Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13,14
It seems a few years ago the narrow road and gate that leads to eternal life was much wider than it is today. As early as 20 years ago I saw evidence of the new age movement getting a foot in the door with mainstream Christianity. I didn’t say anything back then, as I was still “young and stupid” in my faith!
Well, that’s changed. When I see pastors start accepting the teachings from the new age, quoting Islamic scripture, associating themselves with the new world order as if they are endorsing it, it’s time to ask questions. They got some ‘splainin to do!
These very pastors, most of whom have very large followings, are compromising their faith, and it’s these compromises that have become a snare to them (Deuteronomy 7:16). It has been suggested these pastors have either become power hungry, or they have become intrigued by the power structure and wish to become a part of it. You can’t serve God and mammon, God will let mammon win every time, at your own peril!
Either way, they have sold their faith out for the equivalent of a single meal. (Hebrews 12:16; Genesis 25:28-34) And unless they repent of the path they are taking, they will doom many in their churches to destruction.
As I see the Christian church become more corrupted, compromised and commingled with anti Christian ideals, the path to eternal life Jesus talked about gets more narrow. Much more narrow. How are we to defend ourselves and therefore stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life?
1. Test the spirits. Does the sprit profess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, and is born of God? According to 1John 4 and 5, every spirit (or person) that doesn’t confess these things is not from God. And if it is not from God, where is it from???
2. Study the scriptures (Acts 17:10-13) Don’t take my word or anyone’s word for it. Look it up and read it yourself. This is one of the biggest reasons good and proper pastors will have you open your bibles when delivering a sermon. You get to read the actual scripture and see for yourself if it is true. Scripture on an overhead or power point display doesn’t count. Anyone can twist those words for their benefit. Those power point displays also don’t have the cross references included, important to verify the context of the message.
3. Put on and LEAVE on the full armor of God! (Ephesians 6:11-17) Be armed and prepared for anything an adversary will throw at you. There are plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing out there, and Jesus taught us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Every pastor, teacher, commentator, blogger, and anyone else claiming to profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, in the flesh, must be put on notice: Unless the aforementioned individuals are reading from God’s word frequently in every sermon, message or writing, you will leave him and seek other doers of the Word who will. There are many very good small churches that preach God’s words and they don’t mince words. We need leaders who will challenge us to break out of what’s comfortable and into the uncomfortable. But we also need reminders of God’s grace, unconditional love, and His slowness to anger.
November 30, 2010
October 17, 2010
Remembering your first love.
When you spend much of your time focusing on how current events are more and more linking it all into end times prophecy, it becomes too easy for all of us (especially myself) to take notice of the wrath of God. But the “greatest commandment” in the Bible is, Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
The Lord our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He encourages love first. It is said, God is love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” It is because of these words, I fear we may be neglecting our first love, out of our zeal.
The non - believer sees the zeal, and misinterprets it as hate, or worse, passing judgment. The weak or new believer may either get uncomfortable, or worse, join in the fray and become a zealot. Neither is good. Sure, the Lord is coming, and this time, He will come with a sword. But this does not mean He doesn’t want to love all of us, regardless of where we stand with Him. He is not the one condemning a non believer, the non - believer stands condemned already for not believing Gods only Son.
Love is a choice. God has chosen to love us, but we don’t have to love Him back. It’s Islam who teaches, “Submit to god, or die”, not Christianity. Christianity teaches, “Love one another” and “Love your enemies and forgive those who persecute you”. It is this message of love that will bring more and more into Christ. The prophetic message should be used to back up God’s word. One is not more important that the other, but love will attract more to the Lord It’s not too late for anyone to come to Jesus.
Everyone has until the moment before they die to choose Christ. That can be in fifty years or fifty nanoseconds. Let’s remember it's about the love of God first, as well as His prophetic word.
David
www.GodNCountryStore.com
The Lord our God is slow to anger, and abundant in love. He encourages love first. It is said, God is love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” It is because of these words, I fear we may be neglecting our first love, out of our zeal.
The non - believer sees the zeal, and misinterprets it as hate, or worse, passing judgment. The weak or new believer may either get uncomfortable, or worse, join in the fray and become a zealot. Neither is good. Sure, the Lord is coming, and this time, He will come with a sword. But this does not mean He doesn’t want to love all of us, regardless of where we stand with Him. He is not the one condemning a non believer, the non - believer stands condemned already for not believing Gods only Son.
Love is a choice. God has chosen to love us, but we don’t have to love Him back. It’s Islam who teaches, “Submit to god, or die”, not Christianity. Christianity teaches, “Love one another” and “Love your enemies and forgive those who persecute you”. It is this message of love that will bring more and more into Christ. The prophetic message should be used to back up God’s word. One is not more important that the other, but love will attract more to the Lord It’s not too late for anyone to come to Jesus.
Everyone has until the moment before they die to choose Christ. That can be in fifty years or fifty nanoseconds. Let’s remember it's about the love of God first, as well as His prophetic word.
David
www.GodNCountryStore.com
October 9, 2010
Have You Prayed for America Today?
In 1962, the Supreme Court Ruling of Engle vs. Vitale struck down voluntary prayer in schools. With this, the first amendment phrase, “…nor prohibit the free exercise thereof, the establishment of any religion”, was replaced with “separation of church and state,” a phrase which has Marxist roots. Almost immediately, the decline of the United States of America began.
The War on Poverty soon began, extracting more wealth from our successful industries in order to create a better life for those impoverished, not through faith in God, but through the efforts of man, and government. Later, a health care plan for Senior Citizens was created, placing a larger burden on society to support the retired. More works of man to replace faith in God.
What followed was a sexual revolution of the young, resulting in increased disease, unwanted pregnancies, unwed, single mothers with no fathers in the household, and a greater burden on the government. Less God, more man.
David Barton’s 1988 report entitled, “America: To Pray? or Not to Pray?” illustrates increases in illiteracy, crime, premarital sex, and venereal disease. It also documented the increases in depression, hopelessness, suicide, drug use, government corruption and a slew of other social ills since the Supreme Court ruling that ended up replacing God with government.
Fifty-eight years later, without fathers in the house, we now have a huge criminal class, three generations of families permanently on welfare, 50 million aborted babies, and a government that has spent 13 trillion ($13,000,000,000,000) dollars on what it has described as an assortment of “crisises” and has obligated itself to spend an additional 100 trillion (that’s $100,000,000,000,000) more over the next 40 or so years. All Man, No god.
$100,000,000,000,000 is more than all the wealth in the world in 2010. It is more than the wealth of 3,000 Bill Gates. It is more than $300,000 of debt for each US resident, which should be enough for all of us to abandon the land once blessed by God Almighty; and now abandoned by God, for we abandoned Him first.
At the very least, we should abandon our government. And return to God. Return to the foundations that made the United States of America the greatest nation ever on planet earth. It appears at the time of this writing Americans could potentially abandon the very government that two years ago offered up this false hope for real, positive change. May each of us humble themselves and pray, and turn from their Godless ways, and in turn may the God of Heaven, hear these prayers from earth reaching Heaven, forgive them their sins and heal this land. All God, no man.
The War on Poverty soon began, extracting more wealth from our successful industries in order to create a better life for those impoverished, not through faith in God, but through the efforts of man, and government. Later, a health care plan for Senior Citizens was created, placing a larger burden on society to support the retired. More works of man to replace faith in God.
What followed was a sexual revolution of the young, resulting in increased disease, unwanted pregnancies, unwed, single mothers with no fathers in the household, and a greater burden on the government. Less God, more man.
David Barton’s 1988 report entitled, “America: To Pray? or Not to Pray?” illustrates increases in illiteracy, crime, premarital sex, and venereal disease. It also documented the increases in depression, hopelessness, suicide, drug use, government corruption and a slew of other social ills since the Supreme Court ruling that ended up replacing God with government.
Fifty-eight years later, without fathers in the house, we now have a huge criminal class, three generations of families permanently on welfare, 50 million aborted babies, and a government that has spent 13 trillion ($13,000,000,000,000) dollars on what it has described as an assortment of “crisises” and has obligated itself to spend an additional 100 trillion (that’s $100,000,000,000,000) more over the next 40 or so years. All Man, No god.
$100,000,000,000,000 is more than all the wealth in the world in 2010. It is more than the wealth of 3,000 Bill Gates. It is more than $300,000 of debt for each US resident, which should be enough for all of us to abandon the land once blessed by God Almighty; and now abandoned by God, for we abandoned Him first.
At the very least, we should abandon our government. And return to God. Return to the foundations that made the United States of America the greatest nation ever on planet earth. It appears at the time of this writing Americans could potentially abandon the very government that two years ago offered up this false hope for real, positive change. May each of us humble themselves and pray, and turn from their Godless ways, and in turn may the God of Heaven, hear these prayers from earth reaching Heaven, forgive them their sins and heal this land. All God, no man.
May 26, 2010
How Relevant is God?
Is God Irrelevant?
Is Jesus meaningless??
Is Church boring?
Today, less than 30% regularly attend church and that number is rapidly declining. It appears that more and more believers in God are seeing the local church as irrelevant to the world they live in. Surveys reveal that up to 90% of church members believe they are not being taught how to apply the Bible to the complex world of work where they spend 60-70% of their time.
It’s not that society has left the bible behind, those that teach the bible have failed to show its relevancy.
Are the ten commandments no longer relevant? Is fidelity, integrity, respectful of innocent life, personal property, monogamy, honesty and having lacking envy over the property of others no longer relevant? Is loving your neighbor as yourself unimportant? Is an understanding of world history to be trated like garbage (especially when it says things we don't like)??
For example: How many people know that the Jewish homeland for over 3000 years is Israel. And that the nation of Palestine, who claims the land of Israel never existed? It was predicted 2500 years ago the Jews would be driven out of their land (fulfilled in 70AD), only to return in the final days (fulfilled in AD1948)! How many understand that Israel will never fall to another nation again, that never again will the Jews be driven out of their land, and God Himself has promised to protect His people Israel from all the enemies surrounding them until He returns. Yet Israel is being threatened by neighboring Iran (Persia) to be exterminated, just as predicted. (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38, 39). Finally, does anybody know how this will affect them today? And how should they protect themselves in the upcoming world war?
How many know the disasters, natural and man made, that we experience now were predicted by Jesus 2000 years ago? (Matthew 24) Yes, we have always had natural disasters, just nowhere near the numbers we deal with today. And man made disasters are at all time highs; including wars and terrorist attacks, plagues, and famines; all manageable, but mankind is not dealing with any of them proactively, nor are they properly reacting to them.
Do you know about the scientific evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt the our universe was created with intelligent design? Studies in microbiology, astrophysics, quantum physics all point to a creator. Example: what is laminin; and how important is it for all life on earth? Why is it shaped like a cross? And how many clues to the wonders of this planet and the universe were inserted inside this Bible?
The same creator who inspired the Bible, (there is scientific evidence supporting this as well) made thousands of prophecies that have almost 100% come true (the only ones that haven’t come true are the ones that have to deal with our future! This same creator designed and created everything for His enjoyment and ours, and wants everyone to join Him in heaven, but He lets us make that choice. There are simply too many "coincidences", thousands of them in fact, to leave the creation of the universe to chance.
No other scriptual book makes the claim that every word was inspired by God. Only the Bible makes this claim, and it can back it up. The Q'ran cannot.
Churches must make the bible relevant. If yours doesn't, find one that does. You can get entertainment and socializing in a tavern; you don't need church for that. Make attending church inspiring, motivating, encouraging. Make your church relevant.
If the bible cannot be shown how important it is in these times, no one will hear and understand, which means no one will believe, and therefore, no one will have any hope. Without hope, governments replace god. Just ask any survivor of the USSR, or China under Chairman Mao.
What was true and relevant 2000, 3000, even 4000 years ago is still true and relevant today. Our founding fathers pleged their finances, their families and their very lives over the principles in the Bible. It was relevant to them. Make God's word, the Holy Bible relevant to you.
Is Jesus meaningless??
Is Church boring?
Today, less than 30% regularly attend church and that number is rapidly declining. It appears that more and more believers in God are seeing the local church as irrelevant to the world they live in. Surveys reveal that up to 90% of church members believe they are not being taught how to apply the Bible to the complex world of work where they spend 60-70% of their time.
It’s not that society has left the bible behind, those that teach the bible have failed to show its relevancy.
Are the ten commandments no longer relevant? Is fidelity, integrity, respectful of innocent life, personal property, monogamy, honesty and having lacking envy over the property of others no longer relevant? Is loving your neighbor as yourself unimportant? Is an understanding of world history to be trated like garbage (especially when it says things we don't like)??
For example: How many people know that the Jewish homeland for over 3000 years is Israel. And that the nation of Palestine, who claims the land of Israel never existed? It was predicted 2500 years ago the Jews would be driven out of their land (fulfilled in 70AD), only to return in the final days (fulfilled in AD1948)! How many understand that Israel will never fall to another nation again, that never again will the Jews be driven out of their land, and God Himself has promised to protect His people Israel from all the enemies surrounding them until He returns. Yet Israel is being threatened by neighboring Iran (Persia) to be exterminated, just as predicted. (Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38, 39). Finally, does anybody know how this will affect them today? And how should they protect themselves in the upcoming world war?
How many know the disasters, natural and man made, that we experience now were predicted by Jesus 2000 years ago? (Matthew 24) Yes, we have always had natural disasters, just nowhere near the numbers we deal with today. And man made disasters are at all time highs; including wars and terrorist attacks, plagues, and famines; all manageable, but mankind is not dealing with any of them proactively, nor are they properly reacting to them.
Do you know about the scientific evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt the our universe was created with intelligent design? Studies in microbiology, astrophysics, quantum physics all point to a creator. Example: what is laminin; and how important is it for all life on earth? Why is it shaped like a cross? And how many clues to the wonders of this planet and the universe were inserted inside this Bible?
The same creator who inspired the Bible, (there is scientific evidence supporting this as well) made thousands of prophecies that have almost 100% come true (the only ones that haven’t come true are the ones that have to deal with our future! This same creator designed and created everything for His enjoyment and ours, and wants everyone to join Him in heaven, but He lets us make that choice. There are simply too many "coincidences", thousands of them in fact, to leave the creation of the universe to chance.
No other scriptual book makes the claim that every word was inspired by God. Only the Bible makes this claim, and it can back it up. The Q'ran cannot.
Churches must make the bible relevant. If yours doesn't, find one that does. You can get entertainment and socializing in a tavern; you don't need church for that. Make attending church inspiring, motivating, encouraging. Make your church relevant.
If the bible cannot be shown how important it is in these times, no one will hear and understand, which means no one will believe, and therefore, no one will have any hope. Without hope, governments replace god. Just ask any survivor of the USSR, or China under Chairman Mao.
What was true and relevant 2000, 3000, even 4000 years ago is still true and relevant today. Our founding fathers pleged their finances, their families and their very lives over the principles in the Bible. It was relevant to them. Make God's word, the Holy Bible relevant to you.
May 7, 2010
Seven Days To Jesus
It has been asked, “What would you do if you knew Jesus would return in the next seven days?” This simple exercise gets you to think not of this world, but of the world to come, as if everything in and of this world we are living in will have no value at all.
For me, the first thing I would do is quit my job. Hey, I make little spiritual impact at my job anyway…seeing only 25-35 people a day. I spend too much time in solitude, driving around making deliveries. On the other hand, if I was the UPS or FedEx guy, bouncing in and out of my van 100+ times a day, I’d think otherwise. Imagine the witnessing I could do at that job! But the job itself would have no more meaning, as there would be no more bills to pay and I have more than a week’s worth of food in the pantry. I don’t need no stinking job for only seven days of living!
Second, what I do have, I would give away. It won’t do me any good anyway, and for a non believer, the stuff would make a great testimony. Jesus is coming in seven (or fewer) days, here, take my stuff. I won’t need it where I’m going. By the way, do you want to join me? There’s plenty of room, plenty of everything, for that matter. You will never need or want anything else for eternity! Yes, God is real, Jesus is real, and He doesn’t want anyone to be left behind (1). He wants everybody to join Him! And you won’t need my used stuff, there’s better things waiting for both of us where I’m going, and you can come, too!
Third, I’d make signs, stand on street corners, and pass out bible verses of encouragement…or words of invitation. Jesus is coming in 7 days. He’s taking me with Him. Want to join me? I’m going to Jesus’ house, and everyone is invited, too!(1) I’d write and blog and print and hand out flyers and spend my last week telling anyone and everyone I meet this is your last chance to accept Jesus as your Lord and God, just as hundreds of millions of others have done before. Forget the inhibitions or the embarrassment. A week later and it’s all moot. I’d be a “carney barker” for Jesus. A very friendly, and cheerful carney barker.
Finally, I’d wait…and pray. Pray for His return.
Now, isn’t that great?! Come to think about it, anyone can stay that focused in Jesus for seven days with the proper motivation. After all, didn’t Jesus Himself remind us that if we knew the hour and the day the thief would break in, we would be ready, right?
So, let’s not say Jesus will return in seven days, but seven years. Personally, I believe seven years is very realistic. In fact, I expect to be raptured in the next seven years, although I’m not foolish enough to bet on it (besides, if I win, I wouldn’t care about collecting such a wager!). Furthermore, if there is more than seven years of life left on earth for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I, then I should do all I can to be that “carney barker” for Jesus that I possibly can. Speaking up for Jesus will sew some seeds of faith and water others. God will do the growing.
However, since I cannot count on Jesus returning this week, I guess I shouldn’t quit my job. (Darn.) But I should promote and discuss Jesus (within reason…we can’t be good witnesses if we get fired for being too annoying!) at work, with my business contacts, on street corners, on my websites, in blogs, in comment sections of other blogs, anywhere and everywhere possible. Sewing seeds of faith. I should give more of my stuff away - more frequently - it makes living a lot lighter. I have too much stuff, too much clutter, and many others would enjoy a sliver of my excess. Most of us do. I should pray for my country daily, my work peers daily, my family hourly, and for God’s guidance and protection on us all continuously, every minute(2).
The biggest difference between seven years and seven days is with the latter, you still have to work and live within the world. But you know Jesus is coming, and you have to be ready at all times(3). That said, most of us (myself included) need to kick our relationship with the Lord into higher gear, and finish strong as His day draws near. And that’s what I’m doing
Are you ready? Are those around you ready? It’s time to get ready!
1. I Peter 3:9
2. I Thessalonians 5:17
3. Matthew 24:44
For me, the first thing I would do is quit my job. Hey, I make little spiritual impact at my job anyway…seeing only 25-35 people a day. I spend too much time in solitude, driving around making deliveries. On the other hand, if I was the UPS or FedEx guy, bouncing in and out of my van 100+ times a day, I’d think otherwise. Imagine the witnessing I could do at that job! But the job itself would have no more meaning, as there would be no more bills to pay and I have more than a week’s worth of food in the pantry. I don’t need no stinking job for only seven days of living!
Second, what I do have, I would give away. It won’t do me any good anyway, and for a non believer, the stuff would make a great testimony. Jesus is coming in seven (or fewer) days, here, take my stuff. I won’t need it where I’m going. By the way, do you want to join me? There’s plenty of room, plenty of everything, for that matter. You will never need or want anything else for eternity! Yes, God is real, Jesus is real, and He doesn’t want anyone to be left behind (1). He wants everybody to join Him! And you won’t need my used stuff, there’s better things waiting for both of us where I’m going, and you can come, too!
Third, I’d make signs, stand on street corners, and pass out bible verses of encouragement…or words of invitation. Jesus is coming in 7 days. He’s taking me with Him. Want to join me? I’m going to Jesus’ house, and everyone is invited, too!(1) I’d write and blog and print and hand out flyers and spend my last week telling anyone and everyone I meet this is your last chance to accept Jesus as your Lord and God, just as hundreds of millions of others have done before. Forget the inhibitions or the embarrassment. A week later and it’s all moot. I’d be a “carney barker” for Jesus. A very friendly, and cheerful carney barker.
Finally, I’d wait…and pray. Pray for His return.
Now, isn’t that great?! Come to think about it, anyone can stay that focused in Jesus for seven days with the proper motivation. After all, didn’t Jesus Himself remind us that if we knew the hour and the day the thief would break in, we would be ready, right?
So, let’s not say Jesus will return in seven days, but seven years. Personally, I believe seven years is very realistic. In fact, I expect to be raptured in the next seven years, although I’m not foolish enough to bet on it (besides, if I win, I wouldn’t care about collecting such a wager!). Furthermore, if there is more than seven years of life left on earth for my brothers and sisters in Christ and I, then I should do all I can to be that “carney barker” for Jesus that I possibly can. Speaking up for Jesus will sew some seeds of faith and water others. God will do the growing.
However, since I cannot count on Jesus returning this week, I guess I shouldn’t quit my job. (Darn.) But I should promote and discuss Jesus (within reason…we can’t be good witnesses if we get fired for being too annoying!) at work, with my business contacts, on street corners, on my websites, in blogs, in comment sections of other blogs, anywhere and everywhere possible. Sewing seeds of faith. I should give more of my stuff away - more frequently - it makes living a lot lighter. I have too much stuff, too much clutter, and many others would enjoy a sliver of my excess. Most of us do. I should pray for my country daily, my work peers daily, my family hourly, and for God’s guidance and protection on us all continuously, every minute(2).
The biggest difference between seven years and seven days is with the latter, you still have to work and live within the world. But you know Jesus is coming, and you have to be ready at all times(3). That said, most of us (myself included) need to kick our relationship with the Lord into higher gear, and finish strong as His day draws near. And that’s what I’m doing
Are you ready? Are those around you ready? It’s time to get ready!
1. I Peter 3:9
2. I Thessalonians 5:17
3. Matthew 24:44
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