Daniel 3:
Verse 1 - Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
Verse 2 - Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Verse 3 - Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Verse 4 - Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
Verse 5 - That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
Verse 6 - And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Verse 7 - Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Verse 8 - Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
Verse 9 - They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
Verse 10 - Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
Verse 11 - And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Verse 12 - There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Verse 13 - Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Verse 14 - Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
Verse 15 - Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Verse 16 - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Verse 17 - If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Verse 18 - But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Verse 19 - Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Verse 20 - And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 21 - Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 22 - Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Verse 23 - And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Verse 24 - Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
Verse 25 - He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Verse 26 - Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
Verse 27 - And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Verse 28 - Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Verse 29 - Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Verse 30 - Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
I. Nebuchadnezzer wanted the people to respond with political correctness. Verses 4, 5.
II. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to respond that way. Verse 12.
III. They were accused by the politically correct crowd. Verse 12.
IV. Nebuchadnezzer thought he was bigger than God. Verse 14, 15.
So does the politically correct crowd today.
V. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused the political correctness of the day to obey God. Verses 16-18.
VI. They knew that stand may cost them something. Verse 18.
VII. They made no excuse for obeying God and were willing to die for Him. Verse 18.
VIII. Three men were bound by man. Those same three men were loosed by God. Verses 20, 21, 23, and 25.
IX. Even a lost man recognized Jesus. Verse 25.
If lost men are honest about it many of them recognize God. They may not acknowledge Him but the recognize Him.
X. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego still obeyed a lost king as long as his request did not interfere with their obedience to God. Verse 26.
XI. The politically correct crowd saw the victory and the protection and the power of God.
XII. The lost king recognized God's power and was converted in, at least, his thinking. Verse 28.
XIII. A godly testimony points other toward Him. Verses 28, 29.
XIV. The king thought he promoted Daniel and the others but God honored their obedience. Verse 30
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Lessons from a Ceramic Monkey Bank
Hi, My name is Wayne. I know you're probably thinking, Wayne. Wayne is a weird name for a monkey. But, actually, I was made in the United States so why not a name like Wayne? I was made in 1956 by a company that was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the time.
One day I was purchased by a lady named Peggy Hull. She took me home and mostly just sat me on the shelf. Same as happens to most ceramic banks, I suppose. I wasn't used much. Oh, now and then someone would put a few coins in me but they didn't stay long before they would be shaken out again. Peggy, my owner, had two children and whenever my coins were removed they would try to shake them out through the slot in the back of my head where they had been inserted. Peggy didn't want me broken, you see.
In time, Peggy passed and I fell into the hands of her son, Richard. He has tried to take care of me and make sure nothing happened to me over the years. Again, mostly I have just sat on the shelf. Once in a while he looks at me and thinks about his mom, Peggy.
Richard just recently realized that, since I am almost as old as him, just two years younger in fact. That I might just have a couple of lessons he could learn from me. So he decided a good place to put them would be here in his blog so that maybe someone else could, also, benefit from them.
I was thrilled the day Peggy brought me home. And even more thrilled to meet "Richard" and his sister, Pam. I put Richard in quotes there because that is not what his family calls him but he doesn't like anyone but his family calling him by that name so out of respect for his wishes I will not tell you what it is. Just know that I very much consider "Richard" family and would call him by the family name if I could talk. But, wait, I do talk! Oh, not with words but with those life lessons that one can only learn by paying attention. You see, some things that never use words speak the loudest if we listen.
The first lesson that I have to share is that I have been a part of "Richard's" family for sixty years and I have never told anything about what I have seen. I wouldn't even if I could talk. You see, that's the way it is with close friends and family. They see things, they know things, but they don't share things. They don't gossip, spread rumors, or reveal secrets. Perhaps sometimes it would be better if humans didn't talk. A lot of pain is sometimes caused by people who talk too much. I know that often times it is not intentional but it hurts just the same. I have known "Richard" and his family all this time and have sat on the shelf and seen and heard things but you'll never get them out of me. I know how to be a close friend and a good family member. Not that my family has any deep, dark secrets. No, I don't mean anything like that! But they are family and their business is private business only to be shared with whomever they decide to share it with. Same as your business should be.
In the old days, remember I am sixty years old, people just didn't put their family business out there for all to know about it. That's just that way it was. Now, with the invention of "social media" it seems like others know more about someone than they know about themselves. At least that's my opinion.
Well, part of being wise, and I hope I've learned some things over the years, is knowing when to shut up. I think now is that time for me. You have my first lesson. If "Richard" allows there may be more to come but that is for another day. I sure hope I can be of help to some of you. I hope to talk to all of you again, soon.
For now I'll just sign off. Have a great day, or night wherever you may be.
Lovingly,
Wayne
Monday, September 7, 2015
Response to a Liberal Newspaper Columnist
I'd like to just say a few things to Tim Rowland regarding the Kentucky clerk jailed for not issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples. You start out by belittling her with the phrase "her type". Yes, you are right "her type" can be found in any decade you choose and I hope that "her type" will always be found in every decade. This is still America, Mr. Rowland, though it is looking more and more like "Norway, or any other culture that frowns on non-conformists" by the day. We still have the right to protest and express our beliefs. However, it is becoming more and more dangerous for the Bible-believing Christian to do so. And will continue to if you and your liberal cronies have their way.
Davis may have promised the voters she would be a good steward of their tax dollars and follow the statues of the office to the letter. When Davis was elected homosexual marriage wasn't legal. She still has a right under the United States Constitution to refuse to do something that violates her conscience.
I believe you have it backwards when you blame corporations for denying healthcare and school districts for overwriting history in the name of religious freedom. More like those of us who believe in the Holy Bible are being denied, more and more, our religious freedom. It is quite obvious you are ignorant of what the Bible says if you think God is "cool with a woman who runs through one marriage after the other." He is not, however, the kind of God Who holds a grudge but One Who is forgiving, kind, and loving. God hates adultery and homosexuality and sin in general but He still loves the sinner.
I am one of those who believes in the rule of law unless it violates God's law. Religious freedom is on what this country was founded. I know you and the liberal crowd have tried to deny that and rewrite that part of history but you will never be able to do that completely. God will have a remnant who know, teach, and speak the truth as long as there is a United States of America.
You state that Mrs. Davis can't perform her duties and protect her conscience and religious freedom. Why shouldn't she be able to? What if your liberal opinions and beliefs were being squelched like hers? Here's a better question: Why shouldn't your liberal opinions and beliefs be squelched like hers? What is it that makes your beliefs and opinions better than hers? What if the Supreme Court said that everyone must start attending a Christian church every Sunday? You may say you don't believe in God but the Supreme Court says, it doesn't matter, every Sunday everyone who does not believe in God will be required to attend Christian church services. How would you feel? Maybe like violating the rule of law? Maybe like catering to your conscience?
You are wrong when you say "had the Founders believed as Davis thinks they did, there would be no use for a Constitution and no use for laws, because everyone would act in accordance with their beliefs." Surely if you think about this statement you will know how ludicrous it sounds. Just a slight study of history will explain why the Constitution was written and a part of it was to protect religious freedom.
You're right, no one is forcing Mrs. Davis to believe anything she doesn't want to believe but they, obviously, are trying. Just like they were trying with the bakery that refused to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding and put them out of business. Is that what you are waiting to see, Mr. Rowland, every Christian who takes a stand for what they believe to be right, jailed or put out of business? Otherwise, why throw her in jail for standing up for her beliefs? You and your liberal crowd should be glad Mrs. Davis chose jail. It saved you the trouble of pushing her like the Christian bakery was pushed Yes, Davis is free to resign her post. So are you free to resign yours. I really don't care to hear you liberal viewpoints again and I don't want to stop my subscription to my newspaper so I move that you should resign your post. In fact, I think I will post this article on my Facebook page and see how many agree with me that you should resign. That's what you expect from Mrs. Davis. What about it, Mr. Rowland, will you resign or will you be the hypocrite you accuse so many Christians of being?
Davis may have promised the voters she would be a good steward of their tax dollars and follow the statues of the office to the letter. When Davis was elected homosexual marriage wasn't legal. She still has a right under the United States Constitution to refuse to do something that violates her conscience.
I believe you have it backwards when you blame corporations for denying healthcare and school districts for overwriting history in the name of religious freedom. More like those of us who believe in the Holy Bible are being denied, more and more, our religious freedom. It is quite obvious you are ignorant of what the Bible says if you think God is "cool with a woman who runs through one marriage after the other." He is not, however, the kind of God Who holds a grudge but One Who is forgiving, kind, and loving. God hates adultery and homosexuality and sin in general but He still loves the sinner.
I am one of those who believes in the rule of law unless it violates God's law. Religious freedom is on what this country was founded. I know you and the liberal crowd have tried to deny that and rewrite that part of history but you will never be able to do that completely. God will have a remnant who know, teach, and speak the truth as long as there is a United States of America.
You state that Mrs. Davis can't perform her duties and protect her conscience and religious freedom. Why shouldn't she be able to? What if your liberal opinions and beliefs were being squelched like hers? Here's a better question: Why shouldn't your liberal opinions and beliefs be squelched like hers? What is it that makes your beliefs and opinions better than hers? What if the Supreme Court said that everyone must start attending a Christian church every Sunday? You may say you don't believe in God but the Supreme Court says, it doesn't matter, every Sunday everyone who does not believe in God will be required to attend Christian church services. How would you feel? Maybe like violating the rule of law? Maybe like catering to your conscience?
You are wrong when you say "had the Founders believed as Davis thinks they did, there would be no use for a Constitution and no use for laws, because everyone would act in accordance with their beliefs." Surely if you think about this statement you will know how ludicrous it sounds. Just a slight study of history will explain why the Constitution was written and a part of it was to protect religious freedom.
You're right, no one is forcing Mrs. Davis to believe anything she doesn't want to believe but they, obviously, are trying. Just like they were trying with the bakery that refused to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding and put them out of business. Is that what you are waiting to see, Mr. Rowland, every Christian who takes a stand for what they believe to be right, jailed or put out of business? Otherwise, why throw her in jail for standing up for her beliefs? You and your liberal crowd should be glad Mrs. Davis chose jail. It saved you the trouble of pushing her like the Christian bakery was pushed Yes, Davis is free to resign her post. So are you free to resign yours. I really don't care to hear you liberal viewpoints again and I don't want to stop my subscription to my newspaper so I move that you should resign your post. In fact, I think I will post this article on my Facebook page and see how many agree with me that you should resign. That's what you expect from Mrs. Davis. What about it, Mr. Rowland, will you resign or will you be the hypocrite you accuse so many Christians of being?
Sunday, June 28, 2015
An Open Letter to the Supreme Court
The Chief Justice of the United States
One First Street N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20543
June 27, 2015
Dear Chief Justice:
I am a sixty-one year old American male. I vote in presidential and
local elections and have always been proud to be an American and very grateful
to have been born in this great country but, today, I am extremely saddened and
heart-broken for the United States of America. I believe in my heart that, on
June 26, 2015, America died.
For many years this great country has been committing a slow suicide.
Its morals have been steadily eroding and our rights, especially those of
Christian conservatives (and I will say unashamedly that I fit in that
category), have been declining. Over the last couple of years our courts have
allowed and indeed participated in the closing of Christian businesses whose
owners have tried standing up for their rights (or what were their rights up
until today) and the dictates of their consciences not to participate in or
support so-called homosexual marriages. You may recall that America was founded
on the principles that one need not participate in or support anything that
violates one’s conscience.
For the last couple of years Christian conservatives have lost their
livelihood, their homes, their businesses and have been undermined in their
communities and our courts for their beliefs that participating in or
supporting homosexual marriage is wrong according to God’s Holy Word. On June
26, 2015 you and your cohorts joined your cronies, in this case the homosexual
agenda, in spitting in the faces of all of those Christian conservatives who
worked so hard for their families and building successful businesses to provide
for those families because they thought that was their American right. But you
and the rest of the justices (how ironic a title given this abominable ruling
handed down by the majority of the Supreme Court) have proven that it is no
longer a right that they can exercise freely. And that it is okay if they lose
their livelihood, their homes, their businesses, are undermined in their
communities and our courts, and forced to violate their consciences.
All of you have drawn a line in the sand against the beliefs of
Christian conservatives. If I were in your shoes, Chief Justice Roberts, or the
shoes of any of your cohorts, I would stand in fear and trembling because
whether you believe in Him or not one day you will face the Almighty God whose
word states that homosexuality is an abomination. I do not hate the homosexual,
neither does God, but His Holy Word still calls it an abomination. “For the
wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known
of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as
God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and to fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of
their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed
the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up
unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that
which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of
the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that
which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error
which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient.” Romans 1:18-28. I have had homosexual friends who knew where I
stand and if they could accept that then I could treat them the same as I treat
everyone else. But they, also, knew I disagreed with the homosexual lifestyle
while I believe they have a right to live that way if they so choose. That being
said, I, likewise, believe that Christians (including Christian businessmen and
women) have a right to live in a way that does not violate their conscience.
And that they should not have to suffer for it, especially in the United States
of America.
On that day that you and your cohorts stand before Almighty God all of
you will give an account to Him for this decision. As will all of us for the
decisions that we have made. I urge you and your cohorts to take inventory of
yourselves and realize that you are all sinners. “For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. That God put a price on our sin. “For
the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. “And as it is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27. You and your cohorts are
familiar with the term judgment I am sure. That God made a way for us to escape
His wrath. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. That even sinful, wicked man can be
saved by God’s love if he accepts God’s gift. “But the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23b. All one has to do is pray
from one’s heart and ask God to forgive them and save them. “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. It is my
prayer that all of you will repent and accept Jesus Christ as you Savior and
Lord.
The decision all of you made in legalizing homosexual marriage is one
with which we all will, and you surely know this, be forced to comply. I have
seen a lot of things in my sixty-one years of life but never in my wildest
imaginations did I ever believe that I would see a day when our leaders would
legalize an act that our Creator God calls, in His Holy Word, an abomination.
Two of the Justices, Justice Ginsburg and Justice Kagan should have
recused themselves from this case as they had both attended or presided over a
homosexual marriage prior. Thus, they proved even before this case came before
the Supreme Court where they stood on the issue. To recuse themselves would have been the
honorable thing to do.
Yes, Chief Justice Roberts, on June 26, 2015 you and your cohorts not
only changed the face of America but spat on all those American Christians who
lost so much because of their stand for right and against the homosexual
agenda. How is it that the Supreme Court of the United States of America should
side with such a small minority and stamp on the Christian principles on which
this country was founded? Every civilized society that has fallen has fallen
because of sexual sin and America will be no different. So let me repeat what I
stated in the beginning of my letter. I believe in my heart that on June 26,
2015, America died. I only pray that repentance on the part of God’s people will
revive her.
Sorrowfully,
Richard A. Hull
Christian Conservative
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Indiana and Arkansas' RFRA Bills
It is a sad day when we are fighting in the United States of America over a right that has already been granted hundreds of years ago by the Constitution of the United States of America. I am talking about the rights granted by the First Amendment. It reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Neither the Indiana or Arkansas bills would be necessary if it weren't for the fact that Christians are being forced to close their business' and fined for standing up for their religious beliefs, the free exercise of which is guaranteed by the Amendment above. When one is a "good" Christian he tries his best to live by the precepts and principles that Christ taught. The same could and should be said for anyone else who is a "good" religionist (if you will). If one is a "good" buddhist he tries to live by what Buddha taught, hindu by what their leader taught and even a muslim by what Mohammed taught.
Let me say right here, I am not trying to compare the beliefs of these different religions. I am simply saying that if one believes in something be it a religion, idea, concept, principle, or relationship that is usually a large part (if not the main thing) that governs their life. That is what it means to be a faithful follower of whatever or whomever one believes in.
How do I know one is a buddhist,a muslim, a hindu, or a Christian? I know either because they have told me that is what they are or I have, at some point, observed it in their life. I have seen them practice the teachings and principles of that faith. Genuine faith should be a lifestyle and so as one practices what they believe to be their "genuine" faith that should become their lifestyle. That faith should govern one's life. It should govern their method of worship, their moral convictions, their ideas, their relationship with their fellow man, their core practices. It should be that upon which their principles are based.
Think this through with me: If we agree that one's "religion" should govern their core beliefs and they should act accordingly but do not then we label that person a hypocrite. If I believe in something strong enough to allow it to govern my life in the sense about which we have been talking then I can label that something my religion or lifestyle. Well then, that leaves us at the point where there may be many things that could be called a religion or lifestyle. And because I am an American citizen and live in this great country I am free (or at least always have been) to practice my religion/lifestyle however I so choose if it does not harm anyone else. Obviously, we must have laws to protect those who cannot defend themselves (i.e., the unborn, babies, the elderly, the mentally incapacitated, etc,). I think you get my point. But, I have no right, nor do you, my friend, to force someone else to be a hypocrite if what I believe and if living my lifestyle does not harm them in any way.
Do I have a right to force another person to believe my way? No, I do not, not in a free society. I may have an obligation to share my beliefs with someone else but beyond that the acceptance of those beliefs by the person with whom I share them is the decision of that person. The same applies, or always has up until recently, if one opens their own business.
If I open a business and am in adherence with the business laws of my state and federal government I have a right to operate it the way I believe is best. Upon what do I base that belief? Market trends, industry standards, legal practices, and many other things may be some of the things upon which I base my belief on how to do business.
But wait! Didn't we agree earlier that one's religion should govern what they do, what they practice, how they live? Therefore, how I run and operate my business should, also, govern how I do business and what I will allow to take place in that business. Who I will cater to, who my customer base will be, what prices I will charge, whether or not I give someone a discount all are up to me, the business owner. I have a right to refuse service to anyone because it is my business.
Businesses have been refusing to serve certain customers or potential customers since time began. You can read on almost any store window the sign that says, "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service". What! They are refusing business to a customer that comes in without either shoes or a shirt? Yes, they are! It has long been a practice of bars to refuse to serve patrons who are too drunk for their own safety or the safety of those around them. They, also, have to refuse serving an alcoholic beverage to a minor.
So, based on the fact that we believe our "religion" should govern our lifestyle are we obligated to force our beliefs on others? We could even say that homosexuality is a religion. But is it a "religion" to which I have to "convert"? Remember we said we may have an obligation to tell someone about our religion but we do not have the right to force our religion on someone else? Then why is it that those who practice homosexuality want to force this "religion" on those business owners who are entitled by law to refuse them service?
Why are those who practice the homosexual "religion" so intolerable of my lifestyle, religion, business practices, etc. while "preaching" tolerance to me? Remember, if I say I believe in something but don't practice it than I am a hypocrite. Doesn't that include the preaching of tolerance? I think it does.
All I am saying is this: If you want to practice homosexuality, that is your right. I have a right to speak out against it just as you have a right to speak our against Christianity, that is what makes us a free society. I am not coming into your establishment demanding that every homosexual dance with someone of the opposite gender because it upsets me to see you dance with someone of the same sex. I am not telling you to change your lifestyle for me. Is it really so wrong that I ask the same response from you toward me?
It has always been a business owners right to refuse service to anyone and it should continue to be.
Neither the Indiana or Arkansas bills would be necessary if it weren't for the fact that Christians are being forced to close their business' and fined for standing up for their religious beliefs, the free exercise of which is guaranteed by the Amendment above. When one is a "good" Christian he tries his best to live by the precepts and principles that Christ taught. The same could and should be said for anyone else who is a "good" religionist (if you will). If one is a "good" buddhist he tries to live by what Buddha taught, hindu by what their leader taught and even a muslim by what Mohammed taught.
Let me say right here, I am not trying to compare the beliefs of these different religions. I am simply saying that if one believes in something be it a religion, idea, concept, principle, or relationship that is usually a large part (if not the main thing) that governs their life. That is what it means to be a faithful follower of whatever or whomever one believes in.
How do I know one is a buddhist,a muslim, a hindu, or a Christian? I know either because they have told me that is what they are or I have, at some point, observed it in their life. I have seen them practice the teachings and principles of that faith. Genuine faith should be a lifestyle and so as one practices what they believe to be their "genuine" faith that should become their lifestyle. That faith should govern one's life. It should govern their method of worship, their moral convictions, their ideas, their relationship with their fellow man, their core practices. It should be that upon which their principles are based.
Think this through with me: If we agree that one's "religion" should govern their core beliefs and they should act accordingly but do not then we label that person a hypocrite. If I believe in something strong enough to allow it to govern my life in the sense about which we have been talking then I can label that something my religion or lifestyle. Well then, that leaves us at the point where there may be many things that could be called a religion or lifestyle. And because I am an American citizen and live in this great country I am free (or at least always have been) to practice my religion/lifestyle however I so choose if it does not harm anyone else. Obviously, we must have laws to protect those who cannot defend themselves (i.e., the unborn, babies, the elderly, the mentally incapacitated, etc,). I think you get my point. But, I have no right, nor do you, my friend, to force someone else to be a hypocrite if what I believe and if living my lifestyle does not harm them in any way.
Do I have a right to force another person to believe my way? No, I do not, not in a free society. I may have an obligation to share my beliefs with someone else but beyond that the acceptance of those beliefs by the person with whom I share them is the decision of that person. The same applies, or always has up until recently, if one opens their own business.
If I open a business and am in adherence with the business laws of my state and federal government I have a right to operate it the way I believe is best. Upon what do I base that belief? Market trends, industry standards, legal practices, and many other things may be some of the things upon which I base my belief on how to do business.
But wait! Didn't we agree earlier that one's religion should govern what they do, what they practice, how they live? Therefore, how I run and operate my business should, also, govern how I do business and what I will allow to take place in that business. Who I will cater to, who my customer base will be, what prices I will charge, whether or not I give someone a discount all are up to me, the business owner. I have a right to refuse service to anyone because it is my business.
Businesses have been refusing to serve certain customers or potential customers since time began. You can read on almost any store window the sign that says, "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service". What! They are refusing business to a customer that comes in without either shoes or a shirt? Yes, they are! It has long been a practice of bars to refuse to serve patrons who are too drunk for their own safety or the safety of those around them. They, also, have to refuse serving an alcoholic beverage to a minor.
So, based on the fact that we believe our "religion" should govern our lifestyle are we obligated to force our beliefs on others? We could even say that homosexuality is a religion. But is it a "religion" to which I have to "convert"? Remember we said we may have an obligation to tell someone about our religion but we do not have the right to force our religion on someone else? Then why is it that those who practice homosexuality want to force this "religion" on those business owners who are entitled by law to refuse them service?
Why are those who practice the homosexual "religion" so intolerable of my lifestyle, religion, business practices, etc. while "preaching" tolerance to me? Remember, if I say I believe in something but don't practice it than I am a hypocrite. Doesn't that include the preaching of tolerance? I think it does.
All I am saying is this: If you want to practice homosexuality, that is your right. I have a right to speak out against it just as you have a right to speak our against Christianity, that is what makes us a free society. I am not coming into your establishment demanding that every homosexual dance with someone of the opposite gender because it upsets me to see you dance with someone of the same sex. I am not telling you to change your lifestyle for me. Is it really so wrong that I ask the same response from you toward me?
It has always been a business owners right to refuse service to anyone and it should continue to be.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Monday, June 3, 2013
SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE-HITS-RED-LIGHT-IN-BLUE-ILLINOIS
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/01/SAME-SEX-MARRIAGE-HITS-RED-LIGHT-IN-BLUE-ILLINOIS
Throughout the day, same-sex marriage proponents hammered the Speaker relentlessly, threatening to withhold support for his daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a gubernatorial hopeful.
Equality Illinois and other groups brought in celebrities and generated thousands of phone calls. Governor Pat Quinn pushed hard, purportedly offering back room deals to members of the Black Caucus. But under the leadership of former Democrat Senator the Reverend James Meeks and Bishop Lance Davis, black legislators pushed back.
Representative Monique Davis, when asked by the Sun Times if same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue, said, “Have they ever hung from trees? Were they ever slaves for 500 years? Then I don’t think so."
"I don’t think (the issues are) equal… simple as that," she explained. "African-American people have the same right to be conservative on issues that everybody else has.”
With Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Obama advisor David Axelrod, Republican State Chairman Pat Brady, Republican Senator Mark Kirk, the Chicago media, and hometown favorite President Barack Obama lobbying hard for the measure, it was a stunning defeat.
The battle in Illinois began just before Christmas 2012, when same-sex marriage activists moved to call a vote during the holidays. Twelve family groups quickly formed the “Coalition to Protect Children & Families.” In an unprecedented act of cooperation, the Illinois Family Institute rallied thousands to the capitol and Family PAC made over 600,000 calls into legislative districts.
While pastors held breakfasts, the National Organization for Marriage gave financial support and provided expert testimony in Springfield with Dr. Jennifer Rohrbach Morse on the troubling side of same-sex marriage. Cardinal Francis George wrote and spoke with conviction against the proposal, as did Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield. Churches rallied and, in spite of the odds, to the surprise of Chicago media and the much better resourced gay gobby, pro-traditional family forces stopped the vote.
In the end, it came down to enormous pressure on twenty black Democratic legislators “I think after President Obama came out as a supporter of equal marriage there was a belief that it would be a no-brainer,” Representative Christian Mitchell said. “But I don’t think folks properly understood the influence and role of the church as it relates to African-American politics.”
Illinois is the first state to stop the gay marriage momentum since North Carolina in 2012.
What same-sex marriage advocates won in the Illinois Senate on Valentine’s Day 2013 was just reversed. After weeks and months of hard work to accomplish what should have been easy, gay Democrat sponsor Greg Harris could not muster the votes, while Democratic Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, did not even call for a vote to establish same sex marriage in Illinois.
“Today a broad grassroots coalition of Illinois families of Faith of all creeds and colors took on all the Illinois political bosses from Washington to the Governor’s Mansion to Chicago’s City Hall who tried to pay back the homosexual community for their political support,” said Paul Caprio, Spokesman for the Coalition to Protect Children & Marriage.Throughout the day, same-sex marriage proponents hammered the Speaker relentlessly, threatening to withhold support for his daughter, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a gubernatorial hopeful.
Equality Illinois and other groups brought in celebrities and generated thousands of phone calls. Governor Pat Quinn pushed hard, purportedly offering back room deals to members of the Black Caucus. But under the leadership of former Democrat Senator the Reverend James Meeks and Bishop Lance Davis, black legislators pushed back.
Representative Monique Davis, when asked by the Sun Times if same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue, said, “Have they ever hung from trees? Were they ever slaves for 500 years? Then I don’t think so."
"I don’t think (the issues are) equal… simple as that," she explained. "African-American people have the same right to be conservative on issues that everybody else has.”
With Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Obama advisor David Axelrod, Republican State Chairman Pat Brady, Republican Senator Mark Kirk, the Chicago media, and hometown favorite President Barack Obama lobbying hard for the measure, it was a stunning defeat.
The battle in Illinois began just before Christmas 2012, when same-sex marriage activists moved to call a vote during the holidays. Twelve family groups quickly formed the “Coalition to Protect Children & Families.” In an unprecedented act of cooperation, the Illinois Family Institute rallied thousands to the capitol and Family PAC made over 600,000 calls into legislative districts.
While pastors held breakfasts, the National Organization for Marriage gave financial support and provided expert testimony in Springfield with Dr. Jennifer Rohrbach Morse on the troubling side of same-sex marriage. Cardinal Francis George wrote and spoke with conviction against the proposal, as did Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield. Churches rallied and, in spite of the odds, to the surprise of Chicago media and the much better resourced gay gobby, pro-traditional family forces stopped the vote.
In the end, it came down to enormous pressure on twenty black Democratic legislators “I think after President Obama came out as a supporter of equal marriage there was a belief that it would be a no-brainer,” Representative Christian Mitchell said. “But I don’t think folks properly understood the influence and role of the church as it relates to African-American politics.”
Illinois is the first state to stop the gay marriage momentum since North Carolina in 2012.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
The Home Depot promotes the homosexual agenda
http://www.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147496231
For several years, The Home Depot has given its financial and corporate support to open displays of homosexual activism on main streets in America's towns.
Rather than remain neutral in the culture war, The Home Depot has chosen to sponsor and participate in numerous gay pride parades and festivals. Most grievous is The Home Depot's deliberately exposing small children to lascivious displays of sexual conduct by homosexuals and cross-dressers, which are a common occurrence at these events.
Judge for yourself by reviewing the evidence below, from recent homosexual events sponsored by The Home Depot. Should The Home Depot be helping advance the homosexual agenda?
The goal of every homosexual organization supported by The Home Depot is to get homosexual marriage legalized. The information below provides just a glimpse of how broad The Home Depot's support for the homosexual movement is.
Take Action!
Past Alerts and News articles
For several years, The Home Depot has given its financial and corporate support to open displays of homosexual activism on main streets in America's towns.
Rather than remain neutral in the culture war, The Home Depot has chosen to sponsor and participate in numerous gay pride parades and festivals. Most grievous is The Home Depot's deliberately exposing small children to lascivious displays of sexual conduct by homosexuals and cross-dressers, which are a common occurrence at these events.
Judge for yourself by reviewing the evidence below, from recent homosexual events sponsored by The Home Depot. Should The Home Depot be helping advance the homosexual agenda?
The goal of every homosexual organization supported by The Home Depot is to get homosexual marriage legalized. The information below provides just a glimpse of how broad The Home Depot's support for the homosexual movement is.
Take Action!
- Sign the Boycott Pledge.
- Call your local store manager. Let the manager know that you will not be shopping at The Home Depot until the company stops supporting the homosexual agenda. You can find his number here (Click "Store Finder").
- Print the AFA Pass Along Sheet for friends and neighbors.
- Print the paper petition and distribute it at Sunday School and church.
- NEW! Promote the boycott on your website! Scroll down for download instructions. It's easy!
Past Alerts and News articles
- Home Depot presses forward with more gay support
- Home Depot: gay marriage and gay military
- Home Depot employee says boycott 'is having an effect'
- Why does Home Depot support this kind of activity?
- Home Depot petitions delivered - see company's response
- The symbol of Home Depot?
- Home Depot forces agenda on employees
- Home Depot digs in, issues statement to AFA
- Home Depot dropping public support for the homosexual agenda?
- October Pride - Home Depot expands support for gay marriage
- See Home Depot's shocking gay pride parade float
- HRC says Home Depot 'secret weapon' in passing New York's gay marriage law
- Home Depot displays deaf ear - OneNewsNow
- Home Depot petitions delivered - see their response
- See how The Home Depot supported this gay pride parade
- Video emerges: Home Depot cheers itself for marching in 'gay pride' parade
- "Homo Depot" violating own policies in giving to "gay" activist group? - Greeley Gazette
- The Home Depot doubles funds to gay activist group
- Latest update on boycott of The Home Depot
- The Home Depot and the mockery of marriage
- The Home Depot gives gifts to thousands of homosexual activists
- The Home Depot: See it in their own words
- The Home Depot fires patriotic Christian, approves homosexuals
- The Home Depot shock factor - More Kids Workshops at more gay events
- The Home Depot says AFA is lying. Here's proof we're not
- AFA makes it official: Don't shop at The Home Depot - AFA Action Alert
- Pro-family group boycotting Home Depot - OneNewsNow
- Home Depot exposes children to homosexuality in celebrated style - AFA Action Alert
- 'Homo Depot'? Chain hosts kiddie crafts at 'gay' fests - WorldNetDaily
- Home Depot seeks children at multiple gay pride parades - OneMillionMoms.com
Promote the Boycott on your website!
Highlight and Copy the following code and paste it into your website's HTML code where you want it to appear.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Auditorium or Sanctuary: A Simple Study in Semantics or Is It?
More often then not these days I hear the place where Christians gather in a church to hear the sermon referred to as the Auditorium. But is it an Auditorium, really?
Many years ago, when I was young, the place where Christians gathered in a church to hear the sermon was most often called the Sanctuary. Auditorium or Sanctuary: does it matter, or is it just simply semantics?
Let's take a look at these two places and do a comparison. Then perhaps we will be able to make a more informed decision. Is it just semantics? Or is it something we have allowed to subtly change the way we feel about the place we gather weekly, or perhaps semi-weekly, to hear the message that God has laid on the heart of His preacher to share with the congregation?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Auditorium as:
1. the part of a public building where an audience sits
2. a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings
Well, based on that definition alone we could safely say that we sit in an Auditorium to hear the sermon. And, based on that definition alone, we would be correct. But we would be remiss if we did not examine the other side of the issue thus allowing us to make the most informed decision possible.
Let us see how the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Sanctuary:
1. a consecrated place: as
a. the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies
b. (1): the most sacred part of a religious building (as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed) (2): the room in which general worship services are held (3): a place (as a church or a temple) for worship
2. a. (1): a place of refuge and protection (2): a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/
As one can easily see by the definitions of these two words there is a huge and noticable difference between an Auditorium and a Sanctuary. But, what, you may be asking yourself, difference does it make?
Let's attempt to answer that question.
Most of us in fundamental Christian circles believe it is important to call sin by its proper name. We prefer not to use the term alcoholism because being a drunkard is a sin. We don't think of abortion as a choice but as the murder of a defenseless fetus. We don't refer to homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle but as sin and an abomination. I think you see the point. We believe that calling sin by its proper name is important but shouldn't it be just as important to call a place where we go to worship God and hear His Word preached and taught by its proper name?
Has Satan duped us into thinking it is not important to view the place where we gather to worship his arch-enemy, God, as a Sanctuary?
Some churches used to teach that once one entered the Sanctuary that most talking should cease and one was to take some time before the sermon to reflect and examine themselves. That they had entered a holy place where God was getting ready to meet with them and they with Him and it was a time to enter into an attitude of worship and contrition.
In the Old Testament, before the priest entered into the holy of holies he prepared himself both physically and spiritually. Why did he do that? Because he was preparing to enter into a place where he was going to meet with the Holy God of the universe, the Creator.
When we enter into the Sanctuary in our church aren't we doing the same thing? Don't we pray and ask God to meet with us? Don't we believe we are going there to hear from Him? Aren't we supposed to go with a sense of and an intent to worship? Yes, I know, we are supposed to prepare our hearts before we even walk into the Sanctuary. But do we? Many of us are rushing in and trying to make it on time and we may not have had the opportunity for preparation of the heart. But if we walk into a place that has a sense of reverence and respect and sanctity to it wouldn't it prompt us to be more apt to take a few moments to prepare our hearts to not only meet with God but also to respond to what He speaks to us about?
I have never seen anything remotely holy about an Auditorium. But a Sanctuary is supposed to be a holy place as expressed by definition of a secular book, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Wait! We have forgotten something very important! What does the Holy Bible say about all of this?
Well, first, the word Auditorium never appears one time in the King James Version of the Holy Bible. But the word Sanctuary is mentioned 137 times in 132 verses. There are three words in the entire Bible for Sanctuary and they all mean the same thing.
In the Old Testament it means: Apartness, sacredness, separateness, holiness of God, places, things. Dedicated, hallowed, consecrated.
In the New Testament it means:
b) of persons whose services God employs, for example, apostles
2) set apart for God, to be as it were, exclusively His
3) services and offerings
a) prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean
4) in a moral sense, pure sinless upright holy
Source:http://www.blueletterbible.org/
I believe the point is made. What we call something does matter because it has a definite effect on how we perceive it. If we perceive the place where we meet with God as an Auditorium then we are just meeting Him in a room or building used for public gatherings. And while a church is a public gathering it is also much more. It is supposed to be a group of people who are a called out assembly. Called out to worship God, to be separated unto Him, to reverence Him Who is sacred, Him Who alone is Holy. That sounds more to me like the definition of a Sanctuary as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Holy Bible
.
I realize that one really worships God in the heart and that it is to be the ultimate Sanctuary. But let's not allow Satan and the world to sell us a "bill of goods". God allowed the tabenacle and temple to be built so His people would have a place to gather together and worship Him. Those places were to be holy, set apart, and sacred. So is the Sanctuary today. If we are so adamant about calling sin by its rightful name shouldn't we be just as adamant about calling the place that has been set aside to gather for worship by its rightful name?
Many years ago, when I was young, the place where Christians gathered in a church to hear the sermon was most often called the Sanctuary. Auditorium or Sanctuary: does it matter, or is it just simply semantics?
Let's take a look at these two places and do a comparison. Then perhaps we will be able to make a more informed decision. Is it just semantics? Or is it something we have allowed to subtly change the way we feel about the place we gather weekly, or perhaps semi-weekly, to hear the message that God has laid on the heart of His preacher to share with the congregation?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Auditorium as:
1. the part of a public building where an audience sits
2. a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings
Well, based on that definition alone we could safely say that we sit in an Auditorium to hear the sermon. And, based on that definition alone, we would be correct. But we would be remiss if we did not examine the other side of the issue thus allowing us to make the most informed decision possible.
Let us see how the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Sanctuary:
1. a consecrated place: as
a. the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies
b. (1): the most sacred part of a religious building (as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed) (2): the room in which general worship services are held (3): a place (as a church or a temple) for worship
2. a. (1): a place of refuge and protection (2): a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/
As one can easily see by the definitions of these two words there is a huge and noticable difference between an Auditorium and a Sanctuary. But, what, you may be asking yourself, difference does it make?
Let's attempt to answer that question.
Most of us in fundamental Christian circles believe it is important to call sin by its proper name. We prefer not to use the term alcoholism because being a drunkard is a sin. We don't think of abortion as a choice but as the murder of a defenseless fetus. We don't refer to homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle but as sin and an abomination. I think you see the point. We believe that calling sin by its proper name is important but shouldn't it be just as important to call a place where we go to worship God and hear His Word preached and taught by its proper name?
Has Satan duped us into thinking it is not important to view the place where we gather to worship his arch-enemy, God, as a Sanctuary?
Some churches used to teach that once one entered the Sanctuary that most talking should cease and one was to take some time before the sermon to reflect and examine themselves. That they had entered a holy place where God was getting ready to meet with them and they with Him and it was a time to enter into an attitude of worship and contrition.
In the Old Testament, before the priest entered into the holy of holies he prepared himself both physically and spiritually. Why did he do that? Because he was preparing to enter into a place where he was going to meet with the Holy God of the universe, the Creator.
When we enter into the Sanctuary in our church aren't we doing the same thing? Don't we pray and ask God to meet with us? Don't we believe we are going there to hear from Him? Aren't we supposed to go with a sense of and an intent to worship? Yes, I know, we are supposed to prepare our hearts before we even walk into the Sanctuary. But do we? Many of us are rushing in and trying to make it on time and we may not have had the opportunity for preparation of the heart. But if we walk into a place that has a sense of reverence and respect and sanctity to it wouldn't it prompt us to be more apt to take a few moments to prepare our hearts to not only meet with God but also to respond to what He speaks to us about?
I have never seen anything remotely holy about an Auditorium. But a Sanctuary is supposed to be a holy place as expressed by definition of a secular book, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Wait! We have forgotten something very important! What does the Holy Bible say about all of this?
Well, first, the word Auditorium never appears one time in the King James Version of the Holy Bible. But the word Sanctuary is mentioned 137 times in 132 verses. There are three words in the entire Bible for Sanctuary and they all mean the same thing.
In the Old Testament it means: Apartness, sacredness, separateness, holiness of God, places, things. Dedicated, hallowed, consecrated.
In the New Testament it means:
1) reverend, worthy of veneration
a) of things which on account of some connection with God
possess a certain distinction and claim to reverence, as places sacred to God
which are not to be profanedb) of persons whose services God employs, for example, apostles
2) set apart for God, to be as it were, exclusively His
3) services and offerings
a) prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean
4) in a moral sense, pure sinless upright holy
Source:http://www.blueletterbible.org/
I believe the point is made. What we call something does matter because it has a definite effect on how we perceive it. If we perceive the place where we meet with God as an Auditorium then we are just meeting Him in a room or building used for public gatherings. And while a church is a public gathering it is also much more. It is supposed to be a group of people who are a called out assembly. Called out to worship God, to be separated unto Him, to reverence Him Who is sacred, Him Who alone is Holy. That sounds more to me like the definition of a Sanctuary as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the Holy Bible
.
I realize that one really worships God in the heart and that it is to be the ultimate Sanctuary. But let's not allow Satan and the world to sell us a "bill of goods". God allowed the tabenacle and temple to be built so His people would have a place to gather together and worship Him. Those places were to be holy, set apart, and sacred. So is the Sanctuary today. If we are so adamant about calling sin by its rightful name shouldn't we be just as adamant about calling the place that has been set aside to gather for worship by its rightful name?
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Is Believing in God Enough?
I have always believed in God. I mean, ever since I can remember I have believed in God. When I was just a little child my family: Grandparents and mom (I don't know my dad. I was what society used to term an illegitimate child) believed in God. They always taught me that He existed, that He knows everything and that He can do anything. There was never a question in my mind as to whether or not He existed.
When I was a small child I used to go to church with my cousin and aunt. I liked going to church. I remember the pastor. He was a kind man and I liked him very much. However, as I look back on it, as much as I liked going to church and liked the pastor, going to church did nothing to change my life.
My family never lived like they believed in God and neither did I. Oh, like I said we believed in Him but He was not a part of our life. We just lived like everyone else lived, or so I thought. Many years later I was to find out differently.
As I got into my late teens people used to come up to me on the street and try to tell me about God's love. They tried to witness to me about my relationship to God, or lack of it. There was a lot about it I didn't understand and a lot I didn't want to hear. Then, I met a couple who shared with me many times about Who God is and what He is like and how much He loved me. We talked a lot about Him and, again, some of it I didn't want to hear. People from this couple's church started praying for me and sometimes some of them would come to my house and try to tell me I needed to be saved. I didn't want to hear that either. Even the pastor of the church used to come by every now and then and witness to me. I hated him. I would insult him and try to argue with him and didn't want to hear what he had to say. But no matter how much I insulted him or hurt him, and there were times when I did because he told me so, he always responded to me in love. I knew there was something different about him. I did not know what it was at the time but I found out what it was much later.
It got to the place where God was working in my heart and I visited his church a couple of times. Little did I know at the time that the people in the church were praying for me. One Sunday I visited his church and he was not there, the associate pastor was preaching. He preached a sermon on the rapture and gave an invitation for anyone who didn't know Jesus Christ as his Savior to come forward and have someone take them into a private room and show them from the Bible how to be saved. I raised my hand to be saved but didn't go forward. The pastor asked if the man that raised his hand would look at him. I did. He asked me if I meant what I indicated by my raised hand, that I wanted to be saved. I nodded that I did. He said, "Why don't you come forward right now?" I left my seat and went to the front of the church. Everyone else had their head bowed. They had a man take me into a private room and show me from the Bible how to be saved. On March 18th 1979 I got down on my knees and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into my heart, forgive my sin, and make me a real Christian. He did! When I got up off my knees I felt so light, like a burden had been lifted, and it had. The burden of sin had been lifted off of me and placed upon Christ. He took my sin that day. Have I been perfect since? Definitely not! I have made many mistakes over the years, too many to mention. I have committed many sins since then but God, in His love and mercy, has forgiven me every time I sincerely asked Him. That is what I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Here is the question I want to ask. Is believing in God enough? I don't mean do you believe God exists. Many, many people believe there is a God, but is believing in God enough to get one to Heaven? Is believing in God enough to cause one to be a better person? Is it enough to transform one's life? Is it enough to turn a drunkard sober? Is it enough to change a thief into an honest person? Is it enough to change a liar into a truthful person? Yes, many, many people believe in God, but is it enough?
There are many people out there who are good people. They are good fathers or mothers to their children. They are good neighbors. They are good employees. They pay their bills on time. They pay their taxes. They help the poor. They are good to their spouses. They would give you the proverbial "shirt off their backs. " They are moral people but is it enough?
Let's find out if any or all of these things is enough to get one to Heaven. If we were to ask God Himself the answers to these questions what would He say? Can we even know what His answer would be? Doesn't the Bible say we should love our neighbor? Doesn't It say, "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise?" Doesn't It say we should love one another? Doesn't It say, "Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness?" Does that mean, then, that if one were to do these things, to live their life doing these things, to make a "practice" of it, if you will, that it would warrant them being able to make it to Heaven? Let's see!
In the Bible in the book of Romans Chapter 3 verse 10 says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Verse 23 of the same chapter says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." In Chapter 6 and verse 23 of the same book it says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." That's right friend, we have earned wages because of our sin and those wages are death, physical and spiritual death. Do we have any hope then? Yes, God has given us hope. The Bible goes on to say in Romans 10:9 and 10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
That means, friend, there is hope for you as there was for me. If we realize and really believe in our hearts that we have sinned against the Holy God of the universe, the Creator, and sincerely in our heart ask Him to forgive us and save us, believing that He can, then He will. The Bible says in Titus 1:2 that God cannot lie so when He says that He will save us if we ask believing that He will, then He will.
You may be the most moral person anyone knows but according to the Bible we are all sinners and our sin has separated us from God. If we were to die in that state we would remain separated from Him for all eternity in a place called Hell. But if we ask God, meaning it sincerely from the heart, to forgive us and come into our heart and save us, He has promised He will. Then, when the time comes to leave this earth He will take us to Heaven to be with Him for all of eternity.
I trusted Christ as my Savior in 1979. You can trust Christ as your Savior, too. I urge you, don't wait like I did. People witnessed to me for six years before I accepted Christ as my Savior. If I had died during that time I would be in Hell for all eternity. None of us know how long we have on this earth. Friend, do not take a chance on spending eternity separated from God in Hell. Take Him at His Word and, sincerely, ask Him to forgive you and save you today.
I wrote this because many people believe in God and they think it is enough to get them to Heaven but it is not. Jesus said,"Ye must be born again." That happens when we ask Jesus to save us. Right now, bow your head and ask Jesus to forgive and save you. I sure would rejoice to meet you in Heaven one day.
When I was a small child I used to go to church with my cousin and aunt. I liked going to church. I remember the pastor. He was a kind man and I liked him very much. However, as I look back on it, as much as I liked going to church and liked the pastor, going to church did nothing to change my life.
My family never lived like they believed in God and neither did I. Oh, like I said we believed in Him but He was not a part of our life. We just lived like everyone else lived, or so I thought. Many years later I was to find out differently.
As I got into my late teens people used to come up to me on the street and try to tell me about God's love. They tried to witness to me about my relationship to God, or lack of it. There was a lot about it I didn't understand and a lot I didn't want to hear. Then, I met a couple who shared with me many times about Who God is and what He is like and how much He loved me. We talked a lot about Him and, again, some of it I didn't want to hear. People from this couple's church started praying for me and sometimes some of them would come to my house and try to tell me I needed to be saved. I didn't want to hear that either. Even the pastor of the church used to come by every now and then and witness to me. I hated him. I would insult him and try to argue with him and didn't want to hear what he had to say. But no matter how much I insulted him or hurt him, and there were times when I did because he told me so, he always responded to me in love. I knew there was something different about him. I did not know what it was at the time but I found out what it was much later.
It got to the place where God was working in my heart and I visited his church a couple of times. Little did I know at the time that the people in the church were praying for me. One Sunday I visited his church and he was not there, the associate pastor was preaching. He preached a sermon on the rapture and gave an invitation for anyone who didn't know Jesus Christ as his Savior to come forward and have someone take them into a private room and show them from the Bible how to be saved. I raised my hand to be saved but didn't go forward. The pastor asked if the man that raised his hand would look at him. I did. He asked me if I meant what I indicated by my raised hand, that I wanted to be saved. I nodded that I did. He said, "Why don't you come forward right now?" I left my seat and went to the front of the church. Everyone else had their head bowed. They had a man take me into a private room and show me from the Bible how to be saved. On March 18th 1979 I got down on my knees and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come into my heart, forgive my sin, and make me a real Christian. He did! When I got up off my knees I felt so light, like a burden had been lifted, and it had. The burden of sin had been lifted off of me and placed upon Christ. He took my sin that day. Have I been perfect since? Definitely not! I have made many mistakes over the years, too many to mention. I have committed many sins since then but God, in His love and mercy, has forgiven me every time I sincerely asked Him. That is what I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Here is the question I want to ask. Is believing in God enough? I don't mean do you believe God exists. Many, many people believe there is a God, but is believing in God enough to get one to Heaven? Is believing in God enough to cause one to be a better person? Is it enough to transform one's life? Is it enough to turn a drunkard sober? Is it enough to change a thief into an honest person? Is it enough to change a liar into a truthful person? Yes, many, many people believe in God, but is it enough?
There are many people out there who are good people. They are good fathers or mothers to their children. They are good neighbors. They are good employees. They pay their bills on time. They pay their taxes. They help the poor. They are good to their spouses. They would give you the proverbial "shirt off their backs. " They are moral people but is it enough?
Let's find out if any or all of these things is enough to get one to Heaven. If we were to ask God Himself the answers to these questions what would He say? Can we even know what His answer would be? Doesn't the Bible say we should love our neighbor? Doesn't It say, "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise?" Doesn't It say we should love one another? Doesn't It say, "Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness?" Does that mean, then, that if one were to do these things, to live their life doing these things, to make a "practice" of it, if you will, that it would warrant them being able to make it to Heaven? Let's see!
In the Bible in the book of Romans Chapter 3 verse 10 says, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Verse 23 of the same chapter says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." In Chapter 6 and verse 23 of the same book it says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." That's right friend, we have earned wages because of our sin and those wages are death, physical and spiritual death. Do we have any hope then? Yes, God has given us hope. The Bible goes on to say in Romans 10:9 and 10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
That means, friend, there is hope for you as there was for me. If we realize and really believe in our hearts that we have sinned against the Holy God of the universe, the Creator, and sincerely in our heart ask Him to forgive us and save us, believing that He can, then He will. The Bible says in Titus 1:2 that God cannot lie so when He says that He will save us if we ask believing that He will, then He will.
You may be the most moral person anyone knows but according to the Bible we are all sinners and our sin has separated us from God. If we were to die in that state we would remain separated from Him for all eternity in a place called Hell. But if we ask God, meaning it sincerely from the heart, to forgive us and come into our heart and save us, He has promised He will. Then, when the time comes to leave this earth He will take us to Heaven to be with Him for all of eternity.
I trusted Christ as my Savior in 1979. You can trust Christ as your Savior, too. I urge you, don't wait like I did. People witnessed to me for six years before I accepted Christ as my Savior. If I had died during that time I would be in Hell for all eternity. None of us know how long we have on this earth. Friend, do not take a chance on spending eternity separated from God in Hell. Take Him at His Word and, sincerely, ask Him to forgive you and save you today.
I wrote this because many people believe in God and they think it is enough to get them to Heaven but it is not. Jesus said,"Ye must be born again." That happens when we ask Jesus to save us. Right now, bow your head and ask Jesus to forgive and save you. I sure would rejoice to meet you in Heaven one day.
Monday, July 9, 2012
If Christians Were Soldiers
The 4th of July 2012 was another celebration of the birth of this great nation, The United States of America. As we are all aware, many have fought and died to start this great nation and many have given their lives so that it would continue to be the great nation that it is. It is an honor to be an American! There is no other country in the world whose citizens have enjoyed the freedoms and privileges that we have as Americans
America has been blessed to have been founded on biblical principles and that is what has made it the greatest nation in existence. Many have tried to deny the principles on which this nation was founded but one need only take an honest look at its history to see the influence the Holy Bible had in the lives of our founding fathers. God's blessings on this country are what has made this the greatest nation on the face of the earth. For the Holy Bible itself states, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance." Psalm 33:12 God has proven His promises true again and again because this nation has honored Him.
As I awoke this morning at about 3:40 a.m., while the house was still dark, and went to the kitchen for a drink of water, the Lord spoke to me in His still, small voice. He only said one thing but God doesn't have to say much for it to be profound. He said, "If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be!" That still rings through my mind like an echo down an empty canyon. Well, let's face it we are all a little empty-headed at times. In this case, I am glad I am empty-headed because it gives the Lord's words a chance to ring through over and over again. "If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be! If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be!"
Let's look at the life of a soldier for a brief moment. To my regret, I have never served in the military but I have known a few soldiers as have we all and we have all seen the documentaries about those who have served and have counted, and still count, it a privilege and an honor to do so. Many of them have paid with life and limb to keep this great nation free. What makes someone a soldier?
Belief in a cause is one thing that makes one a great soldier. Though many enlist in the armed forces for various reasons most of them come to believe in the cause of defending this great nation and protecting the freedoms and privileges we enjoy. They come to realize the camaraderie they have with those who are like-minded in defense of a cause. We have all heard the stories of soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield only to desire a quick recovery so they would be able to return to fight with their fellow soldiers again.
Being well-trained is another attribute of being a good soldier. The training is not easy but is necessary for them to learn to endure the rigors of the battle in which they may find themselves. They learn how to follow their leader, how to discipline their bodies, how to march with full pack, how to obey orders.They learn how to protect those placed under their care and those who march with them into battle. They learn how to master their weapon, how to take it apart, and how to put it back together, how to shoot it and at what range it is most accurate. A soldier learns when to polish his boots, when to wear his fatigues and when to wear his dress uniform. In other words, he learns what is appropriate and when.
A soldier learns he has an enemy, who the enemy is, what he looks like and his strategies. He studies the enemy, discovers as much as he can about his moves, his motives, and his methods. He plans ways to outsmart and out-maneuver him. He learns to engage in hand to hand combat if necessary. He learns where the enemy's pressure points are and how to render him helpless. He knows and studies his movements, his philosophy, and his cause.
These are just some of the aspects of being a good soldier. There are many others about which I do not know. I know that a soldier endures until he can endure no longer either because victory has been
won, his tour of duty is over, or because another has taken his place.
I really know nothing of the life of a soldier having never been in the military but I know that God admonishes Christians to be good soldiers. In II Timothy 2:3 God says, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Verse 4.
We must be like those in Thessalonica and search "the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." Acts 17:11. We must realize we have an enemy the devil and that he, "as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8. We need to realize that if we were a dedicated soldier that we could turn this country upside down with our doctrine as the disciples did to Jerusalem in Acts 5:28. You see, as a soldier studies his enemy, we can study our enemy through the Scriptures God has laid down for us. We know that he is cunning, a liar, deceptive, rebellious, and the tempter, to name a few. Like the enemies of the United States, he tries to find the weak points in our lives and use them to get a foothold and to take advantage of us. Just as the soldier is always on guard in battle, we, too, are in a battle and must be always on guard.
We have mentioned how the apostles turned Jerusalem upside down with their doctrine but there is another place in the Bible that says "and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.
Here is what the Lord said to me in His still, small voice the morning of July 4th. "If Christians were like soldiers we could turn this country upside down."
So, why aren't we? Why aren't I? Why aren't you turning this nation the greatest nation in all the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ and His doctrine? Soldiers believe in something and they are willing to fight for it even to the point of sacrificing life and limb if necessary. We have a greater cause for which to fight, a greater Master to serve, a greater cause for which to die. Are we willing? We MUST turn this nation "upside down" for the sake of future generations and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a challenge to which I cannot attain on my own, I need His help. But Phillipians 4:13 is still in the Holy Bible, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It is not about me, it is about Him and He is capable! Will we be His hands, feet, mouth, and heart?
I remember once in my church there was a very accomplished pianist playing a hymn and she had a little girl there with her and as the pianist played the little girl was turning the pages of the song book for her. I thought to myself that, surely, that pianist did not need that little girl to turn the pages for her. Then God spoke to me and said, "I don't need you either but I choose to use you." I thought, I just want to be a page-turner for God.
Well, after July 4th, I just want to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. I'm not, yet, but I want to be. I want to be part of turning this nation upside down for God. How about you?
America has been blessed to have been founded on biblical principles and that is what has made it the greatest nation in existence. Many have tried to deny the principles on which this nation was founded but one need only take an honest look at its history to see the influence the Holy Bible had in the lives of our founding fathers. God's blessings on this country are what has made this the greatest nation on the face of the earth. For the Holy Bible itself states, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance." Psalm 33:12 God has proven His promises true again and again because this nation has honored Him.
As I awoke this morning at about 3:40 a.m., while the house was still dark, and went to the kitchen for a drink of water, the Lord spoke to me in His still, small voice. He only said one thing but God doesn't have to say much for it to be profound. He said, "If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be!" That still rings through my mind like an echo down an empty canyon. Well, let's face it we are all a little empty-headed at times. In this case, I am glad I am empty-headed because it gives the Lord's words a chance to ring through over and over again. "If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be! If Christians were soldiers how great this country would be!"
Let's look at the life of a soldier for a brief moment. To my regret, I have never served in the military but I have known a few soldiers as have we all and we have all seen the documentaries about those who have served and have counted, and still count, it a privilege and an honor to do so. Many of them have paid with life and limb to keep this great nation free. What makes someone a soldier?
Belief in a cause is one thing that makes one a great soldier. Though many enlist in the armed forces for various reasons most of them come to believe in the cause of defending this great nation and protecting the freedoms and privileges we enjoy. They come to realize the camaraderie they have with those who are like-minded in defense of a cause. We have all heard the stories of soldiers who were wounded on the battlefield only to desire a quick recovery so they would be able to return to fight with their fellow soldiers again.
Being well-trained is another attribute of being a good soldier. The training is not easy but is necessary for them to learn to endure the rigors of the battle in which they may find themselves. They learn how to follow their leader, how to discipline their bodies, how to march with full pack, how to obey orders.They learn how to protect those placed under their care and those who march with them into battle. They learn how to master their weapon, how to take it apart, and how to put it back together, how to shoot it and at what range it is most accurate. A soldier learns when to polish his boots, when to wear his fatigues and when to wear his dress uniform. In other words, he learns what is appropriate and when.
A soldier learns he has an enemy, who the enemy is, what he looks like and his strategies. He studies the enemy, discovers as much as he can about his moves, his motives, and his methods. He plans ways to outsmart and out-maneuver him. He learns to engage in hand to hand combat if necessary. He learns where the enemy's pressure points are and how to render him helpless. He knows and studies his movements, his philosophy, and his cause.
These are just some of the aspects of being a good soldier. There are many others about which I do not know. I know that a soldier endures until he can endure no longer either because victory has been
won, his tour of duty is over, or because another has taken his place.
I really know nothing of the life of a soldier having never been in the military but I know that God admonishes Christians to be good soldiers. In II Timothy 2:3 God says, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Verse 4.
We must be like those in Thessalonica and search "the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." Acts 17:11. We must realize we have an enemy the devil and that he, "as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8. We need to realize that if we were a dedicated soldier that we could turn this country upside down with our doctrine as the disciples did to Jerusalem in Acts 5:28. You see, as a soldier studies his enemy, we can study our enemy through the Scriptures God has laid down for us. We know that he is cunning, a liar, deceptive, rebellious, and the tempter, to name a few. Like the enemies of the United States, he tries to find the weak points in our lives and use them to get a foothold and to take advantage of us. Just as the soldier is always on guard in battle, we, too, are in a battle and must be always on guard.
We have mentioned how the apostles turned Jerusalem upside down with their doctrine but there is another place in the Bible that says "and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.
Here is what the Lord said to me in His still, small voice the morning of July 4th. "If Christians were like soldiers we could turn this country upside down."
So, why aren't we? Why aren't I? Why aren't you turning this nation the greatest nation in all the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ and His doctrine? Soldiers believe in something and they are willing to fight for it even to the point of sacrificing life and limb if necessary. We have a greater cause for which to fight, a greater Master to serve, a greater cause for which to die. Are we willing? We MUST turn this nation "upside down" for the sake of future generations and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a challenge to which I cannot attain on my own, I need His help. But Phillipians 4:13 is still in the Holy Bible, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It is not about me, it is about Him and He is capable! Will we be His hands, feet, mouth, and heart?
I remember once in my church there was a very accomplished pianist playing a hymn and she had a little girl there with her and as the pianist played the little girl was turning the pages of the song book for her. I thought to myself that, surely, that pianist did not need that little girl to turn the pages for her. Then God spoke to me and said, "I don't need you either but I choose to use you." I thought, I just want to be a page-turner for God.
Well, after July 4th, I just want to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. I'm not, yet, but I want to be. I want to be part of turning this nation upside down for God. How about you?
Saturday, December 17, 2011
306 Reasons Not To Watch Jay Leno
I fell asleep the night of 12/11/11 on the recliner while watching television. I was awakened sometime between 11:30 and midnight to what seemed like someone making fun of the Holy Bible. Being somewhat disoriented I wasn't exactly sure I was hearing what I thought I was. I did realize that the program on t.v. was The Tonight Show with Jay Leno but being too tired to continue watching I looked it up online the next day and, sure enough, in five minutes and 6 seconds (306 seconds) Jay Leno managed to blaspheme almost every major account of the Holy Bible. Thus I discovered that night 306 reasons not to watch Jay Leno. Check it out for yourself and if you feel led to write NBC and let them know that this is not acceptable then you have my encouragement to do so. Here is the link:
http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/tour-of-the-bible-12211/1371674
http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/tour-of-the-bible-12211/1371674
Monday, December 5, 2011
Call It What It Is, A Christmas Tree
November 19, 2011
It’s starting already I am reading things in the paper like, “the lighting of the community tree” or “the holiday tree.”
In America we have celebrated Christmas since the founding of our great nation. It is a celebration of the birth of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time to reflect upon the blessings that have been bestowed upon this great nation because we were founded on the principles and precepts of the Holy Bible. It is for these reasons that this nation has experienced the freedoms and privileges that we enjoy.
We have removed God from our public schools and now we are making an attempt to remove Him completely from our society. We have made way too much “progress” in that area. The Holy Bible says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” It is because in the founding of this country our forefathers gave God His rightful place that we are the great nation that we are. But our attempts to remove God from the forefront have had many negative and devastating results. Time and space does not allow me to spell them out.
My point is this, it is the Christmas season. It is not just a holiday. It is a season of worshiping the One Who gave His life that we may have a future in Heaven. Christ is the reason for celebrating Christmas. It is not illegal to say Merry Christmas in public schools in spite of what some may have us to believe. It is, also, not illegal to say it when we shop. When someone tells you to have a Happy Holiday this year I hope you will reply for them to have a Merry Christmas. Christ is the Reason for the season.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Fox News' parent company investing in 'gay marriage'
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 8/24/2011 3:50:00 AM
"Conservative and faith-based Americans do not look to Fox to promote sin. And yet, every time Fox promotes homosexuality, that's exactly what they're doing; they're promoting bad morality," LaBarbera contends.
According to him, that is the network's trend, as some talk show hosts do not even address the subject. But he argues that neutrality on the issue is not what Fox's constituency deserves."I think the problem is Fox News is based in New York City, which is a gay Mecca. That's one of the problems," he suggests. "But, it's this idea [of] sort of going with the media, going with the popular culture."
LaBarbera goes on to point out that when the New York Senate voted to legalize homosexual marriage, other news networks devoted considerable time to report on it, while Fox News devoted zero segments to the vote or to the governor signing the measure into law.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Great Anniversary Trip With My Wonderful Wife
My wife, Carol, and I left town on Saturday morning, July 16th, not knowing where we were headed for our anniversary. We decided to go south on I-81. We drove to New Market, Virgina because there is a restaurant there that we had eaten at before and that is where my wife wanted to eat. On the way there we stopped a Belle Grove Plantation but the Plantation House was about to close for the night so we listened to a park ranger give a talk about the Battle of Cedar Creek. After the talk we drove on down to the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant where we were going to eat.
The Johnny Appleseed Restaurant just happens to be attached to a Quality Inn so we spent the night there. Looking in the phone book in the hotel room that night I found what looked like a good Fundamental Baptist Church. We got up early the next morning, Sunday, checked out of the hotel, and attended the Smith Creek Regular Baptist Church. It was built in the 1700's and ran about 30-40 people that morning. The people gave us a warm and friendly welcome and if we are ever in the area again on Sunday morning or Wednesday night we will probably go again. The Pastor gave a wonderful sermon on how we can, and should, go about sharing our faith in Christ.
After church my wife decided that she wanted to see Belle Grove Plantation so we drove back to New Market for a tour. It is a very stately mansion on rolling hills and the docent was very informative. One is not allowed to take pictures inside the house so afterward we strolled around the grounds and took quite a few photographs. I would recommend a tour of Belle Grove Plantation to anyone who has the opportunity to go.
Afterward we headed south on I-81 again and stopped at Shenandoah Caverns. We looked around the gift shop but thought the price of admission to the caverns was more than we were willing to pay. Not sure of exactly where to go from there we headed west on route 55 to Smoke Hole, West Virgina. We had been there several years previous and knew it was a beautiful place. We stopped and checked in at a motel in Smoke Hole and then drove into Petersburg and had supper at the Pizza Hut. By that time we were pretty tired and went to bed.
On Monday we took a tour of Smoke Hole Caverns, at about ten dollars per person cheaper than Shenandoah Caverns would have been. There was only one other couple on the tour and so it was a good time without a large crowd of people. We looked around the gift shop and my wife tried to, unsuccessfully, to locate an old friend.
We decided to keep moving so we left Smoke Hole and drove to Seneca Rocks where we visited to old country stores and did some walking around and taking pictures. We ate upstairs in Harper's Old Country Store where they had a small restaurant. The food was good. They have a rock climbing school at Seneca Rocks that I would love to attend but at my age I am sure that will never happen. We could not hike to Seneca Rock because the trail was closed for maintenance. We did go to the Discovery Center and enjoyed the gift shop and walking around an old homestead that is there.
From Seneca Rocks we moved on to Blackwater Falls State Park where we stayed the night in the lodge. We drove around the cabins and got some great pictures of some beautiful deer. One came up to about five feet away from the car and then walked across the road right in front of us. It was beautiful! We had dinner in the lodge restaurant. I got brown pinto beans and ham with fried potatoes and corn bread. It was delicious and the portions were very generous. We went swimming in the pool. The next morning we went on a hike of a little less than a mile with the park naturalist. She told us about a forest not too far from there that is a virgin forest called Cathedral State Park. We, also, went on a hike to a beautiful overlook called Lindy Overlook. The view was truly magnificent.
When we left Blackwater Falls we stopped at the smallest church and post office in 48 states. We took pictures and walked around the grounds. The church has six pews and seats twelve people. It was built in the 1950's by a man to honor his deceased parents. From there we went to Cathedral State Park and took our third hike of the day. We hiked a little over a mile and we were tired. This forest is virgin forest with some Eastern Hemlocks that are three-hundred to five-hundred years old. Some of them are eighty to ninety feet tall and twenty-one feet in circumference. They are very majestic. It is something worth seeing!
Afterwards, we drove to Oakland, Maryland where we had dinner at Casselman's, stopped to get some candy and came home. We drove five-hundred miles in four days and we were tired but we had a wonderful time.
The Johnny Appleseed Restaurant just happens to be attached to a Quality Inn so we spent the night there. Looking in the phone book in the hotel room that night I found what looked like a good Fundamental Baptist Church. We got up early the next morning, Sunday, checked out of the hotel, and attended the Smith Creek Regular Baptist Church. It was built in the 1700's and ran about 30-40 people that morning. The people gave us a warm and friendly welcome and if we are ever in the area again on Sunday morning or Wednesday night we will probably go again. The Pastor gave a wonderful sermon on how we can, and should, go about sharing our faith in Christ.
After church my wife decided that she wanted to see Belle Grove Plantation so we drove back to New Market for a tour. It is a very stately mansion on rolling hills and the docent was very informative. One is not allowed to take pictures inside the house so afterward we strolled around the grounds and took quite a few photographs. I would recommend a tour of Belle Grove Plantation to anyone who has the opportunity to go.
Afterward we headed south on I-81 again and stopped at Shenandoah Caverns. We looked around the gift shop but thought the price of admission to the caverns was more than we were willing to pay. Not sure of exactly where to go from there we headed west on route 55 to Smoke Hole, West Virgina. We had been there several years previous and knew it was a beautiful place. We stopped and checked in at a motel in Smoke Hole and then drove into Petersburg and had supper at the Pizza Hut. By that time we were pretty tired and went to bed.
On Monday we took a tour of Smoke Hole Caverns, at about ten dollars per person cheaper than Shenandoah Caverns would have been. There was only one other couple on the tour and so it was a good time without a large crowd of people. We looked around the gift shop and my wife tried to, unsuccessfully, to locate an old friend.
We decided to keep moving so we left Smoke Hole and drove to Seneca Rocks where we visited to old country stores and did some walking around and taking pictures. We ate upstairs in Harper's Old Country Store where they had a small restaurant. The food was good. They have a rock climbing school at Seneca Rocks that I would love to attend but at my age I am sure that will never happen. We could not hike to Seneca Rock because the trail was closed for maintenance. We did go to the Discovery Center and enjoyed the gift shop and walking around an old homestead that is there.
From Seneca Rocks we moved on to Blackwater Falls State Park where we stayed the night in the lodge. We drove around the cabins and got some great pictures of some beautiful deer. One came up to about five feet away from the car and then walked across the road right in front of us. It was beautiful! We had dinner in the lodge restaurant. I got brown pinto beans and ham with fried potatoes and corn bread. It was delicious and the portions were very generous. We went swimming in the pool. The next morning we went on a hike of a little less than a mile with the park naturalist. She told us about a forest not too far from there that is a virgin forest called Cathedral State Park. We, also, went on a hike to a beautiful overlook called Lindy Overlook. The view was truly magnificent.
When we left Blackwater Falls we stopped at the smallest church and post office in 48 states. We took pictures and walked around the grounds. The church has six pews and seats twelve people. It was built in the 1950's by a man to honor his deceased parents. From there we went to Cathedral State Park and took our third hike of the day. We hiked a little over a mile and we were tired. This forest is virgin forest with some Eastern Hemlocks that are three-hundred to five-hundred years old. Some of them are eighty to ninety feet tall and twenty-one feet in circumference. They are very majestic. It is something worth seeing!
Afterwards, we drove to Oakland, Maryland where we had dinner at Casselman's, stopped to get some candy and came home. We drove five-hundred miles in four days and we were tired but we had a wonderful time.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Homosexuality: Still Sinful to the Holy God
One day last week I arrived somewhere and walked in on a conversation that greatly disturbed me. I don't normally listen in on people's conversations but, you know, sometimes one is in a position where one cannot avoid overhearing something no matter how hard one tries. Well, that's the way it was on this particular day.
The woman sitting near me was bisexual and was talking to her collegue about how it is okay to be "gay" and how it is okay if one's children are "gay". Let me say up front, I put "gay" in quotation marks because
I disagree with the use of this word when it relates to homosexuality. Gay means happy, not homosexual, and it disturbs me that they have taken an innocent word meaning happy and have corrupted it to mean something abominable. Just like they have taken the rainbow, God's promise that He would never again destroy the world by flood, and adapted it to represent something that God calls "against nature."
I have nothing against homosexuals as people. I have had some friends that were homosexual but they knew from the beginning of that friendship where I stood on this issue. I do not think they should be beaten or persecuted for their lifestyle nor do I think they have the right to persecute Christians for what they believe. That being said, I feel the need to weigh in on the issue of homosexuality and especially the belief that it doesn't matter if one's children are "gay".
I feel that we, as Christians, and especially as a society are buying into the lie that homosexuality should be an accepted lifestyle, or that it is an "alternative" lifestyle. Nothing is further from the truth. Like it or not, homosexuality is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Adultery is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Lying is still sinful and the list could go on.
If one reads Romans Chapter One they can clearly see and understand what the Holy God of the universe has to say about homosexuality. He calls it an abomination and in His mind nothing has changed. Malachi 3:6 says in part, "For I am the LORD, I change not..." Why, you may ask, does God not change? Quite simply, He doesn't have to change. He is Right!, Perfect!, Holy! If perfection has to change then it wasn't perfection to begin with. But God is Perfection. He is and always has been Holy. He is and always has been Right! Psalm 33:4, "For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth."
We may get to the place where the homosexual movement begins to wear us down but that does not change God's mind about it one bit. We are buying into the lie of homosexuality but God still is not pleased with it. And Romans Chapter One still calls it an abomination. Read it for yourself: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleaness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:18-32.
I do believe that we should love the homosexual as we are commanded to love anyone else whether it be the drunk, the one who abuses his or her spouse, the adulterer, or the thief. However, these lifestyles are still wrong and we must still speak out against them. We must still be witnesses unto them. We must still pray for them that they will see the Light and give their heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot stand idly by while this unacceptable lifestyle is thrust upon us.
Remember, as Christians, it is our fault if God no longer chooses to bless America.
The woman sitting near me was bisexual and was talking to her collegue about how it is okay to be "gay" and how it is okay if one's children are "gay". Let me say up front, I put "gay" in quotation marks because
I disagree with the use of this word when it relates to homosexuality. Gay means happy, not homosexual, and it disturbs me that they have taken an innocent word meaning happy and have corrupted it to mean something abominable. Just like they have taken the rainbow, God's promise that He would never again destroy the world by flood, and adapted it to represent something that God calls "against nature."
I have nothing against homosexuals as people. I have had some friends that were homosexual but they knew from the beginning of that friendship where I stood on this issue. I do not think they should be beaten or persecuted for their lifestyle nor do I think they have the right to persecute Christians for what they believe. That being said, I feel the need to weigh in on the issue of homosexuality and especially the belief that it doesn't matter if one's children are "gay".
I feel that we, as Christians, and especially as a society are buying into the lie that homosexuality should be an accepted lifestyle, or that it is an "alternative" lifestyle. Nothing is further from the truth. Like it or not, homosexuality is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Adultery is still a sinful lifestyle according to the Bible. Lying is still sinful and the list could go on.
If one reads Romans Chapter One they can clearly see and understand what the Holy God of the universe has to say about homosexuality. He calls it an abomination and in His mind nothing has changed. Malachi 3:6 says in part, "For I am the LORD, I change not..." Why, you may ask, does God not change? Quite simply, He doesn't have to change. He is Right!, Perfect!, Holy! If perfection has to change then it wasn't perfection to begin with. But God is Perfection. He is and always has been Holy. He is and always has been Right! Psalm 33:4, "For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in truth."
We may get to the place where the homosexual movement begins to wear us down but that does not change God's mind about it one bit. We are buying into the lie of homosexuality but God still is not pleased with it. And Romans Chapter One still calls it an abomination. Read it for yourself: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleaness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:18-32.
I do believe that we should love the homosexual as we are commanded to love anyone else whether it be the drunk, the one who abuses his or her spouse, the adulterer, or the thief. However, these lifestyles are still wrong and we must still speak out against them. We must still be witnesses unto them. We must still pray for them that they will see the Light and give their heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot stand idly by while this unacceptable lifestyle is thrust upon us.
Remember, as Christians, it is our fault if God no longer chooses to bless America.
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