My Burden of "Easy Believism"

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FYI: For some reason the footnote #'s do not work, but the scriptures are at the bottom.

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Why write such material? What is wrong with a “sinner’s prayer” or a “repeat after me”? Doesn’t it save someone if they “mean if from the heart”? What if someone doesn’t know what to pray or how to pray, isn’t that the Christian’s duty to give them the words so that they may recite them and get saved? Isn’t that “helping” someone come to Christ?

What then shall be the job of the Holy Spirit? For “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered…according to the will of God.”[1] I hear, “But this is for a righteous man!” Indeed, it is. I ask, “Which of you has received Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour by faith without the moving of the Holy Spirit?” Is it then the Spirit that moveth or the man which speaketh which has the greater impact? Can a man be saved without the Spirit? No; “with men it is impossible”. Can a man be saved without man? Yes; “for with God all things are possible”.[2] Is it faith or prayer which saves? Is prayer a work? By making prayer or work or system the focus, where does that put the calling of God, the convicting of the Spirit, and the saving power of the blood of the Lamb?

I say, “Show me one ‘sinner’s pray’ contained within the sixty-six books of the inspired inerrant Old and New Testaments of the Word of God. Is it now words that save or faith in the blood of Christ? Is it a certain set of words, important phrase, or enchanted speech that brings one to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Spirit of God which convicts the heart, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”[3]? I contend that it is faith which proceeds confession, so then is it faith which saves before prayer? For why would one pray without faith? Why would one confess that does not already believe? True prayer and true confession follows true faith and true conversion. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”[4]

Show me where someone had to be told what to say. Is it the model [Lord’s] prayer of Matthew 6 and Luke 11? This prayer too was for the righteous, not to sinners to become the righteous. True it says, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, but do you really want God to forgive your sin, concerning salvation, as you forgive others? I should hope not, for one unforgiven sin you leave this world with would be one unforgiven sin that would indeed send you to hell for all eternity. It is written, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”[5] Thank God for his mercy and grace that forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness! God forgives then forgets, He doesn’t just forget.

What words saved the thief on the cross, “remember me”? His witness to the other thief was simply, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? We indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”[6] He simply believes in his heart that he deserves death for his sins, and that Christ has been condemned unjustly. He puts faith in the testimony of Christ and confesses it by saying, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Christ accepts his faith and replies as the Saviour, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”[7] There was no prayer or the evidence of the Holy Spirit with the speaking of tongues; there was only faith in that which was said of Christ and by Christ, then confession of that faith, by trusting in the Word of God, and calling upon Christ to do that which He has promised. The evidence of the Holy Spirit was faith itself, for it is a fruit of the Spirit.[8] Ponder, if faith is a fruit of the Spirit, can man have such a fruit without having that which it flows from?

What prayer did Philip quote or system did he use to lead the Ethiopian eunuch written of in Acts 8 to Christ? “Romans Road” was not even written and the Ethiopian was actually reading the Old Testament book of Isaiah [Esaias]. The Holy Spirit pointed out the man for Philip. Philip ran to do the work of the Holy Spirit. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch said he did not, and asked if Philip would help him. The place of Scripture he was reading was prophecy of the crucifixion of Christ. Philip did not say, “Repeat after me”, “Ask God to”, or show him every verse in the Bible, but simply, “began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus”. The eunuch asked could he be baptized, and Philip said, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” The eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” The Holy Spirit worked through Philip to use God’s Word to preach the Truth to the eunuch, while the Holy Spirit opened the eunuch’s eyes and ears to the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit used Philip using the Word of God, not a man made system or eloquent prayer. In fact, Scripture does not record the eunuch kneeling by the chariot praying or speaking it tongues. Was the eunuch saved or not in this chapter? Take note that he believed, confessed, then was baptized.

My burden is simply this: I fear that churches today are filled with those which are lost, yet believe they are saved. I am not talking about those which inwardly know they are lost and pretend to be saved, but those which honestly and sincerely believe they are saved but are mistaken. The Scripture talks about a mislead people. We can see that the Pharisees believed they were on their way to Heaven, yet denied the very Christ which is the only way, truth, and life. [9]“For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”[10]

This is the very thing that lost souls first want to do when it comes to them being witnessed to. A Christian will say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”[11] The lost souls think, “Well before I do, I need to stop smoking, stop drinking, and stop cursing”, etc. They are “going about to establish their own righteousness.” When man centers himself on his own self righteousness, he simply has, “not submitted [himself] unto the righteousness of God.” God’s righteousness far exceeds any righteousness man may obtain in and of himself. Smiting the rock one time kept Moses out of the Promised Land, which he led the children of Israel too. How many times have we smited Christ with our thoughts and our deeds? Thank God for His mercy and grace, that “we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”[12]

In direct contrast, there is also the thought, “All I have to do is believe. Christ will take me as I am, I don’t need to change.” People around the world are sending lost souls to hell with false assurance all around us. I am talking about evangelists, missionaries, preachers, teachers, and lay people a like; and for what, the sake of numbers? I am not talking about the cults, for we know they do not teach the gospel of the Bible, but the Christians (so called), the ones that claim the name of Christ are guilty of this sin of “Easy Believism”. “Christ just wants you to do the best you can.” The best we can isn’t going to cut it when it comes to the holiness of God. The best man has is sin and “come[s] short of the glory of God.”[13] We are commanded “As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy”[14] and to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”[15]. Man is to be as holy and as perfect as God to enter heaven. This is not simply “maturity”, but holiness and perfection, “as he which hath called” who is “your Father which is in heaven”. Man can not obtain this by “doing the best we can.” We must see that we are a sinner in need of the Saviour!

There is a large church of today (2005) which has thousands of members, and they asked the pastor’s mom why she believed so many people go to listen to her son. She said that it was because he does not tell them they are sinners but tells them they can do better. I can not judge this preacher’s heart, but Scripture declares, if one does not see they are a sinner in need of the Saviour, they can not get saved. Christ said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”[16] How can one see themselves in need of Christ if it is themselves which can do better, “going about to establish their own righteousness”? It is written, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”[17]

There be some which plant, and others which water, but “neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”[18] Remember, “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.”[19] Salvation is of God and not by man, for the disciples asked Christ, “Who then can be saved?” His reply was, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”[20] Numbers down the isle don’t matter with God, conversion and repentance does. A thousand souls running down the isle does make good for boasting, but one soul that is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life makes good for rejoicing!

If salvation is of God and not of men, then why is the basis on men and not God? How can we say we trust God to save, but feel that man must help Him along? I am not talking about witnessing [which we are commanded to do], but a step by step to salvation. There are people that have a salvation system. They follow this system and if the person “accepts” Christ [the message], then it works, and if the person rejects Christ [the message], then they were dumb to reject Christ and they will just go to hell.

When one thinks it is their system, the way they say it, the words they pray, the verses they use that wins souls, they lose sight that “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” Why is it hid? Is it because they are dumb or less that someone that has been saved? No. It is because, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”[21] We need to remember that it is “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”.[22] If not for the grace of God, we that are saved would still be blinded by Satan. If you think you un-blinded yourself, you may need to consider what your faith is in, self or God.

We must not only declare the gospel, but ask God to give hearing to the deaf and to remove the “scales” from their eyes that they may see and hear and trust in Christ. Remember, we are to plant [but are nothing], water [but are nothing], and trust God [which is everything] to give the increase! It is not our words, our system, but God which saves! We can quote Scripture after Scripture to a person from birth till death, and without God, it can not make them get saved. A man can pray words, repent, believe, speak in “tongues”, etc. and still go to hell. Churches today prove that listening to sermon after sermon every Sunday does not guarantee the salvation of every lost soul, so how can man conceive a system which “gets them every time”?

All man can do is present the gospel of Jesus Christ; the Father, the Spirit, and the Son do the rest. And actually it is these three which work through the Christian to share the Word with a lost soul. So, we see it is as Scripture hath said; “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy”; “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”[23] Remember Philip and the eunuch? Who put the eunuch in the way? Who told Philip to witness? Who gave Philip understanding? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There is no fourth individual to the Trinity, regardless of what one may think of their spirituality and biblical knowledge.

We trust God to give grace, to spring faith, but don’t think that the Spirit can minister to the lost heart. Does God know what it takes for a soul to get saved? Does God know He must call, does the Spirit know He must convict, does Christ know He must apply the blood? Then why does man think God leaves the sinner alone at the very edge of salvation, but they remain lost, lest man gives them the words to pray? If one does pray, they have already exercised faith, and therefore have received the Spirit which can surely give them the simplest words of confession. I contend, if by prayer, is salvation at the start of “Dear God” or at the “Amen”?

The discomforting thoughts I have surrounding what I call “Easy Believism” is the unbiblical teaching that encompasses it. There is usually no talk of repentance, but a “Jesus will accept you as you are”. It is true Christ saves us while we are a sinner, we do not change first, but Christ saves us “out of sin” not to remain “in sin”. And it is repentance that calls “the wicked [to] turn from his way and live.”[24] God has also said unto the saved, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”[25] Repentance is both to the lost for conversion and the saved for sanctification. Repentance and confession of sin gets forgiveness, sitting in sin does not!

I have heard people tell lost souls that they only need to ask Christ to come into their hearts and even if they never go to church they will still go to heaven. Find me a space in Scripture that shows this to be an example of Christian witness. Is that true, if a person is saved and does not go to church, will they still go to heaven? Yes. It is also true that someone that is truly saved and commits adultery or murder [King David] will also be there, but do we say, “Just ask Christ to come into your heart, you do not have to turn from your sin, you can still go to heaven”?

We do when we say anything but the words of Christ, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”[26] “Repent.”[27] The words of Christ have not changed, for it is written, “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not.”[28] Christ hath said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”[29] And has given this Spirit to His children in that, “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”[30]

The Spirit of God rebukes that type of witness, for He Himself will work in the heart of every saved soul to lead them from sin to Christ-like! We should tell lost souls to, “turn from your wicked ways to Christ”, not “stay in your wicked ways and accept Christ.” The cry of Christ was, “Repent! Go and sin no more!” He never said, “Believe, then you may go back about your business, back to what you were doing before you met me.” God “now commandeth all men every where to repent”![31] Repentance matters! “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”[32] Turn from your sin, don’t wallow in it!

Can one honestly ever believe they could hear Christ saying, “Love me in your sin”? God forbid! Impossible! For Scripture saith, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”[33] Christ gave witness to the fact, “if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” and “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”[34]. Do you love Him? “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”[35]

I have heard the witnessing to children that they give a testimony that ends with, “you don’t want to go to hell do you?” “Of course not”, is the reply. What man, woman, or child wants to go to hell? You can even ask the drunkard on the street, and you will hardly fine someone that will say, “Yes”, and honestly mean it. That does not mean one wants to put their faith in Christ, it simply means they do not want to endure punishment. A.W. Pink said that a saved soul looks at Christ as a place of cleansing from sin, and a lost man looks at Christ as a way to escape torment.

Are you looking for Christ to save you from sin, cleanse you whole, and work in you to be more like Him, or are you looking to live your life as you want and just believe you are holding onto Christ as a get out of hell free card? Remember the words of Christ in Matthew 7:21-23:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Can you imagine living a life which you believe to be “okay” with God and die in a state of “peace”, and get to the judgment to only realize you were mistaken, deceived by your own heart or others and the Devil? Be as the father which brought his son to have Christ cleanse him from evil spirits in Mark 9, “help thou mine unbelief”. “Make your calling and election sure”[36]! Eternity is forever!

How shall it be for that soul which has prayed “the prayer” without faith? What of the man, woman, or child which has trusted in the words of man, “You must do this to be born again”? Whose torment will be worse, the soul that was lead astray or the soul which hath said, “Just repeat after me, and you’ll be okay”? Is it the dead leading the dead, as a soul in eternity turns to face the very one that “enlightened” them as they both go down into the pit, or the witness leading the dead to destruction as they themselves inherit the kingdom of God? God has said, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”[37] How much worse will it be if we mislead the lost soul down the path of destruction instead of the strait and narrow? We must give the lost soul the wisdom of God, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the cleansing of sin for all those which put their faith in Him, and not the wisdom of men!

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Footnotes: Scripture References.

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[1] Romans 8:26, 27
[2] Mark 10:26, 27
[3] Romans 10:17
[4] Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23
[5] Matthew 6:14, 15
[6] Luke 23:40, 41
[7] Luke 23:42, 43
[8] Galatians 5:22, 23
[9] John 14:6
[10] Romans 10:3
[11] Acts 16:31
[12] I Corinthians 11:32
[13] Romans 3:23
[14] 1 Peter 1:15, 16
[15] Matthew 5:48
[16] Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32
[17] Titus 3:5-7
[18] 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7
[19] Romans 9:15, 16
[20] Matthew 19:25, 26; Mark 10:26, 27; Luke 18:26, 27
[21] 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4
[22] Ephesians 2:8
[23] Philippians 2:12
[24] Ezekiel 33:11
[25] 2 Chronicles 7:14
[26] Matthew 9:13
[27] Matthew 4:17
[28] Matthew 11:20
[29] Revelation 3:19
[30] 2 Timothy 2:24-26
[31] Acts 17:30
[32] 2 Corinthians 7:10
[33] John 14:15
[34] John 14:23, 24
[35] James 1:22
[36] 2 Peter 1:10
[37] Ezekiel 3:18

Guilty By Association

I have a missionary friend of mine in Heidelberg, Germany that has been on the mission field for quite some time now. He originally was helping a missionary in Nuremberg, Germany, which eventually moved to Vilseck, Germany. This missionary was led to start a mission in Heidelberg, Germany, therefore started deputation back in the United States to raise support. He and his wife made it to the mission field and have been there ever since. Once he made it to the field he wrote/printed a book entitled “The Deputation Manual” in 2001.

On page 28, he titles the chapter “Who’s Your Crowd?” He talks about a phone call he had with a pastor of a church that he was requesting to set up a meeting with. Everything went well and he was able to preach, and the pastor said, “Brother, we are going to support you. Tell me one more time what your mission board is?” The missionary told him again [for they had spoken on the phone before] the information. The pastor then asked who the local pastor of the church was the mission board was associated with. The missionary told him, and the pastor responded with, “With your connection to that name, brother, I’m sorry, we won’t be able to support you”. This missionary became “Guilty By Association”.

How often do you hear of one being associated with the Church of Christ? Are we afraid of the name because two completely different denominations have chosen to use it? We have the Church of Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Do we not remember that God’s chosen people, the bride of Christ, the sheep, are indeed the only true Church of Christ – which is not a denomination?

Have we come no further than the days of Paul?

1 Corinthians 1: 12, 13: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Corinthians 3:4-5: For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Why are we still judging and being judged by association? “Calvinists are snakes in the grass”. “Armenians are heretics.” When we do hear of someone that says, “I am just a Christian”, we want to believe they are just afraid to pick sides.

I completely understand that names associate beliefs. I am a Baptist because they believe certain doctrines, theology, etc. which set them apart from the Church of Christ, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, etc. But my example is of two men which are both associated with the Independent Baptist Church.

Is it fair to make one “Guilty By Association” for the mere fact that they went to a certain school or because they were under a certain pastor? Does being a Baptist make one right or wrong? Does one’s association with this school or that school, with this pastor and group or that pastor and group make them right or wrong? I don’t believe so – so why do we judge by entirety? How many actually attend a school, sit under a pastor, read material and come away 100% following every idle thought?

Attacks of Calvinism lash out at the acts of John Calvin, Augustine, etc. The acts of the men do not make the theology true or lie. Shall we then lay out our sin and see who then wants to be associated with us? I don’t. The KJV-Only issue usually receives attacks directed to Dr. so and so. Does Dr. so and so make the issue true or lie? This is just two examples of how we setup association. Once we create this association then once we come in contact with an individually that falls into a category we have created, we then judge and condemn them accordingly - solely based on others and not a single thing about them – but association.

Why can’t we associate and test individuals next to Christ and the scriptures? Ask each individual personally and consider their convictions, theology, and doctrine. Test them as Paul spoke of those of Thessalonica?

Acts 17:11: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Let each man which claims to be a child of God be judged by the things which are contained in the very Book which they believe to be the Word of God, and not just “Guilty By Association”? Why can’t we associate and disassociate with individuals by how they line up with Christ and scripture, instead of an –ism and mere man?

By being a Christian, I am associated with Christ, how judgeth thou me? Am I “Guilty By Association”?

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Check out the "Find/Spread Silver Yonder" to your right to see what others have to say.

Medicine and Comfort

Last night about 10:45pm my son woke up crying out for help. He has been a little sick and we had to give him some medicine for a couple of days. Last night he said that his throat was hurting. I gave him some medicine and his mother comforted him till he was able to fall a sleep and get some rest around 11:20pm.

As I lay in the bed while my wife was still in my son’s room, I pondered these thoughts:

As a lost person we are sick with sin [Romans 3:23], and the Physician [Matthew 9:12] came with medicine [Revelation 1:5] to remedy that sin and to cleanse us from that sickness forever [1 Corinthians 15].

As a saved person we are to make known the Physician’s remedy [Romans 1:16] and warning labels [John 3:18] to the sick that do not know him.

As we do, we sometimes entangle ourselves [Galatians 5:1] and pollute ourselves [Galatians 4:9] while we are supposed to be at work among, not in, the sickness. And while we serve God with our spirit [Philippians 3:3], our flesh is still infected [Galatians 5:17] and needs the medicine [i.e. chastisement, Revelation 3:19] of God to give us a desire [2 Thessalonians 3:5] and cause [Philippians 2:13] us to move away from the causes of sin that we find ourselves taking pleasure in [Hebrews 11:25]. Even sometimes God’s medicine is as my son says, “I don’t like it daddy” [Hebrews 12:11], but it gets the job done [1 Corinthians 11:32].

Yet, through it all our heavenly Father has given us a Comforter [John 14:26] that is with us from the very day we become His child [Ephesians 1:13], and will see us through to the other side of glory [John 14:16]!

We need to thank God for His medicine and His comfort, knowing it is for our own good.

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “What you don’t know can’t [won’t] hurt you”, but I’m here to tell that “What you don’t know CAN [WILL] hurt you.”

· If you don’t know that you are a sick, you won’t know that you need a Physician. [Matthew 9:12]

· If you don’t know that you are dead in sin, you won’t know that you need to be made alive. [Ephesians 2:1]

· If you don’t know that you are in bondage, you won’t know that you can be made free [Galatians 5:1].

· If you don’t know the gospel of Jesus Christ, you won’t know to trust in Him [Romans 10:13-15].

· If you don’t know Satan’s devices, you won’t know how to defend against them [2 Corinthians 2:11].

· If you don’t know the scriptures, you won’t know how to “shun profane and vain babblings” [2 Timothy 2:15-16].

· If you don’t know how to pray, you won’t have a close relationship with God [1 Thessalonians 5:17].

· If you don’t know how to witness, you won’t have a productive Christian walk [Matthew 5:16].

The list could go on, but let this be but a glimpse into a danger of “What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You”. It may not just be you that it hurts either. It may very well be your spouse, your child, your co-worker, your friend, your parent, or the neighbor you don’t even know is looking.

We are all being watched – when we don’t know it.

Are you a Christian and no one else knows it?

You can know:

Trust in Christ as your Savior. You will be given the Holy Spirit. Trust the scriptures that God has given, read and pray that the Spirit will guide and give you wisdom. Then witness to someone else, sharing the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ!

Christ Bore the Cross

To the hill of Golgotha, Christ bore the cross

The Lord and Savior, humbly walked

With a crown of thorns, upon his brow

Submitting to God's will, he carried it out

The people stared and laughed at him, as he walked by

They cursed and spat upon his face, as he looked them in the eye

Blood poured down from wounds, for he was beaten by cruel men

Barely able to be recognized, he was the only man innocent

Though some believed most did not, this was the King of kings

The Son of God, the Savior, the creator of all things

If they had known or understood, they may have accepted Christ

But it was written before time, for our sins he must die

Nails drove in his hands and feet, a spear thrust through his side

Yet looking over all the people, "Forgive them" still he cried

Rejected by man and forsaken by God, Christ hung upon the tree

But through it all a man got saved, he was one of two thieves

There also stood a soldier man, that claimed "Truly he must be"

The Son of God he recognized, for God had opened his eyes to see

To fight the power of death and hell, the Savior had to die

To cleanse our soul to take our blame, the Lord was crucified

By sending the Holy Spirit, to indwell us here on earth

A promise to work in our being, till death from our new birth

Kept by the power of God, sealed by the Holy Spirit

Bought with the blood of Jesus Christ, we'll see when he appeareth

Sometimes we take for granted, the salvation we've been given

For what have we lost to receive it, yet Christ had to leave heaven

God could have destroyed us in the garden, or in the flood of Noah's day

Slew the people at the tower of Babel, or ended it all another way

But thanks to his mercy and his grace, he had a plan for his creation

Christ knew he would walk the way of the cross, before he laid the foundation

What love of the Savior we have been given, freely without merit

God knew we would sin and made provision, and through his Son he gave it

Through the choice of man, sin has come in and cursed the human race

By the choice of Christ, he has paid the price to save us by God's grace

So when pride comes in and you're lifted up, believing you have attained

Remember salvation is a gift of God, and it was your sin why Christ was slain

6/17/2003

Whose Will Are You Following

Many times we may wonder, “What is God’s will for my life?” We see people searching or we ourselves pray and ask God to show us His will for our lives. We may even struggle with whether God wants us to be a pastor or teacher, an evangelist or missionary, a deacon or music director, but I believe we sometimes miss what is already laid out for us right in front of our face in scripture. While looking for the “higher” calling, we miss the revealed will of God.

I believe, according to scripture, we can be following two completely different wills off and on all during our lives. We have the will of God and we have the will of man. Here I choose to link the will of the flesh and the will of Satan [if you will] into what I call the will of man for the simple reason that both are contrary to the will of God and war against the Spirit. So you could call here, the will of man, the will of the flesh or one’s own personal will.

One can be out of the revealed will of God by a couple of reasons: [1] One may be ignorant of scripture being yet a babe in Christ [Hebrews 5:13, 1 Peter 2:2]; [2] One may be a new or aged Christian yet slothful in studying and reading the Word [2 Timothy 2:15-16]; [3] One may read the Book but lacks a real personal prayer life [James 1:5]; [4] One may be in outright rebellion against God and His Word [1 Samuel 15:23]. We could list more, but this should at least cause us to be aware of our lives and fellowship with God.

“Whose will are you following“ is something that one must ask themselves, most likely on a daily basis and sometimes even hourly. It is not always obvious to others and if one is not careful it will not be obvious to themselves either. On the outside one may be appearing to obey the revealed will of God, yet on the inside be rebellious to the core.

Anytime that we choose to follow our own desires, emotions, opinions, etc. over what is plainly explained, exampled, and given in scripture, we are indeed following the will of man over the will of God; whether do to ignorance or rebellion. If there is knowledge, disobedience is then open rebellion.

Christ was the prime example of obedience to the will of God over one’s on personal will. Luke 22:42, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Even when we find ourselves in distressed or unknown situations that we may not truly understand or do not really want to be, we must trust and follow God’s will over ours. For “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” [Romans 8:28]

If we turn from God’s revealed will in scripture to follow after what we desire or feel to be better [“I know what the Bible says, but…"], we may very well miss the blessing right around the corner.

Yet, if we trust God in the little He has given us to do [Luke 19:16-17], and we follow His will as He has given in scripture, we may find that God may indeed give us our desires to serve Him, may reveal His hidden will for our lives, and we might even realize that we are already living it!

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Check out Bobby's blog as he says "Run That By Me One More Time ".

Lame Chrisitan Excuses

Dear Lord...

I want to do your work, But I just don't have the time.
I believe in supporting missions, But Lord, this money's mine;
And besides, I gave last time.

I know that I should study, To show myself approved;
But Lord, you know -- I'll never know as much as you.

I know that I should speak, And teach from your Holy Book,
But Lord you don't understand...I just can't take those dirty looks.

I know that you have told us...Where the Spirit leads we should go.
And I will Lord...
Just give me a moment -- To finish watching my favorite show.

I know that I should witness, And pass out tracts on the street;
But I get sick walking in the snow or rain, And dizzy working in the heat.

I know you said we should pray...We are to pray without ceasing;
But where is the time Lord -- Between my work, play, and sleeping?

Dear Lord...

I must admit -- The church seems, oh, so try.
That's why I don't always make it, To the services all the time.

Dear Lord...

I do pray for your return; For I know your words are true.
I will gladly serve you there in Heaven,
You know I will...
Unless there's someting else for me to do.


12/17/1997

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Check out Bobby's idea of how "You might just be living the greatest sermon ever told!"

Others Besides Adam and Eve / Cain’s Wife

The topic of “Were there other people besides Adam and Eve outside of the Garden of Eden” and “Where did Cain get his wife” has been brought to my attention numerous times over the years. So, for the sake of those inquires, I have posted here what I believe we find in scripture.

If one disagrees, please, feel free to share further biblical insight that we may all learn.

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Genesis 2:20: And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

There were no other people alive at the time. If there were other people, then surely there would have been at least one woman for Adam.

Genesis 2:23: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

Eve, Woman, was made from Man. Which man? Adam. So, there were no women before Eve.

Genesis 3:20: And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Notice, Eve is the mother of all living. Again, she was the first woman (Genesis 3:20), so that makes her the first woman to give birth (Genesis 4:1) and therefore the mother of us all.

Genesis 3:22: And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Who is “the man”? Adam (Genesis 2:15-19).

Genesis 5:1: This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Notice “God created man in the likeness of God.” This is only said of Adam in Genesis 1:27. So, if there were other people (mankind) at the time, they would not be “created…in the likeness of God”.

Genesis 5:2: Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Now, we see God created “male and female” and “called their name Adam.” With this said, take note of these facts:

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· “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27) But, it only mentions Adam. Yet, Adam is the man (Genesis 2:15-19).

· Genesis 2:4 starts over with “These are the generations of the heavens…” explaining Genesis 1 further.

· Note that “God formed man of the dust of the ground” in Genesis 2:7.

· Now note that “the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2:22) Notice that the woman (Eve) was made from the man (Adam) and not of the ground as the man (Adam) was. That is why is says here in Genesis 5:2, “and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”

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Deuteronomy 32:8: When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

Again, Adam, the first man, is mentioned. Why not anyone else if there was another linage besides the man, Adam, living outside of the garden?

Chronicles 1:1: Adam, Sheth, Enosh,

Again, Adam is mentioned as the first of all mankind.

Luke 3:38: Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

Again, Adam is directly related as the first man, formed by God.

1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Notice that all mankind are sinners (Romans 3:23), because of the sin of Adam. If there were people outside of the garden – they would not be held to this sin or death, nor would they have a Savior in Christ (Romans 6:23). We are all born of Adam; therefore we are all born sinners and die. By accepting Christ as Savior we are then born of the Spirit and are made alive in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:45: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Clearly, Adam was the first man – and the last Adam, the quickening spirit, is Christ.

There is NO PROOF of any other mankind creation ANYWHERE in Scripture.

So where did Cain get his wife?

Cain married his sister.

When did it become a sin to marry your sister?

There was no law given in Genesis 4. I do not believe one was given until Leviticus 18.

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Check out Richard's Good and Bad, or Vice Versa

Why Must I Forgive?

One of the hardest things to do sometimes is to forgive someone. Especially if they haven’t asked us too, or we don’t think they are really sincere in asking, or they have hurt us or someone we care about really deeply.

Sometimes [or oftentimes] we don’t really want to consider it fair to simply have someone tell us, “I am sorry”. We usually want that person to have to “pay” for what they did. “I want justice!” - Justice then forgiveness -

Interestingly, we usually become hypocritical in our thinking when it is us who are the ones guilty and are in need of forgiveness. We fumble around the idea that something or someone has caused us to do something, we may think that it is petty that the other person will not forgive us, but seldom do we actually want to consider that we deserve punishment for our actions and we can’t understand why the person just want forgive us. I said, “I’m sorry. What more do you want from me?”

In Matthew 18:21, 22 Christ said we should forgive 7 times 70. The context is not to count to 490 and stop forgiving, though we often do keep a record and can easily recall it.

Christ said the whole law hinges on two commandments: [1] Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. [2] Love your neighbor as yourself.

Ephesians 4:32 says, “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

We are to forgive, not because someone deserves it, but because we love God we are to love them and because God has forgiven us we are to forgive them.

God will take care of the fair and justice part.

Souls

A lonely girl walks alone, so far away from home
In the shadows of the lights, she’s a walker of the night
Searching for the souls that come her way

There he stands, the desperate man
With a life within his grip, with a cursing hatred lip
Waiting for the souls that he may slay

The teenagers on their way, new discoveries every day
Rebelling from authority, falling from morality
So quickly are their souls led astray

Parents forget their job, Police can’t control the mobs
Children running to and fro, No one knows which way to go
The souls themselves are filled with much dismay


Then shines in a glorious Light, through the power of His might
From the darkness gives them sight, by the blood of Jesus Christ
Souls are made alive by His ray

If we want the world to change, hearts must be rearranged
Put our faith in Christ alone, the Word of God read in the home
Our souls can live for God if we pray

Standing firm to what is true, always willing His Will to do
Never question but pressing on, praising God in our songs
Our souls shall not faultier, fail, or sway

If we truly trust in Christ, we will obey and do what’s right
Study that we may know, the precious Word that we may grow
And show it to the souls that come our way


Come to Him today! Believe on Him with faith!
Trust and obey! He will save you by His grace!


8/05/2003

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Bobby wants to ask you, "Which diet plan are you on?"

A Call to Missions

Written For: Mark and Sabrina Holmes

A man comes forth to the alter of the Lord
His heart being touched by the power of the Sword
The inward calling is as sure as can be
The Spirit calls out - he replies “Send me”

As the Holy Spirit speaks a lady commits
To the calling of the Lord she gladly submits
Trusting her husband to follow the Word of God
And trusting Christ to lead them where to trod

The man of God and his virtuous help meet
Bow to the Lord and kneel at his feet
Accept the calling as a blessing from heaven
To be ambassadors for Christ to preach against leaven

In view of the calling they must leave family and friends
Even their native land to go where God sends
But they know in their hearts this is a small price to pay
To a Savior that has freely washed their sins away

To go to a lost people that thirst and hunger
To a land of dark souls that fall and slumber
With the Word of God to bring them the Light
To remove the scales off their eyes and renew their sight

To pierce through their hearts with the Sword of the Spirit
To give the call of salvation to all that will hear it
To share with them the truth of their Master and King
They have decided to trust God through all sufferings

They see the harvest through the eyes of Christ
Working through the tares to reach the wheat that is white
Praying without ceasing, through fasting and tears
Seeing God work miracles to prove that he hears

Through support of the churches and Christians they’ve met
They reach the field with their minds fully set
All of their faith must be in Christ alone
As they work in his field till he gathers them home

Whether taken in the rapture or through death they meet
They shall receive rewards for service, at the judgment seat
By being faithful to the calling and trusting in the Son
They become an example to others, in Christ, it can be done


6/11/2003

Why Would I Want Jesus

Are you tired of hearing the same old question, “Do you know where you would go if you died today”? Are you turned off by the flashy comments such as, “Turn or burn”? Have you grown weary of being told how wrong and sinful you are and how righteous and holy someone else is? Do you find yourself frustrated when you see the church folk act hypocritical then spend their time preaching at you? Well, I agree.

But try not to be too hard on the Christians. We sometimes forget what we are and where we’ve come from. We often speak before we think and sometimes we forget to pray before we try to talk to you. There are also times we draw our own conclusions and pass judgment without even realizing we have done so before even giving you a chance. We seldom put ourselves in your shoes before we allow ourselves to understand how the impact of our words and actions may affect you. I hope you will forgive us and understand that I do not believe that we do it intentionally, but let it serve as a reminder that becoming a Christian does not mean you become perfect. There is and was only one man that has ever lived perfect on this earth. This man was the Son of God, the man Christ Jesus.

Adam and Eve really messed things up for us by disobeying God in the Garden of Eden when they listened to the words of Satan over the words of God and ate of the forbidden tree. Now we could sit here and blame them all day, but that really wouldn’t solve our problem. Because of their sin, since they were the first man and woman, every child born on this earth has been born with an incurable disease called sin. Yeah, I know you’ve heard of it, but do you really know how bad it is? It’s worse than cancer.

See, we have a Holy God that does not and cannot sin, so He despises and hates sin. Every single act of sin we do is personally against Him, whether it is directed to Him or to someone we come in contact with. To help us understand this sin, God gave a man by the name of Moses the Ten Commandments so that we could learn how to act toward both God and man. I know that you probably have heard of these before, but they are really hard to follow and sometimes we just really don’t want to.

Have you ever done something wrong on accident or because you weren’t really thinking? What about on purpose, even though you knew it was wrong? Because we are unable to follow these laws, whether by accident or just don’t want to, God sent us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Why? He knew in advance that we would sin, because of the curse of Adam making us all born sinners, and yet He loved us still enough to make a way to have all of our sin removed so that fellowship could be restored with a Holy God.

Jesus Christ came as a physician, not to condemn the world, but to purify the world of sin. He lived through the same temptations that we do, yet He did not sin. Jesus Christ came to save and heal the sick. He can save you too if you would just trust Him.

I would ask that your put away all of the feelings you have for religion, forgot that one may have hurt you by what they’ve said or done, please lay aside for a moment the hypocrisy of the church people. Just think of the Holy God, that cannot be joined to sin, that sent His own begotten Son Jesus Christ, because He loved man even though we are sinners. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross, not for His sake but for ours. God judged Christ for sin He did not commit so that if we repent by turning from our sin to putting our faith in Christ that He died for our sins, was buried, and raised for our justification, we may live with Him forever.

There is nothing you can do to earn this forgiveness, you only need to come to Christ and trust in Him to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Don’t come because the church says you have to, don’t come because you feel less because you haven’t, and don’t come because your friend has. Come because Christ Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. “

Why then do I hope you would want Jesus? So that your sin may be forgiven, so that you may know what it is to have Him dwell within you, that you may have fellowship restored with God, so we may all live forever with Him.

Don’t let yourself miss out on eternity with God because we sometimes fail in our service to the Lord as Christians. Love Him because He first has loved you. Trust Him for He says, “Believe on me and I will save you.” Call on Him for He says “Come”. Trust in the sinless Lamb of God Jesus Christ, for it was He that saw you as a sinner and yet chose to shed His precious blood to cleanse you white as snow, if you would only put your trust in Him.

Dressing for Abomination

I was once told by a young lady I know that she went to church with a friend of hers one Sunday and apparently the Sunday school teacher told them that Jesus did not love them dressed like they were.

Now I am not going to defend what they were wearing because I wasn’t there, but she didn’t describe anything vulgar to me. I am also not going to defend the words of the teacher either. Christ’s love is not based on what clothes we wear. This may sound like good preaching to those of like mind, but it doesn’t witness well and isn’t very scriptural.

Let me begin by saying that with this article, by no means am I giving the authority to any woman to rebel against their husband’s desire for their apparel. God has put the husband over the wife, not because they deserve it, but because of His own good pleasure [Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18]. So wives, remember, if you rebel against your husband on this issue, you are also rebelling against God who has chosen to put you in subjection to your husband [1 Samuel 15:23].

I would also say to the men that we are to love our wives “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” [Ephesians 5:25]. In being the head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church [Ephesians 5:23], we are to mimic Christ. Christ tells His church, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [Matthew 11:30], so lets us lay no more burdens than necessary upon our wives; especially in things that are not scripturally based.

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“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” [Deuteronomy 22:5]

It would indeed be much simpler if the entire chapter gave context and a multitude of more information, yet the verse is actually easier to understand than we make it.

The verse says:
1. “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man”
2. “neither shall a man put on a woman's garment”
3. “all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God”

I won’t really cover item #3 since men pretty much agree on that point. It comes easy to men and women to cast judgment and look at others as abominations when we judge them all the day long. It is when we are judged ourselves we ask for mercy and grace; yet cry out “crucify them” to others.

We won’t really cover item #2 either because I don’t believe I have actually ever heard anyone talk about that issue except in the context of homosexuals or transvestites. Come to think of it, I have never even heard a sermon against kilts.

I do find it interesting as to the fact that I have yet to hear someone consider item #1 in the context of homosexuals or transvestites. Why it is almost always only mentioned in the context of women in general just wearing the attire that one [or group] seems to believe is man’s clothing? To the point, pants [jeans] is the most likely to be preached against by using this verse. I can’t think of much else it is used against except for in the pants verses skirts. “Men wear pants - women wear skirts.”

The verse is usually preached so strong and so forceful that it is often passed without any true context or scriptural support, and becomes legalism at its best [or worst]. Most children will rebel it in their hearts while most women fear ridiculed from others in the church more than actually fearing that they will be an abomination to God. Some women will also rebel this within their hearts, so men, are we the cause for their sin due to an unwarranted yoke?

Let it be known that usually the contenders of this verse are not merely speaking of modest apparel, but indeed preach that scripture says pants are only for men and that no woman should place them upon her body lest she be an “abomination unto the LORD thy God”. I have seen both immodest women in skirts and modest women in pants.

For the moment, for the sake of instruction, let us take the verse to the legalistic extreme.

I find it funny [for with this the argument easily begins to crumble] that when one is questioned as to the fact that Old Testament people all wore robes, they easily dismiss that to say it is not the same as pants today. But I say, “NOT SO” – If there be men and women robes in the Old Testament, why can their not be men and women pants of today?

Why do we then stop with pants only? What of socks and of sneakers, what of t-shirts and button down shirts, what of polo shirts and belts? Oh the list could go on. That which was first created for a man, how then can it be made also for a woman? This is not limited to pants only, but to even things the women of preachers of this context wear. Do their wives wear button down shirts, white socks, or sneakers?

Why do we become hypocritical in our thinking and allow substitutions for certain occasions as ski suits for skiing, tights under skirts so when they flash others only the tights are seen, coolots that are so flared it is like wearing a skirt on each leg and shows more skin than pants would?

I once saw a strong contender of this verse to the strictest degree place his suit coat over his wife’s shoulders. I asked him if he had just made his wife and “abomination unto the LORD thy God.” I do not believe he considered the meaning behind my statement, but I know he was not pleased by it.

This is the problem when we become too legalistic. When we are backed into a corner we are confronted with how hypocritical our thinking really is, then our pride swells our minds past scriptural understanding and we refuse to listen or admit we were wrong. Why? Simple: For the fear of ridicule from others in our camp.

Scripture clearly teaches that it is God that works in us to change first our hearts which leads to our outward appearance. Would you rather a lady of the heart with a desire to please both husband and God [which would lead to the changing of her outward appearance] or a woman “which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.” [Matthew 23:27]?

One last thought. Do you also follow Deuteronomy 22:11, 12? “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.”

Are we to push one away from God by placing strict legalistic yokes upon people by demanding "white page" Christianity or should we show mercy and grace while leading them to see the love of Jesus Christ? I pray that this lady I know does or will return to church, and more importantly may the Spirit convict her and God draw her to Christ, and that she accept Christ as Savior by faith regardless of what she may have been told in the past.

Conditional Pro-Life or Conditional Pro-Choice

We’ve got to stop straddling the fence on this issue of abortion if ever we want it to come to rest. The Pro-Lifer has got to decide whether or not they are Pro-Life or Conditional Pro-Life; which, by the way, also makes one Conditional Pro-Choice or more in fact Conditional Pro-Abortion. That may leave a bad taste in some of the mouths out there, but this is exactly what we have here.

Again I have run across another article, posted by Baptist Press News [article here], about South Dakota now trying to pass a Conditional Abortion Ban.

Apparently last year [2006] South Dakota voted to abort a bill that would ban all abortions with “an exception only to save the mother's life”. Coming in 2008, South Dakota will have the chance to decide whether abortion is right in the eyes of God in cases such as “to save the mother's life”, “rape, incest and a ‘serious’ health risk”.

You say, “We’re not deciding on whether it is okay in the eyes of God, but whether legally it is okay”. If you are a Christian and you believe that God and the Bible are against abortion – what exactly then are you saying if you vote YES [I AGREE] for a law that says abortion “to save the mother's life”, “rape, incest and a ‘serious’ health risk” is okay?

We’ve got to stop tap dancing around the issue and take a strict narrow-minded approach to the bottom line. The bottom line is not “When is abortion okay”, but “Is abortion okay”. When we move the line for this and that, we always run into problems.

I realize that the cry from Pro-Lifers might be “At least we can save some babies from being aborted”. I agree, that is important, that saving some would be better if we could not save them all. But could we save them all [legally] if we would contend for the faith in that we do believe every unborn baby at the moment of conception is indeed is a child with DNA?

Not to single out Republican state Rep. Gordon Howie, whom the article quotes saying, "The rights that we’re discussing are not ours to give. They’re given by our Creator. Those rights are ours to defend. We believe in bringing this bill we’re fulfilling a responsibility to defend those rights on behalf of those who are most innocent and the most vulnerable.", but with this bill only some rights are being defended here.

Can one really pride themselves when the rights of the unborn child of situations “to save the mother's life”, “rape, incest and a ‘serious’ health risk” are not being defended, but annulled in the very same bill which is goaled to give rights to some? Judge thyself.

When we try to create exceptions in the issue of abortion, we become hypocritical to ourselves, to those on both sides, and to God. If you believe, as scripture teaches, that human life begins at conception, then regardless of such cases as “to save the mother's life”, “rape, incest and a ‘serious’ health risk” one is still murdering [taking the life of] an innocent human being.

Life begins at conception even in times of “to save the mother's life”, “rape, incest and a ‘serious’ health risk”.

For more reading you can check out my topics: When is Abortion Murder and A Pro-Choice Lawyer Misquoting Scripture.

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Check out Mike's Ponderings...

Don’t Wait On Me

O Lord, I am lost and dark within
Separated from you and stained with sin
In bondage, I am, to “the prince of the power of the air”
My whole being corrupt and full of despair

My flesh is wicked with a mind of deceit
A tongue of slander and mischievous feet
Eyes of desire and hands of malice
A spirit that is dead and a heart that is callus

As quick as it’s heard, the seed is erased
Satan replaces the Word, puts lies in its place
Through “the lust of the flesh” and “the lust of the eyes”
Through “the pride of life”, the Truth is despised

A wonderer in darkness, yet with lights all around
I stumble and fall mist the thoughts of the proud
The Truth is so close, yet just out of reach
For I cling to my sin and not what is preached

O Lord, I ask you to send me the Light
Awaken my soul and cleanse me white
The vile and wicked sinner you see
Take control of my life, and Don’t Wait on Me!

Send your Spirit and pierce through my heart
Dwell in my being, inhabit each part
Crush my will with thy tender hand
Destroy my old self, create a new man

Fill my mind with the Words of your Book
Guide my eyes to where they should look
Move my feet through the paths I should go
Soften my heart for the compassion of souls

Chasten me Lord when I go astray
To deny the flesh and follow your Way
Put a hedge about me, from evil to keep
Fit me with the armor prepared for your sheep

You are my life line, without you I die
Send me revival everyday of my life
Keep me humble upon bended knee
Take control of my life, and Don’t Wait on Me!


6/8/2003

A Pro-Choice Lawyer Misquoting Scripture

In response to a posting of the following by www.2theadvocate.com:

Letter: Retain abortion as legal choice [click to read article]
Published: Feb 15, 2007

Coming from someone in the line of work surrounded by dealing with the facts and context of situations, this is a most embarrassing example of talking outside of the boundary of ones own knowledge of an issue.

Anyone that takes just a few minutes to read Leviticus 27 can clearly see that abortion is neither the context nor even remotely related to anything in the chapter. The writer also fails to mention that the male is “worth” more than the female here and the poor person is mentioned as to a priest giving their worth.

On to the writer’s clearly misrepresented version of Numbers 3, we find that only “every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them”. Incase of argument here, the following list of the count all begin with “the sons” and one may read verse 22. Please read for yourself, the context has nothing to do with the idea or concept of abortion.

As one walks along to Deuteronomy 21, they are presented with a case of a male child that is not unborn, but is old enough to be “a glutton, and a drunkard” as it says in verse 20. This was not a case of abortion or of a child simply acting as most children do in moments of disobedience toward their father and mother. This also carries with it the idea of a lifestyle of “stubborn and rebellious”, not a single act; for who then would be here?

Again with the quote of Matthew 15 we see the writer’s unwillingness to associate statements with context. Is there evidence of an unborn child “that curseth father or mother” as the reference is in verse 4?

Blanket statements such as “’Pro-lifers’ focus on ‘clinical abortion,’ while many of them practice family planning that utilizes abortifactants such as hormonal birth-control pills, or the IUD (intrauterine device.)” sound every persuasive only to people that don’t care to look at the facts. There are many “Pro-lifers” that indeed will not use birth control.

It is almost hilarious, if it were not so sad, the steps this writer will take to twist the Word of God into a circus of misquoted garbage to try and prove that Christians are wrong at worst and merely hypocrites at best. Genesis 38:7-10 again has nothing to do with neither abortion nor birth control nor masturbation. Judah told his son Onan to go unto his brothers wife [for the LORD had slew his wicked brother Er] to rise up seed for his brother. The LORD slew Onan because he directly disobeyed his father in that “he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.” The LORD takes “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” pretty seriously [Exodus 20:12].

The whole article would not stand up in a court of law and clearly shows the stretch as to what limits one might go to attack not only a person that doesn’t believe abortion is right but also the very Word of God.

It would have been better if the article only contained the writer’s last paragraph:

“If you are opposed to abortion, fine. Don’t have one. That is your choice. Birth control and abortion are also choices that should remain personal legal choices.”

This is where they truly stand; the rest was just a lack of discernment and misuse of the Word of God.

Timothy Waldrop
Un-aborted Male
Louisiana

CC: to http://www.2theadvocate.com/ editor 2/15/2007 around 10:00am.

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Check out how Bobby has lived a life of music.

Custom Built Idols

Have you ever been to the store that allows you to custom make a bear? You start with an empty shell of a bear [or other animal] by picking a style and color, you put in a heart, you add the amount of stuffing that you want, and then you pick out the clothes. Then you are proud as a peacock about your little creation. Okay – maybe not you, but your kids would love it! They have just gotten to make a bear exactly the way they want it.

According to a Washington Post article, it appears that a Texas company [Abraham Center of Life LLC] has grasped this same concept but on a much higher [or lower] level for adults. Their opening line to their website is “Dreams… do come true” and they even use the Bible in their advertisement:

They pride themselves in being “THE ONLY SERVICE in the United States that offers egg donors, traditional and gestational surrogacy, frozen embryo donation AND adoption services.” They also make sure to promote that the eggs will only be from young, intelligent, and attractive people. “Prospective parents can choose a donor and/or a surrogate through our extensive database of screened candidates, of whom they will be provided detailed information; which will be presented to them based on their criteria.”

These embryos will basically be like walking down the freezer isle in the grocery store and picking out one of those small hand towels that you can buy that are vacuumed backed really small, bringing it home and placing it in water till it grows to the proper size.

It is like pulling up to Burger King [“Have it your way”] and ordering a brown haired, blue eyed, clean complexion, nice body build, etc. and they ask “Are you dinning in or would you like that to go?”

Have you ever met a parent that spends all of their time bragging on their kids? The one that believes their child is above the rest in their class, the one that believes their child does nothing wrong [it is always someone else], the one that believes they have created the master piece.

What about the parent that does their best to relive their younger years through their child? The hair, the clothes, the toys, and all the things they didn’t get to do, they make sure their child gets and does regardless of whether or not the child really enjoys it.

Is this parent you?

What could be better than to create your perfect kid? What if you could have a child that had every aspect of the physical flesh that you desire, the highest intelligence that you’ve never had, and you get to choose it all and get the pleasure of saying, “This is my child”? Wouldn’t it be great?

What then would happen to praying to God, “Lord, please allow my baby to be healthy”? Would it then be, “They better be right or I want my money back”?

What if you could pick all of the traits to create your perfect child, would you be as proud as that child that has made their own stuffed bear? What if the child turned out to be a disappointment? Would you accept them still as a gift of God, or would you toss them aside as a child does to an old stuffed bear when all the newness wears off?

There was a time when people were happy with what they had, and proud of what God had given them.

Today we live in an age of custom built things, so why not children too?

Who needs God when you can build your own custom idol?

I wonder what happens to the ones that no body wants?

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Check out Bobby's visit to Walmart and why RC doesn't want to give to the church.

Have You Read This Book?

I would just like to ask you one question.

You call yourself a Christian and you haven’t even read the entire Bible from cover to cover yet?

What does that say about you?

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This is the question I asked myself today. I am personally ashamed.

Why is it that we can spend the majority of our time reading all kinds of books, but do not find time to read God’s Word all the way through? We complain that “It is really big”, but we don’t have a problem with all of the “Lord of the Ring” series.

We even find time to read books about Christianity. Why do we spend more time reading books about the Bible instead of just reading the Bible? What’s even worse is most of the Christian books we read are really a waste of money. Not that they do not teach us truth, but honestly how often do we buy a book to really learn something? Usually we pick a book [1] that teaches what we already believe, [2] that gives us ammunition to attack another, or [3] that we really only want to read to criticize and say how wrong the author is and all that follow their teaching.

Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

But really how often do we actually pull that Bible off of the shelf to verify the scripture and context of what the author has written in the book?

How many times do we pick a book based on the author, without thinking, putting faith in them that they can never be wrong? Believing every word they say without testing it against the Book.

I am not saying that these books are not good, but I, myself, must from this day forth make sure that they do not take the place of my personal Bible reading.

Bottled water is nice, but just think if you could get it fresh from the source.

“I am a Christian, I just don’t act like it.”

I served in the United States Army from 1993 to 1998. My first duty station was in Vilseck, Germany in September 1993. I roomed with a follow soldier [2 to a room] that never once mentioned Christ to me.

Around the summer of 1994 I met a Christian by the name of Mark Powers that brought me to a Bible believing church that he traveled an hour each way to hear the Word of God preached.

September 25, 1994 Christ saved my soul after the Sunday morning preaching service.

I later ran into the soldier I was roomed with in the beginning and after talking a moment about Christ, he said, “I am a Christian, I just don’t act like it.”

The comparison of the above [assuming the first guy was indeed saved] shows two completely different examples of Christians. One never went to church or said a word about Christ until confronted by another Christian, whereas the other was a godly example and actively witnessing.

Have you ever sung the song entitled “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”? [Variation]

Pay close attention to the words:

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow;

Though none go with me, I still will follow;

Though none go with me, still will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.

Have you really decided to follow Jesus? I mean really decided to follow Him with every fiber of your being? It is easy to talk the talk. I am sure we all know someone that claims to be a Christian, but falls short of “our” expectations. Of course, if we were honest, we too fall short of our example: Jesus Christ.

Where would you honestly consider yourself; with the first soldier or the second?

Are you a Christian that is hiding his light or a Christian that is lifting his light high in a world of darkness?

Do you find your actions saying "I am a Christian and proud of it" or “I am a Christian, I just don’t act like it”?