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If The Apostle Paul Was On Facebook
I know there are some of you who believe no one as holy as the apostle Paul would ever stoop so low as to be on Facebook.Okay. I’ll buy that. Sort of.
Others believe he would only use it to share the gospel.
Yeah, I see that. Sort of.
Some say Paul would have a Facebook account, but Jesus and John the Baptist wouldn’t.
Huh?
Check out something Paul wrote to the Colossians:
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17 NKJV)
He basically said, “Whatever you do or say, make certain you do it as Jesus would, IF He’d do it.”
If Jesus wouldn’t be on Facebook, what are we doing on it?
Did Jesus ride a donkey? Did He ride in a boat? Did He go to social gatherings? Yes, yes, yes!
He used whatever He could to somehow make His message known.
And it’s what the Apostle Paul did, as well.
But I think he would have posted a little differently than some of God’s modern day saints.
His posts would be encouraging, yet challenging. If sin needed to be exposed, and it applied to a whole group, he’d speak the truth in love while showing the group how to make things right with God.
He wouldn’t just blast away at someone because they disagreed with him.
I can’t imagine Paul calling anyone an idiot!
In fact, Paul told us, God’s modern day saints, just how to communicate with our world through the means of Facebook.
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 ESV)
Isn’t that awesome?
Not quarrelsome with anyone. Kind to everyone. The gay, the leftist, the abortionist (they’re part of the ‘everyone’ group), the President, the preacher, the bug man, the tax man, and the one who calls you a jerk. Kind. Just like God is kind to you and I, even though at times we act like jerks.
Well, sometimes I do.
Able to teach. Modern day saints; are your posts filled with profanity? Do they lash out at someone who’s disappointed you? If so, what are you trying to get across? Is that what you want your “friends and followers” to learn from you?
Why?
Patiently enduring evil. How does one do that? By looking to Jesus, Who alone is your strength and shield. “Patiently” means keeping the door of communication open. Encouraging dialogue, even though there is disagreement.
“But I can’t stand what they’re doing!”
We’re talking about Facebook here, remember? Patiently endure.
P a t i e n t l y e n d u r e…
Correcting opponents with gentleness. Some people haven’t the slightest clue what “gentleness” means.
Allow me to help you.
“Mildness of manners or disposition.”
You and I have a better chance of helping others escape from the devil’s traps by using good manners instead of beating them to death with harsh words.
The Apostle Paul would probably have had a Facebook account and, as long as he could get a signal on his smart phone, would have posted regularly.
Would he have said, “Thus saith the Lord”, in every post? I doubt it. He would sometimes, but mostly he’d be building relationships with his friends. He’d be earning the right to speak into someone else’s life by allowing them to post their view without getting blown out of the Facebook waters.
I like Facebook. I don’t like the drama some people seem to thrive on. But I’ll bide my time; reading and listening, while trying to see if God won’t possibly give me a little nugget of truth and love to share with someone.
After all, it’s what Jesus and Paul would do, with or without this thing we call Facebook.
By the way, a new Facebook page “Apostle Paul and Today’s World” has just been created.
Please check it out and “Like”.
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The Gunman
Why would a 26 year old young man want to kill ANY human being, let alone ten?
What went through the mind of the gunman as he armed himself and pointed his weapon at that first victim? What possessed him to act in such a terrifying manner?
Such heartbreaking news.
I am saddened for the families, the students at UCC, and for the residents of Roseburg, Oregon.
My heart grieves for this nation; a nation no longer “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
If we’ve ever been a united nation, we aren’t now. We are divided by racism, by extremist agendas, by political jargon that accomplishes absolutely nothing, and even pharisaical fools who appear to be more concerned with being heard than changing lives.
We say every life matters, but we act like the only lives that matter are the ones who agree with us.
We disparage the groups who put us down, and wonder why we can’t get the ear of the nation.
I know, because, sadly, I’ve acted the same way.
What is this nation coming to?
I’d like to say, “The only hope for America is Jesus”, but some would be offended.
So I’ll simply say, “America needs the One Who could change everything if He’d only be given a real, honest chance.”
As you shake your head in disbelief as you read or watch the news, please pray for the families and communities of Oregon.
(For those readers who don’t believe in prayer, please send out some positive thoughts)
And while you’re at it, please add a couple more.
1. Pray for this nation
2. Pray for yourself
Because unless the heart of America’s individuals change, America will witness more of today’s horror.
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What About The Refugees?
I wrote this last night, but looking at it today made me question the wisdom in posting it.But low and behold, in my email today was a post by J. Lee Grady, saying somewhat the same thing.
So, why not? I believe what I wrote is truth, so with the risk of sounding like a liberal, I’m gonna talk about something that’s very dear to the heart of God.
People.
Red and yellow, black and white, they’re all precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.
But only if they were born in America, to American parents. Right?
Wrong!
The United States of America is only 239 years old. Jesus died and rose again 2,000 years ago. Why did He do it? Because He loved the world so much!
Jesus died for the nations – regardless of their political persuasions or religious convictions. Do you hear me? THE NATIONS!
How are the nations to hear of God’s great love, and the power of the Gospel, if American missionaries are not allowed into the nations?
Hundreds of thousands of refugees are being batted about from nation to nation like badminton shuttlecocks. Their lives are up in the air, without any fault of their own.
They simply want to live.
What if the refugee crisis is God’s way of speeding up the distribution process of His message? Well?
What if?
What if America, even as bad and as unchristian as it acts, is supposed to be God’s end time Ark of Safety?
Like you, I’ve read the posts. “America can’t afford any more refugees! Impeach Obama! He’s destroying our country!”
Yes, I’ve read all that stuff. But what if YOU were the Syrian who’s only looking for a place to live? What would you do?
God told Noah to build the ark so He could sustain life. And since God is on record as saying mankind is worth much more than sparrows, couldn’t He have planned this massive, worldwide movement?
There’s a proverb you and I should pay attention to.
“People curse those who hoard their grain, but they bless the one who sells in time of need.” (Proverbs 11:26 NLT)
What’s it mean? It’s never good to be stingy with what we have, whether as individuals or as a nation.
“But the extra load will bust our economy!”
God is able to make all His grace abound toward those who do His will.
“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will repay you.” (Proverbs 19:17 NLT)
We pray, “Lord, raise up workers, missionaries, and send them to the nations. God, open the door for Your glorious gospel!”
And it’s good to pray that way.
But what if God is answering those prayers in ways which make life a little more challenging for us holy Americans?
What if illegal aliens are here (unbeknownst to them) to hear the Gospel? What if the refugees aren’t coming here to make the U.S. a Muslim nation? Oh, some may THINK it’s their plan, but God has ways of bringing HIS will to pass.
How do you know what their intent is? Besides, as Joseph told his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”
I’m as concerned as the next patriotic person about how can this nation take on any more people. But I have an even greater concern.
How can these people hear the Gospel that will not only change their earthly lives, but also their FOREVERS?
So what about the refugees?
What about you and I? We’re the ones who claim to have faith in the living God. Isn’t He able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or even think?
Isn’t the God we love and serve NOT WILLING that ANY MAN PERISH?
What about the refugees?
Open your hearts and let them in.
It could be the best thing for this nation.
Who knows?
God does.As for the illegals? Well, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a wall built anytime soon, so I think the best one can do is trust God.
And make sure we love the ones He loves.
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Bloody Moons
There are scriptural references to the moon turning blood red before the notable day of the Lord.
Please notice:
“And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.” (Acts 2:20 ESV)
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.” (Revelation 6:12 ESV)
A lot of people had their cameras out Sunday night, taking pictures of the fourth Blood Moon since April 2014. Along with the hundreds of moon photos posted on Facebook and Instagram were thousands of comments indicating how each commenter felt about the Blood Moon Theory.
Some comments were even a bit on the testy side.
In case you are Rip Van Winkle and you just awakened from a twenty year nap, I’ll briefly explain the hype.
Pastor John Hagee recently published a book about The Blood Moon Prophecy, detailing a belief that because four consecutive lunar eclipses occur on Jewish holidays, it could indicate a sign from God that the end of the age is near. Hagee, and his minister friend, Mark Biltz, went into great detail building their case.
I read Hagee’s book. It was an interesting read. I looked up the scriptures, and cross referenced where I could. In my opinion, he didn’t connect the dots.
But I could have missed a few dots, so I won’t say he was wrong. I will say I was disappointed with the book. I didn’t see what the big deal was.
However, that doesn’t mean we should forget what the real message is. The real message isn’t about bloody moons, earthquakes, violent storms, crashing economies, or who is the antichrist this week.
That’s where I get a little annoyed with this whole deal.
American Christians have an uncanny way of readily believing anything someone says, if they happen to have a big enough platform. If they’re popular.
No, I’m not chewing on sour grapes.
I’ve done it, too. Yep, for a while I believed Jesus was coming in 1988.
By the way, by the time 1989 rolled around, I quit believing it.
We can be easy pickings for just about any idea that suggests something supernatural. So instead of digging into God’s word, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), we save time and trouble and run with the idea because so and so said it.
Blood Moons seem to be another example.
But, like I said, we shouldn’t ignore the end time message the scriptures actually teach. Let’s look at the two previously mentioned scriptures in context.
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Acts 2:17-21 ESV)
“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Revelation 6:12-17 ESV)
What is the emphasis?
There is a time God refers to as the Last Days. A time when, first of all, He’ll pour out His Spirit upon ALL flesh; meaning everyone. Which indicates, to me, everyone will have a clear opportunity to understand what it means to either accept Jesus or reject Jesus.
“Before the dreaded Day of the Lord…” when the earth begins falling apart at a cataclysmic rate.
The main focus with ANY prophecy is, and should be, Jesus. It’s what the scriptures teach, and it’s something the Holy Spirit is emphasizing in these LAST DAYS.
I don’t know about the Blood Moons teaching. It’s interesting, but that’s as far as I’ll go.
But what’s truly exciting is Jesus IS coming again!
Yes, people have declared that message for years and years. But just because it hasn’t happened yet isn’t an indicator that it won’t.
So let the moon turn bloody red; people will believe whatever they want. But as for me, I’m going to keep looking unto Jesus. He is my Salvation, no matter what color the moon becomes.
“Be ye also ready, for in the moment you think not, the Son of man comes…”
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A Nasty Word
Did you know there is a nasty word in the bible?Really, there is.
For you folks who’ve memorized the Authorized Version, no, it’s not the word you’re thinking of.
The word speaks of pain, anguish, betrayal, brokenness, mistrust, disorder, and confusion.
It mocks the faithful, steals from the innocent, curses the efforts of the loyal, and raises a defiant fist at every attempt to stop it in its tracks.
It’s a word that’s used thousands of times each year.
Every year.
It’s a word which gains its strength in direct proportion to the hardness of one’s heart. The harder the heart, the stronger and more damaging the word.
A nasty word.
DIVORCE.
Divorce is a nasty word.
Severed relationships, extinguished flames of love. Abandoned hopes, forsaken promises, magnified fears, and misplaced allegiances.
All because of a nasty word – divorce.
Though it’s in the bible, it was never God’s idea. Notice what Jesus said:
“Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” (Matthew 19:8 ESV)
“The hardness of heart…”
I understand there are two sides to every story. But when a marriage is terminated, at least one person’s heart has become hard.
So how does a heart become hard?
A number of ways. For example:
When a person begins to think about their own needs and wants, rather than those of their spouse and family, the heart is hardening.
When good feelings replace the marriage vows, the heart is hardening.
When “I know what God said, BUT…” becomes an all too familiar phrase, it’s a warning sign of a hardening heart.
When flirting is acceptable, and warnings ignored…
When fantasies play unchecked in the mind…
…the heart is getting hard.
“For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” (Malachi 2:16 NKJV)
If someone is beginning to look better to you than the one you’ve committed your life to, take heed to your heart. Pay attention, and soften it up with repentance.
Turn back to your spouse, your family, your God.
And leave the nasty word far behind.
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The Candidate Most Likely To Be Elected
In anticipation of the upcoming caucus and primary season, I’ve prepared a piece describing the candidate most likely to be elected. It’s a little lengthy, but it will only take you a few minutes to read.
Hey, it’s not my fault that there are so many candidates.
Just in case you’re wondering how I, a nobody in any circle of political analysts or pundits, could feel so confident in my prediction that I’d post it on the world wide Internet, it’s really quite easy to explain. I’ve simply looked at the data from the past three general elections, moistened my index finger, then raised it as high in the air as my modest 5’8″ frame would allow. And I think I’ve come up with a pretty accurate prediction of who could be the next President of the United States of America.
I’ll begin my description of the candidate most likely to be elected by saying it won’t be a woman. While there are many men and women ready to welcome a female Commander in Chief, the country as a whole hasn’t totally warmed up to the idea. Sorry, no Hillary or Carly this time around.
The candidate most likely to be elected will have a smooth tongue, but not necessarily a truthful one. And it’s my opinion that the one elected will be even more determined to meld America into the world’s mixing pot of socialism and a one world government than any previous president.
I know it’s hard to believe, but watch and see. Despite the rhetoric, the democratic and republican platforms, and all of the red, white, and blue lapel pins, the American way of life is close to extinction.
My opinion.
Patriotism is huge in some parts of the country, and among certain age groups. But people primarily vote according to their bank balance, not moral convictions. When the time comes, and come it will, to either vote for America’s sovereignty or join with the “prosperous” One World government, it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what will happen.
You say people would never go for that? Well, you might want to pull your head out of the sandbox. It’s gonna happen. Plain and simple.
People MAY slow things a little, but they can’t stop the inevitable.
Economics has a much louder voice than patriotism.
Okay, back to the election.
I like Carson. He’s a very smart guy. Too smart, though, for most voters. And the comment he made saying a Muslim should not be in the Whitehouse didn’t help him among the freedom in diversity crowd.
So Carson’s out.
Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindahl are non-contenders as I see it. I like what they say, but they are too radical for the ones who vote.
Jeb Bush is a Bush – ’nuff said.
Mike Huckabee is a Southern Baptist preacher. Can you imagine people who have swallowed the diversity and tolerance message hook, line, and sinker voting for a Baptist? Hardly. No, Huckabee isn’t going to make it all the way.
Chris Christie talks tougher than he really is. Of course, I’m only looking at his record, his comments, and his “let’s show the dems just how tough I can be” lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. I see him trying to play the role of a tough appeaser.
Was it Confucius who said “He who tries to play both sides against the middle ends up in a tangled mess”?
Maybe not.
Lindsey Graham has a great southern accent, but he’s too liberal for staunch conservatives, and too republican for the democratic vote.
Besides, he’s too short.
Jim Gilmore says he’s a republican, but thinks like a liberal. He would probably do well as a last days commander in chief, so I’ll let him stay in the mix for a bit.
Rick Santorum? Talks too much like a Bible banger. Doesn’t he realize this country needs more than God? Well, if he doesn’t yet, the voters will let him know.
John Kasich, George Pataki, and Rand Paul? Of the three, George is the most qualified to lead us into union with the rest of the world. Why do I say that?
Two words. New York.
John Kasich talks a lot, and no one cares what he says. Rand Paul hates the rest of the world, and doesn’t mix well with Iraqis.
Probably got beat up on the school playground a lot.
And yes, there’s the Donald to consider.
But why? Mr. Trump is in love with Mr. Trump. He’d be the first to cave to the one world government, if he thought he was getting a good deal.
In case you’ve forgotten, the next four years will not be about returning America to its greatness.
America has been throwing that away in the name of perversion, I mean, diversity, for the past umpteen years. Republican, Democrat, Independent… it doesn’t matter. Our course is set, and that’s that.
We’re gonna have a one world government, Americans be darned!
There’s not a single politician declaring the message of Jonah the prophet. Though it’s what this nation needs, the future president knows it won’t get him elected.
Nor will it fit well with the rest of the world.
Oh, and let’s not forget the rest of the candidates; the ones braying like jackasses, touting all the wonderful things they’ve done.
Things like supporting same sex marriage and abortion on demand. Funding Planned Parenthood as though it’s part of the American Dream.
Family planning services, what a joke. China has basically the same kind of FPS. Back in Moses’ day, Pharaoh had a similar plan. Kill all the boy babies. China, their planning service is simply limiting the amount of children a couple may have. Pregnant again? Oh well, time for an abortion.Although the House passed a bill to defund Planned Parenthood for one year, the Senate will probably fail to follow suit. But if they do, the President will certainly veto the bill.
And the nation that swears in her president with one hand placed on a bible, and the other raised to God, will cheer wildly as another nail in her coffin is hammered in.
Oh yeah. The election.
Who do I predict will be the candidate elected to be the nation’s 45th president?
Sanders is cool. Cool as a cucumber grown on a state run farm. Share and share alike. Raise the minimum wage so everyone can have a livable wage.
Sanders is socialism at its finest. His world view may fit with the one world government, so let’s wait and see.Joe Biden? I’m truly sorry he lost a son. I can’t imagine what that’s like. But I also can’t imagine him as our next president.
Andrew Cuomo? Al Gore? Dennis Kucinich (how many times has he run, anyway)? Brian Schweitzer? Montana, it’s nice to see you tossing in a name.
Whoever it will be, I predict it will be the most liberal, diverse, one world government, socialist candidate on the slate. Because it’s basically what this country has groomed itself to become.
I know this isn’t a very encouraging post to some of you. I’m sorry. I hope I’m wrong. I pray I’m wrong.
I’m going to vote to make me wrong.How about you?
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” (1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)
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An Open Letter To Adulterers
There are approximately 56 million couples in America. 112 million men and women who were joined together as husband and wife to begin their own miniature civilizations.That number represents about one third of this nation’s population. After reading a number of different statistics on various websites, and after discovering that an estimated 50% of marriages are being undermined (or maybe “mined”, as in blown apart) by adultery (emotional and/or sexual), I decided to write this letter to the 56 million or so people who have already had, or who are considering having, an adulterous affair.
Here it is.
An Open Letter To Adulterers.
Dear Mr. or Mrs. Adulterer,
Although you probably envision yourself as a romantic, passionate lover, your decision to ignore your marriage covenant isn’t about romance or love. Adultery is not the steamy hot tryst Hollywood likes to portray.
It is a real life killer of relationships, hopes, dreams, character, and, of course, trust.
Adulterers aren’t lovers. They are murderers. “Affairs” don’t just happen. Neither does first degree murder.
I’m sure you don’t believe that about yourself.
How does cheating on your spouse make you anything but a selfish, out of control loser? How do you justify your feelings as love? Didn’t you “love” the person you married? Didn’t you promise to love, cherish, and protect your partner until you were separated by death?
You say you can’t live without your new found love. You’ve said that before. And just because your heart has become so hardened it can no longer distinguish between truth and lies doesn’t change the fact you are a liar, a cheater, and totally untrustworthy.
If you won’t honor your vows to one, don’t think for a moment you will next time. And if your new “love” couldn’t keep their vows with the one they swore “until death do us part”, how can you honestly believe you’re the exception? That they’ll treat you differently?
Mr. and Mrs. Adulterer, will you stop fantasizing long enough to face some real facts of life?
Fact – adultery isn’t simply a fling, an affair, a rendezvous, or even a one night stand. It isn’t merely an inappropriate touch, or a suggestive remark.
It is an attack against your very own civilization; the very one you promised to protect.It’s as though you grabbed your spouse by the hair, threw them to the ground, and held them while your “lover” chopped off their head with a machete!
Adultery isn’t any nicer than ISIS. It’s just less bloody.
Fact – adultery teaches a lesson to the next generation that it’s okay to be unfaithful. It’s alright to ignore vows and obey sensual desires. If it feels good, do it. After all, happiness is the main thing, isn’t it?
Is that what you want your children to learn?
Happiness is not the main thing, if in the process you must destroy others in order to have your way.
Fact – adultery is a lazy person’s way of dealing with marital problems. It’s kind of like a kid playing hooky from school because they can’t pass a test. They didn’t study for the test, didn’t pay attention in class; instead they spent the time daydreaming about playing outside with friends. So, they skip school rather than work on the lesson.
So you have problems with your spouse. Yeah? And who doesn’t, at some point in their marriage?
It might help if you quit looking out the classroom window, and began studying your lesson.
Fact – adultery doesn’t fix any problem. It never repairs relationship issues, it won’t cure sexual addictions, and it only mocks the ones who say they did it for the sake of love.
Rolling around on the bed of adultery is not an expression of love. It is the picture of a person who likes themself better than anyone else in their world. Even more than the person they are “making love” to.
An adulterer does not understand love.
As I close, may I introduce you to a few timeless truths you may or may not have heard before?
1. God avenges the one who has been cheated on. 1 Thessalonians 4:6
2. God blesses the marriage bed, but judges the sexually immoral and the adulterous. Hebrews 13:4
3. God sees you as an infidel, and one who’s denied the faith, if you won’t care for your own (which includes your spouse and kids). 1 Timothy 5:8
4. God will NOT grant you His peace as long as you’re rebelling against His will. He will not bless your hands while they are the hands of an adulterer.
Maybe you’ve thought through all this rhetoric and still believe your happiness is all that matters. Your mind’s made up. Your course is set.
Then have at it.
But hopefully you’re re-examining your heart; remembering the sacred vows of yesterday. If so, it’s time to get up and out of the situation. Break it off, turn your back on it while you turn your face toward the ones who really matter.
God. And the little civilization called your family.
Sincerely,
Jan
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Pornography – A Feel Good Killer
There are many things in this world which stimulate the human senses; things that make a body say, “aaahhh, how nice!”Good things and things not so good. Sinful things. Yes, sin can be, and usually is, pleasurable. That’s why it’s so popular.
It’s why you and I do sinful things. We enjoy the good feelings we get. They are pleasurable; for a season. Until the final bill is due.
“…than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season…” (Hebrews 11:25 KJV)
Pornography feels good, at least for a while.
Pornography is a feel-good killer. You can feel good all the time until it finally kills you. And kill you it will.
Pornography kills intimacy. It is impossible to be intimate with your spouse, completely open and transparent, if your mind is full of pornographic images. Impossible.
I didn’t say it’s impossible to have sex. But intimacy and sex are not synonymous. At all.
Pornography kills a person’s self image. Oh, they may consider themselves quite the stud or vixen while viewing or participating with porn, but when the show closes, the phone call’s finished, and the real live person is staring back at you in the mirror; when reality sets in and your conscience screams at you to be honest with yourself, you have to admit you can’t stand the person you’ve become.
Of course, there is a way to beat THAT feeling. Just keep ignoring it and you’ll find out that porn killed the voice of your conscience.
If that happens, you are well on your way to becoming a mindless reprobate; completely unable to live according to principles, or honor any commitment, vow, or oath. When the urge, the desire, speaks, every part of your body obeys. It must find a way to answer the “call”, even if it has to steal, lie, cheat, sneak; whatever.
Pornography kills integrity.
Pornography kills relationships.
Pornography kills innocence.
Pornography kills purity.
Pornography kills any hope of real love.
Pornography is an empty promise. It never delivers what it initially boasts. All it does is open one’s soul to greater degrees of depravity.
It’s like a fire. Pornography keeps striking matches, burning one’s soul a piece at a time, until finally, the life is consumed.
Pornography kills the future of its slave.
Pornography kills self-control.
Pornography kills one’s ability to honor the marriage bed.
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” (Hebrews 13:4 ESV)
Pornography is fornication. It is adultery. It is vile. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It is diabolical, evil, and many good men and women have been destroyed by it.
Pornography – a feel-good killer.
If you’re a slave to it, or if you’re just its close friend, you’d better find a way to get yourself free; while you still have feelings. Because sooner or later, if you don’t kill it, it will kill you.
While you still have a conscience, find someone somewhere who can help you break your downward journey to hell.
A feel-good killer will not release you from its grip, any more than a fire will regret the damage it’s doing and blow itself out.
Don’t you think it’s time to get help, get free, and get a life worth living?
I’d like to help you. Go to our Contact Us page and write me. Please.
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How Great Is God’s Love?
I’ve heard it said that God’s love is beyond description. I believe I understand what they mean.
Yet there is a way one can really grasp the greatness of that love, like they’ve never grasped it before.
Here’s a passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)
Paul prayed for the Ephesians (and us) to have the power to understand how wide, long, high, and deep God’s love is. And he didn’t mean some kind of mental acknowledgement. He prayed we would experience the love of Christ, even though it’s too great to understand fully.
As I said before, I believe there’s a way for us to know and experience the love of God as never before. How?
By understanding the holiness of God, and His absolute hatred of sin.
There’s no gray area; with God things are either right or wrong, good or bad, sinful or righteous. He has never just turned His head and ignored sin. He’s not like us; sometimes we’ll ignore it because we either don’t know what to do or we would rather not be bothered.
But as I said, that’s not God’s way at all. He hates sin with such a pure hatred only He can fathom.
And His hatred is perfectly just. He is perfect in His judgments, perfect in His assessments.
There’s nothing you or I can say or do to appease His anger for our wrong doing. We deserve the full fury of His hatred of sin.
He is right, we are wrong; we are without an excuse.
Forever.
There is only one thing greater than His wrath. Only one thing more powerful than His righteous anger.
His love.
His love satisfies the demands of His righteous anger. His love makes a once and for all payment, releasing us from His wrath.
That’s how great His love is.
His Son came to take our place, standing in our stead, absorbing all of the Father’s just and holy hatred for sin. God poured out His fury on His Son.
So His love could be available to us.
To anyone and everyone who receives His Son as their Lord and Savior, God sees them as people worthy of His love.
Really? Worthy of His love? Yes. Because of our new place in Christ. The Father looks on us through the eternal work of His Son.
“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)
How great is His love? Great enough to span the gap sin created between the righteous, holy God and people like you and I. People who could never get anywhere near God on our own merits.
How great is God’s love?
Great enough to do the impossible, change the unchangeable, and turn a rebellious and selfish heart into one that is full of grace and mercy for others.
How great is God’s love?
Great enough to change your life. My life.
Forever.
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A Spidery Web
I cannot tolerate spiders. In fact, I may even be what people refer to as arachnophobic. I can smash them, but I get real edgy until they’re wiped out.
The picture at the heading is one I took a few hours ago. As we were leaving a funeral home, my built in spider alarm went off and I saw this spider in the middle of its web (no, I didn’t see any fly in the web, nor did I hear some one say, “Help me! Help me!”).
Mustering all my courage, I grabbed my phone and, getting as close as I dare (you know how they can jump), snapped the shot.
What a nice web! A beautiful, spidery web. Just perfect for catching food for its family.
Great for trapping a victim it can devour, as it becomes entangled in the sticky web.
Looking at the picture, I began thinking about a spiritual application. Here’s what I discovered:
“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26 NLT)
Traps, or spider webs (such as pictured above), are always placed in strategic places. They are located in areas frequented by the prey they are desiring.
Spiders catch flies by constructing their webs in the fly’s neighborhood. Unless the fly is paying attention and watching what it’s doing, it will become spider food before it knows what happened.
Too many flies are careless with their lives. Even with their fascinating eyes, they can only see a couple of yards at the most. In other words, because they move faster than they can see, or think, they wind up in the nice, spidery web.
People do that. I know I have.
The devil places his traps in areas you and I frequent; right in the middle of our ordinary day to day lives. And when we either move too quickly for our brain to react, or we simply ignore the truth of God’s word, we become devil’s food.
Unless we can shake ourselves out of the sticky web in time.
Every temptation is common to man. Temptations are located only in the places man lives. But with each temptation, there is a way to escape. And that can be found by slowing down the movement to allow time to really find out what we may be getting ourselves into.
God’s word will help you and I discern right from wrong, and will keep us from, or deliver us from, the devil’s web. That is, if we’ll pay attention.
Just because there are spider webs placed in strategic places doesn’t mean the fly automatically is doomed. Not every fly is caught. Some live long enough to pester me!
And no one need be caught in a spidery web.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)
Jan Grace
adding God's Word into my world…
Jan Grace 