WHAT JESUS LOOKS LIKE – #2

Okay Bible time… Still noticing churches and some Biblical stories displaying images of Jesus and giving false representation. And, a lot of Christians actually do not know better. Parents teaching their children giving false representation as well. This can give questions from secular people seeking Christianity as well. “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2. ” Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.” 1 Corinthians 11:14-15. Jesus was not white, Jesus was not black, He is from the middle-east region. Jesus did not have long hair, for if He did wouldn’t Paul see it on the road to Damascus; Jesus followers would have the same negative opinions of long hair on a man. If scripture is divinely inspired then long hair would be contradictory to Jesus having long hair. So, Jesus was not some good looking, above average looking man. No one knows what Jesus looked like, however we do know what He didn’t look like. Don’t let your children have misconceptions how Jesus looked. This enclosed painting is more realistic than most of the others.

ABSOLUTES II

I sometimes wonder if the arrogance of Christians who push away God seeking individuals..,  just because they have become repulsed to the idea of the Christian ideology simply because the Christians set absolutes. One of the absolutes is the universe being created in the literal seven days. I,  myself does not believe that our, (mans’) literal seven days reflects God’s seven days. Theologians states that direct interpretation in scripture states the literal seven days, and that it means man’s literal seven days. Even though in 2 Peter 3:8, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand days, and a thousand years as one day.”  Or… Psalm 90:4 “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.” However, the same theologians say that this verse is not relative to the creation time frame. When God showed the creation to Moses, was the day interpretation from Moses. Was it Moses’s seven days of God showing him the creation?

If God is eternal why would he just spend a minute speck in time to create our universe? If God stated numerous times as He described His creation, “And God saw it was good”, why would God be so delighted by a speck in His eternity? To me this scripture shows the joy of God’s creation. Why would He rush to create the universe? I think He took His time to do it, like thousands of our years to one of His. I can almost see God creating things like the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone, creating the rains and the water, and the rivers to slowly carve out a masterpiece.., and then as He looks upon this creation, stating, “And God saw it was good!”

You have creationists state that dinosaurs were on earth over the past 4-6000 years, when absolute science knows that this is an impossibility. Our landscapes which any one with a sense of intelligence can see that it took more than a few thousand years of man’s coexistence. Based on simple learned and recorded history and science, it is obvious that our world is thousands and thousands of years old. I feel that God used time and nature in His creation. He saw it was good because the beauty of how He used His artistic will to create the incredible earth we live upon. Why would God spend a mere fragment of His existence when He has eternity to enjoy creating our earth. Could God do it in our seven days? Of course He could if He desired to. However I strongly feel that God saw it was good because of the process and the time He utilized in doing so..

When I mention my creation beliefs to other Christians, I am often accused of blasphemy. I am told that I am calling God a liar, or that if I don’t believe in the literal mans’ seven days then all the rest of my faith is false. Even though if the dinosaurs actually existed in the Old Testament times, you would have certainly have seen some form of scripture besides just the one verse in Job 40 where it describes the “behemoth”. And besides, Christ never said that I had to believe the literal seven day theory to be saved. And, I do not see how it affects my faith in any way…

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THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER

Often as I read the Bible I can see how the dots here and there come together in the end. Just like the prelude to Jesus’s crucifixion. If we just briefly read Matthew  26: 14-16,  ” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him”, we might fail to understand the whole concept of Jesus’s worth. But, if we link it to Exodus 21:32 “If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned”, we then see that it is the worth of a common slave. The priests who were always searching for ways to demean Jesus, offered an extreme insult by classifying that Jesus’s worth was the same as a lowly slave. However, when we think of Christ we should see the servant he strived to be, and called us to be as well. Of course the next morning, Judas saw what was transpiring because of his actions, Matthew 27:3-10 ” Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.”  So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,  and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me”.

Of course the foretelling of this specific money exchange comes from Zechariah 11:4-14 “ This is what the Lord my God says: “Shepherd the flock marked for slaughter.  Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.  For I will no longer have pity on the people of the land,” declares the Lord. “I will give everyone into the hands of their neighbors and their king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue anyone from their hands.” So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock.  In one month I got rid of the three shepherds. The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them  and said, “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish. Let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” Then I took my staff called Favor and broke it, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.  It was revoked on that day, and so the oppressed of the flock who were watching me knew it was the word of the Lord. I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord. Then I broke my second staff called Union, breaking the family bond between Judah and Israel.”

Scripture is an intertwining of man’s relationship with God, from the creation to the redemption. Understanding the purpose of these words allows us to see the meaning of our lives, and that it isn’t some random contingency of God’s plans..

PRAYERS

I meet people who have lost their Christian faith because they feel that their prayers were never answered… If I selfishly think about my thousands of prayers I can think that maybe 20% are answered, and sometimes miracles seem to happen. But.., now that I am old and have time to reflect back across my life I realize that perhaps all of my prayers were answered. Of course there are many of those times that I still don’t understand how for I truly can’t begin to grasp God’s omniscience. You see, God answers prayers in ways that only He knows best, and sometimes we are too close to the situation to notice this. I am so thankful now as I look back and see many of my unforeseen prayers were addressed in ways that were really most productive as I walk in my faith.. I am very content on where I am at this point in my life; and I know if my prayers were answered how I wanted them to be, I know I wouldn’t be.

GHOST

Have you ever felt invisible?  I was out kayaking on the local river a couple of months back, and just as I was turning along the bend of the river,  I couldn’t help but notice a couple of ambulances and a rescue truck with a boat on a trailer sitting along a ramp by the river ahead on my left. It was the usual set-up you see when they are in the process of rescuing someone in the river.  As I got closer I saw how serious and rushed all the men looked. I then carefully looked all around, up and down the river, all along the shore line.., I was the only one on the river! About a half a mile ahead was the low dam, a place if you went over the odds were that you would be drowned.. But the rescue crew wasn’t parked there. I then proceeded to purposely kayak close to where these men were setting up and getting close to launch the rescue boat. Were they there for me? Am I in the waters drowning or dead? Am I a ghost seeing things from afar? I paddled right by them, none of their eyes glanced upon me… No one saw me! I went down to the low dam and then turned around, purposely paddling by them again, and again I was ignored. I continued to paddle upstream to the ramp I put in at. All of the time as I paddled back I was so unsure if I was in reality, alive. I was really unsure if I was or wasn’t the person that they came to rescue or recover. I carried my kayak up the ramp and loaded it on my car then slowly I pulled out on the road.. Truly.., not knowing if I was alive or not. Everything seemed so surreal as I drove along. I felt so utterly strange… I was almost in a fog as I drove down the road… Am I dead?  I looked around and nothing seemed to have any rigidity…. My surroundings were almost in a mist, a mist of uncertainty. I wanted to grap the phone and call my daughter to verify my existence…  But then……, did I really care? Is this what death feels like, another form of emptiness….

WANDERING

YEARS I HAVE WANDERED, YEARS OF GOING NO WHERE BUT IN CIRCLES, TRYING SO HARD TO FIND A WAY TO CROSS THE DEEP CHASM THAT I ALONE HAVE CREATED…

It is much too lonely on this earth, you try so hard to put things behind you, and then the dreams just bring them once again before you. You don’t seek forgiveness because you know you don’t deserve it. Oh yes, God will forgive your sins…but does He truly provide complete absolution?? Is forgiveness given in a second but the punishment lasts a lifetime? I am provided a comfortable existence, but it is only in a material sense. Oh yes, I am very thankful for that.., but still it does not calm an aching heart. Perhaps just like Moses I will never see the promised land in my mortal life…

“earthly god”

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE CHARACTER OF SATAN……………………….

“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. “         2 Corinthians 11:14

“But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”          2 Corinthians 11:3

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. Ephesians 6:12

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  2 Corinthians 4:4

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”   1 John 5:19

“So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”                                        2 Corinthians 11:15 

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. “   1 Peter 5:8

“We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”  1 John 5:19

“I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,” John 14:30

We must not at any time think we are more powerful than Satan; for without Christ we can easily fall before the evil one…. We must not listen to his subtle lies, nor compromise our faith in the least. Satan will not appear to us in a way that we know who he is, his disguise will represent the weakness in our mind and soul. The dark one knows the ways to tempt us all, for he and his cast-out angels are ever watchful for ways to deceive us and lead us astray… Let not your mind think that Satan is not among us, nor think that he does not exist. For to defeat our enemy, we must be aware of the cunningness of the Prince of Darkness..

WONDERING WHY

Walking alone down a secluded dirt pathway through the woods watching the sun filter through the leaves. Wondering, wondering why does my path seem so difficult to travel. The loneliness aches through my heart and soul; knowing that the Lord is there, and yet does it truly fill the void… We are not meant to live alone.. Being thankful does not take away the craving for another to walk by my side. I walk upright, although my soul feels like it is dragging me down. Emptiness.. To have one to love, I guess that has not been chosen for me to meet along this seemingly endless path. Blessing are treasures, but treasures can seem worthless at times. I stare in the distance, the trail seems infinite…. I am tired and worn. The sadness is such a heavy burden…. God I do seem so forsaken at times..

FACEBOOK BLESSINGS

Why do Facebook users treat the Lord like he is some good fairy? They post “like or you will lose blessings”, or if you don’t repost, you will have bad things happen to you. Of course there’s so many “repost this and you will receive lots of money”. Do you actually think that God will reward you for following another’ s promise of blessings?? Yes, I get very annoyed when I see these types of posts for I strongly feel that they make a mockery out of true Christians when secular readers see foolish postS and statements such as this on Facebook.

SACRIFICES

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Genesis 22:1-2

^“ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.  But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  Genesis 22:9-12

How much, and how much too often we complain about the menial sacrifices we make in our everyday life as we try to walk the one true path. Frequently forgetting, apparently, of the one true great sacrifice that God made for us; his son, Jesus Christ who bore our sins so that we may be saved of eternal damnation. We see Abraham too, was willing to give a great sacrifice to the Lord, and he was just an earthly man as we are. In the end all of our money, all of our earthly goods are just meaningless. So in reality what little true sacrifice can they offer? Our time, just a blink of an eye for God, is that ever a great sacrifice as well? We should always do our best to never question, never give a second thought, to any “inconvenience” that we seem to feel as we live every day of our life for our Lord.

PERSEVERANCE

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that sufferings produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  Romans 5:2-5

When things come easy in life we tend not to appreciate it as much as we would, if we instead, had to really work hard to obtain it. And, if we had to work hard for something it is if we more truly earned it. Although mercy and grace comes easy enough, the road we travel to acquire it proves at times a difficult journey. If we falter on the one true path we must accept that there will be repercussions, and how we face them can truly build character. We must always accept accountability for our actions, and accountability for our behavior. If we are to be salt, then we must accept responsibility of reflecting the true nature of Christ….

NO ONE

Who am I, I am no one. I have nothing if I am without Christ. I am just a grain of sand on an endless ocean shore, tossed endlessly without direction. Waves crashing against me, sending me to and fro with no compass to guide me. I am empty, without a purpose. Life is truly meaningless… Darkness envelopes me, and I am forever lost….

DIVISION

“But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” Luke 11:17

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.”  Mark 3:24-26

In Revelations, out of seven churches only one finds God’s favor. It truly reflects our modern Christian culture. Instead of uniting following only God’s word, they let Church doctrine and tradition separate them. In today’s world where we find true persecution and censorship, we see the sheep scatter to where the wolves will devour them. Individuals select scripture to validate their personal beliefs and condemn others who vary in understanding. They take issues,  which in truth where no priority to our salvation exists, and reject fellow Christians who do not follow their ideology. Our salvation lies in the Gospel and manifests itself in John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. “

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Our salvation is so easy and simple, and yet we unconsciously put it on a pedestal seemingly to be untouched if views are different from others. This is not time for division, for we will surely fall. It is time to truly show God’s true love and understanding. Whether Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, our core believe is the Gospel. If we automatically reject other faiths, how will they see the one true word?

HOLY PRAYER

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees you in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.”  Matthew 6:5-7

“But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” Psalm 96:9

I realize that there are various forms and manners of prayer; and sometimes it is personal and sometimes it is as a group. However, this post is about reverence in prayer; being holy in Spirit and worship, and thankfulness. When we go to the Lord in prayer we should never treat it as a ritual, nor should we feel that it is a overbearing obligation. Our hearts should be open, our Spirits free without conscious planning on how and what we should say. For example, a written prayer which we endlessly repeat, or at times a seemingly mandatory prayer before each meal. Are we just mouthing words that we feel we should say, or do we pray with holiness and deep meaning.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES

“But, if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God.” 1 Corinthians 14:28 

“If therefore, the whole church comes together and speaks in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”  1 Corinthians 14:23-25

What amazes me is how certain churches seem to omit this scripture in their doctrine and practices. I have been in churches where I am a visitor, and the members recognize me as such,  and have witnessed numerous members “speaking in tongues”, so they claim. Of course there was no one there to translate any of it. Many times I have seen people in the mission field go off in their “tongues” as well. Is it to truly edify the Lord or themselves??? Sadly many I have seen or heard have not spoken in the Spirit, but simply have spoken gobbledygook. These individuals have felt pressured to be part of the “church group.” We must be careful to guide ones away of this almost blasphemous action. We also must not be  condoning of this action simply because of the fear of disrespect for our Lord. There is true speaking of tongues, however the great vast majority of times in our culture in this country, has no connection with the Spirit…

PRAISING

I stood there silently in the cemetery…, I was alone just as I was always alone. Unloved, unwanted, my spirit sensing the unity in some who lie here. The stones so stark against the setting sun..

The cold dampness of the ground seems to seep through the soles of my shoes as I stand so unmoving as the darkness of the evening slowly engulfs me. Sadness subtly caresses me as the ache in my heart is as consistent as a steady rain…

Such a closeness I feel to those empty souls that lay beneath me…. The silence surrounds us like a close friend’s embrace, and the peacefulness here is so complete..

I lie down upon the cold green grass becoming one with the damp earth as I cry up to heaven why I am so forsaken….

And I sing, Hallelujah….., you are my one true God, and I will praise you till the morning comes…                                              WC…5/08/2016

 

 

 

THE LIGHT UPON YOU

“But when anything is exposed to them light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what of the will of the Lord is.”  Ephesians 5:13-17

WRATH

“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, “This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord, their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.”  Jeremiah 7:27-28

Just as the sons of Jeremiah, our people in the United States has turned away from the one true light…

“Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? And the Lord says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in my accord with it, but have stubbornly followed their own hearts..” Jeremiah 9:12-14

We are due to fail and collapse for we have forsaken the one true Lord and have throw away our morality and have seeked only carnal and selfish pleasures.

WARNING

 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.  Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.  But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.” EZEKIEL 3:17-21

It is our righteous duty to let a person know of their sinning.. So many individuals point fingers at us and say how dare we judge, yet we are far from judging. Our sincere care is showing them love. If we ignore their trespasses, then we surely let them fall into damnation.

ALONE

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun”  Ecclesiastes 2:11

We in the end realize, it was all meaningless.. Our complete life, although it seems so long at times, is but a blink of an eye to God. We try to analyze our actions, our decisions, and wonder how they play out in the overall path we choose to walk down. We come to crossroads, kneel and pray to which direction to turn. Too frequently just the silence is all we hear…. Nothing that we will ever accomplish for ourselves serves any real purpose.

LOST

 

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped, I had nearly lost my foothold.” Psalm 73:2

We are so frequently tempted off the path that the Lord has set before us. In our hearts we know how the sinful nature is so alluring and we dare not give in to the enticing, and yet we are so easily drawn off the path. Our trespasses whether large or small, all make us fall short of His glory. And as we trip, we then reach out for our Lord. We are so unworthy of His mercy… And. yet His loving arms are outreached for us.

 

MESSENGER

I sit and know the truth…., and as I look around I am so very saddened by the darkness that seems to mostly surround me.. Scripture tells about the blindness of a harden heart, and light will never penetrate because evil has consumed their very souls. The sun shines so brightly for those who know the one true God, and yet, the dimness fills our earth. Christianity is persecuted and the vast majority just stand back and turn away, distancing themselves so they can rationalize the horror. The word is a reflection of the light, but the word falls on so many deaf ears.. I pray to my Lord…, help me find the the conduit, guide me to be even just a small catalyst, direct my way down the righteous path as through me, they see You…. I raise my hands to my one true God…, and silence seems to return.  My spirit speaks to me, cleanse your soul, cleanse your lips, purify your temple fully for the chasm between the Holy One and you is too great. For my mirror is tarnished by even the small sins, and the reflection is not visible enough for many to see. Walk upright always before the Lord, for we are the salt, and we must be a beacon to help lead the lost to the one true light, the Son……….

 

DARKENED HEARTS

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  Romans 1:18-21 ESV

President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

Matthew 5:2-12  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So many of us know this scripture,and yet I have heard many that obviously have misinterpreted portions of it. And, that includes our political parties, and world leaders…. They take verse 3 and they try to imply that it is financial and material wealth; and that is not what it means. When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He is declaring that, before we can enter God’s kingdom, we must recognize the utter worthlessness of our own spiritual well being,  and the inability of our own works to save us. To be poor in spirit is to recognize your utter spiritual bankruptcy before God. “It is understanding that you have absolutely nothing of worth to offer God. Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of your sin, you are completely destitute spiritually and can do nothing to deliver yourself from your dire situation. Jesus is saying that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty before you can come to God in faith to receive the salvation He offers.”

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23.

It took me till my early 20s before I really knew what this meant. I never could figure what the first sentence meant; why wouldn’t I want HIM? I finally understood that I would not have wants/desires for anything for He gives me everything I need, I am in lack of nothing,  if I am faithful. Of course, The Lord is our shepherd for He is the provider and protector of his flock. The sheep are helpless without him. “Both the “green pastures” and “still waters” indicate a blessed abundance, further illustrating the benefits of a God-led life.” ” “He restores my soul.” David, the author of this Psalm,  understood that he was a sinner, but also that Christ had redeemed him and would continue to restore him upon repentance.”

“He restores my soul.” David understood that he was a sinner, but also that Christ had redeemed him and would continue to restore him upon repentance.” From personal experience, David knew that occasionally the shepherd had to lead his flock through treacherous terrain, and so he writes (as the sheep), “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.” Again, David had complete trust and confidence in God and His way—He had no fear, even in the “shadow of death.” The rod and staff are the shepherd’s tools, and are used to guide and correct the path of the sheep—much in the same way God has to oftentimes guide, and occasionally correct, our path. “

CREATION

I choose not to argue this point with others, and that means other religions as well. I have been told that if I don’t believe that the earth was created in the literal six days, then I am not a true Christian, or I am blaspheming, or I am calling God a liar, or that I am saying that the Bible is not truly the word of God. I say that if this one factor is one in which people will live by, then it is one in which will lose many faithful when we indeed realize by all proof, that all creation couldn’t have never happened in “our” six days.
Do I personally believe that it actually was? The answer is Yes, God created the world in six days, but what we understand as “days” is not what God or the Bible had in mind. As evidence for this claim, the Jewish sages cite the Book of Psalms, where we read, “Eternal God, A day in your eyes is
like a thousand years.” (Psalms 90:4) A thousand years can refer literally to one thousand years, or can be seen as an expression signaling an era of history, like the bronze age or the iron age. The broader conclusion is that a day from God’s point of view is not like a day ours.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8
I read Genesis, and I see a God that is thoroughly pleased by his creation, even stating on the fourth and fifth day, “saw that it was good” and later after the sixth day, stated, “saw that it was very good”. Why, if the Lord has been here from the beginning, from before the creation of this earth, why would HE so extremely quickly, take six of “mans” days to create our world? Why wouldn’t HE want to enjoy himself, to take time forming the earth; instead of rushing through it??
Why create such things as the Grand Canyon is a extreme minute of his time, such as our day, when HE could sit back and take time developing HIS creation? Could the Lord do it if HE wanted too? Yes, I feel strongly that question of course is true. But why would HE?
Would you want to watch your child grow from infancy to adult in one day? Would you even want to make cookies in a brief second? Taking time to create, would give much more pleasure, seeing it evolve from something from nothing…
Too many try to imagine answers, twisting known science, fabricating verses, just to prove the literal six day creation. Where, actually, this is quite insignificant to the purpose of man’s salvation..

THE FALLEN

“How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow she is, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is none to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.”  Lamentations 1:1-2

How similar this can easily sound soon for America. Our compromises, our lost paths, our strive for self-indulgence. Our government exiles our faith in our schools, and then our neighborhoods. We subtly turn away from the Lord, and our separation turns into a chasm our arms can no longer reach across. We have thrown our Judean friends to the wolves to defend themselves as we ignore pleas from our Christian brothers who fall by the sword of persecution. Who we are soon are who we sadly chose to be..

WAVERING IN DEEP WATER AND STARTING TO SINK

“I need to get more serious in my faith before there is no faith to be serious about…” Outside distractions are continuous…I have to learn to ignore these…. Tomorrow is promised to no one, and yet I dare to put things off.  I am missing joy by chasing after shadows.

None of us or what we should be…So does Christ love us anyway? We seem to, at times create a God who would love us only from our expectations.. While in truth He loves us as who we are.

I can’t feel at home in this life anymore.

DESERTS….

Long walks in isolation… Unwelcomed solitude….I try hard to listen to the stillness.. Prayers seem not listened to…

Is this you as well?

I know He is there… Do I have a purpose anymore? Am I being disciplined for past sins? I know I am forgiven, but am I done being punished? Were my sins so great? Has Jesus washed my sins white as snow? Is my faith being challenged?

We wonder at times, don’t we?

 

PILGRIMAGE

“If the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive: the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away..” Psalm 124:2-5

In church today our pastor, as usual gave a great sermon. Most of it was based around these verses. Walking away from the sanctuary area I took some realization away with me. Our lives are in a sense, a Pilgrimage… As Christians it is our journey to a holy place. And, during our travels, we must realize as well that without the Lord on our side, all is lost. He walks beside us, and the path He set before us, we have to accept that we are never alone. The chasm that lay between us and God is the one we created, not Him.

SITTING

I haven’t put anything on this blog for awhile because I so strongly feel that anything I say will never be seen by anyone. Or, if it is said, it absolutely has no impact. I do my best not to subject my opinion on any scripture, I do my best to relate it in a neutral meaning. I am sitting so forlorn, partly feeling myself much too distant from the Lord, and feeling that our country is much too distant as well. Our country seems so self-centered, chasing after self-pleasing desires, indulging in vanity, living only to satisfy themselves, seemingly forgetting how their actions can affect others. Morality is so much on a decline all around our society, as we more and more tend to forget the Lord’s desire and purpose for us.

We reflect other societies before us, societies which lived in complete moral decay as which we are heading as well. And I wonder if our judgment will be similar? “…disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land…I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me…and worshipping what their hands have made.” Jeremiah 1:14-16 True I took part of the scripture out that would not pertain to us, however I feel the intent is quite relative to our situation. There are dozens of verses which I can relate to our country’s situation, none which are pleasant. We are following not the path which the Lord put down for us to follow, instead we seem to seek the one which in the end will only lead t darkness. We seem to be pleased with the temporal world, living for now; perhaps blindly not expecting the repercussions of our bad choices. Our country is heading for disaster and our ignorance is so profound and I only wonder why so few can see the truth anymore.

CORRECT BEHAVIOR

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me”. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”  James 1:13-15

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1-22-25

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  James 4-3

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do, and doesn’t, sins.”  James 4-17

Our daily choices reflect in who we truly are. As Christians we do know what is right, but rarely do we follow the correctness to the exact word. We make selfish compromises, and subtly stray further from the path. Our desires seem to overcome our moral compass, and the rudder to our soul seems to be at times, irreparable damaged. One small step at a time.., we create a chasm between us and our Father.

We live a life in a world that is filled with much too many who hate the one true light. A world in which if we choose to become part of, then we become an enemy of God. The vast majority of our problems in life come from our wrong choices; problems that often we blame our Lord for.  We demand mercy or we pray for the resolving of our troubles and question His love when we receive none. We as humans demand our free will in almost every second of our lives, then only choose God when our choices lead us to hardships.

As we go through life we must realize that all of our choices must reflect the life that Jesus expects us to live. Our decisions are very difficult at times if we utilize this procedure, however, in the end we will always see a positive result. We should not only just spend time to deeply think of all repercussions, but we should as well, pray for guidance, even in the smallest choices we have presented to us.

KNOWING WHO WE WILL BE FROM THE BEGINNING

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5

“Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.”  Isaiah 49:1-2

Our Lord God, we know that He is omniscient and omnipotent; and if we don’t have a quandary about all the paradoxes as impossible concepts, we must then accept these two verses as truth. That the fact that while we were within our pregnant mother, God knew the person who we would become, including our personality, our choices we would make during our lives, and whether we would choose to follow the path which He would prefer us to take. This does not distract from our free will, although God knows the decisions we will make, He doesn’t alter our consequences by doing so, nor does he stop us from making them. God knew that Judas would betray Christ, just as much as He knew that we would need Christ’s sacrifice since the beginning of creation. Our world, all of our lives, were in His knowledge before the first man walked on this earth. So.., what does this truly mean for all of us? We must accept that although we believe at times that God does not really understand us, in fact He does. He knows our path before we do. I must admit that this seems frustrating at times, questioning if I really desire this free will thing. Yet, understanding that God is not a puppeteer.

HONORING THE SABBATH

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,  and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifice will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  Isaiah 56:6-7

Often I am perplexed by Christians saying that we no longer need to honor the Sabbath since that is under the old laws and that doesn’t pertain to us. Also, especially since that was specifically given to the Israelites and is a requirement of the old covenant: one is which supposedly we, as Christians are no longer obligated to follow. But…. is it really just an old covenant law? In the New Testament the Apostles verified that the other nine of the original ten commandments were still quite valid, and I feel that perhaps the Sabbath commandment was not reiterated simply because it was such an obvious mandate. For instance, Luke affirmed Sunday as the Sabbath observance among early  Christians: “Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples  came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…”  [Acts 20:7]. Also, Paul states in First Corinthians 16:2 that  believers met on the first day of the week. The Apostles still practiced honoring the Sabbath. Even Jesus, when He was in Nazareth, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16). What if it’s not just a matter of legalistic obedience,  and is rather a spiritual observance, then what must we do?  Can we still say, then, that the  Sabbath has no relevance today? Perhaps it is not a condemning commandment if we don’t obey, rather it is a deep reverence that we still should show.

CHRISTMAS SYMBOLISM

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:10-12

The specific thing as Christians we need to realize that our greatest gift of all time is Christ’s birth; God’s incredible, merciful, loving present to humanity. The ever present liberal media desires so greatly to affect our faith during this time of year; spouting out negatives and improbabilities, and historical errors. “December 25th was in no way the actual birthday of Jesus”, no, probably not. And so what? The date was never mentioned in any Biblical fashion, sometime in our far past this date and time of the year was chose to honor His birth. We shouldn’t be anxious in the questioning of this, simply because it is really immaterial. This date was first recorded in A.D. 354 and under Roman emperor Justinian, recognized as an official holiday. However by modern astronomers and meteorologists it has been a probability that this couldn’t be the actual date. We know our Christ was born and through only Him we achieve our salvation. “Mary was far along in her pregnancy and still traveled so far from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a 80 mile trip and through the treacherous area of Samaria”, yes, and your point is?? “The actual year is incorrect as well because the actual census for taxing that was mentioned in Luke did not fall in the suggested birth year of the Savior.” I do not feel that anywhere in scripture does it offer an absolute value of certainty, thus, once again it truly is irrelative in the proof of Christ’s birth. From supposed astrology verification to various reliable sources, the liberal media can cast doubts on the actual date, however, they are certainly unable to cast any doubts on the reality of His birth.  December 25th is only a symbol, a symbol just like the cross. Our symbols can be dissected and discredited, but…., our Savior did and does exist, He was born from Mary, breathed in life from His Father, born to be crucified as a sacrifice for our salvation. And.., you know what? That is all the truly matters!

FLEE FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY

“All  things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for the food-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!  Or do you not know that he who is joined  to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.    1 Corinthians 6:12-19

The one issue which I want to discuss from this scripture is the one section which is in italics. Our culture obviously takes no heed to the meaning of this verse, for they so easily compromise their soul for fleshly/carnal pleasures. The realization and the understanding of this verse should awaken conscience of the sinner. For every individual who has had sexual relationship with another, have they not made that person a part of themselves? Have they not occupied their soul with a part of another soul. And, in doing so, do they not compromise the true sanctity of a possible marriage in the future? How can one and one become one in flesh when they were previously partly absorbed by another? We wonder why our divorce rate is so high? We cheat our future spouse by our indiscretions in our past…

FALSE RICHES

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”   1 John2:15-17

This seems pretty self-explanatory… The fact is when someone covets things of the world, they are distracted from the Lord. And.., much too frequently when individuals get over concerned about personal possessions, they lower their priorities in charitable contributions. It is fine to have ones to love, but one must not put the other up on a pedestal loving them more than you do God, nor should one be having inappropriate sexual intimate actions with the loved one if their is no marriage. Coveting things of this world can draw one eyes away from God, and their walk can have shades of darkness and they may fail to realize this. The world is only temporary, we must never forget this. Only through Christ can we have a fulfillment in our lives and in our future.

WANDERING SHEEP

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel  who have been feeding yourselves!  Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool,  you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed,  the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and  they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.  “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.  Ezekiel 34:1-10

I wonder how easily this can correlate with our world today…. Are our shepherds sufficient for all of our needs? So many weak willed Christians I meet on an almost daily basis, saying that their faith is strong, but by their actions it is obvious not. They know the word, yet rationalize parts of it away for their selfish desires. Who is out their to help their accountability? I have visited churches whose leaders slightly deviate away from the word so they can gather more membership…  Sheep, straying all around the pasture…..needing  guidance. Sheep wandering so lost….where are the shepherds that should be seeking them?

A TATTOO EVALUATION

WHAT ABOUT LEVITICUS 19:28?

Leviticus 19:28 is the Christian (or so-called Christian?) tattooist and tattoo-bearer’s worst nightmare. The Lord plainly, clearly, strongly, and without a doubt – condemns the tattoo.

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28

Could that be any more clear?

“Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . .”Simple. . . Straightforward. . .Settled. . .

God Said It. . . I Believe It. . . That Settles It. . .Right. . .?

Not hardly. . .

The clear statement from the word of God does not settle anything for this generation of disobedient, carnal, worldy, tolerant, non-judgmental, Christians. Rather than obey God, they run miles and miles and miles to “justify” their open disobedience to the Word of God.

How do they get around Leviticus 19:28?

Clearly, there it is. “Ye shall not. . .print any marks upon you. . .”

A lot of Christians when confronted with Leviticus 19:28, scream, “Hey, that’s not for today. Man, that’s the Old Testament. I’m under the New Testament”.

Did you know that “bestiality” (sicko, perverted, sex with an animal) was ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament Levitical Law? Only in Leviticus 18:23 and Leviticus 20:15-16. And is only in the Old Testament Law. Does that mean a Holy God NOW – under the New Testament, approves of bestiality?

By the way, have you ever read Leviticus 19:29? The verse immediately AFTER the “it’s not for me” Leviticus 19:28?

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. Leviticus 19:29

This is the only place in the Bible that God directly forbids someone to prostitute their daughter. And since, it’s ONLY in the Old Testament Levitical Law, so we’re NOT under the law”) – it MUST be ok by the Lord for a parent to cause their daughter to prostitute.

Same sick, perverted, wicked, line of reasoning as the “it’s ONLY in the Old Testament-tattoo-bearer-wearer”. Same reasoning. . . Same disobedience. . . Same perversion of the Word of  God.

There are many other “moral laws’ that are ONLY forbidden in the Old Testament, such as the human sacrifice of children. No where in the New Testament is this forbidden. Does that mean that NOW under the New Testament, God Almighty endorses throwing babies into the fire as a human sacrifice?

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Leviticus 18:21

Matthew Henry’s Commentary at the beginning of Leviticus 19 explains that most of Leviticus 19 (such as verse 19:28) are moral commandments that applies not only for Israel but for the New Testament Christian today.

“Some ceremonial precepts there are in this chapter, but most of them are moral. . . Most of these precepts are binding on us, for they are expositions of most of the ten commandments.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Leviticus 19:28)

IT’S ONLY “FOR THE DEAD”

But by far the Christian tattooers favorite excuse for disobeying Leviticus 19:28 is the “that means nor print any marks upon you – for the DEAD“. It’s ok, as long it’s not for the dead“. See  the “for the dead!!! . .for the dead!!!!”.

Is it ok to practice satanic bloodletting, self mutilation or cutting of the flesh as long as it’s not for the dead? It’s in the same verse. . . Hmmm. . .?

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28

Notice also, the phrase “for the dead” is ONLY referencing the “cuttings in your flesh”. The condemnation of “nor print ANY marks upon you” is not qualified by the phrase “for the dead”. Also, if you’ll notice the verse clearly says “ANY marks” period.

Merrill F. Unger’s, very popular and authoritative, Unger’s Bible Dictionary under the definition for “Mark” includes the following reference for Leviticus 19:28:

“In Lev. 19:28 we find two prohibitions of an unnatural disfigurement of the body: ‘Ye shall not make any cutting in your flesh for the dead, nor any print any marks upon you.’ The latter (Heb. qa aqa, incision) refers to tattooing, and has no reference to idolatrous usages, but was intended to inculcate upon the Israelietes a proper reverence for God’s creation.” (Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary, 1974 ed., p. 696)

Notice that Unger teaches that tattoos were forbidden without any reference to pagan, heathen, or idolatrous usages. In other words, the tattoo itself, regardless the reason, was forbidden. Amen. Brother Unger.

Wycliffe’s Bible Encyclopedia under the definition for TATTOOING distinctly says:

“While ‘cuttings in the flesh’ have reference here to mourning customs [for the dead], the tattooing does not appear to pertain to such practice.” (Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975 ed., p. 1664)

The New American Commentary on Leviticus 19:28 writes the condemnation was for,  “cutting the body either for the dead or with tattoo marks.” (Mark F. Rooker, The New American Commentary on Leviticus, 2000 ed., p. 262) Explicitly recognizing the tattoo was not “for the dead.”

Do you see how dishonest and disobedient this “it doesn’t apply to my New-Testament-Christian-marked-for-Jesus-tattoo” is? Find what you don’t like in the Word of God, cut it out (doesn’t apply to New Testament Christians) or misapply (it’s just for the DEAD, when it’s clearly NOT). Same tactics used by the satanic cults and heretics for years. You can prove anything and everything with such deceitful methods.