As In the Days of Noah, America's Decline Continues

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." Matthew 24:37-39.

So, if you say you are a Christian and think this article (click on the picture  below to get to the article)is no big deal, then you may not be a Christian. This is just one more example of the shocking moral, cultural and spiritual decline America has been experiencing since the beginning of this 21st century.
Read how the Army may very well pay for "gender reassignment" surgery(a nice way to say sex change operation) for their "soldiers".
Making matters worse, the current Secretary of Defense General Mattis is going right long with this, apparently afraid of being seen as intolerant and discriminatory.
May God have mercy on us

Still More Departing From a Traditional View of the Bible

It says in 1Timothy: "Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith ."
Consider the following poll taken by the Pew Research Center.
"Just 43 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 say they believe in God as described in the Bible, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Almost an equal share, 39 percent, say they believe in some other higher power or spiritual force."
Needless to say, "higher power or spiritual force" hardly represents the God of the Bible.

Who is to blame for this? Is it the parents, the churches, or our society, media and schools that have taken an increasingly anti-Christian view in recent decades?
Of course we would be remiss not to also include those who have done bad things in the name of Christianity.

Show Yourself To Be Approved!

"The more you learn about the Lord (by reading the Bible), the richer your experience of Him will be.
By surrendering to His will and following His principles of obedience, you'll be on the road to great blessing and spiritual rewards--namely, a life full of God's peace, goodness and mercy."

Charles F Stanley


Thank you for visiting--it is my belief that you will see and read things here that are, for the most part, unlike anything you will see at the other faith, "religious" sites on the Web.

What Do You Mean Cult?

"Cult--a system of religious or secular veneration and devotion directed toward a particular person,belief system or object:"


Everyone I'm sure has at one time or another heard the word cult directed towards a particular religious group. The picture below is of a cult called the Children of God. It was founded by David Berg(aka Moses David). The Jim Jones group was also a cult that gained noteriety with the death of several hundred of its devotees at th...eir commune in Guyana many years ago.
As you can see from the opening definition, a cult does not necessarily have to be religious in nature. However, in this post I will be addressing what constitutes a religious cult that identifies itself as being Christian.
There is some confusion as to what exactly are the indicators of a "Christian" cult. It is not really all that hard to identify one.
Here are the indicators:
1.The organization or leader says they have( and know) THE way to eternal life and the other Christian faiths don't. Also, they claim to have been given an understanding of Scripture that other Christian denominations haven't.
Now, I should add that this group may not come out and say this right away but as you get into their teachings and literature, they will proclaim this lie. A quick note, cults love to make available lots of literature and books that cherry pick Bible verses that seek to validate their heretical teachings.
All this literature as a tendency to keep the readers more focused on the organization's literature instead of their Bibles.
More often than not, a group's special "understanding" of Scripture will not square with what the Bible says.
The Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses are famous for this.
2. If you are not a part of this particular group or leave it, you are damned and going to hell. Once again, this is something you don't hear initially. It is my guess that they don't want to scare off potential converts until they have been properly indoctrinated.
Even the seemingly benign Amish espouse this falsehood amongst themselves.
So, that's it. Those are the two big indicators as to whether or not a group is a cult or not.
The off-shoots of the original Worldwide Church of God, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons are a few of the biggest and most notable cults around today. There are many more.
Remember this, believing that a cult is something where the follower is not physically allowed to leave is extremely rare these days. Indoctrination of the mind and a fear of eternal damnation is a far more powerful restraint than anything physical.
Read your Bibles, daily! Have such a depth of Biblical knowledge that you will be able to discern false teaching when you hear it.

It's a Daily Thing

To truly know God, It is more than just a Sunday thing, it's a daily thing.

It takes daily prayer and Scripture reading to truly get to know Him. For the "unconverted" that may seem like a chore but given a chance, you will find it becomes a part of the day that you need and look forward to.

Not of This World

Remember Brothers and Sisters, We are in this world but we are not to be of (like) this world!

 

Two Quotes on Prayer by E.M.Bounds

The first is on how prayer is viewed by far too many people:


"There is power through prayer. For many Christians, prayer is nothing special, just something we're supposed to do - go to church, tithe, read the Bible, pray. But prayer should be so much more than an item on our "to do" lists."

We must not forget this regarding prayer:


"Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer and God delivers by prayer."

Self Examination, Pt.1

This page often addresses the subject of being a real Christian, one who walks the talk of their faith. You know what I mean by that, a person who reads the Bible daily, prays daily and attempts to model themselves after Jesus. Below is a list of questions to ask yourself, after reading and thinking about them, consider whether or not your answers are in line with what a true Christian's should be?
The following was comprised by A.W.Tozer.

“Rules for Self Discovery:
1. What we want most;
2. What we think about most;
3. How we use our money;
4. What we do with our leisure time;
5. The company we enjoy;
6. Who and what we admire;
7. What we laugh at.”

Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Treat it That Way!

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1Corinthians 6:19 and 20.


Two things come to mind when I read the above passage:

1.Since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit we need to treat it with respect. That means we don't abuse it though drinking alcohol excessively, taking illegal drugs, overeating(gluttony) or engaging in any other activity that is offensive to it.
2.We are told in the above quote that the Christian's body is no longer his own, that it belongs to God. It is a spiritual temple in which the Spirit of Christ lives.For example, every act of adultery, fornication or any other sin is committed in the temple (our body) where God dwells. When looked at from this vantage point, the true seriousness of sin is clearly evident.
In closing Brother's and Sisters, we must not become "comfortable' with sinning. We must understand that out body is His, not ours.
Keep this quote from Romans 12:1 in your mind daily:
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship." 

The Falling Away Continues, Pt.3

ln the latter days it is repeatedly stated that many will depart from "the faith once delivered unto the saints."
The Southern Baptists are one of the last groups I ever thought would make concessions to political correctness. History has taught us that what doesn't really seem to be a big thing initially, leads to other things that clearly are. Don't believe this? Look at the actions in recent decades of The Episcopal Church USA, The United Methodist Church and the The Presbyterian Church.
The New Testament in no way teaches what I call big tent inclusiveness.


Click on the picture below to read the article and hear a short commentary.

The Bible is UNDER ATTACK: Southern Baptists Remove All Masculine References From Scripture, Even From The Father

The Bible, Christians, and the Church in America and all over the world are all under assault by culture.

christiantruther.com

Who Are Your gods, Pt.2, My Story

Part 1 is below this article.


It's funny how those who claim to be real Christians sort of put God and their relationship with Jesus on the backburner of their lives. Yeah, they say they believe and are very faithful about attending Church but that is about as far as it goes.
It only takes a casual familiarity of the New Testament to see how dangerous this belief is. Jesus says in Matthew 10:37-39 that our relationship with Him takes precedence over even our relationship with family members and loved ones. The rewards for doing so in this life and the one to come are greater than any unbeliever will ever experience.
I am always amazed when Christians say they are surprised when a non-Christian celebrity, sports hero, musician or whomever, descends into some kind of calamity or premature death. "He had it all, how could this happen?" they ask. The answer is obvious, there is just so long that all the fame, money, sex, alconol and drugs will satisfy that deep spiritual longing for the true God which exists in all of us. If a Christian doesn't know this they really haven't been studying their Bibles.
So, the question again becomes: who is the god or gods in your life who have been pushing the real God into the background?
For me, it was my involvement in athletics, more specifically running. I did it for many decades.I competed, I coached, I trained faithfully and diligently. It was the focal part of my life for a long, long time. Priority wise, it was family,running and God, in that order.
Fast forward many decades, after three meniscus surgeries on my now arthritic knees, I was still running.
Then it happened, a mysterious ailment to both legs suddenly developed. Initially I dismissed it as the result of an increase in the number of hours working on what is basically a cement floor. A trip to my orthopedic doctor revealed what I had been once told, keep running and you will be looking at a knee replacement within 5 years. He had no explanation for the problems in my legs and neither has the physical therapist I have been seeing.
So, as far as running, what am I left with? Lots of good memories and some medals and plaques that I have no clue where they are.
Isn't it funny how when we have a crisis or problem come up in our life we suddenly reach out to that God we've placed on the backburner? I know I did.
Here's what I found: the truth of Matthew 10:37-39 for starters, that Jesus must be at the forefront of your life, He demands it, the reality that we are not to have any other Gods but Him; that means not only pagan gods but making gods of anything that takes pre-eminence over a relationship with God (my running for example),the realization that God allows us to suffer and may or may not deliver us from it( consider the Apostle Paul),we should not complain and fight against adversities but instead use these tribulations to draw closer to God.He WILL get us through.
The New Testament is loaded with what I will call quotes to support what I found above, I just never gave them a whole lot of thought.Everything was going so good.
I would urge everyone, don't wait for tomorrow to reset your priorities. Our Lord says if we do, He will give us what is needed to achieve happiness, true happiness.

Dr. Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles.

I just came across this and thought it was a treasure.The following is a guideline for living the Christian life.


1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
Genesis 1:26
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
Exodus 19:5
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
Numbers 23:19
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
Deuteronomy 20:1
5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
Joshua 3:8
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
Judges 2:1-4
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
1 Samuel 30:1-6
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
2 Samuel 15:31
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
2 Kings 6:17
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
2 Chronicles 20:12
11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
Job 42:7-17
12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
Psalm 4:8
13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
Psalm 81:8
14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 64:4
15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
Jeremiah 15:19
16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
Ezekiel 25:6-7
17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
Daniel 6:10-11
18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
Hosea 3:4-5
19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
Amos 6:6-7
20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
21. Obedience always brings blessing.
Luke 11:28
22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
Acts 10:19
23. You can never outgive God.
2 Corinthians 9:8
24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
Galatians 2:20
25. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
Ephesians 4:28
26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
Philippians 3:10-11
27. Prayer is life's greatest time saver.
2 Thessalonians 3:1
28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
Hebrews 10:24-25
29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
James 5:10
30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.
Revelation 22:12

Who Are Your gods?, Pt.1.

If you are wondering why I didn't capitalize God in the above title, there is a reason why. The god I refer to in this brief article is the god(s) that people make for themselves instead of the real God.
I am focusing on those things we engage in which take us away from establishing a real relationship with Him.
The question I now ask you is, who is your god?
Is it working out? Being entertained? Yoga? Your special way of eating? Social causes? Games? Gaming? Politics? I could go on with other activities but you get the picture.
Now, people who reject the Christian faith naturally gravitate to things that can fill that void. Activities like social and human rights issues come to mind as well as, to a lesser degree, involvement in performance driven athletic activities(marathoning, cycling,triathlons.etc.).
Those of you who say you are a real Christian recognize where your priorites need to be, and that's in a relationship with Jesus.
I am not saying that a real Believer has to live like a monk and have no other outside interests but let me say this: if you claim to be a devout Christian and spend more time training, practicing your guitar,gaming, or whatever, then you may be "worshipping" what I call your little god more than the big God.
How does the time spent with your little god(s) compare with your time spent praying and Bible reading with your big God?
What is of more importance in this life and the life after?
More to come on this subject in my next post.

In Churches Too, The Falling Away Also Continues,Why?

Read the following excerpt from an article and I will give some thoughts on it after.
"According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, more than 40 percent of Americans “say” they go to church weekly. As it turns out, however, less than 20 percent are actually in church.
Somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 churches close their doors every year. Southern Baptist researcher, Thom Rainer, in a recent article entitled “13 Issues for Churches in 2013“ puts the estimate higher. He says between 8,000 and 10,000 churches will likely close this year.
Between the years 2010 and 2012, more than half of all churches in America added not one new member. Each year, nearly 3 million more previous churchgoers enter the ranks of the 'religiously unaffiliated'.”
The above was taken in part from The Huffington Post who never prints an article in favor of traditional Bible beiieving Christianity. Oddly, I have yet to see them run an article on their "Religion" page that is critical of any aspect of Islam. That however is the subject for another post in the future.
Readers to this page and my blog have seen what I believe is the reason for the downward trend in Chrisitianity,and now, the gradual disappearing of churches that naturally follow this trend. By the way, it is my understanding that the sitiuation is even worse in Great Britain.I should add that as always, my point of view is coming from that of a Bible believing Christian.
If I had to pick the two main reasons it would be, in brief;
1.The assault on the Christian faith by all facets of the media, schools,colleges and universities over the past several decades.
2. The promotion and glorification of the self coupled with the mindset that we must cast off "old and outdated" (esp.Christian) mores. This mindset swung into high gear in the late 60's and has been gaining strength since then, in large part(again) to the promotion of it from all facets of the media.
So what are we to do about this situation?
1.Yes, prayer is definitely called for but more needs to be done.
We can begin by being living,breathing examples of followers of Jesus.By being in this world but "not of this world." Called out ones as they say. You don't act and react like your average "unsaved" person does.
Now I am not telling you that no one should have any interests outside of Jesus and their Bible but I am always surprised at how "worldly" the conversations are after Church on Sunday and Wednesday.
2.We must be equipped to give a witness for why we believe to a world that has never been more skeptical and doubtful of Christianity. To do this takes time. It also takes prayer and Bible study. Are you ready to give answers to questions like: Is hell real? Can't I have sex with this person even though we are not married but I truly love them? Is having sex with a person of the same gender not accepted by the Bible? Some churches say it is OK and others say it isn't, I'm confused.
I could go on but you see what I am getting at. People will ask tough questions, especially those people who are clueless about the Bible.
We may not be able to do much to stem the tide of church closings but we can do something that is more important, we can turn people to following Jesus, someone who will give them that peace that passes all understanding on this earth and in the world to come.
Onward Christian Soldiers!

Every Day

Every Day A Real Christian Will


Love God
Trust God
Follow God
Honor God
Seek God

Diary of a Bible

May this not be your story.


January 15th:
“I’ve been resting quietly for a week. The first few nights after the first of the year my owner read me regularly; but now, he has forgotten me, I guess.”

February 2nd:
“Cleaned up. I was dusted today, along with other things, and put back in my place.”
February 22nd:
" My owner used to me for a short time after dinner. looked up a few references. Going to Sunday school ‘tomorrow.’"
March 7th:
" Cleaned up. Dusted, and in my old place again. I have been down in the lower hall since my trip to Sunday School."
April 2nd:
"Busy day. My owner led a Christian Endeavor meeting and had to look up references. He had an awful time finding me, although I was right there in my place all the time."
May 5th:
" In Grandma’s lap. She is here on a visit. Today she left a teardrop on Colossians 2 : 5-7.”
May 6th:
"In Grandma’s lap again this afternoon. She spent most of her time on 1 Corinthians 13, and the last four versus of the 15th chapter ."
May 7, 8 and 9th:
"In Grandma’s lap every afternoon now. It’s a comforting spot. Sometimes she reads me, sometimes she talks to me."
May 10th:
"Grandma’s gone. Back in my old place again. She kissed me goodbye."
June 4th:
"Had a couple of four-leaf clover stuck in me today."
July 1st:
"Packed any trunk with clothes and other things. Off on a vacation, I guess. "
July 7th:
"Still in the old trunk."
July 10th:
"Still in the old trunk, although nearly everything else has been taken out."
July15th:
"Home again and in my old place . Quite a journey, although I do not see why I went, I was never taken out of the trunk."
August 1st:
"Rather stuffy and hot. Have two magazines, a novel and an old hat on top of me. Wish they would take them off."
September 10th:
"Cleaned up. Dusted and set right again."
September 22nd:
"Used by Mary a few minutes today. She was writing a letter to a friend whose brother had died and wanted an appropriate verse.”
October 1st:
"Back in my old place again. Not even dusted this week. I seem to be used only for emergencies. Wonder why they bother with me at all?"
Author Unknown

Give Thanks

"This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24.

On this Sunday take a moment to give thanks for many things but particularly the little things we may take for granted like having food,a place to live and the ability to worship as we please. Far too many people in this world do not have these "little" things.

Silence In the Media Regarding the Killing of Christians

24 Egyptian Christians murdered. It happened today(5/26/17), it was committed by a Muslim terrorist group (of course). The event was not really covered much on any of the cable news channels.
So this is the new normal?
Meanwhile, a Muslim in America gets their car windows smashed by a vandal and it's all over the news.
The terrorist group had the following to say about their actions--"God gave orders to kill every infidel."
Pray for the persecuted Christians in Egypt and around the world. Call your representatives in Congress and ask what is this country and the United Nations doing about these murderous attacks?
You may remember that close to 50 Christians were killed in two separate attacks at churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.
The news link to the article on the attack today is just below the picture.

Attack On Coptic Christians Kills At Least 24 In Egypt

Gunmen attacked a bus that was taking Egyptian Christians to a monastery Friday, killing at least 24 people and wounding 27 more, according to local sources.

Believers, the World and Separation

"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1Corinthians15:33.
The Bible has a lot to say about real Christians having close ongoing relationships with unbelievers. Those who read their Bibles know God is not in favor of it. You read about this throughout the Old Testament where God tells His people not to associate with people who walk contrary to Him. We also see this warning repeated in the New Testament.
To the non-believer or nominal Christian this may seem harsh and unkind. I would quickly add that I am NOT saying we shouldn't be polite, friendly,helpful and have casual conversations with co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances.
No, what I mean is that our closest friends,people we spend alot of time with and socialize with, should not be unbelievers.
Why? It's because we have been called out from this world. Although we are in the world, we are not to be "of this world."
We read in Romans12:2--"Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
This naturally raises the question, have you as a Christian gradually been "conformed to this world?" Are your interests and conversations basically no different from non-Christians?
If they aren't, then it is time for some serious changes on your part.
I think of something a high school teacher told me one time. He said: "In my many years of teaching I have seen plenty of good kids, good students, fall in with the wrong crowd and go right down the "tubes". You know, they start hanging with the delinquents and the next thing you see is they're doing drugs, skipping school, grades go down, really sad. But here's what gets me; I've hardly ever seen a 'bad' kid be elevated by his contact with a good student."
Now what was that quote at the top?
"Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Try this one from James4:4--"Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (hostile or opposed) with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
There are similar quotes I could give about Christians and separation but you get the picture as they say.
In closing, I believe God has set this rule of separation because He knows our human frailty and our original sin nature.
Look at this as a loving Father trying to protect His children.

One More Quote From A.W.Tozer

If you are unfamiliar with A.W.Tozer, I would strongly encourage you to read his brief biography on Wikipedia as well as many of his quotes taken from his sermons and books. His quotes can be found on the website Goodreads. It will be a real blessing and encouragement to you.


“The man who would truly know God must give time to Him.”

So true! It is surprising how many Christians say their love for God has grown cold but will then admit that they don't spend time in prayer and Bible reading daily.
It is a joy to commune with Jesus through His Word and prayer. Don't let the cares of this world separate you from the most important relationship you will ever have!

The Beauty and Necessity of The Psalms

I am always surprised when I hear some Christians say they rarely read from The Book of Psalms.In not doing so they are missing out on something that can enrichen their devotional life.
Psalm means song but the psalms can be used as prayers.
For instance, you want a great prayer for forgiveness? Read Psalm 51. For protection? Psalm 91.Prayers of praise and thanksgiving? There are many but go to Psalms 144-150 for starters. It is not a stretch to say there are Psalms for most everything.
Consider the following beautiful Psalm, haven't we had times in out life when this Psalm would have been so appropriate to say?

Psalm 86, A Prayer For Those In Distress and Need.


Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2
Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4
Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8
Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9
All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
11
Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13
For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14
O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
15
But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16
Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me

The Falling Away Continues, Pt.2

"But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons." 1 Timothy 4
The following is taken from a recent Gallup poll, the text is from an article about it's findings. I personally am shocked by what I read. The departure from the truth of the Bible in America is far worse than I thought.
But then again, consider for a moment what this poll reveals and the state this country is in physically and morally.

"Fewer than one in four Americans now believe that the Word of God, the Bible, is the literal Word of God. That number is similar to the 26% who view it as “a book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.”
The disbelief is record breaking according to the Gallup-polls four-decade trend that biblical literalism has not surpassed biblical skepticism. Even further, about half of Americans — a proportion largely unchanged over the years — fall in the middle, saying the Bible is the inspired word of God but that not all of it should be taken literally.
The gallup poll is evidence that the American education system, culture, and the cabal have infiltrated the youth and are actively swaying the populace of America towards unbelief.
However, what else the poll shows is that Churches in America are no longer preaching that the Bible is to be taken literally, rather the churches are teaching that you can cherry pick scripture. For that, God says in scripture that He will spit them out.
Astonishingly, the percentage defining the Bible as mere stories has doubled, with much of that change occurring in the past three years.
The Bible is the Word of God and culture is against the Bible, the majority of Americans are being swayed by icons of our culture and false teachers and preachers who have led the people astray."

Something To Think About On This Wednesday Morning

Read this bit of wisdom from A.W.Tozer, one of the giants of the Christian faith:


"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection."


Christians must read and study the Bible daily!

Old School Gospel at it's Best

If you need a Monday afternoon pick me up this is it. Old School Gospel (the best kind) by The Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir. Click on the picture to start the song.

JESUS CAN WORK IT OUT (SNS)

Cosmo Warriors w Diane Williams on lead singing JESUS CAN WORK IT OUT on SATURDAY NIGHT SING.

youtube.com

He Never Said It Would Be Easy

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 2Timothy2:3.
So after reading the passage above, one question comes to mind, have you been enduring any hardships recently as a result of your being a follower of Jesus?

Consider the following from the Gospel of John15:18 and 19--"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
I believe I might have told this story once before in one of my earlier posts but it bears repeating here. Years ago during the furor surrounding the film, The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, Gibson's co-star in three of his earlier movies had this to say about him (paraphrasing): "I didn't realize he was religious." This certainly isn't the kind of comment any professed Christian would want to hear.
Let me ask you this: Do friends, those you work with and acquaintances know you are a follower of Jesus? Have you been mocked, ridiculed or made fun of because of your faith? Is your speech and conduct "not of this world"? What I mean by this is that you don't engage in the gossip and unGodly conversation so common in society these days. Do you watch television shows and movies that you know a believer should not watch? Have you experienced criticism for spending time in prayer and reading the Bible?
If you find yourself on the wrong side of one or more of these questions some serious self-evaluation is needed.
As someone becomes more "of the world" they become more removed from the presence of Our Lord.Often times this worldliness starts very subtley and slowly grows. Before you know it, all a self-professed believer thinks they have to do to stay in God's good graces is show up at Church on Sunday. Anyone casually familiar with the Bible knows how wrong that belief is.
What is needed is to refocus on Jesus through prayer, Bible reading and fasting. Prayer and reading of Scripture must be done daily. Here is where you draw closer to Him and feel His presence. As you become accustomed to these "disciplines" you will find yourself looking forward to these moments during the day. I find it interesting when people tell me they don't always have the time to do this yet spend an hour or more at the gym.
In closing, living God's way and not the world's may very well bring hardship in this world but the benefits in this life and after are immeasurable.