As He Says

“For ever since the creation of the world the unseen things of Him are clearly perceived, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…”  Romans 1:20   The other day in a mailing I received the author had CLEARLY PERCEIVED emphasized and how true that is.  As I watched a robin out in the yard this morning gathering up pieces of dead grass to make a nest, common sense suggests that there is a Creator.   How did the robin learn to make a nest, did she go to school?  Did her parents hold class to show her how to do so?  Silly you say, well it also is silly to assume that evolution preprogrammed this nest making process.    Prior to going outside I had seen an article making national news headlines that North Carolina was suing the federal government over its attempt to force them to have bathrooms for so-called transgenders.  North Carolina was filing suit on the premise that the federal government doesn’t have mandate over such actions and that their law (which requires you to use the bathroom that matches the sex listed on your birth certificate) doesn’t discriminate against anyone, simply the same rules apply for everyone.   I’m not sure what has caused North Carolina to take a stand, but they are.  In the article I saw there was a picture of what appeared to be protestors trying to assert their ‘rights’ to be perverse in the public.  Looking at the photo of people dressed in drag and what I can...

The Collective

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and did not realize until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two will be in the field: one is taken and the other is left.  Two will be grinding at the mill: one is taken and the other is left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord comes.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief comes, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be dug through.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man comes at an hour you do not expect. ”  Matthew 24:37-44   “And Jehovah saw that the evil of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all day long. ”  Genesis 6:5   “But evil men and pretenders will grow worse and worse, leading astray and being led astray. ”  2nd Timothy 3:13   There is a collective mindset amongst most people nowadays.  While the degrees of evil vary on whether or not one has a ‘conservative’ or a ‘liberal’ mindset, nonetheless the collective as a whole is very evil and against their Creator.   Tons of psycho-babble has been pushed on the masses.  The media industry via entertainment...

The Night is Far Spent

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk decently, as in the day, not in carousings and drunkenness, not in cohabitation and licentiousness, not in strife and envy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  Romans 13:11-14   There will be a time, a moment, in this world when the day is at hand and the night is over.  That time is when Jesus comes to receive us Believers to Himself and the world enters the “time of Jacob’s trouble.” (Jer. 30:7)   For those who are not Saved, not born-again, not in Christ, it is a time of judgment that the world will face.  For those of us who are Believers, “…the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shouted command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together at the same time with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”  1st Thessalonians 4:16b-17   As it stands at this very moment, as each individual reads this, understand what has been done in your past is what has...

In the Twinkling of an Eye

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1st Corinthians 15:51-52   The other day as I got up in the morning, I heard a sound, a clamor that turned out to be a hole being punched into the ground, likely for electrical lighting for a future light pole. For a moment I pondered what the noise might be, but upon a brief investigation its source became apparent, simply men working.   The thought then occurred to me about how the rapture of God’s people and the judgment against mankind will come in a moment. The “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7) will begin and those of us who are Saved will from that moment be with the Lord forever. There is certainly rejoicing in this for the Believer, but my heart is saddened at the fact that so many chase after falsehood or refuse to submit, let alone acknowledge their Maker.   Life comes and is given by the Creator, He wielded each one of us, irregardless of racism throughout the world, it is God who made each man. Yet as I stared out the window from work I could see the billowing black clouds of smoke coming from the funeral home across the street. A body was being cremated, the former occupant of the body now either asleep awaiting the Trumpet or in Hell. Whatever choice they had...

Repentance is in the Heart

This is republished from A Voice in the Wilderness (www.a-voice.org) Re: Repentance is in the Heart "..yet when they have returned in their minds in the land where they have been carried captive, and have repented in their hearts, and made supplication to You in the land of those holding them captive, saying, We have sinned and done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and have prayed to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name: then hear in Heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and attend to their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them.." (1Ki8:47-50) This is part of Solomon's dedicatory prayer for the glorious temple for which David drew up the designs, and Solomon built it. Unlike typical dedications today that glorify 'man' and his own efforts at having built the building, and praising all the people who scrimped and saved, and ran the fund drives to make the building program "a huge success", where the city mayor and other dignitaries of the world are also invited to the building's 'christening'... The glory of the holy God has just entered the building to where the priests could no longer...

Take A Moment

“Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, do business, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will be tomorrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”  Jacob 4:13-14   Plans…plans…plans, most Americans have some sort of plan, goal or objective.  Yet take a moment to realize that without Jesus as your Savior, it doesn’t matter whether you succeed at any such plans.   America is a busy place, one that is fueled by endless consumer spending, often time that spending is directly related to being busy.  Having been in restaurant management off and on for years, busyness results in jobs.  Handing out food on the other side of the counter to endless people could not be done if they all had the time to make a lunch or dinner at home.  Coffee shops would not be on every block corner if there was time for people to enjoy a cup in the morning.   Children take up time or at least should.  As they get older parents often consider activities that they would like their children to participate in and things that they would like their children to learn, such as instruments.  While there is nothing necessarily wrong with participating in such activities, just as there is nothing wrong with grabbing a bite to eat, which oftentimes can be very affordable if chosen wisely, there is once again the aspect of whether or not parents take the time to ensure that their...

Unless Ye Repent

There is a doctrine missing from most of today’s so-called churches, far and few include the doctrine of repentance that is NECESSARY for Salvation.  A half truth is still not the truth, it is still a lie. Simply believing in Jesus and acknowledging that He is the Son of God who died on the Cross for your sins is not enough, you must also repent of your sins.   “You believe that God is One. You do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder.”  Jacob (James) 2:19   repent   To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for something one has done or left undone. To change the mind in consequences of the inconvenience or injury done by past conduct. In theology, to feel such sorrow for sin as leads to amendment of life; to be penitent; to grieve over one’s past life, and to seek forgiveness for sin, with a determination to lead a new life.   Webster’s Universities Dictionary of the English Language, Webster, 1942   Jesus died on the Cross for our sins.  He is able to forgive us for all of our sins and make you a new creature.  You must repent and believe into Jesus.   “In those days John the Immerser came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven has drawn near!”  Matthew 3:1-2   “Therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance…”  Matthew 3:9   “But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  Matthew 9:13   “I did not...

Make America Great Again?

Troubled times appear in print, online and on television to viewers nationwide through many media outlets.  Not only is the country beginning to be in an uproar about the current presidential candidates, but the outcry is a culmination of many decades of political strife in this country.  Ofttimes the root of the problem is that America has not molded to the needs of this ideology or that of different liberal viewpoints.  What makes a country great and was America ever great?   When people think of greatness the thought that comes to mind is that there is easy money to be made, or for others free handouts from the government, either way the basis is often money.  While there are certainly liberal social agendas that get pushed across this country by the extreme fringes of society, if one were to surmise that the country could be made great again, that would be assuming that at one point the country was great.  After all can something be made great again if it was not great at one point in time?   After World War 2 this country saw an outpouring of economic growth that was unprecedented in modern societies.  The manufacturing of the United States was to be desired by countries around the world.  The hardworking people of the United States were an envy to others who could not find their opportunity in their home country.  People flocked to the United States as immigrants from every corner of the earth.  Suburban communities popped up all over across the United States and the American Dream, as it is called, became the...

A Perishing World

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.  To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.  And who is sufficient for these things?”  2nd Corinthians 2:15-16   Have we as a society become so complex, so manipulated, so burdened by our own prisons that most can not possibly see the simplicity that is in Christ?  I would equate the situation of America like that of an apartment complex meeting trying to solve how to fix the darkness in the hallway.   As the meeting is ongoing there is much debate back and forth on how to solve the problem.  The meeting drags out days with finally it being decided that the light bulb is burnt out and needs to be tended to.  One man suggests that he has some welding tools and perhaps if another can put a small incision into the side of the bulb he can fix the broken filament.  Another suggests that the bulb be carefully opened and tritium gas be put inside, perhaps the glow will provide enough light to get by.  One resident suggests pointing a flashlight towards the bulb to give it the appearance of operating and casting light, then they can continue on with there business.  After much debate, finally the newest member of the apartment community provides an extra night light for the hallway.  The light is red, but the residents are now able to function and begin to build their community strong...

Trendy

The cultural of the world constantly changes and that of those who live in the United States of America see new trends on a constant basis.  One who is trendy tends to be one who follows the current trend or influence, fashion and ideologies.     For years I have tried to figure out how society can be so wrong and the collective, hive-mind mentality that goes behind that.  Ask anyone nowadays and they will tell you that families have fallen apart, lives are being destroyed, people are more alienated from normal forms of conversation and have become more distanced in terms of relationships, despite new forms of communication that allow for constant status updating, connecting to one another through social media and an onslaught of instant notification through text messaging, email, cellular phones and other venues.     Yet with all of these options at our fingertips, a true Believer can see these things and also see the amount of sin that society engages in as a whole.  They willingly seem to love things that are contrary to God and furthermore purport through their trendy actions that nothing is wrong with the way they behave.  They are without God, not only do their actions prove it, but by their actions they prove that they are brute beasts.  Harsh?  There are two passages of Scripture that has long spoke to my heart about today’s society.   “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,...

“You Follow Me”

“Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, But Lord, what about this man?  Jesus said to him, If I intend for him to remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me.”  John 21:21-22   “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  2nd Corinthians 5:10   About a year ago my family and I were attending a conservative “bible-believing” KJV-Only Baptist church several miles from our home.  We would faithfully pack in our car and head out early in the morning to be able to attend both Sunday School and the regular church service.  We joined about 8-10 others who also came on a regular basis, some also having traveled some distance.   Overall there were many things about the church that were noteworthy, there was no offering plate passed around, simply a box on the wall where one could offer a free-will offering.  The church believed in repentance, often a foundational doctrine that is missing from most of America’s churches.  The hymns and music was biblical, the demeanor of the pastor was one who took a stand towards Truth.  Missing from the church were a podium for the pastor to stand on, decorations for the holiday season and other things that one would expect to see in regular Baptist churches, these were all benefits of someone who had looked into and sought out the Truth.   Yet one Sunday morning, as we are still in a slight daze from having gotten...

Evidence Around Us

Nearly every day while reading the news I spot an article headline that depicts some sort of ‘evolutionary’ evidence portrayed to the reader as fact.  The most recent headline that I spotted was that “humans and neanderthals had breed as recently as 50,000 years ago”.  I quickly scuff off such nonsense, continuing to scan the headlines for an article that perks my interest.   The problem is that these sorts of articles are written for those who are uneducated in the Truth of God’s Word.  The average person will view the headline or read the article and thus have one more excuse not to believe God’s Word, one more reason to not consider their Salvation, one more thought as to why they can continue on as they are.   A long time ago in Sunday school I listened as the teacher used an argument that evolution made about as much sense as a chair appearing out of nowhere in the room.  A ridiculous argument you say?  Have you ever checked into the evidence that the evolutionist have?  I assure you if you do some digging, you will find that a chair appearing in a room on its own would take less faith to believe in then the assumptions that evolutionists and our supposed scientific community makes.   I’m sure many readers would consider me an unscientific ignorant person, who believe in fairy-tales and old out-dated religious views, but I ask that you bear with me for yet another moment.  I will wholly admit that I am not very scientific, I have not studied with the scholars at universities, I...

Tragedies

By now most people have heard about the earthquake in Taiwan.  As of this writing there are still people who are trapped alive underneath the debris of buildings and rescue workers are trying hard to get them out.  A lot of tragedies never make but a brief mention in national or international news.     Take a house fire that kills a family, a tornado that rips through part of a town or a car accident that renders people dead.  In all of our local communities there are tragedies on nearly a weekly, if not daily basis.  The bigger the city one lives in, the more common the tragedies become. On occasion we hear of really big tragedies.     Take the 2004 tsunami in the Indian ocean that killed over 200,000 people.  Throughout history there have been some very big disasters that have killed scores of people.  Take the Black Plague for instance and the staggering number of lives that the disease claimed, estimated from 75 million upward to 200 million. I n America the biggest tragedies ever recorded was that of the Galveston hurricane in 1900.  It is estimated that between 6,000 – 12,000 people died as a result of that storm.     As I watched some videos of the devastation in Taiwan and the rescues workers hard to get to people, I couldn’t help but to get saddened at the need for the world to understand the necessity of accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Even as these men and women are pulled out of these buildings, with little life left in them,...

Promises of Christ

Those who are in Christ, Christians, have many promises from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  There are also promises that Christ have given as a warning to those, that they might consider and be Saved.   “I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”  John 10:9   “He who believes into Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:38   “Yet a little while and the world sees Me no more, but you see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”  John 14:19   “Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you continue to abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”  John 8:31-32   “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  The one believing into Him is not judged; but the one not believing is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  John 3:16-18   “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.  And...

The Path is Narrow

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many entering in through it. Because narrow is the gate and distressing is the way which leads unto life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14   “Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved?  And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  Luke 13:23-24   When I was a child I attended a Nazarene church on a regular basis.  If my parents didn’t attend on Sunday the church bus would come and pick me and my sister up.  There I met some really great people growing up and attended Sunday school.  For what it is worth, more biblically sound doctrine was probably taught at that church then what is at many Baptist churches nowadays.   It was at this same church that I would give my life to the Lord. At 9 years old during an alter call I would go forward and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Eventually my parents divorced and we move a few miles away.  Here my family began to attend a Pentecostal church.  With rock instruments up on stage, a pastor would preach his sermon and some well-to-do people who were given authority as Sunday school teachers, etc., we would go there for a couple of years.   This was my first instance of seeing speaking in tongues.  I never believed it and...