He delivered them from Egypt. They experienced all of this first hand and they still murmured and complained. They were full of doubt and unbelief. They STILL built graven images. God is a loving and patient God, but He is also a just God. A God that is true to His word. He continued to care for Israel, but those who murmured and complained wandered for 40 years and they did not get to enter the promise land. We need to be aware of the evil in our hearts that causes us to stray from God. God does not like sin. Even those who are born again and forgiven will give account one day to God. I don't know about you, but I would like to hear, " Well done my good and faithful servant."

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Our Gospel Has No Teeth !

I could not say it better myself, so I thought I would share this with everyone!
Sadly, it is very true!

OUR GOSPEL HAS NO TEETH!

By Dr. Michael L. Brown
(excerpted from the book How Saved Are We?)

Every year, more than ten thousand believers are being martyred. That’s right. More than 10,000 people who proclaim Jesus as Lord are being put to death every year. How can this possibly be? Even if we say that this figure is too high (some experts claim that it’s far too low!); even if it includes believers killed through indiscriminate terrorist attacks, as well as people who were murdered more for political reasons than spiritual reasons; even if there are only one thousand believers being martyred a year, this figure is still astounding to the American Christian mind.

Here in America, if one believer was martyred it would produce an outrage from coast to coast. It would shake up the people of God. It would make the headlines of every newspaper in the country. We’d probably even make a movie about it! It would be a national event.

Then what’s the difference between America and Iraq (where Muslims who convert can be killed on the spot), or between our country and Albania (where believers have been sealed in barrels and thrown out to sea)? Why is there virtually no persecution here? It is true that we are different than the Marxist and Islamic nations. Religious liberty for us is a constitutional right. We can evangelize and preach to our heart’s content. And we have some godly people in our government. But is the United States a “Christian” nation? Hardly!

We have the highest level of teenage drug abuse in any industrialized nation as well as the highest divorce rate. We are by far the world’s largest manufacturer of beer and the third greatest consumer of alcohol per capita. “Christian” America has some of the world’s most liberal abortion laws -- we have legally murdered twenty-five million little ones since 1973 [as of 1990; the number as of 2005 is forty-five million], now killing forty-two babies for every 100 live births. Organized, public prayer in our schools is against the law, our children’s textbooks honor Buddha and Mohammed, and many cynical, sarcastic professors provide our “higher education.” The liberal media gives our people the news, and now our grocery stores peddle smut. Magazines which would have been hard to come by a few decades ago because of their sexual content are now placed on check-out counters for our children to see! We are not a “Christian” nation!

We have annual parades celebrating homosexual and lesbian behavior, and not even AIDS has slowed us down. In fact, when one congressman was recently exposed by his male prostitute companion, Congress was hesitant to try to remove him. Why? Because too many other senators were guilty of similar perversions! And all this among the elected officials governing our land, this “one nation under God.”

Oh yes -- thank God for America! Our country is one of the greatest countries that has ever existed, and we have so much to give. But remember -- it is not so much Communism or Islam that stands against the gospel -- it is the world. And America is of the world.

Why is it then that God’s people suffer virtually no persecution here? Because our gospel has no teeth! It hardly exposes sin in the Body, let alone in the world. How are we shining the light? How are we confronting the world with the righteousness of God? How are we bringing a shaking to our society? Why do we hardly make anyone uncomfortable anymore?

The fact is, when we do poke the devil in the eye by protesting the murder of innocent babies, or by exposing the evils of pornography, the enemy rages and roars. We have dared to invade his guarded territory, and he doesn’t like it one bit. But this is the exception, not the rule. The devil is still sitting safe and secure. He sees how ineffectual most of our words and actions are. And he sees how almost all of our ministry endeavors are designed to build up our own lives, not touch the world. Are we merely fattening ourselves for slaughter?

As American believers we have corporately spent hundreds of millions of dollars on our own edification while foreign workers could have evangelized hundreds of millions of their own unreached countrymen with the financial crumbs that fall from our tables. And to add insult to injury, despite all our efforts, our ministry to ourselves has left us inactive, passive, and pathetically comfortable in a fallen, dying society. Is it any wonder that Satan is not afraid of our big talk? It hasn’t shaken the church. How can it shake the world?

The last few decades have seen a deluge of radio and television ministries. But according to every criterion of decency and morality, our national standard is down. What good has all our preaching done?

Lots of young people want “ministries.” They are looking for opportunities to share the Scriptures. Well, there are plenty of street corners throughout our cities in need of young preachers with a message! God knows -- we don’t need more ministers serving our connoisseur congregations the latest in gourmet Word! We need to get out where the action is. Then we’ll see some results. And then the sparks will fly.

Take an example from the secular world. In 1989, when the United States government began working with Columbia to apprehend and extradite Columbia’s big drug dealers, the repercussions were intense. The drug lords responded with wholesale violence -- blowing up planes, murdering newspaper reporters, kidnapping innocent civilians, and bombing police headquarters. Why? Because they were being brought to account; their lifestyle was being threatened.

It is the same with the gospel. When we tell people that they are sinners, and that there is a consequence to their actions; that one day they will be judged for their deeds; that without doubt, a guilty verdict will come -- people get enraged! But when all we say is “Only believe!” -- no repentance, no commitment, no change of life required -- why should there be any offense? How are we holding anyone accountable? How are we convicting them of their sin? We are simply not preaching the whole counsel of God. If we were, with so much media exposure, the American people would be people trembling in their boots!

What if Paul and Peter were alive today and ministering in the United States? Wouldn’t they be persecuted? Of course they would! Why? Because they would be a threat to the devil’s operation. They would be making trouble for the powers of darkness. And they would be disturbing the ungodly living in sin.

Look at the Book of Acts. The apostles were beaten and stoned by idolaters and imprisoned by hypocritical religious authorities. Why? Because their message was a menace to the kingdom of darkness. It had an adverse effect on business!

Persecution arises when the gospel is a threat to a degenerate, perverted society and a cold, formalistic religious leadership. Good business for the kingdom of God means bad business for the devil. Of this we can rest assured: if we were making real inroads into Satan’s empire, we would be feeling his heat. Instead we have become one with the world and one with the religious establishment. That’s why we receive virtually no persecution from either.

Paul’s message so effected the people of Ephesus that local idol sales dropped sharply. It led to a huge riot in the city because the silversmiths and craftsmen were afraid they would go bankrupt (Acts 19). But today in our great nation we have the strangest of occurrences: “idol sales” and Bible sales are both on the increase. Although lots of people are getting “saved”, there doesn’t seem to be much less sinning! Our lives are so intertwined with this corrupt world that we can bring no holy standard to it.

When the prophetic priest Girolamo Savonarola preached in Florence five hundred years ago, his message sent shock-waves through the whole city. “His sermons ‘caused such terror and alarm, such sobbing and tears that people passed through the streets without speaking, more dead than alive’ as he prophesied coming judgment on the church and the country” (Winkie Pratney, quoting Harold Fischer). And his only weapon was words.

“But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin” (Micah 3:8). It was not long before Savonarola was imprisoned, tortured, and executed -- but not until Italy was confronted with the truth. May God give us a whole generation of fire-tongued, brokenhearted, holy men and women of the Spirit, to shatter this world’s security by the power of the Word. Oh, for the sharp, piercing sword of truth!

When Stephen accused the religious leaders of his day of being stiff-necked and hardhearted, “they were furious and gnashed their teeth” (Acts 7:54). But today we are making no one mad. Our messages put people to sleep rather than make them weep; they are calculated to win men’s praise, not provoke their rage. Who are we confronting today? We have made our peace with the religious system.

We are really not much different than the “dead” church. We go to service on Sunday mornings, attend a mid-week Bible study or prayer meeting, and leave our religion inside the sanctuary doors (if we’re serious enough to bring it home with us, we keep it locked in our houses!). Who in the world would want to persecute us? We are too harmless and mild.

Listen to the fiery words uttered in England by Catherine Booth over one-hundred years ago:

Opposition! It is a bad sign for the Christianity of this day that it provokes so little opposition. If there were no other evidence of it being wrong, I should know from that. When the Church and the world can jog along together comfortably, you may be sure there is something wrong. The world has not altered. Its spirit is exactly the same as it ever was, and if Christians were equally faithful and devoted to the Lord, and separated from the world, living so that their lives were a reproof to all ungodliness, the world would hate them as much as it ever did. It is the Church that has altered, not the world.

How can we argue with this? The Word is perfectly clear:

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12).

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also (John 15:18-20).

There is no getting away from the plain sense of these verses: if we were living godly lives in the full sense of the biblical word, we would be persecuted. If we did not belong to the world, just as Jesus did not belong to the world, we would be hated as He was hated.

The people of the world today are still rejecting the Son of God. Why aren’t they rejecting us?

Dr. Michael L. Brown
ICN Ministries
PO Box 1446
Harrisburg, NC 28075
704-782-3760
e-mail: ministry@icnministries.org

Christianity, Christian, Religion, faith, blogs, Jesus, God, Gospel, martyr, truth, United States

One Nation Under God

Just a reminder of where America came from . We were founded on Godly principles. After reading this document below I am reminded of 2 Chronicles 7:14:

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "

1798 National Fasting and Prayer Proclamation

by John Adams




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the text of President John Adams' March 23, 1798 national Fasting and Prayer proclamation; as printed in the The Phenix/Windham Herald, April 12, 1798.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By the President of the United States of America

A PROCLAMATION

AS the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God; and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him,

but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety, without which social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed; and as this duty, at all times incumbent, is so especially in seasons of difficulty and of danger, when existing or threatening calamities, the just judgments of God against prevalent iniquity are a loud call to repentance and reformation; and as the United States of America are at present placed in a hazardous and afflictive situation, by the unfriendly disposition, conduct and demands of a foreign power, evinced by repeated refusals to receive our messengers of reconciliation and peace, by depredations on our commerce, and the infliction of injuries on very many of our fellow citizens, while engaged in their lawful business on the seas: —Under these considerations it has appeared to me that the duty of imploring the mercy and benediction of Heaven on our country, demands at this time a special attention from its inhabitants.


I HAVE therefore thought it fit to recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next be observed throughout the United States, as a day of Solemn Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; That the citizens of these states, abstaining on that day from their customary worldly occupations, offer their devout addresses to the Father of Mercies, agreeably to those forms or methods which they have severally adopted as the most suitable and becoming: That all religious congregations do, with the deepest humility, acknowledge before GOD the manifold sins and transgressions with which we are justly chargeable as individuals and as a nation; beseeching him, at the same time, of his infinite Grace, through the Redeemer of the world, freely to remit all our offences, and to incline us, by his holy spirit, to that sincere repentance and reformation which may afford us reason to hope for his inestimable favor and heavenly benediction; That it be made the subject of particular and earnest supplication, that our country may be protected from all the dangers which threaten it; that our civil and religious privileges may be preserved inviolate, and perpetuated to the latest generations; that our public councils and magistrates may be especially enlightened and directed at this critical period; that the American people may be united in those bonds of amity and mutual confidence, and inspired with that vigor and fortitude by which they have in times past been so highly distinguished, and by which they have obtained such invaluable advantages: That the health of the inhabitants of our land may be preserved, and their agriculture, commerce, fisheries, arts and manufactures be blessed and prospered: That the principles of genuine piety and sound morality may influence the minds and govern the lives of every description of our citizens; and that the blessings of peace, freedom, and pure religion, may be speedily extended to all the nations of the earth.

And finally I recommend, that on the said day; the duties of humiliation and prayer be accompanied by fervent Thanksgiving to the bestower of every good gift, not only for having hitherto protected and preserved the people of these United States in the independent enjoyment of their religious and civil freedom, but also for having prospered them in a wonderful progress of population, and for conferring on them many and great favours conducive to the happiness and prosperity of a nation.

Given under my hand and seal of the United States of America, at Philadelphia, this twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the said States the twenty-second.

JOHN ADAMS

By the President,
TIMOTHY PICKERING, Secretary of State


It is the duty of all Christians to pray for their country and their leaders.

" Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, " (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

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God Is Not Mocked

There is a lot of buzz about Madonna and her mock crucifixion. She puts herself on a large mirrored cross, crown of thorns and all, and sings her song, "Live To Tell". She is quoted as saying," I don't think Jesus would be mad at me and the message I'm trying to send."

I beg to differ with Madonna. If she really understood the meaning of Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection, she would not mock it in such a way. It is a crude attempt to remain popular through publicity. I guess they didn't teach her that in her Kabbalah classes.

I decided to take a look at Kabbalah.com. On one part of the site they talk about how the Bible is full of code and how you can use that code to unlock many secrets to life. Hey, how about reading the Bible and applying that to your life first? Another part of the site,

"that sunlight emanates from the Creator of our universe. We can follow it to its source, and when we do, we discover our own source. When we do, instead of praying to God, obeying God, fearing God, or rejecting God, we become like God."

Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me. So, we don't need to obey, pray or fear God? People who are believing this need to be careful. God is a just God. All will stand before Him one day. It is called the great and terrible day of the Lord. For those who serve God and know Him, it will be great. For the rest, it will be terrible. There is a very real consequence for rejecting God. It is called hell. There is one way and that is through Jesus Christ and His death on that very cross that Madonna wants to mock.

As far as Madonna saying Jesus wouldn't mind, I don't believe Madonna would know Jesus if He walked in the room and sat down beside her. In Galatians 6 : 7-8 it says:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. "

I believe that those who take lightly, the mocking of the cross, need to be aware that they will reap what they sow, and face judgement before their Creator one day!

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Pull The Weeds Out By The Root

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. "Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. "But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" ---Luke 8:5-8

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. "Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. ---Luke 8:11-15

It is important that we prepare the soil of our hearts for the seed that is the word of God. Much too often our hearts, the soil, are filled with thorns and weeds that choke the life from the seed. The thorns and weeds are the pleasures and cares of this life.

Much of the Kingdom is compared to sowing and reaping. Anyone who has ever kept a garden knows that weeds can suck the life from the other plants. Weeds also do not "look pretty". How many of us in an effort to "look right", only trim the weeds so that what others see is "pretty"? We leave the roots and before we know it, the weeds are again sucking the life from us and keeping the seed of God's word from growing in our hearts. God wants us to pull those weeds by the root, leaving nothing behind that can spring back up later. Weeding of a garden is an ongoing task. So it should be in the keeping of our hearts. We must keep our heart's soil ready for the word of God. There is so much life in the word of God. Just as a tiny seed can spring forth a large beautiful plant, the seed of the word of God in the right heart can bear much fruit.

The rocky soil can be compared to someone who hears the word of God, but does nothing with it. God wants us to take what we hear and apply it to our lives. When we do this we will grow. Lord, help us not to have a rocky heart.

What type of soil is in your heart? Ask God to help you keep your soil ready to receive the seed of the word of God.

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" Your fear will set the limits of the effectiveness of the Gospel through you."

I heard this quote while I was watching television last night. I did not get to catch the name of the preacher, but thought that it was a powerful statement. To often we let fear of man keep us from sharing the truth of God's word. We often are afraid that we might offend someone or they may think we are crazy.
If you were to go to the doctors and you needed to know what was wrong, would you want him to keep the truth of a terminal illness from you just because he did not want to upset you? Of course not! Why then are we afraid to warn people of the effects of sin and the very real chance of spending eternity in hell if they do not receive Jesus as their Savior? So what if they think you are a little crazy. If you tell them the truth, it is off of your shoulders. The choice is then up to them. Nowhere did Jesus say that all would receive the Gospel. He just gave us all the great commission to spread the Gospel. He said He would make us fishers of men. You may not catch a fish every time you cast, but with persistence you will eventually real in a big one. Don't let fear stand in your way!

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Where Is The Army Of The Lord?

America has become a land of lavish church buildings with the latest and greatest high tech tools and elaborate fellowship centers, posing as Christian churches. Television is full of wealthy televangelists streaming the airwaves with a prosperity, get rich gospel. All the while asking you to help them get richer by sending in your next offering so they can buy their next Lear jet. Our pulpits are full of pulpeteers who tip-toe around the truth in an effort to keep attendance high and not offend anyone. Many pulpits are sending out a feel good message week after week to keep the offering high and the pews full. We have committees to come up with "programs" to get people to come. We hire marketing firms to "market" our churches. And the people come, week after week to hear their motivational speaking with a Christian flare. To some church is nothing more than a social club and a good place to eat on Wednesday night. Preachers tickle the ears of the people with a watered down Gospel, and if there is a mention of "sin" or a little bit of hard truth the people get offended.

As Christians we are called to be separate from the world, but there is little distinction. The divorce rate in the church is just as high as in the world. We allow our children to do things that we never would have dreamed of in an effort to help them "fit in".

As the messages in the pulpits have lost their strength and diverted from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, so has the power of the church. Many think that being a Christian is a pleasure cruise to heaven. They eat,drink and be merry. Prayer was taken out of schools because we took a "God will take care of it" attitude. Same with abortion.

The Bible likens the body of Christ to an army. Where is the Army ? Hiding in the trenches? Many haven't even made it to the trenches. They have put away their weapons and gave up the fight.

Jesus had a great commission to His disciples: go into all the world and preach the gospel. This pertains to all Christians. We can look in Ephesians 6 and read what the army of the Lord is supposed to do.
Ephesians 6:12-17 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

It is time the church remember who it is that heads up this army, who is the commander of the forces:
God is a big God. He is a mighty God. He is an awesome and powerful God. He is an all knowing God. He reigns forever and ever and ever. He is our rock and our fortress, our ever present help in time of need. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will never give us more than we can bare. He is our provider, our healer, our deliverer. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the great I Am. He is Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Savior and Redeemer.

It is time for the Army of the Lord to come out of hiding and march forth in to battle, with our heads held high knowing who we serve. We are "more than conquerors". We need to march onward in the name of Jesus Christ! ....... Will you enlist?


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Armed Forces Day

Today is Armed Forces Day. I want to say a big thank you to all of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. Thank you for fighting for freedom. Thank you for your dedicated service. May God bless each and every one of you. May He watch over all of you and keep you safe. Keep up the good work! For all of you who are serving in foreign lands, I pray for your safe return. Once again, THANK YOU!

For the rest of us, regardless of whether or not you agree with what is going on in Iraq, those who are there need our prayers and support. President Bush needs our prayers also.

" Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, " (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

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The Day Of The Lord Is Coming

" Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand: " ( Joel 2 : 1 )


The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?

"Now, therefore," says the LORD,
"Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm. ( Joel 2 : 11-13 )

Jesus is going to return. The day of the Lord is coming! This scripture in Joel is a warning of that day. The great and terrible day of the Lord. For those who know Him as their Savior, what a wonderful day it will be. But for the rest it will be a terrible day. It is the duty of all Christians to warn their fellow man of this day and the consequences of sin. The latter verses give a call to repentance. "rend your heart and not your garments ", it was Jewish custom to tear their clothing when they were in mourning. God wants us to have a heart that is torn with sorrow for our sins. A heart that is truly sorry for the sins we have commited against God. When we are truly sorry and repentant of our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive. Are you ready for the day of the Lord?



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Are You Asleep?

Below is an excerpt from a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon given on November 15, 1857

" Behold ye, how many professing Christians there are that are asleep in this sense! They are inactive. Sinners are dying in the street by hundreds; men are sinking into the flames of eternal wrath, but they fold their arms, they pity the poor perishing sinner, but they do nothing to show that their pity is real. They go to their places of worship; they occupy their well-cushioned easy pew; they wish the minister to feed them every Sabbath; but there is never a child taught in the Sunday-school by them; there is never a tract distributed at the poor man's house; there is never a deed done which might be the means of saving souls. We call them good men; some of them we even elect to the office of deacons; and no doubt good men they are; they are as good as Anthony meant to say that Brutus was honorable, when he said, "So are we all, all honorable men." So are we all, all good, if they be good. But these are good, and in some sense—good for nothing; for they just sit and eat the bread, but they do not plow the field; they drink the wine, but they will not raise the vine that doth produce it. They think that they are to live unto themselves, forgetting that "no man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself." Oh, what a vast amount of sleeping we have in all our churches and chapels; for truly if our churches were once awake, so far as material is concerned, there are enough converted men and women, and there is enough talent with them, and enough money with them, and enough time with them, God granting the abundance of His Holy Spirit, which he would be sure to do if they were all zealous—there is enough to preach the gospel in every corner of the earth. The church does not need to stop for want of instruments, or for want of agencies; we hare everything now except the will; we have all that we may expect to give for the conversion of the world, except just a heart for the work, and the Spirit of God poured out into our midst. Oh! brethren, "let us not sleep as do others." You will find the "others" in the church and in the world: "the refuse" of both are sound asleep "

This was apparently true in 1857 and is all too true today. We all have a call to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all have neighbors, co-workers and friends who need to hear the life changing message of what Jesus did for them through His death and resurrection. We all would tell someone if their house was on fire in an effort to save them from death. Why then do we not want to warn them of the very real place called hell?

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Jesus Christ and Him Crucified

" And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. " ---1 Corinthians 2 : 1-5

Jesus Christ and Him crucified.... This should be the central theme of all that is preached . All messages should point to the cross. The church today has been sucked in to believing the lie that we must preach about things "that will interest people", that we must "tickle ears and make people feel good", or they won't come back. My question is what good is it if they come back week after week to have their ears tickled and all the while they are headed straight for hell? What does this world need the most today? Do they need another sermon on the "15 steps to financial success"? I'll tell you what they need, they need the life changing, soul saving message of the cross, of Jesus Christ and Him crucified ! The world needs to know the consequences of sin and their inherent need for a Savior, Jesus Christ. The world needs to see the law and how Jesus came to fulfill the law. Paul preached nothing but Christ and Him Crucified. The first church moved in power and grew daily by the preaching of Christ and Him crucified.

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” We must all realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. We are not worthy of God’s grace.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Through Jesus, God gave us a way to be saved from our sins. God showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and repent of our sins, we will have eternal life.
Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Just confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved!
Romans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” There are no religious formulas or rituals -- Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved!
Romans 11:36: "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mother's out there. It is such a high calling to be a mother. Chidren are such a blessing. This morning my daughter came and cuddled with me and told me, "Happy mother's day Mom." She lingered in my lap for a while. I was treasuring that moment. As they grow older those times occur less and less often. She then looked up at me. I was expecting her to say something else so tender and sweet, and in her sweetest little voice she said, "Mom, when is kid's day?" That was my little laughter for the day. Her older brother responded by saying, "That is everyday Nicole."

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate."---Psalm 127:3-5

" Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. "---Proverbs 22:6

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." --- Deuteronomy 6:6-9

All Things Work Together For Good

" And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28 KJV

You know, many Christians and even many Pastors believe that God does not perform miracles today, and that they are a thing of the past. Well, I know that my God is a God that changes not. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. I want to share a testimony of my daughter. She is 6 1/2.
A little over 6 years ago, my husband and I left for the hospital, I was in the beginning stages of labor. We were going to go have our second child. My pregnancy had gone great and I was going to try to have a natural birth. My son had been a C-section 5 years earlier. After many, many hours of labor,(over 36), I was finaly dilating and excited that it would soon be over. It was at this time that the Doctor noticed that the baby was showing signs of distress and decided we needed to do an emergency C-section. I was rushed to the operating room and Nicole was quickly delivered. My husband held her briefly and they whisked her away to clean her up etc.. At this point she seemed fine. A little while later, while I was in recovery with my husband by my side, they came and told us Nicole had been rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit and that she was not doing well. Boy, talk about a real excitement buster. A little while passed and the Doctors came to visit us and let us know what was going on. Nicole had aspirated her muconium(the first bowel movement they sometimes have inside the mother). This is much the consistency of tar. It had caused her lungs to "stick together."Nicole's life was hanging in the balance, they told us she may not live. It was a moment to moment thing. My husband was able to see her but I could not. I still could not do much moving from the C-section and also developed a bad e-coli infection. This was truly the most difficult time in my life. I felt numb. I felt betrayed by God. "Why me?",was often in my thoughts. I also felt more helplessness than I have ever felt in my life. This was my child, my baby, I am supposed to take care of her.I had no choice but to put my trust in God. My husband and I gave our daughter to God. We actually told Him that we trusted Him completely and we wanted Him to heal her, but if He wanted to take her home we understood. WOW, was that a hard thing to do, but the best we could do. The nurses told us that Nicole was the worst case of muconium aspiration they had ever seen. I did not get to hold my baby until she was 10 days old. For the first few days we could not even touch her. Nicole spent 5 weeks in the intensive care unit. We finally brought her home. But what we brought home was a baby that the doctors said would probably never walk or talk. Nicole had brain damage as a result of her lack of oxygen . She came home on a feeding tube and also had crossed eyes.
We had a true lesson in living one day at a time. I always trusted God and knew that He was in control, but I will not lie. Many times I would wonder,"Why me?, Why my baby? What did I do to deserve this?" The answer is nothing. I don't know why. We had many many therapies each week. Nicole progressed very slowly and you always wondered if she would reach the next milestone. ALWAYS, when we would feel discouraged and wonder if we could take anymore, God would move. She would roll over, or crawl. I remember the first step. She was 2 years old. WOW what a day! She did not talk until 2 1/2 to 3 years old. At around the same age Nicole had a follow up MRI, and guess what? The brain damage was gone. Unexplainable by the neurologist. Explainable by me. GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! HE STILL DOES MIRACLES ! He does it in His time. It was a rough first few years, but Nicole is now all caught up to her peers. She NEVER is quiet and she loves to dance for Jesus. Every time I think to myself,"Will she please be quiet!" A little voice reminds me what could have been. Every time she dances in any open space, (the grocery store, the mall ) I am also reminded of what could have been.
I am writing with tears in my eyes so grateful for all that God has done. Nicole forever changed my husband and I's outlook on life. We could have chosen to be angry at God for putting us through it, but God truly does work all things together for good. Our hardship and difficulties with our daughter caused us to reassess our lives. Our marriage, which was quickly failing, is better than ever. God is in control. I can truly say that I am thankful for what I had to go through. I came out a better person on the other side. God really does know what He is doing, even when we don't understand.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." --Hebrews 13:8

I AM A SOLDIER

I am a soldier in the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, prayer, and The Word are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,trained by experience,
tried by adversity and tested by fire.
I am a volunteer in this army,
and I am enlisted for all eternity.
I will either retire in this army at the rapture or die in this army;
but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out.
I am faithful, reliable, capable and dependable.
If my God needs me, I am there.
If He needs me in the Sunday school to teach the children,
work with the youth, help adults or just sit and learn.
He can use me because I am there!!
I am a soldier.I am not a baby.
I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up,
pumped up, picked up or pepped up.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.
I am a soldier.
No one has to call me, remind me, write me,
visit me, entice me, or lure me.
I am a soldier.
I am not a wimp.
I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders
,praising His name, and building His kingdom!
No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food,
cards, candy or give me handouts.
I am committed.
I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.
When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead.
I will win because
I am a soldier.
My God has and will continue to supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ
.Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me and sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me and hell cannot handle me.
I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a Captain
and then allow me to rule with Him.
I am a soldier in the army,
and I'm marching claiming victory.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am a soldier, marching heaven bound.
Here I stand!

Churchianity VS. Christianity

Churchianity - We dress up on Sunday, dust off
our Bible, put on a smile and go
"act righteous" for an hour or so. Christianity - We go to church on fire, we have been in God's presence every day all week long.

Churchianity - We turn our noses up to the "not
so nicely dressed" , unbathed man
who walks into church; all the
while hoping he doesn't sit by us. Christianity - We welcome him with open arms and hearts. He is overwhelmed with the love that he feels for the first time in his life.

Churchianity - We are an army that kills and injures our
own. (with gossip and backbiting) Christianity- When we see a hurting or injured fellow soldier, we pray for them.

Churchianity- We all want to be in charge
and be the head. Christianity- We realize that we are a body, and each part is important no matter how small.

Churchianity- We make sure we "bless" the
food before we eat. (This is the
only prayers we mutter all week long.)
Christianity- We fervently pray. Prayer is a way of life. We know that it changes things.

Churchianity- We run our own lives, only calling
on God when the car breaks down or we get a little sick.
Christianity- We seek the face of God concerning His will for our lives and follow with obedience.

Churchianity- Miracles?,Healing? Yeah, we read about it once.
Christianity- The church is operating in the same power of Acts chapter 2. Signs and wonders are a normal thing.

Churchianity- We need the latest and greatest programs to get people to come.
Christianity- The people are drawn by the tangible presence of God. They know us by our love.

Churchianity- Can't remember the last time someone came to the altar to get saved.
Christianity- Adding to the numbers daily, people crying out in repentance.

Churchianity- We don't share the gospel for fear of offending someone.
Christianity- We realize we are all called to spread the gospel and that the world is full of lost and dying souls. We are not ashamed of the gospel.

Tickling Ears

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires." (2Timothy 4:3)

The Bible message is being watered down so the world will accept it. Religious leaders and teachers are attempting to please their hearers - rather than please God by delivering his message "undiluted". The churches are more concerned with how to please people.
I read a transcript today of an interview with a pastor of one of America's largest churches. He is famous for NOT preaching "fire and brimstone". He says he likes to " help people". He has become a millionaire from his best selling book, which gives the same "feel good" message. The TRUTH doesn't always "feel good". Conviction definately doesn't feel good. Hell is a very real place. In order to give a correct teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one would have to mention hell. Sin must be talked about. Without the understanding of the law of the Old Testament and how sin seperates us from God, how can someone fully understand their need for a Savior, which is Jesus Christ? Believing in God, attending church or having a "religion" does not save a person's soul.
“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble.” (James 2:19)
This preacher was asked why he thinks he is so popular. I'll tell you why. He is tickling people's ears , like mentioned in 2 Timothy. The unsaved today don't need another message on "The 7 Steps to Financial Success". They need to hear the TRUTH. The truth can set people free. Jesus said, " I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE , and no one comes to the Father except through Me. " --- John 14: 6

He is God !

~He Is God~

He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation
and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe
and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be ..
.unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him,
and The leaders can't ignore Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him,
and The people couldn't hold Him
!Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him,
and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,His word is eternal,His will is unchanging,
and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,He is my comfort,He is my Lord,
and He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love,His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.
' I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders,
the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come.
And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,never forsake me,never mislead me,
never forget me,never overlook me
and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!
When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!
He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful.
I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,and that means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for GOD IS !

PASS THIS ON IF YOU BELIEVE IT... I love the Lord and thank Him for all that He has done in my life; therefore I'm passing this on.

Biblical Christianity Vs. Roman Catholicism

In 1515 Martin Luther saw it clearly, man is saved solely by his faith in Jesus Christ. The cross alone can remove man’s sin and save him from the grasp of the devil. The implications of Luther’s discovery were enormous. If salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, the intercession of priests is superfluous. Faith formed and nurtured by the Word of God written and preached, requires no monks, no masses, no prayers to the saints. The mediation of the Church of Rome crumbles into insignificance
The Catechism of the Catholic church says:
882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful."402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.
My Bible says:
Ephesians 1:22-23
And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The Catechism says:
1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.606 The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:607
As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.
My Bible says:
1 John 2:2
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The Catechism says:
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "And since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner. . . this sacrifice is truly propitiatory."
My Bible says:
Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
Hebrews 7:27-28
who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
The Catechism says:
1471 The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance.
What is an indulgence?
"An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."
"An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin." The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.
My Bible says:
Hebrews 9:22
And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Hebrews 10:18
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The Catechism says:
1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven
My Bible says:
Hebrews 1:3
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Colossians 1:22
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach
The Catechism says:
Outside the Church there is no salvation"
846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:
Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.
1498 Through indulgences the faithful can obtain the remission of temporal punishment resulting from sin for themselves and also for the souls in Purgatory
My Bible says:
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Galatians 1:9
As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
Some Roman Catholic Prayers:
Hail, Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

The Memorare of St. Bernard
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that nay one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, and sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother; to thee I come; before thee I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

The Roman Catholic church views Mary as being sinless. They put her in a position of deity. Jesus was the only sinless person to ever live. He was God and man.
As we have seen above the Catholic church states that one must be a member of that church for salvation , that the sacraments are necessary for salvation.
The Word of God states:
Rom 10:8-10 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Eph 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Notice that the central focus of the Scriptures is on Jesus for salvation. However, central to the Roman Catholic version of salvation is the Roman Catholic Church and their sacraments.
In regards to " another Gospel", my Bible says:
Gal 1:8-9 "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."
If one does a careful study of the Bible and what it says compared to what the Roman Catholic church teaches, it is evident that they are teaching something contrary to what the Holy Bible says.
Purgatory is a man made doctrine. It was never taught by the early church fathers, and it is not taught in the Word of God! It is, as catechism 1031 says, a "tradition." The rich man that died and went to hell in Luke 16, prayed to Father Abraham, but Abraham told him that his fate was sealed. It could not be changed.
Luke 16:22-26 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell (what happened to purgatory?) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime (you had your chance when you were living) receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you CANNOT; NEITHER CAN THEY PASS TO US, that would come from thence.
For Rome to sell indulgences, it needed a teaching that Jesus' Blood Atonement on the cross was not sufficient to remove "temporal punishment due to sin" - only eternal punishment. The Church of Rome used 2 MACCABBEES 12:42-44 to show that praying for the dead is "scriptural". This apocryphal book was written by a man who knew it wasn't divinely inspired (ref. 2 MACCABBEES 15:37). For the sales & marketing of indulgences, Purgatory served the Church of Rome well. As far as sound doctrine, purgatory fails. Any teaching that limits the Vicarious Blood Atonement of Jesus at the cross is heresy.

It Is All About Worship

"O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells. "-- Psalms 26 : 8
" For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. " --- Psalms 84 : 10
" I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD. ' " ---Psalms 122 : 1
" Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. "---Psalm 67 : 3

I worship God because He is God. I was created to worship God. I want to be like Mary. I pray that I can be like Mary. Martha was too busy, so busy that she overlooked the most important thing...worshipping Jesus, being in His presence, spending time with the Master. When we worship God, when we enter into His presence, it is then that bondages are broken, fear leaves and God can work on our hearts, making us more like Him.
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." ---John 4 : 23-24
Jesus Himself said that God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Unfortunately, in many churches the so called "worship" time is similar to a spectator sport. The seeker friendly movement has tried to make church something like attending a concert. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with good sound systems, talented musicians, lights etc.. but it needs to be for the glory of God. The Bible says that all of creation gives Him praise, we are all part of that creation. The very fact that we have breath is reason enough to worship. We should worship God even if we don't feel like it. We all know how to get excited at a football, soccer game etc. How about getting excited about God and all that He has done and is going to do?
" But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; " ---1 Peter 2 : 9
" So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. "---Acts 2 : 46-47
The church of Acts Chapter 2 grew rapidly. They worshipped God in spirit and in truth and added to their numbers daily. We don't have to have the best church "programs", the prettiest building etc... What this generation is hungry for is the tangible presence of God. When we worship in spirit and truth, His presence will come. Will you do what you were created to do?

Go Into All The World And Preach The Gospel

If we want an abundant end-time harvest, the church needs to get out and get to work. The field is plentiful, but harvesting takes work. We can't expect the field to harvest itself. We are called to be a light unto the world. We are called to be seperate. They should know us by our love. Just think how many people each of us comes in contact with every day, that do not know Jesus as their Savior. The Christian Church should be a force in todays world. It should be of greater impact than it is. The Church in America needs to awaken from it's slumber. We have been silent for too long. We have sat back and let abortion beccome legal, prayer be removed from our schools, and homosexuals get married. Evolution is the norm in our school's science classes. They can hand out condoms at school, but need parental permission to give an aspirin for a headache? We can kill babies but have to save the Manatee? Churches risk losing tax exempt status if the pastor speaks out on political issues, but the government can fund planned parenthood? Our buildings need to be a place to be equipped. When we leave the church building we need to take what we have learned and impact the world. We need to share our faith. We need to live what we believe. When is the last time you shared the Gospel of Jesus with someone? The church of Acts Chapter 2 greatly influenced the world. We need to have that same unity and power.
" And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. " Mark 16: 15
This is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task -- to be sharers of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. Will you do what Jesus asked you to do? .......

Free Speech For Pastors

You Can Give Back Free Speech To Your Pastor

Your pastor has been prevented from speaking out on moral and political issues for the past fifty years. If he or she does speak out, they risk losing your church’s tax-exempt status. Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) has introduced a bill in Congress; HR235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, which would restore the freedom of speech that was ripped from the churches in 1954, and would allow the church to resume its rightful place as a godly influence on the greatest country on earth.
“This legislation goes beyond party lines and theological debates. We must not allow a government institution to have this kind of chilling effect over America's churches." - U.S. Representative Walter Jones
Our Founding Fathers fully intended for the church to influence the running of the country. In fact a large number of these men were pastors themselves. And yet we, as Christians, have sat back and allowed our voice to be silenced without so much as a shout of protest. The time to start fighting back is now.
The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act would eliminate the intimidation tactics of the IRS and allow churches to once again address political issues from the pulpit. It would give pastors back the right to talk about moral issues that cross over into the political realm, such as abortion, without fear of the church being sued or harassed or even losing its tax-exempt status. It would also allow pastors to once again endorse godly candidates and give their congregation updates on bills that affect the moral climate of our country.
What YOU can do to help!
Please contact your member of Congress and ask them to support HR235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act and return our pastors' freedom of speech. We fully expect this legislation to pass this year, but it will take you contacting your members of Congress to make it happen. When those in office hear from the people on an issue like this it affects how they vote. If our members of Congress realize how important free speech in our nation’s churches is to you, then they will take action.
You can write or email your member of Congress by entering your zip code where indicated. Please follow the guidelines when contacting your members of Congress. Also you may reach your member of Congress through the Capitol Hill switchboard. The phone number is (202) 224-3121.

The Ten Commandments

The phrase "separation of church and state" is not even in the US Constitution. The writers of the Constitution did not want a Government run church like that of England. They wanted freedom of religion, freedom to practice religion the way they wanted. One can not deny that the United States was founded on Biblical principals . When all is said and done, TRUTH WILL PREVAIL.

ACLJ Pleased Federal Appeals Court Rejects Rehearing Request & Upholds Constitutionality of Ten Commandments Display in Kentucky

April 24, 2006
(Washington, DC) – The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), specializing in constitutional law, today said it is pleased that a federal appeals court has rejected a request to rehear a Ten Commandments case out of Kentucky which upholds the constitutionality of a Commandments display in Mercer County. The ACLJ represents Mercer County in the case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit voted 9-to-5 not to revisit a December 2005 decision by a three-judge panel upholding the constitutionality of the display.
“It’s very clear that the full appeals court believes that its three-judge panel ruled correctly in upholding the constitutionality of this display,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which represents Mercer County in defending the Commandments display. “This is an important defeat for the ACLU and other groups that are committed to removing our religious heritage and traditions from the public square. If this case is appealed to the Supreme Court, we stand ready to defend the display and remain confident that the constitutionality of the display will prevail.”
In December 2005, a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit voted unanimously rejecting the ACLU’s argument that the display – which includes the Commandments posted along with other historical documents in the county courthouse – violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
In that opinion, Circuit Judge Suhrheinrich said that the ACLU’s “repeated reference ‘to the separation of church and state’ . . . has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state.” The court said that a reasonable observer of Mercer County’s display would appreciate “the role religion has played in our governmental institutions, and finds it historically appropriate and traditionally acceptable for a state to include religious influences, even in the form of sacred texts, in honoring American traditions.”
Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice is the nation’s leading national public interest law firm defending religious liberty. The ACLJ specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.