THOUGHTS AT THREE A.M.

HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN BE A MOVIE STAR "FAN?"

Okay, first let me make it clear I have nothing negative to say about Christians watching movies. But I am going to pose some questions, and possibly shake up a few apple carts while on this soapbox, because some Christians still don't understand some things. Secondly, when you call yourself a "Fan"--This does not just indicate to all that you like or are fond of someone. Fan, in this instance, is derived from "Fanatic!" My dictionary defines fanatic as being:" wild in opinions, particularly in religious opinions, excessively enthusiastic,particularly on religious subjects ." Alright. Tonight I ran across a snippet of a blog, which read in part:" I may be a Christian but I believe by faith not a body or certain...Being  an Antonio Bandaras and Angelina Jolie Fan this movie was right up my alley..." Now, I am going to stop right there,for this statement threw me into a bit of confusion. If this person is a Christian, then how can they be a "Fan" of a movie star? Since the very word this Christian used for their interest in those two movie stars, is the term usually reserved for "religious enthusiasm",then how is this dichotomy being allowed by this person to stand in their life? I would have to venture a guess that this individual knows that one interest should take priority over the other, and yet, this doesn't seem to be the case. The reference to being a Christian is almost tossed off as an uncomfortable aside, with the author pigeon-holing themselves, I may be this, but I am  really fanatical about that! Once again, it occurs to me that the writer either was trying to down-play their faith somewhat, or that they haven't a strong enough command of the English language to truly be aware of what the words they use really mean. However, considering that they began their statement with the declaration of their faith, the former seems unlikely. So, it is left to the reader to decipher from the rest of the paragraph just how deeply their fanaticism goes, to the aforementioned Bandaras and Jolie. This is an absolute shame. With all the English language, and all the reference works available to search through, how can this person be so limited in their ability to be clear and precise? That being said, would their statement of faith also come into question? It did to my mind. One begins to doubt the sincerity of  anyone whom, to all appearances, has taken no care to take the extra time necessary to seek out just the exact words needed to convey the import of their message,rather than just dashing off a few lines indicating the general idea, leaving the reader with only a vague notion of the full intent of the entire piece. Now, I know that this is not an isolated case. Throughout the Internet anyone can find blog after blog of imperfect writing. Most, it seems, are done on the spur of the moment, with no purpose other than to attract attention, with mistakes galore, and virtually no attempt to use capitals,punctuation, or even proper verbiage! The words are the thing! And, what words! The filthier the better...again, to create interest. And, God help us, sadly, they do. However,since I am still standing on my little soapbox, I had to at least make my feelings known, that if you are a Christian, please, at least take the time to know and understand the terms you use to declare your fondness or affection for other creatures on this earth, and be aware that using the wrong terminology, could give others the impression that something, or someone else is elevated above that place that should be occupied only by the Lord Jesus Christ, or by Almighty God himself.

Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't have a fondness for other human beings. I myself am very impressed with Johnny Depp, but I am not his fan. There is only one that I get fanatical about, and that one is the son of God, Jesus Christ,my Lord and my redeemer. I am ever mindful of the fact that his is the name above every name, and I always act as though someone is always watching me...because he is!

Praise God! Just the thought of him makes me smile!

OUI?

IF A PASTOR ISN'T PERFECT, THEY SHOULD GET OUT OF THE MINISTRY!!

I can't tell you how many times I have heard this statement! Besides that, I cannot tell you how many times I have bit my tongue to keep from reminding people that God does not call perfect people to the ministry! Do you now why? Because there are no perfect people! That's right! No matter how good or Godly a person may be,"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God!" Yet, the bad-mouthing and grumbling goes on, not only from the secular world,whom I can excuse, basically because they don't know the word of God, and therefore just like little children, don't understand the whole situation...but also from the church world! This is upsetting to me. Not because it hurts my feelings to hear Jimmy being vilified by those who don't understand. Not even because those same persons then consider me to be stupid to  listen to a preacher who is less than perfect.Of course he's not perfect. Only God is perfect, and Jimmy never claimed to be God!( And, just to clarify. I am not a follower of Jimmy Swaggart. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and to my mind, Jimmy Swaggart is the best preacher, pound for pound, that ever graced a pulpit. 'Nuf said on that score.) But because when they put down Jimmy Swaggart, they are in essence turning away from one of the few men of God that will tell them the truths of the word of God that they so desperately need to hear. Now, understand me, I find no pleasure at all in the fact that Jimmy sinned. It was a dark day when that came to light, and I cried right along with him when he went on national television,and did as the word of God tells us to do, and repented before the whole world. Every believer is expected to do just as he did, just the way he did it, as he had been preaching all along. But when I stumble, and have to repent, I don't have to go in front of television cameras,with every nuance flashed around the world, every tear and tremble of my lips to be recorded over and over, to be hashed out by pundits,and laughed at, as I pour  out my heart to God, and apologize to everyone I have hurt by my inability to resist temptation! I can just turn to the Lord, in the privacy of my home,and pray, and weep and beg forgiveness, and when I get up off my knees, I know it is the sea of God's forgetfulness,and he will never bring it up to me again,and I can dry my eyes, make my apologies,and it is over! But Jimmy does not have that luxury. Whatever he has said, whatever he has done, will follow him around for the rest of his life, and I imagine that is one of the reasons that the Lord allowed Jimmy to fall into the trap set for him when he fell to temptation. He will never be arrogant, or think himself as someone special, but will remain humble, regardless of the huge victories he has won for the Lord, or the heavy anointing upon his ministry, or the millions of souls he has led to the Lord,or the blessing his music has been to the whole world. Which makes this sainted,sanctified, justified in the Lord man of God all the more amazing to me, because he has not lost his fire for God, or his power to preach the unalterable word of God without fear or favor! As he said himself, many times, he has no reputation left! None whatever! So he is going to go right on preaching the word of God, as the Lord leads him to do, and say what God gives him to say to a lost and dying world who desperately need the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ,and turn a deaf ear to those who still  laugh at him and call him names. 'Cause see, he doesn't care what people think of him.Even though he is tender-hearted,and like any man he wants to be liked, and gets his feelings hurt when others speak badly of him,long ago he gave that whole mess to the Lord, and that keeps him from taking it personally. What would be the point to doing that? Those who put him down shall never understand the spiritual forces that have come against him, simply because he has dedicated his entire life to the work of the Lord. Or, that the more effective one is, the more the enemy will try to undo all the good you have worked for. And considering all of that, I should be doing as the word says...rejoicing when men revile you and say all manner of evil against you, for my (Christ's) sake, for great will be your reward, in heaven. And,little do those who revile Jimmy know, that he turns around and prays for them,because he loves them! As do I. For God will not hold them guiltless who mistreat his anointed! God will get them for that. Like all of us, they shall have to account for every idle word that has passed their lips in this life.Brr! Not a pleasant thing to contemplate for anyone's future.

And remembering all of that calms me,knowing that this soldier of the cross, a dear brother who was instrumental in leading me to the Lord, and led me in the sinners prayer when I got saved, shall have that ultimate blessing, when he goes home to be with the Lord, will hear his Father say to him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

While I was writing this post, a terrible storm came up. I had saved at least the first paragraph, and had gone to visit Mrs.Murphy, when it hit,and rain lashed against the house,and came down in buckets,there was hail,and lightening, and the next thing I knew, the whole house went dark! While I yet sat there, searching for a way to light my way back to my chair, the lights came on,so I was only without power for a minute or two, but when I finally got back to my desk, the damage had been done,and the computer was down. Plus, the modem only flashed three green lights. I spent the rest of the night trying to get back on the Internet. I did everything I could think of to do, but it just wasn't working,and since the storm was still going on, I didn't want to use the phone. When Yon son came home, he woke me up, still sitting here, waiting for a response. I shut it down, had breakfast,and went to bed, knowing that it would be resolved later, and I was too tired to try anymore then. Sure enough, when I did get up, it only took a few moments, zip-zap, and the modem straightened right out,and I was back online. I only relate this, because I know the enemy really didn't want this post to make it into print, however, I serve a great big God, and the devil didn't have a chance against him! 

OUI?

YOU'RE A RELIGION ATHEIST? YOU MAY BE CLOSER TO GOD THAN YOU THINK!!

I know it seems as though I have just contradicted myself, but I really haven't. See, religion is a system of rules and regulations. Laws. Do's and dont's. And, as anyone whose ever been in need of help knows, the law cannot save you. The law only tells you what is wrong, and the punishment for breaking the law. So, the law, by itself, cannot save your immortal soul. Or, you life, depending on whether your taking the law spiritually or  in the so called,"reality" sense. If you have ever been in danger from a person,and had occasion to call the law, you know you can't expect anything from the police, until a law has been broken. So the law cannot save you. They can only dispense punishment to the law breaker,and perhaps, reparations to the one who has been wounded, unless they are beyond help. Okay? That is our world, our actual system of "justice". Likewise, in the religious world, the churches, in and of themselves cannot save you either. They can only tell you what the law is,and show you in the scriptures how God dealt with those who broke his laws. Relate to you the stories, the songs, the proverbs, and the eventual outcome of each and every great man of God, all of whom, with a couple exceptions, failed God, somehow, someway. And yet, God, for the most part, forgave them,when they turned away from their wicked ways. The grand exception, was Job. He was the most righteous, upright man of his day,and God knew it,and was so proud of him, he bragged to Satan about him, and Satan took him on as a challenge, to try to turn this wonderful man of faith against God, just by taking away from him most of God's blessings. Well, we all know the story, Poor Job lost everything, but his wife,and his life. Yet even at it's worst point, Job refused to curse God, and then the Lord said, that's enough, and restored to his servant everything he had lost, and more. The other great "man" of faith, of course, was Jesus. He did not fail God either. He did exactly what he was sent here to do.And, here is where most religions miss the mark. They will preach about everything else, but they won't hardly touch on the one subject that will bring you face to face with your savior. See, salvation is not in keeping the law, because the law cannot save you! Only one man ever kept the law,and that man was Jesus, who lived perfect, and died on the cross, just as the lamb of God was supposed to do, as it was laid out repeatedly in the old testament. He paid the price for the sins of the world, and all we have to do is  ACCEPT IT! So, that means that religion misses the mark,doesn't it? Since a system of rules and regulations can't save you, you need a relationship with Jesus to be saved. What Christ did on the cross is not something you can earn, or pay for. Jesus paid it all, and salvation is a gift of God. 

And, that is not all. Once you pray to be forgiven for your sins and accept what the son of God did for you on the cross, by faith believing, God then gives you the ability to live up to what he has given you, and it changes you, from the inside out.

So, which would you rather have? Dead,cold, formal religion, or an exciting relationship with the living God,who speaks to your heart,and cares about everything you care about? And the best part is, you don't have to join a church! You don't have to shake a preachers hand! You don't have to go to catechism classes and sign a contract saying you won't do this and you won't do that! You have an advocate with the Father, who has lived on this earth, and knows how hard life can be, and has experienced temptation,who, the minute you accept him as your Lord and Savior, will turn to the Father,and say, I died for them!

Yeah. Me too!

OUI?

 

MIDDLE EAST CLARION CALL! THE SOUND OF ALARM IN ISRAEL! HAS WORLD WAR THREE BEGUN??

Well, I've been thinking it for a very long time, but finally, on the show Rush calls meet the depressed, one of those guys said it. "This, he said,Is the beginning of World War three!" Yesterday in church, both preachers agreed with this assessment, which I knew they would, since it is right there in the book of Revelation. Although prepared by two different men, based in two different parts of the Bible, both the morning and evening service came back to the same basic points: All the signs are in place now for us to see the latter rain, and then our soon coming King, and a call to get right with the Lord, NOW! No one in the congregation was shocked, that I could see. I certainly wasn't. Like most of us, I have been watching and waiting, seeing those same signs,and expecting these pronouncements to be made by the secular world,and also, the preaching now taking place in all spirit led churches. The preachers take the place of the watchmen on the walls of the ancient cities keeping guard over the citizenry as they slept at night,and would call up to the man in the morning, "Watchman, what of the night?" And he would either give an all clear, no danger response, or a sound of alarm if he could see suspicious movement a long way off. However. If the danger was close and imminent,he would raise the ram's horn, and give a sound of alarm, meant to wake the people so they could prepare,which is exactly what we got in our church this last Sunday! The response to the altar call was about 99.99% and not only were people saved and then filled with the Holy Spirit, but many,many of us, including myself were blessed with a re-filling of the Holy Spirit, and Oh! what a glorious time we had, "trimming our wicks," and "filling our lamps with fresh oil!" Now, I  know where that analogy came from,even though I hadn't planned to say such a thing, but if you're thinking that I got it from something one of those preachers said, you would be wrong. No.The parable of the wise virgins, verses the foolish virgins, a-waiting the bridegrooms arrival, though it has always been one of my favorites in the new testament,because it is a perfect picture of the church getting ready for Christs return to call his bride, the church, hadn't even occurred to me to bring up in this post, but the Lord just dropped it into my heart just now, and so,naturally, I would follow the leading of the Spirit. As the "Watchman" analogy was not planned,neither was the "Bridegroom" analogy. And, I always think it best to go with what the Lord gives me to say, because only He knows for sure what is going on, and what is about to take place. And those of us here on earth always have a choice, to what voice we will take heed. The voice of the wise men of the "world"...or the wisdom  of the Ages.

The so-called wise men of the world have been saying for years and years that World War Three will take place in just a few minutes, given the existence of nuclear weapons. That it will be all over before we know it. And yet, by any time-table you care to use, this mess in the middle-east has been going on for a very long time, and is slowly ballooning to engulf the whole world. Yet, that being said, there is a caution to mention. Should there be any sort of peace agreement for/with Israel, remember what the Bible says about that.

"When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them."

And yet, the wisdom of the Ages says, "Fear not!" He has given us understanding about that which is to come upon this world, and if we put our trust and faith in him, he will keep us safe in that great and terrible day of the Lord!

OUI?

WHAT DO THE SYMBOLS OF THE FOURTH OF JULY MEAN?!

Once again this was a question posed by a referrer that I followed back, and frankly, I was taken aback that anyone in this country would ask such a question. But, then I remembered, this is the world wide web, and so, it is not necessarily an American asking. Therefore, I shall endeavor to respond, beginning with the basics. Our flag. The symbol of peace,freedom of religion, freedom of speech and unity of each state bonded together with all other states in the union. We have a pledge of allegiance each school child says every morning in school, that says it best.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America,and to the republic for which it stands, One nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all." 

The flag itself was first made by Betsy Ross, with 13 red and white stripes,as I recall the story, the red to commemorate the blood we shed, (or our forefathers shed) and we are still willing to shed today to protect our country- to gain our Independence as a nation,and the white,symbolizing the purity and peace of the love of God,and his blessings upon this land. In the upper left hand corner of the flag, we have a field of blue, decorated with white stars, one star for each state in the union. The number 13 is significant, being the number of states we began with, which were placed in a circle on that first flag, and now, with Alaska and Hawaii, we are up to 50 states.

You have only to know the words of our national anthem to understand the fireworks we shoot off every fourth of July, which is the day we commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"Oh, say can you see, by the dawns early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, or'e the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming! And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night,that our flag was still there! Oh say, does that star spangled banner yet wave, or'e the land of the free? And the home, of the Brave! "

Written by Francis Scott Key, as he stood across the bay on shipboard, watching the shelling of Fort McHenry on Chesapeake bay, one of the forts defending Baltimore against the British.During the night of the bombardment, Key's anxiety was at a high pitch, and when in the morning he discerned the American flag still flying over the fortress he gave vent to his feelings, in " The Star Spangled Banner"!

And finally, the three figures marching along, with drum, fife and flag,also called the spirit of 1776, is just what it says it is. Though we may be injured, limping and bleeding, we will still pull ourselves together and march to defend our homes, lives and liberties,because in the chest of any true American, beats the heart of a Patriot!

And, in the words of Lee Greenwood," I'm proud to be an American,where at least I know I'm free, and I'm proud to remember the men who died, to give that right to me, and I'd gladly stand up next to you, and defend Her still today!'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land! GOD BLESS THE USA!"

OUI?

FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE NERVOUS ABOUT 6/6/06!!

Very briefly and simply put, don't be. Scripture very clearly states, that 666 is the number of the name of the beast,not a date on the calendar! Read the book of Revelation, and then relax! Should Jesus Tarry,and not come back today, then it will be just another day, as far as prophesy is concerned, anyway.

On the other hand, this could be the day when Jesus Does come back! This could be " the day that no man knows" when our great and glorious God Jehovah will send his son back to gather up his children,to take us to the marriage supper of the Lamb!

OUI?

A PERSONAL REVELATION: WHY I HAVE NO GRANDCHILDREN...

Few know this about me, but I am about to reveal it now. I have always looked forward with great anticipation for the day, when I would be blessed with a grandchild. Yon son knows this, and he too, wants more than anything to be a father.Not just to please me, but because he loves children, and has no way to interact with children, in the present day climate.It is a grief that we rarely speak of, since it is so strong. For years, I have sought the Lord on this, and there seemed to be no answer,until one night, I was given a dream.I cannot recount the dream, exactly, but at the ending of it, the Lord dropped this into my heart." The more children you love, the more woes you will endure." I wondered about this for a long while,and then, accepted what the Lord had said, even yet, still wanting those grandbabies. And, frankly, I haven't thought about the dream, or the Father's words for a long time, until tonight.That said, I have this friend. She is a wonderful,loving person, and she has a daughter who has had no problem producing a lovely healthy family. She has six children, and was the sweetest, nicest little wife and mother that you ever saw. Her home was always clean and well ordered, her children clean and well fed. That lovely young woman could do it all, and I was so happy for my friend that she was so blessed.It was never any surprise to me that every get-together and phone conversation was well peppered with references to her daughter,and the delights of the growth and achievements of her grandchildren. I expected to hear about how big they were getting, how clever they were, and smart and pretty and wonderful...and how grand it all was to have a big family Christmas with everybody there at my friend's house...and if I allowed myself to go there, on occasion, very briefly, I experienced pangs of envy. I would sit in my nice quiet kitchen, watching the snow fall outside my window, alone on Christmas day,(for of course Yon son always has to work on every holiday) thinking of times past with my own family, with all the uproar and confusion, and singing and gift giving,the colorful packages and the fun of trimming a big tree, and wonder why. What went wrong that I had no big surging family to spoil? I never said anything to anyone about it, for it would only hurt Yon son, who always spoiled me rotten on every holiday, and still does. And, I certainly would never let a word pass  my lips to my friend of how I felt, because that would only inhibit her joyful expressions of a wonderful life. Why shouldn't she brag and go on and on about her family? In her place, I probably would do the same thing...unless I knew how another person might hurt over it. So, I bit my lip, and swallowed my envious thoughts,and forgot about it. Over the years, our trees have gotten smaller, and our decorations for Christmas have become less festive, but we always kept the day as best we could, exchanged presents,and sang carols,and watched all the movies, baked cookies, and cooked a wonderful dinner, and ignored the fact that there were no little tots to enjoy the day with. No curly haired babies to tuck in and read stories to, no Lionel trains or pretty dolls under the tree.

But, over the years, other changes have come about, with my friend too. Her daughter has changed husbands...three times. She got jobs and hired babysitters,and found reasons to be away from home,and suddenly, the house wasn't so clean, and neither were the children. Holidays have come and gone, and several of them, my friend has spent wondering where her daughter,and her grandchildren were. Why her daughter wasn't calling her, or coming around. My friend has a heart condition now,and can no longer maintain her own house, so there is no room for big trees, and no room for the whole family to gather there, either. Every birthday of one of her grandchildren that comes up, she wonders why she can't see that little tyke.

While on the phone with my friend tonight, she told me of her anxiousness over her grand kids, and how the doctor has warned her not to keep stressing over these things, because it just makes her heart condition worse. What she really can't understand is the way her daughter has given custody of all six children to their fathers,and is currently off running the streets in another state, doing God knows what, with God knows who,and the two step-mothers of my friends grand kids say they want her involved in the children's lives, but when the time comes for them to pick her up so she can be at the birthday party, or just a nice family dinner, they leave her hanging,and don't even pick up the phone and tell her they changed their minds, or can't come or whatever has changed the plans.Obviously, there isn't anything I can really do to help my friend's situation. All I can do, is listen, and sympathize, and try to give her what little support and solace there is in that.But, as I told her how sorry I was that she had been dropped on being with that dear little one on her birthday, it hit me. This is what God was trying to tell me, all those years ago. Now that I have gone on, and put my energies in other things, and gotten closer to the Lord....Now that Yon son is happy with his wife and his life as it is, and has the garden and his singing, and his job,and has also experienced spiritual growth,it is now clear to me that the Lord, in his wisdom, knew what might have happened....what was going to happen to my friend,and that I might very well have been in the same position,and how much worse it would be for me to be torn apart by not being able to see my grandchildren, just as my friend is being torn apart. Imagine having six little precious treasures out there, living with people you barely know, who are part of you,and you have absolutely nothing to say or do about what happens to them.

I grieve for my friend. I grieve for my friend's daughter, who will wake up some day and realize what she has thrown away, and want back, and there will be no way she can get them back.

But most of all, I thank God that he spared me, and Yon son that almost unbearable pain,and that he saw fit to give me that word so long ago, to let me know he was not withholding a blessing,but that the withholding, was a blessing in itself.

Praise be the name of the Lord.

OUI?

BEING TRANSFORMED, BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR SPIRIT!!

First, let me say that I know I changed the phrase, from the renewing of your mind, to the renewing of your spirit, but in all of that, don't you think that the renewing  of your mind will eventually translate into the renewing of your spirit as well? Isn't it, after all, your spirit that needs lifting when you are in a downward spiral? And, God knows, when we are in a state like that, only God knows what we need. For it is written, "Where there is no vision,the people perish.." Proverbs 29:18. This is so true. I have always believed all of the word of God, but sometimes we let day to day concerns drag our spirits down so far, we cannot see how our future can be any better, how our lives can improve, beyond what it is right now. A man whom I loved dearly used to say, tomorrow is canceled, due to lack of interest. Same general idea, but with a less uplifting slant to it. It is this lack of vision,or lack of interest, that brings about the horrifying thoughts of suicide, that are so prevalent today, especially amongst our young people. It always hurts my heart so, hearing about this occurring, that I felt led to bring this up. This notion that I would be happier, my family would be better off, and I would be out of pain if I...! And for most,who have not heard the word of God, who don't know the Lord is available to them, if they will only just ask, that are at the most susceptible point in their lives, to believe the foolishness of ideas, such as reincarnation.Just in case you have ever had a thought like that, thinking you will come back to life as a an aardvark, or a dog or something, let me dispel that myth from your mind right now." And it is appointed unto men, ONCE to die, but after this, the judgment." Hebrews9:27. So, you got that now? There are no second chances, there are no do overs, what I have written, I have written. But all that being as it may, does not mean that all the bad things you have done will follow you to your grave and beyond.If you have messed things up so badly that you just don't see any way out,then I have good news for you. There is a way, while you are still alive,that you can with the Lord's help, turn things around. That's why they say, where there is life,there is hope! You see, when you come to the end of yourself,and all you can do, and you don't see any solution for the mess you have made of things, there is always someone who loves you, who is ready, willing and able to change your circumstances. And he will do it, right where you are, just as you are, just for the asking, in faith believing. Now, you know I am talking about God,and his only son, Jesus Christ, don't you? The literal translation of Gospel, is good news. And it is good news. I know. I was in that state some years back,and I had gotten myself into a terrible mess,and thought there was no way out. I was so worried, it was on my mind all the time. My health suffered, I couldn't sleep because of my worry,and I had no peace of mind. But I compensated for all of that by throwing myself into my writing,and through that, research for my book,and literally stumbled over Jesus Christ,and him crucified. I was comparing all religions,and to be fair, I also read up on Christianity. You will never know, until you read this stuff for yourself how different Christianity is from every other religion on the earth, until you compare them for yourself, but after I read that last part, I sat back in my desk chair, the book in my lap,and a sense of wonder and amazement filled me. Buddha never healed anyone.Mohammad never brought anyone back from the dead.Confucius never raised a finger to save anyone. But Christ gave his life, to atone for all sin! He gave sight to the blind, healed the lepers,raised from the dead,and he loved us all enough to endure such suffering...! My thoughts had been swirling around, but all of a sudden, with crystal clarity, one thought was outstanding. Jesus Christ really was the son of God! And when I said those words aloud, all of a sudden, I was no longer alone in that room. The presence of God was all around me, all over me, and it was such love, and such peace, I knew in that instant, something about me had changed! Long story short...(too late!)...that was the day I started searching for a preacher I could look to to help me understand just what had happened. I found him. He preached the uncompromising Gospel of Jesus Christ, saying, if it isn't in the Bible, then it isn't true! And through him,I began to understand that I had gotten saved! Just like that! And, I can hear you going, oh, but Featherhead, that is you, not me. God is no respecter of persons. What he did for me, he will do for you. He got me out of that mess, planted my feet on higher ground,and took me places I never expected to go. All that worry is gone, now, and I have peace of mind,and sleep when I go to lay my head to rest...like a baby.And it's all due to the fact that I have been faithful to read and study the bible,and found a preacher who opens up the word of God to me, on a weekly basis,and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior,and sought the in-filling of the holy spirit,and have received it. I have been transformed, by the renewing of my spirit. Praise God. I love my life now. I am blessed. I have more than ever before in my life,and it's all due to the blessings of a loving God, who knows what I need before I even ask.

And, I no longer fear death,because I know where I am going,is where my savior is,and he loves me.

OUI?

THE COURAGE OF OUR CONVICTIONS!

You know, when we read something we feel is less than appropriate, or we hear something that we feel is not complete, it behooves us to leave a comment.That is what the comment tool, at the bottom of a post is there for.I take seriously any mention of God,and any discussion of the word of God immediately grabs my attention,because I love the Lord supremely, and the word of God is so beautiful,because in any complete presentation of it, invariably, it will always lead you back to the cross of Christ,if the preacher sees it for what it was intended to be,and carries it out to it's logical conclusion.True, every preacher is different, and will conclude their talk in any way they wish,but most, having opened up the word of God to you, will at least have given you enough to catch a glimpse of Jesus,and if they spent several minutes speaking to you, on say, suffering, will at least include the fact that the suffering we go through in our lives, is nothing compared to the suffering Christ went through on the cross,for our redemption, and that is a perfect opening for an altar call. Recently, I was witness to just such a talk, and when it was ended,no such connection was made, no altar call was made,and I felt left dangling, and disappointed,and left a comment.Now, I will be the first one to admit that I am spoiled.I have studied the bible and sat under one of the most powerful preachers I have ever heard, for many years.In my own imagination, I had run ahead of this preacher,and had certain expectations of his talk, and when it did not materialize,my heart just sank.Well, that is not the preacher's fault, that is my fault.I knew better than to expect anyone else to be the same as what I had grown used to, and I will also admit that the comment wasn't very Charitable, however true I felt it to be.Worse yet, it was my honest reaction to his words.Now, I am not, nor have I ever claimed to be, a preacher. I am just an old sinner, saved by grace,but when a man of God gets up and begins to preach,then I expect to hear what" THUS SAYETH THE LORD!" or, as Paul said, in 1 cor.2:2;" For I determined not to know anything among you, save Christ and him crucified!" That,and that alone is the message that will save the sinner, set the captive free, and give the believer victory! Praise God! However,I have been persuaded recently that sometimes, when we are being honest, we somehow manage to be brutally honest.And, having been the recipient of a swift kick in the concience lately, I have repented of some rather caustic remarks, while still maintaining the truth of my statements.The Good Lord willing, his presence will keep me from doing the same thing again, while still keeping my standards high.Being outspoken is in my nature, and I cannot change that,so if a firestorm rages over my head over something I have said, that I believe to be right, I shall still stand by my words.However, I may not be as forthcomming when it involves the feelings of a dear brother or sister in Christ.

OUI?

THE GREAT FALLING AWAY IS UPON US!!

I am dispensing with the cute stuff this time, so that this message is just as clear as I can make it. When we finally come to the end of our own resources,and have to make a decision,then it is necessary to be in possession of all the facts.Everyone that I have spoken to or read their works believes this to be truth,and yet,it is somehow overlooked when we make two of the most momentous decisions of our lives. One is, whom we will marry.In every case, it alters the course of our entire lives,and yet so many will make this choice of a lifetime upon the feeblest, shakiest grounds available. You know it, I know it,and it is pointless to belabor the point.But just very briefly, " I love him or her", just simply is not enough. Young people should be enrolled in courses from childhood in how to determine if a person is  a good choice for a mate, but just try to find even one, anywhere! Maybe someone should write a book!

The second decision is like the first, but far more important, because it will not only determine the course of your life, but the state of being in the afterlife.WAIT! Don't tune me out now. Give me just a few more sentences to say what I feel is so important.Inside that body of yours,is a craving for something, and you have tried everything you can to fill it,and nothing works to satisfy you for long. There is a hole in your soul, that no food, no music, no activism,no political ploys,no other person can fill completely,and no church can do it either.Only God, can fill a God shaped hole, because that is what it is.In fact, forget church, or whether you would make a good preacher or not, because that is not the issue.The issue is, you are not whole, until you are whole, spiritually,and to be honest with you, many churches today are more lost than some sinners.Take me, for example. I am just an old sinner, saved by grace.Unmerited favor,that's what grace is.So, most Catholics are out of the running right off the bat, because they hold the virgin Mary in such high..(choke)...esteem,and all because they don't even know what they are saying when they pray, Mary, full of grace. How about this? Hail Mary, full of unmerited favor! You didn't give God any cause to love you, but he loves you anyway!

This week-end, I ran into three prime examples of churches, that I found less than impressive,and I couldn't help myself, I had to respond.In all love, of course, but I did say what I felt led to say.Two of them run advertisements on local television, and have seen them for some time,and a burden came over me, again, to say something to them.One has this ad with strobe lights flashing, smoke pots boiling, and they are singing,"lalalala,gospel temple, the people place, church is more inviting, when church is exciting," and they show all sorts of activities going on,and perhaps one shot of some guy up front, maybe preaching, or reading minutes, who knows?(the lalalal is in place of the name, don't want to embarrass anybody.) Now, I understand that they want people to know they are different,and where they are, but are they so different that they cannot mention God in their ad? And, what of all that flash, like it's a Vegas nightclub?  Then the other one is fairly new,and it is entirely different from the other.This is all staid and stiff,and they first mention the music,where a lady in a shiny pink suit stands sideways,and talks over her shoulder," Every time you come, it's like going to a symphony." Then the scene shifts, and a young matron holds a beeper, and says, "The trustworthy child care is great,and they give me this beeper, to let me know if they need me,free of charge!"Once again, the scene shifts, and now it's two youths,a guy and a girl, smiling, "lots of programs for young people!"and the scene shifts again, and now two men, standing shoulder to shoulder, one obviously older than the other, and the younger one says, " We have a burden for missions to Argentina!" and the older one says, " and we reach out to the community in several ways!" Then an exterior shot of the imposing edifice of the church itself comes up on the screen, and the name of the church, which is First Presbyterian church of so and so,come join us on Sunday morning! So, I sent them both an email, asking "What is it you preach?" That was on Saturday morning.So far, no response. Truthfully, I didn't expect to get any reply. I mean, I know it costs money to advertise on television, but how much more would it have cost them to mention God? Or Jesus? Or even include a clip of the preacher, fresh from the prayer closet, on fire for God, preaching an exciting message? As I pointed out in one of those emails, that is the only kind of exciting church I want to be involved in! I wonder if you can guess to which church I sent that message? To the other, I may have gotten a little bit rough.I informed them that too many preachers are anointed with formaldehyde,and if they already knew their preacher was boring, then I understood why they didn't include a clip of it. I apologized for being harsh,and yet, I believe I told them what they needed to hear. Now, I am not attacking any denomination, or sect. I pray that all churches, who call themselves Christian would have preachers who will lift up Christ,and be a blessing to all who go there,but if that's not going to happen, then where will people who need to hear the uncompromising word of God hear it, and be saved? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.Folks who are lost need to find someone who will open up the word for them, and help them to understand that God is not just in churches, he is everywhere. Find someone who will do that for you, even if he's under a tree somewhere. Okay. I know I said three,and there were three. I've been saving this one for last, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I ran into the last one, right here, on the Internet.I went to visit someone I love and respect, and thought I was clicking on a link to hear some music,and what I got was,for lack of a better word, preaching.Sorry to say, it was pitifully lame,and I just couldn't listen to the whole thing .I left a comment, and got out of there as quickly as I could, but apparently my friend felt I had not heard enough,and replied with sarcasm, as I saw when I went back later.So, I repented of my rash statement, and grit my teeth,and punched up that same link again, and listened to the end, as my friend had suggested I should have done.Mmm! Why on earth this young man went into preaching, I have no idea, but  if this is a sample of the sort of preacher that are preaching in our churches, then I begin to understand why there are so many otherwise bright, good,seeking men claim they want no part of church!

"The falling away" mentioned in Second Thess.chapter2;3 is in full progress right now, and what I have just related to you is just a tiny glimpse into it.And,as Paul writes, it is nothing to worry about, as long as you are in Christ!Falling away from what? From the church! To be frank with you,Roman Catholic priests have been leading their flocks down that slippery slope,telling them they are forgiven of their sins, when in actuality they were on their way to hell for hundreds of years, so don't think I am fussing at your churches because I am not! But the point must be made in as clear a way as possible, that your church can't save you! You need to be Savvy,and pay attention to what is being said behind the pulpit,and if what you hear doesn't line up with the word of God, you need to get out of that church,and find one that does! Pomp and Circumstance, great beautiful robes and traditions and the rules and regulations of men won't save you either! I know! I used to be Roman Catholic,and I loved the services, but I got over that, when I realized that so much of their traditions and religiosity made absolutely no impact on the condition of my soul whatever! If you don't believe me, get a King James Version of the Bible and look it up for yourself, where it says," call no man upon the earth FATHER!"  (Matt.23:9) Get a good one with a concordance in the back where you can look all those things up,and read it for yourself. It will explain a lot of things to you, like why you see so many supposedly good kids, going to church school, who live like hell all week long,and then go to confession on Saturday,and sail into Church on Sunday morning, acting like little angels, when inside, they are nothing of the kind. That's not the kids fault, that is the fault of the church that tells them they can sin as much as they want, and then go to confession,and all is forgiven!But, when the judgement comes, there will be no excuses, because ultimately, you are responsible for your own salvation. Now, do you understand that? God is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek him, but you must search for someone to lead you to the Lord.Just going to any old church,and leaving your path of redemption up to a "nice man"who may, or may not know the way is foolish.Take your Bible with you,and use it.Prove every word that pastor or Preacher says,in your bible.

Now, I know that every church and person I have mentioned mean well, and try hard. I know they do. God bless them,and I know that everyone has bad days and a slip of the lip so that not all messages come out just the way they intended. But ask my opinion, and I will tell you the truth,and I am sorry if that hurts your feelings ,however don't you see that we are getting right down to the nitty-gritty here? Haven't you seen it, played out in the news for the last few years, time after time, where The Almighty is dealing with the churches? And, just in case you weren't aware, God said that judgment will begin with his house,and go right on down from there.As God told David, this thing you do in secret, but I do what I do before the whole world! Look around you.What you see approaching is Judgment.The baby games are over! Now is the time to get Serious with God, seek his face,and get right with him now! My dear loved ones, get ready,it is upon us...even at the doors!

OUI?