“VaVoom” Or “The Voice Of God” Or “Thus Saith The LORD”

Posted on by apreature

“…a still small voice…” (1 Kings 19)

 

It has been said that those who like to speak about themselves and to boast of their greatness, “Love the sound of their own voice.”  That is usually not a compliment.  However, The Godhead loves to hear His own voice, for the Godhead’s voice is Christ, the Word of God. The Father and the Spirit love to hear His Voice.  The Son and the Spirit love to hear the Fathers’s Voice. The Father and the Son love to hear the Voice of the Spirit and yes, Reader, the Spirit doth speak and He doth speak often. So too do the people of God love to hear the voice of God.

However, there is a double-edged sword dynamic to God’s Voice.  Let us return to the garden in Genesis.  In the cool of the even, Adam and Eve would hear the voice of their Creator and they would come to Him and they would walk with Him and they would talk to Him and He would……………………….

“tell [them they are] His Own and the joy [they] shared, as they tarried there, none other has ever known.  He [spoke] and the sound of His Voice was so sweet, the birds hush[ed] their singing.” Reader, ’tis so sweet to walk with [the Lord] Jesus when one is walking in the light and in the will of God.  However.

When one has done wrong and that Voice calls, it is a frightful sound, is it not, Reader? Is it not?  “The rage of a king is as the roaring of a lion.”  When one has done wrong one dreads to hear the righteous judgement of a king, Haman received a just sentence and that sentence was the death of his whole house.  Reader, to some the Voice of God is like a shepherd calling his flock, for Christ, the Good and Chief Shepherd said, “…the sheep hear [H]is voice; and [H]e calleth them by name, and leadeth them out. And when [H]e putteth forth [H]is [O]wn sheep, [H]e goeth before them, and the sheep follow [H]im: for they know [H]is [V]oice.”  It is true that thieves may come to try and lure the sheep away, but the sheep will not hear them.

The sheep will not move at the voice of a thief. the sheep doth not recognize the voice. The liar is come to steal, kill and destroy, but the sheep do not act upon the killer’s voice. The sheep know the Shepherd’s Voice and to Him and to Him Alone will they respond.  It is true of you and me, Reader, You and I should be able to recognize the Voice and the Word of Christ when we hear it. We, as Christ’s flock, ought never to fall into the trapper’s snare. If it sounds not like the Good and Chief Shepherd, answer not the call.

The Voice of our God is most powerful.  Remember when Judas, the betrayer, led the soldiers to Christ?  The soldiers asked for the Christ and He answer, “I am,” and the soldiers fell backward?  Then with power and authority, Christ looked over the fallen and asked, “Whom seek ye?” When they answered, He again said, “I am.”  This display or mainfestation of power was used as to communicate His voluntary submission to the soldiers and to give them something to think about over the next hours. His authority and power was also demonstrated so that the soldiers would hearken unto His command to let His disciples go.

In one (1) of our titles above, we used the name “Vavoom.”  “Vavoom is a fictional and animated character that is part of the “Felix, the Cat” cartoon.  Vavoom has such a voice that he could demolish anything and everything in front of him.  If there was a mountain in his way, he would open his mouth and shout, “vavoom”  and the mountain would come crumbling down.  Vavoom would shout the same word again and the crumbled down mountain would split in half and provide him access.  This Vavoom would also use this voice to deliver Felix, the Cat and himself from trouble. Nothing could stand before the vavoom of Vavoom.

This is literally true of God’s Voice as we saw it knock over soldiers of the Roman army.  Use your perspective at this point, Reader.  It would take a large man to take down a centurion. These soldiers were trained in battle. These men were no “push-overs” to be sure.  These men stood in battle as their counterparts, wielded sword and shield against them.  These men were trained to stay on their feet. To fall is to give the upper hand to the man seeking to kill them. The higher ground was the soldier standing over a fallen enemy.

Christ, with the Word, “I Am” sent these guards falling backward.  Christ had the higher ground, Christ had the advantage.  Reader, I do not make little of Christ’s physical appearance as He must has been a rather strong and fit man due to His carpentry and all the traversing upon foot as was His custom, but He was no trained soldier, it may be advanced that He knew how to grapple as that was a favoured sport at that time, (Reader, I speak of the Lord Jesus in His human capacity, I fully understand, He had the ability to destroy any opponent with any style of combat), but to go up against these large and well armoured soldiers, there was little point.  We are told in Isaiah that there was nothing physically outstanding about the Lord’s appearance that would draw anyone’s attention.

Yet with the spoken Word He, for all accounts and purposes, humiliated and put down the soldiers with His Voice. In Revelation 1, 14, &19, It is written that Christ has the Voice of many waters.  It might have been this force of many waters that put the soldiers down at Christ’s feet, how unfortunate they were not kneeling forward at His feet in stead of laying on their backs having being put down.

However, to the praise of God, we are not terrified of His voice.  No, we like, Elijah of old, hear His “still small voice.”  Still small voice does not mean God’s Voice is still small instead of now being BIG, no, not at all.  When Scripture tells us that God’s Voice is a “still small voice,” we are to understand that God speaks to us with a quiet and gentle Voice that should comfort and quiet our spirits, minds, thoughts, concerns and fears.  God’s Voice is a stilling Voice.  God in the Psalms tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Reader, this is an invitation to peace and rest.  To the wicked, God’s Voice should be and will certainly be terrifying as He pronounced judgement upon their eternal souls. But unto You and i, who know Whom we have believed and Who allows us into His Presence, never to leave, His Voice issettling, calming, comforting, encouraging, and stilling.

Reader, do you know that stilling, calming, and quiet Voice of the GREAT BIG GOD? If not, I beseeach thee, shut down, be quiet, be still, and listen.  You do not want God to shout in order to gain your attention, No, you do not. Reader, tonight, lie down or even right now, lie down call upon God and ask Him for a time of peace so that you might hear His Voice.  This may take time and practice, but it is worth your time and practice.  If you have ignored God for a time and now you think you can go to Him and say, “okay, God, This is a convenient time to listen to you, so go on and talk to me.”  My diluded or intoxicated brother or sister, it does not work that way.

If you have shut God out because there have been “more importantant things” going on, You must confess your arrogance, and your stupidity before God.  You must tell Him, there is nothing more preeminent that He. You must tell Him, you have sinned in praying not, you must tell Him you were foolish to put other things before Him. You must acknowledge you were seeking your own kingdom first (1st) and not His.   Reader, how can I be so forthright?  Because, Reader, I must do the same all the time.  This is common to all of us.

I cannot, cannot, cannot, impress upon you enough, Reader, to obtain a copy of, “The Practicing of the Presence of God.”  I beseech thee, beloved, obtain this book, read the entire thing, it is very, very, short. I think it is under a hundred pages in many editions. Then spend a month reading each conversation and each letter one at a time every day.

Reader, the Voice of God is lovely and welcome to those who are loved by God. Mary, upon Christ’s resurrection, welcomed that Familiar Voice. The Voice of God will be a terror to them that are unfamiliar with the Majestic and Regal Voice of God. Many others, when God spoke to an individual, such as Paul, or to John Baptist, heard only thunder and fearful sounds.

Reader, What do you hear or what will you hear when God’s Voice is directed at you?

Godspeed.

“God Knows” Or “Two (2) Words That Cause Different Responses” Or “The Innocent And The Guilty Hear Police Sirens Differently”

Posted on by apreature

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.”  (Romans 13)

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…”  (2 Corinthians 5)

“Thou knowest…” (Psalm 139)

“…and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread [the letter] before the LORD.”  (2 Kings 19)

 

One of the very, very foundational and basic truths of the Christ-ian faith is God knows all things. In Acts 15, we are told, “God knoweth the end from the beginning….”  Paul tells the Ephesians and us that God knew us (loved us) before the foundations of the world. God tells Jeremiah that He knew him before he was formed in the womb of Jeremiah’s mother. Paul tells Timothy that there is a foundational truth, that has the seal of God upon it and that truth is that God knoweth them that are his from eternity pass. This truth and these passages and those above should give us tremendous, great and sobering confidence in God’s love and knowledge of His own and all things that pertain unto us past, present and future.

David took comfort in the fact that God could search his opened and pure heart at all times.  Peter said unto Christ,  “Lord, [T]hou knowest all things…” and this was comfort to Peter. In one of the chosen texts above King Hezekiah took comfort and was glad to know that the LORD saw the letter that he set and spread before Him. Hannah, with her open, pure and broken, yet hopeful heart laid her petition before God and knew He heard her.

Reader, the chosen, the few, those that are loved of God and love God WANT God to know all things in their heart, their mind, and their life.  This openness and purity of heart is a sign, a mark, a comfort, an assurance, a hope, a confidence, a comfort, a consellation to the person of God.  Reader, this is one of those realities that tell and reveal unto us our condition before the Lord.

However, this is not true of the lost.  Either the lost care not what the Lord thinks of their thoughts, feelings, or actions or they pretend and hope it doesn’t matter. If this is true of a person, they are an atheist even if they say or pretend to believe in a god or higher power, but have no experiential knowledge or walk with this god or higher power.

If a person who is lost, knows the condition of their soul and believes that God knows all things about them, they would be, and should be terrified.  If these persons knew that God is, and that God knows, and recognised their condition before the Holy and sin hating God, they would be, and should be terrified.  An analogy: Imagine what a horror it would be and what kind of feelings one would have if one learned that their spouse has found out about a long time extra-marrital affair.

Another analogy:  Remember what it feels like when are caught speeding?  Remember the heart drop or the knot in the pit of your stomach? Remember when you were a kid and report cards were coming out and you knew your grades would disappoint your parents?  Try and imagine what it must feel like when a political or religious leader finds out a secret has been found out.

Reader, Again, this is one of the great differences between a child of God and the unsaved. When we sin, we know God knows yet it is still a comfort to know this. This speaks to a pure heart…even when we sin we want God to know and we are comforted by His knowledge and then we are thankful and grateful to receive His Fatherly forgivenness. We are comforted because the God-incarnate Man knows about the realities of temptation for He was tempted in all points as we are yet He remained without sin and sins.  Even His enemies could not find fault, they had to make up faults to project upon Him.

A word about the temptation(s) that were put before Christ. We know He was tempted by the Arch-(t)empter and failed not to remain Holy, Pure, and Righteous.  We know that He faced temptations everyday, all day.  The temptation to lash out against His enemies, think about this, He knew everyman’s thought at every second every day. He heard the sins of the flesh barking at Him at every moment as a guard dog would bark at strangers as they approach. He heard, and felt the sinfullness of sin that oozes out of every person.

Let me be very, very clear on this point of temptation and the Christ. Was Christ tempted by outside agents of sin and evil? Yes, there is no doubt. HOWEVER, in Christ’s purity and hunger and thirst for righteousness, He never felt the compulsion and the call to commit sin.

Christ never struggled with, “should I  or shouldn’t I.”  With that said, He did and does know the strength of compelling sin and the compunction to sin. An analogy: it would be like knowing it is freezing cold, but not feeling the cold or being hindered or effected by it’s effects to the human body.

This sinlessness was absolutely necessary for His future work on the part and the behalf of those in Him from the foundation of the world. It can be likened unto Superman (Christ is, by the way, the Original and Preeminent Super God-man). Superman, in the comics, would know he is being hit with a spectrum of bullets, but there is no effect to Him.  This is a way to understand Christ and temptation.

Another way to understand Christ and temptation. One who has never had crack cocaine would not have any kind of temptation or drawing toward the demon possessive likeness. This is what Christ meant when He said, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

Christ had no strings of sin for the enemy to pull or play upon. It is because of His impeccability and purity and knowledge of sin and it’s power to kill that He could, would, and did hang upon your cross and my cross in our very stead and place. He put on the sinner and the sinner’s sin so that the sinner (You and me) could put on Christ and thereafter make no provision for the flesh. The grace, the faith, the hope, the love, the purity, the impeccability, the power, the strength, knowledge and wisdom of Jesus Christ was His defense and our defense against sin’s temptation and it still is.

We, with the Holy Ghost’s inhabitation, have a measure of Christ’s grace, faith, hope purity, power, strength, knowledge, and wisdom within us all and it is waiting to be used and appropriated, for He has given us “all spritual blessings.” As for Christ’s impeccability, it is still our future, our hope or expectation because God promised and predestinated us to that end.

The more we grow into Christ’s Image and likeness, the less will sin and sins call upon us and draw us.

God knows all of this and we do to. God knows we know all of this. We know that God knows we know all of this. God knows we know that He knows that we know all of this and that is one of the things that make our walk with God so Wonderful and assures us of His love.

Godspeed.

“God Of The Big Picture Part Two (2)” Or “Answering A Common Question From Unbelievers” Or “There’s So Much More Still To Come”

Posted on by apreature

“And [the martyrd saints] cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost [T]hou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”                                                                                                                                       (Revelation 6)

“As it is written, For [T]hy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”  (Romans 8)

“[A]s a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so [H]e opened not [H]is [M]outh.”                                                                                                                                               (Isaiah 53)

 

“How many times have believers been asked, “Why does God allow…”  or “If God is so good, why…”  Unbelievers think this is a deep question that shuts down the believer.  Some pose these questions as questions of and for the ages. These questions should not stump the Christ-ian nor shut us down.  Before we give an answer to these impertinent questions, let me say this: The Christ-ian is under no obligation to answer questions from unbelievers that are obviously asked with no real desire for an answer.

Paul says in his pastoral letters that one is not to bother with questions meant to cause strife. In the Gospels, Christ refused to answer some of the questions that were unjustly motivated by sinners. On the other hand, Peter advises us to always be prepared to answer questions regarding the hope that is within us. The Proverbs tell us that we are not to suffer a fool gladly or to humour questions that are foolishly motivated. The Proverbs also tell us to, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him” in 26:4 but then in 26:5, “Answer a fool  according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”  In light of these Proverbs what are we to do?  We are to judge the intent of the question and answer or not answer according to the questioner’s intent.

After writing the above, and leaving the questions of unbelievers to the reader’s discretion, how could we answer the question of why God allows or ordains certain events. Some would answer that God does not cause certain events, but allows them to occur.  Some suggest that certain events are allowed by God because these events are the effects of the fall and are simply the reaping of a world that sows in sin. While there is truth in both of these answers, these answers do not answer fully. When persons respond with these answers they are trying to defend God, but reader, God does not need defending. We may defend and define truth but we need not defend God’s actions. God is good and God is sovereign.

In a trial a judge may disallow certain evidence from being used if it puts the defendent at an unfair advantage. This means the prosecutor cannot use certain aspects of the defendent’s past if it is not germaine to the present case. However, if the defending attorney makes the mistake of mentioning the disqualified evidence or bring something up that is not profitable to his client the prosecuting attorney may then use the previously disqualified evidence. This is analagous to God’s use of the fall and the effects of sin. God did not introduce sin or create sin but after sin was introduced God was and is free and justified in using sin and it’s effects for His ordained purposes.

Once the above is established the answer to the unbeliever’s questions of why does God allow X is simply, “it is what it is” or The God of all creation is the God of the BIG picture.  Our God is God of the Big Picture.  He and He Alone knows the end from the Beginning because He is the First and the Last, He is the Beginning and the End. the Alpha and the Omega, the Author and Finisher of all things…that will work together for our good, because we are called according to His purpose and we are beloved by God and we love God. If we are to walk in the spirit of peace and with the Spirit of Peace we must also be the godly that see the BIG picture. We must be those that walk by faith and not by sight or live according to our senses.

To live according to our senses or feelings is certain to leave us tossed to and fro. To follow our heart is foolish, the heart must follow the Christ-like mind that loves God with all it’s strength. It is true we should use our God-given senses to worship God, but faith over-rides senses and feeling, we are to walk by faith and not sight or other senses. The Scriptures tell us to “Taste and see that God is good,”  what does this mean? It can be applied spiritually and literally.

I like the literal application. When one sits down to a meal one should first give thanks and ask God’s blessing upon the meal and then we should consider the goodness of God as we taste and enjoy the food. When one bites in to a Resse’s peanut butter cup, one should think God is so good.  Taste is an extra, our food could be bland and tasteless but it is not…this testifies to God’s goodness.  We see with our eyes that the heaven’s declare God’s great glory.  We hear with our ears the written and preached Word of God and we hear the testimonies of other as to God’s intercession in their lives. With the sense of touch we feel pleasure and pain, we feel our humanity and think of God, Who became flesh and dwelt among us for a time. The sense of smell can cause us or allow us to remember events of the past.

The above speaks to the five (5) senses given us by God. All persons have these senses lest they be challenged regarding their senses as blindness or deafness. In John nine (9) we see Christ heal a blind man and He tells those present and us that this man was blinded from birth so that he might be given sight through Christ’s compassion and that is an example of the BIGGER picture.

In the life of David there is an event that is truly horrendous and cannot be excused. David sought food from a priest of God.  The priest gave David the shewbread from the sanctuary and he gave David the sword of Goliath. (k)ing (s)aul hears of this and he orders his men to kill the priest and all the other priests. The soldiers would not hearken to this ill advised command. However, Doeg, an Edomite, a descendent of Esau, whom God hates, accepted (s)aul’s charge and murdered all of the priest as well as the women and children and the livestock, something (s)aul did not do when God commanded him, in his dealings with Agag prior to this event.

If ever the question of why did God allow this was justified, this was the time.  Why would God allow over eighty-five (85) of His own priests to be killed and in addition all the women and children? Did God allow this?  Did God ordain this? Was this part of God’s plan? The answer is, yes. How did (s)aul learn of the prestly aid to Jesse’s son, David? Doeg, the Edomite, told (s)aul of the aid. Doeg is one (1) of the persons in Scripture that is reprobate. This man occasioned the death of all the priests and all the women and children and the livestock. Not only did he play on (s)aul’s self-centered paranoia, he killed the people, himself.

The question is why did God allow this and why does God allow things today?  Another question is why did not someone stop Doeg, the Edomite, whom God hates. The answer can be given in seventeen words  words, (17) “Now a certain man of the servants of [(s)]aul was there that day, DETAINED BEFORE THE LORD…” In other words, God put Doeg, the Edomite, who God hates, in the picture.

A word on perspective: What happened that day, “which the LORD hath made?” Were so many persons of God killed by a sychophan-tick psychopath or were the persons of God released and received into paradise? The BIG PICTURE demands the latter. This life is a vapour, just a moment in eternity. Yes, Christ-ians have been martyred. Yes, Christ-ians, our family, are being persecuted all around the world, but it is a moment, a moment in God’s Great and Grand BIG Picture. In our Scripture texts above, we are told Christ was led as a sheep to slaughter AND we also learn that we too are to be sheep led to the slaughter all day long and it is to be in His Name.

The “Official” Christ-ian perspective or standard of operational procedure on suffering and persecution is this:
“Though [H]e slay me, yet will I trust Him”   and   “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  And, “If it so be, our God [W]hom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and [H]e will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.”

Godspeed.

“A-theism” Or “The A-theist – There Be No Such Animal” Or “There Is No God And I Hate Him” AND….. “A Study On St. Paul, St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and A. Flue 2.”

Posted on by apreature

“The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.”  (Psalm 14)

“…that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of [H]im from the creation of the world are clearly seen…”                                                                                                                                        (Romans 1)

 

There is a restaurant chain called, “Famous Daves.”  This chain or franchise is known for their many meat dishes.  At the entrance to this restaurant there is a small sign that says, “We love vegitarians, they make us laugh.”  This can be adopted by Christ-ianity in reference to that species of the human race called atheists.  “We love atheists, they make us laugh.”  I know, I know we should mourn over the atheist. It is true we should mourn over the individual atheist, but we can shake our heads and mock atheism in general.

The truth is however, there does not exist such an animal. In Scripture we find the refutation of the so-called atheist.  In Romans one (1) the Bible dispels the notion of the true atheist. Paul tells us they see creation and know there is God as well as an internal witness that tells them that God is.  In Psalm fourteen (14) we read. “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God”  but in their mind they know God is.

I read something about atheism on Fb today and one of the comments mocked atheism with the following, “There is no God and I hate Him,” I think that is a perfect summary of atheism. Eight (8) one (1) syllable words sums it up perfectly.  There be no Christ-ians running around trying to disprove the existence of Molech or Baal.  The Christ-ian frets not over these two (2) or any of the O.T. false gods, why?  They exist not, they were shell companies for (s)atan’s false religions.  But the atheist, I mean the active and militant atheist kicks and screams against the Godhead, Why?  They know He is and it is as simple as that.

In my way of thinking there are three (3) types of atheists. There is the professing Christ-ian that denies God in their everyday life, there is the quiet atheist that simply thinks not of God and goes about their business with no thought of God or the soul, then there is my favourite, the militant atheist, the Evangelical Atheist, who goes about witnessing to God’s non-existence.

The “Christ-ian” atheist is the person that says they believe in God, they might even attend church but in their everyday life, in their practices and in their principles, will, and actions, they deny Christ over and over and over.  There are many “Christ-ian” atheist, you reader, may be one yourself.
King Saul is the perfect example of this type of atheist, King Saul spoke a good game, Saul spent time with men of God and outwardly professed God, but in truth Saul was an apostate waiting to implode.  King Saul killed many, many priests of God, Saul over-stepped into the office of priest when he had no right and God rejected him for this. Saul also sought to kill God’s true king over and over again.  King Saul stands as the example of the “Christ-ian” atheist.

The quiet atheist never has much to say about God and certainly nothing to God.  This atheist might be politically sound, this type may be a decent man, a good husband and a good father.  This type generally has nothing to say about God, God simply finds no place in his thoughts.  There are many atheist of this sort. This atheist will not get into discussions about religion and will simply go about his way. This type is generally harmless, they hurt no one except themselves and their family through their obliviousness to all things God. Though they be quiet and generally harmless to most, they will still face God’s judgment.

Then there is my favourite atheist, the militant. These be my favourites for a variety of reasons. One (1) reason is i Love to see them come to faith when God reveals Himself to their unbelief and causes them to believe and serve Him as a spiritual pitbull.  There is many of these in history. Saul/Paul of Tarsus was an atheist…yes, he believed in Jehovah but denied Christ, thus he was an atheist of sorts. This man was a great plague to Christ-ianity, he was a plague against Christ-ians as God was a plague against Egypt.  This man lived and breathed to condemn, persecute, and imprison Christ-ians. This man was a serial persecutor.  He was the cause of much pain that was felt for years and years in the Christ-ian community. Yet God chose this man to be His greatest witness to the gentile world. Paul was one of the great trophies of grace.

Then there is Saint Augustine. Augustine was a very worldly wise man given to many vices. Augustine denied the God of his mother by his words, actions, ways, and influence. Augustine’s mother, Monica prayed for years for her intellectually gifted son. Augustine was very, very sexually promiscuous, he had a bastard son and though no one says it, he might even have experimented with homosexuality with his very beloved and longtime companion.  Augustine was pompous, arrogant, and intellectually boundless.  BUT GOD.

Augustine was in his rear garden and heard the words, “Pick up the book and read.”  Augustine saw no children, could not think of any children’s songs or games that included those words and was then driven to open the Scriptures.  Augustine’s eyes landed upon the Romans 13:14, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”  Augustine was never the same and neither was Christ-ianity.

Augustine is claimed by the Catholic church but he is none of their’s.  Augustine is the grand-father of the reformation, Both Luther and Calvin learned at the feet of Augustine, in the bookish sense. Augustine wrote upon and taught all the main and major doctrines of the Christ-ian faith.  Humanly speaking, Augustine, like Athanasius before him, saved Christian-ity from heresy.  Humanly speaking, without Augustine, we all would be crossing ourselves and confessing to a man in a box.

The importance and value of Augustine cannot be over-stated. Augustine’s works on the Trinity cannot be bettered, his “Confessions” is a spiritual high. He has commentaries on Psalms, John, and a small commentary on Romans, Augustine wrote on politics, and his Enchiridon is helpful as a Christ-ian handbook.. One should begin with his “Confessions” if one desires to explore a great and godly and God-filled mind and one should desire to explore a great and godly and God-filled mind, Right? Right.

Yet another militant atheist was C.S. Lewis.  This man “lost faith” when he was nine (9) years old after he had prayed for his mother’s healing and was denied. His mother’s death ended his faith.  Lewis wrote much against God and mocked Christ-ians and even debated Christ-ians. Lewis is the perfect example of being very “angry with God for not existing.” Lewis had a rough childhood and a tough time in boarding school. One (1) of his instructor was committed to an asylum. Lewis wrote home to his father promising to kill himself if he was not removed from his boarding school. Lewis, being taken seriously by his father, was pulled from that school. [SideNote: All good fathers take their children seriously.  If my one of my children told me there was a ghost, spirit, demon in their roon, I would take her seriously, anything any of my children said would be taken seriously and considered with soberness].

After being pulled from the abusive boarding school Lewis was sent to an old friend and teacher of his father and brother.  This teacher’s name is William T. Kirkpatrick. William T. Kirkpatrick is also called “the Great Knock.” Metinks that name is due to his ability to knock down illogical fallacies or maybe he was known for knocking on doors loudly. W.T. Kirkpatrick is a very interesting person to study.  W.T.K. was the headmaster of a school in Scotland and was a teacher in the Presbyterian Church. Lewis called W.T.K. the embodiment of pure logic. On Sundays W.T.K. would dress in his finest and would work in his garden.  The sad thing about W.T.K. is one day he woke up and became an atheist, out of no where.

W.T.K. would make Lewis who Lewis would become, Humanly speaking.  Lewis was taught languages, logic, literature, and math by this embodiment of God-less logic. Lewis was so inculcated by Kirkpatrick that he began to dream in other languages. Here was Lewis a militant atheist, being taught and mentored by a former Calvinist turned quiet athiest and yet….and yet, Lewis would become one (1) of the great apologists and writers for the common faith and some wonder if God has a sense of humour.

An atheist turned deist for now is Anthony Flue.  This atheist wrote a book called, “There is No God” when he was a younger man. Flue is the son of a preacher, but he grew up to deny Christ, not only deny Christ but to fight against His very existence. Years later as an old man Flue re-published his book, “There is no God” but this time there is a line through the word no. Flue came to his senses, like all prodigals must do and he realized God is.  Flue is no Christ-ian, but a deist. A deist acknowledges A God that is impersonal toward His creation. This seems to be the route many militant atheist walk, Atheism to Deism to Christ-ianity.

I love to see the militany atheist be turned to God and there have been many because God is in the Christ-ian making business. If the heart of a king is in the hand of the LORD, then so is the atheist’s. We have my eye on a few atheists that thinks me will turn to God.

The really sad type of atheist however, is the professing Christ-ian that denies God in all their ways while they lean upon their own understanding. These, I call practical atheists. In name they may be Christ-ian, in principle and politic they may be Christ-ian, but in practice and in the outward workings of their will and imagination, and future expectations they utterly deny God. What is scary is these professing Christ-ians/practical atheists might not even know they are denying God. When a Christ-ian does not acknowledge God in all his ways and does not keep God in all his thinking, that Christ-ian is essentially and practically, an atheist.

Another reason I love the militant atheist is they be fodder for my faith. i know that sounds mean and nasty and maybe it is but …..wait for it…. wait for it…..It is what it is.

The militant atheist proves the Bible’s description of the atheist everytime. In their denial of God and His Word, they prove His Word and His Being. The atheist can be likened unto the man that looks at the sky and calls it green and looks at grass and calls it blue. The atheist is the criminal that sees himself on video but denies it is him. The atheist is the person who denies God while everything in their life is screaming God. The atheist is like the holocaust denier, the holocaust is documented, there is film documenting the holocaust, there are books documenting the holocaust, and there are living persons who endured the holocaust. But the Holocaust denier still says, “There was no Holocaust.” The reason the atheist is like the Holocaust denier is because the holocaust is within keeping with God’s pattern. God puts the Jew to captivity. It is an on going trend and is a pattern. To acknowledge the holocaust is to acknowledge the Pattern and to acknowledge the Pattern is to Acknowledge God.

We could go on and on profiling the atheist, but we think what is written is sufficient.

Godspeed.

“To My WordPress Readers”

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This writer was hospitalized on January 26th with complete respiratory failure and remained hospitalized in three separate hospitaled until March 18th.  One of the effects of the illness was trembling hands.  Due to this the writer used FaceBook as a medium of writing and the articles were much shorter.  The writer should have informed WordPress readers of this earlier.  If interested you can find me on FaceBook.  My name is Brian K. Loder from Romeoville, IL.

Godspeed

“The Wife Of My Youth” Or “Brian, This Is Debbie” Or “Marry Her…God”

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“He that findeth a wife findeth favour with God.”  (Proverbs 18:22)

 

There are many ways to discern whether God Loves you or not.  One of these ways is if you’ve been blessed with a good wife. This cannot be the only standard as many godly men have been sentenced to a marriage with an ungodly woman. If however, you have a godly wife and other demonstrations of God’s love follows AND LEADS you…..you have favour with God and it is beyond doubt.

I have been married to the wife of my youth for over two (2) decades…twenty-three (23) years this October twenty-six (26th). I met Debbie in July of 1995 and I was forever smitten.  Kathy Skinner showed me a picture of Debbie (they worked 2gether) and I cd not wait to meet her. I met Deb’s dad first (thought about running but I stayed in spite of his bulging biceps and serious demeanor.  He says now he didn’t mean to intimidate….yeah like I didn’t mean to intimidate Jonathan, Dv, my soon to be son-in law either. Then I met her mother. The first thing out of her mouth was, “Who is Brian…are you a Christ-ian!!!???

Our first date was at a small restaurant/bar.  We danced to a Conway Twitty song and then I serenaded her with Orbison’s, “Pretty Woman.” On the way home i pulled over on i-55 and we danced in the truck bed of my F-150.

After a year and one hundred (100) day, I dropped Debbie at home and was driving down the street and though it wasn’t audible it was as shocking….”Marry her…” was spoken to my heart by the God that loves me.

God used Deb to bring me back unto Himself and He used me to bring her back unto Himself.

Deb and I have had our good times, but as you know we have had our trials. This wife of my youth, this evidence that I have favour with God, has stuck with me. She has shed her share of tears. She remains faithful in every way to me and more importantly to God. I will never cease to be thankful to this woman for saying yes to my proposal.

I praise God for the wife of my youth and I arise up and call her blessed.

 

“Listening And Hearing” Or “He That Hath An Ear Let Him Hear” Or “The Christ-ian Mystic”

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“My sheep hear [M]y [V]oice.  (John 10)

 

I have an evangelist friend. I remember him asking in his messages, “What do you do with that?”  He wd ask this question when he wd offer up examples of God doing something for someone and it didn’t make sense to the super-saints. For example, a super saint does EVERYTHING by the Book and there is another saint that misses a few dots over his i’s here and there yet God opened the windows of Heaven for him and the former felt like God was ignoring him. Then would come the question from the evangelist,  “What do you do with that?”

This morning we will ask the same question in regards to the old catholic mystics (little c). Before your Baptist brain explodes let me define, catholic with a small c. The word catholic means universal as in Body of Christ as in the invisible church.  The word Catholic with a capital refers to Rome. The Roman church has stolen much from us catholics. When a typical protestant hears the word catechism or mystic, he that hath an ear quits listening and shuts down. While i am hospitalized i ask those that come a cross my way about their faith it is relatively simple to discern who has met Christ and who has not. When a Protestant hears the two (2) words mentioned above, their shut down is nearly the same.

Let me say clearly, You and your children miss out on so much knowledge bc of your prejudice against the catechism (Spurgeon has a gr8 one (1) ).  You also miss out on Heavens gr8 joys by being against mysticism, something ye understand not.

How is it that mystics, who had no Bible, were lied to by lying and deceived priests yet knew the Truth and the Spirit of  Truth?  “What do you do with that?”  The Spirit of God led these mystics through discernment. Of course there were men like Hus,  you wd face death if found with the Scriptures.

I define a mystic as one (1) who walks with the Spirit and the disciples walked the Christ when He was on this earth.  What cd be wrong with that???

We will end here DV as my hands are far too shaky to continue,  “Brethren, Pray for us.”

Godspeed.

“Veiled Self-Talk And Promotion” Or “People Often Ask Me…” Or “Look At Me, Look At Me…Over Here…I’m Over Here.”

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Promotion….[cometh from God.]  (Psalm 75)

The Scriptures are full of what we wd call today, self promoters. These are they that believe they “deserve” more. We see the antithesis to this dynamic however when God is at work promoting a chosen vessel.

When God is at work, we see men like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, the Judges, etc being promoted. Those whom God raises up know and feel their great need of God Who shaped them into His chosen vessels….”I Need Thee Every Hour.”

On the other side we have the self promoters. These include (s)atan, the non elect angels, our first (1st) parents, Pharaoh, Haman, Simon Magnus, Judas and many others.

Take a minute and re-examine the two 2 lists and see which one seems best to you.

Promotion comes from Above.

“Serial Killers Are Not Monsters” Or “Labeling Them As Monsters Does Not Make Them Different Or Explain Their Actions” Or “Netflix And Ted Bundy”

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“Thou shalt not kill.”

 

I am a person interested in criminology. I believe many Christ-ians are interested in true crime and mysteries because we are a people of a Just And Holy God. The Christ-ian wants things to be righted and judged properly and that is because of the new mind God has put in us. I am drawn to Fictional persons like Batman and Sherlock Holmes because of their passion for justice and that things be righted. Both are Christ-types in their general make up. One (1) could even compare them to John Calvin. What Calvin was to Geneva, Holmes and Batman are to London and Gotham respectively.

Christ was/is protective over His own people as well.  When Christ saw His enemies troubling His disciples, He was quick to stand in front of His disciple and to stand up to the religious hypocrites. These are the actions and motivations of one (1) with a shepherd’s heart. We see the same heart in Moses (God promised to raise One (1) like unto Moses) and David (the man after God’s Own Heart). We see it in Paul, “I endure all things for the elect’s sake.”  Paul also lists his great concern for the church as part of his greatest burdens after listing all his inflictions in 2 Corinthians 11.

Yes, This is why I think God’s people are interested in the solutions to crimes and mysteries. Netflix, starting today, January 24, 2019, release a docuseries on Ted Bundy, a serial killer from the seventies (70’s). I have read and referenced many books on the causes of serial killings. The reasons or causes “experts” give to the making of a serial killer vary. Some say they don’t really know. Others point to a damaging to the frontal lobe of the brain (these are classified as psychopathic), then there are others that say these killers are made because of the harshness of their upbringing (These are called sociopaths). Others say, these killers are monsters. Some simply say they are sick.

To me, the simple answer is these persons are compelled, compelled by a damaged frontal lobe, or their upbringing. These persons are not monsters nor are they sick, lest ye consider the frontal lobe damage as a sickness. When people who have known these killers are interviewed, they give the same typical answers, ” I can’t believe it,”  or  “X was a nice guy,” or  “Normal, he always seemed normal to me.” That’s the problem, they seem normal or nobody is paying attention.

Many of the most well known killers attended church, John Wayne Gacy was a “pillar of his community,” except when he was killing young men after raping them and burying them under his house. The BTK (Bind, torture, kill) Dennis Rader, was an outstanding member of his church, he was even president of his church.  He was an ordinance enforcer for his community, he had a wife and had daughters.  This guy went on for, i think, twenty (20) years until he was caught. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, this guy killed prostitutes over a period of sixteen (16) years. This guy looks as unassuming as they come. This guy would strangle from behind.  This guy was married three (3) times.

A person married multiple times tells you all you need to know about that person, they do not commit to love, they couldn’t careless of vows made before God, a minister, a new spouse, family and friends and they consider relationships to be throwaways. Reader, you will not be the exception. I do not wish to cast aspersions on one (1) time divorcees. I’m talking about what Christ talks about, the throwing away of a spouse multiple times.

Ted Bundy shocked the people because he was an “all American” type of guy, He was a law student and he was a phone counselor for suicidal callers. Bundy was called handsome, well mannered, and was a republican. You see, the serial killer is nothing out of the normal, except when they are compelled to kill.

There could be demonic influences at work, the (s)on of (s)am killer said he was told what to do by hell hounds.  In the Amityville House family annihilation, Ronald Defeo Jr. killed his entire family with a shotgun. His defense was demon possession, i doubt this not. None of the murdered showed any kind of knowledge of what was taking place, how does an entire family remain asleep when shotgun blasts are going off. I doubt not his demonic influence defense.  “We wrestle not against flesh and bone,” says Paul, he is speaking of demonic influences and oppressions.  I’ve said it before, demons are a spiritual reality, so they are here, what are they doing? They are influencing persons in power and persons with authority.

Therefore, the Biblically minded person does not see these killers as monsters or as sick, we should see them as perfectly normal, depraved humans that are compelled by brain damage or are influenced by the demonic. Pauls tells Timothy that the devil is able to take the lost and cause them to do his bidding as he wills. The devil has power over the lost, he can blind them to God’s truth, he can influence them and subject them unto his will as he is the god of this world and is the prince of the power of the air.

When the Christ-ian looks at things with a spiritual view point and mindset, all things make perfect sense. Reader, we are spiritual person, we are to be spiritually minded, and know that we walk in the valley of the shadow of death or know that we walk in and trade in a spiritual realm. Ask God to open your eyes so that you might see and understand these truths. We are told that spiritual mindedness is life but carnal mindedness is death.  WAKE UP, We are to walk by faith and not sights, we are to understand that there are spiritual influences overtaking and overwhelming persons all day long. We walk in the unseen realm, we trade in the spiritual realm, we know of the angels and the demons, we pray to an invisible but so very Present God, He is invisible but the spiritually minded person can see Him everywhere at all times.

We are to be spiritual minded and think in spiritual terms and see things from a spiritual point of view or perspective, without this we are just as lost and confused (God is not the Authour of confusion) as the Worldly, Christ hating and spiritually blinded subjects to (s)atan, the god of this world. Think of the blind-folded Luke Skywalker sparring with the floating orb. We are to walk by faith, we are to see the unseeable, we are to know things others do not, “it is my trade,” as Holmes says. We are to recognize the spiritual influences upon others, we are to be spiritually minded. Christ-ians that do not walk by faith but by sight, and do not understand the unseeable realm are worldly and carnally minded.

I’m not talking of anything that the “normal Christ-ian” should not know. We are people that “walk in the Spirit,”  and we are people and persons OF GOD!!! We are to see things with the mind of Christ.  We are to worship God in the Spirit,  we pray in and through the Spirit.  Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual, We are to feed our spirit-mindedness and exercise our sound and spiritually discerning mind all the time. To view things otherwise is true and real worldliness and carnal mindedness and that leads to death.

To think like the worldlings is the definition of Biblical worldliness, it is not the standards, traditions and trappings of man. In other words, if you think like the world thinks, if you walk as the world walks, you are in the world. Luke 16, “…what is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.”  “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal.”  The spiritually minded judge all things.  The natural man does not receive that which is of the Spirit, but the spiritually minded do receive the spiritual things or realities that are all around us and understand why things are the way they are.  Be spiritually minded or ask the Spirit to show you things as they are, see 2 Kings six (6) and ye that hath an ear to hear will hear or ye that hath an eye to see shall see.

Godspeed.

“It’s Mudah (British Accent) Or Murder (English)” Or “The Root(s) Or Reasons For Murder” Or “Thou Shalt Not Kill Means More Than The Dispatchment Of Life” Or “The Pharisee Did It Between The Temple And The Altar…It’s Alway The Pharisee”

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“…[Y]e slew [Zacharias] between the temple and the altar.”                                                                                                                                         (Matthew 23)

“Hatred stirreth up strifes…”  (Proverbs 10)

“But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment [of murder]…  (Matthew 5)

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”  (James 4)

 

When you study criminology your find four (4) motives for murder. 1. Revenge,  2. Sex,  3. Drugs,  4. [Love of] money.  However when you study human depravity and human behaviour and an objective source, such as the Word of God,  We find Scripture demonstrating the root of murder is anger and hatred. When Scripture says anger it doth not mean irritation or annoyance, but anger and hate that is dwelt upon and thought about for lengths of time. As a man thinketh so is he, if a person dwells upon resentment (anger) long enough that person is more and more likely to act upon that anger, that resentment, that bitterness, and that hatred.

“Hatred stirreth up strife,” says the wise man. Think of a witch stirring her potions in a cauldron, she stands there thinking and meditating upon the harm her potion will cause, she will undoubtedly work herself up and get herself excited with the anticipation of working her work.  This is how anger, hate, bitterness, and resentment works within a person. A persistent resentment, and anger without a cause builds up to action.  Judas, before he betrayed the Master thought upon it, it did not just pop into his head to sell his Friend to the enemy.  Absolom didn’t wake up one (1) morning and decide to kill Amnon, who raped their sister. Likewise Cain and Able fit the pattern, Abel was most likely the favourite and that stirred up hatred, and resentment.

Anger without cause, bitterness, resentment, and hatred are a perfect storm for lusting after murder.  There is the murder of the body, and there is the murder of reputation, careers, and a person’s future, Isaiah asks, who will declare His generation, speaking of Christ still to come. He speaks of the future that the Man Jesus could have had if he had not been murdered, risen, and ascended to His Glory.

Who shall declare [h]is generation? This is a fitting question for our time. Allegations, whispers, gossip, backbiting, a person “just sayin,’ ”   or asking, “Did you hear?” with intentions of spreading the word, small w. All of this tripe can kill or murder a person’s reputation and life. What is the Christ-ian to do with this?

If the Christ-ian is told something that is rumour or gossip, the Christ-ian should shut all of it down quick and fast, tell the silly murderer of a person’s reputation to stop spreading the evil seeds of destruction.  Go to the person in question and see how you might be a help meet. Methinks this is a Christ-like solution…”Get thee behind [M]e, (s)atan.”

Skuttlebut, gossip, rumours, locker room talk, backbiting all of it has one (1) origin and that origin is (s)atan. (s)atan, we are told is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. You see, lying and murder go together, Hatred, resentment, bitterness, anger without a cause is all of the wicked one (1). Therefore, Reader, when you take part in this, you are taking part with (s)atan’s agenda and are (s)atan-like and not Christ-like.

Ask God to put a guard upon thy lips, as David did. Ask God to put out the fire that is your tongue. Keep quiet, and love thy neighbor and do unto them as you would have them do unto you.

As to revenge, sex (adultery and fornication), drugs, and [love of] money, these things ought not be in our lives anyway. If these things be there and they beset you, pray against it, If these thorns in the flesh assault you, Keep the faith. Sometimes, the besetting sin is to keep us humble, not an excuse or a provision to indulge, we should still fight against besetting sins.  “…Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”  Easily said, and typed, i know. But therein is the power to overcome.

Godspeed.

“A Forgotten At Best, Forsaken At Worst” Or “On Hell” Or “Defining Hell”

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“And in [H]ell he lift up his eyes, being in torment… and he cried…”  (Luke 16)

 

Sir Robert Anderson is one (1) of my favourite authors and trusted writers.  This man is very interesting.  Anderson has written many very sound books. Anderson was also the lead on the Jack “the Ripper” case of 1881. One (1) of Anderson’s books is called, “Forgotten Truths.”

In our present time there is also forgotten truths…forgotten at best and forsaken at worst. Those that hate our faith attack two (2) main doctrines. These being the virgin birth and the resurrection.  Many ministers on the other hand ignore, forget or forsake two (2) doctrines it seems to me. The first is the doctrine of election and that is why i speak on it as often as i do.  I seek to bring back that doctrine to the forefront. When a doctrine is ignored, forgotten, or forsaken one (1) must speak of it often if one (1) hopes to balance things out.

Another doctrine that has been ignored, forgotten or forsaken is the Lord’s teaching on Hell. Not only does our Lord Jesus speak on Hell but many of the inspired writers do.  John speaks of Hell, Revelation 21:8. King David speaks of Hell,  Psalms 9:17.  Paul speaks of Hell, 2 Thessalonians 1:9. The Lord speaks more about Hell than He does love, Matthew 13:50. Jude speaks of Hell, Jude v. 7.  Solomon speaks of Hell, Proverbs 15:24. Peter speaks on Hell, 2 Peter 2:4.

Let us make some observations on Hell from our quoted text above.  We read that he lift up his eyes in Hell, he is tormented, and he speaks. Let me put this into context.  Our Lord speaks of a rich man and a poor man named, Lazarus (not that Lazarus). The poor man desired the scraps or the crumbs from the richman’s table. The poor man was laden with sores and was in terrible shape, we are not told why. It came to pass that both men died.  An angel took the poor man to Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise as Christ called it while He hang upon the Cross. The rich man however, goes to Hell.

Abraham’s Bosom and Hell are separated by a wide gulf. The gulf is not too wide for the rich man to cry out to and be heard by Abraham and the poor man, Lazarus. The rich man asks Abraham to be merciful and to send Lazarus over to him with a drop of water on his finger that the rich man may find a secon’s relief from his suffering. Abraham explains that the gulf is too great and the rich man’s request cannot be filled. The rich man then asks Abraham to send someone to his brethren and warn them of this terrible place, but again, Abraham refuses him saying they would not believe if one (1) rise from the dead and warn them of the torment that awaits them.

Often times Hell is described as being out of the Presence of God. This is and is not true. While the sinners in Hell are outside of God’s mercy, they are not out of view of God. Besides when Hell is defined as being outside the Presence of God, what should this matter to the sinner?  This is how they like it or though they think. The sinner is ignorant of the fact that being outside the Presence of God is the same as being outside His mercies and everyday kindnesses. Doth not rain fall upon the garden of the just and the unjust alike?  Doth not the sun rise upon the saved and the lost? Doth not the lost taste their food which speaks of God’s goodness, yet they acknowledge it not? Is not air provided to the wicked as well as the wise? Doth not the reprobate enjoy the same general mercies as the Lord’s elect?

However, when the sinner wakes up in Hell these mercies and kindnesses are absent. Not only is Hell a place that is outside of God’s mercy, it is a place of God’s wrath and a place of continual torment.  Notice the rich man can see, think, speak, hear, feel, reason and he has wants. The rich man feels everything and notice those in Hell and those in Abraham’s Bosom can be recognized and have the same appearance as they did in the past life.  This speaks to the soul as I have defined it in past article.  The soul is the visible self in the afterlife and the spirit is the mind, emotions, reason, logic of the person.  The spirit and the soul is everything the man is without the limitations of the body.

The rich man is in torment. In other passages we are told the smoke of their torment rises to Heaven. We are told that Hell’s inhabitants weep while gnashing their teeth, this could speak to pain or it could speak to anger. Those in Hell shall gnash their teeth and blaspheme God and blame God for their lot in eternity. However, God did just as they desired, God judged them according to their works, the problem is they were found wanting.

It is written that in Hell, “their worm dieth not.”  Christ said through David, in the Psalms, “I am a worm and am no man.” I cannot be dogmatic on this point. I think this speaks to the body’s writhing in unspeakable pain, the involuntary wiggling and writhing like a worm is the destiny of the Christ rejecting sinner. It is an awful but deserved and just end to those that live in sin and have pleasure therein.

Why do ministers or some ministers ignore, forget or forsake this Biblical doctrine?  This doctrine of Hell is not a pleasant subject to be sure and can turn some off to the church. In our day and time a minister does not want to be known as a gloom and doomer or a fire and brimstone preacher.

Jonathan Edwards is known for his messages on Hell, but these are not the only messages he preached, he preached on the whole counsel of God, yet he is known for messages on Hell. In Hollywood it is called typecasting and many preachers do not want to be typecast as a hellfire preacher. Thus, Hell is ignored, forgotten, or forsaken. For the record, this preacher, this writer doth not, I say, doth not shy away from the doctrine of Hell. As i said above, Christ spoke at length on the subject of Hell.

Reader, When you wake up in eternity will you lift up your eyes in Hell, being tormented?  or will you wake up in the Presence of Christ, your Lord and Saviour?  Reader, I truly desire the latter be true for you. To those who are not saved, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Godspeed.

“The Judgment Seat of Christ And It’s Surprising Definition” Or “The Greek Word For Judgment Seat of Christ” Or “Does Your FootPrint Match The Footprint Of Christ?

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“For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”  (2 Corinthians 5)

Reader, What is your understanding of the coming judgment of the Christ-ian?  Do you fear you will be judged for your sins?  Will your sins be the subject of the judgment seat of Christ?  Will Christ look upon you with fire in His Holy Eyes?  Will a sword come forth out of His mouth when He speaks to you?  When you hear the words, Judgment seat of Christ, what comes into your mind’s eye?  Is Christ an angry Christ.  In this article, God willing, we will look into these questions.

Let me put you hearts to rest and tell you, your sins will not be the subject of this judgment.  Christ will not be an angry Judge, but a Judge He shall be.  There will be no fire or lightning or swords. Christ will be judging your works or lack thereof. The greek word, itself means, “Foot print.”

The standard of Judgment will be the likeness of Christ we bear with in our Christ-ian persons.  Another point of judgment will be how closely does our footprint match His and how closely did you and I follow Him.  The judgment seat of Christ has everything to do with our Christ-likeness.  Our salvation has everything to do with our Christ-likeness.  Our entire predestination has to do with our Christ-likeness.  In other words, our entire life, our entire existence, our entire purpose is about our Christ-likeness.

The judgment seat of Christ will examine our works and will determine our rewards. Some of our works may be wood, hay and stubble. Some of our works may be gold, silver, and precious stones. The wood, hay, and stubble will be burned up and blow away. The gold, silver, and precious stones will endure the trials. Those works done in Christ’s Name and for His sake will endure. Those works done for self and to be seen of men will be chaff and will blow away.

To be clear, our works do not earn our salvation. Our works are due to our salvation and our works are required in order to persevere in our salvation, this is not contradictory, it is God’s way. “Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Reader, it is not either or,  but both (James 2:24). The law doth not save the Christ-ian, yet the Christ-ian endures through the law and the law is not grievous to the Christ-ian.  Colossians 1, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not be moved away from the hope of the gospel…”   1 Peter 1,  “Ye are kept by the power of God through [your continuing] faith.  See previous article on the perseverance of the saint.

The Judgment seat of Christ differs greatly from the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is all about the sinner, the unredeemed, the reprobate, the worker of iniquity, the wicked, the lost and never sought or found, the non-elect and the never known. This judgment is about justice and anger and wrath.  This judgment is what the sinner has been asking for all his or her life.

Christ-ian witness:  “May i tell you of Christ and how you may know you are going to Heaven?”
Sinner:  “No, I’m good, but thanks. I believe God will weigh my good works against my bad works.”

Granted, this is a cleaned up version of what is usually said, but above is the crux of the exchange.  The sinner will get exactly what he has asked for and expected, the sinner will be judged by works and the sinner will be found wanting…greatly wanting, for, the LORD is not their Shepherd. The sinner will be judged against the Standard of God’s Son, The Lord Jesus. The sinner will not be judged against the standard of other persons worse than themselves or Hitler or Bin Laden, or Chairman Mao, or Stalin.

Those persons who put God’s Son among the ranks of Buddha, Confucius, Hindu gods, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and others will face a very angry God.  Those persons that are atheist, that are of other faiths that are false, Those that find solace in any other god beside the God of the Scriptures will be judged by a vengeful God of hate and fury. I know not how this judgment process will work. I know not if sinners will stand in a line or a que for my British readers or anglophiles.

If there is a line, if there is a wait, and sinners in that line see how God deals with sinners ahead of themselves, what dread will fill them. They will see that there is no escape, no exit, no way out, no way to avoid their turn. What thoughts will overwhelm them. These persons will be speechless, they will be week in the knees as they await their turn and when their turn comes, they will fall upon their knees and then their faces…they will involuntarily prostrate themselves before the God they have sinned against and rebelled against all their existence.

These persons, these sinners will have no answer, no mediator, no advocate, no hope, they will think themselves in Hell but how wrong they will be. The sinners have not yet entered Hell, but they shall, but Hell’s they shall and they shall never leave Hell’s Confines…O’ the Terror, the Horror, the never ending torment and the Pain, the unendurable pain that must be endured, there will be no choice now…the hopelessness, the only hope the sinner will have is hopelessness.

O’ Sinner, Repent and Believe Now…Right now, Call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus….Submit unto Christ the Lord. Do not wait.  Do not wait for a more convenient time. Do not put it off….it is the height of pride to say, “I will do this tomorrow.”  Boast thyself not of the morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”   “What is your life but a vapour?”   “He that is often reproved hardeneth his neck and that without remedy.”  “God commands everyman to repent.”

 

O’ Christ-ian, how thankful art thou that you shall not face the Great White Throne?  How thankful are you that you will fave the Judgment Seat of Christ?  The Christ-ian’s sin and sins have already been judged when darkness overshadowed the Son of God.  The Christ-ian’s sin was taken away and left behind when Christ went to Paradise. When Christ rose from the grave, Christ brought Cleansing and Forgiveness with Him, He brought justification and Sanctification with Him……O’ Christ-ian, O’ Elect and Chosen person of God, give Him praise and thanks and cease not this spirit of thanks and praise.

To God be the Glory.

Godspeed.

“On The Doctrine Of Perseverance” Or “Once Saved, Always Saved Is A Most Dangerous Doctrine And Damnable Heresy” Or “Those Whom God Loves God Will Always Love…Always”

Posted on by apreature

“He that endures unto the end shall be saved.”  (The Lord Jesus)

“If…”

 

“Once saved always saved,” is not a Scriptural doctrine and it is very, very dangerous to preach with a mixed multitude being so prevalent in the church today.  In the local church today, there is the saved and the mere professing church attender, but in truth is lost as Judas. When the mistaken minister proclaims from the pulpit, “Once saved always saved,” the mere professing, but truly lost person believes the minister. The person who once said a prayer or repeated some words and has never demonstrated any fruit of the new life truly believes themselves to be a Christ-ian…this is a horrible truth but truth nonetheless, Reader.

The above is considered heresy by many in the church. Once saved always saved, is as sound as Christ died for the sinner.  This is a damnable heresy to say the least.  When a minister proclaims this lie, he denies himself the power to rebuke the professing lost person. An example:  There is a person in the church…a church “member,” but this member is living in sin and never ceased to live in sin. This “member,” never demonstrated any good fruit but continued to live in deep sin.  The “member,” said a prayer or repeated words, was baptized, attends church, sings hymns, yet the rest of the time he lives in darkness, walks in darkness, and manifests not any spiritual power.

Example cont:  The pastor takes notice of this and is greatly concerned.  Others have noticed this and brought it to the pastor’s attention. The pastor goes to visit the man that lives in sin and never ceased to live in sin.  The pastor speaks to this man about his lifestyle. Yet the man replies, “But pastor, do you not preach, Once saved always saved?”  Didn’t you lead me in the sinner’s prayer? Didn’t you baptize me?  Didn’t you tell me to come just as I am?”  The pastor said,  “Well, yes I did, but…”     “SO WHAT’s The problem, Pastor,”   I came just as I was,  I prayed, I was baptized, I attend church and do as everyone else.”   The pastor said, “Well, uh, uh, well you see………”   “Pastor? asked the man, Are we always saved if we were once saved or not?”

Reader, Do you see the problem?  I do not preach or teach the damnable teaching of Once saved always saved.  I reserve the power to approach a man that is living in sin and threaten them with eternal damnation, regardless of their prayer, baptism, church attendance, etc. I do not hesitate to warn any man, church-goer or not with the loss of their eternal soul.

When Christ warned of cutting off the right hand or removal of the eye, He spoke to those that proclaimed belief in Him as Saviour.  Yes, Reader, Christ threatened disciple with hell and eternal destruction, did He not call Peter, “(s)atan?” Are we not told in John 6 that many of His “disciples,” departed to follow Him no more?  We are.  Was not Judas an empowered disciple who in the end was destroyed?  Reader, many a lifelong Church goer will die and wake up in Hell.  “Why call ye, [M]e Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say?” asks Christ to all those that profess His Lordship.

Paul used the word, “if” a lot, “If you continue, then are ye…”  Christ used “if,” a great deal,  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments/words,”   “If you endure until the end you shall be saved.”  It is written, “Whosoever shall [continue] to call upon the [N]ame of the Lord shall be saved.”  Also salvation is spoken of in future tense as well, “Your salvation draweth nigh,”   “Your salvation is nearer than when you first believed.”   Also the word believeth speaks to a continuation and not a one (1) time only exercising  of faith, “he that believeth [continually] shall be saved.”   Peter said, “You are kept by the power of God, THROUGH [The Continuation of] FAITH…”

Reader, The true believer in Christ is one (1) who believes in a continuing manner, loves Him in a continuing manner, and obeys Him in a continuing manner, The believer’s faith is a living faith that prompts unto Good works.  The Christ-ian is saved by a God given faith and perseveres through good works, for thereunto was he sanctified and chosen (in eternity past), called, justified, being sanctified (in time), and glorified in Christ as he is seated with Christ / in Christ in Heavenly places (Currently) as God has so ordained.

Reader, the man and woman that has God’s love set upon him or her will always have God’s love set upon them. God’s love shall never be recalled and the manifestation of this is the saint’s perseverance and endurance through good works and the continuance of faith, love and obedience.   This is the doctrine of the saint’s perseverance and it is Scripture’ teaching.  This doctrine of perseverance should be set against the false teaching of Once Saved always Saved. The doctrine of perseverance empowers the minister to warn all men with the torments of Hell.  Once saved handicaps the minister and keeps him from warning the man living in sin.

Godspeed.

“Another Fine Message From Pastor Sonsek” Or “Fruit From My Meditation On 1 John 4” Or “Habitual Sin And 1 John 3: 9-10”

Posted on by apreature

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.”  (1 John 3:9a)

I don’t know about you but this passage caused me tremendous trouble in the past.  If taken at face value, no one is born of God.  I don’t know about you but I struggle with certain sin (s) and have for many years.  On the other hand, by God’s Spirit I have overcome far more than I have not.  Many more sins have been mortified than have not.  More of my sins have been crucified than have not and more of my person has been crucified to the world than have not. Yet there are still a few sins that beset me.

This is not true of me only, but let us remember what Paul tells us in Romans 7.  The things he wants to do he doesn’t and the things he doesn’t want to do he does.  Paul confesses that with the mind he obeys the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. We see Peter struggling with the right thing to do at times as well. Therefore, brethren, if you struggle with the flesh, the old man, the carnal nature, you are not alone.  Let us remember David and all his trials and he was a man after God’s own heart.

Reader, it is the fool that thinks himself to be one (1) that have completely overcome the sin nature.  The person that says he is sinless calls God a liar, Reader have you completely overcome sin, are you sinless, do you call God a liar?  So then again, I ask you to ponder this question, what doth John mean in his words, in his first (1st) epistle,  “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin?”

John has these meanings in mind:
*The Christ-ian is no longer overcome by all sin or the totality of the sin nature.
The unsaved, the unregenerate, the lost is completely overcome by the sin nature. The sinner doth not overcome sin in any way, shape, or form. The sin nature has overwhelmed him in every way. The lost man is totally depraved in his relationship and standing with and before God. The lost man has been corrupted in spirit, soul and body. Salvation has made the Christ-ian free from sins corrupting nature.

*Though the Christ-ian may still battle certain sins, he doth battle and he doth confess them before God and doth not hide them from God.  The Christ-ian, because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit, doth battle sin in his life.  The Christ-ian prays against the sin nature.  He seeks to be Christ-like and overcome all sin in his life.  The Christ-ian also seeks God’s forgiveness for his sins. The Christ-ian doth not abide sin gladly in his life but despises sin and it’s presence.

*The Christ-ian has overcome far more than he has not.  The Christ-ian because of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit has overcome far more than he has not.  This is true of all believers..this is true of you if you are Spirit dwelt.  This truth also betrays the false believer as well.

*The Christ-ian counts it all joy when he is tempted (James 1). What!!!???  How is this principle possible?  Why would the Christ-ian count it or consider temptation as joyful? The reason we should consider temptation all joy because it tells us we war against sin.  Sin has become temptation and is no longer pleasurable or rather we no longer pleasure in the pleasure of sin, but sin has become a temptation to the believer.  If sin is not a temptation it is a pleasure.  The lost man does not see sin as a temptation but as a normal way of life.

 

In closing, Are you overcome by all sin?  Do you battle sin in your life?  Have you overcome more than you have not? Do you count it all joy when you are tempted with sin? or is sin a way of life?  These are important questions and every person should seek to answer them…everyman…church goers and non-church-goers, ministers…everyone….children of ministers…everyone…you…everyone.