The Problem With Atheists....

Kyle... yes, I will name him "Kyle"

Kyle fancies himself a very extraordinarily intelligent guy. He thinks he knows everything there is to know, and that is why he is proud to be an atheist, and not another "idiot Christian". Who could be so ignorant to believe the Bible is true? What a bunch of myths and fairytales, he says. He thought he could win me over to his much more superior point of view, one that gazed loftily over all the heads of the (in his mind) ignorant Christian masses of dumb sheep.

I shared this with Kyle:

and he thanked me and laughed, and said "Yes, I see it is an Atheist meme that shows how backwards Christians are!"

Then I pointed out that the atheist is headed downward and the Christian is going up, and that it is a perfect depiction of the fact that atheists will come down from their lofty superiority, while those dumb Christians down there are headed upward.

Kyle stopped laughing.

Debating with the Skeptics...

 My husband shared something with me today, it is truly funny how the Lord works these things out, I am sure He has a terrific sense of humour. The reason my husband shared this link with me was because he told me that he was unaware (until reading this blog article) that there was anyone else on this planet besides me who uses the word "discombobulated"...

(from movie "Princess Bride")

Anyhow, I love the blog, and this particular blog post was on the topic that I've been harping on lately....

Excerpt:

"With a skeptic like Chaz, it truly is not a matter of whether there are answers to his criticisms. It is a matter of whether or not he will submit himself to God’s authority as revealed in Scripture. He is operating with an unregenerate mind; one that is darkened in sin and has no interest in the truth, and what truth he is given, he will reject, suppressing the truth by explaining it away with some clever argument he devises. Hence, the Bible in the mind of the unregenerate sinner will never be a “reliable” guide to Christ’s teaching and no one will ever satisfactory answer his list of “contradictions.” "

 Here's the link:
https://hipandthigh.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/twenty-ways-to-answer-a-fool-16/comment-page-1/#comment-14590

A Former Messianic Jew Says....

This is very sad for me, and again it reveals a part of the falling away that is going on today, that falling away that Jesus did tell us would happen. This Jewish man says he was converted to Christianity, with Jews for Jesus and Messianic Judaism. I have heard that many of these congregations are very (as Mr. Levey says in the video) cultlike, so again of course the devil can use such things to say "this is what Christianity is, it is a cult"...and this young man now preaches to Jews to warn them about people that evangelize to Jews.

 Indeed, the devil DOES NOT want Jews to truly be born of His Spirit. Satan doesn't want anyone to come to Christ especially the Jews for whom satan has a special and particular hatred and finds all kinds of ways to lead people astray, as he did with this young man, and of course that hatred then gets blameshifted to be hatred that comes from the God of the New Testament and from Jesus. Sigh. It is satan that has sent people to hell, satan is the one that made the need for one a reality. Yes God created satan, yes satan became evil and God knew that would happen...but just as you and I can predict certain things with great accuracy, and perhaps even cause things to be put things into motion that turn out to lead to tragic events does not thereby mean that we made it to be so with that as our sole purpose in mind....even so, God knew that would happen therefore He also created the antidote, the one that is being mocked and jeered about in this video, and lots of other blogs and places as well...


At about the 12:30 mark he mentioned his mother's disappointment with his becoming a Christian: "had I become a Buddhist or an atheist it wouldn't have been as bad..." and there it is, it is better to believe in a fake God or no God at all than to believe in Jesus...and the devil couldn't be behind such a thing because there is no such thing as a devil...or so the devil says....


  Being born again is not just "an experience"... if God did it, it is a reality that doesn't go away.

The Problem with Atheists...

https://www.recruiter.com/i/how-to-control-for-me-and-against-me-thoughts/

A few weeks ago I began reading a book...for me this is a tough assignment on several levels...The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky is translated from Russian to English (the version I'm reading is supposed to be one of the better ones, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volkhonsky) so perhaps part of the problem is the fact that words often do not translate directly from one language to another and often make for tedious reading. Another problem is the Christianity that is presented in the novel is Russian Orthodox, similar to Eastern Orthodox, it is very different from the Christianity we experience in the west. I go several days at a time in avoiding the reading of it, so after these weeks I'm only at the halfway point, sigh and groan. I hadn't heard or known anything about this story or it's author, I saw it on our bookshelf (my husband purchased it a couple of years ago) and decided to dive in. Interestingly the topic of what atheists believe and think are explored in this story and the hero of this story struggles with these amoral people from the context of his Russian Orthodox beliefs. Although I have encountered these (atheistic) beliefs before, and not just from atheists, but directly from my own mistaken and fallen understanding of what I wanted to believe prior to being saved...encountering them in this story is timely, considering the recent events and my own struggles with the blasphemous utterings from "former Christians turned atheists". I hope to give a blogpost or two in the future (after finishing this drudgery of a book reading) to explore a few things that come up in this assignment....in the meantime, I share a debate that I enjoyed between an atheist and a Christian:


Dinesh D'Souza: "It's not an intellectual revolt, it IS a moral revolt"

Examine Yourselves

2Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (KJV)


Yesterday I was notified of a cousin's passing, he passed away while at church, and I pray that his heart truly was converted and that he is with Jesus.

Yesterday was a day for much thought and prayer and self-examination while thinking about my cousin (who was a little younger than I) and his now widowed wife.

This had me reflect again on my acquaintance who I gave the name "Isabel" in "A True Story" (tabbed above). Isabel came to a point in her walk with Christ where she, like the people in the gospel of John chapter 6, realized upon self examination that her heart truly wasn't transformed by the Lord, and was still a reprobate, and instead of asking from the Lord without ceasing until her request became a reality of a true conversion, gave up on God, thereby giving up on herself and her own eternity with God.

I also came to such a point of a personal meltdown, a time of truth, when I had to confess that I was a reprobate because I did not truly have Jesus in my heart, soul and mind, and that I was the source of my own strength instead of truly relying on the strength, goodness and power of the Lord. I begged God for His mercy in the light of this truth, this understanding, and I would not let go of asking for the miracle of a true conversion. I asked with the centurion that begged Jesus: "Lord I believe! Help Thou my unbelief!!!" and then trusted that He would help my unbelief, and each time my unbelief would rear it's ugly head He would remind me that His faithfulness was greater than my unfaithfulness, and to trust Him.

This world is full of trouble and evil on every side, and our lives are but a tiny candle in a wind tunnel, only flickering for a short time until it is snuffed out, and by God's grace remains lit for the time that it is. Let us use the time wisely, to seek Him while there is yet time, and not follow the sick world in it's debaucheries and insanities.

Hold fast to what is true, Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the life. Ask, seek, and knock, and do not give up and give in to the weakness of thinking self is all you need because you err in thinking that God is too far from you...He is very near, even at the door, continue to persevere and He will give you the strength to go on persevering. Do not be cut off from Him, from Him flows life, and truth, and endurance to be with Him and of Him, continue in well doing by His might, not your own strength. Our own strength is very weak indeed, and in the end (even if we think we are being loving of others and selfless, we lie to ourselves if it isn't God doing it in us) the only true love can come from God through us to others. If we love others by our own strength there is always an ulterior motive, some selfish need being fulfilled, to seem virtuous to others and to try to gain their honor and respect for ourselves. Would we still love them if they spat in our faces the way Jesus continued to love and forgive those who despised and hated Him? We cannot, unless it is He loving others through us and forgiving others through our forgiveness of others,  as He also has forgiven us.

Trust Jesus instead of honoring yourselves,
                                                                    for without Him we are nothing.

2Peter 2:17-18
These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with a tempest;
to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity,
they allure through the lusts of the flesh,
through much wantonness,
those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
(KJV)

Eternity
in blackness 

of self-reflection without Jesus 

is a long, long time...

Pride and Shame

Over the last few months I've been contemplating the complaints of atheists and "former Christians". Often their accusations against the Bible, God, and against Christianity come in the form of boasting that their way is the better way, that they have a right to claim the things that they do because Christians are stupid and brainwashed, don't use proper reasoning faculties, and are hypocrites. They are proud of the fact that in their own estimation of themselves they are so much smarter and not at all hypocritical.

It used to be (especially during the Victorian era) considered a sin to be prideful. Today it seems to be regarded as a strength...however pride is now separated into: arrogance and pride, arrogance being the evil and exaggerated form of pride and simple pride being the healthy form. I see that as another deception that has taken hold of many, even within "the Church".

Doing a word search using the search parameters the words "pride" "proud" and "shame" in the Bible brought forth many nuggets of truth.

Here's a sampling from the Proverbs (KJV):

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 8:13

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Proverbs 14:3

 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5 (people even today join hand in hand to encourage each other in their pride)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Proverbs 16:18&19

A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 29:23

and from the New Testament:

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
        the lust of the flesh,
        and the lust of the eyes,
        and the pride of life,
 is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away,
and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17

I've also seen humility faked all over the place, by both Christians and non-Christians. Pride is a human trait, one that needs to be confessed before a holy God. If we pretend we have no sin, we lie (1 John 1:8). My husband sometimes jokes: "The minute you think you are humble, you aren't" and "I am proud that I can say I am humble". Indeed humility, true humility, comes from God. That is the lesson many fail because the hardships and struggles of this life should bring us to a point of humility before God. Instead today we see people fighting for their rights to have everything that they want, fighting anyone who stands in their way...including God. And then they feign their humility when they are told how wonderful and clever they are. How ridiculous.... however God will have the last laugh.


Posts that are related:

God's Righteousness vs Self-righteousness

The Worldly-Wise

and this from my other blog:

Argument with Ignorance 

The Issue of Biblical Inerrancy

On the topic of Biblical inerrancy I'll only talk about the problem I've seen many have with the two (three?) sabbaths of the holy week of Jesus' crucifixion.

This would require understanding the various sabbaths that occur during the Jewish holidays and a very detailed knowledge of the laws of the Old Testament. I admit that I have read the O.T. but don't have the same kind of knowledge that someone who paid attention in seminary would have.

This link explains the situation that occurred during the holy week providing the O.T. passages that you would need to understand in order to make sense of what actually happened.

Rather than just taking the atheists pat and superficial answer that "this proves the Bible is not inerrant", I hope those who sincerely want to know the truth dig deeper for the answer.

The Question of Denominations

This question has come up several times, and I often see this mentioned by atheists as being one of many reasons why they cannot believe in God. Even within denominations individuals have their various distinctly different opinions about what the Bible says, means, and how these things should be applied, so the question for these atheists is: "Why doesn't God get it right for people? Why doesn't He lay it out plainly for everyone so there wouldn't be all these splintered factions and groups within groups all opposing each other, sometimes giving opposite meanings to the same verses/passage in the Bible. God is supposed to not be the author of confusion and yet it appears that He is just that."

I personally find that the fact that we are each unique with individual ideas, aspirations, ways of expressing ourselves, etc., to be one of the most wonderful aspects of God's creation. Even flowers and plants, when I look at them in my garden, there are similar ones, however no two are exactly alike.

When God created Adam and Eve and they began having children, their individuality and differences already even then showed up in the choices they made, and how they each desired to display a life of sacrifice to God; a right way and the wrong way. Instead of getting humbled by the understanding of his wrong way, Cain did not submit to the truth about the error of his way but instead wanted everything including God to submit to his way. God had it wrong, not Cain...according to Cain that is. His wrong attitude and His defiance against God led him to murdering his brother in his envy and anger that Abel was acceptable and he himself was rejected. Many vegetarians today would probably agree with Cain saying that the sacrificing of his best fruits of his own labors should have been the better sacrifice than the shedding of blood. In most people's eyes any kind of murder, the murder of the innocent, animals are just innocent creatures after all....is wrong.

I agree. It is wrong. (with this for clarification: sin is terrible and very serious and therefore the antidote likewise must be very severe as a consequence...and "sacrificing fruits and vegetables" instead of  a prize sweetest adorable lamb is NOT the price God has set as an adequate sacrifice which pointed to the real ransom, Jesus, THE Lamb of God: God in the flesh)

It is the only way that our Creator has in place for our redemption.

God allows within His true way for various people to express themselves in their own unique ways, but there are boundaries that we are not to cross...there are specific rules, commandments, laws that do not hinder any of us in uniquely expressing our devotion to God in our personal lives. When the rules are not obeyed there are consequences...... and there is also forgiveness, a time to turn around, repent, admit error.

In the book of Revelation there are 7 churches mentioned that were active in the time of John "the revelator". Each church was distinct, with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Each church was told what it did right and how and why it needed to change. Those strengths and deficiencies are still noticeable today in churches which claim to be of the body of Christ. Each individual who looks to Christ truly, knows where they fail and seeks God for the strength to do what is right in the sight of God. That won't change them into "cookie-cutter Christians", because that isn't God's way. The Apostle Paul and the other apostles each had unique lives and ministries, and God used them each in separate ways within the body of the Church. They were not "cookie-cutter" in any way, yet they all worshiped God in the way He wants to be worshiped. They were same and yet not the same.

 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  
For by one Spirit 
are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.   
For the body is not one member, but many.  
 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 
  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?  
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? 
If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 
And if they were all one member, where were the body?   
But now are they many members, yet but one body.  
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.  
Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:  
And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 

For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.   
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  
Are all apostles? 
are all prophets? 
are all teachers? 
are all workers of miracles?   
Have all the gifts of healing? 
do all speak with tongues? 
do all interpret?   
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

1Corinthians 12:12-31 (KJV)

The last questions in that passage are meant to be rhetorical with the obvious answer to each being "no".

The fact that God has made such an incredible world with so many unique and distinct qualities everywhere abounding, beautiful birds, flowers, trees, fish, and all kinds of four-footed beasts, and then men and women with unique reasoning skills, voices, gifts all differing from each other, is for me one of the best evidences of a wonderful Creator. The fact that He has provided ONE WAY for redemption out of a creation that got damaged is not evidence for a hateful and inconsistent God, but for a very wise and loving God who loves His creation and doesn't just give up on it and scrap the whole thing for the garbage in it. He is willing to clean up the garbage, but clean it up His way in His time. That is reasonable, isn't it?

So Much to Say....

There are several things that I want to address about the gaining momentum of the falling away from the faith, and while doing my various other duties today I sometimes thought about some of the things that need addressing....and I think there are at least four or five more posts which touch on various things such as the atheist's claim: "There are so many religions. If God were indeed truly there, why doesn't He show people the right way beyond any doubt? If He has why is everyone conflicted about it? Why so many denominations? Why so many religions? Why doesn't God straighten that mess out?" etc, and I wanted to talk a little more on the topic of hell, as well as go into some links where "former Christians" claim their loss of a real honest to goodness (that would be God, no?) faith. Also found links where atheists try to evangelize people away from their faith by embracing their doubts and letting their doubts take over their lives so they can be truly free.

I wanted to address at least one of these topics today, however life got in the way. I had so much to do, as a matter of fact, I still have much more to do before I collapse into bet tonight. So I guess I'll have to cogitate on it for a while. In the meantime, I hope the best for all who happen by this way.

For my atheist friends I hope you will seek the truth with your whole heart, and I pray that He will rescue you before it is too late for you.

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.

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. :)

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.

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.

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. ;-)

Repost on the Kinsey Effect

Originally talked about it here:

http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.ca/2012/03/kinsey-effect.html

Be warned that this is a very disturbing video; do not watch it if you have a weak stomach for the ugly things that are going on in this world... however, the value I see in knowing about this is that we can get too complacent about the awful things that are happening, we need to be awake and aware of what is going on, and to stand strong against all of the evil in this world. I too become complacent at times and think that this world "isn't that bad"...however, the truth is there is much that is wrong with this world and our hearts need to be broken about it, Jesus wept over Jerusalem for their unbelief. How much more should we be in tears about the evil and unbelief that is our current situation. God help us!

Conspiracy Theories and Where I am Now...

For quite a while I really "was into" reading, watching Youtube videos, listening to audio interviews etc, on anything that could be lumped into the category of "conspiracy theory". I say "was" like in "time past" AND however, I still agree that the "official version" of what happened to JFK and 9/11 is probably not "what really happened", and after watching hours of videos of the evidence for and against the U.S. landing on the moon, I still think we ( and by "we" here I mean a human being) never set foot on the moon.

 Well, can't say I ever went *that* far lol...

 image link

But be that as it may (I may or may not be right about any or all of that) it REALLY DOESN'T MATTER in the eternal sense of who I am in Christ. This world is going to hell in a handbasket, and I think anyone who has his head screwed on straight should know that by now, so knowing what the Bildebergers say behind closed doors, or knowing who belongs to the Illuminati club, really doesn't add or subtract from the plans God has for those who love Him.
*We (and by "we" here I mean those who are in Christ Jesus, washed and regenerated by His blood) are not of this world, and nothing that this world can do to us can thwart what God has in store for us, nothing.
*We will all die here ....

The Worldly "Wise" (wise in their own eyes, that is)

That was me at one time, and thank the Lord He didn't leave me to "my own wisdom".

Posted this in the comment section of a friend's blog, and decided to repost it here:

The ways of this world have a way of seeming to be stemming from wisdom, it seems right, but it leads to destruction. What if we can gather all the comfort and happiness and wealth of this world, and live in a peace that this world gives, and have everything that our flesh desires, and not have the Lord, and lose our soul....Jesus asked that question, what would it prosper us? Trading a few temporary years for a vast eternity. It sounds wise to those who have no hope for eternity I suppose, but God's word tells us such "wisdom" is very shortsighted. He knows the bigger picture, and has promised us so much more than we can ever comprehend with our mortal faculties....and He who promised us such splendid promises also keeps all His promises. Why be short-changed by a few temporary amusements? Because the devil makes them seem like they are all there is, like it is the only thing that matters at all, just as he did with Eve and the first temptation to doubt God's wisdom and providence. God loves us so much, and He knows that we get easily distracted and dissatisfied and grumbly, to our own hurt. When I truly thank Him and praise Him, He fills me with His joy that surpasses all the junk we can try to mimic that blessed feeling that the Lord desires to bless us with. One day, in His presence, no longer battling this awful flesh, and the temptations of the evil one, we will enjoy the passion, the praise, the honor, the glory of being in the company of the most glorious and loving being there ever was and ever will be, and it won't be a roller coaster life of ups and downs like we have here...it will be constant peace, constant love, constant joy, constant honesty, constant reverence, forever, and ever, in holy communion with our Lord and Savior and Friend. 

I have seen those who call themselves "Christian" coming out of their "closets" and exposing who they really are, wise in their own wisdom, with all the stealth and smooth words of the devil himself, and getting approval of other atheists like themselves for their "boldness" and "wisdom" for "telling it like it REALLY is". The Bible does tell us about these scoffers who scoff what He has to say, and their final end. Does it really matter that they come to a place here where they are satisfied with themselves, and gain approval of god-haters? What will that gain them

Maturity in Christ Part 2

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

We all go through difficult times, it is a part of life. Even people "on top of the world" so to speak, who seem to have it all: fame, fortune, universal love and acceptance, etc, etc, etc... have problems, can't hold on to their spouses, go to rehab, or even kill themselves with booze, illegal mind altering substances, or sleeping pills.

Some people blame God for their inability to believe in Him because...