This post is going to be a little different. Instead of having a specific topic I have read four scriptures that I am going to reflect on in word instead of just thought. I just feel like this personal reflection will hopefully speak to someone else, besides me.
1.Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5
God is going to honor his promises to his believers. Having faith and knowing God will get us through any challenges is the key to success. God loves us and will never lie or mislead us, we just have to let Him drive.
2. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. Proverbs 30:32-33
Garbage in, garbage out. We can lie to ourselves. Inflating our egos by saying look what I have done, or spiteful, ungrateful thoughts will come back on us. If you churn milk you will get butter, and hitting someone in the nose will make it bleed, feeding our heart with profane and mean thoughts will cause us to become farther from God. If we call ourselves Christian we must do our best in both action and word.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it. John 14:13-14
God has and will take care of us if we let Him. We have to ask and believe that He is bigger than any of our problems. Odds are the problems we face are something to do with life and the world, fortunately for us God is the creator of both those things which means He can straighten out any problems with them. All we have to do is tell Him what we need and let Him know that we are going to let Him fix it according to HIS will.
I am the vine, ye are the branches:He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:7
Staying faithful and not losing hope when we have a bump in life will let us grow and succeed. If we lose faith or try to solve everything ourself we will wither and fail, but through Him we will not just have the minimum we will have abundance.
Living for God and following His word is a life long commitment that requires study, prayer, and devotion. It is not a a change that is completed in an instant. As Christians we should strive each day to become just A Little Closer To God.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
What does God want from me?
I have asked for salvation and been granted a new life in God. Now what does He want?
God desires to be an active part of our life. Through Jesus we obtain our salvation, but that is just the beginning. The parable of the marriage feast speaks to me as to what role we should give God in our life. It can be found in Matthew 22:1-14.
1.And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
This tells us how to get to eternity with God. Accepting Christ in our life is the way to get the invitation to Heaven, but we must be ready when He calls. The people in the parable that were called were not ready when time had come. They were to busy doing their own thing and were not willing to stop and heed the call. As a result, they missed the feast and were destroyed.
The blessing was passed to others and one of them was not willing to fully take of the blessing. He chose not to wear the offered wedding garb, which to me is like saying I am a a follower of God, but then living a hedonistic life. For not having the appropriate dress when called he was bound and cast away.
God desires to be active in our life. In order for Him to be active in our lives we must make time and allow Him to be so. The first thing we need for this is faith. Faith is more than just saying "I believe God loves me." it is giving up control and letting God provide for us. We have to stop worrying about money, food, clothes, electronics, etc and focus on Him. I know it is easier to tell someone to stop worrying than it is to actually do it. This is where faith comes in, and Romans 10:17 tells us how to get the level of faith needed to accomplish this.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hearing God, and to hear God's plan we have to know the word. The word of God is the Bible and if we give God time and study the Bible we will build a solid foundation. Regular study will strengthen that foundation and our faith will build from it and grow. Once the faith is there we find it easier and easier to give our burdens to Him.
Another thing we need is love. Love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves.
Matthew 22.37 tells us how we should love God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This means God wants our total devotion. He wants ALL of our mind , soul, and heart. That means being a good Christian by words alone or a few actions here and there will not work. We must be completely for God and live according to His guidelines all the time.
The Godly love must also be freely given to those around us. Look at Matthew 19:19, Romans 13:10, and Matthew 5:44
Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
These scriptures tell us to love our neighbors and our enemies. We are not to wish them ill will or hostility, but should love them as we love ourselves. We should pray happiness and joy instead of misfortune and sadness for them or anyone.
A brief reflection on what love is. I Corinthians tells us exactly what love is and how we should embody it.
I Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love is embracing the good things of life and letting go of the bad. It is not about you or I but about doing what is right and treating others right. Love is realizing what you have and giving God the bad where He can turn it into the good. Verse 7 is my favorite because it, to me, sums up our duty for any person that God has blessed us with in our lives. To always protect and keep that relationship special, always trust that God's blessings will be there, always hope for the good and persevere through the not so good because God can and will help us overcome all.
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
This tells us how to get to eternity with God. Accepting Christ in our life is the way to get the invitation to Heaven, but we must be ready when He calls. The people in the parable that were called were not ready when time had come. They were to busy doing their own thing and were not willing to stop and heed the call. As a result, they missed the feast and were destroyed.
The blessing was passed to others and one of them was not willing to fully take of the blessing. He chose not to wear the offered wedding garb, which to me is like saying I am a a follower of God, but then living a hedonistic life. For not having the appropriate dress when called he was bound and cast away.
God desires to be active in our life. In order for Him to be active in our lives we must make time and allow Him to be so. The first thing we need for this is faith. Faith is more than just saying "I believe God loves me." it is giving up control and letting God provide for us. We have to stop worrying about money, food, clothes, electronics, etc and focus on Him. I know it is easier to tell someone to stop worrying than it is to actually do it. This is where faith comes in, and Romans 10:17 tells us how to get the level of faith needed to accomplish this.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hearing God, and to hear God's plan we have to know the word. The word of God is the Bible and if we give God time and study the Bible we will build a solid foundation. Regular study will strengthen that foundation and our faith will build from it and grow. Once the faith is there we find it easier and easier to give our burdens to Him.
Another thing we need is love. Love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves.
Matthew 22.37 tells us how we should love God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This means God wants our total devotion. He wants ALL of our mind , soul, and heart. That means being a good Christian by words alone or a few actions here and there will not work. We must be completely for God and live according to His guidelines all the time.
The Godly love must also be freely given to those around us. Look at Matthew 19:19, Romans 13:10, and Matthew 5:44
Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
These scriptures tell us to love our neighbors and our enemies. We are not to wish them ill will or hostility, but should love them as we love ourselves. We should pray happiness and joy instead of misfortune and sadness for them or anyone.
A brief reflection on what love is. I Corinthians tells us exactly what love is and how we should embody it.
I Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love is embracing the good things of life and letting go of the bad. It is not about you or I but about doing what is right and treating others right. Love is realizing what you have and giving God the bad where He can turn it into the good. Verse 7 is my favorite because it, to me, sums up our duty for any person that God has blessed us with in our lives. To always protect and keep that relationship special, always trust that God's blessings will be there, always hope for the good and persevere through the not so good because God can and will help us overcome all.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Christians are pious, judgemental hypocrites
This post is only referencing II Timothy 3:15-16. When I read the Bible for my daily personal message I ask God to show me what I need to see and give me the understanding to interpret His message for me. I opened my Bible and my eyes landed on the page at verse 15.
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
I did go back and read the rest of the chapter but those 2 verses are what my heart pondered on.
Too many times when Christians stand up and say what you or the world is doing is sin. We get words like pious, judgmental, and hypocritical thrown back at us. We are told we should not say this to people because if we are true Christians we would love them, invite them in, and not tell them everything they are doing wrong.
What most people refuse to accept is that we are saying these things out of love and we want them to come to our churches and fellowship with us. You can tell someone they are wrong out of a loving concerning heart but they have to be willing to accept the lesson. These scriptures tell us that we should know the Scripture as God's Word and we should use it as a tool to guide others to Him. As verse says, the Word is not only for instruction and a guideline for our lives, but it should also be CORRECTLY applied as reproof and correction.
I think that correct application is where so many people with the best intentions get tripped up. We also have to accept that we are not perfect and we have to accept when God uses the Word to correct us. I know most of my readings like this I find a message that I can share with others, but that does not happen until I absorb what God is saying to me personally. We have to be able to to accept responsibility for our own sin and shortcomings. Yes I said sin. Every person that has ever lived, with the exception of Christ our Savior, has and will sin. It is called making mistakes and being human. If we are not afraid of admitting our mistakes to God and using our lives as an example others will be more receptive to what we have to say and it will not appear as hypocritical. As Christians, we must continue to learn the scripture and use it correctly as a tool of reproof. We cannot let words such as pious or judgmental deter us from using the Word in the ways God intended. We are not the judge and jury and should never act that way, but we are the instructors and educators to others.
How many times was Christ questioned, challenged, and treated as judgmental? If they would do that to the Son of God why should we expect any less for spreading the message. He died for us and for the message. There are missionaries all over the world who are face death or imprisonment for the message they deliver, so I do not think some harsh words that we face here should deter us in the least.
When I blog I set here and type, none of my words are preplanned so I am reading this for the first time as I write. I see this message applying to me and telling me I need to become more proactive for God. We all need to become more proactive, He was proactive for us.
Just remember condemn the sin, love the sinner.
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
I did go back and read the rest of the chapter but those 2 verses are what my heart pondered on.
Too many times when Christians stand up and say what you or the world is doing is sin. We get words like pious, judgmental, and hypocritical thrown back at us. We are told we should not say this to people because if we are true Christians we would love them, invite them in, and not tell them everything they are doing wrong.
What most people refuse to accept is that we are saying these things out of love and we want them to come to our churches and fellowship with us. You can tell someone they are wrong out of a loving concerning heart but they have to be willing to accept the lesson. These scriptures tell us that we should know the Scripture as God's Word and we should use it as a tool to guide others to Him. As verse says, the Word is not only for instruction and a guideline for our lives, but it should also be CORRECTLY applied as reproof and correction.
I think that correct application is where so many people with the best intentions get tripped up. We also have to accept that we are not perfect and we have to accept when God uses the Word to correct us. I know most of my readings like this I find a message that I can share with others, but that does not happen until I absorb what God is saying to me personally. We have to be able to to accept responsibility for our own sin and shortcomings. Yes I said sin. Every person that has ever lived, with the exception of Christ our Savior, has and will sin. It is called making mistakes and being human. If we are not afraid of admitting our mistakes to God and using our lives as an example others will be more receptive to what we have to say and it will not appear as hypocritical. As Christians, we must continue to learn the scripture and use it correctly as a tool of reproof. We cannot let words such as pious or judgmental deter us from using the Word in the ways God intended. We are not the judge and jury and should never act that way, but we are the instructors and educators to others.
How many times was Christ questioned, challenged, and treated as judgmental? If they would do that to the Son of God why should we expect any less for spreading the message. He died for us and for the message. There are missionaries all over the world who are face death or imprisonment for the message they deliver, so I do not think some harsh words that we face here should deter us in the least.
When I blog I set here and type, none of my words are preplanned so I am reading this for the first time as I write. I see this message applying to me and telling me I need to become more proactive for God. We all need to become more proactive, He was proactive for us.
Just remember condemn the sin, love the sinner.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Thought for the day July 1, 2013
We are not promised a new day so we should give each day over to God and let him manage our day.
Luke 22:42 -- "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
Luke 22:42 -- "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
Friday, June 7, 2013
Kudos to Roy Costner IV
I want to say thank you and God bless you to Roy Costner IV. He is an 18 year old Valedictorian from Liberty High School.
He had the courage to add the Lord's Prayer to the end of his Valedictorian speech at his graduation. His principal had approved the speech and said he was not allowed to have any religious expression in it. He added the prayer without their prior knowledge.
The school has not and does not appear to have any intention to do anything about it. In fact, the way I read it they are non-vocally in support of it. The only ones who really seem upset by it is Freedom From Religion Foundation who says it was rude and inconsiderate of non-Christians. Personally, I think banning God is rude and inconsiderate to Christians. But I am not here to get into that.
I want to give a shout out to Roy. If he continues with this level of conviction God will use him for great things. If we, as Christians, could all stand for God like this I think His presence would be much stronger in this country.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/06/hear-what-valedictorian-said-for-cheers/?hpt=hp_t3
The link to the article and the video.
He had the courage to add the Lord's Prayer to the end of his Valedictorian speech at his graduation. His principal had approved the speech and said he was not allowed to have any religious expression in it. He added the prayer without their prior knowledge.
The school has not and does not appear to have any intention to do anything about it. In fact, the way I read it they are non-vocally in support of it. The only ones who really seem upset by it is Freedom From Religion Foundation who says it was rude and inconsiderate of non-Christians. Personally, I think banning God is rude and inconsiderate to Christians. But I am not here to get into that.
I want to give a shout out to Roy. If he continues with this level of conviction God will use him for great things. If we, as Christians, could all stand for God like this I think His presence would be much stronger in this country.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/06/hear-what-valedictorian-said-for-cheers/?hpt=hp_t3
The link to the article and the video.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Faith - A Personal Reflection
I want to preface by apologizing for the span between posts. It has been awhile and I feel like I have struggled in my life at times because of that. My 6 year old spilled coffee on my laptop so a pc to blog with has been limited to work and that has proved a challenge, but God has given me the opportunity today.
On the way to work one morning something happened that caused traffic to back up and several people were turning around and cutting through a state park that is close to the location. There were no detour signs or even a police officer that was diverting traffic, but everyone one car turned going through a state park that was there and everyone else, including myself followed. Personally, I was taking it on blind faith that the lead car was going the same general direction as me and knew where they were going, I wonder how many others felt the same.
My point with is that all of us have either done something like this or know someone who has. How easily we can follow others in many situations, but yet we have trouble in doing this with God.
People are not perfect will never be perfect. We all make mistakes on a daily basis and yet we still have faith in our leaders, of all forms, in our friends and family, and even in strangers under the right conditions to help and guide us through what ever we are facing in life.
Why then is it so difficult to put this same faith in God? God created everything around us, every person that has, does, and will exists, and He knows every problem we will EVER face and how to resolve them. He desires to bless and reward those who follow and allow Him to guide our lives. Putting our faith in God is truly a win - win situation for us.
What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Which means we must accept that our hearts desires will be given and even though the means may not be present. We must believe that God will provide according to His will and plan.
We just have some things we must do and some things we must not do.
Must do:
1. Believe- We must know that God is the author and finisher of all. He can deliver anything to us and will bless us according to His plan. We must accept that it is on His schedule and by His will, not ours.
2. Know- We must know within our hearts that God not only desires to meet our needs that He will do this and we must not falter in this belief.
3. Accept - We must accept that God is going to bless our life by thanking Him before we receive the blessing.
Must not do:
1. Hold God to our time line- God will pour out His blessings to us according to His will and timeline. Holding God to "our" agenda will not work.
2. Doubt - Sometimes things may take awhile, if we begin to doubt God they will never develop.
Matthew 17:20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
1 Corinthians 2:5
So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.
James 1:3
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
1 Peter 1:7
That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
On the way to work one morning something happened that caused traffic to back up and several people were turning around and cutting through a state park that is close to the location. There were no detour signs or even a police officer that was diverting traffic, but everyone one car turned going through a state park that was there and everyone else, including myself followed. Personally, I was taking it on blind faith that the lead car was going the same general direction as me and knew where they were going, I wonder how many others felt the same.
My point with is that all of us have either done something like this or know someone who has. How easily we can follow others in many situations, but yet we have trouble in doing this with God.
People are not perfect will never be perfect. We all make mistakes on a daily basis and yet we still have faith in our leaders, of all forms, in our friends and family, and even in strangers under the right conditions to help and guide us through what ever we are facing in life.
Why then is it so difficult to put this same faith in God? God created everything around us, every person that has, does, and will exists, and He knows every problem we will EVER face and how to resolve them. He desires to bless and reward those who follow and allow Him to guide our lives. Putting our faith in God is truly a win - win situation for us.
What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Which means we must accept that our hearts desires will be given and even though the means may not be present. We must believe that God will provide according to His will and plan.
We just have some things we must do and some things we must not do.
Must do:
1. Believe- We must know that God is the author and finisher of all. He can deliver anything to us and will bless us according to His plan. We must accept that it is on His schedule and by His will, not ours.
2. Know- We must know within our hearts that God not only desires to meet our needs that He will do this and we must not falter in this belief.
3. Accept - We must accept that God is going to bless our life by thanking Him before we receive the blessing.
Must not do:
1. Hold God to our time line- God will pour out His blessings to us according to His will and timeline. Holding God to "our" agenda will not work.
2. Doubt - Sometimes things may take awhile, if we begin to doubt God they will never develop.
Matthew 17:20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
1 Corinthians 2:5
So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.
James 1:3
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
1 Peter 1:7
That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Monday, April 8, 2013
A Catholic, A born-again Christian, An al Qaeda, and a Klansman walk into a building.
When you hear the four following groups I want you to think about what they have in common:
A. Catholics
B. Evangelical Protestants
C. al Qaeda
D. The Ku Klux Klan
They are all classified as religious extremists groups by the U.S. Department of Defense. While I am not Catholic, I can confidently say they are not extremists. As a born again Christian I do qualify as a evangelical and can say without certainty there is a huge difference between myself and my beliefs and the hate filled rhetoric that comes from the other groups on the list such as the al Qaeda, the KKK, and the Christian Identity.
Adding these two groups to the list, even by accident, associated most true and loyal followers of God's word with groups who sole purpose is to take the word of God, or their god and distort into justifying violence and hatred. It also creates more negative sterotypes in the a society that is currently coming down on Christianity over social changes.
Christians who stand up for the Biblical view on topics like homosexuality/bisexuality are currently be labeled as a group who hates the people who choose that lifestyle, when, in fact, although we do not condone the act and acknowledge it is a sin, we do not condemn those who choose it.
We are getting close to the end folks. Our nation that once stood firmly for God and His ways is now trying to drive Him out, both intentionally and unintentionally. Although there are many evangelists and missionaries spreading the word worldwide, it seems we as a world are getting away from God. This is all things that mark the end of times.
(Matthew 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
(Matthew 24:10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
(Matthew 24:11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [become] cold.
(Matthew 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Why all this doom and gloom of the end of world? No one knows when why worry about it? Because while we may be right with God how many friends or family members do we have that we cannot say for sure what will happen to them at death? I believe Christ is going to take those who love Him away before the world reaches it lowest point, do you want your friends or family left?
We, as Christians, need to become extremists. Our weapons should never be violence, intimidation, or fear we need to use the strongest weapons of all faith, hope, and love. We should never be ashamed or nervous about expressing our belief in our God. We should tell others of the promise of eternal life. No matter how much the world tries to turn away, we should always do everything within our power to turn it back to God, one soul at a time.
God be with you!!
Link to the article:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/5/dod-presentation-classifies-catholics-evangelicals/?page=2
A. Catholics
B. Evangelical Protestants
C. al Qaeda
D. The Ku Klux Klan
They are all classified as religious extremists groups by the U.S. Department of Defense. While I am not Catholic, I can confidently say they are not extremists. As a born again Christian I do qualify as a evangelical and can say without certainty there is a huge difference between myself and my beliefs and the hate filled rhetoric that comes from the other groups on the list such as the al Qaeda, the KKK, and the Christian Identity.
Adding these two groups to the list, even by accident, associated most true and loyal followers of God's word with groups who sole purpose is to take the word of God, or their god and distort into justifying violence and hatred. It also creates more negative sterotypes in the a society that is currently coming down on Christianity over social changes.
Christians who stand up for the Biblical view on topics like homosexuality/bisexuality are currently be labeled as a group who hates the people who choose that lifestyle, when, in fact, although we do not condone the act and acknowledge it is a sin, we do not condemn those who choose it.
We are getting close to the end folks. Our nation that once stood firmly for God and His ways is now trying to drive Him out, both intentionally and unintentionally. Although there are many evangelists and missionaries spreading the word worldwide, it seems we as a world are getting away from God. This is all things that mark the end of times.
(Matthew 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
(Matthew 24:10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
(Matthew 24:11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [become] cold.
(Matthew 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Why all this doom and gloom of the end of world? No one knows when why worry about it? Because while we may be right with God how many friends or family members do we have that we cannot say for sure what will happen to them at death? I believe Christ is going to take those who love Him away before the world reaches it lowest point, do you want your friends or family left?
We, as Christians, need to become extremists. Our weapons should never be violence, intimidation, or fear we need to use the strongest weapons of all faith, hope, and love. We should never be ashamed or nervous about expressing our belief in our God. We should tell others of the promise of eternal life. No matter how much the world tries to turn away, we should always do everything within our power to turn it back to God, one soul at a time.
God be with you!!
Link to the article:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/5/dod-presentation-classifies-catholics-evangelicals/?page=2
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