Musings on the Sabbath…

Is that allowed? Can you muse on the Sabbath? Just kidding. Of course you can muse on the Sabbath. It’s a holy day…muse about GOD and HIS word all day long if you choose.  Smile Seriously, though, have you considered the wisdom and blessings contained in the Sabbath? As we all know, it’s a day of rest….even for slaves and aliens! How kind is that? GOD has compassion on slaves and aliens! Everyone deserves a day of rest. No. Not exactly. EVERYONE NEEDS a day of rest. GOD is good. HE knows what we need (way) better than we know what we need and HE’s looking out for us. Just like HE doesn’t really covet the ‘fat’, but rather knows it’s bad for you. In like manner, HE knows we NEED a day of rest. HE’s looking out for us.

The Sabbath also acts as a day of remembrance.  This is also for our good.

Mark 2:27  Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Deut 10:12-13...12 ¶  And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Deuteronomy 6:24...The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.

Proverbs 9:12...If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

Jeremiah 32:39  I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.

James 1:25  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Are you open-minded?

To call oneself open-minded is self indulgent. Why?  Because, when it comes to the larger issues in life, you can’t be open-minded to everything. What does that mean? It means that open-mindedness is a misnomer or worse in those cases. For instance, if you are open-minded when it comes to homosexuality, then you are close-minded when it comes to what the Bible teaches on this subject. If you are open-minded when it comes to abortion in general, then you are close-minded to the idea that life begins at conception. Either that, or you just don’t care about the rights of an individual life. Right? The list could go on and on.

Open-mindedness is one of those terms that has managed to gain favor in our society today. It sounds good to the ear. I mean ‘open’ sounds better than ‘closed’ or ‘narrow’ right? It does…just like ‘women’s health issues’ has a better ring to it than ‘abortion rights’. Just like the ‘patriot act’ sounds better than ‘we have severely compromised your rights regarding privacy’. But just because it’s got a better ring to it, doesn’t mean there’s anything better about it. As a matter of fact, it could be the complete opposite. As we all know, nice sounding words can be deceptive.

Col 2:4 I tell you this so that no-one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

Col 2:8 See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Jude 1:4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Titus 1:11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Titus 3:10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

2 John 1:9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

1Tim 6:20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.

2 Peter 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Acts 20:28-31 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

2 Peter 2:18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity— for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

2Cor 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Matthew 24:4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ', and will deceive many."

Matthew 24:23 At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Matthew 18:6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

1 John 2:23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Psalms 4:2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Matthew 10:32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."

Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

Hebrews 10:29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities— his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The Dilemma…

When they created the constitution, the population in the USA was about 4 million, and the weapon of the day was a single shot musket. I understand that you could fire off about 3 rounds every minute if you were very proficient. Sure, it made sense that practically anyone should be able to own one of those.

It’s a few years later now, the population is now over 300 million, and the killing power of weapons have advanced significantly. Apparently, some legally purchased weapons can fire off 100’s of rounds per minute? The rub is that though technologically we’ve advanced, morally, as a nation, we’ve declined.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the ‘falling away’ from GOD has begun and continues. Once again, let me repeat that GOD and His Word are one and the same. If you are not adhering to HIS Word, then no matter what you might think or how often you pray, you are falling away from GOD Himself.

So, in our current day and age, we have a dilemma. If the underlying reason for the slaughter of innocents is due to this ‘falling away’ and the subsequent lack of moral fiber that accompanies it, what can we, as a nation, do to fix that? That’s right, we can’t do much. Though we can make laws, we can’t force people to believe in GOD or choose to be moral.  So, since there is no quick fix for the underlying cause, what other options do we have that might help protect the innocents at this crucial time?  That is the big question, isn’t it?

Keeping it all together.

Surely, that was God’s plan. After all, God is wiser than man. Surely, He knew that if He didn’t reveal His holiness and define clearly what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong, that mankind would be without hope of ever achieving any degree of order in a world of chaos. You might say that God gave us the glue, the structure, the ingredients, and the ‘proof’ to back it up, that make for a good life on planet earth. Call it a gift. Of course, God and His Word are one and the same. They are inseparable. His Word is just an expression of who He is. Right? That said, that makes God, Himself, the gift that He gave us. Move away from God’s Word, and you move away from God. Move away from God, and you move away from peace and order. Move away from peace and order (God, as defined in his Word) and you begin to see the results…which is chaos. I think this is what is happening in our world. The moral foundation, the glue is breaking down. Many people claim to know and love God, but they don’t adhere to His Word. That’s not loving God. God’s Word clearly states that loving God is following His commands…and to be clear…that’s not just the ‘commands’ that you like or agree with in 2013! Again I say…undermine any of His clear teachings, and you undermine them all. When you do that, you play a part in the unraveling.

Luke 11:28…He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

John 14:15…"If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 14:21…Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23-24…Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

1 John 2:3-4…We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4…Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5…But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God---having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

What if satan had a plan…

…would you recognize it? If you aren’t already saved, the answer is….NO, absolutely not. If you ARE saved, it really depends on if you are also ‘well read’, knowledgeable, and actually believe all of what scripture says. Those that aren’t very familiar with what ‘scripture’ spells out in exacting detail, they are also the ones that are extremely vulnerable to being deceived. If you claim to love GOD, I’d recommend immersing yourself in the BIBLE. Dedicate at least a couple of years to study and prayer. Without it, you are an accident waiting to happen.

Matthew 13: 3-9…Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."

Work hard, tithe, and be blessed.

God believes in hard work. Can’t help but note that. Even in the garden, Adam had a job all lined out.

Genesis 2:4-7…This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground—the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:15...The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Can’t help but note that you still needed to work to attain any blessing from tithing. GOD mentioned that HE would bless your crops, vines, and fruit if you brought in the whole tithe to HIS storehouse. Yeah…crops, vines, and fruit require work…lots of work. Maybe it should say that GOD will bless your ‘work’ if you bring in the full tithe?

Malachi 3:6-12…"I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty”.

A few other scriptures to peruse:

Deuteronomy 15:10
Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us-yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 128:2
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Proverbs 12:11
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 18:9
One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

John 5:17
In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive’.

1 Corinthians 4:12
We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

Take your best shot…

A run for the American presidency….quite frankly, and quite likely, is the ‘biggest’ sporting event in the country, maybe the world? Let’s face it, it’s bigger than the NFL, NBA, NHL, and the UEFA combined. Bottom line, if you want to be the president of the United States of America…and expect to have any chance at all…you had best be a competitive maniac, possibly an egomaniac, and/or a person so committed to their vision/calling that they are willing to play this most competitive sport with unbridled gusto and enthusiasm. As any true sports fan knows, in any highly competitive sport, there’s an element of psychological warfare. In the sport of boxing for instance, one boxer might hang their chin out there…tempting the other boxer to give it their best shot. If the other boxer does manage to connect and yet the one hanging their chin out there ultimately survives unscathed and undaunted, that could/would/should be disheartening to the one that actually landed that punch. They might just realize that the other competitor can take their best shot and survive it without issue? What else do they have in their arsenal?

When it comes to presidential debates….you can bet there is a ‘huge’ element of psychology involved. I’m of the opinion that President Obama spotted Romney that first debate. I think Romney knows it.

Denny Duron

Denny preached this message at the men’s convention at Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, California in the early 1990’s.  I wasn’t at the convention, but a great friend of mine who did see it first hand, brought the cassette home with him and loaned it to me.  It has blessed me greatly!  As far as I know, it’s never been available anywhere online, and that’s a great shame that needed to be rectified.   Hence, I’ve uploaded it to YouTube so others can enjoy this great, spirited message. 

Click HERE to hear this great sermon.

It’s a battle whether you know it or not…and satan IS a worthy adversary.

Imagine tricky….then multiply times a million….and there you have him….satan. I know, I know…I hate satan like the rest of you…and would never give him kudos…but we would be wise to understand the depths that he is willing to go to neutralize you. If he can create the opportunity….he will use your best friend in the world to shut you up (if you are a threat to his control). Yeah…I know…this sets me up as the person who has delusions of grandeur…who thinks of himself worthy of such an attack. But guess what? WE are all worthy of such an attack if we are treading on his, potentially, damned grounds. You think you are wise? Think again. JESUS CHRIST was crucified by satan. Poor satan. He underestimated JESUS. What a name! Surely…a name above all NAMES….YES INDEED…JESUS IS LORD. satan has ultimately been defeated. THANK YOU JESUS. JESUS, YOU ALONE RULE.

Eden…

I’m of the opinion that many people long for Eden.  Indeed, (some of us) are aliens in this world.  This world just doesn’t fit…doesn’t fulfill.  And on that note…if you were given the opportunity to live in Eden…in keeping with the spirit of an ‘Eden’…who would you take with you?  Any person?  Your dog?  Who?

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Was Jesus GOD?

  Here is what scripture says:   1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord...