Blindness

Sin blinds us...it keeps us in the dark...

...and the heart that is not renewed by God...hides in the dark...willfully.

I read in the newspaper of a woman that was sentenced to six years jail time for killing her two children, while the children were yet weeks old...

...she murdered her children in 1998, and 2002...she smothered them to death...and finally admitted that it was indeed murder.

What amazes me is that if this woman wouldn't have waited the extra few weeks then the same government that is penalizing her for murdering her babies...would have stepped along side of her and actually helped her murder them...just because they were inside the womb...

...absolutely crazy!

Gospel love versus self righteousness fueled religion

What is the difference between someone who lives for Jesus out of love and someone who lives an outward religious, moral life...

I heard a pastor break it down into a very memorable thought...he asked the question.

Do you obey in order to be approved by God or do you obey because you already have been approved by God [because of what Christ has done for you by His suffering, death and resurrection]...here lies the great chasm.

Beware of the Deceiver

The Bible speaks much about the spirit realm...but not in the "sweet polly pure bread" way that many others do today.

The Bible doesn't say that everyone is nice, nice...and everyone is out there to help you on your journey.

If we have an ounce of discernment we should already know this.

The God who created us is Spirit...He is not physical, or material...He is a boundless, or infinite Spirit [all powerful, all knowing, all wise, everywhere present, all loving, all good...etc.]

This God created everything...but is Himself uncreated.

God not only created a material/physical universe...He also created spiritual creatures as well.

These spirit creatures are called angels.

Our culture portrays angels to be either beautiful, soft looking women with dove wings...or chubby little babies...also sporting doves wings.

This is not what the Bible teaches about angels.

Angels are revealed in the Bible to be fierce looking soldiers [men], whose presence is so frightening...so terrible...that men fall on their faces in shock and trauma when confronted by them.

Angels are shown to be God's messengers. They are smarter then humans. They are mightier then humans.

And...we are told...that many of these creatures do not seek mankinds "well being".

Theses creatures not only hate the God who created them...they also hate men because God made man in His own image.

All of a sudden the spirit realm takes on a new light...more about this later...

Prayer

Lord, raise up men who love You, men who tremble at Your word...

...men who don't merely love to hear other men preach doctrinally sound sermons...but men who are willing to suffer living those sermons out.

Men who love the Lord Jesus...the Head of the church...but men who equally love Jesus' body...the church itself...

Men who take seriously the commandment to love their wives as Jesus loves His bride, the church...men who take time for their children...as Jesus takes time for us...

and Lord...teach us all to be missionaries...not just in other countries...teach us how to reach the culture You have placed us in here...as well as over seas...

in other words...Lord revive our hearts...bring us revival

A Helpful Friend

Over the last few decades the subject of spirits and angels have hit our culture...

...many books have been written encouraging people to be open to...or to even try and contact our spirit friends...

...because...hey...everyone is nice...right?

...and of course we live in a world that the bad guys wear black hats and the good guys white hats...right?

Thats why we tell our children not to talk to strangers...hmmm...something does sound consistent here...

Why do we have one standard for the physical world...and then all of a sudden throw all discernment into the wind when it comes to a realm that we know even less about?

Are all spirits, or angels our friends?

The Bible clearly answers this question with a resounding NO!

Is it easy to tell a good or friendly angel from a bad or evil spirit?

Go back to the playground for a second...how can you know if that man offering candy is really a nice guy or not?

The Ophrahs of our culture think they are wiser then God...they think that they have tapped into some source or relationship of ancient wisdom...some friendly helpful source at that...

...and now they are "helping out" millions of their viewers do the same...

...all the while...the devil...who loves to transform himself into an angel of "light" [helpful, friendly]...licks his hateful, wicked lips...as he takes them by the hand...leading them off to the so-called "candy"

...without Jesus divine intervention...only eternal destruction awaits them...

Don't Talk To Strangers...

If you have children, you know that one of the big concerns you have as a parent is your children's safety.

Why is it that a parent teaches their child or children "Don't ever, ever, talk to strangers!"

Is it because we don't want our children to be friendly?

Or maybe we just don't want our children to meet all the beautiful, genuinely kind people in the world.

Is that it?

How can we or our children tell that the smiling, clean cut man at the park is one of those genuinely kind people...or a man whose heart is sooo dark and evil that he would make the average refrigerator seem tropical in comparison.

Sadly enough, they can't...so they must be cautious with all strangers.

I saw a T.V special years ago...warning parents on this very topic...and it was alarming!

In the program they had a police officer [plain clothes] go to playgrounds and try to lure children off the safety of the playground by using a picture of a puppy.

The man said he had lost his puppy [a cute little sucker] and he needed help finding it...

...one after the other...different children...from different playgrounds and parks...were lured off the grounds...thankfully in this case...just to prove a point...and not to await some horrible torture and perhaps even death.

Why was it so easy?

Because the adult was scheming, using all of his persuasive charm, and alluring tones to draw the child to the place that he wanted him or her to go...and the child is not trained to think in this way...yet.

The child's mind is immature...very inexperienced in life...ignorant to many of the world's brutal truths...the child is very gullible...and very vulnerable.

The child doesn't suspect that the person before them...asking for help...offering blessings...is really a horrible monster who wants to use them...and ultimately destroy them...

I find it amazing that even though most adults understand that there are people who you trust and there are other people who you do not trust...

...they understand that there are people who intend to do good to others...while in the same world...there are others who intend to do harm...

...but all of a sudden...

...when we enter the realm of spirits...

...many people become children again...throwing all discernment into the wind...

...smiling ignorantly as their new spirit "friend" [total stranger] leads them off the playground...

Bye Bye Atheism

Atheism is slowly saying goodbye...

People are realizing that atheism doesn't have the answers...it doesn't bring the peace it promised.

Today...everyone is becoming or is defining themselves as "spiritual".

This doesn't mean that they trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour...it just means that they believe that there is more to this life then just...well...then just us.

But we must be very careful...as we shall see tomorrow.