Taking a Blogging Break!

I will be away from blogging for a little vacation. I will return on the 5th of September.

God Bless!

Marks Of A True Conversion

The following is excerpts from a sermon by George Whitefield. It can be read in its entirety here.

Matthew 18:3 — “Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I suppose I may take it for granted, that all of you, among whom I am now about to preach the kingdom of God, are fully convinced, that it is appointed for all men once to die, and that ye all really believe that after death comes the judgment, and that the consequences of that judgment will be, that ye must be doomed to dwell in the blackness of darkness, or ascend to dwell with the blessed God, for ever and ever. I may take it for granted also, that whatever your practice in common life may be, there is not one, though ever so profligate and abandoned, but hopes to go to that place, which the scriptures call Heaven, when he dies. And, I think, if I know any thing of mine own heart, my heart's desire, as well as my prayer to God, for you all, is, that I may see you sitting down in the kingdom of our heavenly Father. But then, though we all hope to go to heaven when we die, yet, if we may judge by people's lives, and our Lord says, “that by their fruits we may know them,” I am afraid it will be found, that thousands, and ten thousands, who hope to go to this blessed place after death, are not now in the way to it while they live. Though we call ourselves Christians, and would consider it as an affront put upon us, for any one to doubt whether we were Christians or not; yet there are a great many, who bear the name of Christ, that yet do not so much as know what real Christianity is. Hence it is, that if you ask a great many, upon what their hopes of heaven are founded, they will tell you, that they belong to this, or that, or the other denomination, and part of Christians, into which Christendom is now unhappily divided. If you ask others, upon what foundation they have built their hope of heaven, they will tell you, that they have been baptized, that their fathers and mothers, presented them to the Lord Jesus Christ in their infancy; and though, instead of fighting under Christ's banner, they have been fighting against him, almost ever since they were baptized, yet because they have been admitted to church, and their names are in the Register book of the parish, therefore they will make us believe, that their names are also written in the book of life. But a great many, who will not build their hopes of salvation upon such a sorry rotten foundation as this, yet if they are, what we generally call, negatively good people; if they live so as their neighbors cannot say that they do anybody harm, they do not doubt but they shall be happy when they die; nay, I have found many such die, as the scripture speaks, “without any hands in their death.” And if a person is what the world calls an honest moral man, if he does justly, and, what the world calls, love a little mercy, is not and then good-natured, reacheth out his hand to the poor, receives the sacrament once or twice a year, and is outwardly sober and honest; the world looks upon such an one as a Christian indeed, and doubtless we are to judge charitably of every such person. There are many likewise, who go on in a round of duties, a model of performances, that think they shall go to heaven; but if you examine them, though they have a Christ in their heads, they have no Christ in their hearts.

Are ye converted? Are ye become like little children? Then what must ye do? My dear hearers, be obedient to God, remember God is your father; and as every one of you must know what a dreadful cross it is to have a wicked, disobedient child; if ye do not want your children to be disobedient to you, for Christ's sake be not disobedient to your heavenly parent. If God be your father, obey him: if God be your father, serve him; love him with all your heart, love him with all your might, with all your soul, and with all your strength. If God be your father, fly from everything that may displease him; and walk worthy of that God, who has called you to his kingdom and glory. If ye are converted and become like little children, then behave as little children: they long for the breast, and with it will be contented. Are ye new-born babes? Then desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. I do not want that Arminian husks should go down with you; ye are kings sons and daughters, and have a more refined taste; you must have the doctrines of grace; and blessed be God that you dwell in a country, where the sincere word is so plainly preached. Are ye children? Then grow in grace, and in the knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Have any of you children that do not grow? Do not ye lament these children, and cry over them; do not ye say, my child will never be fit for anything in the world? Well, doth it grieve you to see a child that will not grow; how much must it grieve the heart of Christ to see you grow so little? Will ye be always children? Will ye be always learning the first principles of Christianity, and never press forward toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? God forbid. Let the language of your heart be, “Lord Jesus help me to grow, help me to learn more, learn me to live so as my progress may be known to all!”

But I only mention one thing more, and that is, if ye are converted, and become as little children, then for God's sake take care of doing what children often do; they are too apt to quarrel one with another. O love one another; “he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.” Joseph knew that his brethren were in danger of falling out, therefore when he left them, says he, “fall not out by the way.” Ye are all children of the same Father, ye are all going to the same place; why should ye differ? The world has enough against us, the devil has enough against us, without our quarreling with each other; O walk in love. If I could preach no more, if I was not able to hold out to the end of my sermon, I would say as John did, when he was grown old and could not preach, “Little children, love one another:” if ye are God's children, then love one another. There is nothing grieves me more, than the differences amongst God's people. O hasten that time, when we shall either go to heaven, or never quarrel any more!

My dear friends, there is a great deal more implied in the words, than is expressed: when Christ says, “Ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” it is as much to say, “ye shall certainly go to hell, ye shall certainly be damned, and dwell in the blackness of darkness for ever, ye shall go where the worm dies not, and where the fire is not quenched.” The Lord God impress it upon your souls! May an arrow (as one lately wrote me in a letter) dipped in the blood of Christ, reach every unconverted sinner's heart! May God fulfill the text to every one of your souls! It is he alone that can do it. If ye confess your sins, and leave them, and lay hold on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God shall be given you; if you will go and say, turn me, O my God! Thou knowest not, O man, what the return of God may be to thee.

Precious souls, for God's sake think what will become of you when ye die, if you die without being converted; if ye go hence without the wedding garment, God will strike you speechless, and ye shall be banished from his presence for ever and ever. I know ye cannot dwell with everlasting burnings; behold then I show you a way of escape; Jesus is the way, Jesus is the truth, the Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the live. It is his Spirit must convert you, come to Christ, and ye shall have it; and may God for Christ's sake give it to you all, and convert you, that we may all meet, never to part again, in his heavenly kingdom; even so Lord Jesus, Amen and Amen.

"There are many likewise, who go on in a round of duties, a model of performances, that think they shall go to heaven; but if you examine them, though they have a Christ in their heads, they have no Christ in their hearts."
There are many people like this filling the pews of many churches today. Knowledge of God does not save your soul. Going to church does not get you entrance in to heaven. Simply "believing" in God is not enough. Having Christian parents is not enough. Being born in a Christian nation is not enough. Being baptized as an infant does not get you to heaven. "You must be born again". Confess your sins. have faith in the blood of Jesus and His death and resurrection. Repent (turn away) from your sins and make Jesus Lord of yur life. True "life" is found when you serve the Lord Jesus Christ. God loves everyone, but if you are not Born Again you are under His wrath. Everyone WILL stand before Him one day. Hell is real and if you are not Born Again, and on your way to Heaven, then you are headed for Hell. There is no in between!

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Ecumenicalism Is WRONG!

What is Ecumenicalism?
Simply put, ecumenicalism is the idea that all religions are the same, and that all lead to the one deity/deities. Many in Christendom, especially Catholicism and liberal Protestantism, support the idea of making this idea a practical reality; i.e., a one world religion. The ecumenical movement is a Satanic system of lies built on a lie and supported and promoted by professional liars ($$$). There is NO single final Scriptural authority within the ecumenical movement. The ecumenical movement of today is a satanic unity plan and quite simply is NOT, I repeat NOT the unity that the Lord Jesus Christ's true spiritual body is comprised of, let alone the unity that Christ prayed for in John 17.

Does popularity, growth and big crowds mean God is pleased? NO! Bigness does not prove the blessing of God.

Is it judging or causing division to point out the problems of the ecumenical movement? No! Peter preached a great sermon at Pentecost and had three thousand saved and was a great soul winner. Still Paul needed to face him openly and publicly rebuke him for his compromise, as we learn in Galatians 2:11-14. Nobody gets so big and popular and famous that he has a right to disobey the Bible. Concerning people's hearts, we cannot judge and we should be very careful about our opinions, because we want people to be charitable to us, too, about the matters they cannot know and cannot see in our hearts. But about right and wrong, as clearly commanded in the Bible, we have a right to speak, and we have a right to require in Christian fellowship the very things that God requires.

This idea that the truth should never be defended and a wrong should never be attacked is wholly different from the plain teaching of the Bible. Jesus commanded us to "beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear" (I Tim. 5:20). Jude 3 tells us that "Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Worldly Christians think you could win more souls if you preach on Heaven but never on Hell; if you preach on faith but never on repentance! They think you can get more people saved if you never whip your children, if you never enforce the law, if you never offend anybody! On the other hand, all the great soul winners through the centuries- Wesley, Whitefield, Spurgeon, Billy Sunday, Edwards - have proved that the greatest number of souls have been saved by plain, sharp preaching against sin and by exposure of sin.

There is no Christian unity where there is not unity in the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). The True Body of Christ IS In Unity! In His prayer Jesus specified the kind of persons who can be in unity as He is in unity with the Father (John. 17:22b). He made clear the desired unity would be a spiritual unity (17:5; 10:30), unity in Truth (17:17), and in agape Love (17:23,26).

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (John 15:2-6)

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:18-23)

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
(1 John 2:28-29)


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How To Pray For Israel And The Middle East

Got this in my e-mail today!

HOW TO PRAY FOR ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST

By Dr. Michael L. Brown

August 15, 2006


As there is a temporary break in the hostilities in the Middle East, now is a good time to stop and ask: How should we pray for crises such as this? Should we pray for God to protect the Jewish people from terrorist attacks and for Israel’s military efforts to succeed, or should we pray that God will have mercy on everyone involved – Muslim and Jew alike – bringing a permanent end to all bloodshed? Should we pray for lasting peace to come to the region, or should we pray for the Lord’s speedy return, since that is the only way to achieve true and lasting peace? Should we pray only for the salvation of lost souls, or should we pray for God’s prophetic purposes to come to pass?

Since our prayer support is crucial, let me offer some basic and practical guidelines that will help you to pray more effectively.

1) The current crisis is another birth pang, not the end of the world.

It is easy to overreact every time war breaks out in the Middle East, as if we were about to enter the final conflict and Armageddon was only days away. Without a doubt, the current situation is critical: It involves more than Israel and Lebanon, it is part of the larger conflict with militant Islam, and Iran, which could soon be a nuclear threat, is playing a direct role. And the human suffering is certainly great: Many lives have been lost; many families have been devastated; normal life for many will never return.

But this is not the end of the world, and we need to pray accordingly. God is at work, the enemy is raging, and the plan of redemption continues to unfold. This is not the time to panic; this is the time to dig in! “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matt 24:6-8). As the birth pangs increase in speed and intensity and duration, we will know we are getting closer to the end – which will really be the beginning of a whole new world. But, to repeat: This is just another birth pang, with many more still to come.

On the other hand, the devil is trying to bring about greater disaster and war before that final end, attempting to wreak whatever havoc he can and to destroy as many lives as possible. We should therefore pray for God’s restraining hand in the Middle East, not allowing Satan’s work to triumph.

“Father, do not allow the enemy to accomplish his plans and purposes. May Your will, and Your will alone, be done in Israel and the surrounding nations!”

2) Jesus died for the sins of the world, and every soul is precious in His sight.

It is certainly appropriate to pray that God will thwart the attacks of those who seek to destroy His people Israel, but whenever we pray, we must always remember God’s heart for a lost and dying world. Every life is precious to Him, and Jesus died for Jew and Gentile alike. The Scriptures are totally clear on this: He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9), and He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). Jesus is not only the propitiation for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

In terms of our salvation and standing in the Lord, “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Rom 10:12-13) In light of this, we should pray that God would use the current crisis to open the eyes of both Israelis and Arabs to the good news of the Messiah, and we should ask our Father for a great harvest of souls, for many new births to take place – even among the terrorists. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Jesus is still the one who saves to the uttermost (Heb 7:25).

So, pray for the gospel to go forth in love and power and compassion. Pray for divine opportunities for Jesus to be exalted in the Middle East. Pray that God would open up closed hearts and uncover deaf ears, remembering that it is often during times of crisis that people turn to the Lord. Be sure also to pray for those who are Christian in name only – this is prevalent in Lebanon – that their eyes would be opened to the truth. And pray that God would expose the emptiness of Islam, since many young people around the world are being drawn into it, especially in its most radical forms.

“Father, save a multitude of Jews and Muslims through the mercy of Your Son! In this time of displacement and upheaval and fear, turn people’s hearts to You!”

3) The Lord has special purposes for the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

The Scriptures are totally clear in this regard too. Even though the great majority of the Jewish people still do not believe in Yeshua, the Word declares, “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:28-29). The Jewish people are still loved by God, still elect, and His promise still stands: No matter what sins His people may commit, He will not utterly destroy them (see Jer 31:35-37).

The Lord is still working to preserve and keep His ancient, covenant people, and He will still judge those who seek to destroy them or wipe them out. As He said through Jeremiah more than 2,500 years ago, “‘I am with you and will save you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’” (Jer 30:11) This holds true to this very day.

It is the Lord who brought back the Jewish people to the Land of Israel in the 20th century, an event of great prophetic significance (see Ezek 36:22-36; this passage not only applied to the return from the Babylonian exile; it speaks to our day and age as well). Just as Ezekiel prophesied, the Jewish people have returned to their homeland – for the most part, in unbelief, and therefore unworthy of God’s grace – and, just as he prophesied, it is in the Land that God is having mercy on them and changing their hearts. He is doing it in ever-increasing measure, with more and more native-born Israelis coming to faith every year.

The Lord is still in covenant relationship with Israel in a special and unique way, which means that those who seek to wipe out Israel, who launch terrorist attacks against the Jews, who plot for Israel’s destruction, are ultimately fighting against God Himself. Whether they know it or not, they are seeking to make Him into a liar, to prove His Word false, to destroy those whom God promised to preserve.

In light of that, we should pray for God to stand against those who seek to destroy His people, asking Him to frustrate their devices, but we must still never forget that the ultimate need of the people of Israel is a personal relationship with God through the Messiah.

We are mindful of the fact that every life is precious in His sight, and the Lord grieves over the death of a Lebanese child just as He grieves over the death of an Israeli child. He has compassion on all of His creation! But He does have specific plans for Israel, plans that will ultimately affect the entire world.

There is also a difference in the war being waged today when viewed from the perspective of Israel and from the perspective of the terrorists. As Israeli leaders have said on numerous occasions, for them, the death of every Lebanese child or civilian is a terrible tragedy, something to be avoided. For the terrorists, the death of every Israeli child or civilian is a great victory, something to be celebrated. Israel is fighting for survival, longing to live in peace; the terrorists are fighting for Israel’s destruction, longing to triumph in war. Here is a link to an excellent, two-minute video that will help set the record straight, showing you what the media often fails to report: CLICK HERE


So, pray for God to preserve Israel in the midst of the terrorist attacks, praying specially for His protection on all those who know Him and call upon Him in truth.

“Father, frustrate the devices of all who would seek to wipe out Your people Israel, and cause Your purposes for Israel to stand – in the region and the world. Remember Your covenantal promises, and continue to reveal Yeshua as the only Hope of our nation.”

4) Yeshua will return to a Jewish Jerusalem that welcomes Him as King.

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus spoke to Jerusalem and said, “Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt 23:38-39) In other words, “Jerusalem, you are about to devastated and destroyed, and you will not see Me again until you welcome Me as your Messianic King.”

Yeshua will return to a Jewish Jerusalem when the Jewish people in Jerusalem welcome Him back. That means that Satan is trying desperately to keep the Jewish people from recognizing Yeshua as Messiah, he is trying to keep Jerusalem out of Jewish hands, and he is trying to wipe out the Jewish people. The devil knows that when a Jewish Jerusalem welcomes back Yeshua, it’s over and done for him.

The Scriptures teach that, at the end of the age, God Himself will cause Jerusalem to be at the center of a great world conflict, out of which He will deliver His people (see Zechariah 12-14). That’s why the battle for Jerusalem is so intense. And so, just as the ultimate reason for anti-Semitism is that the Messiah is a Jew and that God has worked out His salvation purposes for the world through Israel, so also, it is because Jesus will be returning to a Jewish Jerusalem that this city is the ultimate spiritual battleground. That’s why God’s people are called to pray specifically for Jerusalem.

The Scriptures are clear on this point too: “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth” (Isa 62:6-7). We are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122) and, more specifically, to give God no rest until “He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” Jerusalem is the chosen city, but it is a city in desperate need of divine visitation.

Pray for God’s purposes for Jerusalem to stand, for all attempts to wrest it out of Jewish hands to fail, for war and disaster to be held back until the appointed times, and for the eyes of the Jewish people – including the leadership! – to be opened to recognize Yeshua as Messiah and King. It’s time!

To sum up, we are to pray for souls, and we are to pray for God’s prophetic purposes to come to pass. We should pray for great mercy to be poured out in the region, for a great ingathering of souls, for the Jewish people to be preserved, for God’s plans for Israel to come to pass, and for the lost sheep of the house of Israel to be reunited with their Shepherd.

“Your kingdom come, Lord! Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Your name be exalted! Preserve Jerusalem, Father! Make this city the praise of the entire earth! And prepare the hearts of Your people there to welcome back Your Son!”


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

Recently, I was on a Christian broadcast that airs live in Israel (broadcast by Daystar TV), and I was asked to say something directly to those watching in the Land. It was my joy to tell them that they are not alone, that in the midst of the bombs falling – bombs that have displaced more than one sixth of the nation’s population – Christians around the world are standing with them in prayer and fasting.

Be assured, fellow-laborers, that you are making a great difference, and keep pressing in and holding God to His promises. He is faithful! And let us believe that the time to favor Zion is at hand, knowing that, as great mercy comes to Israel, extraordinary grace will come to the nations of the world as well. As Paul stated in Rom 11:13-16, “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.”

Israel is still a people of promise, and the loving intercession of Messiah’s people will speed the day when every promise is fulfilled. Hasten it, Lord!

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

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...And That Is The Truth!!

Why do people think that to judge sin is judging the person? It is not! Sin is sin! Right is right and wrong is wrong! There is truth and there is everything else. God will judge the people, but they must be aware of their sin and need for a Savior. The church has fallen for the lie that we have to be careful not to offend, that we have to be a friend of the world. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Peace that is obtained by compromising the truth is in fact not peace at all, it is a false peace. The disciples were not popular. They did not compromise. They stood for truth at any cost...their heads...their lives. Becoming a Christian is not a membership to an elite social club, it is an enlistment in the Army of the Lord! God would not have chosen to call it that if we were not supposed to fight! God is a God of love, He loves His people. If you are not one of His, not Born Again, you are under His wrath! ...and that is the truth!!!!

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More Really Great Quotes!

"The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State!" - Harry S. Truman

"We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation, without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt ("fireside chat" radio broadcast, 1935)

"Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. The Bible can touch hearts, order minds, and refresh souls." - Ronald Reagan

Regarding Abortion:

"Our nation-wide policy of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by our people, nor enacted by our legislators--not a single state had such unrestricted abortion before the Supreme Court decreed it to be national policy in 1973. [It was] an act of raw judicial power"...

"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life--the unborn--without diminishing the value of all human life."
[Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1984. pp 15-18)] - Ronald Reagan

"America was born a Christian nation, America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture." - Woodrow Wilson

“Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure ourselves what that life would be if these standards were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals, all the standards which we, with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt on "going to church"-

“On Sunday, go to church. Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator and dedicate oneself to good living in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in one's own house, just as well as in Church.
“ But I also know as a matter of cold fact that the average man does not thus worship or thus himself. If he stays away from Church, he does not spend his time in good works or lofty meditation.
“ He looks over the colored supplement of the newspaper, he yawns, and he finally seeks relief from the mental vacuity of isolation by going where the combined mental vacuity of many partially relieves the mental vacuity of each particular individual.”
– Theodore Roosevelt, The Ladies Home Journal, Oct 1913

"And let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledging the power and goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country's history, let us invoke His aid and His blessings upon our labors." - Grover Cleveland [First Inaugural Address. March 4, 1885]

"Above all, I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know He will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek His powerful aid." - Grover Cleveland [Second Inaugural Address. March 4, 1893]

"In regards to this great Book (the Bible),I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it." - Abraham Lincoln

"I believe I am an humble servant in the hands of our Heavenly Father; I desire that all my words and acts may be according to His will." - Abraham Lincoln

“What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.” - George Washington in a speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779

A Portion of George Washington's Personal Prayers:

“O Most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ, my merciful and loving Father; I acknowledge and confess my guilt in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day. I have called on Thee for pardon and forgiveness of my sins, but so coldly and carelessly that my prayers are become my sin, and they stand in need of pardon.”
“ I have sinned against heaven and before Thee in thought, word, and deed. I have contemned Thy majesty and holy laws. I have likewise sinned by omitting what I ought to have done and committing what I ought not. I have rebelled against the light, despising Thy mercies and judgment, and broken my vows and promise. I have neglected the better things. My iniquities are multiplied and my sins are very great. I confess them, O Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing and desire to be vile in my own eyes as I have rendered myself vile in Thine. I humbly beseech Thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins for the sake of Thy dear Son and only Savior Jesus Christ who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Thou gavest Thy Son to die for me.”

"Make me to know what is acceptable in Thy sight, and therein to delight, open the eyes of my understanding, and help me thoroughly to examine myself concerning my knowledge, faith, and repentance, increase my faith, and direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life, ..."
[from a 24 page authentic handwritten manuscript book dated April 21-23, 1752]

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." - Jesus Christ (John 14:6)


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WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

Shocking! Vulgar! Distasteful!

Jesus Christ, God's sinless son, covered with all the filthy deeds of degenerate mankind! Who would dare?

God dared - dared to give the life of his son in payment for your lost soul.

BUT WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO TAKE OUR SIN TO HIMSELF BEFORE HE COULD FORGIVE US?

To die in our place , Jesus had to become exactly what we are – SIN. We have saturated our lives with selfishness, lust, pride, resentment, bitterness, and hostility. Can you look in the mirror and praise what you see? God sees much deeper, and is very displeased.

THE BIBLE SAYS OF US: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23

“There is none that doeth good, no not one. ” Rom. 3:12

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. ” Mark 7:21-23 Your very thoughts have defiled you. You are what you think. Every vile act began as a thought. You are no better than your thoughts, and without God may one day become as bad.

God judges more than the act, he also judges the intentions of the heart.

God sees the lust in your heart as being adultery. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart .” Matt. 5:28

God sees the hate in your heart as murder. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matt. 5:22 God records every sin to be used against you in the Day of Judgment. You have built an airtight case against yourself. Have you ever wondered what your record (all your thoughts included) might look like so far? Would you be ashamed for your mother to read it? “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing.” Ecc. 12:14

“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Heb. 9:27 Eternal death is the consequence of sin. “The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4

God will return “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” 2 Thes. 1:8-9 “BUT WHY DOES GOD HAVE TO GET SO ANGRY AND DAMN EVERYONE OVER A FEW LITTLE SINS?”

It is our attitude that sin is “little” or of no significance that makes us blameworthy and damnable in God's sight.

If God did not intervene, sin would still end in death. You have seen sin strangle love, shatter the family, stab friends in the back, mock things that really matter, turn its back on compassion, lie to the conscience, and knowingly do the very things that bring regret in the morning.

God has promised to put an end to sin. He has condemned sin and everything associated with it, including the earth we are living on. Sin eternally separates one from God. As long as you are engaged in sin you are the enemy of God, and are destined for destruction.

HELL IS A REAL PLACE

“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13: 49-50

God did not create Hell to satisfy his anger but to satisfy his holiness. HELL IS EARTH'S JUNK YARD, THE HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMP OF THE UNIVERSE. It is the black hole that finally sucks in all that is rebellious, unkind, proud, lustful, and destructive.

Even in the eternal torment of The Lake of Fire, sinners will not repent. Their hatred for God and all that is righteous will grow with the passing of centuries. May God help you repent now, before your heart gets too hard.

But God Made A Way

Knowing the awful damnation we would suffer, God devised a method to save us.

Compelled by his love, Jesus Christ stepped out of eternity and into time and space. He reduced himself to human flesh and entered the world by the womb of a virgin. Thirty-three years later, before leaving this planet, he dressed himself in our sins and became a sacrifice to God by bleeding to death on a Roman cross.

THE CROSS WAS A SLAUGHTER.

Christ was first given 39 lashes from a 'cat of nine tails' (a whip with nine leather straps each bearing a cutting instrument at the end) providing a potential of 351 lacerations. He was blindfolded and beaten beyond recognition. They pulled out his beard and placed a crown of thorns on his head. With mocking hostility, the religious in the crowd spit into the blood that streamed down his face.

As he stood in silence, the greatest pain was not the thorns scratching his skull or the flesh dangling from his back; IT WAS THE SHAME OF OUR SIN.

He Took Your Place.

ALL SINS of ALL PERSONS , past and future, were laid on Christ. HE BORE THEM SO INTIMATELY, THE BIBLE SAYS HE BECAME SIN . He “despised the shame,” but for our salvation he “endured the cross.” Imagine! The most pure and holy taking the place of the most impure and unholy!

“He (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us.”

2 Cor. 5:21

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” 1 Pet. 2:24

“The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ” Isa. 53:6

“Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. ” Isa. 53:10

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins , the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh.” I Pet. 3:18

CHRIST'S ARMS WERE NAILED WIDE OPEN TO RECEIVE ALL WHO WILL COME TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS.

Do You Believe This Good News?

He did it all for you, rotten filthy you.

If you desire God, and you believe with all your heart, your sins are all forgiven. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

It is not religion. It is the person Jesus. Trust him. Love him. Follow him. As you believe this good news your sins are forgiven and God will change your life. Find some place to get alone and thank God for being your Savior.

This tract is available upon request - please contact No Greater Joy Ministries and request "God made Jesus To Be Sin" tract.


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To Who Does Jerusalem Belong?

Zechariah 12:2-3 "I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves."

To Who Does Jerusalem Belong?

The Jews say it belongs to Israel. It was the political capital and Temple worship center of the ancient Commonwealth for over 1,000 years, has been the spiritual home of the Jewish people ever since, and is understood to be the future capital of the Messiah.

The Arabs say it belongs to Islam. It is the third most sacred place to Moslem believers, next to Mecca and Medina. The city was under Moslem control from the seventh century until World War I, with the one-century exception during the Crusades.

The Papacy says it belongs to Christendom. Jerusalem is sacred to Christians because of both Old and New Testament associations, and is the site of the death and resurrection of Christ. The holy sites are of great concern, of which the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is supreme.

The United Nations says it belongs to the world. Jerusalem is revered by the world’s three great monotheistic religions, and is critical as a hot spot that could well endanger world peace. Therefore, the U.N. wants to “internationalize” the city, so that no one ethnic or religious group would have control.

THE TRUTH IS.... All of the Land of Israel, including Jerusalem, belongs to the Jewish people by divine decree, and we should recognize their rights of ownership.
The Abrahamic covenant was established between God and Israel. God,and God alone, has the right to determine the level of blessing or cursing to be given out to his people. But the Abrahamic covenant does have a component that applies to all the nations. God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). Even when Israel was under God’s judgment, God still held nations accountable for their treatment of the Jewish people. God judged the Assyrians and the Babylonians for mistreating his people (Jeremiah 50:17–19). God also announced he would judge nations based on their treatment of his chosen people (Jeremiah 30:16; Obadiah 15–17). The Abrahamic covenant is still operative, and God still holds nations accountable to seek ways to bless the Jewish people. And one way to do that today is to support Israel’s right to their God-given land.

We should back Israel's possession of the Land in every way. We should suport Israeli believers in Christ. Israel becoming a nation once again was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. It is a priveledge to be living in a time when the stage is being set for the end time events.

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3)


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HAS GOD FORSAKEN HIS PEOPLE?

The following is written by Dr. Michael Brown of ICN Ministries. I encourage you to visit his
website. It is wonderful! Lots of great articles to read. He is a Messianic Jew.

HAS GOD FORSAKEN HIS PEOPLE?

Some things are non-negotiable. God’s covenant with Israel is one of them. How could He have made Himself more clear?

He gave His oath to Abram, and reiterated it six more times to Abraham, to his son Isaac and to his grandson Jacob. On one occasion, “When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself” (Heb. 6:13).

Why did God speak so decisively? It was because He “wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, [so] He confirmed it with an oath’ (Heb. 6:17). God Who cannot lie bound Himself by an oath!

His covenant with Israel was reiterated through Moses, repeated by the prophets and rehearsed by the psalmists. Jesus Himself affirmed it (Matt. 19:28), Paul articulated it (Rom. 9-11) and the gates of the New Jerusalem announce it forever (Rev. 22:11-12). God has chosen Israel as His covenant people.

What if Israel broke the covenant? What would then happen to them? Listen to these unmistakably clear truths: “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished” (Jer. 30:11). God will completely destroy other nations, but He will not completely destroy Israel! He treats His people differently from other people; they are judged more strictly, but they will never be wiped out.

No matter what Israel does, God will never forsake them as a distinct people. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the Lord declares that He will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah. But He doesn’t stop there. It’s as if He’s saying, “Now, don’t get me wrong! Don’t think that this new covenant means that I’m abandoning My people. No!”

This is what the LORD says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the LORD Almighty is His name: “Only if these decrees vanish from My sight,” declares the LORD, “will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Me.” This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the LORD (Jer. 31:35-37).

As long as there is a sun, moon, stars, earth, and sea, there will be a distinct people of Israel – no matter what they do. It’s God’s promise! It’s true!

“Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I shall remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him, I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord (Jer. 31:20)

Look at how relevant God’s prophetic word is to our day and age. For centuries the Church, in arrogance, because of ignorance, claimed that she alone was the true Israel, that she had replaced the ancient covenant people. The Church taught that it was the Christians alone who were the true Jews. (How strange that these Christians were not claiming to be Jewish during the Holocaust!) The Church taught emphatically that the physical people of Israel (those who were ethnically Jewish and those who joined the nation through conversion to Judaism) were eternally rejected.

This is not some worn-out old doctrine. It is on the increase again in our day. Yet the Lord is not surprised. Twenty-five hundred years ago, He already addressed this issue:

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “ Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms He chose?’ So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: ‘If I have not established My covenant with day and night and the fixed laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them’ ” (Jer. 33:23-26)

People are still murmuring against Israel and despising the people and the nation.

God’s answer is still the same: “I will never reject them!”

What exactly did God promise Abraham and his descendants? How long are His promises good? Psalm 105 has the answer for us.

He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit” (Ps. 105:8-11).

Did God make himself clear? The Scriptures speak of God’s covenant, the word He commanded, His oath which He confirmed as a decree forever, for a thousand generations, as an everlasting covenant. The Lord is trying to make a point!

Not only did He promise to bless Abraham and make him into a great nation; not only did He promise to multiply his seed; not only did He promise to make him the father of many nations; not only did He promise to bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him; He also promised Abraham the land of Canaan, with clearly defined borders, as an everlasting inheritance to his natural descendants – until this earth is no more.

Amazingly, some teachers have tried to get out of this perpetual land promise to Israel. They claim that in the New Testament, neither Jesus nor the apostles ever reiterate this particular aspect of the covenant. But why should they reiterate it? When almost all of the New Testament was being written, about one million Jews were living in the Land, Jerusalem was the spiritual and national capitol and the Temple was still standing. And Jesus made it clear that, despite Jerusalem’s soon-coming destruction – a destruction that would last “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” – He would come back to a Jewish Jerusalem (Luke 21:24; Matt. 23:37-39). Obviously Jews would be in the Land!

But there is another reason why Jesus and the apostles did not explicitly stress the land promise to their people. The specifics of God’s covenant with the patriarchs were so clearly stated in the Scriptures that it would have been a waste of words to repeat them all! David Brown, the respected nineteenth century Bible commentator, was correct when he said: “What is permanent in the kingdom of God under the Old Testament is PRESUMED in the New.”

And let all believers who question Israel’s rights to the Land, based on the New Testament, take note of this: The New Testament doesn’t state that Israel would be exiled from the Land either! Both of these Old Testament truths, Israel’s scattering and Israel’s regathering, are presumed in the New.

The covenant God made with Israel is just like the covenant He made with David. The Lord declared to David that He would establish a lasting dynasty for him. He gave this promise to David’s son who would succeed him on the throne:

When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But My love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever (2 Sam. 7:14-16)

What a wonderful word! In spite of David’s terrible sin and Solomon’s tragic backsliding, in spite of the godlessness of Davidic kings like Ahaz and Manasseh, the kingdom would never be taken from his physical descendants.

When the kingdom was divided and God gave Jeroboam the ten northern tribes, He did so to humble David’s descendants, “but not forever” (1 Kin. 11:39). He still left one tribe with the sons of David, “so that David My servant may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name” (1 Kin. 11:36). The King of kings and Lord of lords is a direct descendant of David! God was faithful to keep His word to David, and He is just as faithful to keep His word to Israel.

His covenant with Abraham is just as unconditional and everlasting as His covenant with David. Read Genesis 15 carefully. In ancient days, that is how covenants were made. Sacrificial animals were cut in two and their severed bodies placed in two lines. Both parties entering into the covenant would then walk between the carcasses. By doing so they were symbolically saying, “If I break this binding agreement, if I fail to uphold my side of the pact, then let me suffer the same fate that these animals have suffered.” But something was different in Genesis 15. Only God passed through the pieces! This was a one-way deal (see Gen. 15:17-21)

The Land belonged to other nations. But at the proper time it would be given to Abraham’s seed. If they violated the terms of the covenant – especially as expressed through Moses – then they would be punished and even driven temporarily from the Land. But just as God’s word to David stands firm, His word to Abraham endures, no matter what Israel does. This is what He said through Moses. When the Israelites are

…in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking My covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD (Lev. 26:44-45; see also Deut. 4:27, 30-31)

Even today, when “As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on [our] account; [yet] as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:28-29). Could anything be more plain?

Right now the great majority of the Jewish people are our “enemies” as far as the gospel is concerned. They reject our message (the Orthodox Jews reject it most strongly), and some even actively oppose it. As individuals, they forfeit their covenant blessings when they turn from Jesus the Messiah. But as a people, they are still elect and loved “on account of the patriarchs.” Otherwise, God’s promises have no meaning and election has no significance. “Abraham, I’m swearing by Myself, I’m putting My reputation on the line. I will bless your offspring always – no matter what. (But I may replace them with someone else one day!)” That is not the Lord that we serve.

God’s covenant with Abraham is just as unconditional and everlasting as His covenant with the Church. The Lord “saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:5). Praise God, we were chosen by grace! But we are not the only recipients of the Lord’s unmerited favor. To Israel, Moses said:

The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deut. 7:7-8).

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? God’s covenants with Israel and with the Church are based on His promise, not our performance.

Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church both stood, and still stand, by grace. Both received God’s eternal promises. Together we make up the family of God: The faithful ones of Israel and the chosen ones from every nation become one new man out of the two, one body, one people. “For through Him [Jesus!] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Eph. 2:18). Great is the wisdom of God.

This is not what the Muslims believe. It is a fundamental tenet of the Koran that both Israel and the Church failed. Moses was a prophet. Jesus was a prophet. But Muhammad was the seal of the prophets, the messenger of the final revelation. The Jews are not the people of God – they failed! The Christians are not the people of God – they failed! It is Muslims who are the people of God.

Of course, this is preposterous. But, in the event that you are still uncertain about the calling of Israel, consider this simple truth: If God could forsake Israel, in spite of His unconditional, everlasting promises, then He could forsake the Church! If God could replace Israel, in spite of His unconditional, everlasting promises, then He could replace the Church! So, if you hold to a theology that says, “God has forsaken physical Israel,” or “The Church has replaced Israel,” you had better be extremely careful.

Maybe the Koran is right!

*Excerpted from Michael L. Brown, Our Hands Are Stained with Blood, chapter 12.

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

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Blessed Are Those Who Put Their Trust In Him

Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us."

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision.

5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:

6 "Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion."

7 "I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.

8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' "

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.




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Sheep Among Wolves

I was flipping the channels last night and caught a bit of a documentary on PBS. I do not know the name of it, but I heard something very disturbing. Of course, this show was from a secular viewpoint. The man doing the documentary pointed out that the Christian Church in America has changed its message to suit the times. How sad is that? The church changing to appease the world? Unfortunately that is what the church is doing. That is where we get the whole "seeker friendly" and "emergent church" movement. That is why certain sects of the Episcopalian and Presbyterian Churches want to ordain homosexuals and change the Holy Trinity. That is why we have churches that claim to be Christian, openly accepting the practice of homosexuality.

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

We are in those times that were mentioned in 2 Timothy. The largest churches, the so called "most successful" churches, the most "popular" churches, are the ones that are tickling peoples ears, preaching a "feel good" message and never mentioning sin. Churches are marketing, opening cafes, trying to have the best of the latest and greatest to be appealing to the world. Where did it say in the Bible that we had to be like the world? When there is very little distinction between a church worship service and a concert there is a problem. When the sermon sounds like a motivational message from Tony Robbins there is a problem.

I heard a commercial on television the other night that disturbed me greatly. It was for a large Christian gathering that is going to make available some of its meetings on pay-per-view. The way it is presented is that you can have 3 hours of "non-stop entertainment". Hmmm.... Are the things of God, worship, teaching and preaching supposed to be entertaining?

Have we forgotten the awesome Holiness of our God? God has not changed and that is why it is so disturbing that the message has changed. If sin was so serious that Jesus had to die for it, then I think it needs to be mentioned. How can someone understand their need for a Savior and their wretched state, without the mention of sin? Everyone wants to hear of the loving and wonderful creator God, and He is all that. He is also a just God whom we all will stand before one day to be judged. Churches have gotten away from mentioning hell. They don't want to offend anyone, they want them to feel good so they will come back. Hell is real! If Jesus is not your Savior and you are not born again , you WILL go there. TRUTH is what the world needs! They can go anywhere and hear a feel good message. TRUTH IS WHAT SETS PEOPLE FREE!

Why are so many pastors afraid to tell the truth? I'll tell you why. They want to be popular. They want to have the biggest building, the largest attendance, sell the most books. I wonder if they remember that the disciples were not very populsr. They went to jail, were persecuted and beheaded. They were not looking to get on The New York Times Best Seller List.

Christians can not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole Gospel. The true Gospel. The church needs to stop trying to be at peace with the world by being more and more like the world. We need to be different, Holy and set apart.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34)

The sword is the truth of God's Word. It is a weapon of warfare. Standing for truth does not bring peace, quite often it does the opposite. The world is at enmity with the truth. Jesus said He was sending us out as sheep among wolves.(Matthew 10:16)

Are you willing to pick up your sword and head into battle? TRUTH must be proclaimed!

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

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