Is the Bible Open for Interpretation?

From a Sunday school lesson, I had to expound after some prayer and research. We discussed the bible and its relevance, and also about interpreting the scriptures. There was great discussion with many opinions. Ultimately, it came down to what people had in mind for themselves. Now I am not challenging that because I am not God (Praise HIM!), nor do I truly believe my opinion is any better than any one else’s.

However, I have been seriously contemplating this topic since that session, and I had to look up some things. I consulted some lessons by John MacArthur and Perry Stone for some help. I merely felt the need to get this down while it is fresh in my heart.

Without doubt or question, I have come to the following conclusion:
I believe and testify (to believers and not) that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It is infallible and inerrant in its message and scope, and it is sufficient in its content and context for any one of my needs of faith.

I used to think differently, based on what I heard the world teach; that it was just a book of stories and fables with valuable lessons for an open interpretation. And that is where I believe the question, or rather “problem” of interpretation comes in. Our society has been inundated with so many different impressions from so many sources, both theological and secular, that it’s like when a goldsmith ads extra ingredients to gold to lessen its purity which cheapens it both in appearance and substance. The doctrinal differences based on biblical interpretation in the denominations are just like those impurities in blended gold. In 1 Timothy 1:3-7, Paul actually instructs Timothy to charge other believers not to stray from the teachings of the scriptures. The point is so that the primary focus be on what God’s Word says rather than that which causes dispute.

The bible actually has the answers to the questions and doubts we have about its relevance and value.

THE BIBLE
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-7

ON THE WORDS OF THE APOSTLES
“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

ON PROPHESY IN THE BIBLE
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” - 2 Peter 1:19-21

ON THE PERFECTION OF SCRIPTURE
“And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” – Luke 16:17

ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE BIBLE
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” - Revelation 22:18-19

ON THE NECESSITY OF THE BIBLE
“Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.” - Psalm 119:97-105

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12

How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You. - Psalm 119:9-11

Ultimately, the bible is a mosaic revelation of Jesus Christ and His part in the Holy Trinity:

In Romans, Paul calls it the mystery of the Godhead.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” - Romans 1:20

The Holy Trinity isn’t something that came about with birth of Jesus or His death on the cross. Nor did it come about with the writing of the New Testament. The truth of the Holy Trinity goes back to before the beginning of time as we try to understand it. But for the sake of definition, it is actually mentioned in the very first three verses in the Bible.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, `Let there be light’; and there was light.” - Genesis 1:1-3

(v.1) “God created the heavens and the earth.” This refers to God the Father.

(v.2) “…the Spirit of God was…” This refers to the Holy Spirit.

(v.3) [the WORD of] “…God said, `Let there be light’.” is about Jesus, the Son.

Remember that the sun, moon and stars were not created and there was darkness until day four. Why then does God call for light on day one?

It really isn’t the archaic mystery so many think it is.

Let’s take it from the time of Jesus’ earthly life.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. - John 1:1,5

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” - John 9:5

Get the connection? In the beginning of Genesis we are exposed to God and the Holy Spirit by name. In Genesis 1:3, God speaks and makes light. God’s Word becomes Light.

Genesis 1:3 is the revelation of the Word who was Christ.

We absolutely saw two of the three in the Holy Trinity by name. Because there is mention of a third faction, this completes the triune concept. Therefore, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are right there in the beginning AS God.

Still wondering how I make the connection between Genesis 1:3 and Jesus?

“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.” - John 1:14 (Amplified Bible)

“The WORD became flesh.” In other words, God’s Word has been Christ Jesus from the beginning. And since God’s Word IS Christ, isn’t it right to say that the bible, which is also called God’s Word, is a part of that Holy Union and therefore cannot be OPEN to interpretation, but rather application? When believers read and interpret the bible with an “open mind,” isn’t that where Satan’s influence can come in? After all, when the serpent approached Eve in the Garden of Eden, didn’t he challenge God’s word by challenging the interpretation of what God said (Genesis 2-3)?

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’.” – Genesis 2:15-17

And now comes the interpretation:

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?
‘And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’.’
“Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’.” – Genesis 3:1-5

Do you see the difference in what God told Adam and what Eve told the serpent?

God to Adam: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

Even to the serpent: We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.

And no, I am not trying to lay the fall on man only on the woman Eve. Because somewhere in there, Adam relayed God’s command to Eve with his interpretation and/or Eve interpreted what Adam told her. And Satan took that and helped Eve’s “open mind” interpret God. WE JUST CAN’T DO THAT. We need to take God at His Word.

So where do we draw the line? Where does God’s word actually stand?

The bible is the divinely inspired, perfectly sufficient, absolutely infallible and inerrant, wonderfully designed, and practically applicable Word of Almighty God. No ifs, ands or buts. Period.

Thanks for your time and attention.

May God receive all Honor and Glory for His purpose. PRAISES BE TO GOD!

It's because we make it about us

In my men’s bible study group, we studied is 1 Samuel. And as much as this lesson is about me and you personally rejecting God as king, I also saw another parallel.

Israel Demands a King (1 Samuel 8:4-22)

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “… [M]ake us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.”


God predicted that there would be kings over Israel ~ (Gen. 35:11; 36:31; 49:10; Num. 24:7–9, 17; Deut. 17:14; 28:36).

Israel rejected God in favor of and earthly king

Samuel knew what having an earthly king would mean. Samuel obeyed the Lord by describing the behavior of a human king. A king would:
1) draft young men and women for his service
2) tax the people’s crops and flocks
3) appropriate the best of their animals and servants
4) place limitations on their personal freedom

And yet the people STILL wanted a king so they could be like the other nations around them who had a king.

AND THEY GOT ONE.


Does any of that seem familiar?

America has forsaken God in favor of idols. And most recently, for an idol who has proclaimed “hope and change.”

But more specifically, look at the four points Samuel used to describe what a king would do:

1) draft young men and women for his service – National Civilian Security Force
2) tax the people’s crops and flocks – Raising of taxes
3) appropriate the best of their animals and servants – Socialism
4) place limitations on their personal freedom – Religion, speech, et al

Why don’t we just listen to God anymore?

Old Testament 'proof': Royal seal discovered from WND

Old Testament 'proof': Royal seal discovered


Archaeologists unearth ancient relic from prince mentioned in Jeremiah
By Joe Kovacs
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A team of archaeologists in Israel has unearthed what's believed to be the royal seal of an Old Testament prince who is said to have tossed the prophet Jeremiah down a well.


Royal seal bears name of Gedaliah, a prince to Judah's King Zedekiah, mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. (courtesy Dr. Eilat Mazar)

The stamped engraving, known as a "bulla," was discovered earlier this year about 600 feet south of the Temple Mount, but is just now making headlines.

Team leader Dr. Eilat Mazar of Jerusalem's Hebrew University says the imprint was found in clay, astonishingly well-preserved, bearing the name of Gedaliah, the son of Pashur.

"How absolutely fantastic and special this find is can only be realized when you hold in your hand this magnificent one-centimeter piece of clay and know that it survived 2,600 years in the debris of the destruction, and came to us complete and in perfect condition," Mazar said.

Gedaliah is mentioned by name in Jeremiah 38:1 as he served Judah's King Zedekiah in the final days before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.


The excavation area in the section of Jerusalem known as the City of David, looking east. (courtesy Dr. Eilat Mazar)

The prophet's writings tell of the actions that Gedaliah and his fellow princes took against him:

"Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire." (Jeremiah 38:6)

The prophet was rescued after an Ethiopian eunuch pleaded with the king on Jeremiah's behalf, saying, "he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city." (38:9)

The king then ordered 30 men to hoist up the prophet before the city fell to the Babylonians.


A 19th century Bible depicts the prophet Jeremiah being lifted out of a well.

The letters on the seal are in ancient Hebrew, and Mazar told WND the relic was recovered through a wet-sifting process. She says the method was learned after the "illegal excavations" by the Waqf, the Islamic custodians of the Temple Mount, who have been dumping debris in huge mounds.

"The wet sifting that we did for the destruction debris from our excavations indeed allowed us to uncover hundreds of different kinds of small finds such as tiny fish bones, Phoenician glass beads, Hebrew, Babylonian and Egyptian bullae and seals, pits and seeds, hematite and limestone weights, arrowheads, figurines, jewelry and more," she said.


Dr. Eilat Mazar

This is actually the second recent discovery of an ancient bulla from the time of Jeremiah.

In 2005, Mazar found another seal with the name of Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, who is mentioned twice in the prophet's book. That artifact was found in a stone structure Mazar believes was part of King David's ancient palace.

She added, "It is not very often that such a discovery happens to archaeologists in which real figures of the past shake off the dust of history and so vividly revive the stories of the Bible."

God's Three Deadlines

The original video sermon this is from is by J. Harold Smith and it is called “God’s Three deadlines. You can download the video here.

It’s currently the 4th item on the list.

To view it, you will need the RealPlayer.


God’s Three Deadlines
Paraphrased and condensed from J. Harold Smith

The other day I was blessed to hear a sermon that is reported to have the most conversions to Christ than any other sermon in the modern age… even more than any sermon by Billy Graham. As I watched and listened, I became overwhelmed with getting this message out. There is no way my words can fully convey the message in the video linked above, so I do strongly encourage you to spend the time and let God reach you through the message.

The following are, the bible verses referenced, some of my notes, and my opinions and interpretations.

The deadlines:
1. The Unpardonable Sin (Blaspheming against the Holy Spirit)
2. Sinning away your day of grace
3. The sin unto death

An unsaved sinner can only cross the first two deadlines and the third deadline can only be crossed by a saved Christian.

1. Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and [Jesus] healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. - Matthew 12:22-32

And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. - James 3:6

Therefore, an unsaved person’s tongue, which is controlled by hell, can cause a sin that WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN.

Basically, in context, these two verses mean that to deny the involvement and power of the Holy Spirit and to give that credit to the devil is unforgivable for all time and you will be damned to hell forever. It won’t be forgiven by the ONLY one who can forgive everything.

Speaking against the power of the Holy Spirit is an unpardonable sin. This includes speaking against those who are filled with the Holy Spirit or who do things in God’s name. And don’t worry, if someone is usurping God’s name to promote himself or to do evil, God will provide justice. Read Numbers 16 for the full account of the rebellion against God’s chosen man, Moses, and what God did to those who spoke out against His chosen one.

And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.” - Numbers 16:28-30

And if you read the entire chapter, you will find out that Moses was exactly right and God did put to death those who blasphemed the Holy Spirit. In fact, in the bible and even in the modern world, whenever this unpardonable sin has been committed, the offender has never lived beyond 24 hours of committing it.

2. Sinning away your day of grace

HE WHO, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed--and that without remedy. - Proverbs 29:1

In other words, when presented with the good news of Jesus Christ, if you deny it and do not receive God’s grace through Jesus Christ, you will end up in hell when you die. There are those who say that God will hold true to the unsaved and continue to provide them with chances and eventually provide salvation. But Proverbs 29:1 refutes that, as does Romans 2:5-8.

Every refusal and avoidance of God adds fuel to the fire. The day is coming when it's going to blaze hot and high, God's fiery and righteous judgment. Make no mistake: In the end you get what's coming to you—Real Life for those who work on God's side, but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire! – Romans 2:5-8

So many people think it is simply a matter of living how they want to live and then waiting to make that decision when they get older. You may want to wait for God, but what if God won’t wait for you. It will be too late and once condemned to hell, that is it!

You may not get the chance to repent and receive Christ’s gift in your own time. God may just lose patience with you and end your life. Perhaps you don’t think He would do such a thing. Wrong! Read Genesis 38:7 to see how God killed a man who was wicked. Read Acts 5:1-10 to see how He killed a husband and wife because they told a lie. He lost patience with them. Most people think that God’s patience is eternal. It evidently is not. The Bible says that it is through the fear of the Lord that men depart from sin (Proverbs 16:6). If they don’t fear God, they will be complacent about their eternal salvation.

Look at examples from the bible regarding those who refused Christ.

A rich, young ruler even asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved. When Jesus told him, the man refused to accept it and is in hell:
Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Paul witnessed to Agrippa and the king turned away from the gift of salvation and is in hell:
“The king is familiar with these things. So I can speak openly to him. I am certain he knows everything that has been going on. After all, it was not done in secret. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Then Agrippa spoke to Paul. "Are you trying to talk me into becoming a Christian?" he said. "Do you think you can do that in such a short time?" Paul replied, "I don't care if it takes a short time or a long time. I pray to God for you and all who are listening to me today. I pray that you may become like me.” - Acts 26:26-29

Another great example of this is the parable of the rich fool:
Then Jesus told them a story. He said, “A certain rich man's land produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have any place to store my crops.'” “Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my storerooms and build bigger ones. I will store all my grain and my other things in them. I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things stored away for many years. Take life easy. Eat, drink and have a good time."' "But God said to him, 'You foolish man! This very night I will take your life away from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "That is how it will be for anyone who stores things away for himself but is not rich in God's eyes."

Those who say they will repent in their own time lack the fear of God. Their understanding of His nature is erroneous. If they caught a glimpse of His holiness, His righteousness, and His consuming justice, they wouldn’t trifle with His mercy. Such arrogance needs to be confronted with the thunders of Mount Sinai.

If you die in your sins without receiving the gift of grace through Christ, you will go to hell. So if someone comes along and tells you about what Jesus did for you and you ignore or refuse it, God will remove you from His prayer list. So don’t squander it.

3. The sin unto death

Only a saved believer can commit this sin.

If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. - 1 John 5:16

John MacArthur explains it best:
“John illustrates praying according to God’s will with the specific example of the “sin leading to death.” Such a sin could be any premeditated and unconfessed sin that causes the Lord to determine to end a believer’s life. It is not one particular sin like homosexuality or lying, but whatever sin is the final one in the tolerance of God. Failure to repent of and forsake sin may eventually lead to physical death as a judgment of God. No intercessory prayer will be effective for those who have committed such deliberate high-handed sin, i.e., God’s discipline with physical death is inevitable in such cases as He seeks to preserve the purity of His church. The contrast to the phrase “there is sin leading to death” with “there is sin not leading to death” signifies that the writer distinguishes between sins that may lead to physical death and those that do not. That is not to identify a certain kind of mortal or non-mortal sin, but to say not all sins are so judged by God.”

In essence, if a saved believer breaks the commandment about lying, then another believer can pray for the first Christian and Jesus will intercede. However, if a Christian has a sin that he or she has not confessed to God, then no amount of praying from another Christian will matter or help. It will not get anyone unsaved but the offender will enter heaven with shame of not having reward to glorify God with. Furthermore, God says He will kill (from the physical life) the Christian for having this sin.

“I brought hunger to every city and famine to every town. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD.
“I kept the rain from falling when your crops needed it the most. I sent rain on one town but withheld it from another. Rain fell on one field, while another field withered away. People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD.
“I struck your farms and vineyards with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured all your fig and olive trees. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD.
“I sent plagues on you like the plagues I sent on Egypt long ago. I killed your young men in war and led all your horses away. The stench of death filled the air! But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD.
“I destroyed some of your cities, as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Those of you who survived were like charred sticks pulled from a fire. But still you would not return to me,” says the LORD.
“Therefore, I will bring upon you all the disasters I have announced. Prepare to meet your God in judgment, you people of Israel!” - Amos 4:6-12

God has made every attempt to stir you up to meet Him. But when you try to hide what’s in your heart, which God knows anyway, you are basically telling Him that you can handle something and don’t need Him. Therefore, God will physically take you from this world so that He can deal with you and your shame in His house and in His way.

In conclusion, if you are unsaved, turn away from your lying, hate, lust, etc. and put your focus and trust in Jesus as the only one who can make you clean before God. Ask Him for forgiveness and truly appreciate what He did by dying on the cross for your sins… to pay the price so you wouldn’t have to. Don’t turn away from this opportunity right now to know for sure that you will have eternal life.

If you are saved, get on your knees right now and confess any sin that you may be holding back. God already knows about it anyway. You don’t have to tell any person. This is between you and God only and He can and will forgive what you confess to Him. But do it now!

I pray that God alone will be glorified through anything these words convey and that He will reach the lost and they will come into His fold.

Of Morality and the Conscience

There have been two major news reports relevant to the issue of morality that have really bothered me as of late.

One story comes from the Czech Republic where two young boys, ages 8 & 10, testified before a court that they were abused and cannibalized. According to the boys, they were locked up in cages, handcuffed, burned with cigarettes, sexually abused and had their flesh hacked of and eaten by their own mother. Police and court officials were horrified as the details of this case came to light.

However, the president of the Atheists for the Separation of Common Sense and Public Policy has cautioned against making moral judgments in this case. He stated, "Our society has progressed beyond the oppression of religious dogma. No one believes in a divine being arbitrarily handing out moral edicts from heaven anymore. Without a transcendent lawgiver, we have no basis or need for morality. Therefore, we have no basis or need for criticizing another's behavior. We may not like abuse and cannibalism, but we must accept it as a valuable form of self expression." **


The other story is about the Massachusetts high school which reported a rash of teenage pregnancies. According to officials at Gloucester High, at least seventeen girls, all of them under the age of 16, have become pregnant at one time. It was alleged that the girls, all unmarried and living with their parents, made a pregnancy pact. School officials became suspicious when the nurse administered at least 150 pregnancy tests in the last seven months, with several of the girls returning for multiple tests. Apparently some of the girls were continually disappointed until they finally tested positive. Further suspicion arose when it was discovered that many of the girls had no relationship whatsoever with the fathers of their babies. It seems that the girls gave little consideration to who fathered their babies. One of the fathers was a 24 year old homeless man. School officials, parents and community activists disagree over what caused the sudden increase of teenage pregnancies.

However, an Evolutionary Biologist from a neighboring university suggests that the girls have demonstrated a tremendous evolutionary advantage. The professor explains that mammals have a limited number of years suitable for reproduction, known as the breeding stage. By breeding very early in the breeding stage, humans and other primates can increase the total number of offspring per female by 27%, thereby maximizing the breeding stage and increasing the propagation of the species. The professor stated, "It is not necessarily to ascribe blame or guilt to what amounts to an irresistible and natural evolutionary breakthrough. **


Of course the president of the Atheists for the Separation of Common Sense and Public Policy and the Evolutionary Biologist were fictitious, but the other facts regarding both stories were what was reported in the news media. The question begs, however, to ask about the morality of those mentioned in the stories. Furthermore, If you are a moral person, you were probably sickened by these events.

There actually are some schools in this nation who refuse to teach morality because it has roots in religion, Instead, these schools teach the psychology of life and look at the importance of the self importance of the persons involved in a particular circumstance. When schools leave morality out, it is to proclaim that you don't need religion to solve problems.

The main problem with this train of thought is Michael Jacques. Jacques was the uncle of 12 year old Brooke Bennett whom he murdered. Furthermore, Jacques was a convicted rapist and kidnapper who was sentenced to 6 (THAT IS CORRECT…SIX!!!!) years for RAPE. He only served 4½ years, getting early parole because of good behavior. It was proclaimed that he was rehabilitated. OBVIOUSLY NOT. Jacques is also a father.

Without morality, society would simply observe this with no revulsion and merely have and attitude of bewilderment at the most. And that is essentially what a society bent on removing religion will end up as.

Morality DOES have its origin in religion. American society was started with Judeo-Christian principles that are specifically centered around the Ten Commandments.

I blogged about that before so I won't do it again here.

God designed law to be a mirror for us to examine ourselves. Furthermore, God has given each of us a conscience: "They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, just as the law commands. And they show this by their consciences. Sometimes their thoughts tell them they did wrong, and sometimes their thoughts tell them they did right." - Romans 2:15

That being said, I'll bet that some of you non-Christians or non-religious people out there would acknowledge that you were disgusted by the two stories above. That is your conscience of knowing right from wrong and the moral implications of that knowledge keeping your morality in check.

As long as American society continues to promulgate a culture that devalues morality and promotes a cloudy, undefined system of justice, young boys will continue to be abused, teen girls will continue to be promiscuous, and rapists will never get the legal punishment they deserve.

Consider where you stand on morality. Make sure those whom aspire to political office are of the same mind.

**The above fictitious additions to the news stories were taken from the show "Wretched."

One Split Second is All it Takes

Video shows bystanders ignoring hit-and-run victim


78 year old Angel Arce Torres is left in critical condition, paralyzed from the next down because people seemed to ignore the situation. There were calls in to 911 within minutes but I don’t see anyone trying to stop traffic, or checking on him or whatever. You can read the news story linked above and the video below shows the terrifying incident. It has been stated that The Hartford, Connecticut people are doing some soul searching. I certainly hope so.



Now I wonder, was this guy a Christian? His life could’ve been over in a split second… just like yours or mine.

If you were to have your life taken from you, do you know for a fact about where you will spend eternity? If you don’t, please consider the following:

Let me ask you a few questions.

Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Then read on to find out if you really are good. The following is a test of self-examination to see if you have upheld goodness by the only true standard as given by God – The Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you?
The Ninth of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not lie." Telling even just one lie, even one little, white fib, according to God's standards, makes you a "liar."
Revelation 21:8 says, "…all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone…”

Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small or how long ago? What does that make you?
The Eighth of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not steal." The value is irrelevant. Taking something that doesn’t belong to you makes you a “thief.”
In 1 Corinthians 6:10, God says, ”[Neither] thieves… nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Have you ever committed adultery? Before you answer to this one, read on.
The Seventh of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not commit adultery." One definition of adultery means marital infidelity. Another states: Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act. And another describes it as: Faithlessness in religion.
In Mathew 5:27-28, Jesus says "You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery.' But I
say to you that whoever looks [with]…lust…has already committed adultery…in his [or her] heart.”

Have you ever murdered anyone? Again, read further before you give your final answer.
The Sixth of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not kill." To kill is to murder. Murder is defined as willfully putting an end to life. Another definition means to mutilate or mangle.
In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother [has murdered and] shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother [has murdered and] shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' [has murdered and] shall be liable to the hell of fire.” 1 John 3:15 says that “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life…”

Have you ever used any of the names of the One who gave you precious life in a manner that was anything but respectful or appreciative? If not, that is blasphemy.
The Third of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain." If you've ever used the name
"God," "Jesus," or "Christ" as a curse word, what you've done is commit "blasphemy," and according to God's standards, you are a "blasphemer." Even the seemingly innocent “OMG” qualifies.
In Luke 12:10, Jesus says, “…he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.”

Do you love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength? Do you let anything in life interfere with your worship of God?
The First AND MOST IMPORTANT of the Ten Commandments is Exodus 20:3: "You shall have no other gods before me." That means that we should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. Even our love for family and friends should seem like pure hatred in comparison (Matthew 10:37, Luke 14:26). And to put other things in life above God is a horrible sin.

In Psalm 14:2-3 The Bible tells us that no one has kept this commandment – “The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Therefore, even if we obey all of the nine other commandments, there is no one who is not guilty of this commandment.

Your deeds will NOT guarantee salvation:
In Isaiah 64:6, the Bible says, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Therefore, no matter what good you do in this world, you WILL NOT get into Heaven. Forget what good deeds you have done, as they don’t matter in front of a judge. Think about it. If a mass murderer were found guilty in a court of law, but pleaded for the judge to let him go free because he gave to charity and volunteered at a soup kitchen, the judge would pretty much laugh in his face and send him up the river anyway.

From the above, we have only covered six of the Ten Commandments and there is no way you could have answered “no” to all of them. It is pretty certain that you have pleaded guilty to all six and would have to plead guilty to the rest as well.

Therefore, by those standards, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you go to Heaven or Hell? Do you feel like you are in trouble? Does this have you thinking and concerned about your eternal fate?

And while it may seem that God's goodness will cause Him to overlook your sins in forgiveness, the opposite is actually true. The very thing you are counting on to save you on the Day of Judgment -- namely God's goodness -- is going to be the very thing that will see to it that justice is done. Because God is so good He will make sure that every murderer, rapist and thief receives justice... but He won't stop there. He will also make sure every liar, blasphemer, and adulterer is punished.

While this is something that is extremely tragic and far from God's ultimate, loving desire for any person, the Bible is clear that the place of punishment for those who do not turn from their sins is Hell. The Bible refers to the fate of the unsaved (HELL) with such fearful words as the following:

* “Shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2)
* “Everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46)
* “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51)
* “Fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17)
* “Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish” (Romans 2:8,9)
* “Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
* “Eternal fire...the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 7,13)
* “He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone...the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night." (Revelation 14:10,11)
But the most terrifying thing is that once you are in hell, it will be like God never existed to you and you to God. And there is no way you will ever be able to be redeemed.

Does the possibility of going to hell concern you? It should!
Do you know what God did for you so that you wouldn't have to be punished for your sins and spend eternity in Hell?

The cliché is true: God does have a wonderful plan for your life. But because you are a sinful person and separated by your sins from God, you CANNOT know God’s love and plan for your life until you accept Jesus Christ as God's ONLY provision for your sin. Through BELIEVING in Jesus, and individually RECEIVING Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord; then you can BECOME a child of God and know and experience His love and plan for you life. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

God loves you so much that He sent His son for you so that He would pay the price for your sins and be punished in your place. All you have to do is confess and repent (forsake or turn away from) your sins and Trust in Jesus with Faith as your personal Lord and Savior. Make Him the master of your life and follow His standards for living your own.

John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

The life, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John in the New Testament of the Bible. For an explanation of what Jesus suffered on the cross, go to:
http://www.konnections.com/Kcundick/crucifix.html or watch “The Passion of the Christ,” to experience the last twelve hours of Christ’s life. Jesus life, punishment, death and resurrection were accurately prophesied in verses of the Old Testament, written from c. 1500-400B.C.! You can read them and their explanations as well as future prophesies of Jesus at http://www.bible.com/jesus/prophecies.html.

If concern over your eternal fate is weighing heavy on your heart, it is now time to repent and ask God to forgive you and accept His grace through the cleansing blood of Jesus.

You can pray something like this –
"Dear God, I repent of all my sins, I have (name your sins) against you. I now and forever put my trust in Jesus Christ as Lord (to say Jesus is your Lord means you are now making Jesus the master over your life) and Savior (Proclaiming Jesus as your Savior means that you recognize that He is the only way to salvation). Forgive me and grant me your gift of everlasting life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen." (God knows your heart better than you, so please be honest with Him in praying)

I know this has been a long read and I truly thank you for staying until the end. Because I know that some of you may simply ignore this. But remember how I started this blog? All it takes is a split-second for someone else to put your life in jeopardy. And if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, it’s time you make that change in your life so that you can have an eternity in paradise with God.

Seperation of Church and State??????

I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your teachers and professors are lying to you...

Psalm 33:12: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance."

James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement: "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".
The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
- - - And it isn't just the nation….
Preambles to State Constitutions Based on reverence to God. The dates are that of ratification of the respective constitutions
1. ALABAMA 1901: We, the people of the State of Alabama, in order to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of government for the State of Alabama.
2. ALASKA 1959: We the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land, in order to secure and transmit to succeeding generations our heritage of political, civil, and religious liberty within the Union of States, do ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Alaska.
3. ARIZONA 1912: We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
4. ARKANSAS 1874 : We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own forms of government, for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
5. CALIFORNIA 1879: We, the people of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution.
6. COLORADO 1876: We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution for the "State of Colorado."
7. CONNECTICUT 1818: The people of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude, the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government, do, in order more effectual to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors, hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following Constitution and form of civil government.
8. DELAWARE 1897: Through Divine goodness, all men have by nature the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences, of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting reputation and property, and in general of obtaining objects suitable to their condition, without injury by one to another; and as these rights are essential to their welfare, for the due exercise thereof, power is inherent in them; and therefore all just authority in the institutions of political society is derived from the people, and established with their consent, to advance their happiness; and they may for this end, as circumstances require, from time to time after their Constitution of governments.
9. FLORIDA 1887: We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, in order to secure its blessings and to form a more perfect government, insuring domestic tranquility, maintaining public order, and guaranteeing equal civil and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
10. GEORGIA 1887: To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we, the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
11. HAWAII 1978: We, the people of Hawaii, grateful for Divine Guidance, and mindful of our Hawaiian heritage and uniqueness as an island State, dedicate our efforts to fulfill the philosophy decreed by the Hawaii State motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono." We reserve the right to control our destiny, to nurture the integrity of our people and culture, and to preserve the quality of life that we desire. We reaffirm our belief in a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and with an understanding and compassionate heart toward all the peoples of the earth, do hereby ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Hawaii.
12. IDAHO 1890: We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution.
13. ILLINOIS 1870: We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations in order to form a more perfect government, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois.
14. INDIANA 1851: To the end that justice be established, public order maintained, and liberty perpetuated: We, the people of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.
15. IOWA 1857: We, the people of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of those blessings, do ordain and establish a free and independent government, by the name of the State of Iowa, the boundaries whereof shall be as follows:
16. KANSAS 1863: We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the State of Kansas, with the following boundaries, to wit:
17. KENTUCKY 1891: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
18. LOUISIANA 1974: We, the people of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political, economic, and religious liberties we enjoy, and desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property; afford opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; assure equality of rights; promote the health, safety, education, and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; ensure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and justice to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.
19. MAINE 1820 and 1876: We, the people of Maine, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for our mutual defense, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity, so favorable to the design; and imploring His aid and direction in its accomplishment, do agree to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the style and title of the State of Maine, and do ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the same.
20. MARYLAND 1867: We, the people of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty, and taking into our serious consideration best means of establishing a good Constitution in this State for the sure foundation and more permanent security thereof, declare:
21. MASSACHUSETTS 1790: We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence, or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit and solemn compact with each other; and for forming a new Constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain, and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
22. MICHIGAN 1909: We, the people of the State of
Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
23. MINNESOTA 1857: We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
24. MISSISSIPPI 1890: We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
25. MISSOURI 1945: We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness, do establish this Constitution for the better government of the State.
26. MONTANA 1889: We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a State government, do in accordance with the provisions of the enabling act of Congress, approve the twenty second of February AD 1889, ordain and establish this Constitution.
27. NEBRASKA 1875: We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of government, as the Constitution of the State of Nebraska.
28. NEVADA 1864: We, the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, insure domestic tranquility, and form a more perfect government, do establish this Constitution.
29. NEW HAMPSHIRE 1784: Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason, morality and piety, rightly grounded on evangelical principles, will give the best and greatest security to government, and will lay, in the hearts of men, the strongest obligations to due subjection; and the knowledge of these is most likely to be propagated through society by the institutions of the public worship of the Deity.
30. NEW JERSEY 1947: We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
31. NEW MEXICO 1912: We, the people of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a State government, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
32. NEW YORK 1895: We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, do establish this Constitution.
33. NORTH CAROLINA 1876: We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of these blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.
34. NORTH DAKOTA 1889: We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
35. OHIO 1851: We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution.
36. OKLAHOMA 1907: Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty; to secure just and rightful government; to promote our mutual welfare and happiness, we the people of the State of Oklahoma, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
37. OREGON 1859: We, the people of the State of Oregon, to the end that justice be established, order maintained, and liberty perpetuated, do ordain this Constitution.
38. PENNSYLVANIA 1874: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
39. RHODE ISLAND 1843: We, the people of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations do ordain and establish this Constitution of Governments.
40. SOUTH CAROLINA 1895: We, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the preservation and perpetuation of the same.
41. SOUTH DAKOTA 1889: We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties, in order to form a more perfect and independent government, establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity the blessings of liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of South Dakota.
42. TENNESSEE 1870: That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience; that no man can of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any
43. TEXAS 1876: Humbly invoking the blessings of Almighty God, the people of the State of Texas, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
44. UTAH 1895: Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we the people of Utah, in order to secure and perpetuate the principles of free government, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
45. VERMONT 1793: That all men have a natural and unalienable right, to worship Almighty God, according to the dictates of their own consciences and understandings as in their opinion shall be regulated by the word of God: and that no man ought to or of right can be compelled to attend any religious worship, or erect or support any place of worship, or maintain any minister, contrary to the dictates of his conscience, nor can any man be justly deprived or abridged of any civil right as a citizen, on account of his religious sentiments, or peculiar mode of religious worship; and that no authority can or ought to be vested in, or assumed by, any power whatever, that shall in any case interfere with, or in any manner control the rights of conscience, in the free exercise of religious worship. Nevertheless, every sect or denomination of Christians ought to observe the Sabbath or Lord's day, and keep up some sort of religious worship, which to them shall seem most agreeable to the revealed will of God.
46. VIRGINIA 1902: That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and, therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other.
47. WASHINGTON 1889 We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
48. WEST VIRGINIA ????: Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia, in and through the provisions of this Constitution, reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God and seek diligently to promote, preserve and perpetuate good government in the State of West Virginia for the common welfare, freedom and security of ourselves and our posterity.
49. WISCONSIN 1848: We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, forms a more perfect government, insure domestic tranquility and promote the general welfare, do establish this Constitution.
50. WYOMING 1889: We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political and religious liberties, and desiring to secure them to ourselves and perpetuate them to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Your history teachers and professors are lying if they say that God was never meant to be involved or invoked in our government.

Denial - Not as simple as it seems

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Thursday 07/06/2007

* With all due credit to John MacArthur
I have seen way too many of these "forward/repost this if you love Jesus" messages – especially with the misquoted "If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my father." I even saw one that really slaughtered it, "If you deny me before my friends, I will deny you before my enemys." Why would Christians deny Christ before His "friends" (other Christians)? And what is up with "enemys?"

I have also seen stuff like "Satan wasn't just smiling, he was laughing when Christ was nailed to the cross."

While I sincerely agree that we Christians need to spread God's word. Stuff like this takes it a bit far. I am not blaming anyone in particular as there are way too many that have sent these out to keep track of. I have also seen these things in other forms before. What it comes down to is man placing judgment and temptation on man based on improper contextual doctrine. God isn't going to judge Christians if they do or don't forward a message like this. God's requirement from us is obedience and worship for the ultimate purpose of glorifying Him. And we really have to ask ourselves if this type of message glorifies God. I can't see where it does. It ultimately seems to come from someone playing a prank to see how many people will forward the message, or from someone who doesn't understand God's word.

The bible says:

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" – Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV

The promise, power, and protection of God should make a person willing to confess Jesus Christ before men without fear. That kind of confession is a natural response to the true Christian. Correct doctrine naturally produces proper action. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" - Romans 1:16 NIV. Paul wasn't ashamed because he knew the promise, power, and protection of God.

The Greek word translated "confess" (homologeo) means "to affirm," "acknowledge," or "agree." In verse 32 it refers to making a statement of identification, faith, confidence, trust, and belief in Jesus as Lord, and living one's life in accordance with that confession. That confession is displayed by what one says, "…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" - Romans 10:9 NASB, and does, "Anyone who loves [Jesus] will obey [His] teaching. [His] Father will love him'" - John 14:23 NIRV; "But those who do what God wants them to do live forever" - 1 John 2:17 NIRV.

Because God is the ultimate judge of the earth, there's no excuse for shrinking from our duty to confess Christ in times of persecution as well as times of peace. All true Christians will confess Christ regardless of the consequences.

Confession of Christ is to take place before men. That literally means "in front of men." Confession of Christ is to be public--not in some secret place. A person unwilling to publicly confess Christ is not a Christian. Romans 10:10 affirms that "it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved" – NLT.

Scripture affirms that salvation is all of God, "God's grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn't come from anything you do. It is God's gift. It is not based on anything you have done" - Ephesians 2:8-10 NIRV, and that Christians must confess Christ verbally (Rom. 10:10), confession must be the work of God.

"All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God" - 1 John 4:15 NLT. A person who once walked down the aisle after an evangelistic service and says he believes but doesn't confess Christ publicly is not a genuine disciple.

Jesus said to the church at Pergamum, "I see where you live, right under the shadow of Satan's throne. But you continue boldly in my Name; you never once denied my Name, even when the pressure was worst" - Revelation 2:13 MSG. True believers will confess Christ even to the point of death.

We need to examine ourselves. We may find ourselves ashamed to confess Christ before our families or among friends. If that is our attitude, what will we be like during severe persecution? We need to be willing to confess Christ under ALL circumstances.

Jesus said, "Whosever ... shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, who is in heaven" - Matt. 10:32 NKJV. That means on the day of judgment Christ will acknowledge that those who had confessed Him are His. He will affirm His loyalty to us just as we had affirmed our loyalty to Him. That is the result of true discipleship. The Lord's words probably pierced deep into the heart of Judas Iscariot just as they do to many false disciples today.

Imagine the thrill of someday standing before God and having Jesus say, "This one belongs to Me." It means the Lord of the universe has pledged His loyalty to us. When we are loyal to confess the Lord Jesus in the midst of any situation He has pledged to speak our name in the Father's presence.

ALSO, at the crucifixion of Christ, Satan wasn't smiling, laughing or celebrating in any way. Satan was trembling in fear. For he knew that for God to let His son be tortured and die on the cross, or for Jesus Himself to let all that happen, it meant trouble for Satan. Until Christ died on the cross, all it took for Satan to win was for people to disobey God's law. On that fateful day, Satan was trembling in fear. He knew that once a person accepted God's grace through the saving death of Jesus Christ, then there was no chance for him to win them over to his side. Satan laughs and celebrates when we take our focus off of God to do things that do not glorify Him…..like lie, steal, hate, lust, want, etc. Satan laughs a lot. Is he laughing because of you?

So, the next time you decide to forward something talking about denying Jesus or about being tested by God, really think about it. Remember that it isn't about denying anything but confessing. And only God can't determine when to test you…..and you WILL KNOW when.

Further bible verses:


"If we reject the Son, we reject the Father. But if we say that we accept the Son, we have the Father" – 1 John 2:23 CEV

"Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God" – 1 John 4:2-3 MSG

Have you ever been confused about the Holy Trinity?

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Friday 23/03/2007

I am sure most of you have heard about the Holy Trinity, or at the least have heard of God being referred to as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I get a lot of questions from believers and non of all ages and backgrounds to try to explain how God can be one God and we call Jesus God or the Holy Spirit God.

Perry Stone showed me a way to explain it that hopefully will clear it up and also bless you. I give ultimate credit to God through and with great appreciate to Brother Stone.

In Romans, Paul calls it the mystery of the Godhead.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" - Romans 1:20 (New King James Version)

The Holy Trinity isn't something that came about with the death of Jesus on the cross. Nor did it come about with the writing of the New Testament. Nor did it come about with the birth of Jesus. The concept of the Holy Trinity goes back to the beginning of time. But for the sake of definition, it is actually mentioned in the very first three verses in the Bible.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, `Let there be light'; and there was light." - Genesis 1:1-3 (New King James Version)

(v.1) "God created the heavens and the earth." This refers to God the Father.

(v.2) "…the Spirit of God was…" This refers to the Holy Spirit.

Easy enough, right? But where is The Son? I'm getting to that.

(v.3) [the WORD of] "…God said, `Let there be light'." Is about Jesus, the Son.

HUH?!!?!?!?!?!!?!??!! I know, I know. Just trust me here.

Remember that the sun, moon and stars were not created and there was darkness until day four. Why then does God call for light on day one?

It really isn't the primeval mystery so many think it is.

Let's take it from the time of Jesus earthly life.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. - John 1:1,5 (New King James Version)

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." - John 9:5 (New King James Version)

Get the connection? In the beginning of Genesis we are exposed to God and the Holy Spirit by name. In Genesis 1:3, God speaks and makes light. God's Word becomes Light.

Genesis 1:3 is the revelation of the Word who was Christ.

We absolutely saw two of the three in the Holy Trinity by name. Because there is mention of a third faction, this completes the triune concept. Therefore, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are right there from the beginning as God. Yes, God is not just one thing but three parts of one divine being. Even God refers to Himself in the plural in Genesis:

"Then God said, `Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'" - Genesis 1:26 (New King James Version)

"Come, let Us go" - Genesis 11:7 (New King James Version)

In fact, one of the main names for God, ELOHIM, is actually a plural noun referring to ONE supreme divine being. That is why we naturally think of God as just a singular thing.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" - Deuteronomy 6:4 (King James Version)

Like a man and wife, God can be separate parts of a whole.

"This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." - Genesis 2:24 (New Living Translation)

TWO ARE UNITED INTO ONE. Just like God is ONE union of THREE parts.

I'll be you are still wondering how I make the connection between Genesis 1:3 and Jesus….Well, here goes!

"And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth." - John 1:14 (Amplified Bible)

"The WORD became flesh." In other words, God's Word has been Christ Jesus from the beginning.

In the beginning was the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity was already established on day one of creation.

Love is...

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Monday 05/03/2007

"LOVE IS"- Scott Ashley Kingsmore (3/5/07)

In a garden long ago
Of a tree He told them no
Love was not something He said
Love is

Sold away as a slave
Obedience to Him he gave
Love was not something He had
Love is

In a land far away
She risked her life to say
Love was not something He won
Love is

Words he wrote so wise
For generations to advise
Love was not something He taught
Love is

From His favor in a girl
A babe was born to save the world
Love was not something He bestowed
Love is

From the Father to the Son
His children to be won
Love was not something He did
Love is

In His death upon the cross
There was gain, not loss
Love was not something He showed
Love is

At the Midnight Cry
When we are gathered to the sky
Love is not something He gives
Love is

From, to, of and through Adam and Eve, Joseph, Esther, Solomon, and Mary, and especially Jesus, God consistently and faithfully loved. There was no qualification, justification or condition He required. He loves. He loves. He loves. Don't let yourself be blinded by what the world today calls love. True love is bound in God and it is eternal. All of His children He has loved in the past is also a way He shows you love. God is love. That's why you can't go beyond saying simply that "love is." No adjective could ever equal to such a powerful noun and verb. LOVE IS!

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." - 1 John 4:16

For Mature Readers Only

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Monday 18/09/2006

Here’s a question I would get a lot as a youth leader at out church:

Does the Bible say anything about dating?

No, it doesn’t specifically mention dating or really anything close to that type of relationship. Therefore, dating is not necessarily biblical. The bible does describe relationships. And that is what is addressed here. Maybe this can help clear up the whole “dating” thing.

If "dating" is defined as two single friends of the opposite sex doing things together for fun without any attraction or romantic desire or intimacy involved at all, there is no issue to discuss regarding dating. They are spending time as friends. The Bible describes and gives directions concerning friendship. But for most, the issue of dating involves "romantic attraction and desire." Therefore "dating" must be approached by what the Scripture says regarding romantic desire and marriage, the only relationship in which romantic desire is to be fully expressed. Also, in our culture, through "dating" people will often find a life partner and marry. How men and women view a "date" and "dating" can have a profound effect on their future. "Dating" is not a relationship; it is a method people employ in our culture to get to know others of the opposite sex that was not employed in Biblical times. The Bible does not talk about "dating," but it does talk about relationships. However, the Bible does describe three kinds of relationships with the opposite sex and gives certain characteristics of each relationship (there are others such as parent/child and sibling, but they don't clarify the issues of dating).

One kind of relationship the Bible describes is friendship.

Proverbs gives several characteristics of friends and friendships. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times" (NKJV). Proverbs 18:24 says, "…a true friend is closer than your own family" (CEV). Proverbs 27:6 says, "You can trust a friend who corrects you" (CEV). Proverbs.27:9 says, "The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense" (NLT). Proverbs 27:10 says, "Never abandon a friend" (NLT). These verses bring out the fact that the Lord blesses friendship and encourages us to develop them. Friendship involves three foundational elements, commitment to fulfill the responsibility of a friend, care and concern for the welfare of your friend, and affection. The word "friend" means someone you like who also likes you. This liking involves a "friendship kind of" affection based often on personality and common likes and interests.

A second kind of relationship is "brother/sister in Christ."

If we have accepted Christ as our Savior we have become children of God. God is our Father and other Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We should treat other Christians as such. Our Father deeply loves and desires that we show love to each other, that is seeking each other's highest spiritual good. 1 John 3:1 says, "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are" (MSG). Galatians 5:13 says, "Through love serve one another" (NKJV). Hebrews 10:24 says, "Let us help each other to love others and to do good" (NLV). God desires that we serve one another in love by giving of ourselves to help each other grow in Christ as fellow-believers. This love is based on our relationship with Christ and is not dependent on feelings we may or may not have for a fellow believer. Brother-sister relationships in Christ involve two foundational elements, commitment to fulfill the responsibility of a fellow-believer in Christ and care and concern a believer is to have toward other believers. It can involve affection as we work together in Christ, but affection is not a necessary element. We are commanded in the Scriptures to show love to all believers, but we are not commanded to make all believers our friends.

A third relationship God describes in the Bible is marriage.

Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman that binds them together for life. Genesis 2:24 says, "That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two of them will become one" (NIRV). This verse tells us that marriage involves the husband and wife severing ties of intimate relationships with parents to cleave to each other. It involves coming together into a permanent bond of unity. It means becoming physically intimate with each other as one flesh. Marriage involves three elements, commitment, care and concern, and emotion. When a Christian marries, he or she is making a commitment to fulfill the responsibility God ordains for the husband or wife to fulfill. He or she is making a commitment to have care and concern for the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental welfare of his or her marriage partner. It also involves the joy of romantic desire/attraction and intimacy and sexual desire/attraction and intimacy. The Song of Songs, the dialogue between King Solomon and his bride, is a celebration of the romantic and physical love between a husband and wife. It shows that God desires that they enjoy the blessings of the union He created. Song of Songs 1:2 says "Kiss me—full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine" (MSG). Husbands and wives are to rejoice in each other's love both romantically and sexually.

Each of these three relationships have two common characteristics, a commitment to the responsibilities of that particular kind of relationship and a genuine care and concern for the other person in a particular kind of relationship. Friendship and marriage have a third characteristic - affection and attraction, although the nature of the affection and attraction is different. Of these three relationships, the Scriptures only speak of romantic attraction and desire being expressed in marriage. Song of Songs gives a beautiful picture of the feelings and expression of romantic desire and attraction. Song of Songs 4:10 says "How sweet is your love, my treasure, my bride! How much better it is than wine! Your perfume is more fragrant than the richest of spices" (NLT). Only in marriage may a man and woman enjoy expressing their romantic and sexual desires toward each other.

What about a romantic relationship without moving toward marriage?

Isn't there another kind of relationship described in Scripture where a man and woman can share romantic intimacy with some physical intimacy without moving toward marriage? No. This kind of relationship does not exist in the Scriptures. What is the difference between romantic desire and romantic intimacy? Romantic desire and attraction is the feeling and desire one has when he or she is attracted to someone of the opposite sex. Romantic intimacy is when those desires are expressed and shared with someone else with the same desires through dating experiences that develop a romantic closeness usually with some physical intimacy expressed. Where does romantic intimacy fit into these relationships God has described? The purpose for romantic intimacy and romantic expression is for marriage and that is where it is to come into full bloom. It is like a flower bud that exists before marriage and is only opened up in a full way when it is time for it to bloom (in marriage). Why? Romantic intimacy involves the most fragile part of our being - our hearts. Once our feelings are expressed and shared, the deepest part of us becomes vulnerable to another.

Song of Songs 4:9 describes the vulnerability of expressing romantic desire to another when it says, "You've captured my heart, dear friend. You looked at me, and I fell in love. One look my way and I was hopelessly in love" (MSG). When romantic desire and attraction are expressed and reciprocated it captures the heart and makes it vulnerable. Without the commitment and resultant security of marriage, our hearts can easily be crushed.

The bride of Solomon in the Song of Songs celebrates the unity of romantic and physical intimacy as she proclaims in 1:2 "Kiss me—full on the mouth! Yes! For your love is better than wine" (MSG). The Hebrew word translated "love" in that verse is literally "lovemaking," - showing love sexually.
In God's beautiful plan for man and woman, romantic intimacy and physical intimacy come to full expression together ONLY within the protective bond of marriage.

Based on the Scriptures we have seen thus far, we can draw some important conclusions that can give you guidance regarding dating:

1. God desires for you to experience friendships with others before marriage. And it is a friendship-type relationship (with romantic desire, but NOT romantic intimacy) with a believer of the opposite sex that moves directly into engagement (preparation for marriage).
2. In the Scriptures, no relationships are moved to the engagement/marriage stage unless the person is mature enough to be married. In Genesis 28:1-3, Isaac calls for his son Jacob when he is mature enough to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and commands him to seek a wife.
3. Romantic intimacy should not be experienced without the commitment of marriage to go with it. Romantic and physical intimacy is to be expressed only in marriage between a husband and wife. The Song of Songs shows us that romantic intimacy and physical intimacy are expressed together in marriage.

This brings us to how "dating" fits into God's Word. It all depends on one's definition and purpose of a "date."

What is a "date"?

The term "dating" is such a powerful one in our culture which needs to be dealt with. Dating can be defined in two ways depending on the purpose and focus of the time spent together:
1. "Relationship dating" is where two people of the opposite sex who are attracted to each other (romantic desire) get together with the focus on getting to know each other to build a solid relationship without involvement in romantic intimacy.
2. "Romantic dating" is where two people of the opposite sex who are attracted to each other (romantic desire) get together with the focus on building romantic intimacy with each other and also getting to know each other.

Which of these two fits within the Biblical Guidelines? The kind of relationship where you focus on getting to know each other as you would in a friendship, which is called "Relationship Dating." Two people who are attracted to each other (romantic desire) should develop and maintain a friendship-type relationship and be careful at first not to focus on their attraction and romantic desire and allow it to drive their relationship. They should focus on getting to know each other and relating together in a healthy way, giving their relationship time to develop and themselves time to grow in their care and concern for each other. They should spend time together in activities that promote them getting to know each other and enjoying each other as friends rather than activities that fuel their romantic desires and/or express them. They drive their relationship by their mutual care and concern for each other rather than their romantic feelings for each other.

Question: If I "relationship date" and not focus our relationship on romantic intimacy, will I be able to build a solid foundation for marriage if we grow to love each other and want to get married?
Answer: Absolutely yes. How does "relationship dating" establish a Biblical foundation for marriage? It allows you the time and opportunity to develop the kind of love that God desires in marriage if that is where the relationship leads.

Loving one's spouse according to the Scriptures involves four elements:

1. A genuine care and concern resulting in self-sacrificial attitudes and actions to meet the needs of your spouse
2. A commitment to fulfill your God-ordained marriage responsibility to your wife or husband
3. A romantic and sexual desire and attraction
4. A commitment to separate oneself from others of the opposite sex for exclusive and permanent romantic and physical intimacy

"Being in love" is a phrase our culture uses for the romantic and sexual attraction that a man can feel for a woman (or a woman for a man) mixed in with care and concern which drives him or her to want to marry the other person. True Biblical love is much more balanced and focused on genuine care and concern and faithful fulfillment of marriage responsibility. A key question for those wondering if they have real "love" (as God defines it) that will last a lifetime in marriage is:

"Am I ready to commit myself to this person to sacrifice myself for this person, to care for and be concerned about this person, to be exclusive with and united to this person, and fulfill my God-ordained responsibility to this person for life?"

If a couple is ready to do this, then they are ready to love each other for a lifetime. To come to this commitment, a couple needs to focus their energy on developing this kind of love for each other based of a strong care and concern for each other and a commitment to fulfill their responsibilities in marriage rather than on strong passionate romantic feelings which eventually calm down and change after marriage. Often a couple will make a marriage commitment based on very powerful romantic feelings fueled by romantic intimacy experienced in dating (with or without sex), rather than a strong and healthy loving relationship based upon a solid knowledge of each other. If they have built a foundation of genuine care and concern, they will have a solid foundation on which to build a marriage and drive their changing feelings.

How one views "dating" and how one "dates" a potential marriage partner establishes either a weak foundation or a strong foundation for a relationship that one wants to last for a lifetime. The focus should be on "how a Christian man and woman develop the kind of love relationship which will lead to and make a strong marriage and thus last a lifetime" If they are going to use "dating" as a method, then they need to "relationship date."

These principles should be considered for those who are in their college years and beyond. Young teens should primarily focus on their relationship with God through Christ first with obedience to God's word and their parents' guidance as ordained by God.

- Paraphrased from Pastor Ron Jones, D.D. of the Titus Institute

Are You On Fire for God?

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Monday 14/08/2006

Do we really know what it means to be on fire for God?

I'll bet most of us are thinking that being "on fire" means that we are excited or "revved up." And while this can be esoterically true, it really doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what it means to be on fire for God.

A beautiful song by the Christian band, Among Thorns:

"Start a Fire" as recorded by Among Thorns

Start a fire in me
Let the flames run free
Burn away the dross
Holy fire of God So let it begin
Let it be new
Let me be used for Your sake
Giving glory to Your name
I can live Knowing that You
Reside in my heart
Oh Lord You are a fire

Let's look at the "fire" in question. Truly, in the context of the song, "fire" refers to a refiner's fire. So, what is that? According to the bible and history, a refiner's fire is a flame used by metal smiths to purify the metal they are working with, particularly gold and silver.

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire" - Malachi 3:2 (NKJV)

A modern translation reads: "But who can live through the day of His coming? Who can stand when He shows Himself? For He is like a fire for making gold pure" - Malachi 3:2 (NLV)

In Malachi 3, he is speaking of the coming day of judgment.

God IS so very pure, perfect, holy and righteous that there is no way we can even hope to come close to His grand, supreme, wonderful, and eternal existence. A pitiful example would be to compare a worn, tattered, white shirt, riddled with holes and stains that it looks irreparably grimy next to a never fading, pristine, perfectly white shirt, that is so bright, it almost glows in sunlight.

When we go before God on the day of judgment, it will not matter what good we have done, we are still just like filthy clothes or like a piece of metal that hasn’t been refined and left a dull, rough mess.

Sounds pretty dismal, huh?

There is good news here. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and trust in Him as our master, the refiner's fire starts to burn away all those nasty stains and that filthy dross (impurities, imperfections, superfluous and useless stuff) in our lives.

Yes, being on fire can mean having a gung-ho attitude about God and our Christian faith. But a more beautiful thing is for God to be that fire in us that constantly renews us in His plan, honor and glory. His fire helps us cope with our "dross" and burns it away as we grow as Christians.

I am very blessed to be "on fire" for God.

The words we speak may get us into deeper trouble than we know!!!!!!!!!!!

From my MySpace Blog originally posted Thursday 06/07/2006

Our friends in the entertainment industry have done it again!

I have been paying attention to this for quite a while and am just now starting to perceive of what is actually happening. It is about blasphemy. Please bear with me as you read the following from the bible. It is important to understand just how serious this is.

From the New International Version

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7 (the 3rd Commandment)

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:12

Do not profane my holy name. Leviticus 22:32

If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. Leviticus 24:15-16

That is a pretty high standard to follow but it IS what God commands.

To blatantly misuse, make light of, or substitute for a filthy four-letter word, the Holy name of the One who created everything and gave us life is just outrageous.

But in our pop culture, we let this sin slide right by us without even noticing.

I was watching a cable channel the other day where a movie deliberately edited out the sound what an actress said “Jesus Christ.” Granted it was used as an expression of frustration which would have qualified it as blasphemy. I thought that it was a good sign that maybe the programmers and that particular channel didnt want to offend people by using the Lords name in vain. The very next day there was a move where a male actor used GD as an adjective. This time is was in full audio and I was getting upset about it being repeated various times throughout the movie. I have started to really pay attention to TV dialog lately and have noticed that they edit out the name of our Savior all together and yet allow the Name of God to be treated as garbage. I have seen many times where Jesus Christ or Jesus is edited out but yet GD is all over the place.

Then it dawned on me! The media, mainly controlled by people who dont even have a connection to God, is doing its best to minimize God as a trivial reference. AND at the same time eliminating the existence of our savior, Jesus Christ by silencing ANY mention of His name.

And we are following right in line behind this trend. There are too many uses of the names of God being casually thrown into our messages and bulletins. And yes, gawd, lawdy, omg, and even the despicable omfg qualify as blasphemy.

If you are a believer, dont get sucked into the pop cultures trend of blasphemy… the price is WAY TOO high!