Horticulture

Update on my garden: it is still blooming and looking wonderful.

Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd:
        and their soul shall be as a watered garden;
               and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
                          Jeremiah 31:12 (KJV)

I've been thinking about this verse. When I go outside to water, all the thirsty plants drink in the water and make me so glad and uplifted. Lately we've been getting some rain so I haven't had to water them as much. I just go out and enjoy their beauty.

Many of my annuals are forming seeds so I've been gathering them to try to start them from seed in the spring. I have some flowers that I haven't seen that particular color variety before so it'll be wonderful if I am successful.

I'm also experimenting with trying my hand at starting new plants from cuttings...

I started these about a week ago and they are still green...it's a good sign. :)

The packets next to the plants are all of my seed gatherings.

I've also been thinking about the parable of Jesus when He related hearers to four soils. If I wasn't around to have prepared the ground it would have been rocky and weedy and trampled by careless passersby,  and it wouldn't have gotten the water it needs. It makes me aware of the fact that I'm thankful the Lord prepared me to hear Him, and since that time I've continually sought Him to help keep the weeds at bay and water me in times of drought. There was a time I was very stubborn and thought I knew better for myself than anyone else. I am thankful that I was able to lay down that arrogance and self-pride. God showed me a much better way.

Hear the parable of the sower of the four soils:

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, 

Behold, a sower went forth to sow;   And when he sowed, 

some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  

For this people's heart is waxed gross, 

and their ears are dull of hearing, 

and their eyes they have closed; 

lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

  

 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

  

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:4-23 (KJV)

At one time or another I was all of the above soils. I had a praying grandmother when I was a small child, so perhaps this is why the Lord never gave up on me. I also remember hearing the parable of the four soils preached by our Seventh day Adventist pastor when I was about 11 years old, and I remember there coming a silent unspoken response in me, a thought that came to me that said: "I hope that I am that good soil, God please make me the good soil"...and I believe He heard my heart and began even then preparing my "ground". However I was still going to go through the other phases of poor soils and I still would mock those who believed in Jesus thinking myself so much more superior than those poor, silly, superstitious morons. I would still go through many terrible situations and if I would have died then I know I would have gone straight to hell, and yet I didn't die at that time, and believe me when I say that there were several times that I could have and absolutely should have, and yet somehow He kept me from killing myself through my blind stupidity. He prepared my soil during this time, answering the silent prayer of a little girl in a heretical "church" and yet He was able to get through to me in this church that taught heresies because He spoke to me through that portion of the sermon when the pastor read actual words from the Bible.

I'm not recommending this as a good procedure.
Not at all.
It just proves the fact that God can even use a talking donkey to do His work.
It wasn't overnight.
It took MANY years in developing.
He was faithful even when I wasn't.

I just hope I am half as good a gardener as the Lord is (even that I think would be exceedingly abounding), and can grow a successful garden next year from my cuttings and seedlings. 

<3

False Christians

There are many false Christians just as there were many false followers of Jesus in the times of the apostles. Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were false as were most of the huge crowds that followed Jesus. We see from John 6:66 that most people only wanted immediate gratification. In yesterday's post I discussed Beth Moore. She teaches "that kind" of Jesus, the kind that will give you all the goodies if you will believe that He will. She is one of many false teachers leading people astray. But the Bible warns that people want their ears tickled with this kind of garbage, so the responsibility of her error lies partially with her listeners. 

 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (KJV)

We see that happening more and more, don't we?

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.   And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV)

These people...do they honestly believe that they are teaching the things the Lord wants them to teach? Have they truly sought Him for the truth and diligently studied all of God's word so they would speak truly of Him? What does Jesus say?

 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)


When I read these warnings I do not say to myself:  
"These don't apply to me...get thee behind me satan for trying to lie to me".

Instead, I say and have always said:
 "Jesus I hope that these are not words you will have to speak to me when I see You, however, if you say them to me I know that in all things You are truthful and pray for your forgiveness. Help me through my stubbornness, remove this guilty stain from me I pray that You in Your mercy and goodness remove my guilt so that I won't be among the many You say will be rejected...yet IF I am rejected, I know it would be a right decision. I deserve hell. It would be a blessing and mercy to be forgiven, and not in any way deserved."

Let us not build a life on the sinking sand of self pity or self-confidence or self-anything where we think the things we do will be our saving grace. Let us instead acknowledge our lack, our fallenness, our depravity, agreeing with Jesus that without His intervention we are destined for hell. Nothing we can do can outdo our sin debt. Only the blood of Christ can pay the payment for our crimes (even if these crimes were only in our thoughts and never reach the actual doing stage, Jesus said if we even thought them we are guilty of them---face the truth: our sins are many and they are terrible) which we can never pay we can only accept His gift of forgiveness in humble gratitude.

So stop following false teachers with your itching ears to find another way. There is no other way. Humble yourself before Jesus while there is still time.

Beth Moore

DebbieLynne has a couple of posts touching on this false teacher.



I had to take many breaks through this because I cannot take much of Beth Moore at a time. She is one dingy woman for certain. I think many love her because she comes across as a dingy blonde. Who can fault her for not getting all of her facts straight. She's just a blonde after all, right? It seems like that is how she tries to excuse her lack of Biblical accuracy. She is one of those who make Christians a laughing stock amongst unbelievers (atheists, yes I lump everyone who is not a Christian as an atheist, because either you are with Him or against Him). I don't know if she is a Christian or not. Just because she (or anyone) claims to be one doesn't make it so (as I have seen time and time again). The proof is in the pudding. God will reveal the truth about her, and about everything in His perfect time. In the meantime, please, please, please know and understand how these things get mutilated by these false teachers, the likes of which you can find on TBN every day.

 See if you can suffer through her rantings with that horrible overdone southern twang. Chris Rosebrough takes us through her "message" and tries to untangle what she rants about with the searchlight of the Bible. At one point he says "I think my ears are bleeding".  Sigh. She turns all of scripture on it's head...and I can see that people who follow people like her (instead of following Jesus Himself) can wind up in confusion or worse, end up losing what little faith they might have had before they began following her. She needs to confess that she doesn't teach what Jesus or the Apostle Paul taught. She needs to stop.

Listen if you can stomach this stuff  enough to be able to understand the difference between the truth of the gospel and the rantings of people that think they teach the Bible but instead butcher what it actually says.

Listen to the broadcast at DebbieLynne's website (I cannot get it to embed here)
http://debsheadstick.blogspot.ca/2014/07/beth-moore-confidence-and-looking-at.html?showComment=1406572630526#c7118769919111099094

The Great Debate

About commenting on this post, a few guidelines I believe are necessary:

Please keep your comments to what is in this video (well, audio actually).

Please think out your comments carefully because those that I determine are simply to be rude, mocking, or otherwise not productive, will be removed. You are free to ridicule me or this debate and what have you on your own websites and muck it up there as much as you want to of course, but it isn't welcome here.

Also realize that I may decide to not answer your comment but leave it as it is if the answer already addressed adequately in this audio debate and therefore I hope then you will take it upon yourself to do a better job of listening. Yes it is long (over 2 hours duration), and you might have to take it in segments. Don't be sloppy, and I will try to heed my own advice as well there. :)

Muslim Mutilation of Women

I saw this on Facebook, got permission from the author to share it here. The Facebook member's name is Mike Bradley (for clarity there is a person at the very end of the last age who is given the description of THE anti-christ, and there is also the "spirit of anti-christ" or a spirit that many people have which is opposed to Christ):

(Dan 11:36) And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

(Dan 11:37) Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, NOR THE DESIRE OF WOMEN, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

"He" is the antichrist, not respecting the "God of his fathers" is referring to the fact that Islam does not respect YHWH, the one, true God of the bible that Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael knew...but instead has Muhammad's god, a pre-Islamic, pagan idol named allah.

The phrase in Daniel 11:37 “desire for of women” has had various interpretations by scholars. From the Hebrew, the word that is translated “desire” in 11:37 is “hemdah”. In Hebrew however, there are various meanings to words according to the context in which they are used. In all of its various meanings, “hemdah” never refers to sexual desire. The Expository Dictionary of Bible Words states:

“Hemdah” is a noun found twenty-five times, with the primary sense of “that which is pleasant, or valuable”

The implication here is that the phrase is not suggesting that the anti-christ has no desire for women, but that he disregards, or thinks little of or is uncaring toward the desires or needs of women.

This happens to fit the Islamic view toward women under Islamic sharia law very well. Historically, Islam has always been uncaring, repressive and hostile toward women. To Muhammad, women were only a belonging, a source of pleasure, amusement or evil. Women in seventh century Islam were oppressed as mercilessly as they are today.

From Islam's corrupt inception, nothing has changed. Woman beating, female genital mutilation, pre-pubescent child marriage and the recent abomination of acid throwing at women all point to Islam devaluing and not considering the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of a woman.

Muhammad’s own words say it best about his view of women.

(Sahih AlBukhari, 5096)“The worst sin and distraction from virtue that I have left for man is woman”

As in the seventh century, today Muslim men blame women for their own lack of sexual restraint. In Islam, it is not the man who is to blame for having lust, but the beauty of a woman. Instead of repenting from sin and not lusting, they impose the use of the Hijaab, the head and face covering, and for the entire body, the burqa. Muslim apologists will try to convince the public (and women converts) that wearing the hijab or burqa is voluntary and honors allah, but the fact that women are regularly beaten in Muslim countries when parts of their body are exposed (like face, or hands) suggests that it is not voluntary, but compulsory.

Muhammad identified the entire body of the woman as a vagina,
(Tirmizi,Volume II, hadith, No. 65)

‘The woman is ‘awrah. When she goes outside (the house), the devil takes charge of her (i.e. possessed her)’

This hadith stated that whenever the woman went out of her house she would be possessed by demons. So she is dangerous to society and hence she should be confined inside her house. There is no definition so widely used and accepted among Muslims for defining the woman than ‘Woman is ‘Awarah.’

The term ‘Awarah is defined in the Encyclopedia of Islam as ‘the external genitals, especially of the female’ (Haqq & Newton 1996: 5). The word is derived from the noun ‘nakedness or nudity.’ So to put it in a simple meaning ‘woman is bare-naked or her whole body is a vagina.’ The prophet Muhammad said, “Even the woman’s voice is awarah (or vagina).”

From this it is understood why the Muslim woman was forced to cover her body from head to foot and not supposed to step out of her house and possibly, to remain silent.

The hijab is just a starting point, the deceptive beginning of a much greater, oppressive domination and enslavement of women that for many, leads to a complete covering and thus, depersonalization. When a woman is fully covered, she ceases to be a person, but is just an object, a faceless, person-less walking, talking vagina. The muslim body coverings thus have nothing to do with modesty but power and depersonalization.

Obviously, the view of women Muhammad had and has left as a legacy for future Muslims is in stark contrast to the Biblical view that upholds the value of women, praising them for their virtue, chaste character and high regard for their role in the family and home and in the church community.

For examples, Miriam, Deborah, Huldah were notable prophetesses in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, Tabitha/Dorcas, Phillip’ two unmarried daughters, Paul’s helpers Euodia & Synteche, Phoebe, Priscilla and Andronicus and Junia were known for being “outstanding among the apostles”. God calls the assembly of saints, His ekklesia, a Bride, adorned, ready, clothed in clean, fine, white linen, indicating spiritual purity and His righteousness surrounded by light without shadow. What a testament of God valuing and appreciating Christian women! They are mighty in the kingdom of God! Worthy of respect! Indeed, God has fearfully and wonderfully made all women. They are all precious in the sight of God.

In contrast, where Muhammad had paranoid fear of women being demons, God entrusted them with His word as prophetesses. When Muhammad says women have half the testimony of a man, the God of the Bible calls women a “helpmate”, an equal partner in the blessing and promise of God. Where Muhammad taught to keep women in submission by fear of being beaten, Jesus demonstrated kindness, gentleness and forgiveness, telling the woman accused of adultery “…neither do I condemn you. Go your way and sin no more”. The God of the Bible says to…

(1Pe 3:7) You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Where Muhammad refers to women pejoratively as a vagina (implied to be unclean), God values women so highly that He calls men to…

(Ephesians 5:25-27) "love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

We have seen that from within an end times context, one of the distinguishing characteristics of the anti-Christ is that he will have “no regard” for women. This could mean any number of dead beat husbands, manipulative, charming Casanovas throughout history or generally abusive men. However, when other passages are considered that support an Islamic origin for the anti-Christ, this passage describes the typical Islamic view of women under Islamic sharia law. Daniel 11:37 then fulfills the description of the anti-christ himself being the embodiment of lack of care and actual hostility toward women.

Questions that Don't Require Answers....

And yet, I'll answer them anyway...on my own turf :) That way I won't keep going in circles with it.

!. the "why did you call me a hater?" question.

I was simply showing that you yourself "hate" Christians by using your definition of hate (not agreeing with them) that if you were honest you would see how you give yourself more leeway as to what you see in others as hatred directed towards you. That you wish to make it more than that is up to you....

2. More about God's love (and what atheists see as the lack of God's love...or God's apathy perhaps?) and about man's love for wife, children, etc. 

I'm surprised that I get asked this question by someone who has had training to hold a job as a pastor. I have to bring up the fact that this shows lack of proper education or perhaps a lack of comprehension on your part because this is Bible 101 for pastors. C.S. Lewis has a great little book entitled "The Four Loves" which breaks this down very nicely.

If you really want to know the answer to this and many other questions God ultimately is the one who knows them all best (but I know you don't like that answer). The alternative is to keep thinking only you are right and "if there is a God He is wrong"...good luck with that one. You will have eternity all by yourself thinking you are the most correct and it still won't do you any good.

Bruce you have one chance at a final question/rebuttal and then I'll shut the comments down because I see how these things deteriorate, and I'm not having that here. We are not going to play the endless circle of meaningless questions to show "I am right and Christians are stupid" here. Sorry if that upsets you.

Beetle Problem

A terrible development on the home front...

Lately I have been battling a small but formidable foe in my garden:

a small yet voracious eater of my blossoms and greenery...and they fly! These guys have done major damage to my cana-lilies and petunias.

This means war!

The Falling Away and The Remnant Church

From his own story, with no need for deconstruction whatsoever, he essentially came at the doctrines of Calvinism on his own, started reforming one church, crashed and burned at the next, then spiraled downward slowly into unbelief through the spectrum of liberalism. 
 http://www.choosinghats.org/2014/07/the-haberdashery-of-bruce-gerencser/

Since he "outed" himself in my last post, I will use the atheist's full name in this one. Bruce Gerencser (I won't give him the elevated status of "pastor", he's burned up that right) gives us a good look at what atheists do when dialoguing with Christians. In this (above linked) article Joshua Whipps does an excellent job of dissecting exactly how Mr. Gerencser ruins attempts at meaningful dialogue with Christians and only gives kudos to those who agree with him. Yep, I've been there. But what I'm interested in examining here is what Mr. Whipps says in the portion of the article I excerpted. I've heard this before that many Christians enter into a liberal form of "Christianity" (I'm doubtful about it actually being Christian), before completely losing what faith they had, or thought they had.

This sermon by Phil Johnson talks about liberalism and the Church. This is a very uplifting and edifying sermon. One thing he says towards the beginning is the thing that I was (thankfully I can say "was") having trouble with. He says that institutions and persons have failed and will continue to fail into the future, but the gospel of Jesus will be triumphant. I admit that I was overly concerned by individual persons failing and falling away. Pastor Johnson says that this is actually a blessing in disguise in that the Lord is weeding out through this process the pretenders and keeping the faithful remnant. Pastor Johnson sees the season of unpopularity of the Church having a purifying effect on the Church because the ones who go for any other reason besides their love of Jesus, will drop out. They can deny and deny and speak of their previous love for Jesus, but in the end TRUE LOVE DOESN'T FAIL, so their denials are about as valid as an alcoholic saying he's not a drunk. Anyway, have a listen to an excellent sermon and be strengthened in the power of the Lord to save those who truly desire Him. He is faithful and true, and let our desire be for Him and His saving grace alone, even when everything else on earth fails.

Enemies at the Gate: Four liberalizing trends that threaten the contemporary church

The Anti-Pastor

      Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

                                                                            2 John 2:18 (ESV)

      I have heard that it happens from time to time, a pastor struggles with his faith...and gives up the struggle. Recently I stumbled onto the website of such a former pastor. God only knows if he truly was saved and if he was (I personally doubt it myself) the Lord will retrieve Him in His time. As of this time this ex-pastor not only says he has given up on Christianity, he also feels it his duty to anti-evangelize the flock. He goes about seeking whom he can “assist” in getting others to give up their faith just as he did. That is why I've christened him the anti-pastor. He doesn't think it is enough to blaspheme God by saying He doesn't exist, he also feels the need to yank people out of the fold. Yeah, that's right...I truly thought I had seen it all. Is there no limit to the hurt the devil will inflict on Jesus? It seems not, however there is a limit. One day people like the anti-pastor will come to the end of the time the Lord will give to their foolishness which inflicts pain on others. He will limit it in such a way that the only pain they will inflict is on themselves for ever and ever. God in His mercy is still giving him time to repent (otherwise he would have passed from this life into his eternal fate) so I hope he will “get true wisdom” and learn truly of Christ instead of getting his learning from the spirit of antichrist. God only knows how much more time the anti-pastor has left on earth to turn around and repent of the error of his ways.

      I'm not going to post a link to this man's website because the teachings of this man are ugly to say the least. If anyone is interested in doing research into these ridiculous goings on I'll make it available upon request with a warning to cover yourself in prayer before inflicting such ugliness on yourself. For most of us it is enough to be aware that he's out there, and the Lord is allowing him to do his worst damage for a while, until He says “Enough!”, and then it will be too late for the anti-pastor. Let's hope for him he wises up before it is too late for him.

Edit (added after Bruce revealed himself here): There is an interesting dialogue that went on between Pastor Joshua Whipps and this person that I have given the title "The Anti-pastor". Mr Whipps gives more detail about this situation as well as detailing how to attempt at a rational dialogue with atheists (on a scale of 1-10 I would rate my attempts at this a 6.5-7, a failing grade, using this article as a measuring instrument)
 http://www.choosinghats.org/2014/07/when-your-resume-is-irrelevant-your-testimonial-does-the-trick/

There are two more articles which give more info on this situation specifically here:

http://www.choosinghats.org/2014/07/the-haberdashery-of-bruce-gerencser/

and

http://www.choosinghats.org/2014/07/wherein-bruce-gerencser-combats-the_vast_evangelical_conspiracy/

I Told You So

Don't you just hate it when someone had told you something and they turned out to be right...and then comes the dreaded “I told you so”?

Yeah, been there done that.

We have a beautiful (although sickly and dying) earth, flowers, trees, all sorts of animals from the small and cute to the huge and ferocious and frightening. We have the ability to see it with our eyes, to smell the roses, and to love....

                ......or not.

Hellen Keller was deaf and blind, and yet God touched her heart causing her to love and praise Him. How much more indebted to God are we who see and hear, and yet many still say “But I have no proof that there is such a being as a “God”. Will He hold those people accountable? Will He say “I told you so”?... because He has told us,  you know. None can use the excuse of "I didn't know...He didn't tell me."

When Jesus spoke of Lazarus and the rich man He said the rich man begged Jesus to send Lazarus to his brothers so they would believe. Jesus said that they had Moses and the prophets (the Old Testament writings) to tell them about Him and that even if one were to come back from the dead they wouldn't believe him (Luke ch 16) How true. Many want to believe that this is just a parable, a story, that has no truth to it. A parable like a fable, Aesop's Fables, to have a moral lesson to teach children to be obedient out of fear. I believe this is a true story and not a parable and  that the people Jesus was talking to knew the man Lazarus and the rich man from their life experience. Jesus doesn't name people in His parables, yet here He gave a name and a situation that the hearers knew about. He was telling them the truth,  telling them a deeper something about people that they actually knew.

The Bible tells us that many will shake their fists at God, blaming Him for their troubles....and they do. I see them saying “If there were a God, why doesn't He make it obvious that He exists? It's His fault I don't believe...if He indeed does exist at all”, and then they claim that they do not hate God, they simply do not believe in Him. Can you think of a more terrible thing to do to a person than say to Him: “You don't exist for me, I don't believe you”. There isn't a more hateful thing you can do to your enemies than banish them by saying “You are dead, you are nothing to me”.

When these hate-filled, pride-filled unbelievers die and see that they were wrong, will He say “I told you so”?

He won't have to because they will get what they always wanted: Eternity without God. That is what hell is. It is the exact opposite of blessing. They will be cursed forever, and forever will curse God blaming Him for their inability to be blessed by Him. Forever cursed and forever cursing, gnashing their teeth in their utter hatred of God and His blessing also hating those who have believed and trusted Jesus. They will have no more earth, no flowers or trees or beauty. All they will have is themselves and their own hatred, and their self-centered life, forever, a solitary confinement with the only person they truly love, themselves ...and those who agree with them. They will be eternally without blessings because they rejected the source of the blessings.

Psalm 2

(KJV)

Why do the heathen rage,

and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the LORD,

and against his anointed,

saying,

Let us break their bands asunder,

and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:

the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,

and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree:

the LORD hath said unto me,

Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,

and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;

thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

Be wise now therefore,

O ye kings: be instructed,

ye judges of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,

and ye perish from the way,

when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Photo Fun

Playing with edit features on my phone camera...

from this....

to this.

From this...

to this.

And from this...

to this.

And this...

becomes this :)

Just one more...

This becomes...

this!

 (this looks much more like it did IRL)

My dear hubby says I have too much time on my hands...sigh...

                                                                                              back to work...

Summer Reading

My DH got me started on a Jeffrey Archer binge lately, just finished "Kane and Abel". I enjoyed it, although...well, it was one of his earlier works so perhaps that might be a reason that I found portions of it good and some portions of it were so-so. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Recently I saw one of the complainers against God and His word say that the book of Daniel is one of the problematic areas that caused this person to think the Bible is not true...then as I sought out more info (I admit that Daniel and the 70 weeks prophecy is not a strong area for me) and found this:

www.tektonics.org/af/danieldefense.php#nodan

It is true that you will find whatever supports what you want to believe. If you want to believe the Bible is true, of course you will seek the information that substantiates and confirms that idea. If you want to believe those who hate the Bible and hate the God of Israel and distrust Jesus sacrifice for sin, you will seek the sources which will support you with the "proof" to further entrench you in that kind of thinking as well. I guess it is clear whose side I'm on. ;-)

Hypocrisy Clearly Displayed

Something we should often ponder and speak up about:

Have you ever had an atheist (or homosexual, or pro-abortion person) tell you that they aren't trying to recruit people however their cause (against God, heterosexuals, babies or a combination of the three) is practically the only thing they talk about, and get angry or call you "insensitive" about it if you disagree with them?...hmmmm  Do you think that is being a hypocrite and a liar? I'll tell you straight out that I do.

Regarding Honesty and Openness

It has been requested of me (more than once) to share my testimony. Portions of how the Lord has intervened on my behalf can be found here and there on this blog amongst a few separate blog posts however I have yet to write out a formal testimony of my conversion to the God of the Bible, Who is the only true God.

It isn't that I'm embarrassed or afraid of anyone's disapproval or rejection in this matter. 

That is never a consideration when doing anything truly for God, nor should it be; self-congratulations and self anything have no place in it therefore if everyone except God rejected me for it I would still be on the side of the majority of the only One who matters. I have little patience nor respect for cowards who shirk from doing what is right because those who are wrong seem to be the majority and then these likewise shrink from the side of right to submit to the seemingly popular wrong (perhaps they are only more vocal and boisterous?) to gain popularity and acceptance.

I've been wanting to make a few changes to this blogsite before writing out my testimony and I hope to get to these matters soon, all in God's time, eh?! (slowly but surely, remember that it was the tortoise and not the hare that won the race)

Blessings, and I pray that Jesus gives each person reading here a boldness in Him, not in selfish endeavors that focus only on yourself and your own ideas of what you think best, but what is truly good, holy and pure and the only outcome that is truly a blessed one. 

I pray that when I do share what God has done for me in my testimony, that it will be for blessing others not for the purpose elevating myself, and ultimately only for bringing blessing to Whom all blessings belong in the first place, 

from Whom all blessings flow: 

Jesus our Lord and Saviour, Almighty God

TRUTH

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.

Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? (John ch 18 – JKV)

      The TRUTH depends on this: Was Jesus telling the TRUTH? Or was He a liar?

      An atheist will say there isn't enough information to answer this properly and that it will depend on one's own opinion of what the TRUTH is...however the  TRUTH  is not effected by our opinion of what it needs to be, is it?

      C.S. Lewis was an avowed atheist. He often enjoyed debates with J.R.R. Tolkien who spent many hours trying to convince his friend of the TRUTH about Jesus. One day while walking along with Tolkien , Lewis said he began the walk an atheist and doesn't know how it happened but by the end of that walk he was a Christian. Lewis in his book “Mere Christianity” states that many who do not believe Jesus is God will say that Jesus was a “good man” but then goes on to say that it would be impossible for Jesus to be a good man if He was not indeed God because the claims He made about Himself would have to be true for Him to be good because if they were false He then would be either a liar or a madman, and neither of those would be “good”.

      The TRUTH stands not on what we want to believe, but on what IS.

      If we want to believe the world is a flat plain which if we follow to it's outer extremity we might fall of the edge of it into an abyss such thinking would not change the TRUTH of it actually being a sphere. So it is with Jesus, and it is not up to Him to prove to us that He is who and what He says He is...it is up to us to discover the TRUTH and just as the evidence for a spherical earth is there to be discovered so it is with TRUTH, it is there to be discovered. The failure to discover the TRUTH is not a failure of the TRUTH, it is a failure on the part of the person(s) that for whatever reason block themselves from truly receiving it, whether it is because of pride, not wanting to let go of besetting sins, laziness, there are a number of reasons for such a failure. The Bible says we are without excuse. He has proven that TRUTH to be so in my life not because I desired it to be so, the TRUTH is what it is regardless of how I want it to be.

      Jesus said:

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:6 (KJV)

      Either He  told the  TRUTH or He was lying, and it is up to us to fervently desire the TRUTH more than anything else in this world. If He is right (and I of course believe He is) who is to blame for your rejection of Him? Is He to blame for being honest? Or are you to blame for not believing Him?

     If you want the TRUTH it is out there to be found, it is up to you to find it and not for it to find you...however He did promise that if you sincerely seek Him (and He knows who is sincere and who is just playing games) you will find the TRUTH and it will set you free of your delusions and the destiny of hell that we all  actually deserve. His grace will free us from such a deserved fate. Bowing at the throne of grace is where the TRUTH can be found, by those who sincerely seek it (Him).

" Is eternal torment a just punishment for being wrong? "

I cannot for a moment expect to convince anyone (including myself) that I know everything about heaven and hell and exactly what that will be like, however I do have a trust that the One who has created these as well as so much more that I do not know about has a full understanding of them, and of us and our ways of justifying ourselves when we go against the One who made us.

When God originally created us He made us to be without death. There is a portion or element (that isn't exactly right either, but how to word it???) in us that God created to be like (having similarity to) Himself. Many think that our reasoning ability or our creative ability is that quality, and many think it might also include our physical appearance having qualities that have a likeness to God's physical appearance, which does agree with Jesus being God and Him having those physical and reasoning/creative qualities.

A long time ago when I only saw God as a figment of man's religious imaginings and also viewed each religion having good things to offer, I wondered why the Christian's God would knowingly create a devil and people that He knew would screw up and send us into a situation that would end up with MANY people going to a place of eternal torment. How could that be loving? Why would He do that? The problem of course is that I look at these things from fallen mankind's point of view. When I surrendered to Christ I submitted myself to wanting to understand it from His point of view, and that is obtained by seeking Him out sincerely in His word to us and through the confirmation He gives through His Holy Spirit of what is true and what is false.

Jesus gave us many parables of what the Kingdom of heaven is like. Why didn't God just come right out and show us all directly? Why do we have to work so hard at this and why must it include having a trust in a God that we cannot all see with our physical eyes in our mortality? Why did Jesus have to die and leave so that we would receive the Holy Spirit to have to rely on? Many, many unending questions and God simply says "trust Me", but how? How does one trust anyone? You learn about Him over time and He does promise to reveal Himself to those who honestly seek Him out with passion and conviction of knowing and confessing our weaknesses and shortcomings.

The question "Is eternal torment a just punishment for being wrong?" is a question that I've asked myself prior to being saved and have struggled with after being saved. The difference is that prior to my salvation I thought that my reasonings on this were just as qualified and justifiable as any other on any topic and that everyone has a right to their own opinions on this and anything else, and that would be true if God indeed is a product of mankind's imagination. But then if there is no God, why is there a deep down desire in us to worship (setting aside all of the holes in the theory of evolution and that whole mess, let's just focus on our spiritual inclinations or the opposing spiritual revulsions we as human beings have)? I've heard it said, and I wholeheartedly agree that we all worship something whether it be the God of the Bible, or things in this world, people we admire and set up as idols, the world itself as Gaea the "earth mother", money and the things that it can provide us with, or ultimately we worship ourselves and elevate what we ourselves want to think and want to believe as the highest of what is to be worshiped.

So is THAT a just punishment for being wrong? Eternal hell? Really?

According to what I've learned from the Bible, the premise for that question is incorrect. Going back to the fact that we have inside of us a quality that is like God, a spiritual quality, an eternal quality, then it is reasonable to understand that this quality will continue on without end. If God is the ultimate good, then anything that stands opposed to the ultimate good is evil. The devil was once "good" and then for whatever reason (the Bible said he desired to put himself above God, and I can see this as perfectly logical) he turned against God and took a third of the angels of heaven to be on his side. When God created this devil didn't He know that this creature should not be created? Why did He? We can ask why questions all day long as a petulant child could wear out a parent with incessant "why" questions, and in the end it truly is "Because God said so".

I believe from what I see in the Bible that when God created everything He created it "good" but not "perfect" because only He is perfect. If I were to liken it to a parable that has meaning in our human life it would be that I can create paintings and sculptures etc, but these will never be the equal of what I am and have all the qualities that I have as God created me to be. So God created good things that had a potential inherent in it to be able to go bad. When I create something that turns out to be (in my estimation) a failure, I scrap it, out it goes into the rubbish with all other rubbish. God created us as good with a quality that has a likeness to Himself, and according to the Bible, that likeness includes an eternal spiritual element or quality.

When Jesus died He was on a cross that was just over a giant trash heap that was always burning which was named Gehenna. Everything that happens and is retold of in the Bible has a reason for being so. The pagan symbolism that many might equate with this Christian narrative might be of a phoenix rising up out of it's own fiery ashes of it's destruction. But that isn't the complete story of what is being represented with this occurrence in the life of Christ. The trash heap is a result of the trash that is made by us, by mankind, one of the physical consequences of our decline into spiritual depravity. He provided a way that takes us from this trash, to pay the ransom price that releases us from what our destiny is. Because of the fall we are all destined for that eternally burning trashpile because we are horribly disfigured spiritually by the rebellion against God. God has made a way---only one (like a governor's pardon for a death row inmate) way to be released from a destiny that is absolutely the one we are all justly headed for, and if we do not accept it, it is our one and only ticket out of that certain destination.

So then the answer to the question "Is eternal torment a just punishment for being wrong?" is "yes", and the answer to "why?" is:
               "Because God said so".

If that isn't good enough for you, you worship your own way more than you worship God's way, and you will have no excuse.

What is Faith?

This question: "What is faith?" ; was posed to me by someone who says he is struggling with his Christian faith. The Bible answers this question truly and enough:

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,
so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,
God testifying of his gifts:
and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death;
and was not found, because God had translated him:
for before his translation
                             he had this testimony: that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him:
 for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 
and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently
               seek
                      Him.

Hebrews 11:1-6 (KJV)

I must admit that lately I've been losing my patience with those who claim they once were saved and that God failed them by causing them to lose their faith. Is that truly so? I think they believe it to be so but I believe they are deluding themselves in their false belief of things that are not so. They state various reasons as evidence that God isn't real, yet the Bible confirms the evidence that abounds all around us that God is indeed real and true and that everyone who says He is not is a liar, because deep down we all know there has to be a Creator, and the first things out of an atheist's mouth are curses to the God he doesn't believe in when things do not go according to their plans.

I just finished the Jeffrey Archer book "Paths of Glory". George Mallory had a desire to conquer Mount Everest and he let nothing stand in his way of doing that which was uppermost in his desire. Can someone desire Jesus with that kind of passion that would risk life and limb and then suddenly say: "I just don't believe in Him anymore" ? That kind of desire and passion led to George Mallory's death while he diligently pursued his object of his desire. That kind of desire and passion has led many to face lions, persecutors, and death, while still singing praises to God for His mercy. Then there are these who say they too followed Him with this same passion and it led them to apathy and lack of faith??? Is that truly what God does to those who love Him and seek Him with all their heart?

I say the proof is in the pudding. If they truly love God with that kind of love, the love that says "I love God above all else, even above my own mortality" it follows that this love, this commitment to God, lasts their entire lifetime and into all eternity. If their faith is only a "said faith" spoken with their mouth and one that is  sometimes felt in a "mountaintop experience" then it can fade because their faith is based on these highs of experience instead of on God through thick and thin. If their faith dwindles into nothing it isn't God who let them down, it is that they themselves are in denial of the fact that they never loved God more than they loved themselves.

So when those who claim that they once loved Jesus and now have decided it was all just a fairytale which caused them great pain, I try to reason with them and then soon lose patience with the fact that every reply shows that they desire not Him, they have no need for Him, they love their own reasoning ability which says "There is no God" more than they love God, so where is their searching going to lead, and will my defense of faith in Jesus in my attempts at countering their defiance of God help them in any way? If God indeed wants to save them as He did Saul/Paul He surely can do it without my help. I am not almighty to save, He is. It isn't up to me to convince anyone of the Truth. If I fail at reaching some (any?) is God so small that He cannot reach them in His time using His means which might not include me in that plan? And if they are vessels that were made for destruction, can I override God's purpose in this matter?

Faith is a gift from God to those who believe, His grace unmerited because we all are made from dust, and what does dust deserve? This little spark of intellect that fires our being, is it something we own?; something we deserve?; something we ourselves originated within ourselves?; having created ourselves to be who we are? Or is it something on loan from God? Something that should cause the response of thankfulness to God in how we live? To be faithless, is to be dishonouring to God in how we live and talk and the evidence for that faithlessness is hatefulness and is ungrateful and arrogant...this is bountifully clear to anyone whom God has opened the eyes of understanding. How often have I witnessed those who put on the "humility" act pretending they are something while blaspheming the God that made them, by saying He is untrue? That is arrogance to the maximum.

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22 (KJV)

God will provide faith but you've REALLY got to want it with all of your heart. Remember the centurion who sought Jesus out to heal His daughter? He said "Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief" Mark 9:24 Now an atheist will say: " I prayed the same for a family member who died, so why didn't God do for me like He did for that centurion? It must be because it is just a fairytale, therefore they are completely untrustworthy fables with which to placate children". The thing is that God's answers happens on God's timetable, not ours. Mary thought Jesus failed because He came too late to keep Lazarus from dying. We will all die. It may seem at times like He has forsaken us and that He failed to answer a prayer for safety or other noble requests for others wellbeing. But He is the resurrection and the life, and what appears to us as being too late is right on schedule according to God's infinitely larger time table. Jesus chided people for being "Oh ye of little faith" and if we confess with Him that we indeed are impoverished in this and continue seeking Him to supply us with the faith we need, He is faithful to supply what is needed as the situation requires.

  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.   Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)  

                                                    Hebrews 10:22-23 (KJV)

Matthew Henry's comments regarding this Hebrews passage:


He is faithful that hath promised. God has made great and precious promises to believers, and he is a faithful God, true to his word; there is no falseness nor fickleness with him, and there should be none with us. His faithfulness should excite and encourage us to be faithful, and we must depend more upon his promises to us than upon our promises to him, and we must plead with him the promise of grace sufficient.


Let us live lives of thankfulness to God, serving Him, ever seeking His guidance and having the faithful character that doesn't give up or give in to the lies of "the enemy" of our souls.