Just do it!

Mark 12:30...And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Some people are offended by this 'command'.  They think...who does this so-called god think he is to command that people love him?  Well, HE's prophetic for one.  HE knows who HE is, who you are, and ultimately, what will be.  I truly believe that when you meet GOD, you will automatically do what Mark documents, and not out of obligation.  You will love GOD because of HIS goodness and love.  In HIS presence, at long last, you will KNOW that GOD is GOOD beyond description.  You will know that GOD is priceless.  You WILL worship HIM, but not out of obligation.  David speaks of how GOD's love is better than life.  Moses saw the 'glory' of GOD and immediately fell down and worshiped.  Guess what?  Yeah...HE's that AWESOME.  BELIEVE IT.

Psalms 63:3…Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Exodus 33:18-19…Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Exodus 34:6-8…And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshipped.

Romans 14:1…It is written: "‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’"

Think Possible.

When I was 13 or 14 years old, I had an interesting experience.

One day I was standing by the side of the road in my home town. About a half a block up the road from me there was this boy that was a couple of years my junior. For whatever reason, he called me a name or two of some sort and then took off running toward his house. His house was a block or so away. I took off after him. Now you have to understand something, though I was a very athletic young man, I was by no means a speed demon. I was only average in the speed department. That is, except for this particular day at that particular time. I noticed immediately while I was running that something was different. I was gliding along and it didn’t seem to be taking any effort at all. It was like I caught him while he was standing still, though he was running as fast as he could. In seconds I was on top of him and as he glanced back to see how far away I was, he was shocked to find me right there! He collapsed onto the pavement and looked up at me as I stood over him and said…I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE THAT FAST!! I just laughed and walked away and he got up and went home. I never forgot that day. I never ran that fast and that effortlessly ever again in my life. The only thing I can conclude is that GOD momentarily gave me super speed because he had plans for that young man. Maybe he was teaching him a valuable lesson about humility or something? He taught me something, too, though. He taught me that with the power of the LORD upon him, it would be no problem for Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot. Indeed, nothing is impossible for GOD.

Luke 1:37…For nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 18:27…Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Jeremiah 32:17…"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

Jeremiah 32:27…"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time things were pretty good. Then along comes a spider, and sits down beside her, and convinces her that things could be even better….that she could have even more. Of course the spider was lying. In actuality, the spider was bent on destroying her and all that was good. I think the spider coined the phrase…the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Sadly, the spider manages to deceive the girl by appealing to her flesh, her greed, her vanity, her pride, her visceral qualities. She falls for it and convinces those around her of the same. They, too, forfeit what is good.

In one way or another, this is still going on today.

Unqualified comments on love

I am not qualified to speak of love. Nonetheless.

Thoughts on love.

When I think of ‘pure love’, I think of GOD…and GOD alone. When I read the love chapter in 1st Corinthians Chapter 13, it becomes obvious to me that no one I have EVER known (especially me) can claim that they personify that description of love. It sounds amazing! I see ‘pure’ love as an outgoing thing. In modern day vernacular, let’s call it streaming. It just pours out….no conditions. With GOD, it’s just who HE is. WOW!

Human ‘love’ is more of a tit for tat thing. Very, very conditional and discriminating, generally speaking. I’ll love you if you love me back. I’ll give to you if you give back to me. If you don’t live up to my expectations, well, quite frankly, you’re out! I’m sure there are exceptions, and I could name a few possibilities, but I won’t.

The point of this paragraph or two? GOD is amazing. We, as humans, not so much. That doesn't mean we should give up and quit trying to love like GOD does, though.  Just the opposite.  If we see where we lack, we just might be able to elevate our game a notch or two. Also, seeing where we lack might help us in the humility department. The LORD knows, we could all use a dose of that.

1 John 4:16…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.

Matthew 5:43-45…You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

1 John 1:5…This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

John 3:16…For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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?

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...