Judging The World

Judging The World

8/31/20

The title of this article may turn a few hearts away from its message for the content that may not be to their liking or beliefs.  There are numerous accounts of hearts that voice their opinions about God and how they see His presence and as one can imagine those thoughts can originate from one end of the spectrum to the other end with every portion of that line being represented in between.  But what is most important about God is that His intentions concerning His people do not originate with destruction or judging at all but one of eternal peace and life through pure and holy examples.  The world shall never see such Truth because its ruler is the father of lies and we all know just what a lie does to the truth.  God explains this fact in His Word, even deeper through His eternal definition but for some reason, we would rather choose such lies over the Truth.  This nation may be in peril but each one of us can still have the opportunity to choose God through His Son before our lives end in eternal tragedy.

It does not matter how situations shake out, all of us at one point have questioned God on His allowances and tactics when it comes to experiences we face.  It is always difficult for our hearts to process such events and since this is the case it is easy for us to quickly ascertain the unfortunate first.  I know that there have been a couple of times in my life where the questions that I have for God concerning such adverse actions that come across my heart far outweigh the joys that God has given me.  God never intended us not to ask questions about Him or His Creation but when we do this process in a derogatory manner it changes the game and places it on another level, a level that we were not intended to experience.  It is this experience that we do not know how to handle properly and then begin our search for answers to such experiences.  Sadly, the majority of people look for these answers in the same manner Adam and Eve chose to do and when we do we receive the exact same answers they found, and whether or not we like our vicious cycle begins again but this time it becomes deeper and heavier to burden.

As my journey in life continues, I cannot help but ask God why He has chosen me to do certain things for His Kingdom.  I know that the issues He has me writing about relate to specific people and to groups of people in other times.  But when I step back and listen to what He is showing me to write, I see the different questions coming from hurting people and where they are at when it comes to all of the discord and suffering they face; we all face.  My mission becomes slightly clearer when I look at what is going on around us and be witness to all the animosity that the world has created, and here lies the key to what God wants us to understand.  It was not His intention to allow such divisive tactics into our lives and it was not His intention to have to make harsh judgments in response to these adverse invitations but we instead over time force His hand in doing just that.  The Scripture verse that we will be using here is one that is commonly known but not readily used for it comes immediately after one of the most important and recognizable verses in the Bible.  This verse states exactly God’s intentions when He created the world but through His specific creation of His prized Creation, had to send His Son into the world.  The verse for this article is John 3:17 and it reads as follows:

John 3:17

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

There is a principle here that we need to remind ourselves of and it deals with a characteristic of God.  God cannot change no matter what the circumstances might be or what arises. And John makes a statement here concerning God when it says “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world”, it is this statement that we tend to either overlook or not recognize but it reveals the consistency of God and how His measures cannot change no matter what the conditions of our hearts or what the world demands.  It was God’s intentions of Salvation when He created the Garden of Eden and placed man into it, it was a separation of a holy order that went opposite of what the world had already established.  Adam was the example that all other creations were to follow, yet Satan outlasted this Truth in Adam and therefore God had to continue the course of separation elsewhere.  Hence, the reason this passage in John reiterates the Truth about God and how He acts when trouble exists around.  In other words, God’s initial plan of action is not to condemn (judge) at all but to separate and to save those who wish to be separated and saved.

The word used for “condemn” here comes from the Greek root “krino” which means to judge.  The specific definition of this word is “krine” which means properly, to diminish, Decide, by implication, to try, condemn, punish.  These are pretty specific words that have severe consequences and actions attached to them, all of which are not in good meaning towards the subjects imposed upon.  If we simply use this word alone as the only option from God it would be easy to say or to believe that He is a vengeful God and one that demands total submission of His subjects at all time, and therefore, worthy of immediate and severe punishment on those who are found waning from the projected path that He founded.  But this verse says to us the complete opposite and that God’s purpose is mercy and grace for everyone who wants a change from the world and its death standards.  So, the question must be asked again, which way are we most likely to look at God?

One should never authorize God to condemn anything that pertains to our way of life, our land, or our family because when this is completed nothing good comes out after it is over.  This word “condemn” has been thrown around so much over the past two decades that its definition means absolutely nothing to the hearts and ears that it is spoken toward.  It is this pattern of the superficial line moving that has caused our hearts to become cold to the meaning of discipline and the consequences of our actions when we refuse to obey true authority.  Over and over God has placed within our sights opportunities to see our errors and to turn back to Him, and over and over we have thumbed our noses and hearts in His face.  We have disgraced His established and purposed land both in definition of His nation here and in our personal land (our lives) as well.  It is sad that we have to mark this year as one that had to be the one that brought our attention to our past, our present, and our future as the year that our existence changed forever.  Remember, according to this verse, it was never God’s intention to condemn the world but to save it because He first loved us.

I challenge you to read the Bible and to search for God’s condemnation acts and quickly place them into your mind for almost identical settings shall soon be over and upon our land, none shall be left out of this mourning.  God creates eternity and it does not matter what level of life we talk about either, everything God establishes or even breathes has a purpose, an eternal purpose and if we refuse to administer this purpose through our existence then that is disobedience, or commonly known as sin.  Take notes of what occurs as each day passes and then look them up in the Bible and one will grab a glimpse of what is occurring and what could be next on God’s agenda.  God is real, His Word is real and His prophecies are real.  God does not play games with sin nor does He play games with lives either.  He entrusted us to make things correct according to His Ways, instead we have faltered on every level of correction and made His purpose for restoration a mocking game and a laughing stock to the world.  God says fine, then it shall be Him to uses the word “condemn” correctly and thoroughly.  May God help us all!

Something to take into consideration and that is this: the beauty of humans shall be the definition this plan of action from God shall exist.  So everything that the human eye deems important, significant, of value, or of official documentation shall be targets of destruction.  When God allowed the destruction of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament even the elite and the perfect of the high-class society were subject to the death and destruction process, so shall the same be said of this nation.  One major detail arises from this chaotic scene and that is, the entire world shall crumble as we shall for if the leader is down then so goes the remaining allies.  For so long we have believed that we are untouchable and invincible to any other attacks, our security forces are no longer protected and are being hit every day with technologies that we should easily defend against.  Our minds are ripped away from the important items that we used to tend to quickly and adhere to making wrongs right.  But self came large in our lives and the more we had the more we flaunted, those are our testimonies now; so be it and let them drown and burn.

For more than two hundred years God has blessed this nation with resources and wealth beyond belief, but instead of funneling this blessing into the world, we have hoarded it for ourselves through the ideas of cheap technological advantages which have made us utterly defenseless and helpless on all areas of our lives.  We were not established to self-service our habits in order to through another day, yet even right after the start of this great nation we allowed ourselves to fall into this trap and we have been digging our grave ever since.  Today, we are witnessing horrific events in our streets all across this nation and in other nations as well.  This uprising has a purpose but it is not one from God but from the god of this world and for some it is easily recognized but for the vast majority it is hidden right in plain sight.  Unfortunately, the precursors to this violent upstaging of power-grabbing unfolded in the years past but as stated before, it was totally missed.  We do not need to go any further than the life of King David, and through this passage, we should then understand why God loved this world and why He had no intention of condemning it.

The life of King David did not start out with physical royal blood coursing through his veins, he was a simple shepherd boy of bastard descent who had a huge heart that sought to do what was right in his father’s eyes and his God’s eyes.  After King Saul had fallen from the graces of God through disobedience, God anointed David as the next king of Israel.  Saul knew this fact and began his mission to kill David at any opportunity that arose.  Anger and hatred filled the heart of Saul and he became obsessed with the life of David.  Occasion after occasion the two had confrontations with each other with Saul always throwing spears at David or trying his best to trap him when he found out where he was located.  Each time Saul accosted David, David did not fire back at all for David refused to divide the kingdom of Israel.  It is difficult for us to understand why David acted in such a manner but there would be another opportunity for David to divide the kingdom years down the road and since David was a man after God’s own heart he had to keep a solid line steady and in place in order for his heart to be right with God.

As those who have read the story of David, he did become king of Israel after Saul fulfilled his own death prophecy.  David then becomes king and rules the nation with the heart that God saw to be like his.  Did David make mistakes?  Oh yes, he did, plenty of them but he always kept his heart soft and repentant when disobedience arose.  Years into his reign, David had a son that was not too happy with how daddy was running the farm, so he devised a plan to rid the king of his duties and of his life.  While trying to keep it quiet, his plans were announced but David already knew because God had informed him in His own way.  The counselors and priests tried their best to convince David to end the threat against him by ridding the heresy by killing his son if necessary, but David refused and did not even truly consider it.  David refused to divide Israel when he was running from King Saul and he was not about to divide it by throwing the same type of spears towards his own son.  If God wanted David gone from the anointed thrown of Israel then he would allow God to play His hand as He saw fit.

How does this story warrant God condemning our nation, His Church, and plenty of her inhabitants?  It is simple, look at the ones trying to gain power and look at the attitudes that their hearts harbor.  There is a reason why they are doing these things and it is because we have refused to allow God give us the answers that would have quelled these legitimate arguments long ago, even before you and I were born; but, we have held onto our selfish power and have thrown it around in the name of our own causes instead of willingly and voluntarily giving these blessings to those in need, both physically and more importantly spiritually.  Both sides have refused to lay down the attacks and to come together and settle things as they should have been done centuries ago; once again, our testimonies are not what God had intended them to be.  When spears are thrown in both directions, even from those who have been subjected in many ways, the heart is not right and functions in complete darkness and disobedience.  It is this condition that God sees and warrants condemnation.  And since we like to be on the top pedestal of everything known to man, guess what, we are just that and we shall be used as that pedestal to the world as we fall.

I do not know more of what to say folks, our time is almost up and we continue to give God reason after reason to destroy this nation and every portion of her land.  God has never wanted to initiate any type of judgment upon His people unless things became bad enough to warrant it.  It is this type of setting that separates our ways from His Ways and places the Scripture that states this Truth into its eternal definition.  No matter what God does to this nation and to its inhabitants, be sure that our sins shall find us out after the dust settles.  I see no way out of what is about to take place, but whatever does occur, the most important thing is to be ready and to be right with God, we need to trust God more than ever and to seek His face every chance we have and even when we believe we have no time to do it.  Study John 3:17 and keep it in our hearts and pray, pray, and pray some more.  May God bless you and your families always, seek Him first and continue to be a strong witness for Him.

DLB

Reaction To Numbers

Reaction To Numbers

8/28/20

All of us like to have a wealth of numbers on the team we represent, for in numbers the more the merrier, right?  What happens when the pool of the available participants is not there, to begin with, what happens to the confidence level then?  What if there are plenty of numbers present but the majority of them are sent home due to a certain flaw or circumstantial belief, which then dwindles the numbers on your side to almost nothing?  Do you realize that this is what is occurring in the Church world today and do you understand exactly what we are facing during all of these events that haunt us today?  This is not the first time this type of low numbered individuals has been called upon to fight a huge army, but what guts and courage it took for the small few to stand tall and obey the leader of the army.  God expects us not to look at the physical numbers of who is on our team, but see what is common within our hearts to fulfill the common goal of witnessing to the lost and to win people to the Lord.  God does not care about numbers, He cares about eternity and which of His Creation shall spend it with Him.

Some have heard about how China has over 1.5 billion inhabitants and how through this population the country could easily form a military well over the entire population of our nation.  This number is staggering when we place it into this context, but it is one that can be fathomed and possible if provoked.  Now, not every nation can produce such gigantic numbers for a defense budget and if those smaller nations were to come up against the military of China, it would not be too pretty when every dust particle has fallen.  Furthermore, even smaller countries seem to present a formidable military docket when it comes to advanced maneuvers and training but how will they perform on an actual battlefield is all the rage to see.  Having an enormous military may be handy in some accounts but not all nations who have a large sustained population deem having a large military important.  An untrained large military can charge up a hill that is only defended with a few strong points above and be totally wiped out before they even leave the base of the mountain.

Even a well-supplied contingency of personnel cannot guarantee a victory just with numbers alone, so one must ask are numbers really that important when obtainable situations arise?  Just for the security and peace of mind, that answer would be a resounding yes, but is it even plausible to have a small military and still be considered an impact on potential attackers?  One should ask Israel, for they are the prime example of such a small country that invests almost every man and woman into their defense.  Whereas we may afford to lose a battle or two in a military conflict, Israel cannot for if they lose just one battle their existence as a nation is over and the possibility of an entire race could be once again on the verge of being wiped out.  The numbers game draws close to every person in this nation along with dozens of other nations as well, so what makes the difference when it comes to fighting in small numbers versus a vast army in front of you?

Another question to be asked and answered is the fact if we could watch our current military or defense numbers be declined by certain conditions or just by people objecting in any way?  Many would like to believe that all defense systems are shrinking proof or leaving proof but that is not the case.  How confident would we become if our defenses were quickly cut from a 100% security protection plan to only a 10% protection plan, what would our attitudes and confidence levels be then?  One may never know exactly what is going to occur when times become tough or an imminent attack changes the entire outcome of a region or nation.  It is at this point that we must have some sort of solid and true foundation that we can stand upon so that when necessary we can form a defensive posture and even look like we are able to mount a credible attack after the defenses have held.  Do we believe that something like this scenario could be achieved today and could we truly be organized enough to trust a leader that we have not even met before personally?

Judges 7:1-7

“Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Morah, in the valley. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappet of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappet, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.”

So, this passage brings to light a problem with the numbers we wish to inflate when it comes to how many people we believe consider themselves to be Christians.  For some reason, we think that the Church is strong due to the size of those who “claim” to be Christians and hold God sacred in their lives, yet there are countless amounts of people who allow worldly atrocities to be harbored within the belief system that go totally contrary to the Word of God.  Where does this type of belief and condition of this “Christian” fall?  It falls into the category of those who God told Gideon to ask who was afraid, for it was in this category that most left the scene.  They have no intention of standing and fighting for the Word of God even though they claim to be in the numbered army of God, a sad placement and the reason that most in this category would be as babes when it came to defending what God deemed important.

When studying this passage, one cannot help but wonder if the same conditions are being leveled today with the number of people that consider themselves to be Christians are dwindling.  Church attendance, tithing, and almost every other Church tradition is being shattered due to the lack of people willing to volunteer themselves for the Kingdom.  It would be easy to read such a passage and wonder if God is doing such a thing once again, but when you understand the context of the Scripture passage here you shall see that this belief by many today is far from the Truth about what is going on.  I have heard many times over my fifty-odd years or so that there will be a great falling away in the last days and that there will be a great revival in the last days, and while both of these statements are true we have had the tendency to sit back and watch them unfold on their own totally missing the fact of just how important world events conduct such measures.  It is not our position to sit back and to watch things pass us by and then cry out to God for mercy, nor is it our responsibility to build enormous palatial like buildings to draw in people either.  It is our responsibility to bring in people to the salvation and Covenant of Jesus Christ and it is this Truth that we need to focus on now and not wait until time passes along.

When you look at this passage, you must take into account the attitude of the people for they showed up for their duty to protect their nation.  Yes, the people were great in number at first but they were there, they did not sit back and stay at home (church pews) and wait to see what occurred.  After God spoke to Gideon and gave the first command, thousands went home.  Still, God said this was too many people for Israel to have on the battlefield, so He gave a second command of action and through this act dwindled the number of warriors down even further; wow, what a bold measure this was but it was an active process and the men acted once again on what to do.  Again, they were out there and acted in order to defend the nation of Israel from their enemies.  The number of people that began was numerous but the number that ended up on the battlefield was the exact number of three hundred.  The difference was clear, the battle was fought with a handful of men that God chose that were willing to fight not the ones who might have had the idea of staying home and waiting for the headline news reports in the evening.

This process that we currently claim as our own is not following God’s plan of reducing numbers to fight a more formidable opponent, but a strategy for total annihilation through our own spiritual and biblical Truth that has been in front of our eyes, hearts, and ears for generations.  How dare we thumb our noses at God and then beg for prosperity and mercy when times become strained.  How dare we cry out to God for blessings and continued structure when we hold the torch of the world in our hands and wave it in front of the cameras for all to see.  How dare we say we are Christians and protest against those who stand for all life including the preborn child who never gets to fulfill their deepest wishes of becoming a true spirit.  And how dare we call upon the name of the Lord to give us the strength to defeat the ones who are on the corners of the streets and in tents trying to proclaim the gospel of Christ and label them heretics and enemies of the State.  In each of these instances, we find people carrying their own lines of embarkation with the masses of the world.  We should be embracing these few folks who do their best to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the dying world, we should be standing with them and listening to what God wants us to say to these people in need.  It does not matter if the times are good or if the times are bad, God never changes and His eyes are always in favor of the lost, so should ours be. 

Church, can’t we see that we are dwindling our numbers by our own choices for the world and not through the correct manner?  When we place worldly ideas into Church practices it removes the “C” and replaces it with a “c” because the authority we have been given falls for the lies of the world and it is obvious that we have fallen for the biggest shame of life itself and have succumbed to the lies that the world has placed in front of us.  How hard is it for us to see that we are following in the exact footsteps that Israel did so long ago and why is it that we continue to believe that God does not have the guts to wipe us from our man-made selfish pedestals?  When God chose these brave three hundred men that would stand firm against the Midianites, He did so in a cutting and precise manner that could not be mistaken for anything but holy and pure.  Those who were not chosen were cut away from the job to be done for various reasons, not used in the job that had to be done.  In other words, God looked at each of their hearts and knew exactly which ones would fight and those who would have doubts.  There is no faith present to take on an attack from the enemy much less proceed in one from God, so the question that remains is would you be willing to be a part of this static force?  Numbers mean nothing when it comes time to go to war, it is the heart to win that matters, and God saw exactly what He needed to when He chose the army for Gideon.  Do you know God needs an army today, for the same type of battle that Gideon faced so long ago?

Our numbers that sit inside church buildings used to be more numerous than ever before, but it is now evident that those numbers were useless to God and had to be removed.  However, it was not God who removed these beautiful people, it was the enemy.  Both kingdom leaders understood what was and still, is at stake and both shall do their eternally best to fight for your existence.  Sadly, we have fallen for the lies that it is okay to sit silently and wait for Jesus to return and expect to see our eternal reward as soon as this event occurs.  Worse, is the fact that because our pews have been lined with people not willing to work for Jesus, those same pews shall continue to be filled after Jesus comes to get His bride, sitting in the same places but this time with confused looks on their faces due to the fact that while they knew the Word of God they had no idea about God of the Word.  God has never administered any type of falling away in spirituality in order to make His army stronger, He has shrunk numbers of His army in order for Him to get the glory for the victory through faith and trust in Him and not in mankind’s numbers.

No, we are not in the middle of some God-like miracle shrinking session so that we will have an adequate amount of people to fight in the Spirit when the time is necessary.  How do I know this to be true? It is because we have been charged with the Gospel for millennia and have sat around and did nothing with it and now God has to take matters into His hands.  Yes, until Jesus returns there shall be people that shall proclaim the Gospel to those who are dying and need Christ but God had no intention of starting over in this manner.  It is true that restoration shall be coming but not in a smoothed out manner that we believe it to be.  It shall be in God’s timing after God gets us down to a level that our hearts shall trust in Him alone again.  However, God shall once again through this restoration process begin to count the number of people who want to worship Him as they should, but for many, that chance is gone and the reality of such sinful acts from the Church shall be noted for eternity.

DLB

Moving The Lines

Moving The Line

8/17/20

There are not many times when it is appropriate to move standards that have been put into place.  Reasons for which these lines have been designated are for protection and security and not deemed as stepping stones into one’s backyard or even in one’s heart.  Yet, over the past few decades or so we have sat back and witnessed this practice occur and today we continue this sitting back and allowance.  Once boundaries are set into place, it is a wonderful concept to maintain their presence and status for they keep everyone intact and defined.  God has always set into place His Lines of eternity but humans just love to make their own and then flaunt them as others walk over their lands.  This practice of moving lines superficially may seem like an equality moment but in reality, it is a dangerous invasion game of lies that shall one day cost hearts their lives.  After all is said and done, God shall still be on His throne with His Line still in place and once again our choice to return to His Ways or not.

There are certain boundaries and connections that people have with groups, organizations, and other forms of identification that set the way for people to live and act.  In the military, each specific group has its own standard; we know them through patches or by nicknames that these groups grab hold of when the individuals are placed within them.  These standards are traditions that must be maintained and abide at all times by each member of the team, without exceptions.  Breaking an established standard may not be a capital punishment proceeding but when the other members of that organization find out what happened, one would think that it was for many times that person may still be allowed in the group but shall have no respect or voice in any further orders or discussions.  A shunning that is equal to a dishonorable discharge and one that will be faced with a turned back if encountered again.  Sadly, this example occurs more often today than ever before, not just in the military but in everyday public life and in the hearts of the Church as well; sounding off a warning alarm for everyone who hears loud enough that danger is imminent but not many care.

Most of us would like to believe that when issues of disturbance arise, that the lines and boundaries that have been previously drawn would be respected and noticed by those who wish to advance in our direction.  The attitude of an aggressor is just that, they are aggressive towards those who want to get out of their way, and they will do many things in order to obtain this goal.  If I have a continually changing range for one of my chemistry tests and refuse to establish a direct line of reference for that test, how can I truly and accurately report out vital patient information to physicians that need to know how to treat their patient?  It is impossible to complete such a task, and in reality, the results that I would be reporting would be based on false standards and therefore not be rendered as accurate.  Having one set figure as the standard for that chemistry test alone relates to good practice and accurate results that I would be confident in when they reach another computer screen or chart.  We measure this standard by controls, the liquid that has specific measurements of each chemistry test we offer, and when our instruments test each assay and produce such a result it must lay within the established standard.  If the result does then the instrument is ready for the day’s performance, if the results are not in standard then corrections must be made before any reporting goes out.

The overall performance of such a standard does not just stop within the current standard being used, their accuracy can be measured over time when lot numbers are exhausted and a new lot number is being introduced.  When one sticks with a single company for their controls it can be assured that over time patterns will be noticed when lot numbers change, yet the new results can be accepted because of the reputation of the control and the company that issued them.  Yes, sometimes our reference ranges change when lot number changes occur but for the most part our control results remain intact and steady throughout the entire period of testing.  When this longevity occurs in control reporting, the patient tests that we report can honestly and proudly be received by all healthcare and patient recipients.  The same type of life standard can be applied to human values and lifestyles as well, but the world does not promote such balances only shaky ground at best for as each day begins another crisis develops and another change is in order to combat the chaos of said change.  This kind of living is not stable and cannot support stability either, and we continue on its path and accept whoever leads by this example.  A recent leader of this nation promoted such line changing and moving and then would directly address those who crossed these lines and warned of them not to continue to do so.  After years and years of standing behind podiums and declaring these line moving, nothing had occurred except for the lowering of our national standard to fit other people’s goals and wants from our nation; this is a temptation and one that shall have grave influences not only on us but to those who have taken advantage of our selfishness as well.

Romans 13:1-2

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

How many of us would classify the state of this nation and many other followers of similar lifestyles lining up with what these two verses are proclaiming?  It is not a hard question to answer and if one honestly answers such a question with just the slightest amount of research, they will see that our lives have fallen right into the midst of these verses.  So much so, that one could pencil in our names into these two verses and it would not make the passage any less accurate.  One of the loudest cries in this nation’s recent history is something like this: he is not my president” or something to the like.  Most people would immediately think that I am talking about this current presidency, but no I am referring to the previous administration where one side of the political aisle began those phrases publicly.  Another question: what do you expect the attitude to be when an opposite platform is elected?  Right, the same thing accrues but with a  deeper and vigorous fervor.  In truth, this is not tolerance by any means but one of intolerance and a way to enter into and present our names into the confines of these verses.

What many folks would like to believe is that there is no God and that we are the ones who make decisions for ourselves, forsaking the True foundation of this nation and every other country that follows after the Creator.  This passage by itself declares that God is the only One that can grant, keep, or take away authority not mankind.  Here is the divide that we face, we have taken God out of our lives, that is our choice and God allowed it to occur but we cannot forget that even though we may think we are totally in control of our existence, we are not and through this manner and way of life of moving boundaries and lines we place our every existence into jeopardy and subject to eternal and pure correction.  It makes me scratch my head in painful wonder when we boldly project that everything that is done for good is our achievement but when something goes wrong it is someone else’s fault.  It is this principle that we stand upon that defines ourselves moving the lines of a standard to make us look good or to feel better.  This action is a death trap on many levels but the one most concerning is the one that dooms us into damnation.  Do you understand that if you do not keep the Standard of God then you automatically promote and sanction the pattern of moving lines?

Frightening as it may seem, many people wanted this type of attitude to become evident and right at this moment, they are getting their jollies fulfilled.  We are currently seeing lines of standards being pushed away, back, left behind, or even thrown away all in the name of freedom and compensation.  Each morning we find that a new or another repeated complication has erupted due to someone not being happy with things they do not have or that they have been disrupted by the way their lives have turned out.  Yes, this nation has many problems that we have ignored for many centuries but this ignorance comes from us choosing not to properly and correctly address them.  We have tried our best to fix these issues by moving lines of standards to accommodate the setting of the day, this is wrong and has always proven fatal. 

The answer to these issues lies in verse 1 of this passage and it all boils down to the fact of whether or not we will allow God to be first in our lives or not.  Verse 2 holds the answer if we do not place and recognize God as first in our lives and it is summed up in one word, damnation.  The Greek word that is used here is “krima” which is translated as judgment.  Also, the end of this verse states exactly who will receive such damnation and that is “themselves” and The Greek word used here is “heautois” which means: himself, herself, itself.  That pretty much sums it up as everyone, do you agree?  The definition of damnation does not have a good outcome no matter how one wishes to address its conclusions.  So why are we so determined to ignore solid and sound advice about having and keeping one True standard?  The will of the people is a weapon that Satan uses against those who fall for his bag of lies, even though they are taught that your personal free will should always come first, defeating any chance of eternal survival and if this is allowed it means that the only line of pursuance is death.  No one can survive shifting lines of standards for you always have to stop and take looks at the new policies, acceptances, and rejections.  There cannot be any safety in such moving lines either for it makes a fluid border that is constantly changing; sadly, this is what many countries voted for and have chosen to “obey”.

God’s Standard is the only way possible for us to understand and then reach our true purpose He has for our lives.  God sets the standard high and leaves it there, it takes work but is not impossible to reach or achieve, any other level of direction is useless and shall fail at any given time.  This lowered standard is actually an abuse of power and is subject to God’s rejection and as we see in this passage exposed to His judgment.  It is easy for us to expect the world to adhere to such wavering conditions for we should quickly recall that the world is in total and constant chaos, but why would the Church succumb to such a notion? And before you start off with your defensive notions, once again take a hard look at the actions of the Church and one shall see just how aligned she has become with the ever-changing of standard lines.  We have ignored the true authority of what God has given His witness and how we should be correcting the wrongs of the world through the power and authority of Jesus.  Jesus followed and willingly kept God’s Standard when He was on earth, without compromise.

Do we realize that our vision of equality based upon human hopes alone will only bring disaster?  What does this have to do with moving lines?  It has everything to do with it for when you try and make equality for everyone, it is lines that have to be moved especially when you deal with those who differ from your own opinion.  As stated above, many people see nothing wrong with this action, either accept or be denied.  This type of action is not equality especially when the lines being able to be moved in any direction for inclusion.  This is not the way God sees equality because the level of standard that humans can only offer or achieve is flawed.  A past presidential administrator once said that Christians do not know their Bible, he was correct, and through our actions according to what the Bible states, we have done things so drastically wrong ever since the Church was established.  Church, our standard should be the one God set into motion the day before the fall of Lucifer and especially the day before our fall.

The sole purpose of defiling God is to get His people to set their standards (lines) on another level than His.  Most people will follow those who are in leadership and do as they see them performing their duties, this is a common trait that all humans possess.  Eventually, this acceptance pattern will become so common within our hearts that we will not even consciously notice that those attributes are being presented publicly.  When our aspirations of acceptance become the majority it is easy to fend off adversaries due to the fact that you are in the majority, but Jesus was never in the majority, He was always against what the religious leaders taught not the people.  It was the leaders that changed the lines and made them agree with what they believed God was saying, they left the Word completely and humanized it for their own profits.

I remember a long while ago that my father stood in the pulpit and made a few remarks concerning how a good portion of the Church voted in a general election.  He was heartbroken because after the dust had settled, it was very apparent that people in the Church (the Church) had voted their pocketbooks instead according to what the bible claims as a True voter for God and His Kingdom.  Yes, my father knew what he was referring to, he knew exactly what was going on in the world and he certainly was “up-to-date” on all of the current events of that day.  The only difference he had with those who voted according to worldly standards was God and he could not stomach to vote for the world in any way.  The world shall always be on the side of moving lines, it is the principle of doing what you think is right no matter who says differently.  Moving the lines only promotes instability on all levels and thus cannot provide any sound advice or protection when the winds and other controversies arise against us.  It is this side of the moving of lines that one can honestly state that this spirit is in full bloom today for it comes natural to the world but it has infected Christians as well.  The reign of moving the lines has no true organization; so much so, that the people who claim to lead such charge cannot even agree on a physical name or plan of action amongst themselves, logical to the disorganized world but contrary to human existence.

Furthermore, many leaders and avenues of our government and with many other governments along with the Church applaud such activity and hope that the nation as we know it falls.  This type of activity should not come as a surprise to us for if our hearts have been glued into the Word of God like we have said it has we should know that this type of activity comes straight from our enemy and we should not have any trouble combating it from the roots upward.  Yet, as each day passes, we are seen helping to move those lines of standard and to promote deeper instability within our nation.  THIS is exactly what Jesus meant that in the latter days' brother would be against brother simply because we do not even recognize who our enemy really is.  Worse, there shall be a change coming to this nation and its inhabitants but it shall not be a change according to human standards.  We cry and cry that we do not want to go back for any reason and that we have everything under control yet we allow the people who we have told that it was alright to do whatever you wish in school, at home, outside of the home and even inside the home; the proof that we are okay with moving lines on the simplest fronts.  All of this daily activity we witness on every newscast, proves that we do not know who our enemy is and that our priorities are selfish in nature and in origin and that God has no place in our lives including church services.

Lastly, God wants us to understand that sees the problems and issues that we face not only as a nation but as individuals as well and that He has the solution to all of these items we deem as important.  But there is no way possible for us to correct them as long as our hearts put selfish and worldly ways before God.  God is the only One who can correct such sinful desires and it would behoove us to listen to His voice before He must step in and make long-lasting adjustments.  Sadly, we have ignored such warnings and God even though God has placed warning after warning in front of our hearts, we have scoffed at them.  Fine, God shall take over and correct our hearts in His Way enough to begin a true revival once again in this land (hearts).  We have been thoroughly warned and now we shall be tried because we spent a grand amount of time moving the eternal standard from our land in order to plant our own grove of idol worship.  How shall we respond when this enormous change arrives?  Will we find a way to move our standard once again or will we finally stand and fight with the other 299 on the Standard of God and refuse to be a part of moving the lines?

DLB

Temptation

Temptation

8/7/20

When we think about this term and all of the implications that it brings with it, it can quickly become an overwhelming topic.  Also, when we study this word we can find out that its presence can encompass almost every realm of human life and it’s infiltrating properties just as deep and thorough.  Temptation is a process that destroys the established program already rooted into place with established foundational material that all of us need to maintain a secure level of stability; yet, for many reasons we entertain this word and allow its penetrating qualities overtake our lives until we willingly change our values and foundational support to accommodate its intended destructive paths.  God never intended for us to have to deal with such impurities, He Created us and then placed us into a perfect society in which we had only one Law, obedience.  Even after our choice to disobey, God placed over us a plan of action that would allow our restoration but this time through a process of work and need to survive under God that serves as our foundation.

The old argument whether or not this nation was founded on God and His Ways of existence shall never die out; in fact, those arguments and testaments continue to fuel divided results within our nation and provide a certain level of animosity on both sides of the argument aisle.  This process of questioning and discussion is not a bad one and in truth should be practiced regularly on a civil and meaningful level but somehow most of the time we tend to allow emotions to invade these procedures and the sides end up leaving further from each other than whence we began.  It is recorded in the documents of the early settlers and the Pilgrims as to the reasons why they moved from other lands and came to these shores, and it was not just to start a new life without monarchs and other governmental controllers over their every move.  However, it is evident that shortly after these people arrived in America, their attitudes and ways of living shifted and began to trust in themselves instead of God.  Eventually, these ways became laws and these laws began a new era of “obedience” that fell to the promises of mankind instead of God.

If these ways are continued for any length of time, if any way is whole-heartedly followed for any length of time than those ways of teaching shall prevail in the minds and hearts of those taught those values; just a normal human trait that the Bible addresses many times throughout its content but mostly ignored.  When we take a look at those who came over in the beginning of our nation we find that God was their passion and the freedom of worshipping Him was by far the utmost plan of their hearts.  As stated above, soon those ways began to change and pretty scouring and hideous events began to unfold in order to keep control of what was supposed to be religious freedom first.  This pattern would continue for quite some time and if one is, to be honest, the persecution of those who seem different still come under tight scrutiny.  However, today the form of such scrutiny comes from the worldly population and moves towards what has been the foundation of this land, its identity and it looks like it is here to stay.  One of the most common forms of scrutiny comes in the name of immigration.  There have been so much talk, testimony, hearings, and even laws passed for those who wish to come into this nation.  It is this example that God is going to use in order for us to see how much our views have changed over the years since our establishment so that we can see that our actions today represent temptations instead of true freedom.

Genesis 3:12-13

“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Matthew 6:9-13

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Genesis 3:21

“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

Most of have witnessed story after story of how people pay so much money to illegally enter into this country.  We have also watched many programs and documentaries detailing how stiff our laws are when it comes to those who choose this type of pathway.  However, there is a great way to enter this nation legally and to go through the proper channels when real commitment to this nation is warranted.  The first people of this land from England did such a thing in the name of God, elevating His Ways over the laws of mankind, just as God commanded the Israelites to do when they entered into the Promised Land.  The early settlers praised God continually and built churches and temples so that people could worship freely.  This was not a temptation but a calling from God to complete a mission that He wanted to be done for anyone who wanted to worship Him could do so whenever and however they felt.  When anything or anyone changes their stance on God and where they place Him in their lives, their appearance of their lives and living space changes as well; this act alone renders our attractiveness to countless people a temptation.

Today, we see interview after interview of wonderful people claiming many different bounds as to why they want to enter into this country from their country of origin.  If we sat down and watched and listened to these interviews, I guarantee that the majority if not all of them would be for personal beautification of their lives or so-called governmental dislikes that would be the fueling aspects of their arrival.  While these events if true are noble they are a far cry from what this nation was established to be, a land of the free to worship God.  After listening to these folks speak about the many reasons why they travel to our borders I have not heard ONE of these people say that they came to this nation so they could worship God in the manner in which they wanted.  Not one!  This is where our beliefs and foundation has been sold to hungry people through temptations instead of our original destiny under God.  It is a fact, that when people get their eyes and hearts off of God they shall automatically be susceptible to temptation and at the same time look at temptation from a different perspective, one from the world instead of from God.

When we look at the first passage in Genesis we find that Adam and Eve have allowed sin into humanity’s existence and there is no longer any protection from this deadly entity.  Excuses become the rule of Adam and he starts the blame game instead of taking up the whole of responsibility since it was him who God commanded to obey first.  Then God turns to the woman and asks her why she did what she did and once again the blame game came out in a partially complete story, the serpent beguiled me.  Neither of these two created beings asked for forgiveness nor did they admit that they were the ones to do wrong, it was someone else’s fault, a setting we see and hear almost every day.  The humans fell for the temptation that was before them; we also notice here that the amount of time that the temptation was present was not mentioned, it does not matter, it is the presence that counts, more on that detail in a later article.  From the words of God Adam and Eve’s directional foundation was changed from the original godly one to a godless widowed site, temptation (sin) is the only source for this fall.

When we look at the second passage of Scripture, we recognize it as its familiar name, “The Lord’s Prayer”.  But when you look at the order in which Jesus says this prayer we must understand that there is a reason for the list of sentences and how they are placed together.  When Jesus says what He does about the flow of the God’s Kingdom He does so in a manner of perfection and glory, just like God created on earth in the Garden of Eden.  Then He states some problems within the hearts of mankind, forgiving and forgiveness two of the hardest things for humans to accept and to do.  Next Jesus brings up temptation and how if we do not follow the previous words of this prayer first, then we will be led into a process of temptation; then, we now can deeper know why and how Adam and Eve (us) fell into this trap.  Once temptation is sought by humans, all doors to your life are exposed to our enemy, and since others have acquired this same temptation spirit too, everyone becomes an enemy in the name of pleasures (temptations).

The third passage of Scripture deals with restoration and how God is the only One able to provide such a passage of acceptance.  We found out earlier in Genesis 3 that when Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves it did not work for the price they spent in order to cover themselves was far down the chain and worth dirty sinful rags in value.  Genesis 3:21 says that God provided coats of skins for both Adam and Eve, what does skin do for our bodies?  It covers the vital portions of our bodies and encloses these organs so that they can continue to function as they were designed.  Skin operates as a protective covering and holds us in place and as long as our skin stays intact, we are protected.  God demonstrates just what needs to occur if we are to be eternally covered from the ruler of the world, and while the skins were freely given to Adam and Eve (us) it is a difficult journey to keep them and this journey is called choice.

The other day I watched a video of a pastor who had received a vision and Word from the Lord.  It is a powerful statement from God and one that shall ever ring true when it comes to this nation and to the Church as well.  He stated that “The God of the universe have determined that you shall receive all that you have given unto mankind.”  This statement from God sums up everything that this nation stood for when she was created and what she stands for today AND the difference between those two eras.  When anyone deals with God on a personal level it shall always be on a deep and spiritual content, but when the world becomes a part of our lives it removes this spiritual content and replaces it with a superficial and physical first nature.  It is this superficial nature that informs our eyes to entertain temptation and thus our nation has turned to only temptation as its source of reference and foundation.  So, it does not matter if you recognize that this nation is dealing in temptation or not, God sees it and has told us exactly what He thinks about it and what He is going to do about it.

Some would argue that we have done some pretty good things over our tenure as the leaders of the free world, that is a correct statement to made; however, good deeds alone represent selfishness of mankind and cannot amount to anything everlasting.  Satan knows this and will use these good deeds to bring in his agenda through the natural progressive nature that God gave us when He Created us.  It is this point that we have led people astray for our motives have dictated worldly passions and have instructed many others that God is not essential and that we can do things on our own without His help, guidance or relationship.  This is why this video from this pastor is so important, for it relays the truth about where our passions lie and what we hold dear and true in our hearts.  Temptation cannot suffice God or His intentions for your life, God’s plan shall always be planted deep within your heart and grow from there, but we have suppressed this so much that we find it necessary to destroy everything around us in order to start over according to what we believe is true through anger and entitlement.

Church, you are not going to escape this judgment from God either, so get ready to face the consequences that we have allowed for ourselves.  See, God gave the Church the authority to change the world by preaching the gospel to the dying world but we have refused to do this correctly.  We have adulterated our mission, the mission that Jesus commanded us to do, to please our own blinded temptations, eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil if you want to place it into that perspective.  When God commissions anything, His will shall be done, period.  Hence the words Jesus used in Matthew.  We may not like what God has to offer us but when it comes to making us realize what we have done, He has no choice.  We have failed Church and since God is not the being that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden but He is the same Being in Genesis 3:21 we now can say we have the origin, definition, and actions of temptation.

I know that this topic is a tough one to deal with and to even understand thoroughly, but it is one that lays out the foundation of sin and how it infects our lives on a routine and daily basis.  There is no possible way that we can survive eternally with just a superficial knowledge of God and His Ways, it is impossible to live faithfully in such a manner.  All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God but we have a hope of restoration that if we accept, will provide us the covering needed to live forever.  The God that provided Adam and Eve a covering still operates in that same business today and if we turn to Him and give our hearts to Him 100% He will forgive us and heal our land.  We must understand something here, judgment is coming upon our land and this process is already in motion according to the spirit realm, it cannot be stopped.  This procedure shall affect everyone around the world, not just in this nation alone things shall change completely as we know it nothing shall be the same.  We demand that everything revolve around us and our lifestyles, we demand that everything we do be noticed and admired by all, okay we are about to witness this level of acknowledgment from God.  But when things are all said and done, always know that God is still on His throne and He alone is always in control.  Let the restoration of our hearts begin.

DLB