Hello, my name is inconsequential. My Boss has sent me to you with a message. You belong to Him. You are His property. He owns you. You are His person, and he is very angry with you. You have broken His laws. For that, He is going to kill, and punish you. It is not a matter of if, but when. It is a certainty. You will not escape it. My Boss will kill you. You will meet Him. You will bow to Him, and be judged for breaking His laws. He will punish you. You will bow to Him in this life, or the next. Because He is good, and loving, while you still breath my Boss makes you this offer, apologize, ask Him to forgive you, search yourself, see the truth, that you are not innocent, but you are guilty. Humbly bow down, and submit yourself to His rule. Serve Him. Believe in the work that His Son did on the cross to pay your debt to Him. If you become His servant, as I have, He will change you into a new creature. You will hate what He hates, and love what He loves. You will still die, but you will not be punished for eternity. Instead you will enter into rest. Because His Son endured the eternal punishment, He offers you grace, and mercy instead of giving you what would be just for Him to do. You will be in His glorious presence, and enjoy Him forever. This offer is only good for a short time. You have moments, days, years, or perhaps He will kill you right now…
Tag: God
The Church has Surrendered the Royal Law to the Secular Federal Government.
An argument against socialism, undeclared socialism, and communism from a Christian perspective.
The Church has been robbed of one of it’s greatest joys, and duties. Mark 12:31, “ “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ” Since we have surrendered this joyful grace and duty to secular government, we will not experience some of the fruit of the gospel the way our predecessors did.
Think about the things that are done by the government, with tax dollars, allegedly on our behalf. Here is a short list of some semi-socialised and socialised systems in America; public schools, universities, health care/hospitals, social security, disability, medicare/aid, housing subsidies, foster homes, nursing homes, and government jobs. Before there was a large centralized federal government, the Church performed most of these functions. If you were born in a hospital chances were that it was built, and paid for by the Church. Education was a priority of the Church. Schools and universities were started by Christians to train up men of God, for the service of our Lord. Children were treated like spiritual beings, in need of the same gospel as their parents. They were instructed in doctrine and theology. They were catechised and experienced confirmation, before acceptance in the Church. The most prominent building in the center of most towns was the Church, with its high steeple holding the cross aloft for all to look upon. Orphans were taken care of by the Church. Christians built, funded, and staffed orphanages, and sanitariums, to help those in need. The hungry and needy came to the Church for help. The Church taught people to put away money for themselves in their old age, and to leave an inheritance for their posterity. The elderly were taken care of by their families. People sought provisions from God, dispensed through His Church.
The Church was blessed with the duty and ability to love their neighbor as themselves. The joy they must have known, demonstrating God’s love and grace to His creatures in their state of need. The fellowship they shared, the sense of community, the sympathy for the suffering, identifying with other humans in their sorrow, feeling and sharing together the human experience of the divine, ministering to the elderly and dying, all of this service flowing from hearts that have been regenerated by Holy Spirit, people in the newness of spiritual rebirth, obedient to God and their new affections, all testifying to the glorious work of His gospel on and in them.
All of this grace and love shown to those in need, brought their gaze tenderly upon Christ and His cross. The faithfulness of the Church, worked out in their lives, gave them a glimpse of the gospel they had heard, but never known. Being blessed in such a way, as to have been helped and provided for when in deep distress, grows a fondness towards God and His body. People were brought into the communion of believers, as the Holy Spirit convicted them, in light of the goodness of God, demonstrated through His people.
Our current state is so much the worse. We’ve attempted to alleviate the, “burden” of the Church with social programs funded by taxation. We’ve removed God as our King. We’ve taken Him from His throne and cast an idol to be placed upon it. Human government on the throne, accepting our praises, worship, and our supplications. We abide atrocities, in hopes of a morsel of provision, to be doled out for the loyal subjects, while waiting expectantly for our false gods to take care of our children, widows, orphans, sick, needy, and old. Everyone one of us, isolated and in our own compartments, safely tucked away from the suffering of our fellow man. “It is not my problem, isn’t there a government program for that?” We cry out when we gaze up from our electronic distractions to see the plight of a poor unfortunate soul in need.
Our reliance has shifted from the providence of God in His mercies, to the politburo. The few political elite imagine new laws to solidify their reign, and foist them upon us, as new commandments to be followed without question. What was once the domain of the Church is now being dictated by our new secular gods. What is marriage? Who is my brother? What is tolerance? What is a right? Are all questions our world asks the government to answer. We wait for them to rule from on high and give us answers. People wait in lines the first of the month for their food, after receiving their unemployment, social security/disability, welfare, food subsidies, and so on, with nobody in particular to thank, just the nebulous government, who doles out just enough to get by and keep them enslaved. We need to repent, and enter into the realm of politics and public service as we are called vocationally. We need to be the salt and light in all arenas of public affairs. We need not be afraid, but rather boldly proclaim the joy of knowing the Lord. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 NASB
Power in the Blood, or the Shedding of it?
Some people think that the blood of Jesus contained within it the saving power of God. They believe that it cleanses us from sin. If this is true, how much do you use to cleanse you of a lie? How much do you use to cleanse you of murder? How do you apply it? Do you pour it over your head? Do you drink it? Do you inject it? What do we do in this day and age when we cannot find the physical blood of Christ? Is it a mystical thing? These questions should help us to see that it was the shedding of His blood that was the work of atonement expiating sin. The blood was special because it belonged to the God-man Christ Jesus, but it isn’t some property of the blood that we must consume to cleanse us of our sin. It is the effect of Christ’s work through the shedding of His blood that is of import. If we deny the efficacy of His work and the adequacy of His representation, we deny the gospel. Claiming that the blood, apart from Him is salvific because of its properties as God’s blood, imparts a carnal attribute of mortality to the immutably immortal nature of God. Only by the hypostasis of the two natures do we have a salvific euaggelion (εὐαγγέλιον) or gospel. To deny the hypostatic union, is to affirm the heresy of Nestorianism.
Is 1 Peter 1:16 Instructive or Informative? “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
I have been thinking about sanctification as of late and its implications in regards to assurance and security. This verse came to mind and I wanted to see if it was an instruction to strive for personal holiness or if it was informing us that we are holy in Christ. I always thought it was the first, because of many years in the Nazarene denomination. It turns out the answer is, “Yes.”
(NASB) 1 Peter 1:1,2 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Let’s examine verse 2 a bit more closely. (NASB) 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
What is according to the foreknowledge of God the Father? God’s election of the saved people living scattered among the cities listed in verse 1. What work are we doing to be sanctified according to verse 2? I’ll wait here while you look… Back? It was a trick question. We aren’t doing the work. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. The Greek word is, “ἁγιασμός” (hagiasmos) g0038; from 37; properly, purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier: — holiness, sanctification.
To what end are we elected by the Father, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit according to this verse? “…to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…” Spending most of my life in the Nazarene Church, I understood that sanctification was something I did. I might be wrong here. This might not be their official doctrine. I’m just saying that this is what I thought. The emphasis on the monergistic origination of sanctification never came across. Still to this day, people insist that sanctification is synergistic. I would only agree with that in a broad practical sense, because at the end of the day God isn’t sanctifying a dog or a cat. He is sanctifying us, and part of that is our condition during the process. So we are involved in sanctification, because it is happening to us. We are actively participating in it, but it is not from us. We were incapable of sanctification let alone desiring it, before the work of the Holy Spirit.
I know many of you are out there right now screaming, “What about all the verses that instruct you to behave!?!” Well of course we should do what God wills, and refrain from what He has forbid. That is a no brainer. I am not saying we shouldn’t, but the fact that someone wants to and has the ability to, is proof that sanctification is supernaturally originated by God and not from within us.
So you’ve been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, in accord with the Father’s sovereign will in election, granted saving faith and repentance from God, and you have repented of your sins, and placed that faith in the atoning work of Christ on the cross, so that your sins were expiated, and His righteousness was imputed to you. Now we would say that you have been saved, or justified.
Follow along here on the ordo salutis (order of salvation) train. (concise version) 🙂 election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification. So as you can see all of those things find their origination in God and they are worked on/in us by Him. If we think we are responsible for any of them, we are robbing God of His glory, being self-righteous, legalistic, and relying on our works in our man centered thinking.
This can lead to serious doubt. It can wreck our assurance and cause us to question our security, because when we sin, we ask, “Why do I keep doing this? Am I really saved? If I’m saved how can I fall to this sin over and over? I must be a false convert. I must be fooling myself. I’ve taken the 2 Cor 13:5 test and failed!” “…(NASB) 5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?..” Notice that last part, “Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” Have you noticed that Jesus Christ is in you!? It is as if Paul is yelling, “Come on people! Don’t you see what has been done to you, for you, and for the glory of God? Can’t you see the difference? unless you truly can’t.” When a Christian is doubting, and takes a look at his condition, it will be obvious that God has been at work renovating the sin wrecked ramshackle of a mess that they were. Unless of course you can’t see His work anywhere in your life.
So we can rest in secure in the knowledge that if God has saved us, we are secure in Him. When we fall because of our lack of strength, He keeps us with His infinite strength. What He has done to us, nobody and nothing, can undo.
Romans 8:26-39 (NASB) 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
WE were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now that we understand what God has done to us in election, regeneration, and justification, we can see that He will sanctify us as well. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) “6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Think about a newborn baby in a crib, looking up at his parents. He doesn’t have to focus his attention on growing. He doesn’t have to even try to grow. Sure he grows, and is involved in the process, but his growth doesn’t come from him. It is God’s plan, and design, that the child grows according to. Imagine that baby saying to himself, “I need more milk to make me big and strong. Grow legs! Grow grow grow!!!” It is ridiculous, but that is the way many of us are as Christians.
We are focused too much on our own efforts and failures. When we do see growth we might even attribute it to our efforts. This robs God of His glory, and God will not be robbed. So in our self-righteousness, we sin against God and don’t even realize it. Then when we fail, we punish ourselves, as if that whipping we gave to ourselves could add to the perfect, gory, violent, painful, terrifying, work of our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ… … Think about that. Let it soak in… How dare we? How dare we! You should be crying right now. I know it makes me want to cry, to think of how I would defile the work of Jesus with my self-righteousness.
Just like that baby, we will grow according to God’s plan, in His time, exactly by the trials He has for us, and in precisely the areas He has determined. Rest assured, if you are saved, you will be sanctified, because God wills it, and what He wills, He accomplishes, unless of course you think you can stop him…
1 Peter 1:12-21 (NASB) 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NASB) 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
So we will be holy, because God is holy. He is actively sanctifying us and we are living out that sanctifying work, in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, in the will of the Father. The answer to the question, “Is 1 Peter 1:16 Instructive or Informative?” is, yes. Go with God and peace be with you.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler’s new book, “We Cannot Be Silent.” is a must read for Christians trying to make sense of all the gender chaos going on around us.
If you have been a regular listener of, “The Briefing” you’ll find Dr. Mohler’s newest book to be quite familiar, as he has addressed much of the subject matter on his program. The book offers a fuller fleshing out of the history, and circumstances, that have lead to our current state, as well as a Christian analysis of it.
The chapter titles in the table of contents paint the picture of what you’ll read in the book;
1 In the Wake of a Revolution
2 It Didn’t Start with Same-Sex Marriage
3 From Vice to Virtue: How Did the Homosexual Movement Happen?
4 The Impossible, Possibility of Same-Sex Marriage
5 The Transgender Revolution
6 The End of Marriage
7 What Does the Bible Really Have to Say About Sex?
8 Religious Liberty and the Right to Be Christian
9 The Compassion of Truth: The Church and the Challenge of the Sexual Revolution
10 The Hard Questions
Dr. Mohler takes you step by step, setting the scene with historical information, about how the foundation for this revolution was put in place, so that in the right environment of postmodernism it could explode. follow along step by step, to see how the plan of the enemy has been unfolding for decades. Dr. Mohler cites the work of opponents, and proponents to Christian values effectively, and fairly in this book. He uses their own words in thorough quotations from their published works. You can trace a line from no-fault divorce, birth control, abortion, and now all of the gender issues. As we deal with the consequences of these doctrines of death culture, Dr. Mohler educate and offers a Biblical analysis. He explains what these changes in our culture will mean for us as a nation, and for Christians.
Dr. Mohler also explains what the Church’s response should be in light of our past failures to inform culture. Bad theology, watered down truths, attractional models, moralism, and pragmatism have all gotten us where we are at today. Real love, tells the truth. We have to proclaim the truths of the Bible to the lost. The things that seem difficult are often what are necessary. The gospel is the only hope for the people of this nation. Chapter 10 offers valuable Biblical responses to questions that are already being asked. If you haven’t given these issues much thought and would like to, or if you are a bit confused and don’t know how we got to where we are today, I would recommend reading this book and referring back to it from time to time.
Is there a heart so broken, soul so wounded, two hearts in a marriage so hurt, or scars so thick that God, the Creator of all things, cannot heal them?
Yesterday I posted a piece about toxic relationships being a new age cop out. It came to my attention that perhaps I didn’t stress the power of God enough. People can feel extremely hurt and justified in maintaining their anger and resentment. They can harden their hearts and sear their conscience, so that they no longer feel conviction when the Holy Spirit brings to mind all of their complicity. We know from God’s word that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We also know that none are righteous.
For the person who is deeply hurt, this information doesn’t seem to help them, but it is the only information that will help them. They have to see their own sin and see how much in need they are of God’s grace, mercy, and love. When they can see their need, and it moves them to repent and believe in the work of Christ, then they can see the other person, and how weak and needy they are. When you can look at someone who has wronged you, hurt you, scarred you, and then see how you have done the same thing to Christ, and yet know that He has forgiven you, given you grace, mercy, and love, in light of what you know you justly deserve, you can then love the other person in like fashion.
God, who created everything, things known and unknown by us, the seed from which a redwood grows, the highest majestic mountains, to the lowest, deep cut valleys, to the blue sky where winged birds fly, and beyond to the vast reaches of space where we lose ourselves in contemplation of our smallness, this very God who knows everything about us, He is all powerful, and to think that He cannot change your heart? What hope is there if a sinner’s heart cannot be changed? Therefore, there is no wound so great that the saving balm of the gospel cannot use it for the glory of God.
Christians, Firearms, Self-defense, and Protection of Others.
First off, let me say that this is not a matter that should cause us to break fellowship with one another, or to become polemic. We reserve polemics for the enemy. We should never turn our cannons on ourselves. No friendly fire inside the camp. This is a matter of adiaphora. Personal convictions on this should be arrived at via much study and consideration of scripture.
That being said, recently Dr. John Piper wrote an article on the topic. His view is one of personal pacifism. He does not own a firearm and does not encourage others to own one. He strongly believes that the Bible is clear on how a Christian should respond to evil and violence. Here is the link to his article. Dr. James White wrote an article that expressed an alternative and different position. His article was not polemic, nor was he demonstrating a lack of love or grace. You can read his article here. There have been many knee-jerk emotional responses on both sides of the issue. People are pulling out the, “Depart from me! You are of a different spirit!” phrase and flinging it around. This is an issue we can disagree on. It is not a primary article of faith.
Personally, I’ve always thought it was more loving to defend the victims of evil against evil, even with deadly force. I recently read an article from Dr. John Piper where he explains his convictions about guns, and using them in defense. He seems to be pretty clear that he doesn’t think it is something a Christian should do. I, along with many other Christians disagree with him on this issue. However, I won’t let this become a divisive issue. It is a matter of adiaphora. I happen to agree with Dr. James White’s stance on the use of weapons, and the reasons to employ them.
If I see an elderly person being mugged, I will stop the mugging. If I see two men beheading a person in the street, I will stop them. If I see a group of men gang-raping a woman, I will stop them. If you are the victim of evil men, then you better hope that God, in His providence, directs someone like me to your aid. We are supposed to love people, seek justice, and what is right. I strongly believe it is more loving to defend the victims against the evil of sinful men, than it is to allow those evil men to work out their demonic desires. If it can be stopped without employing lethal force, then I believe that is what we should do. If a person is physically able to pull someone off of their victim and hold them for the police, then they should do so. If they are looking at a situation that requires lethal force to stop the taking of human life, the rape of a person, be they man woman, or child, or the brutalization of a person by a group of thugs, then it is more loving and just to end the evil being wrought. It is actually hateful to allow the evil to continue. It demonstrates contempt for law, justice, and righteousness.
On a larger scale, like the Nazis and Jews, Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to the conclusion that he must act against the Nazis. He could not sit by and watch the genocide of the Jewish people. America couldn’t sit by and watch it either. I believe it is actually a hateful thing to sit by and allow evil men to murder others. I would not feel, or reason myself to be in the will of God, by allowing atrocities to go on around me, while I sat patiently waiting for them to be finished. I wouldn’t act out of a sense of self-preservation, but rather out of self-sacrifice, compassion, and love for the victims.
While Bonhoeffer drew the line at killing. He himself would not directly kill. I would. I would not do it lightly. I don’t come to this conclusion with bravado or some egocentric notion of heroism. I don’t have a Master’s degree or a Doctorate. I am not a seminarian. I am a Christian. God has given me a functioning mind that can reason and think. He has also given us His word and His Spirit. It is our obligation as Christians to think deeply and honestly about this topic. We should not take it lightly, nor should we lack grace for brothers with a different strongly held conviction on this topic.
They Hate Christians, Why?
The hate and vitriol, I’ve witnessed from liberals, and atheists has been some of the best supporting evidence that the God they hate is truly who He says He is in His word. They deny Him so passionately, while leaving false religions alone. They can see hundreds, thousands, no millions of murders committed by Muslims, Communists, abortionists, and even justify eugenics, and euthanasia with Darwinian evolution, without batting an eye. They will even call it, “good.” They don’t even have the ability to judge anything good or evil without an external moral authority like, oh… I don’t know, God! Yet, let a Christian preach Christ and they want you locked up as hate criminal.
It has always made me wonder, why it is, that so many people hate Christianity, and God. It caused me to read the Bible more. The Bible, God’s word, makes it clear why they hate us. It isn’t because we are the most charitable and giving people on the Earth, and we are. It isn’t because we preach to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, and we do. It isn’t because we disrupt society with bombings, shootings, and decapitations, because we don’t.
It is simply because, people hate the thought that their idea of their own personal righteousness isn’t good enough. Not only is it not good enough, it is actually offensive to God. They hate the fact that, God Himself in the second personage of the Trinity, according to His sovereign, will, foreknowledge, and love, offered Himself, as a Holy sacrifice, to justify wretched sinners to Himself. The transcendent Holiness of God is so offensive to the self-righteous that they would kill him over and over again, throughout eternity if they could. They hate what He shows them about themselves.
The fact, that all have sinned and deserve death and hell. That none are good, not one. Friends, if you hate Christ, His cross, or His people, ask yourself today, “Why do I feel so strongly about this? What is it, really about them that I hate so much?” be honest, repent, and believe in the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Submit to Him and follow Him as your Lord, master, and Savior. You can be free of all of the hate that you’ve been harboring, you can have the burdensome load of bitterness, loathing, and guilt removed from you shoulders. Humbly come to Christ in repentance and faith. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Regeneration
Ephesians 2:1 NASB And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
Ephesians 2:4-5 NASB But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 NASB [17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. [18] Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 1:19-20 NASB and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might [20] which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
John 3:3-6 NASB Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 Peter 1:23 NASB for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
John 1:12-13 NASB But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
1 John 3:9 NASB No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 4:7 NASB Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 5:1 NASB Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
1 John 5:4 NASB For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.
1 John 5:18 NASB We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
Galatians 4:4-5 NASB But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, [5] so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 NASB [18] Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, [19] namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. [20] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
John 1:12-13 NASB But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Titus 3:4-5 NASB But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, [5] He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Romans 8:23-30 NASB And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. [24] For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. [26] In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; [27] and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. [29] For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; [30] and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Ezekiel 37:1-14 NASB The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. [2] He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. [3] He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” [4] Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ [5] “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. [6] ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'” [7] So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. [8] And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. [9] Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”‘” [10] So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. [11] Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ [12] “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. [13] “Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. [14] “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.'”
The Real Problem is Islam and True Believers.
Cartoon credit, John R. Houk© March 1, 2013
A friend of mine asked me for a response to this article he read on the net. Here was my response.
Well, he does what we all do and addresses the issue from his presuppositions. I did the same thing when I wrote my article on the topic. I disagree with him on some points. I think he, like so many others, misses the elephant in the room. Fundamentalist Islam is an evil ideology. Even the so-called moderate Islam, is false and satanic, just like Mormonism, and any other false religion. The only Islam that is not a danger to us is the Islam that doesn’t adhere to the Quran, Hadiths, or Islamic scripture. Just like liberal Christians, Jack-Mormons, and Roman Catholics who are RCC in name only. The main difference is that Non-violent Muslim voice seem to be in the minority.
In the article there is the lack of a solution to the problem. We as Christians, should be wise and compassionate. It is fine to love people and to want them to be free from oppression. Noting that, why do we have policies that directly prejudice the Christians from those countries, by keeping them out? Why is it our responsibility to bring the Muslims here? Why are their brother Muslims not taking them in? Why are we being guilted by the media and shamed by liberal Christians for being unloving? Seems like Satan’s opinion via his servants is that we should bring them in. Why can’t they stay and fight against the so called Islamic extremists who are ruining their homes? I think we should bring in the Christians who are fleeing certain death. I think we could talk about bringing in women, children, elderly, and handicapped people fleeing from the true Muslims. We would have to put them in internment camps and secure them until it could be determined if they are a threat. If we could determine that they are not fundamentalist Muslims, then I don’t have a problem letting them in through the normal immigration process.
The claims that the alien with Israel was treated well with no other conditions is wrong. When people wanted the rights of an Israelite, they had to become circumcised, believe the God of Israel, and obey Israel’s laws. They became naturalized Israelites. Other sojourners were treated well as long as they peacefully obeyed the laws and were not enemies of Israel. Israel never accepted an enemy in the camp blindly and identified them as, “refugees.” This kind of madness is pure liberal delusion. Fundamentalist Islam is the enemy. People who are, “true believers” are the enemy of America and her citizens. Christians are not the only citizens of America. We have the duty of warning people in love that they about to cut everyone’s collective throats. It is not unloving to keep out murdering satanists. Since you can’t easily tell the difference between a fundamentalist Muslim soldier in civilian clothes and an oppressed refugee, we shouldn’t just fling open the doors and the coffers to let them in. Since we are compassionate and loving, we should let the fleeing Christians in. We should look for solutions, like air strikes against the fundamentalist Muslims all over the world, including the ones that are causing the exodus. We should shut down all travel all over the world from and to Islamic countries. We should declare war on fundamentalist Islam everywhere. If the liberals are so quick to declare what the ancient Israelites would do, let me do the same, they would go out in spring with their king and wage war against them with God empowering them to strike down all of the evil of fundamental Islam so that it doesn’t spread. This isn’t out of fear as the liberals would have you believe, but out of a hatred of evil, and a desire to honor God. Of course that would require national repentance and conversion to Christianity. I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I don’t hate Muslims, but I hate fundamentalist Islam. I’ve read the quran. It is an evil lie. “True believers” of Islam are sold out to evil and though it is true that they could hear the gospel and repent, it is also true that they are, and have been, and will continue to kill everyone that fails to convert. So to reiterate, I think he misses the boat a bit, just like so many others do. The real problem is the evil of fundamentalist Islam, not conservative Christians.
Snyder's Soapbox 