Category: The Christian

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Salvation The Christian

Ye Must Be Born Again!

Why do Bible believers say over and over that you must be born again?  Because the Bible tells us that you must be born again.  It’s black and white.  There is no wiggle room.  Either you are born again or you are NOT born again.  If you are born again, the Bible promises that you will see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3).  If you are NOT born again, the Bible promises that you will see the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15).  The choice is up to you, and you alone.  It is not up to your mother, your father, your sister, or your brother.  It is not up to your nation, your community, your town, or your church.  There is no collective effort or collaboration in this matter.  There is no way to cheat or to substitute someone else’s passing grade as your own.  I am going to sound like a broken record here because this concept is that important for you to grasp.  Why? I don’t want you to end up in Hell like the millions (if not billions) of people who have wound up there before you.

John 3:3  “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Did you read that?  What does that verse say?  It says a man must be born again to see the Kingdom of God.  Are you born again?  Do you even know what it means to be born again?  Do you even care enough about your own soul to investigate the question?  Do you want to see the Kingdom of God?  Do you even know what the Kingdom of God is (Romans 14:17)?  Do you love God enough to take five minutes to find out?  Have I made you uncomfortable by asking these questions?  Why are you uncomfortable?  Is it because your conscience is telling you that you are NOT born again?  Is it because you have lived your life in defiance of God and not believed on your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  Is it because you think you are such a good person that God will allow you into Heaven based on your works?  I have news for you, you are probably NOT born again if you are made uncomfortable by the sentence:  “Ye must be born again.”

John 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

How about verse seven?  What does it say?  It says do not marvel at the phrase, “ye must be born again.”  I know somebody commented that he does not like the phrase:  “born again.”  He claims he don’t like the phrase because too many “bad” people claim to be born again.  This sounds reasonable, until one understands that all people (including those born again) are fallen sinners in a fallen world.  Of course there are “bad” people who are born again as we are all destined to sin, although we must ask the question, are they “bad” in man’s eyes or God’s?  While they won’t admit it, the real reason they do not like the phrase because they are NOT born again.  Many hypocrites will say that being “born again” is pretentious or over-used by liars, pretenders, fakes.  I say, “So what?”  Stop the excuses.  Those people will have their judgment.  The question you must ask is:  will you also have yours?

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

How are you born again?  1 Peter 1:23 tells us directly.  We are born again by the word of God.  What was that?  The word of God?  Where can that be found?  It can be found in English in the King James Bible.  It is your foundation in a world filled with confusion as God promises that his word will live and abide for ever.  This promise is re-iterated in Psalm 12:6:7 (pure words, preserved for ever),Matthew 5:8 and Luke 16:7 (till heaven and earth pass, not one tittle will pass from the law).  If somebody tries to steal the promises of the English Bible from you by changing 60,000 “archaic” words and thereby confusing scripture, please turn them to 1 Corinthians 14:33 and ask them who is the author of confusion and why they are following him.

So, if we are born again by the word of God, what does the word of God say on being born again?  Let’s go back to our starting point:  John Chapter 3.

John 3:3-4  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Nicodemus, one of the most intelligent men who ever lived, asked Jesus Christ how a man could be born again.  This is a logical question since it is hard for any of us to mentally conceive of being physically born again as an adult.  What was Jesus’ response?

John 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

He said that a man must be born of water and of the Spirit.  What in the world did he mean by that?  Does he mean that you must be born in the ocean?  Did he mean that you must be water-baptized?  How can we ever figure the answer out?  As God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14;33) the answer is not that hard to find.  Read on to the next verse.

John 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

God clarifies John 3:5 with the wording of John 3:6.  The Water and Spirit of John 3:5 are the same as the Flesh and Spirit of John 3:6.  When Jesus said that you must be born of the water, he was speaking of your literal, physical birth (i.e. when a woman’s water breaks…).  However, before you think you can make an easy escape through allegory, the Spirit of verse 5 is still the Spirit of verse 6.  This means that regardless of which verse you choose:  you still must be born again (of the Spirit).

John 3:7-8:  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

This is the consistent testimony of all people who have been born again.  Literally, the Spirit of God hits you like a freight train.  One moment you are wallowing in your sin, and the next moment you have had a lightening-bolt realization that you are in dire need of a savior.  If this freight train hasn’t hit you, it’s because you haven’t allowed it to.  You’ve been so busy bobbing and weaving to avoid the truth that you are literally running from God who created you and loves you.  Like the backsliding heifer, you refuse to hear  (Zechariah 7:11)

John 3:9-10:  Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?  Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

You, like Nicodemus and every other unsaved person, are probably incredulous by now.  How can this be?”, you ask.  Jesus’ response to both Nicodemus and all readers cuts straight through our egos.  Are you not a self-proclaimed genius?  Are you not smarter than the rest?  Are you not modern?  Are you not living in the 21st Century?  Do you not have access to computers, television, phones, and the internet?  Have you not navigated the earth, sea, and skies?  And yet with all this knowledge, you still ask such a question as basic as:  “how can these things be?”

John 3:11-12  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

Jesus cuts straight to the chase.  He has told you (and Nicodemus) what he knows to be true and what has been seen, yet you do not believe him.  He then asks you a rhetorical question:  If you do not believe the miracles, signs, and wonders conducted in our physical reality which he has told you about, how can you possibly expect to believe the unseen things of heaven?  This is a logical predicament that most “pew-warmers” find themselves in.  They go through the motions of their vain traditions (Matthew 6:7, Romans 1:21) but they find themselves no more enlightened about the things of God than when they started.  Their problem lies not in the complexity of God’s word, but in themselves.  If they cannot believe the physical miracles of the Bible (The 6-24-hour-day Creation, Garden of Eden, Noah’s Flood, Joshua’s Long Day, Jesus’ walking on water, etc.), they cannot logically expect to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord or that He died for OUR sins.

John 3:13-15  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Here, Jesus tells us something that only God knows.  First, until Jesus descended from heaven, no man had (or was going to) ascend up on his own as that is a power reserved for God alone.  Second, Jesus explains to us how the Old Testament examples fit the New Testament prophecies: Jesus must be crucified (lifted up on the cross) and also lifted up into Heaven.  Third, Jesus tells us why He must be lifted up:  So that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  DID YOU READ THAT!!!  Do you remember how 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that we’ll be born again by the word of God?  Well, you just read the crux of the matter!  In fact, God wants you to know the truth so he repeats it in the next verse to try and get it into your hard heart.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It only took 13 verses, but we’re here!  We are to the most famous (and important) verse in the Bible.  Yes, you read that correctly.  If you take anything from this message, please put John 3:16 to memory.  God LOVES the world.  He loves you.  He loves everyone.  In fact, he loves you so much that he gave the life of His only begotten Son to save us all.  He doesn’t require any actions or works on your part in return.  You don’t have to be good.  You don’t have to give to the poor.  You don’t have to be sinless.  All God asks is that you believe.  Did you hear me?  You only have to Believe.  It’s that simple (but not that easy).  Just Believe on your Creator, Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ and you will have everlasting life.

“Hold on,” you say.  I believe in Jesus. In fact, everybody believes in Jesus.  All of history attests to the fact that Jesus walked this Earth 2,000 years ago.  Does that mean we are all going to Heaven?  No.  Simply believing that Jesus was a historical figure is not to believe in him unto salvation.  If you believe in Jesus in the same way that you believe in Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, or George Washington, then you are not going to have everlasting life.  You are not trusting in Jesus; you are just acknowledging his existence.  1 Peter 3:21 clarifies for us that what saves us is the answer of a good conscience toward God, not a mere intellectual exercise.  Romans 10:9 tells us that we can’t merely mouth the words “I believe” like a Harry Potter magic spell, we must believe it in our hearts: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Do you think God is unjust in his methodology of salvation?  Jesus pre-empts your unbelieving mind in verse 17 by informing you that he did not send his Son to die in order to condemn the multitudes that are willingly going to go to Hell.  Hell was not intended for you. It was intended for the Devil and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41).  You don’t have to go there, but if you do, it is your choice.  God sent his Son to die in order that all of us (that is the world), might be saved.

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Acts 2:37  “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  Is your heart pricked yet?  God made it plain as day in verse 18.  A sinner who believes is not condemned.  It does not matter if you are a murderer, fornicator, or thief.  If you believe, you will not be condemned.  Now comes the tough part.  Conversely, there is only 1 sin that will condemn us.  That sin is unbelief.  It doesn’t matter how good of a person you think you are:  If you do not believe in the name of Jesus Christ, you are condemned and on your way to Hell.

John 3:19-21  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Jesus now throws the gauntlet on the table.  He puts it about as bluntly as it can be put.  The reason you do not believe is because you love darkness as it covers up your evil deeds.  You may be able to hide those deeds from men, but you cannot hide them from God.  We are told in Matthew 10:26:  “…for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.”

You must now ask yourself: “Do I love darkness (and evil), or do I love the light (and truth)?” The Bible tells us that you have a choice in this matter.  We are not robots, automatons, or wooden toys like Pinocchio.  Proverbs 16:9 tells about our choice:  The broad way to Hell (Matthew 7:13) or the narrow way (Matthew 7:14) to Heaven.  Either you choose to believe in Jesus Christ, or you choose to reject Jesus Christ.  It is that simple.  Ye must be born again.

I pray that both your conscience and your heart have been pricked.  I pray that you have been convicted to the point of 2 Corinthians 7:10:  “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”  Please, for the sake of your soul, repent of your unbelief and believe on our Lord Jesus Christ so that you too can be born again.  While we will probably never meet in this life, I hope to see you in Heaven.

Categories
Reward The Christian

Reward in Heaven

Recently a friend asked me a question about the reward mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:14:

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

He had heard that the promised reward was contingent upon a Christian’s Bible reading and/or spiritual knowledge.  My friend is wise to mull over this reward as Colossians 3:2 clearly tells us to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”  Comparing scripture with scripture will shed some light on the subject of rewards and works.

Before getting into the main passage, let’s sidetrack to a similar subject presented in the Gospels.  The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:20 that we should not lay up treasures on earth, but treasures in heaven.  What are these treasures?  Is it possible they are related to the reward in 1 Corinthians 3:14?  We are not given any direct connection between the two verses, but Matthew 6:20 gives scriptural support to the idea that treasures (rewards) in Heaven are a biblical idea and not a lone, misunderstood verse.

Again in the Gospels, consider Mathew 25:20-30.  Here we read the parable of servants and talents which clearly indicates a possibility of authority and/or rule over things to come based on what we do here with our resources in this life.  God seems to be telling us that our faithfulness will be rewarded when we see him again.  Again, no direct connection is given to the verses above, but we do have further support that all may not be equal in Heaven.  This would correspond much more to a capitalistic class system rather than a socialistic or communistic approach where all are theoretically given equal privileges.

In ,light of this, what does the reward in 1 Cor 3:14 refer to?  Are we rewarded according to the level of our Bible reading, spiritual knowledge, or something else?  Reading this verse within the broader context of verses 1-15 will lead us to the answer.

Paul begins Chapter 3 by informing us that he is dealing with carnal Christians who are mere babes in Christ.  He continues in verse 2 by elaborating that Christians must begin their studies drinking spiritual milk before they are ready for spiritual meat.  Paul then proceeds to denounce divisions (i.e. modern denominations) that in his day were centered on Paul and Apollos (similar to Calvin, Luther, et. al.).  Paul explains in verse 6-7 that man can plant spiritual seeds and water but God brings the increase.

1 Cor 3:6-7 is a scriptural continuation of the harvest verses of Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2,John 4:35 and the sower parable of Matthew 13:3 and Luke 8:5.  Verse 8 elaborates that the planter and waterer are one (as in the body of Christ), but even so, each individual Christian will receive a reward according to their own labor.  Verse 9 tells us that we labor with God as both his husbandry (workers) and that we are his building built on the foundation of Jesus Christ (verses 10-11).

Now the clear message begins to come to light.  Paul proceeds to tell us in 1 Cor 3:12 that Christians can build precious things or worthless stubble on their spiritual foundation of Jesus Christ.  Furthermore, in verses 13-15; God will make this work manifest by trying it with fire.  Any man’s work that survives this fiery purge will be given to him as a reward, while any man’s work that burns shall be a loss.  This is very important to read for two reasons.  First, it is clear that our actions on this earth have an impact on our heavenly reward.  Second, it gives rock-solid support for the doctrine of eternal security!

Now, having read 1 Corinthians 3:14 within the context of 1 Corinthians 1-15, we should have a better understanding of the reward we will receive.  As can be seen by the verses in context, the reward Paul discusses is first mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8.  1 Corinthians 8 clearly attributes the reward to the same Christians mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6-7.  These Christians are not earning this reward through regular bible study or spiritual knowledge but through earnest attempts at evangelism and witnessing to the lost.  What does this mean for us?  It means we need to stop using bible studies and prayer meetings as excuses to avoid what we are called to do:  witness to the lost.

In order to properly finish this biblical analysis, I must end it on a caveat.  God knows your heart (Acts 1:24, Acts 15:8, Romans 8:27).  If you read this article and go running off to witness based solely on a desire for God’s rewards: you are falling into a similar error as that of Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:21).  Conversely, if you are spiritually lazy, do not use the pretence of not seeking rewards as an excuse to not witness (Matthew 25:26, Hebrews 6:12, Ephesians 6:6).  I pray that you will seek the spiritual middle ground and witness for the same reason that we obey God in any other facet of our lives – solely because it pleases him (1 Corinthians 1:21, 2 Timothy 2:4).

Categories
Fruits Teachings The Christian The Savior

Soul Liberty Outline

This outline is the beginning of a series of articles that, Lord Willing, will become a book on the subject of Soul Liberty. This compilation has been three years in the making and could possibly take more. It is the result of much Bible study, much prayer, and much debate. The thesis of this outline has rocked the very soul of its author who until this year was determined to resist its conclusion. The thesis can be summed up as follows:

Jeremiah 18:7-10: “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”

Key points to consider for all who love Jesus Christ:

  1. There is no Constitution in the Bible. There are only the Old and New Testaments.
  2. The American Constitution doesn’t exist: it was destroyed by Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Man’s war for material freedom without God was lost at Gettysburg. If God wanted Americans to be able to live any way they please, the South would have won.
  3. There are no freedoms (or unalienable rights) outside of Jesus Christ. (John 8:36)
  4. The only laws that we are to disobey are those that contradict Biblical commandments. Everything else is to be obeyed, no matter how tyrannical. (1 Peter 2:13)
  5. God is in Control. God tells us that He establishes our leaders (Obama, Bush, Clinton, et. al.). (Colossians 1:16)
  6. God doesn’t care about Constitutional eligibility. God gives us both what we deserve (a tyrant) and what we want (bondage). (1 Samuel 8:5)
  7. Abortion, Homosexuality, Feminism, etc. are symptoms of our spiritual disease of unbelief. To remove the symptoms, you must first address the root cause. (James 5:20)

Matthew 9:37-38: “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Categories
Evangelism Politics The Christian The World

Under Fire in Sudan

An eye-opening description of what life is like for the inhabitants of war-torn Southern Sudan. Peter Hammond and Frontline Fellowship are inspiring in their efforts to smuggle Bibles into one of the most hostile places on Earth.

Categories
Salvation The Christian

5 Surprises in Hell

Regardless of what you think about Brother Ruckman’s politically incorrect ideas, his chalk talk on Hell is worth watching. It outlines the 5 surprises that almost all of your family, friends, and associates will learn the hard way when they end up in Hell for NOT BELIEVING on Jesus Christ.


Watch Five Surprises in Hell in Faith & Spirituality  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Categories
Inspirations MetaV Personal stories The Christian

From Business Intelligence to Biblical Wisdom

Let me share  a story about how God orchestrates events in our lives to accomplish his will and help us find our calling.  I started this blog not long after moving to a new department in my company.  The road I’ve been speeding down since then is worth describing.

My first attempt at getting the transfer failed.  Another engineer who hired on at our location shortly after me got it instead.  Later on, I discovered that the divine plan was better than my own.  A few months after that first interview, another job in the same department came available, but this one was far better suited to my skills and one which I knew would be much more interesting to me.  It would involve a great deal of database manipulation for reporting, analysis, and whatever else might need to be done with our computer systems that I could help with.

Around that same time frame, I was envisioning a draft concept for a bible search/study tool that I have coined “MetaV.”  All I had was the idea and an illegible sketch.  I was certain that I’d have to invest in some new tools and steadily, patiently learn some new programming language to make it work with the database I had begun building.  That all changed when I swapped jobs and began learning about newer ways to gather, compute, analyze, and visualize data.

Nearly every month I have learned of new tools and techniques which help me take leaps forward in various projects for this site and at work.  Many times I just “happen” to discover them.  As one who believes in God’s omnipotence rather than luck, I can see how he uses things like this in “secular” circumstances to teach us and mold us spiritually.  There is really no difference between our work lives and spiritual lives.  God is everywhere, in control of everything and every part of our day.

The field collectively known as Business Intelligence includes players like SAP (Crystal Reports), IBM Cognos, and of course Microsoft (plus many others).  Then, along comes Tableau.  It turns out that the people that make the most annoying Facebook games collect and analyze user data in ways you wouldn’t believe – and they use Tableau to do it.  I thought: what if I could use that to analyze scripture?  What if we applied business intelligence tools to find biblical wisdom?

Now, don’t get me wrong – only the Holy Spirit can truly bring understanding of his words.  But, having a tool that provides a view of scripture you’ve never seen before can be a big help in beginning that process.  I am happy to report that Tableau does have a free version of their software for use with public data that I have begun applying to MetaV.  Thanks to the awareness of new tools gained through my new job duties, I am using weeks-old technology to create things like readability graphics without having to learn any special programming or making any investment other than time.

With a little more of that investment, an integrated view of the entire Bible with a map, timeline, and details about each verse in a single interactive view is not that far away.  Had I gotten the job I originally went for, I don’t know that I’d be this far along in the process.  I don’t know that I would have found the tools to help me do the things that I believe God has equipped and called me to do.  I do know that his timing and his plans are perfect.  When that time is right, readers of this blog will be the first to discover an entirely new approach to bible study.

Categories
Evangelism Persecution Spiritual Warfare The Christian

The Cross: Jesus in China

The Bitter Cup abounds with compelling testimonies by missionaries of the younger generation. Their dedication, suffering, faithfulness, and thanksgiving have led to an unprecedented revival of the Chinese Christian church.

Categories
Culture Fruits Gifts Personal stories The Christian The World

Experience at a Homeless Shelter

Not long after moving away from the Midwest, I volunteered at a homeless and battered women’s shelter in East Texas for about 6 months. In that time I made a handful of observations about how things were run and how these women were being helped. Since I was a psychology major in college and worked in a few challenging situations with troubled college students as a missionary in the US, I had a little bit of experience going in.

The shelter was an old storefront like building and was fully dependent upon donations as a 501(c)(3) organization. They received no government funds, just the help of churches and individual Christians in the area. They were (of course) under funded and the living situation was a run-down sorority type environment, not to mention that it was full of drama. There were fifty beds in the back of the building all in one open room and another ten or so ladies slept on air mattresses and couches. They shared two bathrooms and two showers every day.

While the housing situation was challenging, I was very much struck by how the Lord had provided for them. They had three hot meals a day and all were required to shower routinely. Shampoo, clothes, bedding, and “extras” were all offered for each and every woman for free. Their bed became their closet, shopping cart, and comfort zone all in one. I was amazed by how much stuff they had — stuff that they brought with them off the street and stuff they had collected while there. Some of their belongings they purchased with their own money, but most were given to them at no cost. They had more abundance and possessions than any homeless person you would ever find overseas. They were not in need because the Lord has always promised to meet all our needs. (Matthew 6:31-32)

Their social and spiritual desires were being met as well. With around fifty ladies all in one small space they had plenty of opportunities to share their stories, griefs, and frustrations. Gossip ran rampant: if one woman was having a bad day everyone knew about it. Daily Bible studies led by local pastors gave them good relief from all the spectacles and crises. Everyone gathered in the dining room area multiple times of day to hear someone preach the Word. Sometimes topics dealt with overcoming conflict, pain, and the past. Other times they were taught hygiene, social skills, and responsibility.

As I watched and observed over a 6 month period of time, I noticed there were only three or four out of those fifty who really considered the shelter a short term place to stay to help them recover and deal with their problems. Only these few wanted to get the help they needed in order to start over again and get back on their feet. I began to ask myself: why so few? Why weren’t more women taking advantage of the free and helpful resources that were right there in front of them? Why wasn’t the leadership really pushing these ladies to deal with their tribulations and grow? I’m not naïve in thinking that you could fix there struggles of drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, illiteracy, major family troubles, marital problems…the list goes on and on.

Where was the desire to contribute to the world or even the environment they lived in? Where was any desire for that matter? And then I began to ask, where are all these women getting money to buy cigarettes, sodas, and useless trinkets? As I listened and talked with these ladies I began to learn that many were on welfare, food stamps, social security or disability. I then began to ask them for their prayer requests and many requested I pray for God to provide via their government appeals for a disability. Some shared stories of claiming disability because they couldn’t read, but when I sat down with them to study the bible out loud, they could read. They struggled given their third or fourth grade reading level, but they could do it well enough.

Why were they praying and asking the government to meet their needs instead of God? I was baffled and frustrated. As I inquired some more I discovered many were being encouraged to apply for disability by other women in the shelter and the leadership. After they received the money I watched what they did with it. Some sent it to the kids they left or had to place in the care of relatives. Some squandered it on useless things and stayed in the shelter for years and years. Few had any desire to leave other than those whose drug addition was too much to kick. Those women just went back to where they came from until another bump in the road forced them to return.

The longer I was there the more and more questions I had. Most who were on disability or Social Security responded that it wasn’t enough to live off of to rent an apartment, pay for cable TV, have a cell phone, get furniture, and pay for groceries. I then asked about seeking employment or rooming together with one of the ladies at the shelter that they trusted. Their answer was they couldn’t get a job because then they’d loose their government check and would no longer qualify.

What is going on here! Since when did the God of the Bible encourage people to stop working? Since when did government take the place of God in providing for people’s needs? Since when did government programs become the Lord’s answer to prayer instead of the people in the Body of Christ loving their neighbor and being that answer? And since when did so-called leaders and ministers of the Gospel start training their disciples to seek worldly authorities for their needs and think that it’s biblical? Where have we gone wrong?

If you look at the Bible, Jesus shows a great deal of attention to the poor and needy of the times. For instance, few of his disciples had any education to speak of and weren’t considered the elite. They were mostly low-class Jews. Some could read and some could not, but all could work and did work. The Word of God was simple enough for these ordinary men to understand, so much so that while they didn’t get it all right, they followed Jesus because they recognized him as the Messiah.

You don’t have to be able to read at a college level or even a high school level to know and understand that God is the giver of all things. He is our provider – not a government or a king. Jesus asked these disciples to give up their work and treasures and follow him. Never once did they petition Caesar to provide financially for their families while they were unemployed. They trusted that God would meet all their needs and He did. How did God do this for them after Jesus was crucified? He did it through the church. It is our job as the Body of Christ to supply for the poor and needy yet we have allowed our worldly authorities to step in and play that role and be that so-called answer to prayer.

This has hurt the homeless men and women like the ones I met and it has hurt the Church. These women now believe the lie that God doesn’t want them to work because if He did He wouldn’t have provided the checks and answered their prayers. It has hurt the Church because we are just holding on to more of our “stuff” because we think we need it instead of giving up our treasures. It has weakened the maturity of Christians and stunted the growth of the poor and needy nationwide.Isaiah 30:12-13 speaks of this clearly.

Because shelters just like this one have trusted in ruling worldly powers and believed the lie that they don’t need to work, they have allowed government to become their oppressor. If these women had absolutely nothing and no government to go to, where would they go? They would get on their knees and cry out to God whether they believed in a god or not. God would prove Himself to them in their times of desperation and show that He is the one true God, the giver of all things. Instead they have chosen to trust in a god that oppresses them and continues to keep them poor. I believe this choice has hindered the effectiveness of this ministry and the women’s God-given ability from to be truly free.

And what about us, those who have much, who have an education and can read? Do we minimize the power of the Word of God and what He could really do in our hearts and the lives of others because we have settled for thinking it’s the world’s job to meet the needs of others? Why have we made God so small and principalities, kings, the rulers of darkness so big? We are as much at fault as the men and women filing out government applications for a handout. We are letting the powers of this world be the definer of freedom instead of our Almighty God. As a result, our ministry to the homeless and poor isn’t as effective and doesn’t bear as much fruit as it could if we truly trusted in God. Christ came to set us free from these evils and this is the freedom we need to teach.

Categories
Salvation Teachings The Christian The Savior Theology

Biblical Repentance

Repentance is an integral part of salvation and the Christian life. Learn what repentance is (and is not) in order that you may live with God in heaven and on Earth according to his will.

BIBLICAL REPENTANCE | Doctrine | Way of Life Literature.

Categories
Inspirations MetaV Personal stories The Bible The Christian

Motivated by the Impossible

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
– Matthew 19:26b

After I graduated from one of the most prestigious institutions in America, the US Air Force Academy, I was filled with pride … too much, in fact.  One of my first assignments was to create project reports from an online database which I had never used.  I met the challenge head on as any new military officer would.

My reply to the task was: “If it is possible, I can figure out how to do it no matter what it is.”  One of my newest colleagues who was familiar with this system quickly took the cue to initiate some “mentorship.”  Perhaps the hero persona of this higher-ranking Afghanistan war veteran compelled him to save his troops from the crash that a rookie like me could have caused by flying blind.

The system didn’t crash.  He showed me a lot, and so did some computer experts I had the privilege of working with in northern Japan.  At my next base, I had the same attitude toward a similar challenge – this time with a lot more knowledge and even less humility.  Once again, the system we had couldn’t do what we needed and the red tape involved with replacing it could wrap around the world a hundred times.  After following the chain of command all the way up to the person responsible for this system across the entire Air Force, he explained that what we wanted to do was “not possible.”

What self-respecting company grade officer would accept that as an answer?  “Impossible? I’ll show you impossible!” A few months later I found a workaround solution and everybody was happy with the new process.  It saved some people a lot of work and gave others more control over the work they were interested in getting accomplished.

My intent here is not to boast of these accomplishments.  God has brought me a long way from that kind of big-headedness.  My point is that when others say something is impossible it is often because they cannot imagine many possibilities beyond their experience.  In that respect, inexperience is an advantage when guided properly.  With God’s leading and power, all things are possible.

The things I describe on this blog are part of my ongoing attempt to realize what may otherwise remain unknown and undone.  It is daunting to think of collecting biblical scholarship in such a way that you can see and analyze it all at once rather than picking through it a piece at a time.  It is a mountain of a challenge, but it is not impossible to move such mountains. Lord, help us!

Categories
Baptism Salvation The Christian

A Biblical Examination of Baptism

Nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever baptized; until after they were saved!

A Biblical Examination of Baptism

Categories
MetaV Personal stories The Christian Vision

Using technology to present biblical truth

I graduated from the US Air Force Academy with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Since then, I have held several positions in the military, business world, and in Christian ministry.  In each role, I have found ways to work with information (databases in particular) to help myself and others sort out what that information really tells us about what’s going on.

I have recently taken on a new role which has exposed me to more advanced methods behind what’s referred to as Business Intelligence.  I quickly realized that these techniques can be applied to the Bible to “zoom out” and discover patterns and relationships that you can’t find with traditional study methods or tools.  I will highlight others who have done work to this end in hopes of bringing their results together and develop them into an integrated whole.

I have previously laid out my vision for enabling the average person to find reliable information on the web as easily as many incredible tools that are available today free of charge.  Soulliberty.com is a work in progress that will be one platform for applying these technologies to scripture and related information in commentaries, maps, media – you name it.  To be perfectly clear: my primary goal is to present the Bible in a clear, understandable, and intelligent way so that more people can come to know its truth, power, and salvation.

To get an idea of the basics, consider how you might do online research for a new car or even decide what movie to go see this weekend.  You can narrow it down by type, sort it by popularity and price (or what time a movie is showing), and see place marks on a map where that movie will be playing or where that car is sold.  You are presented with media telling you more about it in the form of videos or interactive content.  A common element is that the information is tied together in meaningful ways that help a computer sort through the information to find what the user is looking for.

I think it is possible to do the same types of things with Bible study software and make it available for free on the web instead of it costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.  This blog will more fully explain specific ideas for creating new tools and implementing existing ones in ways that are easy enough to understand by a non-technically minded person while also providing enough detail for the up-and-coming programmer or designer to contribute their skills and time.  I hope you find it informative and exciting to imagine the possibilities!

Categories
Evangelism The Christian The Father The Holy Spirit The Savior Tools

Ark of the Covenant [Interactive]

Ark of the Covenant

Even though the Ark of the Covenant is long lost, you can still explore it virtually. In this study tool you can find info about the ark, its history, symbolism, and contents.

Categories
Evangelism Geography History The Christian The First Days The World Tools

Paul’s Life and Journeys [Interactive]

Paul Life Map


View Paul’s Life and Journeys in a larger map

While you explore the map above, below are some observations to take note of.

  • His friend Barnabus followed him everywhere until their dispute about John-Mark( Acts 14:26-28, 15:36-41). Barnabus (along with others) is later rebuked by Paul for withdrawing himself from Gentile converts ( Galatians 2:11-20).
  • He never seems to travel alone, meaning that his missionary journeys weren’t necessarily just Paul’s journeys as we normally refer to them.
  • Each of his three missionary journeys lasted no more than three years. We tend to remember him as the simply a missionary when in fact only 9 years of his roughly 65 year life span were spent on mission trips. The rest of his life was spent either as a Pharisee or as a Christian preaching in a small handful of cities.
  • He didn’t go on first trip untill he was around 40 years old.
  • The routes he took on mission trips brought him back to some of the same places multiple times. Paul was intentional about training the new converts by keeping in contact through letters and doing follow-up visits.
  • It’s easy to assume he spent a lot of time in the places that are the subject of his epistles. In fact, he only spent a relatively short period of time in Galatia, Ephesus, Phillipi, Collosae, and Thessalonica.
  • Paul visited both Tyre and Sidon on separate occasions. These once-great cities had a prominent place in Old Testament prophecy, which predicted they would fall. They were both destroyed, and little is mentioned of them in the New Testament other than as a warning to others.

If the Lord has shown you something interesting that’s not in this list, we’d love for you to tell us about it!

Source info: Biblestudy.org (not affiliated with this website)

Categories
Church Issues New World Order Politics Spiritual Warfare The Christian The Last Days

Indianapolis Comeback

At least one church has stood up to the IRS and refused to become entangled with the government through 501(c)(3) nonprofit restrictions on speech. After a great deal of struggle, the Indianapolis Baptist Temple is now stronger than ever before. (original article appeared the Baptist Tribune).

Indianapolis Comeback